Day 130 of 135

Day 130: Fifty Euros for Dog Walking

In Passau, eleven-year-old Theo (A) pitches a business idea to his grandmother Traudl (B), who ran a butcher's shop for forty years and speaks German with a strong Bavarian colouring.

How to study this lesson 3 steps
  1. Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
  2. Read the dialogue line by line with its translation, until every line makes sense. Point at (or tap) a German word to see what it means.
  3. Spend at least 30 minutes listening to native German, for example from the Resources page. It doesn't matter if you don't understand it yet.

Dialogue

Audio recordings are on the way. For now, each lesson is the dialogue with its English translation.

Keys: E hide English · ← → previous / next day · point at a word to see its meaning

  1. A

    Oma, ich hab eine krasse Geschäftsidee: ein Gassi-Service für die ganzen alten Leute in unserer Straße, die mit ihren Hunden nicht mehr gut laufen können.

    Grandma, I've got an awesome business idea: a dog-walking service for all the old people in our street who can't walk their dogs very well any more.

  2. B

    Die ganzen alten Leute, soso. Das ist heuer schon deine dritte Geschäftsidee, Bub. Also schieß los, aber mir machst du nichts vor, ich hab vierzig Jahre lang eine Metzgerei geführt.

    All the old people, I see. That's your third business idea this year, lad. So fire away, but you can't fool me: I ran a butcher's shop for forty years.

  3. A

    Diesmal ist es safe was Seriöses: fünfzig Euro für Leinen und Leckerli, drei Euro pro Runde, und bei vier Kunden hast du dein Geld in zwei Wochen zurück.

    This time it's definitely something serious: fifty euros for leads and treats, three euros a walk, and with four customers you'll have your money back in two weeks.

  4. B

    Leinen? Die Hunde haben doch ihre eigenen, Bub. Das riecht mir verdächtig nach Luxus auf Omas Kosten.

    Leads? The dogs have got their own, lad. That smells suspiciously like luxury at Grandma's expense.

  5. A

    Aber nicht mit meinem Logo drauf! Wer mich mit zwei Hunden durch die Altstadt laufen sieht, liest „Theos Gassi-Service“: Werbung umsonst.

    But not with my logo on them! Anyone who sees me walking through the old town with two dogs reads "Theo's Dog-Walking Service": free advertising.

  6. B

    Freilich. Und wenn der Schäferhund vom Huber an der Ilz einem Radler nachjagt, fliegst du samt Logo hinterher. Wer haftet dann, der Herr Geschäftsführer?

    Of course. And when Huber's Alsatian down by the Ilz chases after a cyclist, you'll go flying after it, logo and all. Who's liable then, Mr Managing Director?

  7. A

    Steht alles auf Folie drei: nur Hunde bis Kniehöhe, und jeder Kunde braucht eine Hundehaftpflicht, egal, wie süß der Hund ist.

    It's all on slide three: only dogs up to knee height, and every customer needs liability insurance for their dog, no matter how cute it is.

  8. B

    Folien hat er auch noch, der Bub. Na gut, ich steige ein, unter einer Bedingung: Mein Bazi geht ab sofort umsonst Gassi, bis an sein Lebensende.

    He's even got slides, the lad. All right, I'm in, on one condition: from now on, my Bazi gets walked for free, for the rest of his life.

  9. A

    Der Bazi? Oma, der ist doch komplett lost! Der jagt jede Taube am Domplatz und hat mir letzte Woche eine ganze Leberkässemmel aus der Hand geklaut.

    Bazi? Grandma, he's completely clueless! He chases every pigeon on the cathedral square, and last week he nicked a whole Leberkäse roll right out of my hand.

  10. B

    Eben drum. Wer den Bazi schafft, schafft jeden Kunden. Und die Leckerli holst du beim Metzger am Eck, der war mein Lehrling, da kriegst du Prozente, gell?

    That's exactly why. Whoever can manage Bazi can manage any customer. And you get the treats from the butcher's on the corner, he was my apprentice, so you'll get a discount there, eh?

  11. A

    Deal! Oma, du bist eine echte Ehrenfrau. Als Investorin kriegst du von mir jeden Abend ein Beweisfoto vom Bazi, mit Schrittzahl.

    Deal! Grandma, you're an absolute legend. As my investor, you'll get a photo of Bazi from me every evening as proof, with the step count.

  12. B

    Ehrenfrau, soso. Dann will die Ehrenfrau ihre fünfzig Euro aber heuer noch zurück, gell, und zwar in bar und nicht in Pokémon-Karten.

    A legend, am I? Then the legend wants her fifty euros back this year, mind, and in cash, not in Pokémon cards.

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