The little catch before the vowel in German

1. 1
   Uhr/uːɐ̯/

   clocknoun

   A device that shows the time and that people wear on the wrist or hang on the wall.
2. 2
   Ei/aɪ̯/

   eggnoun

   A roundish body with a shell that a bird lays and from which a young animal can hatch.
3. 3
   Apfel/ˈapfəl/

   applenoun

   A round fruit with smooth red or green skin that grows on a tree.
4. 4
   Arbeit/ˈaʁbaɪ̯t/

   worknoun

   The activity someone is regularly paid for.
5. 5
   arm/aʁm/

   pooradjective

   Someone who is poor has very little money.
6. 6
   Ampel/ˈampəl/

   traffic lightnoun

   A device with red, yellow and green lights that controls traffic.
7. 7
   Anruf/ˈanʁuːf/

   phone callnoun

   A conversation over the phone, or the attempt to reach someone that way.
8. 8
   Antwort/ˈantvɔʁt/

   answernoun

   What someone says or writes after being asked something.
9. 9
   Übung/ˈyːbʊŋ/

   exercisenoun

   A task you repeat several times to get better at something.
10. 10
    Abend/ˈaːbənt/

    eveningnoun

    The time between sunset and midnight.

The sentences

1. Ich schaue kurz auf die Uhr, wir müssen los.

   I glance at the clock, we have to go.

2. Ich hätte gern ein weiches Ei zum Frühstück.

   I'd like a soft-boiled egg for breakfast.

3. Ich nehme noch einen Apfel für unterwegs mit.

   I'll grab another apple to take with me.

4. Vor der Arbeit esse ich immer einen Apfel.

   Before work I always eat an apple.

5. Als Student war ich ziemlich arm.

   As a student I was pretty poor.

6. Bitte halten Sie an der nächsten Ampel.

   Please stop at the next traffic light.

7. Danke für Ihren Anruf, ich melde mich später.

   Thanks for calling, I'll get back to you later.

8. Ich warte noch auf eine Antwort von der Firma.

   I'm still waiting for an answer from the company.

9. Jeden Morgen mache ich eine kleine Übung vor dem Frühstück.

   Every morning I do a little exercise before breakfast.

10. Heute Abend treffe ich mich mit Freunden.

    This evening I'm meeting up with friends.

Pronunciation

• Uhr/uːɐ̯/

  The u is long, and the r after it sounds like a short a.

• Apfel/ˈapfəl/

  P and f belong together and are said without a pause between them; the a before them is short.

• Anruf/ˈanʁuːf/

  The stress is on An-; the u in -ruf is long.

• Antwort/ˈantvɔʁt/

  The w sounds like the v in "van"; the o after it is short.

• Übung/ˈyːbʊŋ/

  The ü is long: lips rounded like for u, tongue forward like for i.

• Abend/ˈaːbənt/

  The a is long, and the d at the end sounds like a t.

Questions

How do you say clock in German?

It's Uhr, as in "Ich schaue kurz auf die Uhr, wir müssen los" (I glance at the clock, we have to go).

What does Übung mean here?

An Übung is a task you repeat several times to get better at something, as in "Jeden Morgen mache ich eine kleine Übung vor dem Frühstück" (Every morning I do a little exercise before breakfast).

How do you ask someone to stop at the traffic light?

You say: "Bitte halten Sie an der nächsten Ampel" (Please stop at the next traffic light).