Day 75: A Flat in a Gemeindebau
In a café in Vienna, Benedikt (A) has news for his close friend Serkan (B) about a flat in a Gemeindebau, one of the city's council housing blocks.
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
Halt dich fest, Serkan: Nach zwei Jahren auf der Warteliste hat mir die Stadt eine Gemeindewohnung angeboten!
Brace yourself, Serkan: after two years on the waiting list, the city has offered me a council flat!
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B
Gratuliere! Lass mich raten: ein in den Zwanzigerjahren errichteter Bau ohne Lift, mit Klo am Gang?
Congratulations! Let me guess: a block built in the twenties, with no lift and the loo out in the corridor?
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A
Ohne Lift, stimmt, aber mit eigenem Klo: Genau das war in den Zwanzigern der große Fortschritt.
No lift, true, but with its own loo: that was precisely the big step forward in the twenties.
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B
In so ein altes Gemäuer würde ich trotzdem nie ziehen, es sei denn, die Miete ist ein Witz.
I'd still never move into an old pile like that, unless the rent's a joke.
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A
Ist sie auch: 530 Euro für 58 Quadratmeter samt Betriebskosten. Und der Mietvertrag ist unbefristet.
It is: 530 euros for 58 square metres, service charges included. And the tenancy is open-ended.
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B
Wie bitte? Ich zahle in Ottakring für 40 Quadratmeter über 750 Euro, befristet auf drei Jahre!
Sorry? I pay over 750 euros for 40 square metres in Ottakring, on a three-year lease!
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A
Tja, der von dir belächelte Bau gehört eben der Stadt, nicht irgendeinem Investor. Lass dich doch auch vormerken.
Well, the building you were scoffing at belongs to the city, not some investor. Why don't you put your name down too?
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