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".
