The tsch in one go in German

1. 1
   Quatsch/kvatʃ/

   nonsensenoun

   Silly talk that makes no sense.
2. 2
   quatschen/ˈkvatʃən/

   to chatverb

   To talk casually and at length with someone.
3. 3
   klatschen/ˈklatʃən/

   to clapverb

   To strike the hands together loudly.
4. 4
   rutschig/ˈʁʊtʃɪç/iAlso said ˈʁʊtʃɪk.

   slipperyadjective

   Too smooth to stand on safely.
5. 5
   Gutschein/ˈɡuːtʃaɪ̯n/

   vouchernoun

   A slip with a value you can redeem.
6. 6
   Dolmetscher/ˈdɔlmɛtʃɐ/

   interpreternoun

   A person who translates speech immediately.
7. 7
   Zwetschge/ˈtsvɛtʃɡə/

   plumnoun

   A plum, a sweet fruit with a stone in the middle.
8. 8
   Botschaft/ˈboːtʃaft/

   embassynoun

   A country's official representation abroad.
9. 9
   Mitschüler/ˈmɪtʃyːlɐ/

   classmatenoun

   Someone from the same school class.
10. 10
    Rechtschreibung/ˈʁɛçtʃʁaɪ̯bʊŋ/

    spellingnoun

    The rules for how to write words correctly.

The sentences

1. Das ist doch Quatsch, das glaube ich dir nicht.

   That's nonsense, I don't believe you.

2. Wollen wir nach dem Kurs noch ein bisschen quatschen?

   Do you want to chat for a bit after class?

3. Nach dem Konzert wollten alle gar nicht aufhören zu klatschen.

   After the concert, nobody wanted to stop clapping.

4. Pass auf, der Weg ist heute sehr rutschig.

   Be careful, the path is very slippery today.

5. Kann ich den Gutschein auch heute schon einlösen?

   Can I already redeem the voucher today?

6. Beim Termin auf dem Amt brauchte ich einen Dolmetscher.

   I needed an interpreter at my appointment at the government office.

7. Ist das eine Zwetschge oder eine Pflaume?

   Is that a Zwetschge or a plum?

8. Für das Visum muss ich morgen zur Botschaft.

   I have to go to the embassy tomorrow for my visa.

9. Gestern habe ich zufällig einen alten Mitschüler getroffen.

   Yesterday I happened to run into an old classmate.

10. Kannst du kurz meine Rechtschreibung in dieser Mail prüfen?

    Can you quickly check my spelling in this email?

Pronunciation

• quatschen/ˈkvatʃən/

  The qu sounds like kw, with the w of "water".

• rutschig/ˈʁʊtʃɪç/

  The -ig at the end sounds like the ich in the word ich.

• Gutschein/ˈɡuːtʃaɪ̯n/

  The u is long, as in gut.

• Zwetschge/ˈtsvɛtʃɡə/

  The z at the start is a ts, followed directly by the w of "water".

• Botschaft/ˈboːtʃaft/

  The o is long, as in Boot.

• Mitschüler/ˈmɪtʃyːlɐ/

  The stress is on mit, not on Schüler.

• Rechtschreibung/ˈʁɛçtʃʁaɪ̯bʊŋ/

  The ch after e is the soft ch, as in ich.

Good to know

Kaffee und Kuchen

In Germany people like to have coffee with a piece of cake in the afternoon. In a café you usually order at the table or at the counter, depending on the place.

Trinkgeld

Tipping in a café is common but not required. You usually round up the amount or add about 5 to 10 %.

Getrennt zahlen

When the bill comes, the server often asks: "Zusammen oder getrennt?" Paying separately is normal, and you tell the server what you had when you pay.

Sprachcafé

Tandem partners often meet in a café or at the university to practise both languages in turn. If you like, they will also help with pronunciation.

Questions

How do you say "Is that a Zwetschge or a plum?" in German?

You say "Ist das eine Zwetschge oder eine Pflaume?" The word Zwetschge is a plum, a sweet fruit with a stone in the middle.

What does Gutschein mean in German?

A Gutschein is a slip with a value that you can redeem. You can ask "Kann ich den Gutschein auch heute schon einlösen?"

What do you say when you need an interpreter in German?

The word is Dolmetscher, a person who translates speech immediately. For example: "Beim Termin auf dem Amt brauchte ich einen Dolmetscher."