Sending a Work File | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: In a workplace, two adults coordinate sending a finished report file before a meeting starts..

EN → DE / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Sending a Work File to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ist der Bericht fertig?

ist dair beh-RIKHT FEHR-tikh? Is the report ready?
B

Er ist fast fertig.

air ist fahst FEHR-tikh. It is almost ready.
A

Bitte schick mir die Datei, wenn sie fertig ist.

BIT-tuh shik meer dee dah-TYE, ven zee FEHR-tikh ist. Please send me the file when it is ready.
B

Ich habe gerade die letzte Seite fertig gemacht.

ikh HAH-buh guh-RAH-duh dee LETS-tuh ZY-tuh FEHR-tikh guh-MAHKHT. I just finished the last page.
A

Ich brauche die Datei, bevor das Meeting beginnt.

ikh BROW-khuh dee dah-TYE, beh-FOHR dahs MEE-ting beh-GINT. I need it before the meeting starts.
B

Ich hänge die neue Datei jetzt an.

ikh HENG-uh dee NOY-uh dah-TYE yetst ahn. I am attaching the new file now.
A

Ich werde sie sofort prüfen.

ikh VAIR-duh zee zoh-FOHRT PROO-fen. I will check it right away.
B

Sie sollte jetzt in deinem Posteingang sein.

zee SHOL-tuh yetst in DYE-num POHST-ain-gahng zine. It should be in your inbox now.

Word by Word

Ist Ist asks whether the report is ready in the question. It is a form of sein, and German places it at the beginning of this yes-or-no question. Use this form when asking about the current state of something at work or elsewhere.
der Der means the before Bericht and marks it as the subject of the question. It is the masculine nominative definite article here. Use it before a masculine noun when that noun is the subject of a statement or question.
Bericht Bericht means report in this workplace conversation. It is the thing whose state is being checked. Use it for a written report that someone is preparing, sending, or discussing.
fertig Fertig means ready or finished here: the report or file is complete enough to send. It describes the state of something after sein or in the expression fertig gemacht. Use it when checking whether a task, document, or other item is complete.
Er Er refers back to der Bericht, so it means it here rather than a male person. German uses this masculine pronoun because Bericht is masculine. Use it to refer back to a masculine noun already mentioned.
fast Fast means almost and shows that the report is close to being ready but is not fully ready yet. It comes before the state it modifies in fast fertig. Use it when something is nearly complete or nearly in a particular state.
Bitte Bitte makes the request polite: please send the file. At the beginning of the sentence, it softens the following informal command. Use it when asking another person to do something politely.
schick Schick means send in the informal singular request to one person. It is the command form related to schicken and is used with the recipient mir and the object die Datei. Use it when directly asking a familiar person to send something.
mir Mir means to me and identifies the recipient of schick. It appears before the thing being sent, die Datei. Use it for the recipient with verbs such as sending or giving something to someone.
die Die means the before Datei and marks the file as the thing being sent. Here it is the feminine accusative definite article. Use it before a feminine noun when that noun is the direct object of an action.
Datei Datei means file, specifically the work file that should be sent and checked. In die Datei, it is the direct object of sending. Use it for a computer file or document in workplace and everyday digital communication.
wenn Wenn means when and introduces the condition for sending the file: it should be sent once it is ready. It begins the subordinate clause wenn sie fertig ist, where the verb comes at the end. Use it to connect an action with the time or condition for another action.
sie Sie refers to die Datei, so it means it here, not she. It is the subject of the clause describing when the file is ready. Use it to refer back to a feminine noun that has already been mentioned.
Ich Ich means I and identifies the speaker as the person who finished, needs, attaches, or checks something. It is the subject of several statements in the dialogue. Use it to state what you are doing, needing, or planning.
habe Habe is the auxiliary form used with gemacht to describe a completed action: the speaker has just finished the last page. Its citation form is haben. Use it with a completed-action form at the end of a German perfect-tense phrase.
gerade Gerade means just and shows that the action happened very recently. It appears with habe and the completed action fertig gemacht. Use it when reporting something done moments ago, especially in a work update.
letzte Letzte means last and identifies Seite as the final page in the document. It is the adjective form used in die letzte Seite. Its citation form is letzt. Use it before a noun when referring to the final item in an ordered series.
Seite Seite means page and refers to the final page of the report. In die letzte Seite, it is the thing that was completed. Use it for a page in a document, book, or similar material.
gemacht Gemacht is the completed-action form used in fertig gemacht, which together says that the last page was completed. Its citation form is machen. Use it with habe when describing an action that has been completed.
brauche Brauche means need and expresses that the speaker requires the file before the meeting starts. It is followed by the object die Datei. Its citation form is brauchen. Use it with a direct object when stating that something is necessary.
bevor Bevor means before and sets the deadline for needing the file. It introduces bevor das Meeting beginnt, with the verb at the end of the subordinate clause. Use it to show that one action or event must happen earlier than another.
das Das means the before Meeting and marks the meeting as the subject of the subordinate clause. It is the neuter nominative definite article here. Use it before a neuter noun when that noun is the subject of a statement or clause.
Meeting Meeting means meeting and names the workplace event that is about to start. It is the subject of beginnt in the subordinate clause. Use it for a scheduled work discussion or appointment.
beginnt Beginnt means starts in the clause about the meeting. It is the form used with das Meeting, and its citation form is beginnen. Use it when stating that an event, activity, or scheduled appointment is starting.
hänge Hänge is the verb portion expressing attach in the phrase hänge die neue Datei jetzt an. With the particle an, it forms the separable verb meaning attach, and the object comes between the verb and the particle in this main clause. Use this construction when adding a file to an email or message.
neue Neue means new and describes the file being attached. It appears before Datei in die neue Datei. Its citation form is neu. Use it before a noun to identify something recently created, received, or changed.
jetzt Jetzt means now and shows that the attachment is being made at this moment. It gives the timing of hänge ... an. Use it to emphasize that an action is happening immediately or currently.
an An completes the separable verb hänge ... an and contributes to the meaning attach in this sentence. It appears at the end of the main clause after the object and time expression. Use it in the same position when this separable verb is used in a main clause.
werde Werde expresses will and introduces the speaker’s planned check of the file. It is a form of werden, followed by the infinitive prüfen at the end. Use it when stating a future action or immediate plan.
sofort Sofort means right away and emphasizes that the check will happen without delay. It modifies the planned action prüfen. Use it when promising an immediate response or action.
prüfen Prüfen means check or inspect and is the action the speaker plans to carry out. It remains in the infinitive after werde. Its citation form is prüfen. Use it for checking a document, file, result, or other item for correctness.
sollte Sollte means should here and expresses an expectation that the file is already in the inbox. It is related to sollen and is followed by sein at the end of the sentence. Use it when saying where something is expected to be or what is expected to happen.
in In means in and introduces the location of the file: in deinem Posteingang. Because the sentence describes a fixed location, the following phrase uses the dative form. Use it to say that something is located inside a place or container.
deinem Deinem means your and identifies the inbox as belonging to the person being addressed informally. It agrees with the dative noun Posteingang in in deinem Posteingang. Use it before a noun when referring to something owned or associated with one person addressed as du.
Posteingang Posteingang means inbox and refers to the place where the attached file should now have arrived. It follows in in the location phrase. Use it when discussing received email or messages in a digital mailbox.
sein Sein means be and completes the expected-location statement after sollte. It is the infinitive placed at the end of the sentence. Use it after a modal or future expression when describing where something is or what state it is in.

Grammar Points

Trennbare Verben: hänge ... an

Ich hänge die neue Datei an.

ikh HENG-uh dee NOY-uh dah-TYE ahn.

I attach the new file.

In a main clause, the prefix an moves to the end: Ich hänge ... an.

wenn/bevor + Verb am Ende

Bitte schick mir die Datei, bevor das Meeting beginnt.

BIT-tuh shik meer dee dah-TYE, beh-FOHR dahs MEE-ting beh-GINT.

Please send me the file before the meeting starts.

After wenn or bevor, the conjugated verb goes to the end of the subordinate clause.

German Vocabulary

Bericht noun
beh-RIKHT report
Bitte intj
BIT-tuh please
brauche verb
BROW-khuh need
Datei noun
dah-TYE file
fast adv
fahst almost
fertig adj
FEHR-tikh ready; finished
gerade adv
guh-RAH-duh just; right now
letzte adj
LETS-tuh last
mir pron
meer to me
schick verb
shik send
Seite noun
ZY-tuh page
wenn conj
ven when

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Is the report ready?

Show AnswerIst der Bericht fertig?

It is almost ready.

Show AnswerEr ist fast fertig.

I will check it right away.

Show AnswerIch werde sie sofort prüfen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

send

Show Answerschick

when

Show Answerwenn

almost

Show Answerfast

file

Show AnswerDatei