Choosing a light snack | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: At home, two adults choose a light snack with yogurt and nuts..

EN → DE / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Choosing a light snack to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ich möchte einen Snack.

ikh MURKH-tuh EYE-nen SHNEK I want a snack.
A

Ich habe nicht sehr viel Hunger.

ikh HAH-buh nikht zair feel HOONG-er I am not very hungry.
B

Dann nimm etwas Leichtes, zum Beispiel Joghurt.

dahn nim ET-vahs LYEKH-tuhs, tsoom BYE-shpeel YOH-goort Then choose something light, like yogurt.
A

Haben wir auch Nüsse?

HAH-ben veer owkh NUR-suh Do we have nuts too?
B

Im Schrank sind welche.

im SHRAHNK zint VEL-khuh There are some in the cupboard.
A

Joghurt mit Nüssen klingt gut.

YOH-goort mit NUR-sen klinkt goot Yogurt with nuts sounds good.
B

Nimm eine kleine Schüssel.

nim EYE-nuh KLY-nuh SHUR-suhl Take a small bowl.
B

Das ist nicht zu viel.

dahs ist nikht tsoo feel It is not too much.
A

Ich mache jetzt einen Snack.

ikh MAKH-uh yetst EYE-nen SHNEK I will make one now.
B

Lass bitte ein paar Nüsse für mich übrig.

lahss BIT-tuh EYE-nen pahr NUR-suh fyr mikh OO-brihk Leave some nuts for me, please.

Word by Word

Ich Ich in 'Ich möchte einen Snack.' means “I” and refers to the speaker. It is used as the person who wants or does something, as in 'Ich mache jetzt einen Snack.'
möchte möchte in 'Ich möchte einen Snack.' expresses a polite wish or want. It is useful in the pattern 'Ich möchte' followed by the thing the speaker wants.
einen einen in 'Ich möchte einen Snack.' introduces one unspecified snack. It appears directly before 'Snack' in this request for a snack.
Snack Snack in 'Ich möchte einen Snack.' means a snack. The same word is used again in 'Ich mache jetzt einen Snack' for the food being prepared.
habe habe in 'Ich habe nicht sehr viel Hunger.' means “have.” German uses this form with Hunger to describe how hungry someone is, so the whole sentence says that the speaker is not very hungry.
nicht nicht in 'Ich habe nicht sehr viel Hunger.' negates the amount of hunger. It is placed before 'sehr viel Hunger' to say that the speaker does not have very much hunger.
sehr sehr in 'sehr viel Hunger' strengthens the quantity and means “very.” The expression 'sehr viel' is used before the thing whose amount is being described.
viel viel in 'sehr viel Hunger' means “much” or “a lot of” and describes the amount of Hunger. It combines with 'Hunger' in the dialogue to express how hungry the speaker is.
Hunger Hunger in 'Ich habe nicht sehr viel Hunger.' means “hunger.” The dialogue uses it with 'habe' in a pattern for describing a person’s appetite.
Dann Dann in 'Dann nimm etwas Leichtes' means “then” and introduces the suggestion that follows from the speaker not being very hungry. Use it to connect a situation with a next action.
nimm nimm in 'Dann nimm etwas Leichtes' is a direct instruction to take or choose something. It is also used in 'Nimm eine kleine Schüssel' when telling someone what to take.
etwas etwas in 'etwas Leichtes' means “something” and refers to an unspecified food choice. It is useful when the exact thing is not named until the following description.
Leichtes Leichtes in 'etwas Leichtes' means “something light,” here referring to a light snack. The capitalized form names the thing being chosen after 'etwas'.
zum In the complete expression 'zum Beispiel', zum helps form “for example,” while Beispiel names the example. Use 'zum Beispiel' before an example such as 'Joghurt'.
Beispiel In 'zum Beispiel', Beispiel means “example,” and the whole expression means “for example.” It introduces 'Joghurt' as an example of something light.
Joghurt Joghurt in 'zum Beispiel Joghurt' means “yogurt.” It is first given as a light snack and then appears in 'Joghurt mit Nüssen' as the base of the combination.
Haben Haben at the beginning of 'Haben wir auch Nüsse?' asks whether the household has nuts. The verb comes first here because the sentence is a yes-or-no question.
wir wir in 'Haben wir auch Nüsse?' means “we” and refers to the speaker and listener together. It is the group being asked about having the nuts.
auch auch in 'Haben wir auch Nüsse?' adds nuts to the things being considered and means “also” or “too.” It appears directly before 'Nüsse' in this question.
Nüsse Nüsse in 'Haben wir auch Nüsse?' means “nuts,” the food being asked about. The same word appears in 'ein paar Nüsse' when some nuts are reserved for the other person.
Im Im in 'Im Schrank sind welche.' means “in the” and introduces the location of the nuts. It is used directly before 'Schrank' in this location phrase.
Schrank Schrank in 'Im Schrank sind welche.' means “cupboard.” The phrase identifies the cupboard as the place where some nuts are located.
sind sind in 'Im Schrank sind welche.' means “are” and states that some nuts are present in the cupboard. It links the location 'Im Schrank' with 'welche'.
welche welche in 'Im Schrank sind welche.' means “some” or “some of them” and refers back to the nuts. It avoids repeating 'Nüsse' after the location has been given.
mit mit in 'Joghurt mit Nüssen' means “with” and connects the yogurt with the nuts added to it. The pattern names a food together with an accompanying ingredient.
Nüssen Nüssen in 'Joghurt mit Nüssen' means “nuts” as the ingredient added to the yogurt. The related form 'Nüsse' appears when the dialogue asks about having nuts.
klingt klingt in 'Joghurt mit Nüssen klingt gut.' means “sounds” and describes the speaker’s impression of the suggested combination. It is paired with 'gut' in the expression 'klingt gut'.
gut gut in 'klingt gut' means “good” and shows approval of the yogurt-and-nuts combination. It follows 'klingt' in this way of saying that an idea sounds appealing.
eine eine in 'eine kleine Schüssel' means “a” or “one” and introduces an unspecified bowl. It appears before the description 'kleine Schüssel' in the instruction.
kleine kleine in 'eine kleine Schüssel' means “small” and describes the size of the bowl. It comes directly before 'Schüssel'.
Schüssel Schüssel in 'Nimm eine kleine Schüssel.' means “bowl.” It names the container the listener is asked to take for the snack.
Das Das in 'Das ist nicht zu viel.' means “that” or “it” and points to the amount being considered. Use 'Das ist' to comment on something just mentioned or shown.
ist ist in 'Das ist nicht zu viel.' means “is” and connects 'Das' with the description 'nicht zu viel.' It states how the amount is judged.
zu zu in 'nicht zu viel' means “too” and marks an amount as excessive. In the dialogue, 'nicht zu viel' says that the amount is not excessive.
mache mache in 'Ich mache jetzt einen Snack.' means “make” or “prepare.” It describes the speaker preparing the snack at the present moment.
jetzt jetzt in 'Ich mache jetzt einen Snack.' means “now” and marks the time of preparation. It tells the listener that the action is happening immediately.
Lass Lass in 'Lass bitte ein paar Nüsse für mich übrig.' begins a polite request to leave something remaining. Together with 'übrig', it asks the other person not to use all of the nuts.
bitte bitte in 'Lass bitte ein paar Nüsse für mich übrig.' means “please” and makes the request more polite. It is placed after 'Lass' in this request.
ein ein in 'ein paar Nüsse' is part of the quantity expression meaning “a few” or “some.” Here it does not identify one individual nut; it combines with 'paar' to describe a small amount.
paar paar in 'ein paar Nüsse' indicates a small number of nuts. The complete expression is used when asking to keep some nuts for the other person.
für für in 'für mich' means “for” and marks the intended recipient of the nuts. It comes before 'mich' to show who should have them.
mich mich in 'für mich' means “me” and refers to the person who wants some nuts kept aside. It follows 'für' in this recipient phrase.
übrig übrig in 'Lass bitte ein paar Nüsse für mich übrig.' means “left over” or “remaining.” With 'Lass', it expresses the request that some nuts remain for the other person.

Grammar Points

substantiviertes Adjektiv: Leichtes

Leichtes

LYEKH-tuhs

something light

The adjective is capitalized and used as a noun to mean something light, without repeating a noun.

zu viel

zu viel

tsoo FEEL

too much

The fixed expression zu viel describes an amount that is greater than needed or wanted.

German Vocabulary

der Hunger noun
dair HOONG-er hunger Hunger

Ich habe nicht sehr viel Hunger.

der Joghurt noun
dair YOH-goort yogurt Joghurt

zum Beispiel Joghurt.

der Schrank noun
dair SHRAHNK cupboard Schrank

Im Schrank sind welche.

der Snack noun
dair SHNEK snack Snack

Ich möchte einen Snack.

die Nuss noun
dee NOOS nut Nüsse

Haben wir auch Nüsse?

klingen verb
KLIHNG-en to sound klingt

Joghurt mit Nüssen klingt gut.

leicht adj
LYKHT light Leichtes

Dann nimm etwas Leichtes.

mit prep
mit with

Joghurt mit Nüssen.

möchten verb
MURKH-ten want; would like möchte

Ich möchte einen Snack.

nehmen verb
NAY-men to take; to choose nimm

Dann nimm etwas Leichtes.

welche pron
VEL-khuh some; some ones

Im Schrank sind welche.

zum Beispiel phrase
tsoom BYE-shpeel for example

zum Beispiel Joghurt.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I want a snack.

Show AnswerIch möchte einen Snack.

I am not very hungry.

Show AnswerIch habe nicht sehr viel Hunger.

Do we have nuts too?

Show AnswerHaben wir auch Nüsse?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

want; would like

Show Answermöchte

nut

Show AnswerNüsse

hunger

Show AnswerHunger

cupboard

Show AnswerSchrank