German Made Simple: Learn to Speak and Understand German Quickly and Easily (85 page)

In Germany there are private and state-owned TV companies. There is an important difference between private and state-owned TV companies. Everyone has already been upset by the advertisements which accompany almost every TV broadcast, whether it be a TV film, on-the-spot reporting, or live sports transmission.

In German state-owned television there are no commercials during films, thus the German TV viewer can enjoy the most interesting television programs without annoying interruptions. Every owner of a television set, however, has to make a monthly payment as a television fee. The state-owned TV companies get this amount. As private TV companies don’t get anything from these TV fees, they have to finance themselves just like in the USA: with many interruptions for commercials.

Exercise 195

Mr. Clark’s Rhine Journey

After he had settled his business in Munich, Mr. Clark took a pleasure trip through the Rhineland, partly by ship and partly by train.

People assert with reason that the Rhine is one of the most beautiful rivers of Europe. On the stretch from Mainz to Cologne, Mr. Clark admired the dark forests, the terraced vineyards, the small villages with their ancient churches and houses, and the ruins of old castles.

Now the steamer sailed past the Lorelei Rock. Everybody knows the legend of the sorceress who enticed the boatmen to their death with her singing. Heinrich Heine has immortalized this legend in the famous song: “I do not know what it signifies that I am so sad.”

The ship stopped at several of the famous Rhine cities. Thus Mr. Clark was able to visit the city of Mainz, the birthplace of Johann Gutenberg, who invented the art of printing.

Soon after, the Dragon Rock appeared, where according to the legend the hero Siegfried killed a dragon. The legend relates that he bathed in the blood of the dragon in order to become invulnerable. In such legends from this region Richard Wagner found the material for some of his well-known operas, as for example
Das Rheingold, Siegfried
, etc.

Then came Bonn, the site of an old university, and after the Second World War the capital of West Germany. Ludwig van Beethoven was born in this city

The next stop was Cologne. Here the most remarkable thing is the world-famous Cologne cathedral, whose towers reach more than 500 feet high.

The last Rhine city which Mr. Clark visited was Düsseldorf, the birthplace of the great German poet Heinrich Heine.

From Düsseldorf it was on to Hamburg, where Mr. Clark had some business to settle and from where he undertook the home journey by plane.

When Mr. Clark was at home again he often spoke of his interesting and pleasurable Rhine trip.

Exercise 196

  
3. er hätte

  
4. wir hätten

  
5. er schreibe

  
6. er schriebe

  
7. ich läse

  
8. sie läsen

  
9. er lerne

10. du lerntest

11. du sehest

12. du sähest

13. er komme

14. wir kämen

15. sie gehe

16. sie ginge

17. er fahre

18. er führe

19. ich könne

20. er könnte

21. wir müssen

22. wir müssten

23. ich wisse

24. er wüsste

25. er habe gehabt

26. sie habe studiert

27. ich sei gewesen

28. ich wäre gewesen

29. wir seien gekommen

30. wir wären gekommen

31. du habest gelebt

32. du hättest gelebt

Exercise 197

1. If I had enough money I would take a trip.

2. If the house were larger I would buy it.

3. If I now had a vacation I would travel to Europe.

4. If the weather were nice I would take a walk.

5. If she had time she would write us more often.

6. If he came today we would be happy

7. If we could play tennis we would accompany you.

8. We would set out if our friends were already there.

9. The child would not fall if he did not run so fast.

10. They could do it if they wanted to do it.

11. If he had had time he would have visited the German Museum.

12. If we had had a jack we would have set to work at once.

13. I would not have believed it if I had not seen it myself

14. We would have stayed at home if we had known that.

15. If Mr. Clark had not had a representative in Munich, he would not have settled his business matters so quickly

Exercise 198

1c; 2b; 3e; 4a; 5f; 6d;

Exercise 200

1. He said that he had a representative in Munich.

2. Somebody asked whether Herr Schiller spoke no English.

3. He said that he wanted to speak with him in German.

4. Somebody asked him whether he did not like the city

5. He answered that he did not like the city. There was too much noise there.

6. He asked when the train for Bonn left.

7. He said one could not get along on a trip without much money

8. She said little Anne had been sick yesterday

9. She said the doctor had been here last evening.

10. They said they had gotten up early. They had dressed quickly

11. They asked whether the children had not yet gone to bed.

12. He said that they had taken a walk after the meal.

13. She said that she would leave on the 1st of May

14. I asked them whether they would go to the movies this evening.

15. The boy said to me that I should come in.

16. She said to us that we should sit down.

Exercise 201

1.… er leider keine Zeit habe.

2.… er viel herumgereist sei.

3.… sie zuvor intensiv Deutsch gelernt hätten.

4.… er wieder nach Deutschland reisen würde.

5.… er seine Familie mitnehmen wolle.

6.… er Heimweh gehabt habe.

7.… Deutschland ein interessants Land sei.

8.… er auch Österreich und die Schweiz besuchen wolle.

Exercise 202

  
1. wurde

  
2. wird

  
3. werden wird

  
4. bin.… worden

  
5. sind.… worden

  
6. wird

  
7. wurde

  
8. wird

Exercise 203

  
1. von

  
2. durch

  
3. durch

  
4. von

  
5. von

Exercise 204

  
1. Das Gepäck wird von dem Gepäckträger hineingetragen
.

  
2. Der Gast wird von dem Geschäftsführer begrüßt
.

  
3. Der Zimmerschlüssel wird ihm ausgehändigt
.

  
4. Indessen wird sein Zimmer vorbereitet
.

  
5. Sie werden von dem Zimmermädchen geöffnet
.

  
6. Sie werden auf den Tisch gestellt
..

  
7. Sie werden von dem Zimmerkellner auf die Kommode gestellt
.

  
8. Er wird von dem Hotelboy auf sein Zimmer gebracht
.

  
9. Die Jungen wurden plötzlich durch einen lauten Knall erschreckt
.

10. Die Panne wurde von ihm erkannt
.

11. Der Reifen wurde gewechselt
.

Accent marks are used in the end vocabularies to indicate the stressed syllable of words when the stressed syllable is not the first. The accent mark is simply a pronunciation aid and not part of the spelling.

The cardinal and ordinal numerals are not included in the end vocabularies. The cardinals 1–100 are given in
Chapter 14
, Grammar Note 1; above 100 in
Chapter 15
, Grammar Note 1. The ordinals are given in
Chapter 25
, Grammar Note 1.

A

der
Abend, -s, -e
evening;
am Abend, abends
in the evening

das
Abendessen, -s
, - supper

aber
but, however

abfahren, er fährt ab, fuhr ab, ist abgefahren
to depart, leave, ride off

ab-holen
to call for, fetch

die
Abreise, -n
departure

ab-reisen
to depart, leave on a trip

abwesend
absent

achtgeben (auf) er gibt acht, gab acht, hat achtgegeben
to pay attention (to)

alle
all, everyone;
alles
everything

allerlei
all kinds of

als
sub. conj
. when, as (
in comparisons
than)

also
so, thus, therefore; well

alt
old;
älter
older

das
Amérika
America; der
Amerikáner
American;
amerikánisch
adj
. American

sich
amüsiéren
to have a good time, enjoy oneself

an
prep. w. dat. or acc
. at, on, to, up against

anbieten, er bietet an, bot an, hat angeboten
to offer

ander
other; der
andere
the other; die
anderen
the others; etc.
anders
different

der
Anfang, -s, ¨-e
beginning;
anfangs
at first

anfangen, er fängt an, fing an, hat angefangen
to begin

angeben, er gibt an, gab an, hat angegeben
to indicate

die
Angelegenheit, -en
matter, affair

angenehm
pleasant, comfortable

anhalten, er hält an, hielt an, hat angehalten
to stop

ankommen, er kommt an, kam an, ist angekommen
to arrive

annehmen, er nimmt an, nahm an, hat angenommen
to take on, accept

anrufen, er ruft an, rief an, hat angerufen
to call up, telephone

an-schauen
to look at

ansehen, er sieht an, sah an, hat angesehen
to look at;
etwas ansehen
to look over, view, inspect

anstatt
prep. w. gen
. instead of

die
Antwort, -en
answer

antworten
w. dative
to answer

anziehen, er zieht an, zog an, hat angezogen
to put on, dress;
sich anziehen
to get dressed

der
Anzug, -s, ¨-e
suit (man’s)

der
Apfel, -s, ¨-
apple

der
Apparat’, -s, -e
apparatus, appliance

der
Appetit’, -s
appetite

die
Arbeit, -en
work

arbeiten
to work

das
Arbeitszimmer, -s, -
workroom, study

der
Arm, -s, -e
arm

der
Arzt, -es, ¨-e
doctor, physician

der
Aschenbecher, -s, -
ashtray

auch
also, too

auf
prep. w. dat. or acc
. on, upon

aufbleiben, er bleibt auf, blieb auf, ist aufgeblieben
to stay awake, open

der
Aufenthalt
stay, sojourn

die
Aufgabe, -n
task, assignment

aufgeregt
excited

sich
aufhalten, er hält sich auf, hielt sich auf, hat sich aufgehalten
stay sojourn

auf-hören
to stop

auf-machen
to open

aufmerksam
attentive

der
Aufsatz, -es, ¨-e
composition

aufstehen, er steht auf, stand auf, ist aufgestanden
to stand up, get up

auf-warten
to wait on, serve

auf-suchen
to look up, seek out

das
Auge, -es, -en
eye

aus
prep. w. dat
. out, out of, from

der Ausdruck, -es, ¨-e
expression

der Ausflug, -s, ¨-e
excursion

ausführlich
in detail

der
Ausgang, -s, ¨-e
exit

ausgehen, er geht aus, ging aus, ist ausgegangen
to go out

ausgezeichnet
excellent

auskommen, er kommt aus, kam aus, ist ausgekommen
to get along

die
Auskunft, ¨-e
information

ausnützen
to make full use of