Essential German Phrasebook

Germany, Cologne, young couple orientating with city map — Westend61/Getty Images

By

Updated on November 04, 2019

Don't have time to learn German? You know you need to know a few basics, but you're a busy person. Here's some help in the form of a one-page “phrasebook” for people in a hurry. You can print out the complete one-page version of the phrasebook.

ESSENTIAL GERMAN 1
Common Phrases		Getting Around
yes - no - maybe ja - nein - vielleicht yah - nine - fee-lycht		train - plane - car Zug - Flugzeug - Auto tsoog - FLOOG-tsoyk - OW-toe
Hello! - Goodbye! Guten Tag! - Auf Wiedersehen! GOO-ten tak - owf-VEEder-zane		train station - airport Bahnhof - Flughafen BAHN-hof - FLOOG-hafen
Good morning! Guten Morgen! GOO-ten morgen		left - right links - rechts linx - rechts

At the Hotel		Food & Drink
Is breakfast included? Mit Frühstück? mitt FRUY-stuyck		bread/rolls Brot/Brötchen broht/brutchen
downstairs/upstairs unten/oben oonten/oh-ben		beer - wine - juice Bier - Wein - Saft beer - vine - zahft

Dining Out		Shopping
waiter - waitress Ober - Kellnerin oh-ber - kellner-in		That's cheap/expensive. Das ist billig/teuer. dahs ist billik/toy-er
Where's the restroom/toilet? Wo ist die Toilette? vo ist dee toy-LETa		department store - grocery store Kaufhaus - Lebensmittelgeschäft kowf-house - -ge-sheft

Essential Phrases Part 2

This section includes phrases that enhance your “coping skills,” or ways of dealing with a lack of understanding. Note: The phonetic (fo-NET-ik) pronunciation guide for each phrase is only approximate.

ESSENTIAL GERMAN 2
Deutsch	English
Sprechen Sie Deutsch/Englisch? SHPREK-en zee DOYTsh / ENG-lish	Do you speak German / English?
Noch einmal, bitte. NOCK EYEn-mahl BIT-tuh	(Repeat) Once again, please.
Wie bitte? VEE BIT-tuh	What did you say? / What was that?
Langsamer, bitte. LAHNG-zahmer BIT-tuh	More slowly, please.
Bitte Wiederholen Sie! BIT-tuh VEE-der-HOL-en zee	Please repeat that.
Ich verstehe nicht. ICK fer-SHTEH-uh nickt	I don't understand.
Ich habe eine Frage. ICK HAB-ah EYE-nuh FRAG-uh	I have a question.
Wie sagt man...?VEE zahgt mahn	How do you say...?
Ich weiß nicht. ICK VYEss nickt	I don't know.
Doch! dock	On the contrary! / Yes. (in reply to a negative question)
Wo ist/sind...? VO ist/sint	Where is/are...?
wann? - wer? - wie? vahn - vehr - vee	when? - who? - how?
warum? - was? va-RUHM - vahs	why? - what?
Schon gut! SHON goot	Okay!
Ich habe kein(e)... ICK HAHB-a kine(uh)	I have no... / I don't have any...
Ich habe kein Geld. ICK HAHB-ah kine gelt	I don't have any money.

Format

mla apa chicago

Your Citation

Flippo, Hyde. "Essential German Phrasebook." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/essential-german-page-phrasebook-4074572. Flippo, Hyde. (2023, April 5). Essential German Phrasebook. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/essential-german-page-phrasebook-4074572 Flippo, Hyde. "Essential German Phrasebook." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/essential-german-page-phrasebook-4074572 (accessed June 5, 2023).