Local services and shops
Lokale Dienstleistungen und Geschäfte
- Know the names of local services and shops.
- Discuss what you find in the shopping center.
This lesson teaches vocabulary and phrases for asking about local shops and services, such as Supermarkt (supermarket), Friseur (hairdresser), Bäcker (bakery), and Reinigung (dry cleaner). Practice dialogues help you locate and discuss these places confidently in German.
Vocabulary (15) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Ich ____ gestern im Einkaufszentrum etwas besorgen, aber der Laden war geschlossen.
(I ____ wanted to get something at the shopping center yesterday, but the store was closed.)2. Der Verkäufer ____ freundlich aus und half mir bei meiner Frage.
(The salesperson ____ looked friendly and helped me with my question.)3. Wenn ich Zeit hätte, ____ ich öfter im Blumenladen einkaufen gehen.
(If I had time, ____ I would go shopping more often at the flower shop.)4. Die Kunden ____ das neue Angebot im Drogeriemarkt sehr.
(The customers ____ liked the new offer at the drugstore very much.)Exercise 3: Shopping in the Shopping Center
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Mögen - To like
Präteritum
- ich mochte
- du mochtest
- er/sie/es mochte
- wir mochten
- ihr mochtet
- sie/Sie mochten
Sehen - To see
Präteritum
- ich sah
- du sahst
- er/sie/es sah
- wir sahen
- ihr saht
- sie/Sie sahen
Besorgen - To get
Präteritum
- ich besorgte
- du besorgtest
- er/sie/es besorgte
- wir besorgten
- ihr besorgtet
- sie/Sie besorgten
Gehen - To go
Präteritum
- ich ging
- du gingst
- er/sie/es ging
- wir gingen
- ihr gingt
- sie/Sie gingen
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Mögen may Share Copied!
Präteritum
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) mochte | I was allowed |
| (du) mochtest | You were allowed |
| (er/sie/es) mochte | he/she/it was allowed |
| (wir) mochten | we were allowed |
| (ihr) mochtet | You were allowed |
| (sie) mochten | They were allowed |
Sehen to see Share Copied!
Präteritum
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) sah | I saw |
| (du) sahst | You saw |
| (er/sie/es) sah | he/she/it saw |
| (wir) sahen | we saw |
| (ihr) saht | you saw |
| (sie) sahen | They saw |
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Lesson Overview: Local Services and Shops in German
This A2-level lesson focuses on everyday conversations and vocabulary related to local shops and services, especially in settings like shopping centers and neighborhoods. It helps learners practice asking for and exchanging information about various stores and services, ordering food items, and discussing recommendations.
Key Topics Covered
- Shopping Center Conversations: Asking where specific shops are located (e.g., "Supermarkt", "Friseur", "Toiletten") and exchanging directions within the mall.
- Ordering at the Bakery: Learning names of common baked goods (e.g., "Vollkornbrot", "Croissant", "Apfelkuchen") and politely making purchases and requests.
- Exploring Neighborhood Services: Inquiring about local amenities like dry cleaners, gas stations, libraries, doctors, and fitness centers.
- Past Tense Usage: Practicing key verbs in the simple past (Präteritum) through multiple-choice exercises and a short story, including verbs like mögen (to like), sehen (to see), besorgen (to get), and gehen (to go).
Useful Vocabulary and Expressions
- Entschuldigung, wo finde ich den Supermarkt? – Excuse me, where can I find the supermarket?
- Der Friseur ist im Erdgeschoss, direkt neben der Bäckerei. – The hairdresser is on the ground floor, right next to the bakery.
- Gibt es hier auch einen Buchladen? – Is there also a bookstore here?
- Guten Tag, haben Sie auch Vollkornbrot? – Good day, do you also have whole grain bread?
- Die Kunden mochten das neue Angebot sehr. – The customers liked the new offer very much.
Grammar Highlights: The Simple Past Tense (Präteritum)
The lesson gives a practical introduction to using the Präteritum, which is primarily used in written and formal spoken German to describe past events. The verbs covered demonstrate regular and irregular conjugations:
- Mögen: ich mochte, du mochtest, er/sie/es mochte...
- Sehen: ich sah, du sahst, er/sie/es sah...
- Besorgen: ich besorgte, du besorgtest, er/sie/es besorgte...
- Gehen: ich ging, du gingst, er/sie/es ging...
Notes on Language Differences and Useful Phrases
Unlike English, where the past tense is often formed by adding -ed or using auxiliary verbs, German uses distinct past tense forms. The Präteritum is more common in formal narratives and written texts but also appears frequently in spoken German, especially with modal verbs like mögen.
German questions often invert the verb and subject, as in Gibt es hier einen Friseur? (Is there a hairdresser here?). Notice the polite form of asking for help with Entschuldigung (Excuse me) at the beginning of questions.
Useful everyday phrases include:
- Wo finde ich ...? – Where can I find ...?
- Können Sie mir helfen? – Can you help me?
- Ich hätte gerne ... – I would like ... (used in polite ordering)
- Danke schön – Thank you very much
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