Lesson 9-1 - Lektion 9-1
Conjugation of reflexive verbs in German (1 and 3 person)
Lesson 9: Extension and revision of the second chapter of the course. Activity 1
From this activity you will know how to:
- park a car
- have your suit ironed
- notify that you will come back soon
- ask to exchange money
Learn the words and expressions for the dialogue
to go (by vehicle); to drive
I’m going to the FRG soon.
car; carriage, wagon
Do you have a car?
to park
Is it allowed to park here?
to be (situated or located)
Where is the hotel located?
lift (Brit), elevator (US)
The lift is over there.
warm
There is no warm water.
cold
This room is cold.
reception
Ask at the reception!
to iron
Where can I iron the trousers?
to expect
When can I expect you?
visit; visitor(s); attendance
I have visitors today.
that
Say that I’m in the room.
back
I’ll be back in 5 minutes.
to change (in / into); to exchange
Can you exchange 50 cents?
enough
I have enough time.
to be interested (für in)
I’m interested in books.
Pay attention to the form and the usage of the words
The adverb genug can be placed both either before nouns and after them, but it is always after another adverb:
Wir haben genug Zeit.
I have enough time.
Wir haben Zeit genug.
I have enough time.
Ich habe gut genug geschlafen.
I slept well enough.
The verb sich interessieren is governed by a preposition für + А:
Ich interessiere mich für diesen neuen Wagen.
I am interested in this new car.The masculine and neuter nouns that ends in -(е)n, -(е)r, -(е)l, get no suffixes in plural; sometimes they get umlaut:
der Arbeiter
— die Arbeiter
das Fenster
— die Fenster
der Wagen
— die Wagen
das Zimmer
— die Zimmer
der Schlüssel
— die Schlüssel
das Feuer
— die Feuer
der Bruder
— die Brüder
das Mädchen
— die Mädchen
Remember the following way of word-formation (1)
park(en) + der Platz = der Parkplatz (parking lot)
zurück + kommen = zurückkommen (to come back, to return)
das Zimmer + das Mädchen = das Zimmermädchen (chamber)maid
Practise in reading the words
Ich habe ein Zimmer bestellt
You already know how to get a room in a hotel, find out about the services in the hotel etc. (see lesson 6, activity 1—3). Let’s learn some new expressions for this topic:
(Ich habe leider kein Kleingeld).
You can find this in a menu:
kalte (warme) Vorspeisen
cold (warm) starters / appetizers
Suppen
soups
(Fisch) Gerichte
(fish) dishes
Beilagen
side dishes, vegetables
Dessert (Nachspeisen)
dessert
leichte Kost
light fare
Getränke
beverages
Spezialitäten
specialities
Grammar points
Reflexive verbs
Reflexive verbs can be described as verbs that reflect an action that is done by the agent to itself, that is with the help of reflexive pronouns such as “-self” or “-selves,” in English (e.g. to enjoy oneself, to hurt oneself etc.). In German, however, reflexive verbs are used more often and differently:
Ich interessiere mich für Wörterbücher.
I am interested in dictionaries.
Interessieren Sie sich für Fachbücher?
Are you interested in special literature?
Wir interessieren uns für diese Zeitschriften.
We are interested in these magazines.
Sie interessieren sich für Sport.
They are interested in sport.As you can see, the reflexive pronoun sich is only used in 3rd person singular and plural, while 1st person singular and plural use corresponding pronouns in the accusative case—mich and uns.
Reflexive pronouns come after the variable part of the predicate:
Das Warenhaus befindet sich neben dem Hotel.
The department store is located next to the hotel.
Mein Freund hat sich für Sport interessiert.
My friend was interested in sport.
Befindet sich diese Abteilung im 1. Stock?
Is this department located on the first (US: second) floor?If the subject is expressed by a personal pronoun, then when reversed order takes place, first goes the personal pronoun, then the reflexive pronoun:
Als Student hat er sich für Sport interessiert.
As a student, he was interested in sport.
Conjugation of reflexive verbs
| Singular | Plural | ||||
| ich | interessiere | mich | wir | interessieren | uns |
| er | interessiert | sich | Sie | interessieren | sich |
Imperative form: Interessieren Sie sich mehr für Sport!
1. Your interlocutor is interested in a particular question. Answer it. What question would you ask if you were the interlocutor?
B. Ich befinde mich im Hotel.
Continue:
wo, sich rasieren—im Bad, wo, sich waschen—unter der Dusche, wo, sich befinden — im Warenhaus drüben
2. The interlocutor asks who you are waiting for. Answer. What question would you ask if you were the interlocutor?
B. Ja, ich erwarte einen Freund. Er soll gleich kommen.
Continue:
der Arzt, die Journalisten, der Ingenieur, der Dolmetscher, Herr Schneider, die Schwester, Besuch.
3. The interlocutor asks what you are interested in. Answer. What question would you ask if you were the interlocutor?
B. Ja, ich interessiere mich sehr für Sport.
Continue:
die Fachbücher, deutsche Zeitungen, die Wörterbücher, die Fachzeitschriften, der neue Wagen, Musik.
4. You need to exchange money. Ask about it. What answer would you give if you were the interlocutor?
B. Ich habe leider kein Kleingeld.
Continue:
1 Euro, 2 Euro, 50 Cent, 20 Cent, 20 Euro, 10 Euro, 3 Euro, 10 Cent, 5 Cent.
5. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the dialogue.
1. Ich möchte meinen Anzug lassen. 2. Sagen Sie, dass ich bald . 3. Wo ist ? Gleich nebenan. 4. Wo das Cafe? 5. ich hier richtig zum Hotel "Leipzig"?
6. Reconstruct the dialogue by filling in the gaps with the appropriate words.
7. Try to reproduce the dialogue “Ich habe ein Zimmer bestellt” by memory.
Check yourself!
What expressions will you use if you want to:
park a car
have your suit ironed
notify that you will come back soon
ask to exchange money
