This is the German at home: you will hear this in a German-speaking household!

This is the German you will hear in a German-speaking household!

MUTTER
Kinder!
(Kids!)

KIND
Ja?
(Yes?)

MUTTER
Kommt, das Essen ist fertig!
(Come, the food is ready!)

KIND
Wir kommen!
(We’re coming!)

Hallo! Ich bin Spring German Lehrerin Denisa (Hello! I’m Spring German teacher Denisa), and in this video, you will learn all the chunks you will hear when in a German-speaking household. Be it as a guest or a family member. Los geht’s! (Let’s go!)

1. Essen in einem deutschen Haushalt (Eating in a German household)

In a German household, there are typically three meals a day:

  • FrĂĽhstĂĽck (breakfast)
  • Mittagessen (lunch)
  • Abendessen (dinner)

Also, it’s important to eat together, mostly at dinner.

MUTTER
Hast du schon gegessen?
(Have you eaten already?)

TOCHTER
Ja. Ich war bei einer Freundin.
(Yes. I was with a friend.)

MUTTER
Du weiĂźt doch, dass wir zusammen zu Abend essen.
(You know that we eat together for dinner.)

TOCHTER
Entschuldigung, Mama.
(I’m sorry, mum.)

MUTTER
Komm, setz dich an den Tisch mit uns.
(Come, sit at the table with us.)

It’s considered as rude to not sit at least at the table with the family when eating, no matter if you are a guest or family member. Here are some typical German dinners for you:

  • Sauerbraten (Roast beef stew)
  • Spätzle (Egg noddles)
  • Kartoffelpuffer (Potato pancakes)
  • Abendbrot (light evening meal)

Abendbrot (light evening meal) is something a lot of foreigners have to get to used to. It’s a dinner where you eat bread, maybe with salad and some leftovers. For Frühstück (breakfast), we eat Brot (bread) a lot, too. Or Brezeln (pretzels).

Chunk alert!

Was gibt’s zu essen? (What’s to eat?) is something you will surely hear in a German household. Other alternatives are:

  • Was gibt es zu Abend? (What’s for dinner?)
  • Was hast du fĂĽr heute gekocht? (What did you cook for today?)
  • Was essen wir heute? (What are we eating today?)

If you want to learn more chunks in German, check our free essential German chunking kit. Here you can learn a lot of helpful chunks. The link is in the description.

2. Befehle in einem deutschen Haushalt (Commands in a German household)

So far it seemed that everything is pretzels and love. Aber nein! (But no!) An average German grews up listening to the following chunks.

  • Geh Brötchen kaufen. (Go get rolls.)
  • Steh auf. (Get up.)
  • Mach dich fertig. (Get ready.)
  • Bring den MĂĽll runter. (Bring the trash down.)

Next common command in a German household:

Mach … aus (Turn off…)

  • Mach den Ofen aus. (Turn off the stove.)
  • Mach das Licht aus. (Turn off the light.)
  • Mach den Fernseher aus. (Turn off the TV.)

Or other examples:

Vergiss nicht … (Don’t forget…)

  • Vergiss nicht, den Ofen auszumachen. (Don’t forget to turn off the stove.)
  • Vergiss nicht, dass heute Besuch kommt. (Don’t forget that guests are coming over today.)
  • Vergiss die Milch nicht. (Don’t forget the milk.)

3. Typisch Mama (Typical mom)

When a mom calls you, she might say simply: Komm her. (Come here.) When she says that, I was terrified because in 99% of the cases, she showed me something that I messed up.

Also, you weren’t allowed to say “***Was?” (what?) or “Was ist?” (What is it?), you have to say “Wie bitte?***” (Excuse me?) because it’s more polite. This is important for everyday life, not only for a German household.

MUTTER
DENISA! Komm her!
(DENISA! Come here!)

DENISA
Was?
(What?)

MUTTER
Es heißt nicht “Was?” , es heißt “Wie bitte?”
(You shouldn’t say “what?”, it’s “excuse me?”)

Other sentences of a German mom are:

  • Frag deinen Vater. (Ask your dad.)
  • Wie war es in der Schule? (How was school?)
  • Hast du Hunger? (Are you hungry?)
  • Ich hab dich lieb (I love you)

While Ich liebe dich (I love you) is reserved for a romantic relationship, a softer form for family or friends is “Ich hab dich lieb” (I love you).

At the end, I will translate the most embarrassing request in a German household. Stay tuned!

4. ***Typische Fragen (***Common questions)

The following exchange is a recreation of 70% of my childhood:

DENISA
Darf ich mich mit Annika treffen?
(Can I meet up with Annika?)

MUTTER
Hast du dein Zimmer aufgeräumt?
(Did you clean your room?)

DENISA
Ja.
(Yes.)

MUTTER
Bist du dir sicher?
(Are you sure?)

DENISA
Ja, Mama.
(Yes, mum.)

MUTTER
Wenn ich jetzt hochgehe und Dreck finde, was mache ich dann mit dir?
(When I go up now, and I will find dirt, what do I do to you?)

DENISA
Ich schau lieber nochmal.
(I better look again.)

Wenn ich jetzt hochgehe und Dreck finde, was mache ich dann mit dir? ((When I go up now, and I will find dirt, what do I do to you?) That phrase is magical! The moment my mom says that phrase, dirt just appears!

Did you have discussions like that with your mom too? Let me know in the comments how it is in your country.

Other questions would be:

  • Wer hat die TĂĽr aufgelassen? (Who left the door open?)
  • Hast du deine Hausaufgaben gemacht? (Have you done your homework?)
  • Darf ich ins Schwimmbad gehen? (Can I go swimming?)

5. The most embarrassing request

Oh! This is so embarrassing when it happens! Have you ever ran out of toilet paper and you had to ask someone for it? Let me know in the comments. Learn this one:

  • Kannst du mir bitte Toilettenpapier bringen? (Can you bring me some toilet paper please?) or simply:
  • Toilettenpapier! (Toilet paper!)

Now, learn more really important German chunks when speaking about a German family. Continue this lesson here.

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