MICHEL THOMAS GERMAN (BASIC) COURSE, 8 CDs TRANSCRIPT This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often

changed his mind in the middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. The booklet that accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written this transcript. I have found it useful, so maybe other people will, too. Naturally, it would be foolish to try to learn the language using this transcript, without buying the recordings. Note that English is my native language, so I don't guarantee that there are no mistakes. Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets. Version 2, Jan 15th 2006 Transcribed by JK CD 1 (62.32) (1) 4.37 (2) 6.58 good it is it is good what water (3) 7.58 to drink do you want? what do you want? what do you want to drink? to eat what do you want to eat? to do what do you want to do? to come do you want to come? with me (a second verb, which follows a handle verb, goes the end of the sentence) do want to come with me? today do you want to come with me today? evening good evening today this evening do you want to come with me?

what do you want to eat? do you want to come with me? (will you = do you want = wollen Sie) will you come with me tonight? (4) 5.30 to be when here when do you want to be here? can you? can you come with me? (the first sentence is a request, but the second is a question, so the intonation is raised at the end) will you please come with me? do you want to come with me? yes no please when do you want to come with me? to see goodbye to hear goodbye (on the phone) (5) 6.58 when do you want to see it? can you? can you see it? I can I want do you want? you want if when do you want? if you want we want to come you are coming we are coming are you coming? when are you coming? when do you come? I come soon I'm coming soon do you want? I want

can you? can you come with me? (6) 4.31 to stay we are staying (three ways to express the English present tense) we are staying here we are staying here today we are staying here tonight you are staying are you staying? how to go to see we are going you are going are you going? I am going (7) 4.58 not now not now I want I want to see it but I want to see it but not now can you see it? I can see it I cannot see it (ich kann nicht es sehen also possible, but is stronger) I cannot see you (8) 8.16 to understand to stand we understand we understand you good, well very very good (to make a German vowel longer, either double it, or add an h. These two words sound the same: mehr, das Meer) very good it is very good very well we understand we don't understand

we don't understand it we don't understand you we don't understand you very well do you understand? do you understand it? me do you understand me? don't you understand me? (9) 7.40 can you understand me? I can I cannot I cannot understand you I'm sorry I'm sorry, but I'm sorry, but I cannot understand you (recording skips here) to stay we are staying we are not staying we are not staying here long (in the sense of time) we cannot stay here long how how long how long can you stay here? I must I must see it I must stay here but I cannot stay here long I must go soon (10) 5.06 me (to me) me do you understand me? to come to bring to find I'm sorry but I cannot find it white white wine I know I know it I don't know it where

I don't know where it is, I cannot find it (end of recording)

CD 2 (57.22) (1) 5.03 to bring to come to find to see to go to understand I understand I understand you very well I don't understand you very well I cannot understand you very well do you understand me? will you bring it to me? can you bring it to me today? to have we have we have it we don't have it do you have? do you have it? why? why don't you have it? (2) 7.32 with me for me can you come with me? do you have it for me? what do you have for me? it is for me can you understand me? why can't you understand me? what a little, something can you bring me something now? what can you bring me? why can you not bring it to me now? (3) 6.08 to have we have we have it we don't have it why don't you have it for me? I must I must have it unfortunately

unfortunately, I cannot do it now I'm sorry, but I don't have it for you now you you (to) I cannot bring it to you now because, for because I don't have it now (4) 7.03 what do you have for me? what can you bring me? for me with me for you with you I cannot bring it to you today, because I don't have it I must have it to have to to be able to we have to you have to you have to come with me (5) 8.50 to give we give you give I am giving I am giving it to you but I cannot give it to you today, because I don't have it when do you want to have it? when can you have it? when can you have it for me? to smoke forbidden also me too I don't smoke to need I need it I don't need it I don't need it now to need do you need it? when do you need it?

when do you want to have it? I can bring it to you today (6) 3.38 I want to have it will (future tense) we will have it you will have it when will you have it for me? I will have it for you today I will have it today I will see it tonight I will bring it to you (7) 4.11 when can you bring it to me? when do you want to bring it to me? when will you bring it to me? when can you bring it to me, because I need it today when do you need it? when do you want to have it? I want to have it today, because I need it today (8) 3.10 at what time? at what time do you want to have it? to be at what time can you be here tonight? at what time do you want to be here? at what time can you be here today? at what time will you be here? (9) 7.39 to come to arrive tomorrow at what time will you arrive tomorrow? at what time can you be here tomorrow? to stay how long how long can you stay here today? how long will you stay here? to wait will you please do it for me? when will you do it for me? will you please stay here with me?

how long will you stay? (10) 4.08 to say will you tell me? when will you tell me? where will you tell me where it is because I cannot find it I know I don't know I'm sorry but I don't know where it is, I cannot find it (end of recording)

CD 3 (56.51) (1) 4.37 to go we go we don't go you are going where where (to) where are you going? where do you want to go? to go (to) where do you want to go (to)? there (to) there I want to go there but I cannot go there today (2) 1.49 I am busy business, store I am busy I am very busy now I am very busy today (3) 2.54 I will be very busy I am very busy now (4) 7.01 to go we are going you are going where are you going? to stay we are staying how long how long are we staying? how long can we stay here today? how long will we stay here today? how long do you want to stay here? how long can you stay here? how long do you stay here? how long are you staying here? do you stay here? are you staying here? (commands like bleiben Sie stay! have the same word order as the question bleiben Sie?) come!

come here! (her or hierher) are you coming? bring it! bring it to me today! are you bringing it to me today? do you bring it to me? bring it to me! (5) 4.39 to wait we are waiting we don't wait we are not waiting why are you waiting? why do you wait? wait please! will you please wait to wait for to wait for me will you wait for me? will you please wait for me here tomorrow? (6) 4.47 wait for me! are you waiting for me? will you please wait for me? can you wait for me? will you wait for me? do you want to wait for me? where do you want to wait for me? where will you wait for me? (7) 6.36 to come we are coming you are coming are you coming? come! to stay we are staying you are staying they they (for clarity) how long are we staying here? I am staying I am not staying here I'm coming with you

wait! will you please wait? I am going to wait for you I am going to stay here to buy merchant, businessman I'm going to buy it I will buy it (8) 7.20 expensive, dear we won't buy it because it's very expensive we are going to buy it because we want to have it (can use present tense to express the future) I will see you tomorrow I will go with you tomorrow we will you will I will he will she will it will he will buy it soon he will be here soon she will be here soon (9) 7.35 ready it is ready already (schon used more frequently in German than in English) it is already ready he is here already I have it already beautiful it is very beautiful she is very beautiful it is ready already everything everything is ready already everything will be ready for you soon everything is going to be ready for you soon (10) 9.33 to stay I am staying

he is staying she is staying it is staying everything is staying here all of them, everybody, they all everyone is staying here my friend my friend is not staying my friends my friends are not staying here we are staying here we are all staying here he is coming soon he is bringing it to me we will bring it to you tomorrow he is going to bring it to you tomorrow when will you bring it to me? will you please bring it to me will you please bring it to me tomorrow when will you bring it to me? when are you going to bring it to me? (end of recording)

CD 4 (56.38) (1) 6.29 I would like I would like to do it I would like to see it I would like to see you I would like to have it us he would like to come with us I can he can she can it can it can be possible it is not possible like that, that way it's not possible like that it is not possible it is not possible that way impossible entirely it is entirely impossible (2) 4.29 gladly, with pleasure (gern be used with practically any verb) I like to do it I like to see it I like to go there I will go there with you gladly will you come with me very gladly (answer) thanks thanks very much best thanks I would like (3) 4.23 I would like to have it to know we know you know do you know? I know he knows you know they know

I don't know where it is to say, tell will you tell me can you tell me? will you tell me where it is because I cannot find it (4) 6.43 busy I'm very busy tired I am tired the house at home to home to go home I am going home I am going to stay home I am very tired and I'm going home now and I will stay home tonight I'm going to stay home tonight because I'm tired because I am very tired (5) 6.56 because (the verb goes to the end of the clause after weil) because I am very tired I understand we understand you understand we don't understand I understand you very well I don't understand you very well he understands she understands she understands me very well can you understand me? I don't understand I don't understand it I cannot understand it I understand you I do not understand you I cannot understand you (6) 8.00 to say, tell I don't know what you are saying because I don't understand you

because I cannot understand you I don't know what you're saying because I can't understand you (7) 6.29 because I cannot understand I'm going to stay home because I'm very tired I am very busy I cannot do it because I am very busy today I cannot do it today because I'm very busy because I'm going to be very busy today because I cannot come with you tonight (8) 2.29 I cannot tell you I cannot tell it to you I cannot tell it you now because I don't know it (9) 7.36 to cost it costs I want to know how much it costs I would like to know how much it costs will you tell me how much it costs because I need it and because I want to have it because I must have it when can you bring it to me? I want to know at what time I can have it today (this is wrong, because the weil inversion applies to many other words) at what time can I have it? when when can I have it? will you tell me at what time I can have it will you tell me at what time I can have it (10) 3.04 I'm sorry but I cannot tell you now why I have to do it today why I must have it today (end of recording)

CD 5 (56.25) (1) 7.53 to go we are going you are dying where are you going? to ask question I have a question why are you asking? why do you ask? I want to know I would like to know where it is there (to) there I want to go there it is there I would like to go there for me not nothing I have nothing to understand I understand I don't understand I don't understand anything I don't have it I don't have anything now I would like I would like to have it I would like to see it I would like to go there (2) 5.59 it is going very well how's it going how's it going for you I'm fine it is going very well everything is going very well better much (much) thanks I'm going much better today everything is going much better today (3) 10.39 to feel

I feel it I don't feel it I cannot feel it I feel fine, I feel myself fine (for reflexive verbs, myself = me = mich, ourselves = us = uns) I feel very well today I don't feel very well I feel we feel fine himself, herself, itself, yourself he feels good to feel do you feel it? how do you feel? to wash I am washing it I am washing to hurry I am hurrying I must hurry we must hurry he must hurry (4) 4.16 one (man is much more common in german than english. It also means "all of us") one must hurry we must hurry you must hurry I will hurry I am going to hurry we are going to hurry we will hurry will you please hurry can you hurry? (5) 6.56 shall, should you shall hurry up, you should hurry up I shall hurry up why don't you hurry hurry up! to interest interested I am interested it interests me very much I interest myself very much he is interested

(6) 5.37 that that interests me very much that doesn't interest me interesting joy to enjoy, have joy I am very pleased I enjoy myself it pleases me time newspaper I don't have the time I have no time now (7) 2.23 possible possibility I have no possibility (after noun or adjective, a verb is preceded by zu) I have no time to do it it is not possible to do it (8) 3.36 opportunity I would like to have the opportunity to see it (9) 3.34 always I don't always have the opportunity to see it often I don't often have the opportunity to see it it is not possible it is not possible to go there today (10) 5.32 important it is very important to do it so it is not so important it is not so important to do it today necessary it is not necessary to do it now late (end of recording)

CD 6 (57.33) (1) 5.09 late it is very late later something somewhat, a little a little later to call to call (phone) will you call me later can you call me later? too towards (gehen means to go on foot. by any other means is fahren) to go I'm going to Berlin Germany German I'm going to Germany (2) 5.30 to speak do you speak English? you speak German very well in German (language) how to say it in German? one doesn't say it like that one says it does one say? does one say it like that? does one say it like that in German? how does one say it in German? (3) 9.24 it is too late it is too late to do it now I'm going to do it later it won't be possible to do it now I will do it later today he will be here soon it will be very important it will be very important to do it but I don't have the time to do it now I will not have the time to do it today (4) 5.10 would I would do it

he wouldn't do it we wouldn't do it we won't do it we would not do it it will not be possible that way I will I would he will it will it would it couldn't be possible (5) 4.48 to buy I would buy it I won't buy it it wouldn't be possible to do it because he is very busy today because I cannot do it today I won't do it today because I won't do it today because I wouldn't do it today because I wouldn't have the time to do it today (6) 9.01 when will he be here? ready when will it be ready? I would like to know, when it will be ready it would be ready today it can be ready today it is going to be ready today because it will be ready today because it cannot be ready today I want to know at what time it is going to be ready I would like to know at what time it will be ready I would like to know why it cannot be ready today (7) 4.06 if if you want we want we want it we don't want it we don't want to do it today

I want he wants I would like to know when you want to do it I would like to know at what time you can do it I will wait here if you want I will wait here for you if you want (8) 2.52 if, whether to try (9) 4.36I don't know if I can do it but I will try I don't know if it is possible to do it that way, but I will try but I don't know if it will be possible to do it that way but I am going to try (10) 6.57 (for "i have been waiting since", in german you use present tense ich warte and "since" seit) since ten minutes I have been waiting for ten minutes to live, reside ten years I have been living here for ten years how long have you been living here? how long have you been here? I have been doing that a long time already to work the work he is working he has been working here for a long time three days we have been here for three days (end of recording)

CD 7 (58.17) (1) 8.38 I can do it we can you can they can can you? it can be ready today it cannot be possible that way I will buy it tomorrow if I have the time can you tell me if you can do it? I would like to know when you will do it to understand I don't understand you I can't understand you he doesn't understand he can't understand (2) 5.41 (in english, "could" appears in two tenses - subjunctive and past) could (past tense) I could he could you could ("i didn't find it" can be expressed as "i couldn't find it") I didn't find it I couldn't understand you yesterday last night he didn't go there with us (3) 4.25 was were I was there last night but it wasn't ready we were there where were you? it was not possible to do it I had we had I didn't have the time to do it, because I was very busy I didn't find it (4) 8.20 could (meaning "would be able", present tense) could you come with me?

could you tell me? could you wait now? can you wait here? without without you I couldn't do it without you I couldn't do it without you yesterday I couldn't understand you (5) 10.12 must I must go now we must buy it you have to wait for me I had to (past tense of "must") you had to I had to stay here he had to wait for me he wants to buy it he cannot buy it because it's very expensive he cannot buy it because it's too expensive he doesn't want to have it he will have it he will do it because he wants to do it do you want to do it? we don't want to do it why don't you want to do it now? he doesn't want to do it he won't do it he's not going to do it we want you want do you want, will you please will you do it please will you tell me he doesn't want to do it (6) 5.31 wanted I wanted he wanted he wanted to buy it because he wanted to have it I didn't want to stay here shall, should we shall stay here, we should stay here you should tell me

it should be ready (should present and past tenses are the same, so "I should" and "I was supposed to" are sollen) was supposed to he should wait for me, he was supposed to wait for me but he could not wait (drfen "may be allowed to" more common in german than english) may be allowed to one is not allowed to may I see it? to try on may I try it on? (7) 10.12 I don't feel like it I don't feel like doing it I'm very pleased to do it I am very pleased to see you it will give me very much pleasure to see you I would do it he wouldn't do it because it would not be possible to do it it was not possible to do it (waren wren, wre "would be". "would be" is also wrde sein. wren also means "were", as in "if I were...") it wouldn't be possible (8) 5.18 let (lassen also used when you want to have something done) to repair to have repaired I will repair it I will get it repaired, have it fixed I have to get it fixed to wash I will get it washed clean to clean will you clean it will you get it cleaned I have to get cleaned (end of recording)

CD 8 (60.03) (1) 6.21 to go away way to go away I will go away soon but I wouldn't go away without you out to go out I want to go out tonight we would like to go out tonight exit (walking) entrance (walking) exit (e.g. on road) entrance (e.g. on road) to depart to go away to go far away to go through to walk through to walk through there (2) 5.39 I understand I am going away (non-separable verb prefixes are not stressed. Separable prefixes are stressed) again I'm going to do it again never again I will never do it again to fetch, get to go get I will fetch it I'm going to fetch you I fetch it to fetch again to repeat I repeat (3) 4.20 to get something I'm getting it to arrive I'm arriving I'm arriving tomorrow tomorrow morning early

I'm going out this evening midday morning tomorrow morning we are going to Frankfurt after afternoon this afternoon tomorrow afternoon (4) 3.52 day after tomorrow over to drive someone over, run over I want to go there I go there to here (opposite of hin) come here! come (towards) here! in (towards here) to come right in Will you come in? (5) 4.27 out (towards) (only the short form is in common use. compare ausgehen and herausgehen) get out! on top of it get over there to put (in kying position) to lie to put (in standing position) to put on to put in to put in, to put into (e.g. a drawer) to put on (to) top to take to take (out e.g. drawer) (6) 2.40 to put on top, over (it) to put underneath under the table I put it over to put it over one's mind, i.e. think it over I'll think it over I'm thinking it over to come over the top of

to come under come under! to come in (7) 9.17 to pull the pulling, train to pull on, dress I'm going to get dressed the suit (pulling-on) I'm getting dressed I must get dressed he is getting dressed to pull out, to move out (a house) the pulling-out, Exodus the pulling-in to change once place, move (to a new house) process of moving to pull through pulling-through, moving-through to lock key to lock with a key to lock up to close the door to lock the door to close to open window I am opening the window I am closing the door castle, lock to lock in I will lock it in I will lock it inside I will unlock it locked the door is locked everything is locked today he is locked in (8) 7.38 to catch to start, to catch on we will start soon we are starting soon when you starting? when do we start?

to call to call (phone) will you call me later? I am going to call you later I will call you later in order to... I am calling you later in order to ask you if you can come with us tonight I'm going to see you to hope (the conjuction "that" is da, which is not optional in German, and behaves like weil) I hope I can do it I hope he will arrive tomorrow (9) 8.17 to think to believe, have an opinion I think he is going to be here soon I hope that you can come with us tonight easy heavy it is very easy it is very interesting comfortable it is very comfortable here nice he is very nice (a better word for "nice" is sympathisch) comfortable, pleasing, conducive it is nice here, there is a good ambience here (noun genders) (10) 7.32 (-chen -lein are diminutive endings, which are always neuter) I want a glass of wine I would like to have a glass of red wine I must have a glass of white wine excuse me may I ask you... ... where I can find it (end of recording)