Latest / Learn German with Fexingo / German at the Restaurant – Ordering Drinks
Transcript
- Lucas: Hey Luna, ready for another episode of Learn German with Fexingo? Luna: Ready! I've been practicing my German at restaurants, but I still get stuck when ordering drinks. Lucas: Perfect timing, because today we're focusing on exactly that: ordering drinks in a German restaurant. Luna: Oh, I need that. Let's start simple — how do I say 'I'd like a water'? Lucas: You say: Ich möchte ein Wasser. Let's break it down. Ich möchte — I would like. ein Wasser — a water. Luna: Ich möchte ein Wasser. That's pretty straightforward. Lucas: Exactly. And if the waiter asks what you'd like to drink, they'll say: Was möchten Sie trinken? That means 'What would you like to drink?'. Luna: Was möchten Sie trinken? Möchten — that's like 'would like', right? Lucas: Right. Sie with a capital S is the formal 'you'. So you can answer with your drink choice. Luna: Okay, so if I want a beer, I'd say: Ein Bier, bitte. Easy. Lucas: Yeah. And for juice: Einen Saft, bitte. 'Saft' is juice. Luna: Einen Saft, bitte. So masculine drinks like 'Saft' take 'einen'? Lucas: Good catch. 'Wasser' is neuter, so 'ein Wasser'. 'Bier' is neuter too, so 'ein Bier'. 'Saft' is masculine, so 'einen Saft'. But don't worry — even if you mix them up, people will understand. Luna: Alright. And when I'm done eating, I say 'Zahlen, bitte' to ask for the bill, right? Lucas: Exactly. 'Zahlen, bitte' — 'The bill, please'. And if the food and drink are good, you can say 'Das schmeckt gut' — 'That tastes good'. Luna: Das schmeckt gut. I love that. Let's practice a little scene. Lucas: Sure. I'll be the waiter. Was möchten Sie trinken? Luna: Ich möchte ein Wasser und einen Saft, bitte. Lucas: Sehr gut! Almost perfect. Remember: 'Ich möchte ein Wasser' — but then when listing two items, you can say 'Ich möchte ein Wasser und einen Saft'. You did it. Luna: Thanks! So after drinking, I'd say 'Das schmeckt gut' and then 'Zahlen, bitte'. Lucas: Exactly. Now, before we continue, you know what helps us keep making these episodes? If Fexingo has been helping you with your German, listeners can support the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small way to say thanks and keep us ad-free. Luna: Yeah, every bit helps. We really appreciate it. Okay, back to ordering! Lucas: Let's say you're at a restaurant and you want to order a beer and a juice. How would you say that? Luna: Ich möchte ein Bier und einen Saft, bitte. Lucas: Perfect. And if the waiter asks 'Was möchten Sie trinken?', you can just say 'Ein Bier, bitte' or 'Einen Saft, bitte'. Luna: Great. Let me try a full sentence: Was möchten Sie trinken? Ich möchte einen Saft, bitte. Lucas: Excellent. Now, let's review all our phrases for today. First: Ich möchte ein Wasser. Luna: Ich möchte ein Wasser. Lucas: Was möchten Sie trinken? Luna: Was möchten Sie trinken? Lucas: Ein Bier, bitte. Luna: Ein Bier, bitte. Lucas: Einen Saft, bitte. Luna: Einen Saft, bitte. Lucas: Zahlen, bitte. Luna: Zahlen, bitte. Lucas: Und: Das schmeckt gut. Luna: Das schmeckt gut. So useful. I'm going to use these next time I go out. Lucas: Do that. And keep practicing with us here at Fexingo. See you next time! Luna: Bis zum nächsten Mal!