Buying a ticket at the machine in German

1. 1
   Fahrkarte/ˈfaːɐ̯kaʁtə/

   ticketnoun

   A small piece of paper or a card that allows you to travel on a train or bus.
2. 2
   Automat/aʊ̯toˈmaːt/

   vending machinenoun

   A machine that gives you something when you put in money or pay by card.
3. 3
   Kurzstrecke/ˈkʊʁtsʃtʁɛkə/

   short tripnoun

   A short way from one place to another.
4. 4
   Zone/ˈtsoːnə/

   zonenoun

   A marked-off area.
5. 5
   Münze/ˈmʏntsə/

   coinnoun

   A small piece of metal money.
6. 6
   Wechselgeld/ˈvɛksəlɡɛlt/

   changenoun

   The money you get back when you pay with a larger bill.
7. 7
   auswählen/ˈaʊ̯svɛːlən/

   to selectverb

   To take one thing from several.
8. 8
   bestätigen/bəˈʃtɛːtɪɡən/

   to confirmverb

   To say that something is correct.
9. 9
   abbrechen/ˈapbʁɛçən/

   to cancelverb

   To end something suddenly.
10. 10
    entwerten/ɛntˈveːɐ̯tən/

    to validateverb

    To stamp a ticket so it is valid.

The sentences

1. Wo kann ich hier eine Fahrkarte kaufen?

   Where can I buy a ticket here?

2. Entschuldigung, der Automat nimmt meine Karte nicht.

   Excuse me, the machine won't take my card.

3. Reicht für zwei Stationen eine Kurzstrecke?

   Is a short-trip ticket enough for two stops?

4. In welcher Zone liegt eigentlich der Flughafen?

   Which zone is the airport in, actually?

5. Der Automat hat meine Münze nicht angenommen.

   The machine didn't accept my coin.

6. Der Automat gibt leider kein Wechselgeld zurück.

   Unfortunately the machine doesn't give change.

7. Welche Fahrkarte muss ich hier auswählen?

   Which ticket do I need to select here?

8. Muss ich den Kauf noch einmal bestätigen?

   Do I have to confirm the purchase again?

9. Wie kann ich den Kauf hier abbrechen?

   How can I cancel the purchase here?

10. Muss ich die Fahrkarte vor der Fahrt entwerten?

    Do I have to validate the ticket before the trip?

Pronunciation

• Automat/aʊ̯toˈmaːt/

  The stress is on the last syllable, and the a in it is long.

• Kurzstrecke/ˈkʊʁtsʃtʁɛkə/

  The st in Strecke sounds like scht, as in Stadt.

• Zone/ˈtsoːnə/

  The Z at the start sounds like ts, as in Katze.

• Münze/ˈmʏntsə/

  The ü is short: an i with rounded lips, as in dünn.

• Wechselgeld/ˈvɛksəlɡɛlt/

  The chs sounds like ks, and the d at the end sounds like t.

• auswählen/ˈaʊ̯svɛːlən/

  The ä is long, as in Käse.

• bestätigen/bəˈʃtɛːtɪɡən/

  Stressed on -stä-, the st sounds like sht and the ä is long.

• abbrechen/ˈapbʁɛçən/

  The ch after e is the soft sound from ich, not the one from Bach.

• entwerten/ɛntˈveːɐ̯tən/

  The stress is on werten, not on ent.

Good to know

Entwerter

In many cities you have to stamp your ticket in a machine on the platform or in the vehicle before you travel. Whether that's needed is printed on the ticket or shown at the machine, and mobile tickets you have bought are usually already valid.

Kurzstrecke

Many transport associations offer a cheaper fare for a few stops. How many stops it covers differs from city to city.

Tarifzone

The price often depends on how many zones you travel through. At the machine you usually choose your start and destination, or the zone.

Kontrolle

Checks are usually spot checks on the train, not at a barrier. If you travel without a valid ticket, you usually have to pay a higher fare penalty.

Questions

How do I ask where to buy a ticket in German?

You can say "Wo kann ich hier eine Fahrkarte kaufen?", which means "Where can I buy a ticket here?"

What do I say if the ticket machine won't take my card?

You can say "Entschuldigung, der Automat nimmt meine Karte nicht." It means "Excuse me, the machine won't take my card."

What does Kurzstrecke mean?

It means a short way from one place to another. In the collection you ask "Reicht für zwei Stationen eine Kurzstrecke?", meaning whether a short-trip ticket is enough for two stops.