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MT German Builder (Eng Only) German Builder
MT German Builder (Eng Only) German Builder
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.
An asterisk denotes a phrase that is highlighted in the booklet which accompanies the
recordings. Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets. Page numbers
in the booklet are also shown in brackets.
Version 2, Jan 15th 2006
Transcribed by JK
CD 1 (67.28)
(Track 1, 12:52, p7)
Hello
I would like to do it
I will do it
I want to see it
I will see it
("will you" in German is not the same as "do you want". "Will you tell me..." in English
is not the future tense but a polite request.)
Will you tell me where it is?
I cannot find it
I want to have it
I will buy it because I want to have it
(With weil the verb comes at the end of the sentence.)
I want to have that
(If you don't start with the subject, e.g. ich in the sentence above, then you invert, so ich
will becomes will ich.)
I want to have that (lit. that I want to have)
I want to see that (lit. that I want to see)
I cannot do it
I cannot do that today (lit. that I cannot do today)
Today I cannot do it
(p8)
Where can I find it?
I don't know where I can find it
(After wo, we have a weil situation, i.e. the verb goes the end of the sentence.)
Can you tell me where I can find it?
*worries
*without worries
I worry a lot (lit. I make me many worries)
It worries me (lit. It makes me many worries)
Don't worry!
*May I?
May I see it?
*to try
*to seek, search, look for
I'm looking for it
I must look for it
(p14)
*everywhere, overall
over everything
I'm looking for it everywhere...
... but I cannot find it
... because I cannot find it
*to try on
I would like to try it on
May I try it on?
May I ask you to wait here a few minutes?
I would like to ask you to come with me
Will you please come with me?
*to forget
I will not forget...
... to do it
... to give it to him
*really
I really cannot do it now
I really don't feel like doing it now
I don't know if I can do it now
... but I will try...
... to do it now
(Track 4, 6:42, p15)
*It's not worth it
It's not worth...
... going there
... doing it now
*why not
We can go there if you want
*Will you come with me?
*Will you come along?
Yes, certainly
*very gladly
I must do it
You must wait
You must wait for me
(p19)
*I want to do it
We want to do it
What do you want to do?
Will you tell me what you want to do?
*I wanted
I wanted to do it
I didn't want
I didn't want to do it
*I like to do it
I will gladly do it for you...
... but I don't feel like doing it now
... because it's too late
... because I'm very tired
I like to eat here
I like to eat it
I would very much like to see it
I think...
... that I will leave soon
... that I will leave on Monday
(Note: fahren means "to go" but not on foot. If you are walking use gehen.)
*Monday
*Tuesday
*Wednesday
*Thursday
*Friday
(p20)
*Saturday
*Sunday
*the week
*I will travel...
*...first to France...
*...and then to Germany
I will travel to Berlin
I'm travelling to Munich
When will you leave?
I still don't know when I will leave
How long will you stay in Berlin?
How long are you staying in Berlin?
(Note: in German you can use the Present Tense to express the future.)
*I hope...
*...I will stay a few weeks...
...in Germany
*several
several days
I will stay several days
I will stay a few days
I will stay there are a few days
(Track 7, 4:34)
I feel like...
...going to the cinema this evening...
...to see an interesting film
(p21)
*the sight
*the face
*the view
*the intention
I intend to do it (lit. I have the intention to do it)
I don't intend to do it now
I have no intention to do it
I have the intention...
...to leave next week
*to travel
the trip
Have a good trip!
to take a trip
that is not my intention
*intentionally, on purpose, deliberately
He will do it deliberately
(Track 8, 7:17)
*Shall I?
*Shall we?
Shall I open the window?
(Note: "open" (adjective) is offen but "to open" is ffnen.)
*to open
*to close
*to turn on
(p22)
Will you open the window?
Will you close the door?
Shall I wait for you?
Shall I close the window?
Shall I go with you?
Shall I come with you?
Shall I call you later?
What shall we do?
What are we doing now?
What shall we tell him?
*It is clear
*to make it clear, explain
I will explain it to you
*I knew
I knew that he was not able to do it
I knew that he would not be able to do it
It was clear to me...
...that everything would be ready
...that everything could be ready
I knew that he would be able to repair it
(Remember: when "could" in English is clearly in the past, i.e. "was able", then in
German you must use konnte or konnten. If "could" in English means "would be able to"
all it is not clearly in the past, then you must use knnte or knnten.)
(p23)
He will repair it
I knew that he would repair it
I know that he could never do it like that
*although, even though
I couldn't do it although I wanted to do it
*What do you have?
What do you have to eat?
What do you have to drink?
*there is...
*What is there?
What's new?
What is there to eat?
What is there to drink?
(end of recording)
CD 2 (58.11)
(Track 1, 9:39, p25)
*the first time
the second time, the third time
*sometimes
I go there sometimes but not very often
How often do you go there?
*usually
I don't usually do it
I don't go there very often
*seldom, rarely
I go there very seldom
I do it very rarely
*comfortable
It is very comfortable here
*agreeable
*I would rather be here
I would rather stay here
I would rather do it later
I would much rather be here
I would much rather stay here
*I'm reading a book
*I'm just reading a book that I find very interesting
(p26)
(Note: gerade means "just" and also "straight". geradeaus means "straight ahead".)
I would like to speak with Mr Smith
He is not there
Is he in?
Do you know...
...when he will be in?
...at what time he will be in?
Will you please tell him...
...he should call me?
...that I will call him later?
I will call him tomorrow
*tomorrow morning
(Note that you use morgen frh (lit. tomorrow early) to mean "tomorrow morning"
because morgen means "tomorrow" and "morning". You can also use morgen
Vormittag.)
I will call him tomorrow morning
I will call him tomorrow morning (first thing / early in the morning)
*to arrive
I will arrive next week
(Note that when you are referring to yourself fhlen becomes reflexive see you need to
add mich. This also applies when talking about somebody else, so "he feels well" would
be er fhlt sich gut.)
(p37)
I feel better today
*better than
better than yesterday
I feel much better than yesterday
*to work
the work
I have much work
I must work
I'm working, I work
I work much better when I'm alone
I'm alone here
I'm entirely alone
(Note: the comparative of adjectives is formed by adding -er to the adjective, e.g.
interessant > interessanter. Some have irregular forms, e.g. gut > besser.)
This wine is better
It is the best wine
*It is over there
It is up there
It is down there
I don't need anything
I don't need it anymore
I don't need anything more
*It surprises / astonishes me (very much)
(p38)
It doesn't surprise me
I am astonished
*to surprise
surprised
I am surprised
It surprises me
I am really very surprised
(Track 8, 6:26)
*many people
There are too many people here
*fast
*slowly
more slowly
early
Can you come a little earlier?
*It is very clean
*dirty
the dirt