Opinions and negotiations
Meinungen und Verhandlungen
- Express your opinion
- Learn basic phrases to discuss viewpoints
Learn to express opinions and negotiate in German with practical vocabulary like "meiner Meinung nach" (in my opinion), "einverstanden" (in agreement), and modal verbs such as "sollte" to suggest compromises in everyday situations like shopping, office meetings, and restaurants.
Vocabulary (13) 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. Meiner Meinung nach ______ man bei einer Verhandlung immer offen sein.
(In my opinion, one ______ always be open in a negotiation.)2. Wenn ich du wäre, ______ ich das Angebot sorgfältig prüfen.
(If I were you, ______ I carefully check the offer.)3. Wir ______, dass das Gegenargument von der anderen Seite kommen könnte.
(We ______ that the counter-argument could come from the other side.)4. Ich ______ einverstanden, wenn wir einen Kompromiss finden könnten.
(I ______ agree if we could find a compromise.)Exercise 3: Negotiation in the Office: A Discussion Round
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Sollen - Should
Konjunktiv II Präsens
- ich sollte
- du solltest
- er/sie/es sollte
- wir sollten
- ihr solltet
- sie/Sie sollten
Denken - Think
Präteritum
- ich dachte
- du dachtest
- er/sie/es dachte
- wir dachten
- ihr dachtet
- sie/Sie dachten
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Sollen to shall Share Copied!
konjunktiv_ii_prasens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) sollte | I should |
| (du) solltest | You should |
| (er/sie/es) sollte | he/she/it should |
| (wir) sollten | we should |
| (ihr) solltet | you should |
| (sie) sollten | they should |
Denken to think Share Copied!
prateritum
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) dachte | I thought |
| (du) dachtest | You thought |
| (er/sie/es) dachte | he/she/it thought |
| (wir) dachten | we thought |
| (ihr) dachtet | you thought |
| (sie) dachten | they thought |
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Lesson Overview: Opinions and Negotiations in Everyday German
This A2-level lesson focuses on expressing opinions, discussing alternatives, and negotiating solutions in common situations such as shopping, workplace scheduling, and dining out. It helps learners practice useful phrases for giving and exchanging views, agreeing and disagreeing politely, and reaching compromises.
Key Lesson Content
- Dialogues in practical contexts like supermarket product choices, rescheduling office appointments, and recommending dishes in restaurants.
- Essential expressions to share preferences and negotiate: Ich finde, ... besser als ... (I think ... is better than ...), Vielleicht nehmen wir ... (Maybe we take ...), Das ist eine gute Idee (That's a good idea), and Einverstanden (Agreed).
- Modal verb usage with a focus on 'sollen' (should) and conditional forms, e.g., Meiner Meinung nach sollte man ... (In my opinion one should ...), as well as past tense and subjunctive moods to discuss opinions and hypothetical situations.
- Verb Conjugation Practice with multiple-choice questions reinforcing correct forms in context, such as sollte, würde, dachten, and wäre.
- A short story exercise illustrating a typical office negotiation discussion, with verbs highlighted in preterite and subjunctive II present to deepen grammar understanding.
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
- Meinung – opinion
- Qualität – quality
- Kompromiss – compromise
- Termin verschieben – to postpone/move an appointment
- einverstanden sein – to agree
- Geschmack – taste
Instruction Language and German Language Differences
Since the instruction language is English and the learning language is German, no direct translations of the German phrases are given inside the exercises to maintain immersion. Nevertheless, English speakers should note some typical German constructions for opinions and negotiations:
- German often uses meinung ausdrücken (to express opinion) with modal verbs like sollte to suggest recommendations politely.
- The Konjunktiv II mood (subjunctive) is important for hypothetical or polite statements, such as würde ich ... (I would ...), differing from English which uses modal auxiliaries but not a subjunctive form.
- Useful connective words include aber (but), deshalb (therefore), and vielleicht (maybe), which help structure negotiations naturally.
Examples of useful phrases include:
- Ich finde, dieser Apfelsaft schmeckt besser als der andere. – I think this apple juice tastes better than the other.
- Meiner Meinung nach sollte man bei einer Verhandlung immer offen sein. – In my opinion, one should always be open during a negotiation.
- Ich wäre einverstanden, wenn wir einen Kompromiss finden könnten. – I would agree if we could find a compromise.
This lesson empowers learners to participate actively in real-life conversations where exchanging opinions and negotiating solutions are essential. The grammar focus supports understanding subtleties of expressing suggestions and hypothetical reasoning in German.
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