7.1 The shopping list-Die Einkaufsliste

Anna Müller works out a shopping list for her son Lukas, advising him how much he needs to buy and wher he should go to find the products. He quite clearly doesn't want to go shopping however, and keeps trying to find excuses to go at a later date.

Anna Müller---Gehst du bitte jetzt einkaufen?

Lukas Müller---Jawohl! Hast du eine Einkaufsliste für mich?

Anna Müller---Nein, ich sage dir alles. Erst hol bitte vom Bäcker ein kleines Weißbrot und zehn frische Brötchen.

Lukas Müller---Sie sind billiger im Supermarkt, und wir fahren heute Nachmittag dorthin.

Anna Müller---Na gut! Dann kauf beim Metzger ein halbes Pfund Hackfleisch und 250 Gramm gekochten Schinken.

Lukas Müller---Ich kaufe Fleisch lieber in der Altstadt, und heute Nachmittag fahren wir auch dorthin.

Anna Müller---Na gut! Vom Gemüsegeschäft brauche ich dann einen Kopfsalat, anderthalb Pfund kleine feste Tomaten, eine schöne Gurke, zehn Pfund Kartoffeln und ein Pfund grüne Bohnen.

Lukas Müller---Die Sachen für den Salat und das andere Gemüse eilen nicht, und morgen ist doch Markt.

Anna Müller---Na gut, aber ich brauche unbedingt Eier von Lidl.

Lukas Müller---Nein, brauchst du nicht. Wir haben doch viele. Eier kriegen wir dann auch noch vom Markt.

Anna Müller---Na gut, dann brauchst du nicht einkaufen gehen.

 

 

Glossary

die Einkaufsliste (-n)---shopping list 

einkaufen---to do the shopping

einkaufen gehen---"To go shopping". In this construction, both "einkaufen" and "gehen" are infinitives. only the second verb "gehen" declines (i.e. changes its endings), wheras "einkaufen" remains the same.

jetzt---now

Gehst du bitte jetzt einkaufen?---Will you please go and do the shopping now?

jawohl!---"Yes, of course". This is often used ironically in response to somebody who is trying to boss you around!

sagen In this context it means "to tell", but it can also mean "to say".

ich sage dir alles---"I'll tell you everything". Note that the person to whom you are speaking ("dir") is in the dative case, wheras what you tell them ("alles") is in the accusative case.

erst---This means "first", as in the first thing in a list of things which need to be done.

holen---This means "to fetch". The word "hol" is the imperative form i.e. the form used to give commands. We have here the informal form used when talking to someone whom you would call "du". The polite form is "holen Sie".

der Bäcker (-)---The baker

das Weißbrot---"A loaf of white bread". In another context this could also mean "white bread" in general. Likewise "das Brot" could either mean "a loaf of bread" or just "bread".

frisch---"fresh". The endings on adjectives following numbers will be explained later in this chapter.

das Brötchen---"A bread roll". All German nouns which end in "-chen" are neuter. The suffix "-chen" means "little" or "small".

billiger "cheaper". The adjective "billig" means "cheap", adding "-er" is how you form the comparative.

der Supermarkt---The supermarket

der Nachmittag (-e)---afternoon

heute Nachmittag---"This afternoon" - literally "today afternoon".

dorthin---"to there". This is used when movement is implied.

na gut!---All right then!

kaufen---This means "to buy". The form "kauf" is the informal "du" form of the imperative which we saw earlier with "hol".

der Metzger (-)---The butcher

bei (+ Dative) at

beim Metzger---"At the butcher's". "Bei dem" is shortened to "beim" in the same way as the definite article is reduced with many other prepositions.

das Pfund (-e)---pound

ein halbes Pfund---half a pound

das Hackfleisch---mincemeat

gekocht---This means "boiled". The reason for the adjective endings will be explained in this chapter.

der Schinken---"ham". The form "kauf" is the imperative form which we saw earlier on in this section with "hol".

das Fleisch---meat

lieber "preferably". It is often used with a verb to translate "prefer to". Thus "Ich kaufe lieber" means "I prefer to..."

die Altstadt---old (part of) town

das Geschäft (-e)---This means "shop, store". It is also the general term for "business".

das Gemüsegeschäft---This is another word for a "greengrocer's shop".

brauchen---to need

der Kopfsalat (-e)---"lettuce". Literally: "head salad" (!)

anderthalb---"one and a half". You will also see the word "eineinhalb" used to translate this.

fest---firm

schön---"nice". It can also mean "beautiful" in other contexts.

die Gurke (-n)---cucumber

die Bohne (-n) bean

grüne Bohnen---green/French beans

die Sache (-n)---thing, item

der Salat (-e)---salad

ander...---"other". It is never used in the root form "ander", but only in its declined form in front of a noun.

das Gemüse---"vegetables". Note that this is a singular noun in German.

(sie) eilen nicht---(they) are not urgent

morgen---"tomorrow". Be careful not to write this with a capital letter, for then it would mean "morning"! 

doch after all

der Markt---market

morgen ist doch Markt---tomorrow is market-day after all

unbedingt---definitely; absolutely

das Ei (-er)---egg

Lidl---The name of a German supermarket chain. You can visit their homepage by clicking here. 

brauchst du nicht This means "you don't need them". The pronoun "them" is omitted is this clause.

viele---many, a lot

kriegen---"to get". This is quite a conversational word which should not be used in formal German.

du brauchst nicht einkaufen gehen---"You don't need to go shopping". In other words, "brauchen" can either be used with a direct object or another infinitive, here "einkaufen gehen".