Ultimate German Vocabulary List: 100 German Phrases for Travel
The gap between classroom German and travel German is real. Courses teach vocabulary in categories - food, family, colors, numbers - in an order determined by pedagogical logic rather than by what you...
German Travel Vocabulary That Actually Gets Used
The gap between classroom German and travel German is real. Courses teach vocabulary in categories - food, family, colors, numbers - in an order determined by pedagogical logic rather than by what you will actually need first when you land at Frankfurt Airport and need to figure out where your bag is. This article covers the vocabulary that gets used before the vocabulary that looks good on a syllabus.
At the Airport and Train Station
Ankunft - arrivals. Abfahrt - departures (for trains specifically; airports use Abflug for departures). Gleis - platform/track. Verbindung - connection. Verspätung - delay. "Der Zug hat zehn Minuten Verspätung" - the train is ten minutes delayed. You will hear this phrase regularly in Germany; the country's rail punctuality is less heroic than its reputation suggests. Umsteigen - to change trains. Welches Gleis? - Which platform?
Finding Your Way
Entschuldigung - excuse me. Use this to begin any request of a stranger. Wo ist...? - Where is...? Geradeaus - straight ahead. Links - left. Rechts - right. Die erste Straße links - the first street on the left. Gegenüber - opposite, across the street. In der Nähe - nearby. "Gibt es ein Hotel in der Nähe?" - Is there a hotel nearby?
Shopping and Paying
Was kostet das? - What does that cost? Ich hätte gerne... - I would like... (polite form, worth learning over the blunter ich will). Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? - Can I pay by card? This question matters: Germany is more cash-dependent than most comparable economies, and smaller shops, market stalls, and some restaurants only accept cash. Asking in advance avoids awkwardness. Quittung - receipt. Wechselgeld - change.
At the Hotel
Reservierung - reservation. Zimmer - room. Frühstück inbegriffen? - Breakfast included? Wann ist Check-out? - What time is check-out? Haben Sie ein ruhigeres Zimmer? - Do you have a quieter room? German hotels in cities can be noisy; asking for a quieter room facing the courtyard rather than the street is a reasonable and understood request. Parkplatz - parking space. Aufzug - elevator.
Emergencies
Hilfe! - Help! Ich brauche einen Arzt - I need a doctor. Rufen Sie die Polizei - Call the police. Notruf - emergency call. Emergency number in Germany: 112 for ambulance and fire, 110 for police. These numbers are the same across the EU for 112.
