Day 31 of 39

Day 31: Translating a Teenager's Shoe List

In a trainer shop on the Zeil in Frankfurt, Bettina (A), a mother, asks Svenja (B), a young shop assistant, to help her make sense of a message from her teenage son about the shoes he wants.

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

    Guten Tag, ich suche die Turnschuhe aus dieser Nachricht von meinem Sohn. Nur spreche ich leider keine Jugendsprache.

    Hello, I'm looking for the trainers in this message from my son. Only I'm afraid I don't speak teenager.

  2. B

    Kein Problem, ich dolmetsche hier praktisch jeden Tag. Lesen Sie einfach mal vor.

    No problem, I interpret here practically every day. Just read it out.

  3. A

    Ich zitiere: „Mama, nur die Pandas in 43, alles andere ist cringe. Und keine Dad Shoes, die tragen nur NPCs.“

    I quote: 'Mum, only the Pandas in 43, anything else is cringe. And no dad shoes, only NPCs wear those.'

  4. B

    NPCs sind Leute ohne eigenen Stil, wie Statisten im Videospiel. Die Pandas sind leider ausverkauft, und unter uns: Die tragen inzwischen ausgerechnet die NPCs.

    NPCs are people with no style of their own, like extras in a video game. The Pandas are sold out, I'm afraid, and between you and me: these days it's the NPCs, of all people, who wear them.

  5. A

    Ausverkauft, auch das noch. Was empföhlen Sie denn einer Mutter, die nicht als NPC nach Hause kommen möchte?

    Sold out, that's all I need. So what would you recommend to a mother who'd rather not come home as an NPC?

  6. B

    Diese hier, auch schwarz-weiß, aber aus Wildleder, gelten gerade als clean. Damit liegen Sie richtig, es sei denn, sein bester Freund hat schon die gleichen.

    These ones, also black and white but in suede, count as clean right now. You can't go wrong with them, unless his best friend already has the same pair.

  7. A

    Gut, die nehme ich, aber eine Nummer größer, zum Reinwachsen. Oder stünde ihm das nicht?

    Good, I'll take them, but a size up, for him to grow into. Or would that not become him?

  8. B

    Um Himmels willen, eine Nummer größer ist der Mama-Klassiker schlechthin. Nehmen Sie die 43, sonst schlurft er in Clownsschuhen zur Schule.

    Heavens, no, a size up is the ultimate mum classic. Take the 43, or he'll be shuffling to school in clown shoes.

  9. A

    Also gut, 43, und ich schreibe ihm gleich: „Pandas ausverkauft, aber deine Mutter ist kein NPC.“

    All right, 43, and I'll text him straight away: 'Pandas sold out, but your mother is no NPC.'

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