Collins Gem

Copyright

HarperCollins Publishers

Westerhill Road

Bishopbriggs

Glasgow G64 2QT

Fourth Edition 2016

© HarperCollins Publishers 1993, 2007, 2010, 2016

Source ISBN: 9780008135966

Ebook Edition © March 2016 ISBN: 9780008163525

Version: 2016-03-01

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank those authors and publishers who kindly gave permission for copyright material to be used in the Collins Corpus. We would also like to thank Times Newspapers Ltd for providing valuable data.

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Editor

Holly Tarbet

Contributors

Helen Galloway

Janice McNeillie

Jany Schneider

For the Publisher

Gerry Breslin

Helen Newstead

Sarah Woods

Using your phrasebook

Whether you’re on holiday or on business, your Collins Gem Phrasebook and Dictionary is designed to help you locate the exact phrase you need, when you need it. You’ll also gain the confidence to go beyond what is in the book, as you can adapt the phrases by using the dictionary section to substitute your own words.

The Gem Phrasebook and Dictionary includes:

• Over 60 topics arranged thematically, so that you can easily find an expression to suit the situation

• Simple pronunciation which accompanies each word and phrase, to make sure you are understood when speaking aloud

• Tips to safeguard against any cultural faux pas, providing the essential dos and don’ts of local customs or etiquette

• A basic grammar section which will help you to build on your phrases

• FACE TO FACE dialogue sections to give you a flavour of what to expect from a real conversation

• A handy map of the country which shows the major cities and how to pronounce them

• YOU MAY HEAR sections for common announcements and messages, so that you don’t miss important information when out and about

• A user-friendly 3000 word dictionary to ensure you’ll never be stuck for something to say

• A short chapter of LIFELINE phrases for quick reference. These basic words and phrases will be essential to your time abroad

Before you jet off, it’s worth spending time looking through the topics to see what is covered and becoming familiar with pronunciation.

Contents

Copyright

Acknowledgements

Using your phrasebook

Pronouncing German

Top ten tips

Talking to people

Hello/goodbye, yes/no

Key phrases

Signs and notices

Polite expressions

Celebrations

Making friends

Weather

Getting around

Asking the way

Bus and coach

Metro

Train

Taxi

Boat and ferry

Air travel

Customs control

Car hire

Driving

Petrol

Breakdown

Car parts

Road signs

Staying somewhere

Hotel (booking)

Hotel desk

Camping

Self-catering

Shopping

Shopping phrases

Shops

Food (general)

Food (fruit and veg)

Clothes

Clothes (articles)

Maps and guides

Post office

Technology

Leisure

Sightseeing and tourist office

Music

Out and about

Nightlife

Sport

Walking

Communications

Telephone and mobile

Text messaging

E-mail

Internet

Practicalities

Money

Paying

Luggage

Complaints

Problems

Emergencies

Health

Pharmacy

Doctor

Dentist

Eating out

Eating places

In a bar/café

Reading the menu

In a restaurant

Dietary requirements

Wines and spirits

Menu reader

Reference

Alphabet

Measurements and quantities

Numbers

Days and months

Time

Time phrases

Public holidays

Phonetic maps

Grammar

Dictionary

LIFELINE words and phrases

About the Publisher

Pronouncing German

In this book you are given the pronunciation of the phrases so that you will soon be able to recognize the different sounds. (The stressed syllable is marked in bold.) Here are a few rules you should know:

Umlauts

* ur’ as in hurt without the r pronounced

A final e is always pronounced, but weakly like the e in the: Seide (zy-de), bitte (bit-e).

An underline indicates a short vowel, e.g. Mutter (mootter), Mörder (murder), Küste (kueste).

If an h is added after the vowel, the sound is longer, e.g. Tag (tahk), Mädchen (meht-khen), Leben (lehben), hoch (hohkh).

Top ten tips

1 Germans may close doors more often than you are used to, but a closed door does not necessarily mean that the person cannot be disturbed. They are probably happy to receive you if you knock before entering.

2 If someone holds an academic title it’s always polite to use it.

3 When introduced to an adult, address them by their title and surname until they suggest using first names.

4 If the person you are talking to sneezes, say ‘Gesundheit’ (bless you!).

5 Shake hands when you get introduced to an adult.

6 In restaurants in general, wait until everyone is served before you dig in, and say ‘Guten Appetit!’ before you start. The latter is not entirely necessary, but considered good form.

7 Always use the polite ‘Sie’ form, except with friends and colleagues of your own age.

8 When asked ‘Wie geht es Ihnen?’ you should respond by first thanking them, saying ‘Danke, gut’.

9 Answer the phone by using your surname: ‘Bader, hallo’; if you’re at work, then follow this with the name of your company.

10 Sundays are sacred. It’s the ‘Ruhetag’ so you should be aware that noise is kept to a minimum.

Talking to people

Hello/goodbye, yes/no

When Germans meet they generally shake hands. The words for Mr and Mrs are Herr and Frau. Note that Fräulein (Miss) is no longer used, as it sounds rather patronizing.

Key phrases

You don’t need to say complicated things to get what you want. Often simply naming the thing and adding bitte will do the trick.

Signs and notices

Polite expressions

There are two forms of address in German, formal (Sie) and informal (du). You should always stick to the formal until you are invited to duzen (to use the informal du).

Celebrations

Making friends

We have used the informal du form for these conversations.

FACE TO FACE

Wie heißt du?

vee hyst doo?

What’s your name?

Ich heiße…

ikh hy-se…

My name is…

Woher kommst du?

voh-her komst doo?

Where are you from?

Ich komme aus Großbritannien

ikh kom-e ows grohs-bri-ta-ni-en

I’m British (I come from Britain)

Sehr erfreut!

zehr erfroyt!

Pleased to meet you!

Weather

Getting around

Asking the way

FACE TO FACE

Entschuldigung! Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof?

entshooldi-goong! vee kom-e ikh tsoom bahn-hohf? Excuse me! How do I get to the station?

Immer geradeaus. Biegen Sie links ab nach der Kirche

immer grah-de-ows. beegen zee links ap nahkh dehr kir-khe

Straight on. Turn left after the church

Ist es weit?

ist es vyt?

Is it far?

Nein, fünf Minuten

nyn, fuenf minooten

No, five minutes

Bus and coach

If you are using public transport, you can buy a multiple ticket – eine Mehrfahrtenkarte. You have to validate it either on board the bus/tram/underground or at the bus stop. Other options are eine Touristenkarte (tourist pass) or eine Familienkarte (family ticket). Public transport is free for children under 6. Children between 6 and 14 pay half price. The ticketing systems of public transport vary greatly. In some cities, you have to stamp the ticket before boarding trains, trams and buses. In others, the ticket is immediately validated by the ticket machine.

FACE TO FACE

Entschuldigung, gibt es einen Bus nach Bonn?

entshooldi-goong, gipt es yn-en boos nahkh bon?

Excuse me, is there a bus to Bonn?

Ja, die Nummer 15

yah, dee noommer fuenf-tsehn

Yes, number 15

Wo fährt der Bus ab?

voh fehrt dehr boos ap?

Where does the bus leave from?

Neben dem Museum

nehben dehm moo-zeh-oom

Next to the museum

Wo kann ich Fahrscheine kaufen?

voh kann ikh fahr-shyn-e kowfen?

Where can I buy tickets?

Im Bus

im boos

On the bus

Metro

Most German cities operate an integrated transport system. Tickets cover bus, U-Bahn (metro) and S-Bahn (suburban trains). One option is eine Tageskarte (day pass). This allows you to use all transport within city limits from time of purchase until end of service. If you are travelling in a group, eine Gruppenfahrkarte (group ticket) is a good option for up to 5 people.