German Language Basics with GermanPod101

Introduction

• Website & App: GermanPod101.com offers a free lifetime account to learn German.
• Series: Deutsch in 3 Minuten aims to teach basic German quickly and easily.
• Instructor: Laura
• Focus: Basic German expressions, including greetings, introductions, common phrases, numbers, and shopping.

Lesson 1: Introducing Yourself

Informal Introduction

• "Hallo, ich heiße [Name]. Schön, dich kennenzulernen."
  • Translation: "Hello, I'm [Name]. Nice to meet you."

Formal Introduction

• "Guten Tag, ich heiße [Full Name]. Schön, Sie kennenzulernen."
  • Translation: "Good day, I'm [Full Name]. Nice to meet you."
  • Differences: "Hallo" changes to "Guten Tag"; "dich" changes to "Sie"; include full name.

Insights

• Shake hands when introducing yourself.
• Use "sehr erfreut" if unsure which form to use.

Lesson 2: Expressing Gratitude

Basic Thank You

• "Danke" - "Thank you"
• "Danke sehr" - "Thank you very much"

Formal Thank You

• "Ich danke Ihnen."

Responses

• "Bitteschön" or "Gern geschehen" for "You're welcome."

Insights

• "Danke" is universally acceptable.

Lesson 3: Greetings

Informal

• "Hallo" - "Hi" or "Hello"

Formal

• "Guten Morgen" - "Good morning"
• "Guten Tag" - "Good day"
• "Guten Abend" - "Good evening"

Leaving

• Formal: "Auf Wiedersehen" - "Goodbye"
• Informal: "Tschüss" - "Bye"

Insights

• Regional variations like "Grüß Gott" in Southern Germany and Austria.

Lesson 4: Asking If Someone Speaks English

Informal Question

• "Sprichst du Englisch?" - "Do you speak English?"

Formal Question

• "Sprechen Sie Englisch?"
• Add "Entschuldigen Sie" for politeness.

Possible Responses

• "Ja" - "Yes"
• "Ja, ein bisschen" - "Yes, a little"
• "Nein, ich spreche nicht Englisch" - "No, I don't speak English."

Lesson 5: Apologizing

Formal Apology

• "Entschuldigen Sie" - "Excuse me/I'm sorry"

Informal Apology

• "Entschuldige"

General Apology

• "Entschuldigung"
• "Es tut mir leid" - "I'm sorry"

Insights

• Use "Entschuldigen Sie" instead of "Es tut mir leid" for minor incidents.

Lesson 6: Numbers 1 to 10

• Counting: eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn
• Before 1: "null" - "zero"

Insights

• Useful for giving out phone numbers.

Lesson 7: Numbers 11 to 100

• 11-20: elf, zwölf, dreizehn, vierzehn, fünfzehn, sechzehn, siebzehn, achtzehn, neunzehn, zwanzig
• Tens: Dreißig, vierzig, fünfzig, sechzig, siebzig, achtzig, neunzig, hundert
• Forming Compound Numbers: Smaller number + "und" + tens (e.g., sechsundfünfzig for 56)

Lesson 8: Shopping and Prices

Asking for Prices

• "Entschuldigung, wie viel kostet das?" - "Excuse me, how much is this?"
• Use "dieser", "diese", "dieses" based on the noun's gender.

Common Phrases

• "Das kostet/Das macht/Das sind [amount] Euro."

Insights

• "Wie viel" can be a quicker way to ask about prices.

These notes provide a concise yet comprehensive overview of basic German language concepts as taught in the GermanPod101 'Deutsch in 3 Minuten' series, focusing on practical phrases, numbers, and social etiquette.