Borrowing a Charger and Adapter | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a Charger and Adapter to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Kann ich ein Ladegerät ausleihen?

kahn ikh ine LAH-duh-guh-RATE OWS-lye-en Is there a charger I can borrow?

Benutz das neben meinem Laptop.

beh-NOOT dahs NAY-ben MY-nem LAP-top Use the one beside my laptop.

Brauche ich auch diesen Adapter?

BROW-khuh ikh owkh DEE-zen AH-dap-ter Do I need this adapter too?

Benutze ihn, wenn dein Stecker nicht passt.

beh-NOOT-suh een ven dine SHTEH-kur nikht pahst Use it if your plug does not fit.

Reicht das Kabel bis zum Tisch?

ry-kht dahs KAH-bel bis tsoom tish Will the cable reach the table?

Es reicht, wenn du nahe an der Wand sitzt.

ess ry-kht ven doo NAH-uh ahn dair VANT zitst It reaches if you sit near the wall.

Ich lege alles zurück, wenn ich fertig bin.

ikh LAY-guh AH-les tsoo-RUEK ven ikh FER-tikh bin I will put everything back when I finish.

Lass es auf meinem Schreibtisch, damit ich es finden kann.

lahs ess owf MY-nem SHRYBE-tish dah-MIT ikh ess FIN-den kahn Leave it on my desk so I can find it.

Word by Word

Kann “Kann” means “can” or “is it possible” here, introducing the question “Kann ich ein Ladegerät ausleihen?”. It comes before the subject in this question pattern and is used with an infinitive such as “ausleihen”.

ich “ich” means “I” in “Kann ich ein Ladegerät ausleihen?”. It is lowercase after the question word, while the same pronoun appears as uppercase “Ich” at the start of “Ich lege alles zurück.” Reuse it as the subject in a pattern such as “Kann ich ...?”.

ein “ein” means “a” in “ein Ladegerät”, referring to one unspecified charger. It belongs directly before the noun and is used here as part of “ein Ladegerät ausleihen”.

Ladegerät “Ladegerät” means “charger” in “ein Ladegerät ausleihen”. It names the object being borrowed and can be reused after “ein” in the same object pattern.

ausleihen “ausleihen” means “borrow” in “ein Ladegerät ausleihen”. It is the infinitive used after “Kann ich”; the reusable pattern is “etwas ausleihen”, with the borrowed object in the position of “ein Ladegerät”.

Benutz “Benutz” means “use” as an informal command in “Benutz das neben meinem Laptop.” It directly tells another person what to do and is followed here by the object “das”.

das “das” means “it” or “the one” in “Benutz das neben meinem Laptop”, referring to the charger understood from the conversation. It can be used after a command when the object is already clear.

neben “neben” means “beside” or “next to” in “neben meinem Laptop”. It places the charger in relation to the laptop and is followed here by “meinem Laptop”.

meinem “meinem” means “my” in “meinem Laptop”, identifying the speaker’s laptop. In this location phrase after “neben”, it has the form used before “Laptop”.

Laptop “Laptop” means “laptop” in “neben meinem Laptop”. It is the reference point for the charger’s location and follows the possessive form “meinem”.

Brauche “Brauche” means “need” in the question “Brauche ich auch diesen Adapter?”. It is at the start of the question and is followed by the subject “ich”; this pattern asks whether something is needed.

auch “auch” means “also” or “too” in “auch diesen Adapter”, adding the adapter to the charger already being discussed. It appears before the noun phrase here and can mark an additional item.

diesen “diesen” means “this” in “diesen Adapter”, pointing to a particular adapter nearby or already identified. It appears directly before “Adapter” in the question “Brauche ich auch diesen Adapter?”.

Adapter “Adapter” means “adapter” in “diesen Adapter”. It names the additional object the speaker may need and follows the demonstrative form “diesen”.

Benutze “Benutze” means “use” as an informal command in “Benutze ihn, wenn dein Stecker nicht passt.” It gives advice about using the adapter and is followed by the object pronoun “ihn”.

ihn “ihn” means “it” here, referring to the adapter in “Benutze ihn”. It is the object of “Benutze” and can refer back to a masculine-noun object already mentioned.

wenn “wenn” means “if” in “wenn dein Stecker nicht passt”, introducing the condition for using the adapter. It begins a subordinate clause in which “passt” comes at the end.

dein “dein” means “your” in “dein Stecker”, identifying the plug as belonging to the person being addressed. It appears directly before the noun “Stecker”.

Stecker “Stecker” means “plug” in “dein Stecker nicht passt”. It is the thing whose fit is being checked and follows the possessive form “dein”.

nicht “nicht” means “not” in “dein Stecker nicht passt”, making the statement negative. Here it negates whether the plug fits with the adapter.

passt “passt” means “fits” in “dein Stecker nicht passt”. It describes whether the plug is suitable for the connection and appears at the end of the “wenn” clause.

Reicht “Reicht” means “reaches” or “is long enough” in “Reicht das Kabel bis zum Tisch?”. It starts the question because the speaker is checking whether the cable can reach a destination.

Kabel “Kabel” means “cable” in “das Kabel”. It is the object whose length or reach is being checked and appears with “das” in the question.

bis “bis” means “up to” or “as far as” in “bis zum Tisch”. It marks the endpoint of the cable’s reach and is followed here by the destination phrase “zum Tisch”.

zum “zum” means “to the” in “zum Tisch”. It is the contracted form of “zu dem” and introduces the destination in “bis zum Tisch”.

Tisch “Tisch” means “table” in “bis zum Tisch”. It names the endpoint the cable may reach and follows “zum”.

Es “Es” means “it” in “Es reicht, wenn du nahe an der Wand sitzt”, referring to the cable or its reach in this context. It is the subject of the statement and can begin the reusable pattern “Es reicht, wenn ...”.

du “du” means “you” in “wenn du nahe an der Wand sitzt”, addressing one person informally. It is the subject of the condition and comes before the rest of the clause.

nahe “nahe” means “near” in “nahe an der Wand”. It describes the sitting position and is used here together with “an der Wand” to specify what the person is near.

an “an” contributes the meaning “at” or “by” in “an der Wand”. Together with “nahe”, it forms the location phrase “nahe an der Wand”.

der “der” means “the” in “an der Wand”. It is the article used before “Wand” in this location phrase.

Wand “Wand” means “wall” in “nahe an der Wand”. It identifies the place near which the person should sit.

sitzt “sitzt” means “sits” or “is sitting” in “wenn du nahe an der Wand sitzt”. It describes the addressed person’s position and appears at the end of the subordinate clause.

lege “lege” means “put” or “place” in “Ich lege alles zurück”. It describes placing the borrowed things back, and the reusable phrase here is “lege alles zurück”.

alles “alles” means “everything” in “Ich lege alles zurück”. It refers collectively to all the items being used and is the object of “lege”.

zurück “zurück” means “back” in “lege alles zurück”, showing that the items are returned to their previous place. Together with “lege”, it forms the separated verb expression “lege ... zurück”.

fertig “fertig” means “finished” or “done” in “wenn ich fertig bin”. It describes the point when the speaker has finished using the items and is used with “bin” in this expression.

bin “bin” means “am” in “wenn ich fertig bin”, completing the expression “fertig sein”, meaning to be finished. It appears with the subject “ich” in the subordinate clause.

Lass “Lass” means “leave” as an informal command in “Lass es auf meinem Schreibtisch”. It tells the other person where to leave the item and is followed by “es”.

auf “auf” means “on” in “auf meinem Schreibtisch”. It introduces the surface where the item should remain and is followed by the possessive phrase “meinem Schreibtisch”.

Schreibtisch “Schreibtisch” means “desk” in “auf meinem Schreibtisch”. It names the place where the item should be left and follows “meinem”.

damit “damit” means “so that” in “damit ich es finden kann”. It introduces the purpose of leaving the item on the desk, with the verb forms placed at the end of the clause.

finden “finden” means “find” in “damit ich es finden kann”. It is the infinitive used with “kann” and takes “es” as the thing being found.

Grammar Points

zurücklegen: Präfix trennt sich im Hauptsatz

Ich lege das Kabel zurück.

ikh LAY-guh dahs KAH-bel tsoo-RUEK

I put the cable back.

Bei einem trennbaren Verb steht der Präfix am Ende des Hauptsatzes: zurücklegen → lege ... zurück.

wenn / damit + Verb am Satzende

Wenn das Kabel passt, reicht es.

ven dahs KAH-bel pahst, ry-kht ess

If the cable fits, it is enough.

Nach wenn steht das konjugierte Verb am Ende des Nebensatzes: wenn ... passt.

German Vocabulary

Adapter noun

AH-dap-ter adapter

Brauche ich auch diesen Adapter?

auch adv

owkh also; too

Brauche ich auch diesen Adapter?

ausleihen verb

OWS-lye-en to borrow

Kann ich ein Ladegerät ausleihen?

benutzen verb

beh-NOOT-sen to use Benutz

Benutz das neben meinem Laptop.

brauchen verb

BROW-khen to need Brauche

Brauche ich auch diesen Adapter?

Kabel noun

KAH-bel cable

Reicht das Kabel bis zum Tisch?

Ladegerät noun

LAH-duh-guh-RATE charger

Kann ich ein Ladegerät ausleihen?

Laptop noun

LAP-top laptop

Benutz das neben meinem Laptop.

neben prep

NAY-ben beside; next to

Benutz das neben meinem Laptop.

passen verb

PAH-sen to fit passt

Benutze ihn, wenn dein Stecker nicht passt.

reichen verb

RY-khen to reach; to be enough Reicht

Reicht das Kabel bis zum Tisch?

Stecker noun

SHTEH-kur plug

Benutze ihn, wenn dein Stecker nicht passt.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Is there a charger I can borrow?

Show Answer

Kann ich ein Ladegerät ausleihen?

Use the one beside my laptop.

Show Answer

Benutz das neben meinem Laptop.

Do I need this adapter too?

Show Answer

Brauche ich auch diesen Adapter?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to borrow

Show Answer

ausleihen

beside; next to

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neben

laptop

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Laptop

to use

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Benutz