Latest / Learn German with Fexingo / German Professions - Was sind Sie von Beruf?
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey Luna, welcome back! Ready to learn some German? Luna: Always! Last time we talked about professions, but I still get nervous when someone asks me what I do. Lucas: No worries — today we'll practice the polite version: "Was sind Sie von Beruf?" That's the formal way to ask 'What do you do for work?' Luna: Was sind Sie von Beruf? Let me try. Was sind Sie von Beruf? Lucas: Perfect! And the casual version is "Was bist du von Beruf?" — use that with friends. Luna: Was bist du von Beruf? Okay, I can do that. And how do I answer? Lucas: You say "Ich bin" plus your job. For example, "Ich bin Ingenieur." I'm an engineer. Luna: Ich bin Ingenieur. That's simple! But what if you're a woman? Like, I'm a teacher? Lucas: Great question! You can say "Ich arbeite als Lehrerin." That means 'I work as a teacher.' The -in ending is feminine. Luna: Ich arbeite als Lehrerin. So Lehrerin is female teacher, and Lehrer is male? Lucas: Exactly. And some jobs are the same for both, like Arzt — doctor. But you can add -in: Ärztin for female doctor. Luna: Ah, so Arzt is doctor, and Ärztin is female doctor. What about nurse? Lucas: Krankenpfleger is a male nurse, and Krankenpflegerin is female. Let's practice a mini conversation. Luna: Okay, you ask me formally. Lucas: Was sind Sie von Beruf? Luna: Ich bin Ingenieur. Wait, is that right? Lucas: Yes! Now I'll ask casually: Was bist du von Beruf? Luna: Ich arbeite als Lehrerin. Ooh, I like that. Lucas: See, you're doing great. Let's try a few more jobs. What's your dream job, Luna? Luna: I'd love to be a doctor. So, Ich bin Arzt? Or Ärztin? Lucas: If you're a woman, you'd say Ich bin Ärztin. But for now, practice with Ich bin Arzt if you want. Luna: Ich bin Ärztin. That sounds powerful. Lucas: It does! And remember, if someone asks you politely, you can answer with either form. Let's do one more: I'm a nurse. Luna: Ich bin Krankenpfleger? Or Krankenpflegerin? Lucas: If you're female, Krankenpflegerin. So Ich bin Krankenpflegerin. Luna: Ich bin Krankenpflegerin. That's a mouthful! Lucas: Practice makes perfect. Now, if Fexingo has been helping you make progress with German, you can support the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It keeps us ad-free. Luna: Yeah, it really helps us keep making episodes like this. Every bit is appreciated. Lucas: So to wrap up: today we learned "Was sind Sie von Beruf?" and "Was bist du von Beruf?" plus answers like "Ich bin Ingenieur" and "Ich arbeite als Lehrerin." Luna: And don't forget Arzt and Krankenpfleger! I'll keep practicing. Thanks, Lucas! Lucas: Bis zum nächsten Mal, Luna! Keep learning, everyone.