Checking in an overweight suitcase in German

1. 1
   Koffer/ˈkɔfɐ/

   suitcasenoun

   A sturdy container with a handle you pack your things in for a trip.
2. 2
   Gewicht/ɡəˈvɪçt/

   weightnoun

   How heavy something is, measured in grams or kilos.
3. 3
   Waage/ˈvaːɡə/

   scalenoun

   A device that shows how heavy something is.
4. 4
   wiegen/ˈviːɡən/

   to weighverb

   To have a certain weight.
5. 5
   Kilogramm/kiloˈɡʁam/iAlso said ˈkiːloɡʁam.

   kilogramnoun

   A unit of weight; one kilogram equals a thousand grams.
6. 6
   schwer/ʃveːɐ̯/

   heavyadjective

   So weighed down that it takes effort to lift.
7. 7
   auspacken/ˈaʊ̯spakən/

   to unpackverb

   To take things out of a suitcase, bag or package.
8. 8
   Handgepäck/ˈhantɡəpɛk/

   carry-on luggagenoun

   The small piece of luggage you bring into the airplane cabin.
9. 9
   Gebühr/ɡəˈbyːɐ̯/

   feenoun

   Money you must pay for a specific service.
10. 10
    reduzieren/ʁeduˈtsiːʁən/

    to reduceverb

    To make less of something, to make the quantity smaller.

The sentences

1. Mein Koffer ist leider drei Kilogramm zu schwer.

   My suitcase is unfortunately three kilograms too heavy.

2. Können Sie das Gewicht bitte noch einmal prüfen?

   Could you check the weight again, please?

3. Soll ich den Koffer auf die Waage stellen?

   Should I put the suitcase on the scale?

4. Wie viel darf mein Handgepäck höchstens wiegen?

   How much can my carry-on weigh at most?

5. Wie viele Kilogramm darf der Koffer wiegen?

   How many kilograms can the suitcase weigh?

6. Ist mein Koffer zu schwer für den Flug?

   Is my suitcase too heavy for the flight?

7. Kann ich hier etwas aus dem Koffer auspacken?

   Can I take something out of the suitcase here?

8. Darf ich die Bücher ins Handgepäck nehmen?

   Am I allowed to put the books in my carry-on?

9. Wie hoch ist die Gebühr für das zusätzliche Gewicht?

   How much is the fee for the extra weight?

10. Kann ich das Gewicht hier noch schnell reduzieren?

    Can I quickly reduce the weight here?

Pronunciation

• Koffer/ˈkɔfɐ/

  The o is short, and the -er at the end sounds almost like an a.

• Gewicht/ɡəˈvɪçt/

  Stress on the second syllable; the ch after the i is the soft sound as in ich, and you hear a t at the end.

• Waage/ˈvaːɡə/

  The a is long, followed by just a short, dark -e.

• wiegen/ˈviːɡən/

  The ie is a long i.

• Kilogramm/kiloˈɡʁam/

  The stress falls on the last syllable.

• schwer/ʃveːɐ̯/

  The e is long, and the r at the end sounds like a soft a.

• Handgepäck/ˈhantɡəpɛk/

  The d sounds like a t, the stress is on the first part, and the ä is short.

• Gebühr/ɡəˈbyːɐ̯/

  The second syllable is stressed, the ü is long, and the r at the end sounds almost like a short a.

• reduzieren/ʁeduˈtsiːʁən/

  The stress falls on the second-to-last syllable -zie-, with a long i.

Questions

How do I say my suitcase is too heavy in German?

You can say "Mein Koffer ist leider drei Kilogramm zu schwer" (my suitcase is unfortunately three kilograms too heavy), or ask "Ist mein Koffer zu schwer für den Flug?"

How do I ask staff to check the weight?

You say "Können Sie das Gewicht bitte noch einmal prüfen?" (can you please check the weight again), or offer to put the case on the scale with "Soll ich den Koffer auf die Waage stellen?"

What is the German word for carry-on baggage?

It's Handgepäck, the small bag you take into the cabin, as in "Darf ich die Bücher ins Handgepäck nehmen?"