📕 Lesson 17: Geschäfte — Shops & Shopping
Do you like shopping? Learn how to talk about shops, describe products, and go shopping in German!
🎬 Lesson Video
1. 🗣️ Geschäfte und Einkaufen — Shops and Shopping
| Deutsch | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| einkaufen gehen | [ˈaɪnkaʊfən ˈɡeːən] | to go shopping |
| das Geschäft | [daːs ɡəˈʃɛft] | the shop / store |
| der Supermarkt | [deːɐ ˈzuːpɐˌmaʁkt] | the supermarket |
| die Bäckerei | [diː bɛkəˈʁaɪ] | the bakery |
| die Metzgerei | [diː mɛtsɡəˈʁaɪ] | the butcher's |
| die Apotheke | [diː apoˈteːkə] | the pharmacy |
| die Buchhandlung | [diː ˈbuːxˌhandlʊŋ] | the bookshop |
| das Kaufhaus | [daːs ˈkaʊfˌhaʊs] | the department store |
| der Kleidungsgeschäft | [deːɐ ˈklaɪdʊŋsɡəˌʃɛft] | the clothing store |
| der Markt | [deːɐ maʁkt] | the market |
| das Sonderangebot | [daːs ˈzɔndɐˌʔanɡəboːt] | the special offer |
| der Preis | [deːɐ pʁaɪs] | the price |
| bezahlen | [bəˈtsaːlən] | to pay |
| bar bezahlen | [baːɐ bəˈtsaːlən] | to pay in cash |
| mit Karte bezahlen | [mɪt ˈkaʁtə bəˈtsaːlən] | to pay by card |
💡 Tip: In Germany, many small shops require cash (bar) payment. Always carry some cash with you!
2. 📖 Vocabulary: Describing Products
| Deutsch | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| groß — klein | [ɡʁoːs] — [klaɪn] | big — small |
| teuer — billig | [ˈtɔʏɐ] — [ˈbɪlɪç] | expensive — cheap |
| neu — alt | [nɔʏ] — [alt] | new — old |
| modern — klassisch | [moˈdɛʁn] — [ˈklasɪʃ] | modern — classic |
| lang — kurz | [laŋ] — [kʊʁts] | long — short |
| breit — schmal | [bʁaɪt] — [ʃmaːl] | wide — narrow |
| bequem — unbequem | [bəˈkveːm] — [ˈʊnbəˌkveːm] | comfortable — uncomfortable |
| praktisch | [ˈpʁaktɪʃ] | practical |
| die Größe | [diː ˈɡʁøːsə] | the size |
| die Farbe | [diː ˈfaʁbə] | the colour |
| die Qualität | [diː kvaliˈtɛːt] | the quality |
| das Produkt | [daːs pʁoˈdʊkt] | the product |
| der Kunde / die Kundin | [deːɐ ˈkʊndə] / [diː ˈkʊndɪn] | the customer (m/f) |
| der Verkäufer / die Verkäuferin | [deːɐ fɛɐˈkɔʏfɐ] / [diː fɛɐˈkɔʏfəʁɪn] | the salesperson (m/f) |
3. 📝 Grammar: Adjective Declension (Nominative, Accusative, Dative)
Adjective Declension — Nominative
| Gender | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| masculine (der) | der alte Mann | ein alter Mann |
| feminine (die) | die alte Frau | eine alte Frau |
| neuter (das) | das alte Haus | ein altes Haus |
| Plural (die) | die alten Männer | — |
Adjective Declension — Accusative
| Gender | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| masculine (den) | den alten Mann | einen alten Mann |
| feminine (die) | die alte Frau | eine alte Frau |
| neuter (das) | das alte Haus | ein altes Haus |
| Plural (die) | die alten Männer | — |
Adjective Declension — Dative
| Gender | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| masculine (dem) | dem alten Mann | einem alten Mann |
| feminine (der) | der alten Frau | einer alten Frau |
| neuter (dem) | dem alten Haus | einem alten Haus |
| Plural (den) | den alten Männern | — |
⚠️ Important Notes: - In Nominative / Accusative: adjectives take -e (with der/die/das) or -en (in Dative, Genitive, and Plural) - In Dative: always -en regardless of gender! - With indefinite article: the adjective takes the gender ending (e.g., -er for masculine, -es for neuter)
Examples
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| Der neue Laden ist toll. | The new store is great. |
| Ich kaufe einen billigen Tisch. | I'm buying a cheap table. |
| Mit dem alten Auto fahre ich nicht. | I don't drive the old car. |
| Ich suche ein praktisches Geschenk. | I'm looking for a practical gift. |
| Die roten Schuhe gefallen mir. | I like the red shoes. |
| Sie wohnt in einer kleinen Wohnung. | She lives in a small apartment. |
4. 💬 Dialogue: Shopping
Saleswoman: Good day! Can I help you?
Customer: Yes, I'm looking for a warm sweater.
Saleswoman: Which colour would you like?
Customer: A blue sweater, please. In size L.
Saleswoman: Here is a nice, blue sweater. It's made of wool and very comfortable.
Customer: May I try it on?
Saleswoman: Of course! The fitting room is over there on the left.
Customer: (after trying it on) I like the sweater. How much does it cost?
Saleswoman: It costs 39.99 euros. It's on special offer.
Customer: Great! I'll take it. Can I pay by card?
Saleswoman: Yes, of course. That's 39.99 euros.
Customer: Here's my card. Thank you very much!
5. ✏️ Exercises
Exercise 1: Adjective Declension — Fill in the correct form
| Sentence | Solution |
|---|---|
| Das ist ein _____ (neu) Laden. | ein _____ Laden |
| Ich kaufe _____ (billig) Gemüse. | _____ Gemüse |
| Mit _____ (alt) Auto fahre ich nicht. | mit _____ Auto |
| Die _____ (rot) Schuhe sind schön. | Die _____ Schuhe |
| Wir suchen eine _____ (klein) Wohnung. | eine _____ Wohnung |
| Der _____ (freundlich) Verkäufer hilft mir. | Der _____ Verkäufer |
Exercise 2: Vocabulary — Which Shop?
| Product | Shop |
|---|---|
| Bread and rolls | die _____ |
| Medicine | die _____ |
| Meat and sausages | die _____ |
| Books | die _____ |
| Fruit and vegetables | der _____ |
Exercise 3: Dialogue — Complete the conversation
Customer: Good day! I'm looking for _____ (a) nice gift.
Saleswoman: Would you like _ (b) special? We have ___ (c) bags.
Customer: Please show me _____ (d) bag over there.
Saleswoman: Sure! It's made of _ (e) leather and very ___ (f).
💡 Homework: Write a short shopping dialogue (8-10 sentences) between a salesperson and a customer, using at least 3 adjectives.