Day 78: Lanterns Before Morgestraich
On a tram in Basel a week before the Fasnacht, the city's famous carnival, Heinz (A), an older local, gets talking to Janina (B), a young woman sitting next to him.
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
Sie tragen ja schon die Plakette, sehr gut. Sind Sie zur Fasnacht zum ersten Mal in Basel?
I see you're already wearing the Fasnacht badge, very good. Is this your first time in Basel for the Fasnacht?
-
B
Nicht ganz, aber erzählen Sie ruhig. Was ist für Sie das Schönste an dieser Tradition?
Not quite, but do tell me. What's the best part of the tradition for you?
-
A
Der Morgestraich: Punkt vier Uhr früh gehen in der Innenstadt alle Lichter aus, und die maskierten Cliquen ziehen mit bemalten Laternen los.
The Morgestraich: at four in the morning on the dot, all the lights go out in the city centre, and the cliques, the carnival groups, set off in masks with painted lanterns.
-
B
Und das alles in den verdunkelten Gassen? Da sieht man doch kaum, wohin man läuft.
And all that in the darkened lanes? You can hardly see where you're going.
-
A
Genau das ist der Zauber: Je dunkler die Stadt, desto schöner leuchten die Laternen.
That's exactly the magic of it: the darker the city, the more beautifully the lanterns glow.
-
B
Stimmt, das sehe ich jedes Jahr aus nächster Nähe. Ich spiele nämlich selbst Piccolo in einer Clique.
True, I get to see it close up every year: I play the piccolo in a clique myself.
-
A
Und ich erzähle Ihnen seit drei Haltestellen von der Fasnacht! Dann höre ich am Montag besonders genau hin.
And here I've been telling you about the Fasnacht for three stops! Then I'll listen extra carefully on Monday.
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 79: The Hardest Question They Asked
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.