What to Bring for an Outing | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use What to Bring for an Outing to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Was soll ich mitbringen?

VAHS zohl ikh MIT-bring-en? What should I bring with me?

Bitte bring eine kleine Decke mit.

BIT-tuh bring EYE-nuh KLYE-nuh DEK-uh mit. Please bring a small blanket.

Brauchen wir auch Getränke?

BROW-khen veer owkh guh-TRENG-kuh? Do we need drinks too?

Ein kaltes Getränk wäre schön.

EYN KAL-tus guh-TRENGK VAIR-uh SHURN. A cold drink would be nice.

Ich kann ein paar Becher mitbringen.

ikh kahn EYN pahr BEKH-uh MIT-bring-en. I can bring some cups.

Das hilft, danke. Wir können sie teilen.

dahs hilft, DAHNG-kuh. veer KURN-en zee TYE-len. That would help, thanks. We can share them.

Sie passen in meine Tasche.

zee PASS-en in MY-nuh TASH-uh. They can fit in my bag.

Dann sind wir bereit.

DAHN zint veer buh-RYTE. Then we're ready.

Word by Word

Was “Was” asks for the thing that should be brought. In “Was soll ich mitbringen?”, it means “what” and comes at the beginning of the question. Use “Was” when asking which thing or information someone means.

soll “soll” expresses what someone should do or is expected to do here. In “Was soll ich mitbringen?”, it is used with “ich” and the infinitive “mitbringen”. Use “soll” to ask or state what a person is supposed to do.

ich “ich” means “I”, the person asking what to bring. The same pronoun appears as “Ich” at the start of “Ich kann ein paar Becher mitbringen.” Use “ich” as the subject when talking about yourself.

mitbringen “mitbringen” means to bring something along to a place or activity. It is the infinitive after “soll” in “Was soll ich mitbringen?”. Use “mitbringen” for taking an item with you when you go somewhere.

Bitte “Bitte” makes the request polite and means “please” here. It comes at the beginning of “Bitte bring eine kleine Decke mit.” Use “Bitte” when asking someone to do something politely.

bring “bring” is the direct request to bring something along. It is the command form used after “Bitte” in “Bitte bring eine kleine Decke mit.” Use “bring” when telling one person to bring a particular item.

eine “eine” introduces “Decke” as one unspecified blanket in “eine kleine Decke”. It belongs directly before the noun phrase and its adjective. Use “eine” before a feminine noun when referring to one non-specific item in this kind of phrase.

kleine “kleine” describes the blanket as small in “eine kleine Decke”. It comes before “Decke” and agrees with that noun in this phrase. Use “kleine” before a noun when describing something as small.

Decke “Decke” means “blanket”, the item requested for the outing. In “eine kleine Decke”, it is the object of the request. Use “Decke” for a blanket that can cover or provide a surface to sit on.

mit “mit” completes the sense of bringing something along in this sentence. It appears at the end of “Bitte bring eine kleine Decke mit.” Use this separated ending when the verb means bringing an item with you.

Brauchen “Brauchen” means “need” in the question “Brauchen wir auch Getränke?”. It comes first because the sentence is a question, followed by “wir”. Use “Brauchen” to ask whether something is necessary or needed.

wir “wir” means “we” and refers to the two people planning the outing. It appears as “Wir” at the start of “Wir können sie teilen.” Use “wir” as the subject when speaking about yourself together with other people.

auch “auch” adds the meaning “too” or “also” to the question about drinks. In “Brauchen wir auch Getränke?”, it asks whether drinks are needed in addition to the other items. Use “auch” to add another person, thing, or action to what has already been mentioned.

Getränke “Getränke” means “drinks” in the question about what is needed for the outing. It is the item being asked about after “Brauchen wir auch”. Use “Getränke” when referring to drinks as a group.

Ein “Ein” helps form the phrase “Ein kaltes Getränk”, meaning “a cold drink”. It introduces one unspecified drink before the adjective and noun. Use “ein” before a singular neuter noun in a phrase of this form.

kaltes “kaltes” describes the drink as cold in “Ein kaltes Getränk”. It comes directly before “Getränk” and matches that noun in the phrase. Use “kaltes” before a neuter noun when describing one thing as cold in this form.

Getränk “Getränk” means “drink”, referring here to one cold drink that would be welcome. In “Ein kaltes Getränk”, it is the main noun of the phrase. Use “Getränk” for one drink, such as something to drink during an outing.

wäre “wäre” presents the cold drink as a pleasant possibility: “Ein kaltes Getränk wäre schön.” It is used with “schön” to say that something would be nice. Use “wäre” in this pattern when suggesting or evaluating a possible option politely.

schön “schön” means “nice” or “pleasant” in “Ein kaltes Getränk wäre schön.” It describes the suggested drink as something welcome. Use “wäre schön” to say that a possible item or action would be nice.

kann “kann” expresses ability or possibility in “Ich kann ein paar Becher mitbringen.” It is followed by “mitbringen”, which states the action that is possible. Use “kann” with an infinitive to say that someone can do something.

paar “paar” contributes the meaning “few” in “ein paar Becher”, referring to a small number of cups. It is used together with “ein” before the plural noun “Becher”. Use “ein paar” when you mean a small number of countable items.

Becher “Becher” means “cups” in “ein paar Becher”, the items the speaker can bring. It follows the quantity expression “ein paar”. Use “Becher” for cups or similar drinking containers.

Das “Das” means “that” and refers to the offer to bring some cups in “Das hilft, danke.” It makes the offer the thing that is helpful. Use “Das” to refer back to something just said or done.

hilft “hilft” means “helps” in “Das hilft, danke.” It says that the other person’s offer is useful. Use “hilft” after a subject such as “Das” when saying that something is helpful.

danke “danke” means “thanks” and expresses gratitude after the offer to bring cups. It appears after “Das hilft” as a short polite response. Use “danke” when thanking someone for help or an offer.

können “können” expresses ability or possibility in “Wir können sie teilen.” It is followed by “teilen”, which names the possible action. Use “können” with an infinitive to say that people can do something.

sie In “Wir können sie teilen”, “sie” means “them” and refers to the cups. In “Sie passen in meine Tasche”, the same form appears as “Sie” at the start of the sentence and means “they”, referring to the cups. Use the surrounding verb and context to understand which reference “sie” has.

teilen “teilen” means “share” in “Wir können sie teilen.” It describes what the two people can do with the cups. Use “teilen” with an object when people share an item or resource.

passen “passen” means “fit” in “Sie passen in meine Tasche.” It says that the cups can be contained in the speaker’s bag. Use “passen in” followed by a container or place when saying that something fits inside it.

in “in” means “in” and introduces the container in “in meine Tasche”. It shows where the cups fit. Use “in” before the place or container that holds something.

meine “meine” means “my” in “meine Tasche”, identifying the bag as belonging to the speaker. It comes directly before “Tasche”. Use “meine” before a noun when referring to something that belongs to you.

Tasche “Tasche” means “bag” in “meine Tasche”, the container where the cups can fit. It follows “meine” in the phrase. Use “Tasche” for a bag used to carry things.

Dann “Dann” means “then” and marks the result after deciding what to bring. In “Dann sind wir bereit”, it introduces the conclusion that they are ready. Use “Dann” to connect a later result or step to what happened before.

sind “sind” means “are” in “Dann sind wir bereit.” It links “wir” with the condition “bereit”. Use “sind” with “wir” to describe a state or condition of “we”.

bereit “bereit” means “ready” in “Dann sind wir bereit.” It describes the two people as prepared to go after organizing the items. Use “bereit sein” to say that someone is prepared for an action or event.

Grammar Points

wäre + Adjektiv

wäre schön

VAIR-uh SHURN

would be nice

wäre is the Konjunktiv II form of sein and expresses a polite or hypothetical idea.

Adjektivendung vor einem Nomen

kleine Decke

KLYE-nuh DEK-uh

small blanket

The adjective takes an ending before a noun; here, klein becomes kleine.

German Vocabulary

auch adv

OWKH also; too

Brauchen wir auch Getränke?

bitte intj

BIT-tuh please

Bitte bring eine kleine Decke mit.

brauchen verb

BROW-khen to need Brauchen

Brauchen wir auch Getränke?

Decke noun

DEK-uh blanket

Bitte bring eine kleine Decke mit.

ein paar det

EYN PAHR some; a few

Ich kann ein paar Becher mitbringen.

Getränk noun

guh-TRENGK drink; beverage Getränke

Brauchen wir auch Getränke?

kalt adj

KALT cold kaltes

Ein kaltes Getränk wäre schön.

klein adj

KLYNE small kleine

Bitte bring eine kleine Decke mit.

mitbringen verb

MIT-bring-en to bring along

Was soll ich mitbringen?

schön adj

SHURN nice

Ein kaltes Getränk wäre schön.

sein verb

ZYNE to be wäre

Ein kaltes Getränk wäre schön.

was pron

VAHS what

Was soll ich mitbringen?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

What should I bring with me?

Show Answer

Was soll ich mitbringen?

Please bring a small blanket.

Show Answer

Bitte bring eine kleine Decke mit.

Do we need drinks too?

Show Answer

Brauchen wir auch Getränke?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

drink; beverage

Show Answer

Getränke

small

Show Answer

kleine

blanket

Show Answer

Decke

also; too

Show Answer

auch