Lesson 15-4 - Lektion 15-4
Passive infinitive
Lesson 15: Travelling. Activity 4
From this activity you will know how to:
- say that you are a citizen of the European Union
- say that you are going on a business trip
- explain that everything is listed in the customs declaration
- say that you have only personal things
Learn the words and expressions for the dialogue
border
When do we cross the border?
passport
Your passport, please!
control
When is the passport control?
citizen
I am a citizen of Russia.
the European Union (EU [eːˈʔuː])
I am a citizen of the European Union.
service, duty
I have to be on duty at 8 o’clock.
to carry (with one)
Do you carry coffee with you?
thing; business, affair
I keep my things in order.
to declare; to pay duty on
Do you have anything to declare?
personal
This is my personal business.
(suit)case
Is this your suitcase?
(photo, video)camera
I have a good camera.
foreign countries; ins/im Ausland abroad
Do you often go abroad?
foreign
I don’t have foreign money.
to list
All names are listed there.
dutiable
These goods are dutiable.
duty-free
The camera is duty-free.
Pay attention to the form and the usage of the words
Note the usage of expressions with the preposition auf + noun:
Er ist viel auf Reisen.
He travels a lot (lit.: on the road/trip).
Ich bin hier auf Dienstreise.
I am here on a business trip.You know the word passieren in the meaning «to happen».
Hier ist ein Unfall passiert.
Here an accident happened.In this activity you have met another meaning of the verb - «to cross», «to pass»:
Wir haben eben die Grenze zwischen Europa und Asien passiert.
We have just crossed the border between Europe and Asia.By analogy with the adjectives rezeptpflichtig «available only on prescription» and rezeptfrei «available without prescription» the words zollpflichtig «dutiable» and zollfrei «duty-free» are formed:
Ist diese Sache zollpflichtig? — Nein, sie ist zollfrei.
Is this thing dutiable? — No, it is duty-free.
Remember the following way of word-formation (1)
der Zoll + die Kontrolle = die Zollkontrolle customs check
der Film + die Kamera = die Filmkamera film camera
Practise in reading the words
An der Grenze
Grammar points
Like in English, German has two forms of infinitive: active (fragen, rufen, schreiben etc.) and passive (gefragt werden, gerufen werden, geschrieben werden etc.).
The passive infinitive is made of the infinitive of the verb werden and participle II of the main verb. Note that both verbs are at the end: participle II takes next to last place, and the verb werden — the last place.
Both the active infinitive, and the passive infinitive are used with modal verbs:
Der Wagen muß repariert werden.
The car must be repaired.
Kann der Flug Nr. 123 gebucht werden?
Can the flight No. 123 be booked?In a sentence, the modal verb goes on the second place (in a question without the question word — on the first), and the passive infinitive — at the end of the sentence:
Der Motor muß repariert werden.
The engine must be repaired.
Wann kann der Wagen abgeschleppt werden?
When the car can be towed?In subordinate clauses the modal verb goes on the very last place after the passive infinitive:
Er sagt, dass das Auto getankt werden soll.
He says that the car should be filled up.
The active and passive infinitive with modal verbs
Active infinitive
Passive infinitive
einladen
eingeladen werden
Er soll uns einladen.
He should invite us.
Er soll auch eingeladen werden.
She should be invited too.
Kann ich Sie einladen?
Can I invite you?
Kann er eingeladen werden?
Can he be invited?
Es ist gut, dass er uns einladen kann (eingeladen werden kann).
It is good that he can invite us (can be invited).
1. During the passport control you are asked where you are going. Answer. What question would you give if you were the interlocutor?
B. Ich bin der Bürger Russlands und fahre nach Holland.
Continue:
Österreich, die BRD, die Schweiz, Frankreich, Finnland, Dänemark, Schweden, Belgien, Italien, Spanien, Portugal.
2. You are asked at the customs if you have something to declare. Give a negative answer. How would you ask in this case?
B. Nein. Muß für die Uhr Zoll bezahlt werden?
Continue:
die Filmkamera, die Fotokamera, der Kinderwagen (baby carriage), die Schreibmaschine (typewriter), das Sportgerät (piece of sports equipment).
3. You want to know if you need to pay the duty for an object or not. Ask a question. What answer may you get?
B. Nein. Das ist zollpflichtig.
Continue:
Zigaretten, Bilder, Kunstgegenstände (art objects), Kameras, ausländische Währung, vier Flaschen Wein, Gold.
4. At the customs you are asked to open your suitcase. Explain that you have only your personal things. What would you say if you were the interlocutor?
B. Das sind nur meine persönlichen Sachen.
Continue:
der Koffer, das Gepäck, die Reisetasche, das Gepäckstück, das Handgepäck, der Reisekoffer, die Sache.
5. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the dialogue.
1. Hier ist mein . 2. Ich bin auf . 3. Sind Sie Russlands? 4. Sie Sachen mit, die verzollt werden müssen? 5. Öffnen Sie bitte diesen ! 6. Haben Sie Währung?
6. Reconstruct the dialogue by filling in the gaps with the appropriate words.
7. Try to reproduce the dialogue “An der Grenze” by memory.
Check yourself!
What expressions will you use if you want to:
say that you are a citizen of the European Union
say that you are going on a business trip
explain that everything is listed in the customs declaration
say that you have only personal things
