Changing the meeting place | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use Changing the meeting place to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ich muss den Plan ändern.

ikh moos dehn plahn EN-dern. I need to change the plan.

Welcher Teil funktioniert nicht?

VEL-khuh tile foonk-tsee-oh-NEERT nikht? What part is not working?

Der Treffpunkt ist zu laut.

dair TREF-poongkt ist tsoo lowt. The meeting spot feels too noisy.

Lass uns drinnen an einen ruhigeren Ort gehen.

Lahs oons DRIN-nen ahn EYE-nen ROO-ee-guh-ren ORT GAY-en. Let's move somewhere quieter inside.

Können wir uns direkt hinter dem Eingang treffen?

KURN-en veer oons dee-REKT HIN-ter dehm EYE-ngahng TREF-fen? Can we meet just inside the entrance?

Das passt für mich.

Dahs pahst fyoor mikh. That works for me.

Ich warte dort, wenn ich ankomme.

ikh VAR-tuh dort, ven ikh AHN-kom-uh. I'll wait there when I arrive.

Dann können wir zusammen einen ruhigen Ort finden.

Dahn KURN-en veer tsoo-ZAHM-en EYE-nen ROO-ee-gen ORT FIN-den. Then we can find a quiet place together.

Word by Word

Ich “Ich” means I and identifies the speaker as the subject. It is used for self-reference, as in “Ich muss” when stating what you need to do.

muss “muss” expresses necessity: the speaker needs to change the plan. It is used with the infinitive “ändern” in “Ich muss den Plan ändern”; use this pattern when saying that you have to do something.

den “den” means the and introduces “Plan” as the specific object being changed. In “den Plan,” this form is used before the masculine singular object; the same kind of phrase can identify a specific object in an action.

Plan “Plan” means plan, here the arrangement that needs to be changed. It appears in “den Plan ändern,” a useful phrase when discussing a change to an existing arrangement.

ändern “ändern” means change, referring here to changing the plan. It follows “muss” in “den Plan ändern”; use it when saying that an arrangement or situation should become different.

Welcher “Welcher” means which and asks the listener to identify one part of a problem. In “Welcher Teil,” it helps form a clarification question when you need to know which part is affected.

Teil “Teil” means part, here referring to one aspect of the plan that may not be working. “Welcher Teil funktioniert nicht?” is useful when asking which component of something has a problem.

funktioniert “funktioniert” means works or functions, here asking whether a part of the plan is working. It appears with “nicht” in “funktioniert nicht”; use it to discuss whether a plan, device, or arrangement works.

nicht “nicht” means not and negates “funktioniert” in “funktioniert nicht.” Its position after the verb helps express that something does not work, especially when identifying a problem.

Der “Der” means the and introduces “Treffpunkt” as the specific subject being described. The phrase “Der Treffpunkt” is useful when talking about a particular meeting place.

Treffpunkt “Treffpunkt” means meeting spot or meeting point, the place where the friends planned to meet. It is the subject of “Der Treffpunkt ist zu laut,” useful when describing a problem with an agreed meeting place.

ist “ist” means is and links the meeting spot with the description “zu laut.” In “Der Treffpunkt ist,” it helps describe the condition or quality of a place.

zu “zu” means too in “zu laut,” showing that the noise is excessive for the situation. The pattern “zu” plus an adjective is useful when explaining that something has an undesirable degree of a quality.

laut “laut” means loud or noisy, describing the meeting spot. In “zu laut,” it explains why the first location is unsuitable; use it when assessing the noise level of a place or sound.

Lass “Lass” introduces the suggestion in “Lass uns drinnen an einen ruhigeren Ort gehen.” It is useful when proposing a joint action, especially when the listener and speaker should do something together.

uns “uns” means us and identifies the people included in the suggestion “Lass uns.” It shows that both speaker and listener are invited to carry out the proposed action.

drinnen “drinnen” means inside or indoors and sets the new location for the movement. It is useful when directing someone to an indoor place rather than an outdoor one.

an “an” indicates movement toward the destination in “an einen ruhigeren Ort gehen.” It is useful when saying that someone is going to a particular place or point.

einen “einen” means a and introduces an unspecified destination in “einen ruhigeren Ort.” It helps present the quieter place as a possible destination rather than a previously identified one.

ruhigeren “ruhigeren” means quieter, describing the proposed place as less noisy than the first meeting spot. It appears in “einen ruhigeren Ort,” useful when choosing a more peaceful alternative.

Ort “Ort” means place, here the destination the friends should move to. In “an einen ruhigeren Ort,” it identifies where they can go next.

gehen “gehen” means go or move, referring here to moving indoors to another place. It appears at the end of “Lass uns drinnen an einen ruhigeren Ort gehen”; use this expression when suggesting that people move somewhere.

Können “Können” asks whether something is possible, here whether the friends can meet behind the entrance. It begins “Können wir uns direkt hinter dem Eingang treffen?”; use this question pattern when making a practical request.

wir “wir” means we and identifies the speaker and listener as the people who may meet. It is the subject in “Können wir,” useful when asking whether both people can do something.

direkt “direkt” means directly or just, specifying that the meeting point is immediately behind the entrance. In “direkt hinter dem Eingang,” it helps give a precise location.

hinter “hinter” means behind and places the meeting point relative to the entrance. The complete location in “direkt hinter dem Eingang” combines it with “direkt” and “dem Eingang,” so the word itself supplies the behind-location relationship.

dem “dem” means the and introduces “Eingang” as the reference point in the location phrase. In “hinter dem Eingang,” it identifies the particular entrance behind which they will meet.

Eingang “Eingang” means entrance, the reference point for the new meeting location. It appears in “hinter dem Eingang,” useful when giving directions inside a building.

treffen “treffen” means meet, referring to the planned meeting between the two friends. It is used in “uns direkt hinter dem Eingang treffen”; use it when arranging or describing a meeting with someone.

Das “Das” means that and refers to the proposed meeting arrangement. In “Das passt für mich,” it lets the speaker accept or evaluate the suggestion just made.

passt “passt” means works, suits, or is okay in “Das passt für mich.” It expresses that the proposed time or place is acceptable; use the full phrase when agreeing to an arrangement.

für “für” means for and introduces the person whose perspective is being stated in “für mich.” This phrase is useful when saying whether something is acceptable from your point of view.

mich “mich” means me and identifies the speaker in “für mich.” Together with “für,” it shows that the proposed arrangement works for the speaker personally.

warte “warte” means wait, describing the speaker’s action at the agreed location. It appears in “Ich warte dort”; use this phrase when telling someone where you will wait.

dort “dort” means there and points back to the agreed meeting place. In “Ich warte dort,” it avoids repeating the location while making clear that the speaker will wait at that place.

wenn “wenn” means when here and introduces the time at which the speaker arrives. In “wenn ich ankomme,” it is useful for connecting an action with the time or condition that triggers it.

ankomme “ankomme” means arrive in the clause “wenn ich ankomme.” The infinitive is “ankommen”; “ankomme” is the form used here with “ich,” and the pattern is useful when describing arrival at a place.

Dann “Dann” means then and signals the next step after agreeing on the meeting place. It begins “Dann können wir zusammen einen ruhigen Ort finden,” useful for describing what will happen afterward.

zusammen “zusammen” means together and shows that the two friends will search as a group. In “Dann können wir zusammen einen ruhigen Ort finden,” it is useful for emphasizing joint action.

ruhigen “ruhigen” means quiet, describing the place the friends hope to find. It appears in “einen ruhigen Ort,” useful when looking for a peaceful place.

finden “finden” means find, referring to locating a suitable quiet place. It appears in “einen ruhigen Ort finden”; use this pattern when saying that you will locate a particular kind of place or thing.

Grammar Points

Lass uns + Infinitiv

Lass uns gehen.

Lahs oons GAY-en.

Let's go.

Lass uns + infinitive is a common way to make a suggestion, similar to “let's” in English.

für + Akkusativ

Das passt für mich.

Dahs pahst fyoor mikh.

That works for me.

The preposition für always takes the accusative case: mich, not ich.

German Vocabulary

ändern verb

EN-dern to change

den Plan ändern

drinnen adv

DRIN-nen inside; indoors

drinnen an einen ruhigeren Ort

funktionieren verb

foongk-tsee-oh-NEER-en to work; to function funktioniert

funktioniert nicht

lassen verb

LAHS-en to let; to have someone do something Lass

Lass uns ... gehen.

laut adj

lowt loud; noisy

Der Treffpunkt ist zu laut.

nicht adv

nikht not

funktioniert nicht

Ort noun

ort place

einen ruhigeren Ort

Plan noun

plahn plan

den Plan

ruhig adj

ROO-ee-kh quiet ruhigeren

einen ruhigeren Ort

Teil noun

tile part

Welcher Teil

Treffpunkt noun

TREF-poongkt meeting place

Der Treffpunkt

welcher det

VEL-khuh which Welcher

Welcher Teil

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I need to change the plan.

Show Answer

Ich muss den Plan ändern.

What part is not working?

Show Answer

Welcher Teil funktioniert nicht?

The meeting spot feels too noisy.

Show Answer

Der Treffpunkt ist zu laut.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

not

Show Answer

nicht

to work; to function

Show Answer

funktioniert

plan

Show Answer

Plan

to change

Show Answer

ändern