Day 177: Swapping the Violin for a Guitar
At a music shop in Ansbach, the owner, Stefan (A), sees Quirin (B), a boy with a violin case, come up to the counter.
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
Na, ist an deiner Geige eine Saite gerissen, oder brauchst du einen neuen Bogen?
Hello there, has a string snapped on your violin, or do you need a new bow?
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B
Nein, der fehlt nichts. Kann ich sie bei Ihnen gegen eine Gitarre tauschen?
No, there's nothing wrong with it. Can I swap it for a guitar here?
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A
Ein Tausch? Wie lange spielst du denn schon, und was sagen deine Eltern dazu?
A swap? How long have you been playing, then, and what do your parents say?
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B
Seit ich fünf bin, jeden Tag, weil meine Eltern darauf bestehen. Aber ich hab echt keine Lust mehr zu üben.
Since I was five, every day, because my parents insist. But I really don't feel like practising any more.
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A
Seitdem jeden Tag, alle Achtung. Aber ohne deine Eltern geht das nicht, sprich erst mal mit ihnen.
Every day since then, hats off to you. But I can't do it without your parents, so talk to them first.
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B
Das ist ja das Problem. Es ist voll schwer, das meiner Mutter zu sagen, die ist nämlich Geigenlehrerin.
That's just the problem. It's really hard to tell my mum, because she's a violin teacher.
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A
Oh, das macht's nicht leichter. Bring sie trotzdem mit, und jetzt probier erst mal die Gitarre da drüben aus.
Oh, that doesn't make it any easier. Bring her along anyway, and for now, try out that guitar over there.
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