The Complete Idiot's Guide to Learning German on Your Own

417 Pages·1997·5.98 MB·English

by  Alice

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Learning German on Your Own
by Alice Müller and Stephan Müller
A Division of Macmillan General Reference
A Simon & Schuster Macmillan Company
1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Page aa
LIEBE FREUNDE
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THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S REFERENCE CARD OF
INDISPENSABLE PHRASES

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Copyright © 1997 Amaranth
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the
information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this
book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any
liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of information contained herein. For information,
address Alpha Books, 1633 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10019-6785.
International Standard Book Number: 0-02-861962-5
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 97-073150
99 98 8 7 6 5 4
Interpretation of the printing code: the rightmost number of the first series of numbers is the year of
the book's printing; the rightmost number of the second series of numbers is the number of the
book's printing. For example, a printing code of 97-1 shows that the first printing occurred in 1997.
Printed in the United States of America
Editor: Nancy Stevenson
Acquistions Editor: Gary Krebs
Cartoonist: Judd Winick
Cover Designer: Michael Freeland
Designer: Glenn Larsen
Production Team: Tricia Flodder, Rowena Rappaport, Christy Wagner
Indexer: Nadia Ibrahim
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CONTENTS AT A GLANCE
Part 1: The Very Basics 1
1 Why You Should Study German 3
Learn that there are plenty of reasons why German is the
language for you.
2 Hitting the Books 9
See how German is particularly useful for those involved in
academia.
3 Pronounce It Properly: Vowels 15
Learn to make the vowel sounds you will need to pronounce
German words properly.
4 Pronounce It Properly: Consonants 25
Learn to make the right consonant sounds in German.
5 You Know More Than You Think 35
Believe it or not, you already speak more German than you
think, thanks to cognates.
6 Are Idiomatic Expressions for Idiots? 45
A basic knowledge of common idioms will help you to
express yourself effectively.
7 The Joy of Gender 57
All German nouns are either masculine, feminine, or neuter.
8 The Case of the Declining Noun 69
There are four cases in German: nominative, accusative,
dative, and genitive.
9 Click Your Heels Together and Say: There's No Place Like 79
Deutschland
Conjugating weak and strong verbs is relatively simple, once
you know what you're doing.
Part 2: Up, Up and Away 89
10 Take Me to Your Leiter: Making Friends 91
Start striking up conversations with the right introductory
phrases.
11 I'd Like to Get to Know You 101
Make introductions, express possession, and describe
yourself and your family members with adjectives.
12 Finally, You're at the Airport 115
In addition to giving and receiving simple directions, a few
key phrases will help you get around the airport.
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13 Heading for the Hotel 127
The tips you need on using the best means of transportation
and telling time are in this chapter.
14 Yippee, You've Made It to the Hotel! 139
Do you want a room that looks out onto the garden? In this
chapter, you'll be introduced to the vocabulary you'll need to
make requests in a hotel.
Part 3: Fun and Games 151
15 A Date with the Weather 153
Talk about the weather in German and learn the days of the
week, the months of the year, and the four seasons.
16 Let's Sightsee 163
Learn to read maps and ask questions first—then go
sightseeing.
17 Shop Till You Drop 173
Learn to talk about clothes—and to ask specifically for the
color, size, fabrics, and design you're looking for.
18 The Meat and Kartoffeln of a Home-Cooked Meal 187
When you go out shopping for ingredients, you'll know
where to go and how to ask for what you want.
19 Restaurant Hopping 199
You can order a delicious meal in German, and express your
pleasure when you're finished eating.
20 Monkey Business 213
Learn how to ask the new German friends you've made how
to participate in sports and other fun activities. Adverbs will
help you brag about your many abilities.
Part 4: Angst 227
21 Dealing with a Bad Hair Day, an Empty Camera, a Broken 229
Watch, and Blisters
When you need something—including a boost—this chapter
tells you the problem-specific expressions to use.
22 What Does the Doctor Recommend? 243
Describe your symptoms to the doctor, understand his or her
diagnosis, and tell your friends what you've got.
23 I Think I Forgot Something 255
Get the drugstore items you need and learn to express
yourself in the past tense.
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24 I Have to Make an Important Call 265
Everything you ever wanted to know about German and
phones, using the right phrases when you talk, and
handling the problems that commonly arise during local
and long-distance calls.
25 Where's the Nearest Post Office? 273
This chapter will provide you with the phrases you need to
know to send anything from a love letter to a telegram.
Part 5: Let's Get Down to Business 281
26 I'd Like to Rent a Castle, Please 283
How to get the castle, house, or apartment you want, and
how to use the future and the conditional tenses.
27 Money Matters 291
Vocabulary you need to handle your money wisely in
Germany, and tips on using the subjunctive case.
A Answer Key 297
B Glossary: Linguistic Terms and Definitions 313
Index 317
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CONTENTS
Part 1: The Very Basics 1
1 Why You Should Study German 3
Should You or Shouldn't You? 4
Get Serious 4
Immerse Yourself 5
There's Nothing to Fear 6
The Least You Need to Know 7
2 Hitting the Books 9
What Are All These German Words Doing Here? 9
When Only German Will Do 10
Lost in the Translation 10
How Much German Is Enough? 11
You Could Look It Up 11
Learning Parts of Speech, Inside Out 12
Now It's Your Turn 13
Compounding Your German Vocabulary 13
The Least You Need to Know 14
3 Pronounce It Properly: Vowels 15
Vowels Must Dress Appropriately 16
Are You Stressed? 16
Your Own Personal Accent 16
A Few Peculiarities of the German Language 17
The Famous Umlaut 17
Capitalizing on Nouns 17
Where Did All These Vowel Sounds Come From? 18
Say A as in Modern 18
Say E as in Bed 19
Say I as in Winter 20
Say O as in Lord 20
Say U as in Shook 20
Modified Vowels: The Long and the Short of It 21
Say Ä as in Fair 21
Say Ö as in Fur 22
Say Ü as in the French Word Sûr 22