A1 

5 | Eine Fahrkarte bitte

A ticket please

Learn:

German numbers 13-22, buy a ticket for public transport, ask politely
Verb conjugations singular: (ich) komme, wohne, arbeite

German lessons: 5 | Eine Fahrkarte bitte / A ticket please: Paul has to hurry and buys a ticket to get to work. But the ticket seller takes a lot of time... The subway train is already coming. Topic: German numbers 13-22, buy a ticket for public transport, ask politely Grammar: verb conjugations singular: (ich) komme, wohne, arbeite
Translations

Paul:Paul (name)
noun (m.)
Gutengood
adjective
Tagday
noun (m.)
!

Paul: Hello!

Verkäufer:shop assistant; salesman; seller
noun (m.)
Gutengood
adjective
Tagday
noun (m.)
! Wiehow / like; as (comparison)
adverb
kanncan
verb
ichI
personal pronoun
helfento help
verb
?

Seller: Hello! How can I help?

Paul:Paul (name)
noun (m.)
IchI
personal pronoun
hättewould have
verb
gerngladly; with pleasure
adverb
einea
article
Monatskartemonthly ticket
noun (f.)
.

Paul: I'd like to have a monthly ticket.

Verkäufer:shop assistant; salesman; seller
noun (m.)
Dasthe (neuter); that
article
machtmakes; does
verb
50 Euroeuro (€)
noun (m.)
.

Seller: That’s 50 euros. (he actually says it ‚makes‘ 50 euros)

Paul:Paul (name)
noun (m.)
Misttrash; dung / Darn!
noun (m.)
! IchI
personal pronoun
habehave
verb
nichtnot
particle
genugenough
adverb
Geldmoney
noun (n.)
. Wiehow / like; as (comparison)
adverb
vielmuch; a lot
pronoun
kostetcosts
verb
einea
article
Tageskarteday ticket
noun (f.)
?

Paul: Darn! I don’t have enough money. How much does a day ticket cost?

Verkäufer:shop assistant; salesman; seller
noun (m.)
Einea
article
Tageskarteday ticket
noun (f.)
kostetcosts
verb
9 Euroeuro (€)
noun (m.)
.

Seller: A day ticket costs 9 euros.

Paul:Paul (name)
noun (m.)
Undand
conjunction
einea
article
Wochenkarteweekly ticket
noun (f.)
?

Paul: And a weekly ticket?

Verkäufer:shop assistant; salesman; seller
noun (m.)
Einea
article
Wochenkarteweekly ticket
noun (f.)
kostetcosts
verb
22 Euroeuro (€)
noun (m.)
.

Seller: A weekly ticket costs 22 euros.

Paul:Paul (name)
noun (m.)
Okok
particle
, dannthen
adverb
nehmetake
verb
ichI
personal pronoun
diethe (feminine)
article
Wochenkarteweekly ticket
noun (f.)
.

Paul: Ok, then I’ll take the weekly ticket.

Verkäufer:shop assistant; salesman; seller
noun (m.)
Soso; such; in this manner
adverb
, ... 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 undand
conjunction
22. Undand
conjunction
hierhere
adverb
istis
verb
diethe (feminine)
article
Fahrkarteticket
noun (f.)
.

Seller: So, ... 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22. And here ist the ticket.

Paul:Paul (name)
noun (m.)
Dankethank / thanks
verb / particle
!

Paul: Thanks!

Verkäufer:shop assistant; salesman; seller
noun (m.)
Bitteplease; you're welcome
particle
. Aufon; onto / open
preposition
Wiedersehengoodbye; reunion
noun (n.)
.

Seller: You’re welcome. Goodbye.

Paul:Paul (name)
noun (m.)
Wiedersehengoodbye; reunion
noun (n.)
. ... IchI
personal pronoun
mussmust
verb
zurto the
preposition
Arbeitwork; job; labor
noun (f.)
!

Paul: Bye! ... I have to (go to) work!

New words

 

(Auf) Wiedersehen!
See you! / Goodbye!

der Euro
the euro

die Fahrkarte
the ticket

das Geld
the money

genug
enough

gern
gladly; with pleasure

ich habe
I have

ich, er, sie, es hätte
I, he, she, it would have

er, sie, es kostet
he, she, it costs

er, sie, es macht
he, she, it makes

Mist!
Darn!

die Monatskarte
the monthly ticket

ich nehme
I take

so
so; such

er, sie, es sagt
he, she, it says

die Tageskarte
the day ticket

der Verkäufer
the salesman

viel
much; a lot

die Wochenkarte
the weekly ticket

dreizehn
thirteen

vierzehn
fourteen

fünfzehn
fifteen

sechzehn
sixteen

siebzehn
seventeen

achtzehn
eighteen

neunzehn
nineteen

zwanzig
twenty

einundzwanzig
twenty-one

zweiundzwanzig
twenty-two

fünfzig
fifty

Hints

If you want something and like to sound polite instead of demanding, you can say ich möchte (I’d like) or ich hätte gern (I’d ‚gladly have‘):

Ich möchte hier studieren.
I’d like to study here.

Ich hätte gern eine Monatskarte.
I’d ‚gladly have‘ a monthly ticket.

You surely noticed some English translations are ‚weird‘. The purpose is to better match the German phrase so that you’re less confused by similar expressions like the two above.

Numbers: From 13 on, we go from small to big. For 13, we say three + ten (dreizehn). From 21 on, we add an “und” between ones and tens: We say say one + and + twenty (einundzwanzig). Also, notice how we actually say nine euro, (not nine euros) – we always do that for any fixed amount of money.

  1   Comprehension quiz

Paul does not have enough money for the ticket he originally wanted to buy.
He only has enough money for the day ticket.
He is in a hurry, pays with coins, and the ticket seller takes his time to count them.

 

4 Responses

    1. Hi Scott!
      The verb is always on the second position in German. In “Dann nehme ich die Wochenkarte.” the word “dann” is in the first position. So the verb “nehme” needs come be after it. The only place left to put the personal pronoun “ich” is now after the verb.
      I hope that helps!

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