To be retired
Den Ruhestand beginnen
- Talk about activities and lifestyle changes after you retire.
- Talk about ongoing actions in the future.
This lesson covers speaking about retirement plans and activities in German, focusing on useful expressions like "in Rente gehen" (to retire), "genießen" (to enjoy), and future tense verbs such as "werde" and "wird." It helps you discuss your hobbies, travels, and daily routines after retirement.
Vocabulary (15) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Übung 1: Conversation exercise
Anleitung:
- How long have you been working and when will you retire? (How long have you been working and when will you retire?)
- What activities will you keep doing when you are retired? (What activities will you keep doing when you are retired? )
- What changes will you be making when you retire? How will you use your free time? (What changes will you be making when you retire? How will you use your free time?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Ich arbeite seit 10 Jahren. Ich möchte in Rente gehen, wenn ich 60 bin. I have been working for 10 years. I want to retire when I am 60. |
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Ich habe vor 5 Jahren meine Arbeit begonnen. Ich weiß nicht, wann ich in Rente gehen werde. I started my job 5 years ago. I don’t know when I will retire. |
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Ich möchte weiterhin Englisch lernen und jeden Tag üben. I want to keep learning English and practicing every day. |
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Ich möchte weiterhin meine Freunde treffen und Sport treiben. I want to keep meeting my friends and do exercise. |
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Ich möchte neue Orte bereisen und mich mehr entspannen. I want to travel to new places and relax more. |
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Ich werde einige Kunstkurse belegen und meine Familie oft besuchen. I will take some art classes and visit my family often. |
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Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Nächsten Monat werde ich wahrscheinlich mehr Freizeit haben, weil ich _______________.
(Next month I will probably have more free time because I _______________.)2. Dann werde ich meine Enkel häufiger besuchen und die Zeit mit ihnen _______________.
(Then I will visit my grandchildren more often and _______________ the time with them.)3. Ich glaube, ich werde mich nie langweilen, weil ich viele neue Aktivitäten _______________.
(I believe I will never be bored because I will _______________ many new activities.)4. Zusätzlich werde ich wahrscheinlich ehrenamtlich arbeiten und so die Gemeinschaft _______________.
(Additionally, I will probably work as a volunteer and thus _______________ the community.)Exercise 4: In Retirement: New Activities and Future Plans
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Werden - To become
Futur I
- ich werde
- du wirst
- er/sie/es wird
- wir werden
- ihr werdet
- sie/Sie werden
Ändern - To change
Futur I
- ich ändere
- du änderst
- er/sie/es ändert
- wir ändern
- ihr ändert
- sie/Sie ändern
Genießen - To enjoy
Futur I
- ich genieße
- du genießt
- er/sie/es genießt
- wir genießen
- ihr genießt
- sie/Sie genießen
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Lesson Overview: Talking About Retirement Plans and Future Activities in German
This A2-level lesson focuses on discussing plans, activities, and lifestyle changes after retirement. You will learn how to express future intentions using the German future tense (Futur I) through dialogues and exercises centered around retirement scenarios. This practical topic helps you talk naturally about your own or others' retirement life and future projects.
Key Learning Points
- Use of Futur I tense to describe future plans and expectations, e.g., "Ich werde in Rente gehen" (I will retire), "Ich werde ein neues Hobby ausprobieren" (I will try a new hobby).
- Common vocabulary related to retirement, such as Ruhestand (retirement), Spaziergänge (walks), Wandern (hiking), ehrenamtlich (voluntary), Freizeit (free time), Aktivitäten (activities).
- Natural conversational phrases for discussing daily routines and future plans with friends or family, e.g., "Was wirst du nächste Woche machen?" (What will you do next week?), "Ich werde mit meiner Frau wandern gehen." (I will go hiking with my wife.)
Dialogs and Practical Use
The dialogues provide realistic conversations about retirement life, such as meeting friends in the park, talking in a café about summer plans, or discussing changes and new hobbies after retiring. Here are example sentences from the dialogues:
- "Wie gefällt dir dein Ruhestand?" (How do you like your retirement?)
- "Ich werde nächsten Monat einen Malkurs besuchen." (I will attend a painting course next month.)
- "Ich habe angefangen, jeden Tag zu schwimmen." (I have started swimming every day.)
- "Dann möchte ich mich mehr ehrenamtlich engagieren." (Then I want to get more involved in volunteering.)
Grammar Focus: Future Tense with werden
The lesson highlights the conjugation and use of werden plus the infinitive to talk about the future. For example:
- Conjugation: ich werde, du wirst, er/sie/es wird, wir werden, ihr werdet, sie/Sie werden
- Example sentence: "Nächsten Monat werde ich wahrscheinlich mehr Freizeit haben." (Next month I will probably have more free time.)
Useful Words and Expressions
- in Rente gehen – to retire
- genießen – to enjoy
- ausprobieren – to try out
- ehrenamtlich arbeiten – to do volunteer work
- Zukunftspläne – future plans
Important Notes on Differences Between English and German Instructions
In this lesson, the instruction language is English and the learning language is German. Unlike English, German future tense typically uses a conjugated form of werden plus the infinitive verb at the sentence end. For example, German says "Ich werde wandern gehen," whereas English uses a single future verb "I will go hiking." Additionally, German places verbs at the end in subordinate or future clauses, which may differ from English word order. Key phrases like "im Ruhestand sein" (to be retired) or "Pläne machen" (make plans) reflect typical conversation about retirement in German.
Example useful phrases:
- "Was wirst du machen?" – "What will you do?"
- "Ich werde meine Zeit mit meinen Enkelkindern verbringen." – "I will spend my time with my grandchildren."
- "Ich fange einen neuen Kurs an." – "I start a new course."
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