Day 191: First Day Behind the Counter
At the Bürgeramt in Zwickau, Petra Uhlig (A), the head of the team, shows her new clerk, Elena Seifert (B), to her counter on her first day.
How to study this lesson 3 steps
- Read the situation under the title. It says who is talking and how they know each other, which decides how politely they speak.
- 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.
- 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
-
A
Das ist Ihr Schalter. Seit dem neuen System geht alles nur noch mit Termin.
This is your counter. Since the new system came in, everything is by appointment only.
-
B
Und das ist schneller als früher? Auf dem Flur sitzen ja trotzdem viele Leute.
And that's quicker than before? There are still lots of people sitting in the corridor, though.
-
A
Früher waren es viel mehr, und man hat oft länger als zwei Stunden gewartet.
There used to be far more, and people often waited longer than two hours.
-
B
Gut. Und worauf sollte ich am Anfang besonders achten?
Right. And what should I look out for most at the start?
-
A
Würden Sie bitte jedes Formular zweimal prüfen? Jeder Fehler kostet die Leute einen neuen Termin.
Would you please check every form twice? Every mistake costs people another appointment.
-
B
Mache ich. Auf Ihrem Beispielformular fehlt übrigens die Unterschrift.
Will do. By the way, the signature's missing on your sample form.
Your progress is saved in this browser only, with no sign-up. The course page and the menu show where you left off. Well done! Next up: Day 192: Abitur Results at the Letterboxes
If this free course has helped you in your German journey, please consider supporting the project. It's a one-person effort, and even small contributions help keep it running and free for everyone.