Prefixes that are never stressed in German

1. 1
   bezahlen/bəˈtsaːlən/

   to payverb

   To give money for something.
2. 2
   bestellen/bəˈʃtɛlən/

   to orderverb

   To ask for something you want to buy.
3. 3
   gehören/ɡəˈhøːʁən/iAlso said ɡəˈhøːɐ̯n.

   to belongverb

   To be someone's property.
4. 4
   empfehlen/ɛmˈpfeːlən/

   to recommendverb

   To tell someone that something is good and that they should have it.
5. 5
   verstehen/fɛɐ̯ˈʃteːən/

   to understandverb

   To catch what someone says.
6. 6
   entschuldigen/ɛntˈʃʊldɪɡən/

   to apologizeverb

   To say you are sorry for a mistake.
7. 7
   erfahren/ɛɐ̯ˈfaːʁən/

   experiencedadjective

   Having had a lot of practice at something.
8. 8
   Gespräch/ɡəˈʃpʁɛːç/

   conversationnoun

   An exchange in which people talk to each other.
9. 9
   Geschenk/ɡəˈʃɛŋk/

   giftnoun

   Something you give someone for nothing.
10. 10
    Verspätung/fɛɐ̯ˈʃpɛːtʊŋ/

    delaynoun

    The amount of time by which someone or something arrives later than planned.

The sentences

1. Kann ich hier auch mit Karte bezahlen?

   Can I pay by card here too?

2. Ich möchte gern noch einen Kaffee bestellen.

   I'd like to order another coffee, please.

3. Wissen Sie, wem diese Sachen hier gehören?

   Do you know whose things these are?

4. Können Sie mir einen Kuchen empfehlen?

   Could you recommend a cake to me?

5. Ich konnte die Durchsage leider nicht verstehen.

   Unfortunately, I couldn't understand the announcement.

6. Ich muss mich entschuldigen, das war mein Fehler.

   I have to apologize, that was my mistake.

7. Die Kellnerin ist sehr erfahren, das merkt man.

   The waitress is very experienced, you can tell.

8. Ich hatte gerade ein nettes Gespräch mit der Kellnerin.

   I just had a nice conversation with the waitress.

9. Ich suche noch ein kleines Geschenk für meine Mutter.

   I'm still looking for a small gift for my mother.

10. Wissen Sie, wie viel Verspätung der Zug hat?

    Do you know how late the train is?

Pronunciation

• bezahlen/bəˈtsaːlən/

  The stress is on zah, and the be before it stays short and quiet.

• bestellen/bəˈʃtɛlən/

  The st after be sounds like scht in Stelle.

• gehören/ɡəˈhøːʁən/

  The ö is long, as in schön.

• empfehlen/ɛmˈpfeːlən/

  Stressed on the second syllable, with a long e; pf is pronounced as a single sound.

• verstehen/fɛɐ̯ˈʃteːən/

  The st in the middle sounds like scht, and the stress is on stehen.

• entschuldigen/ɛntˈʃʊldɪɡən/

  The stress is on schul, not on ent.

• erfahren/ɛɐ̯ˈfaːʁən/

  The r in er is not rolled, it sounds almost like a short a.

• Gespräch/ɡəˈʃpʁɛːç/

  The ch at the end is the soft sound from ich, not the one from ach.

• Verspätung/fɛɐ̯ˈʃpɛːtʊŋ/

  The v sounds like an f, sp at the start of the word sounds like shp, and the stress falls on spä, which has a long ä.

Good to know

Trinkgeld

In a café a tip is usual, but not required. Many people round up the amount or add about 5 to 10 %.

Zahlen bitte

You usually pay at the table when the server comes. You say whether you are paying together or separately, and if you are tipping, you give the total amount right away.

Kartenzahlung

Paying by card is common, but not accepted everywhere. Ask beforehand, especially for small amounts.

Verspätung

Delays are common on the railway, and announcements on the platform give the minutes. The display board and the app show them too.

Questions

What do I say to ask how late the train is in German?

You can say "Wissen Sie, wie viel Verspätung der Zug hat?" Verspätung means delay.

How do I ask for a cake recommendation in German?

Say "Können Sie mir einen Kuchen empfehlen?" Empfehlen means to tell someone that something is good and that they should take it.

How do I ask if I can pay by card in German?

Say "Kann ich hier auch mit Karte bezahlen?" Bezahlen means to give money for something.