Using a shared kitchen | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use Using a shared kitchen to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Kann ich meine Tasse hier abwaschen?

kahn ikh MY-nuh TAH-suh heer AHP-vah-shun? Can I wash my cup here?

Benutze das Waschbecken links.

buh-NOOT-suh dahs VAHSH-behk-un links. Use the sink on the left.

Ich möchte den Raum sauber halten.

ikh MURKH-tuh dehn ROWM ZOW-buh HALL-tun. I want to keep the space clean.

Bitte wisch den Tisch ab, wenn du fertig bist.

BIT-tuh VISH dehn TISH AHP, venn doo FEHR-tikh bist. Please wipe the table after you finish.

Kommt der Müll in diesen Mülleimer?

kohmt dair MYUL in DEE-zun MYUL-eye-muh? Does trash go in this bin?

Tu ihn in den Mülleimer an der Tür.

too een in dehn MYUL-eye-muh ahn dair TEWR. Put it in the bin by the door.

Ich kümmere mich jetzt darum.

ikh KYU-muh-ruh mikh yetst dah-ROOM. I will take care of it now.

So können alle die Küche benutzen.

zoh KUR-nun AH-luh dee KYU-khuh buh-NOOT-sun. That keeps the kitchen ready for everyone.

Word by Word

Kann In "Kann ich meine Tasse hier abwaschen?", "Kann" asks whether the speaker is allowed to do something. It is the form used with "ich" in a permission question, and it can be reused in "Kann ich ...?" questions.

ich "ich" means "I" and identifies the speaker in "Kann ich meine Tasse hier abwaschen?" and "Ich möchte den Raum sauber halten." It is used as the subject before the verb in these sentences.

meine "meine" means "my" and identifies the cup as belonging to the speaker in "meine Tasse". It is placed directly before the thing that belongs to the speaker, such as a personal object.

Tasse "Tasse" means "cup" in "meine Tasse". It names the object being washed and can be used after a possessive word such as "meine".

hier "hier" means "here" and points to the place where the washing would happen in "Kann ich meine Tasse hier abwaschen?". It can be used to identify the current place or location.

abwaschen "abwaschen" means to wash, especially a cup or other dish, in "meine Tasse hier abwaschen". It can be reused with the item being washed as its object.

Benutze "Benutze" means "use" in the instruction "Benutze das Waschbecken links." It is addressed to one person informally and can introduce a direct instruction about using something.

das "das" means "the" before "Waschbecken" in "Benutze das Waschbecken links." It identifies one specific sink, and it is placed directly before the noun.

Waschbecken "Waschbecken" means "sink" in "das Waschbecken links." It names the place where the cup should be washed and can be specified by a location such as "links".

links "links" means "on the left" in "das Waschbecken links." It gives the sink's location and can be used after a noun to identify which one is meant.

möchte "möchte" expresses what the speaker would like or wants to do in "Ich möchte den Raum sauber halten." It introduces a desired action, with the other verb at the end of the sentence.

den "den" means "the" before "Raum" in "den Raum sauber halten." It identifies the specific space being kept clean and appears directly before the noun.

Raum "Raum" means "space" or "room" in "den Raum sauber halten." It is the space whose condition the speaker wants to maintain and can follow a definite article such as "den".

sauber "sauber" means "clean" in "den Raum sauber halten." It describes the condition that the space should remain in and can be used in the pattern of keeping something clean.

halten "halten" means "keep" in "den Raum sauber halten", where it means maintaining the room in a clean condition. It follows "möchte" at the end of the sentence in this desired-action pattern.

Bitte "Bitte" means "please" and makes the instruction polite in "Bitte wisch den Tisch ab, wenn du fertig bist." It is commonly placed at the beginning of a polite request.

wisch "wisch" means "wipe" in "Bitte wisch den Tisch ab, wenn du fertig bist." It is an informal instruction to one person and is used with the thing to be wiped.

Tisch "Tisch" means "table" in "wisch den Tisch ab." It names the surface being wiped and follows "den" in this instruction.

ab In "wisch den Tisch ab", "ab" is the separated part that completes the meaning of wiping the table off. The object comes between the verb and this particle, so the particle appears at the end of the clause.

wenn "wenn" means "when" in "wenn du fertig bist" and introduces the condition or time for wiping the table. It can introduce a clause describing when an action should happen.

du "du" means informal singular "you" in "wenn du fertig bist." It identifies the person who finishes and is used as the subject of the clause.

fertig "fertig" means "finished" or "done" in "du fertig bist." It describes the person's state after completing the task and can be used with a form of "sein".

bist "bist" means "are" with "du" in "du fertig bist." Together with "fertig", it states that the person is finished, and it appears at the end of this subordinate clause.

Kommt In "Kommt der Müll in diesen Mülleimer?", "Kommt" asks whether the trash goes into the specified bin. It is placed first because this is a question about where something should go.

der "der" means "the" before "Müll" in "der Müll". It identifies the specific trash being discussed and appears directly before the noun.

Müll "Müll" means "trash" or "rubbish" in "der Müll". It is the thing whose correct bin is being asked about and can be followed by a destination introduced with "in".

in "in" means "into" in "in diesen Mülleimer" and marks the bin as the destination for the trash. It can be used before the name of a container when something is put inside it.

diesen "diesen" means "this" in "diesen Mülleimer" and points to one particular bin. It is placed directly before the noun it identifies.

Mülleimer "Mülleimer" means "bin" or "trash can" in "diesen Mülleimer." It names the container that may receive the trash and can follow a word such as "diesen".

Tu "Tu" means "put" in the instruction "Tu ihn in den Mülleimer an der Tür." It tells one person informally what to do and is followed by the thing being put.

ihn "ihn" means "it" here and refers back to "der Müll" in "Tu ihn in den Mülleimer an der Tür." It is placed after "Tu" as the object of the instruction.

an "an" means "by" or "at" in "an der Tür" and identifies the location of the bin. It can be used before a place that serves as a nearby reference point.

Tür "Tür" means "door" in "an der Tür." It names the reference point used to locate the bin and follows "der" in this phrase.

kümmere In "Ich kümmere mich jetzt darum", "kümmere" contributes the meaning "take care" or "deal with". It is used with "mich" and "darum" to say that the speaker will handle the matter.

mich "mich" means "myself" or "me" in "Ich kümmere mich jetzt darum." It is used with "kümmere" in this expression for taking care of something.

jetzt "jetzt" means "now" in "Ich kümmere mich jetzt darum." It shows that the speaker will handle the matter at the present time and can be used to specify when an action happens.

darum "darum" means "about it" or "concerning it" in "Ich kümmere mich jetzt darum." It refers back to the matter just discussed, namely dealing with the kitchen task.

So "So" means "that way" or "so" in "So können alle die Küche benutzen." It connects the previous cleaning actions with the result and can introduce the way a result is achieved.

können "können" means "can" or "be able to" in "So können alle die Küche benutzen." It expresses ability or possibility and is followed by the infinitive "benutzen" at the end.

alle "alle" means "everyone" or "all" in "alle die Küche benutzen." It refers to all the people sharing the kitchen and functions as the subject of the action.

die "die" means "the" before "Küche" in "die Küche benutzen." It identifies the specific kitchen being shared and is placed directly before the noun.

Küche "Küche" means "kitchen" in "die Küche benutzen." It names the place that everyone can use and follows the definite article "die".

benutzen "benutzen" means "use" in "die Küche benutzen." It remains in the infinitive after "können" and can be reused after a modal verb to describe what someone can use.

Grammar Points

Trennbare Verben: abwischen → wisch ... ab

Wisch den Tisch ab.

VISH dehn TISH AHP.

Wipe the table.

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

sich um etwas kümmern → sich ... darum kümmern

Ich kümmere mich darum.

ikh KYU-muh-ruh mikh dah-ROOM.

I’ll take care of it.

Das reflexive Verb braucht mich; darum ersetzt die Sache, um die man sich kümmert.

German Vocabulary

abwaschen verb

AHP-vah-shun to wash

Kann ich meine Tasse hier abwaschen?

abwischen verb

AHP-vish-un to wipe wisch ... ab

Bitte wisch den Tisch ab, wenn du fertig bist.

fertig adj

FEHR-tikh finished; done

Bitte wisch den Tisch ab, wenn du fertig bist.

halten verb

HALL-tun to keep

Ich möchte den Raum sauber halten.

links adv

links on the left

Benutze das Waschbecken links.

möchten verb

MURKH-tun to want möchte

Ich möchte den Raum sauber halten.

Müll noun

MYUL trash; garbage

Kommt der Müll in diesen Mülleimer?

Raum noun

ROWM space; room den Raum

Ich möchte den Raum sauber halten.

sauber adj

ZOW-buh clean

Ich möchte den Raum sauber halten.

Tasse noun

TAH-suh cup meine Tasse

Kann ich meine Tasse hier abwaschen?

Tisch noun

TISH table den Tisch

Bitte wisch den Tisch ab, wenn du fertig bist.

Waschbecken noun

VAHSH-behk-un sink

Benutze das Waschbecken links.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I wash my cup here?

Show Answer

Kann ich meine Tasse hier abwaschen?

Use the sink on the left.

Show Answer

Benutze das Waschbecken links.

I want to keep the space clean.

Show Answer

Ich möchte den Raum sauber halten.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to want

Show Answer

möchte

to keep

Show Answer

halten

sink

Show Answer

Waschbecken

clean

Show Answer

sauber