About This Lesson
Use Finding blue folders in a shop to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Entschuldigung, wo ist die Schreibwarenabteilung?
ent-SHOOL-di-goong, voh ist dee SHRYBE-vah-ren-ahp-TY-loong? Excuse me, where is the stationery section?
B
Sie ist hinter der Notizbuchauslage auf der rechten Seite.
zee ist HIN-ter dare NOH-teets-book-OWS-lah-guh owf dare REKH-ten ZY-tuh. It's past the notebook display on the right.
A
Ich suche blaue Ordner.
ikh ZOO-khuh BLOW-uh ORT-ner. I'm looking for blue folders.
B
Ich prüfe kurz, ob sie noch verfügbar sind.
ikh PROO-fuh koorts, ohp zee nokh fer-FOOK-bar zint. Let me check if they are still available.
A
Gibt es heute welche auf Lager?
gipt ess HOY-tuh VEL-khuh owf LAH-ger? Are there any in stock today?
B
Wir haben welche im Lagerraum.
veer HAH-ben VEL-khuh im LAH-ger-rowm. We have some in the back room.
A
Könnten Sie mir eine Packung bringen?
KURN-ten zee meer EYE-nuh PAK-koong BRING-en? Could you bring one pack for me?
B
Ich bringe Ihnen eine Packung.
ikh BRING-uh EE-nen EYE-nuh PAK-koong. I'll bring a pack over.
B
Bitte warten Sie bei dieser Auslage.
BIT-tuh VAR-ten zee by DEE-zer OWS-lah-guh. Please wait near this display.Word by Word
Entschuldigung
In "Entschuldigung, wo ist die Schreibwarenabteilung?", this is a polite way to get someone's attention: "Excuse me." It is useful at the start of a question to shop staff or another person.
wo
In "wo ist die Schreibwarenabteilung?", "wo" asks about a location: "where." A common reusable pattern is "Wo ist ...?" when asking where something is.
ist
In "wo ist die Schreibwarenabteilung?", "ist" says that the section is located somewhere: "is." It also appears in "Sie ist hinter der Notizbuchauslage", where the location is given in the answer.
die
In "die Schreibwarenabteilung", "die" means "the" and introduces the specific stationery section being asked about. It is used directly before the noun in this phrase.
Schreibwarenabteilung
In "die Schreibwarenabteilung", this means "the stationery section," the part of the shop where stationery is sold. You can use it as the thing named after "Wo ist ...?" when asking a shop employee for its location.
Sie
This form has different functions in the dialogue. In "Sie ist hinter der Notizbuchauslage", it refers back to the stationery section; in "Bitte warten Sie", it addresses one person formally. The lowercase form "sie" in "ob sie noch verfügbar sind" refers to the folders.
hinter
In "hinter der Notizbuchauslage", "hinter" indicates a place behind or past the notebook display. It is useful for explaining where one shop area or object is located in relation to another.
der
In "hinter der Notizbuchauslage" and "auf der rechten Seite", "der" means "the" before the location expressions. It is part of these phrases rather than a standalone reference to an object.
Notizbuchauslage
In "hinter der Notizbuchauslage", this means "the notebook display." It names the display used as a reference point when giving directions inside the shop.
auf Lager
The whole expression "auf Lager" means "in stock." Here, "auf" and "Lager" work together: "auf" belongs to the expression, and "Lager" refers to stock or stored goods. A reusable new example is "Wir haben blaue Ordner auf Lager" for saying that blue folders are in stock.
rechten
In "auf der rechten Seite", "rechten" means "right-hand" and identifies which side the speaker means. This phrase is useful when giving directions: "auf der rechten Seite" means "on the right-hand side."
Seite
In "auf der rechten Seite", "Seite" means "side." The full phrase can be used to tell someone where to look when giving directions in a shop or another place.
Ich
In "Ich suche blaue Ordner", "Ich" means "I" and identifies the person looking for the folders. It commonly appears at the start of a sentence about the speaker's own action or need.
suche
In "Ich suche blaue Ordner", "suche" means "am looking for." The reusable pattern is "Ich suche ..." followed by the object or thing the speaker wants to find, such as an item in a shop.
blaue
In "blaue Ordner", "blaue" describes the folders as blue. It is placed directly before the item being described, so the phrase identifies which folders the customer wants.
Ordner
In "blaue Ordner", "Ordner" means "folders," the stationery item the customer is looking for. It is the object after "Ich suche" in this shopping request.
prüfe
In "Ich prüfe kurz, ob sie noch verfügbar sind", "prüfe" means "check" or "check briefly." It is useful in the pattern "Ich prüfe ..., ob ..." when someone checks whether a condition is true.
kurz
In "Ich prüfe kurz", "kurz" means "briefly" and shows that the check will be quick. It is commonly used with an action to make a short, practical offer or announcement.
ob
In "ob sie noch verfügbar sind", "ob" introduces the question being checked: whether the folders are still available. A reusable pattern is "prüfen, ob ..." when checking a yes-or-no situation.
noch
In "noch verfügbar", "noch" means "still," showing that availability may have continued up to now. It is useful when asking or checking whether something remains available.
verfügbar
In "noch verfügbar sind", "verfügbar" means "available." It is commonly used with "sein" to describe whether an item can currently be obtained.
sind
In "sie noch verfügbar sind", "sind" means "are" and completes the statement that the folders are still available. The same verb form can be reused in a sentence describing what several items are like or where they are.
Gibt
At the start of "Gibt es heute welche auf Lager?", "Gibt" helps form a question about whether something exists or is available. The reusable pattern is "Gibt es ...?" for asking whether something can be found.
es
In the construction "Gibt es ...?", "es" is the placeholder used when asking whether something is there or available. It is part of the reusable question pattern "Gibt es ...?" rather than referring to a specific object by itself.
heute
In "Gibt es heute welche auf Lager?", "heute" means "today" and limits the stock question to the current day. It can be used to specify when an item or service is available.
welche
In "Gibt es heute welche auf Lager?" and "Wir haben welche im Lagerraum", "welche" means "some" or "any ones" and stands for the folders already mentioned. It is useful when the noun does not need to be repeated after a question or a statement about availability.
Wir
In "Wir haben welche im Lagerraum", "Wir" means "we" and refers to the shop staff or shop as the provider of the folders. It commonly begins a statement about what the shop has or can provide.
haben
In "Wir haben welche im Lagerraum", "haben" means "have" and says that the shop has some folders available in the storage room. A reusable pattern is "Wir haben ..." followed by the item being offered.
im
In "im Lagerraum", "im" means "in the" and introduces the place where the folders are located. It is the shortened form of "in dem", and the phrase "im Lagerraum" can be reused when identifying an item’s location.
Lagerraum
In "im Lagerraum", "Lagerraum" means "storage room" or "back room," where the shop keeps goods. It is used after a location expression to tell the customer where the folders can be found.
Könnten
In "Könnten Sie mir eine Packung bringen?", "Könnten" expresses a polite request: "Could you ...?" This is useful when asking shop staff or another person to perform an action for you.
mir
In "mir eine Packung bringen", "mir" identifies the person for whom the pack should be brought: "for me" or "to me." It is useful when stating who is to receive the result of an action.
eine
In "eine Packung", "eine" introduces one unspecified pack: "a pack" or "one pack." It is placed directly before the item requested.
Packung
In "eine Packung bringen" and "eine Packung", "Packung" means "pack" or "package." It names the quantity the customer asks the employee to bring.
bringen
In "Könnten Sie mir eine Packung bringen?", "bringen" means "bring" and describes the requested action. The reusable pattern is "Könnten Sie mir ... bringen?" with the requested item in the object slot.
bringe
In "Ich bringe Ihnen eine Packung", "bringe" means "bring" and announces that the speaker will bring a pack to the customer. A reusable pattern is "Ich bringe Ihnen ..." when offering to deliver or hand over something formally.
Ihnen
In "Ich bringe Ihnen eine Packung", "Ihnen" means "to you" or "for you" when addressing the customer formally. It identifies the recipient of the pack in the employee's offer.
Bitte
At the start of "Bitte warten Sie bei dieser Auslage", "Bitte" means "please" and makes the instruction polite. It is commonly placed before a polite request or instruction.
warten
In "Bitte warten Sie", "warten" means "wait." Together with "Bitte", it gives the customer a polite instruction to remain where they are while the employee gets the pack.
bei
In "bei dieser Auslage", "bei" means "near" or "by" and identifies the place where the customer should wait. It is useful for locating someone or something close to a particular object or place.
dieser
In "bei dieser Auslage", "dieser" means "this" and points to one specific display near the speakers. It is useful when indicating a nearby object that both people can identify.
Auslage
In "bei dieser Auslage", "Auslage" means "display," specifically the shop display near which the customer should wait. It names the visible reference point for the waiting instruction.
Grammar Points
bei + Dativ
bei dieser Auslage
by DEE-zer OWS-lah-guhat this display
The preposition bei takes the dative: dieser Auslage means “at this display.”
Dativpronomen: mir / Ihnen
mir; Ihnen
meer; EE-nento me; to you
German uses dative pronouns to mark the recipient: mir is informal “to me,” and Ihnen is formal “to you.”
German Vocabulary
blau
adj
BLOW
blue
blaue
Entschuldigung
intj
ent-SHOOL-di-goong
excuse me
Used to politely get someone's attention.
hinter
prep
HIN-ter
behind; past
kurz
adv
koorts
briefly
Notizbuchauslage
noun
NOH-teets-book-OWS-lah-guh
notebook display
Ordner
noun
ORT-ner
folder; binder
prüfen
verb
PROO-fen
to check
prüfe
recht
adj
REKHT
right
rechten
Schreibwarenabteilung
noun
SHRYBE-vah-ren-ahp-TY-loong
stationery section
Seite
noun
ZY-tuh
side
suchen
verb
ZOO-khen
to look for
suche
wo
adv
voh
where
Quiz
Word Order
Arrange the words in the correct order.
Excuse me, where is the stationery section?
Show Answer
Entschuldigung, wo ist die Schreibwarenabteilung?I'm looking for blue folders.
Show Answer
Ich suche blaue Ordner.Are there any in stock today?
Show Answer
Gibt es heute welche auf Lager?Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
blue
Show Answer
blauebehind; past
Show Answer
hinterto look for
Show Answer
sucheright