Checking the Platform Before Boarding | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: At a train station, two adults check the platform sign, manage bags, and watch for changes before boarding..

EN → DE / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Checking the Platform Before Boarding to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Zu welchem Bahnsteig sollen wir gehen?

tsoo VEL-khem BAHN-shtike ZOL-len veer GAY-en? Which platform should we go to?
B

Das Schild zeigt zu Bahnsteig zwei.

dahs shilt tsaykt tsoo BAHN-shtike TSVY. The sign points to platform two.
A

Ich kann die kleinen Buchstaben von hier aus nicht lesen.

ikh kahn dee KLY-nen BOOKH-shtah-ben fon heer ous nikht LAY-zen. I can't read the small letters from here.
B

Hier steht: Der Zug fährt in zehn Minuten ab.

heer shtayt: dair tsook fairt in TSAYN mee-NOO-ten ahp. It says the train leaves in ten minutes.
A

Ich gehe vor dem Einsteigen auf die Toilette.

ikh GAY-eh fohr dame EYN-shty-gen owf dee toy-LET-teh. I'm going to use the restroom before we board.
B

Ich behalte die Taschen bei mir.

ikh beh-HAHL-teh dee TAH-shen by meer. I'll keep the bags with me.
A

Bitte bleib bei diesem Schild.

BIT-teh blybe by DEE-zem shilt. Please stay near this sign.
B

Ich schaue auf die Anzeigetafel, falls sich der Bahnsteig ändert.

ikh SHOW-eh owf dee AN-tsye-guh-tah-fel, fahls zikh dair BAHN-shtike EN-dert. I'll watch the board in case the platform changes.

Word by Word

Zu “Zu” means “to” in “Zu welchem Bahnsteig” and indicates the platform as the destination. It is reusable before a destination, as in a question about where to go.
welchem “welchem” means “which” in “Zu welchem Bahnsteig”. It is a form of welcher used in this phrase before Bahnsteig.
Bahnsteig “Bahnsteig” means “platform”, specifically the station platform they need to find. It can be reused when asking about or identifying a train platform.
sollen “sollen” expresses what they should or are supposed to do in “sollen wir gehen”. With wir, it forms a question about the suggested action.
wir “wir” means “we” and refers to the speaker and the other adult together. It is used here as the people who will go to the platform.
gehen “gehen” means “go” in “sollen wir gehen”. It is the action placed after sollen; a reusable pattern is sollen wir gehen, asking whether the group should go.
Das “Das” means “the” in “Das Schild”. It introduces the sign being discussed.
Schild “Schild” means “sign” in “Das Schild zeigt”. Here it is the station sign that gives directions to a platform.
zeigt “zeigt” means “shows” or “points” in “Das Schild zeigt zu Bahnsteig zwei”. It is a form of zeigen and describes what the sign indicates.
Ich “Ich” means “I” and identifies the person speaking. It appears at the beginning of statements such as “Ich kann” and “Ich gehe”.
kann “kann” means “can” or “am able to” in “Ich kann ... nicht lesen”. It is a form of können and combines with an action such as lesen to express ability.
die “die” means “the” in “die kleinen Buchstaben”. It introduces the letters that the speaker cannot read.
kleinen “kleinen” means “small” in “die kleinen Buchstaben”. It describes the letters as small and appears directly before Buchstaben here.
Buchstaben “Buchstaben” means “letters” in “die kleinen Buchstaben”. The word refers to the written characters on the sign.
von “von” means “from” in “von hier aus”. Together with aus, it identifies the speaker’s current location as the point from which the sign is being read.
hier “hier” means “here” in “von hier aus”, referring to the speaker’s current position. In “Hier steht”, it points to the information written on the sign.
aus “aus” completes “von hier aus”, meaning “from here”. In this dialogue, it marks the location from which the speaker is trying to read.
nicht “nicht” means “not” and negates lesen in “nicht lesen”. The phrase “kann ... nicht lesen” says that the speaker is unable to read the letters.
lesen “lesen” means “read” in “nicht lesen”. It follows kann, and a reusable pattern is Ich kann ... nicht lesen with the thing being read in the middle.
steht “steht” means “is written” or “says” in “Hier steht”. It is a form of stehen used for information that appears in writing, not for someone physically standing.
Der “Der” means “the” in “Der Zug”. It introduces the train that is mentioned in the written information.
Zug “Zug” means “train”. In “Der Zug fährt in zehn Minuten ab”, it is the vehicle that will depart.
fährt “fährt” means “travels” or, together with ab, “leaves” in “Der Zug fährt in zehn Minuten ab”. It is a form of fahren and works with ab to describe the train’s departure.
in “in” means “in” in “in zehn Minuten”, expressing the time until the train leaves. A reusable time pattern is in + a period of time.
Minuten “Minuten” means “minutes” in “in zehn Minuten”. It names the time period before the train departs.
ab “ab” combines with fährt in “fährt ... ab” to mark departure. It is the separable part of abfahren and should be understood together with the verb.
gehe “gehe” means “go” in “Ich gehe ... auf die Toilette”. It is a form of gehen and describes the speaker’s planned movement to the restroom.
vor “vor” means “before” in “vor dem Einsteigen”. It places the restroom visit earlier than the boarding action.
dem “dem” means “the” in “vor dem Einsteigen”. It introduces the activity that will happen after the restroom visit.
Einsteigen “Einsteigen” means “boarding” or “getting on” in “vor dem Einsteigen”. The capitalized form names the action of getting onto the train.
auf “auf” is part of “auf die Toilette”, the German expression used here for going to the restroom. The phrase is used with gehen when someone says they are going to the toilet.
Toilette “Toilette” means “restroom” or “toilet” in “auf die Toilette”. It is the place the speaker plans to visit before boarding.
behalte “behalte” means “keep” or “hold on to” in “Ich behalte die Taschen bei mir”. It is a form of behalten and describes keeping the bags with the speaker.
Taschen “Taschen” means “bags” in “die Taschen”. It refers to the luggage that one speaker agrees to keep nearby.
bei “bei” means “with” in “bei mir” and “near” in “bei diesem Schild”. Its meaning depends on the following phrase: with a person in the first phrase and near a place or object in the second.
mir “mir” refers to the speaker as the person who will keep the bags in “bei mir”. The phrase “bei mir” means “with me” here.
Bitte “Bitte” means “please” and makes “Bitte bleib” a polite request. It is placed at the beginning of this request.
bleib “bleib” means “stay” in “Bitte bleib bei diesem Schild”. It is the direct request form of bleiben and tells the other person not to leave that location.
diesem “diesem” means “this” in “bei diesem Schild”. It identifies the particular sign near which the other person should stay.
schaue “schaue” means “look” or “watch” in “Ich schaue auf die Anzeigetafel”. It is a form of schauen and is used here with auf to direct attention toward the display board.
Anzeigetafel “Anzeigetafel” means “display board” in “die Anzeigetafel”. At the station, it is the board where the speaker checks for travel information.
falls “falls” means “if” or “in case” in “falls sich der Bahnsteig ändert”. It introduces a possible change that explains why the speaker is watching the board.
sich “sich” is the reflexive part of “sich ändert”, meaning that the platform changes. It belongs with ändern in this expression rather than carrying the whole meaning by itself.
ändert “ändert” means “changes” in “sich ändert”. It is a form of ändern and describes a possible change to the platform information.

Grammar Points

abfahren → fährt ... ab

Der Zug fährt in zehn Minuten ab.

dair tsook fairt in TSAYN mee-NOO-ten ahp.

The train leaves in ten minutes.

Bei trennbaren Verben steht die Vorsilbe im Hauptsatz am Satzende: fährt ... ab.

falls + Nebensatz

Falls sich die Anzeigetafel ändert, schaue ich hier.

fahls zikh dee AN-tsye-guh-tah-fel EN-dert, SHOW-eh ikh heer.

If the information board changes, I will look here.

Nach „falls“ steht das konjugierte Verb am Ende des Nebensatzes.

German Vocabulary

abfahren verb
AHP-fah-ren to leave; to depart fährt ... ab
Bahnsteig noun
BAHN-shtike platform
Buchstabe noun
BOOKH-shtah-buh letter Buchstaben
gehen verb
GAY-en to go
hier adv
heer here
klein adj
KLINE small kleinen
lesen verb
LAY-zen to read
Schild noun
shilt sign
stehen verb
SHTAY-en to say; to stand steht
zeigen verb
TSY-gen to point; to show zeigt
Zug noun
tsook train
zwei num
TSVY two

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Which platform should we go to?

Show AnswerZu welchem Bahnsteig sollen wir gehen?

The sign points to platform two.

Show AnswerDas Schild zeigt zu Bahnsteig zwei.

I'll keep the bags with me.

Show AnswerIch behalte die Taschen bei mir.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

sign

Show AnswerSchild

small

Show Answerkleinen

to point; to show

Show Answerzeigt

to read

Show Answerlesen