Buying a train ticket at the machines | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: At a station entrance, two adults coordinate buying a train ticket and meeting again near the ticket machines..

EN → DE / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Buying a train ticket at the machines to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Hast du schon eine Fahrkarte?

HAST doo SHOHN EYE-nuh FAHR-kar-tuh? Do you already have a train ticket?
B

Noch nicht. Ich muss eine kaufen.

NOHKH nikht. ikh moos EYE-nuh KOW-fen. Not yet. I need to buy one.
A

Neben dem Eingang gibt es Fahrkartenautomaten.

NAY-ben daym EYE-ngahng gipt ess FAHR-kar-ten-ow-toh-MAH-ten. There are ticket machines by the entrance.
B

Ich kaufe meine dort.

ikh KOW-fuh MY-nuh DOHRT. I'll get mine there.
A

Ich habe meine Fahrkarte auf meinem Handy.

ikh HAH-buh MY-nuh FAHR-kar-tuh owf MY-nem HEN-dee. I have my ticket on my phone.
B

Dann treffe ich dich hier wieder, nachdem ich meine gekauft habe.

DAHN TREF-fuh ikh dikh heer VEE-dur, nahkh-DAYM ikh MY-nuh guh-KOWFT HAH-buh. Then I'll meet you back here after I buy mine.
A

Ich warte bei den Automaten.

ikh VAR-tuh by dayn ow-toh-MAH-ten. I'll wait near the machines.
B

Such mich neben den Automaten.

ZOO-kh mikh NAY-ben dayn ow-toh-MAH-ten. Look for me beside them.

Word by Word

Hast In “Hast du schon eine Fahrkarte?”, Hast means “have” in a question about possession. It is the form of haben used with du and appears before du in this question. Use this form when asking a familiar person whether they already have something.
du In “Hast du schon eine Fahrkarte?”, du means “you,” the person being asked. It is the familiar singular form used with Hast. Use du when speaking to one person you address informally.
schon In “Hast du schon eine Fahrkarte?”, schon means “already,” asking whether the ticket is available by now. It appears before “eine Fahrkarte” in this question. Use it when checking whether something has happened or is ready yet.
eine In “eine Fahrkarte”, eine means “a”; in “eine kaufen”, it means “one” and refers back to a ticket. In the second phrase, it lets the speaker avoid repeating Fahrkarte. Use eine before a feminine noun or alone when the understood noun is clear.
Fahrkarte In “eine Fahrkarte”, Fahrkarte means “train ticket.” It names the item being discussed and bought in the dialogue. Use this word when asking for or talking about a ticket for a journey.
Noch In the answer “Noch nicht”, Noch contributes the idea “yet.” Together with nicht, the expression means “not yet,” answering the question about the ticket. Use this expression when something has not happened but may happen later.
nicht In “Noch nicht”, nicht supplies the negation. Together with Noch, it means that the ticket has not been obtained yet. Use nicht to make the relevant statement or answer negative.
Ich Ich means “I” in “Ich muss eine kaufen” and “Ich habe meine Fahrkarte auf meinem Handy”; the same word also appears as ich later in “nachdem ich meine gekauft habe.” It identifies the speaker as the subject of the action or state. Use Ich or ich when talking about your own actions, needs, or possessions.
muss In “Ich muss eine kaufen”, muss means “must” or “need to.” It is the form of müssen used with Ich and is followed by the infinitive kaufen. Use it to express that you need to do something.
kaufen In “Ich muss eine kaufen”, kaufen means “buy.” It stays in this form after muss, while eine supplies the understood object “one,” meaning one ticket. Use a modal expression with kaufen when explaining that you need to buy something.
Neben In “Neben dem Eingang gibt es Fahrkartenautomaten”, Neben means “beside” or “next to.” It places the ticket machines in relation to the entrance; the same word appears as neben in “neben den Automaten.” Use it before a place or landmark to indicate a nearby position.
dem In “Neben dem Eingang”, dem is the definite-article form used before Eingang. It connects Neben with the specific entrance being used as the landmark. The singular article base is der, but the exact dialogue form here is dem.
Eingang In “Neben dem Eingang”, Eingang means “entrance.” It is the landmark that helps locate the ticket machines. Use this word when giving directions around a station or building.
gibt In “gibt es Fahrkartenautomaten”, gibt helps express that something exists or is available. Together with es, it forms the expression meaning “there are” in this sentence. Use this expression to tell someone that a thing or place is available.
es In “gibt es Fahrkartenautomaten”, es is the fixed placeholder used in the expression for saying that something exists. It does not mean a physical location here; the whole expression introduces the ticket machines. Use gibt es when pointing out that something is present.
Fahrkartenautomaten In “gibt es Fahrkartenautomaten”, Fahrkartenautomaten means “ticket machines” and refers to more than one machine. Its singular citation form is Fahrkartenautomat. Use this word when directing someone to machines where tickets can be bought.
kaufe In “Ich kaufe meine dort”, kaufe means “buy” or “get.” It is the form of kaufen used with Ich and describes the speaker’s planned purchase at that location. Use it with the thing being bought, as meine refers to the speaker’s ticket here.
meine In “Ich kaufe meine dort” and “meine gekauft habe”, meine means “mine” and refers to a ticket. It replaces the repeated noun Fahrkarte when the meaning is already clear. The possessive base is mein; use a possessive form alone when the omitted noun is understood.
dort In “Ich kaufe meine dort”, dort means “there,” referring to the ticket machines by the entrance. It identifies the place where the purchase will happen. Use it to point to a location away from the speaker or already mentioned.
habe In “Ich habe meine Fahrkarte auf meinem Handy”, habe means “have.” In “meine gekauft habe”, it works with gekauft to describe the completed purchase. It is the form of haben used with Ich; use it for possession and in this completed-action expression.
auf In “auf meinem Handy”, auf means “on” and identifies the phone as the place where the ticket is stored. It links the ticket with the device in the phrase “auf meinem Handy.” Use it when describing something located or kept on a device or surface.
meinem In “auf meinem Handy”, meinem means “my” and refers to the speaker’s phone. It is the possessive form from mein used before Handy in this phrase. Use a possessive form before a noun when showing who owns or uses the thing.
Handy In “auf meinem Handy”, Handy means “mobile phone.” It identifies the device on which the speaker has the ticket. Use this word when talking about a ticket, message, or other item kept on a mobile phone.
Dann In “Dann treffe ich dich hier wieder”, Dann means “then.” It links the next plan—meeting again—to the earlier action of buying a ticket. Use it to introduce the next step in a sequence or plan.
treffe In “Dann treffe ich dich hier wieder”, treffe means “meet.” It is the form of treffen used with Ich, and dich identifies the person being met. Use it when arranging to meet someone at a stated place or time.
dich In “treffe ich dich”, dich means “you,” the person whom the speaker will meet. It is the object form related to du and follows treffe in this expression. Use it when addressing one familiar person who is receiving the action.
hier In “treffe ich dich hier wieder”, hier means “here,” referring to the current station location. Together with wieder, it indicates meeting again at this place. Use it to point to the place where the speakers are currently located.
wieder In “hier wieder”, wieder means “again” or “back.” It adds the idea that the meeting will happen at the same place after the purchase. Use it with an action when something is repeated or happens again.
nachdem In “nachdem ich meine gekauft habe”, nachdem means “after” and introduces the action that happens before the meeting. The clause following it ends with “gekauft habe.” Use nachdem to connect a later action with something that must happen first.
gekauft In “meine gekauft habe”, gekauft means “bought.” It is the completed form of kaufen used with habe to describe the ticket purchase as finished. Use this form with haben when referring to something that has been bought.
warte In “Ich warte bei den Automaten”, warte means “wait.” It is the form of warten used with Ich and states what the speaker will do at the machines. Use it when telling someone where you will remain until they return.
bei In “bei den Automaten”, bei means “near” or “by.” It connects the waiting action with the nearby ticket machines. Use it in a location phrase to say that someone is at or near a place.
den In “bei den Automaten”, den is the article form used before the plural noun Automaten. It identifies the specific machines where the speaker will wait. The article’s base form is der, but the exact dialogue form here is den.
Automaten In “bei den Automaten” and “neben den Automaten”, Automaten means “machines,” referring back to the ticket machines. It is the plural form of Automat in this dialogue. Use it when directing someone to the machines near which you are waiting.
Such In “Such mich neben den Automaten”, Such means “look for” and gives a direct instruction. It is the imperative form of suchen and is followed by mich, the person to be found. Use it when telling a familiar person to locate you.
mich In “Such mich”, mich means “me,” the person the listener should look for. It is the object form related to ich and follows Such in the instruction. Use it when asking someone to find or contact the speaker.

Grammar Points

neben + Dativ: neben dem

neben dem Eingang

NAY-ben daym EYE-ngahng

next to the entrance

After neben, use the dative when describing a fixed location. Eingang becomes dem Eingang.

German Vocabulary

dann adv
DAHN then

Dann treffe ich dich hier wieder.

dort adv
DOHRT there

Ich kaufe meine dort.

Eingang noun
EYE-ngahng entrance dem Eingang
Fahrkarte noun
FAHR-kar-tuh train ticket eine Fahrkarte
Fahrkartenautomat noun
FAHR-kar-ten-ow-toh-maht ticket machine Fahrkartenautomaten
geben verb
GAY-ben give; there is/are gibt

Neben dem Eingang gibt es Fahrkartenautomaten.

haben verb
HAH-ben have hast
Handy noun
HEN-dee mobile phone meinem Handy
kaufen verb
KOW-fen buy

Ich muss eine kaufen.

neben prep
NAY-ben next to; beside
noch nicht phrase
NOHKH nikht not yet

Noch nicht.

schon adv
SHOHN already

Hast du schon eine Fahrkarte?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Do you already have a train ticket?

Show AnswerHast du schon eine Fahrkarte?

Not yet. I need to buy one.

Show AnswerNoch nicht. Ich muss eine kaufen.

There are ticket machines by the entrance.

Show AnswerNeben dem Eingang gibt es Fahrkartenautomaten.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

buy

Show Answerkaufen

there

Show Answerdort

give; there is/are

Show Answergibt

already

Show Answerschon