Day 159: Grandma Worked in Switzerland Too
At a family dinner in Konstanz, Christel (A) sits down to eat with her daughter Anette (B) and her teenage grandson Tilman (C), who has something to tell them.
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
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A
So, der Zwiebelkuchen steht auf dem Tisch. Tilman, du wolltest uns doch beim Essen etwas erzählen?
Right, the onion tart is on the table. Tilman, didn't you want to tell us something over dinner?
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B
Wenn er so grinst, ahne ich nichts Gutes.
When he grins like that, I fear the worst.
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C
Ich hab eine Lehrstelle als Elektriker in Zürich bekommen! Und mit abgeschlossener Lehre verdient man da fast das Doppelte.
I've got an apprenticeship as an electrician in Zurich! And once you're qualified, you earn almost twice as much there.
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B
Das versprochene Geld nützt dir wenig, wenn du jeden Tag zweieinhalb Stunden pendelst. Und irgendwann ziehst du ganz rüber.
All that promised money won't do you much good if you spend two and a half hours commuting every day. And sooner or later you'll move over there for good.
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A
Jetzt mach mal halblang, Anette. Bevor Tilman geboren wurde, hatte ich schon zwölf Jahre in einer Uhrenfabrik in Schaffhausen gearbeitet.
Don't get carried away, Anette. Before Tilman was born, I'd already worked at a watch factory in Schaffhausen for twelve years.
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C
Du warst Grenzgängerin, Oma? Und Mama tut so, als wäre Zürich auf dem Mond!
You were a cross-border commuter, Grandma? And Mum's acting as if Zurich were on the moon!
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