German Lesson 2
How to start and end a conversation?
I am Eva, your German teacher on the Hrily platform, which is dedicated to caregivers of the elderly. We offer you not only German language lessons, but also current job offers in care.
Today I am full of energy and inspiration, which, I hope, will give you during our lesson. Start learning from the first lesson of our course if you are just starting your adventure with German > German for carers lesson 1
In today’s lesson, which is the second in our series, we will focus on the basics of communication: greetings and goodbyes. These are the key elements that will help you start and end a conversation in German. Understanding and using these phrases is the basis for feeling more confident in everyday interactions with German-speaking seniors.
German vocabulary
Today, we will learn 10 basic words and phrases that will make it easier for you to communicate. Here they are in English and German:
Hello (welcome) – Hello
Good morning – Guten Tag
Good evening – Guten Abend
Goodbye (formally) – Auf Wiedersehen
See you (informally) – Tschüss
Have a nice day – Einen schönen Tag
Good night – Gute Nacht
How are you? — Wie geht es Ihnen?
Good, thank you – Gut, danke
Sorry – Entschuldigung
Each of these phrases opens the way to fluid and polite communication. During the lesson we will practice their pronunciation, contexts of use and responses to them. I invite you to actively participate and practice with me.
Dialogues in German
Dialogue 1: First Meeting
Eva: Guten Tag, Herr Martin. Ich bin Ewa, Ihre neue Pflegerin. Wie geht es Ihnen heute?
(Good morning, Mr. Martin. I’m Eva, your new nurse. How are you feeling today?/How are you?)
Mr. Martin: Guten Tag, Ewa. Es geht mir gut, danke. Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen.
(Good morning Eve. I’m fine, nice to meet you.)
Dialogue 2: End of the Day
Eva: So, Herr Martin, Ich werde jetzt gehen. Haben Sie noch etwas, das Sie brauchen?
(Mr. Martin, I’ll be on my way, do you need anything else?)
Mr. Martin: Nein, danke, Ewa. Gute nacht und bis morgen.
(No, thank you, Eva. Good night and see you tomorrow.)
Dialogue 3: Planning the Day
Eva: Guten Morgen, Herr Martin. Was möchten Sie heute tun?
(Good morning, Mr. Martin, what do you want to do today?)
Herr Martin: Guten Morgen, Ewa. Ich würde gerne im Garten arbeiten. Könnten Sie mir dabei helfen?
(Good morning Eve. I’d love to work in the garden. Would you like to help me?)
Eva: Natürlich, Herr Martin. Das klingt nach einem guten Plan.
(Of course, Mr. Martin, that sounds like a good plan.)
These dialogues reflect typical situations from the daily life of the caregiver and senior, enabling practical application of German learning. They provide a practical approach to language learning that is invaluable in the daily care of seniors.
Assignments and exercises for students
Task 1: Pronunciation practice
Please listen carefully to the dialogues and practice pronunciation together with the speaker. This exercise is key to learning the correct pronunciation and intonation of the German language. Repeat the dialogues several times until you feel more confident in saying them.
Task 2: Creating Your Own Dialogs
I encourage you to adapt the presented dialogues or create your own scenarios that could take place in your work with seniors. This is a great way to practice the language in real situations. If it helps, save your dialogues. Also choose 5 new words from the lesson, check their translations in the dictionary and save them. In your spare time, repeat these words to better remember them. This will help you expand your German vocabulary and increase your speaking confidence.
Interesting facts about the German language
Today, I have prepared for you a curiosity about the German language, which highlights its uniqueness. Did you know that in German there is a word “Schadenfreude” which has no direct equivalent in many other languages? This word describes the feeling of joy or satisfaction that occurs when someone else experiences bad luck or failure. This is an example of how German can express very specific emotions and states of mind in one word.
And now something from my everyday life. Recently, while preparing a traditional German cake “Streuselkuchen” for my friends, I wondered how diverse and rich the German culinary tradition is. It reminds me that language is not just words and grammar, but also culture and traditions that are inextricably linked to it. Learning German opens the door to a deeper understanding of these rich cultural aspects.
Lesson summary
Today’s lesson was the next step in our journey through the German language. We focused on the basic phrases that are necessary in everyday communication – greetings and farewells. I hope these basic expressions will become a solid foundation for further learning and practice. Remember that every word you learn today brings you closer to fluency in German.
I would like to thank you for your active participation and encourage you to keep practicing. Practice is the key to success, so don’t hesitate to use the phrases you’ve learned today in everyday situations.
Join us for the next lesson, where we will continue our learning of German. We will focus on key phrases for the care of seniors, which is important in your role as caregivers.
See you soon!