Compound words, piece by piece in German

1. 1
   Haustür/ˈhaʊ̯styːɐ̯/

   front doornoun

   The door you use to enter a house from the street.
2. 2
   Türklingel/ˈtyːɐ̯klɪŋəl/

   doorbellnoun

   The button on a door that rings a bell inside for visitors.
3. 3
   Briefkasten/ˈbʁiːfkastən/

   mailboxnoun

   A box into which the mail delivers letters.
4. 4
   Hausschuh/ˈhaʊ̯sʃuː/

   slippernoun

   A light shoe worn only indoors.
5. 5
   Kühlschrank/ˈkyːlʃʁaŋk/

   refrigeratornoun

   A cabinet that keeps food cold.
6. 6
   Küchentisch/ˈkʏçəntɪʃ/

   kitchen tablenoun

   The table in the kitchen where you eat.
7. 7
   Waschmaschine/ˈvaʃmaʃiːnə/

   washing machinenoun

   An appliance that cleans clothes with water and detergent.
8. 8
   Kleiderschrank/ˈklaɪ̯dɐʃʁaŋk/

   wardrobenoun

   A tall cabinet used to store clothes.
9. 9
   Schlafzimmer/ˈʃlaːftsɪmɐ/

   bedroomnoun

   The room where the bed is and where you sleep.
10. 10
    Mülleimer/ˈmʏlaɪ̯mɐ/

    trash cannoun

    A small container for waste.

The sentences

1. Wird die Haustür abends automatisch abgeschlossen?

   Is the front door locked automatically in the evenings?

2. Können Sie mir zeigen, wo die Türklingel ist?

   Can you show me where the doorbell is?

3. Bekomme ich einen Schlüssel für den Briefkasten unten?

   Do I get a key for the mailbox downstairs?

4. Hier liegt noch ein Hausschuh unter dem Bett.

   There's still a slipper under the bed.

5. Ist der Kühlschrank in der Küche schon angeschlossen?

   Is the refrigerator in the kitchen already hooked up?

6. Gehört der Küchentisch mit zur möblierten Wohnung?

   Does the kitchen table come with the furnished apartment?

7. Wo steht die Waschmaschine, im Bad oder im Keller?

   Where's the washing machine, in the bathroom or the basement?

8. Passt der Kleiderschrank noch ins kleine Schlafzimmer?

   Will the wardrobe still fit in the small bedroom?

9. Können Sie mir das Schlafzimmer noch einmal zeigen?

   Can you show me the bedroom one more time?

10. Steht der Mülleimer unter der Spüle in der Küche?

    Is the trash can under the sink in the kitchen?

Pronunciation

• Haustür/ˈhaʊ̯styːɐ̯/

  Haus and Tür stay separate: the s is followed by a plain t, not a sch sound. The ü is long, and the r after it sounds like a short a.

• Türklingel/ˈtyːɐ̯klɪŋəl/

  Long ü, and the r becomes a short a. The stress falls on the first part, Tür.

• Briefkasten/ˈbʁiːfkastən/

  The ie is a long i, while the a in Kasten is short.

• Hausschuh/ˈhaʊ̯sʃuː/

  First the s of Haus, then the sch of Schuh, one after the other. The u at the end is long.

• Kühlschrank/ˈkyːlʃʁaŋk/

  The ü is long. At the end, nk sounds like ng plus k.

• Küchentisch/ˈkʏçəntɪʃ/

  Short ü, followed by the soft ch as in ich, not the hard one as in Bach.

• Waschmaschine/ˈvaʃmaʃiːnə/

  The stress falls on the first part, Wasch, even though Maschine alone is stressed on the last syllable. The i in -schine is long.

• Kleiderschrank/ˈklaɪ̯dɐʃʁaŋk/

  The ending -er in Kleider sounds like a short a; at the end, nk becomes ng plus k.

• Schlafzimmer/ˈʃlaːftsɪmɐ/

  The a in Schlaf is long, the f stays hard, and the z sounds like ts.

• Mülleimer/ˈmʏlaɪ̯mɐ/

  The ü is short, and the er at the end sounds like an a.

Questions

How do you say 'front door' in German?

It's Haustür, pronounced /ˈhaʊ̯styːɐ̯/, as in 'Wird die Haustür abends automatisch abgeschlossen?'

What's the German word for wardrobe?

Kleiderschrank, a tall cabinet for storing clothes, as in 'Passt der Kleiderschrank noch ins kleine Schlafzimmer?'

How do you ask where the washing machine is in German?

You can say 'Wo steht die Waschmaschine, im Bad oder im Keller?'