Essential Words And Phrases To Know Before Your Trip To Germany

When you visit a country for the first time, it can be intimidating — especially if you don't speak the language. So getting to know a foreign language before visiting can take the pressure off of your trip and enhance your experiences. With a language like German, you're in luck because the words are generally phonetic like in Spanish. So words are generally spoken as they appear. Though that's not always true, it applies to many of the words or phrases beginner speakers will rely on during a trip to German-speaking countries.

There are some grammatical cues that might trip you up like the letter "ẞ" known as "eszett." This letter that looks like a "B" which isn't connected at the bottom is really just a double "s." So if you see a word like "Straße" think of it as reading as "strasse" (it means street). The same goes for the common umlaut or dots above a letter like "ü." It simply changes the pronunciation.

Don't be surprised if speaking or understanding German is different or difficult for you depending on what part of the country you're in. There are over 200 dialects in Germany that can really impact how you experience the language. Not to mention that many parts of Europe speak German: ​​Germany, Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. So a language vs. dialect barrier might happen, just don't let it throw you off. Just do your best and it'll most likely be appreciated.

Like German greetings, the simplest polite phraseology is fairly simple for phonetic language learners. Both "please" and "you're welcome" are translated as "bitte" (/BITT-uh/). Whereas "thank you" is just one word: "danke" (/DAHN-kuh/). Even being able to just use these words in everyday interactions makes an immense difference in your time in Germany. Generally German folks you will meet, especially shopkeepers, will appreciate that you've done the bare minimum of knowing the language because you're trying. You can also add these words to other phrases you learn to make the sentence more polite. Like saying "nein, danke" which means "no, thanks." 

Keep in mind that part of being polite is recognizing that each culture has their own norms. In Germany, for example, small talk isn't really a thing, especially with people you don't know. So informal chatting with a server or a cashier is a little weird. Not making small talk can be uncomfortable for Americans, but just roll with it.

If you want to ask someone how they're doing you can say "wie geht es ihnen" for "how are you" or you could say the shortened "wie geht's" for "how's it going?" "Wie geht's" is a bit of a slang term though it's generally acceptable to use, though maybe use the more formal "wie geht es Ihnen" if you're not sure.

Anyone who watched "Kim Possible" as a kid might already know how to say "no" in German thanks to Ron Stoppable asking Heinrich if he had any daughters he could take to a dance. To which Heinrich replied "nein" but Ron thought he meant "nine" and Heinrich had to explain that "nein means no!" If that phrase means nothing to you, saying "no" in German is as simple as "nein" (/nine/). You can make the "no" more polite by adding "thank you" to it and say "nein danke" (/nine DAHN-kuh/) for "no, thank you."

Should you need a more firm "no," you could try saying "ich glaube nicht" or "I don't think so" or the firmer "absolut nicht" for "absolutely not." Otherwise perhaps a more gentle let down using "leider" for "unfortunately, no" is appropriate. Both of these phrases can get the point across that you are final in your stance and that the situation is "kaputt" ("broken"). Generally you shouldn't have a problem with shopkeepers. Especially in a country like Germany saying "no" will complete your conversational transaction. It's actually a relief to not have to deal with pushy salespeople like in the United States.

While many of us don't necessarily need help when shopping, especially those introverts out there, but you'll never know when these phrases will come in handy. For instance, being able to say "I'd like" with "Ich möchte". (/eech MURG-ta/) followed by whatever it is you're looking for. You could be looking for a "shirt" or "ein Kleid" (/eye-n KLITE/) or even a "postcard" or "eine Postkarte" (/eye-na POST-KAR-ta/) to send home. Luckily, in some circumstances, you can show the person what you're looking for in the shop and come up with a way to cross the language gap with some creative phrasing. 

Clearance shoppers will want to look for some words to give a clue that the prices have been lowered. So keep an eye out for "ausverkauf" for "sale," "sonderangebot" for "special offer" or "reduziert" which means "reduced." Usually, the universal color for reduced prices is red so watch out for red signs that say any of the reduced priced signs in red.

Some of the shop titles you'll see frequently are worth remembering too so you don't wander to far looking for something. For example "e Bäckerei" means "bakery" which may or may not have the kinds of sweet treats you'd want from a "pastry shop" or "e Konditorei." Most likely a bakery will have breads or pretzels but not necessarily a lot of sweets. Also, "e Apotheke" stands for "apothecary/pharmacy" whereas "e Drogerie" or "drugstore" is a non-drug convenience store.

Especially since phones can get us lost as quickly as they can help us find where we're going, it's always good to know how to ask for directions. When you want to ask "how do I get to a place" you can say "wie komme ich zum/zur" (/vee KOM-muh ikh tsoom/tsoor/). But if you're trying to ask how to get to a city you'd say "wie komme ich nach" (/vee KOM-muh ikh nahkh/). Hopefully, you won't need to ask a stranger how to get to a city, but you never know!

Like many countries, the "toilet" or in German "die Toilette" is directly used. Don't ask for a bathroom or a restroom, just ask for the toilet. You may also see signs that say WC for "water closet" or "das Klosett" which is another word for "lavatory" or "toilet area."

If you want to ask someone for recommendations you could ask "where are there a lot of?" to get pointed in the direction of a popular area. Try asking "wo gibt es viele" (/VOU gipt ess FEE-luh/) followed by words like "Kneipen" for "pubs" or "Sehenswürdigkeiten" for "sights to see." Oftentimes locals will have gems you'd never discover without asking them what to check out.

When you're a new language speaker, knowing how to ask someone if they can speak English might come in handy. If you're stuck, try saying "sprechen sie Englisch?" (/shpr-ek-en zee eng-lish/) to maybe bridge the language gap. If you feel uncomfortable asking, it's okay to also say "excuse me" before asking by saying "entschuldigung" (/ent-shool-dee-goong/). While it literally means "excuse me," it is also a way of saying "I'm sorry." Otherwise "tut mir leid" which is a shorter "sorry."

If you want to try out your language skills but need your German-speaking conversation partner to repeat themselves, it's ok to say so. Feel free to say "Können Sie das bitte wiederholen" or "could you say that again please?" You could also say "Was bedeutet das" or "what does that mean?" to spur your speaking partner to rephrase what they've said more simply.

When you get to a place when you can't converse in German, which is understandable you're a new language speaker, just admit your limit of language skills. Say "Ich spreche nicht gut Deutsch" for "I do not speak German very well." Seriously, being able to say your language skills are limited in the language of the place you're visiting is so much better than immediately asking if the other person speaks your language.