Paying and Separating Items at Checkout | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: At a shop checkout, a customer pays on a screen and asks staff to separate heavy and glass items while bagging..

EN → DE / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Paying and Separating Items at Checkout to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Ist diese Kasse jetzt geöffnet?

ist DEE-zuh KASS-uh yetst guh-URF-nuht Is this checkout open now?
B

Sie können Ihre Sachen hier ablegen.

zee KUR-nun EE-ruh ZAH-khun heer AHP-lay-gun You can place your items here.
A

Soll ich zum Bezahlen den Bildschirm benutzen?

zoll ikh tsoom beh-TSAH-lun dayn BILT-shurm beh-NOOT-sun Should I use the screen to pay?
B

Benutzen Sie den Bildschirm rechts von Ihnen.

beh-NOOT-sun zee dayn BILT-shurm rekhts fon EE-nun Use the screen on your right.
A

Die Tüte fühlt sich zu voll an.

dee TEW-tuh fewlt zikh tsoo fohl ahn The bag feels too full.
B

Ich kann den schweren Artikel in eine andere Tüte legen.

ikh kahn dayn SHVAY-run ar-TEE-kul in EYE-nuh AHN-duh-ruh TEW-tuh LAY-gun I can move the heavy item to another bag.
A

Bitte legen Sie die Glasartikel in eine separate Tüte.

BIT-tuh LAY-gun zee dee GLAHS-ar-TEE-kul in EYE-nuh zeh-pah-RAH-tuh TEW-tuh Please put the glass items in a separate bag.
B

Ich passe auf, während ich sie einpacke.

ikh PAH-suh owf, VAIR-unt ikh zee EYE-n-PAH-kuh I'll be careful while bagging them.

Word by Word

Ist “Ist” opens the yes-or-no question “Ist diese Kasse jetzt geöffnet?” and means “is” here. Use it at the beginning of a similar question when asking about a current state.
diese “Diese” means “this” and points to the specific checkout in “Ist diese Kasse jetzt geöffnet?”. It is used directly before the thing being identified, here “Kasse”.
Kasse “Kasse” means “checkout” or “register”; here it refers to the checkout where the customer pays. At a shop, “diese Kasse” identifies one particular checkout.
jetzt “Jetzt” means “now” and asks whether the checkout is open at this moment in “Ist diese Kasse jetzt geöffnet?”. It is useful for asking about the present time.
geöffnet “Geöffnet” means “open” in “Ist diese Kasse jetzt geöffnet?”. It describes the current state of a shop, checkout, door, or similar place.
Sie In “Sie können Ihre Sachen hier ablegen.”, “Sie” means formal “you”. The lowercase form “sie” in “Ich passe auf, während ich sie einpacke.” means “them”, so capitalization distinguishes the two forms in these lines.
können “Können” means “can” and expresses that the customer is allowed or able to place the items in “Sie können Ihre Sachen hier ablegen.”. With this form, the other verb stays at the end: “können ... ablegen”.
Ihre “Ihre” means formal “your” in “Ihre Sachen”. It identifies the items belonging to the person being addressed formally.
Sachen “Sachen” means “things” or “items”; here it refers to the customer’s shopping items in “Ihre Sachen”. The phrase “Ihre Sachen hier ablegen” is useful when telling someone where to put their belongings.
hier “Hier” means “here” and indicates the place where the customer should put the items in “Ihre Sachen hier ablegen.”. It is used to point out a location near the speaker.
ablegen “Ablegen” means “put” or “place down” in “Ihre Sachen hier ablegen.”. After “können”, it remains together at the end of the sentence.
Soll “Soll” asks whether an action is the appropriate thing for the speaker to do in “Soll ich zum Bezahlen den Bildschirm benutzen?”. It is useful for asking for instructions or permission about the next action.
ich “Ich” means “I” and identifies the speaker in “Soll ich zum Bezahlen den Bildschirm benutzen?”. It is used for a question about the speaker’s own action.
zum “Zum” means “for the” in “zum Bezahlen”, introducing the purpose of using the screen. Here it connects the action with the activity of paying.
Bezahlen “Bezahlen” names the activity of paying in “zum Bezahlen”. Because it follows “zum”, it functions as the purpose of using the screen.
den “Den” means “the” in “den Bildschirm benutzen” and points to the specific screen the customer should use. It appears directly before “Bildschirm” in this phrase.
Bildschirm “Bildschirm” means “screen”; here it is the payment screen at the checkout. The phrases “den Bildschirm benutzen” and “der Bildschirm rechts von Ihnen” identify and locate the screen.
benutzen “Benutzen” means “use” in “den Bildschirm benutzen”. The same form appears as “Benutzen” at the beginning of the instruction “Benutzen Sie den Bildschirm rechts von Ihnen.”
rechts “Rechts” means “right” and gives the screen’s location in “rechts von Ihnen”. It is used to describe a position relative to a person or place.
von “Von” means “from” or “of” in “rechts von Ihnen”. Together with “Ihnen”, it establishes the person used as the reference point for “right”.
Ihnen “Ihnen” refers formally to “you” in “rechts von Ihnen”, meaning “to your right” in the full phrase. It follows “von” when the position is described relative to the person being addressed.
Die “Die” means “the” and introduces the specific bag in “Die Tüte fühlt sich zu voll an.”. It identifies the bag that the speaker is talking about.
Tüte “Tüte” means “bag”, here a shopping bag. It also appears in “eine andere Tüte”, referring to another bag for the heavy item.
fühlt “Fühlt” contributes the meaning “feels” in the expression “Die Tüte fühlt sich zu voll an.”. The complete expression describes how the bag seems to the speaker.
sich “Sich” is part of the expression “fühlt sich ... an”, which means that the bag feels a certain way. It belongs with “fühlt” and “an” rather than being translated alone as “itself” here.
zu “Zu” means “too” in “zu voll” and shows that the bag is full beyond what is comfortable or suitable. It is placed directly before the adjective it intensifies.
voll “Voll” means “full” in “Die Tüte fühlt sich zu voll an.”. Together with “zu”, it describes the bag as excessively full.
an “An” completes the expression “fühlt sich zu voll an”, meaning “feels too full”. It appears at the end because it is the separated part of this verb expression.
kann “Kann” means “can” and expresses the speaker’s ability or willingness to move the item in “Ich kann den schweren Artikel in eine andere Tüte legen.”. The other verb appears at the end: “kann ... legen”.
schweren “Schweren” means “heavy” in “den schweren Artikel”. It describes the item that is being moved to another bag.
Artikel “Artikel” means “item” or “product”; here it refers to the heavy shopping item in “den schweren Artikel”. It is useful in a shop when referring to a particular product.
in “In” means “into” in “in eine andere Tüte legen”, because the item is being moved to a destination bag. It introduces the container receiving the item in this movement expression.
eine “Eine” means “a” or “one” in “eine andere Tüte”. It introduces the other bag that will receive the item.
andere “Andere” means “another” or “different” in “eine andere Tüte”. It distinguishes this bag from the bag already being used.
legen “Legen” means “put” or “place” in “den schweren Artikel in eine andere Tüte legen”. It describes placing an item into a destination, here another bag.
Bitte “Bitte” means “please” and makes the request polite in “Bitte legen Sie die Glasartikel in eine separate Tüte.”. It can be placed at the beginning of a polite instruction.
Glasartikel “Glasartikel” means “glass items” and refers to the breakable shopping items in “die Glasartikel”. It identifies which items should be kept in a separate bag.
separate “Separate” means “separate” in “eine separate Tüte”, indicating that the glass items should be kept apart from the other items. It comes directly before the noun it describes here.
passe “Passe” contributes the meaning “pay attention” or “take care” in “Ich passe auf”. The complete expression is used when the speaker promises to act carefully.
auf “Auf” completes the expression “passe ... auf”, which means “pay attention” or “take care”. It is separated from “passe” and appears at the end of “Ich passe auf.”
während “Während” means “while” and introduces the action happening at the same time in “während ich sie einpacke.”. It connects taking care with the simultaneous action of bagging the items.
einpacke “Einpacke” means “pack” or “bag” in “während ich sie einpacke”, referring to putting the glass items into a bag. After “während”, it appears at the end of the clause.

Grammar Points

während + Nebensatz

während Sie Sachen einpacken

VAIR-unt zee ZAH-khun EYE-n-pah-kuhn

while you pack items

Nach „während“ steht das konjugierte Verb am Ende des Nebensatzes.

Trennbare Verben: einpacken → packen ... ein

Sie packen Sachen ein.

zee PAH-kun ZAH-khun EYE-n

You pack items.

Bei einem Hauptsatz wird der erste Teil abgetrennt; „ein“ steht am Satzende.

German Vocabulary

ablegen verb
AHP-lay-gun to place; to put down

Sie können Ihre Sachen hier ablegen.

Artikel noun
ar-TEE-kul item; article

Ich kann den schweren Artikel in eine andere Tüte legen.

benutzen verb
beh-NOOT-sun to use

Soll ich zum Bezahlen den Bildschirm benutzen?

Bezahlen noun
beh-TSAH-lun paying

Soll ich zum Bezahlen den Bildschirm benutzen?

Bildschirm noun
BILT-shurm screen

Benutzen Sie den Bildschirm rechts von Ihnen.

geöffnet adj
guh-URF-nuht open

Ist diese Kasse jetzt geöffnet?

Kasse noun
KASS-uh checkout

Ist diese Kasse jetzt geöffnet?

rechts adv
rekhts on the right; right

Benutzen Sie den Bildschirm rechts von Ihnen.

Sachen noun
ZAH-khun items; things

Sie können Ihre Sachen hier ablegen.

schwer adj
SHVAYR heavy

Ich kann den schweren Artikel in eine andere Tüte legen.

Tüte noun
TEW-tuh bag

Die Tüte fühlt sich zu voll an.

voll adj
fohl full

Die Tüte fühlt sich zu voll an.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Is this checkout open now?

Show AnswerIst diese Kasse jetzt geöffnet?

You can place your items here.

Show AnswerSie können Ihre Sachen hier ablegen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

on the right; right

Show Answerrechts

bag

Show AnswerTüte

paying

Show AnswerBezahlen

items; things

Show AnswerSachen