About This Lesson
Use Using a shared laundry room to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Kann ich den gemeinsamen Waschraum benutzen?
KAHN ikh dayn guh-MYNE-zah-men VAHSH-rowm beh-NOOT-sen? Can I use the shared laundry room?
B
Der Waschraum ist jetzt offen.
dair VAHSH-rowm ist yetst OFF-en. It is open now.
A
Ist diese Maschine frei?
ist DEE-zuh mah-SHEE-nuh fry? Is this machine free?
B
Diese hier ist frei.
DEE-zuh heer ist fry. This one is available.
A
Wo soll ich meinen Korb hinstellen?
voh zoll ikh MYE-nen korp HIN-shtell-en? Where should I put my basket?
B
Stell ihn neben die Wand.
shtell een NAY-ben dee vahnt. Set it beside the wall.
A
Ich nehme meine Wäsche heraus, wenn sie fertig ist.
ikh NAY-muh MYE-nuh VESH-uh huh-ROWS, venn zee FEHR-tikh ist. I will take my clothes out when the wash is done.
B
Bitte nimm sie sofort heraus.
BIT-tuh nim zee zoh-FORT huh-ROWS. Please collect them right away.Word by Word
Kann
In „Kann ich den gemeinsamen Waschraum benutzen?“ „Kann“ asks whether the speaker is allowed to do something. It is used in the reusable question pattern „Kann ich … benutzen?“ when asking permission, for example in a shared facility.
ich
In „Kann ich den gemeinsamen Waschraum benutzen?“ and „Ich nehme meine Wäsche heraus“ „ich“ means “I”, the person speaking. It appears before the verb in these sentences: „Kann ich …?“ and „Ich nehme …“. Use it when talking about your own action or intention.
den
In „den gemeinsamen Waschraum“ „den“ means “the” before the specific room being used. It is the article form used here because „Waschraum“ is the object of „benutzen“. The same object position can be reused in „Ich benutze den …“.
gemeinsamen
In „den gemeinsamen Waschraum“ „gemeinsamen“ describes the laundry room as shared by several people. Its ending fits the phrase after „den“ and before „Waschraum“. Use this form in the complete noun phrase when referring to this shared room.
Waschraum
In „den gemeinsamen Waschraum“ and „Der Waschraum ist jetzt offen“ „Waschraum“ means “laundry room”. The noun names the shared place where the machines are located. Use it with a location or activity, such as asking to use the room.
benutzen
In „den gemeinsamen Waschraum benutzen“ „benutzen“ means “use” the laundry room. It is the infinitive after „Kann ich“. Reuse it with a thing or place as the object, as in „Kann ich … benutzen?“.
Der
In „Der Waschraum ist jetzt offen“ „Der“ means “the” and introduces „Waschraum“ as the room being described. It is the article used with this masculine noun in the subject position. Use the complete pattern „Der … ist …“ to describe a specific place or object.
ist
In „Der Waschraum ist jetzt offen“ and „wenn sie fertig ist“ „ist“ links the subject with a description or state: the room is open and the laundry is done. It is used with a noun or pronoun followed by an adjective, such as „ist offen“ or „ist fertig“.
jetzt
In „Der Waschraum ist jetzt offen“ „jetzt“ means “now” and specifies the current time. It is placed before the description „offen“. Use it to say that a place or situation has this status at the present moment.
offen
In „Der Waschraum ist jetzt offen“ „offen“ means “open”, so the room can currently be used. It follows „ist“ in this description. The pattern „ist offen“ can describe a room, door, or other place that is open.
diese
In „Ist diese Maschine frei?“ „diese“ means “this” and points to the machine being considered. It comes directly before „Maschine“. Use „diese“ with the noun you are identifying or asking about, as in „Ist diese … frei?“.
Maschine
In „Ist diese Maschine frei?“ „Maschine“ means “machine”, here the laundry machine. It is the thing whose availability is being checked. Use it after a demonstrative such as „diese Maschine“ when pointing out a particular machine.
frei
In „Ist diese Maschine frei?“ and „Diese hier ist frei“ „frei“ means “available” or not currently occupied. It describes whether the machine can be used. The reusable pattern is „Ist … frei?“ when checking availability.
hier
In „Diese hier ist frei“ „hier“ means “here” and helps identify the particular machine being indicated. Together, „Diese hier“ means “this one here”. Use it after a pointing word when distinguishing one nearby object from others.
Wo
In „Wo soll ich meinen Korb hinstellen?“ „Wo“ asks “where”. It introduces a question about the place for putting the basket. Use it at the beginning of a location question, followed by the action and object.
soll
In „Wo soll ich meinen Korb hinstellen?“ „soll“ asks where the speaker is expected or advised to put the basket. It is used with „ich“ and the infinitive „hinstellen“. The pattern „Wo soll ich …?“ is useful when asking for instructions about placement.
meinen
In „meinen Korb“ „meinen“ means “my” and identifies the basket as belonging to the speaker. Its form is used before „Korb“ in the object phrase. Reuse the complete pattern „meinen … hinstellen“ when asking where to place your own item.
Korb
In „meinen Korb“ „Korb“ means “basket”, here the basket used for carrying laundry. It is the object that the speaker wants to put somewhere. Use it with a possessive word when referring to a particular person’s basket.
hinstellen
In „meinen Korb hinstellen“ „hinstellen“ means “put or place” the basket in a particular spot. It appears as an infinitive at the end of „Wo soll ich … hinstellen?“. Use it with the item being placed and a destination when asking how to position something.
Stell
In „Stell ihn neben die Wand“ „Stell“ tells one person to put or place something. It is the command form used with the object „ihn“ and the destination „neben die Wand“. Use „Stell …“ when giving a direct instruction about where to place an item.
ihn
In „Stell ihn neben die Wand“ „ihn“ means “it” and refers to „Korb“. It is placed after „Stell“ as the item being moved. Use it when referring back to this masculine-noun object instead of repeating „den Korb“.
neben
In „neben die Wand“ „neben“ means “beside” or “next to” and specifies the basket’s destination. Here it is part of the placement expression „Stell ihn neben die Wand“. Use it before the place or object that something should be beside.
die
In „neben die Wand“ „die“ means “the” before „Wand“. It belongs to the destination phrase that completes „neben“. Reuse the full phrase „neben die Wand“ when directing someone to place something beside the wall.
Wand
In „neben die Wand“ „Wand“ means “wall”. It identifies the surface beside which the basket should be placed. Use it after „neben“ when describing this destination.
nehme
In „Ich nehme meine Wäsche heraus“ „nehme“ means “take” and describes the speaker removing the laundry. It is used with „Ich“ and the separated element „heraus“. Reuse the pattern „Ich nehme … heraus“ for saying that you take something out.
meine
In „meine Wäsche“ „meine“ means “my” and identifies the laundry as belonging to the speaker. It comes directly before „Wäsche“. Use it to mark your own laundry or another feminine noun in a similar possessive phrase.
Wäsche
In „meine Wäsche“ and „wenn sie fertig ist“ „Wäsche“ means “laundry” or “clothes”, here the items in the machine. It is the thing the speaker will take out after the wash is finished. Use it in the phrase „meine Wäsche herausnehmen“ when talking about removing your laundry.
heraus
In „Ich nehme meine Wäsche heraus“ and „nimm sie sofort heraus“ „heraus“ adds the meaning “out”, indicating movement from inside the machine. It combines with the verb in the expressions „nehme … heraus“ and „nimm … heraus“. Use it when saying that an object is taken out of a place.
wenn
In „wenn sie fertig ist“ „wenn“ means “when” and introduces the time at which the laundry is taken out. It connects the condition „sie fertig ist“ with the main action. Use „wenn“ to say that one action happens after or at the time another situation is complete.
sie
In „wenn sie fertig ist“ „sie“ refers to the laundry and means “it”; in „nimm sie sofort heraus“ it refers to the clothes and means “them”. The exact form stays the same while the intended referent comes from the context. Use it to refer back to laundry or clothes already mentioned.
fertig
In „wenn sie fertig ist“ „fertig“ means “done” or “finished”, referring to the wash being complete. It follows „ist“ in the expression „sie fertig ist“. Use „ist fertig“ to say that an activity or process has finished.
nimm
In „nimm sie sofort heraus“ „nimm“ tells one person to take the clothes out. It is used with the object „sie“ and the direction word „heraus“. Reuse the command pattern „Nimm … heraus“ when instructing someone to remove something from inside a place.
Bitte
In „Bitte nimm sie sofort heraus“ „Bitte“ means “please” and makes the instruction more polite. It appears at the beginning of the request before „nimm“. Use it before a request or instruction when asking someone politely to do something.
sofort
In „Bitte nimm sie sofort heraus“ „sofort“ means “right away” and asks for the clothes to be removed without delay. It modifies the action „nimm … heraus“. Use it when emphasizing that an action should happen immediately.
Grammar Points
gemeinsam → gemeinsamen
gemeinsamen Waschraum
guh-MYNE-zah-men VAHSH-rowmshared laundry room
gemeinsamen is the inflected form of gemeinsam before a masculine noun; the ending changes with case and article.
German Vocabulary
benutzen
verb
beh-NOOT-sen
to use
diese hier
pron
DEE-zuh heer
this one
frei
adj
fry
free; available
gemeinsam
adj
guh-MYNE-zahm
shared
gemeinsamen
den gemeinsamen Waschraum
hinstellen
verb
HIN-shtell-en
to put; to set down
jetzt
adv
yetst
now
Korb
noun
korp
basket
Maschine
noun
mah-SHEE-nuh
machine
neben
prep
NAY-ben
beside; next to
offen
adj
OFF-en
open
Waschraum
noun
VAHSH-rowm
laundry room
wo
adv
voh
where
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Can I use the shared laundry room?
Show Answer
Kann ich den gemeinsamen Waschraum benutzen?It is open now.
Show Answer
Der Waschraum ist jetzt offen.Is this machine free?
Show Answer
Ist diese Maschine frei?Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
open
Show Answer
offenfree; available
Show Answer
freinow
Show Answer
jetztmachine