Borrowing a tissue from a bag | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: In a daily life setting, one adult asks to borrow a tissue from another person's bag and checks permission before opening a pocket..

EN → DE / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Borrowing a tissue from a bag to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Könnte ich ein Taschentuch aus deiner Tasche nehmen?

KURN-tuh ikh ayn TAH-shun-tooh ows DYE-nuh TAH-shuh NAY-men? Could I borrow a tissue from your bag?
B

Sie sind in der Seitentasche.

ZEE zint in dair ZY-ten-tah-shuh. They're in the side pocket.
A

Darf ich sie öffnen?

Darf ikh zee URF-nen? May I open it?
A

Möchtest du lieber eins holen?

MURKH-test doo LEE-ber ayns HOH-len? Would you rather get one?
B

Du kannst sie öffnen.

Doo kahnst zee URF-nen. You can open it.
A

Ich habe jetzt eins.

Ikh HAH-buh yetst ayns. I've got one now.
B

Bitte schließe sie, wenn du fertig bist.

BIT-tuh SHLEE-suh zee, ven doo FER-tikh bist. Please close the pocket when you're done.
A

Ich schließe sie vorsichtig.

Ikh SHLEE-suh zee FOR-zikh-tikh. I'll close it carefully.
B

Nimm ein weiteres mit, wenn du es brauchst.

NIM ayn VY-ter-es mit, ven doo ess BROWKHST. Keep another with you if you need it.

Word by Word

Könnte Könnte means “could” here and begins the polite request „Könnte ich ein Taschentuch aus deiner Tasche nehmen?“. Use it when asking another person for permission or help.
ich ich means “I” and refers to the person speaking, as in „Könnte ich“ and „Ich habe“. It is used as the subject when you describe your own action, request, or possession.
ein ein means “a” or “one” here, as in „ein Taschentuch“ and „ein weiteres“. Use it before a singular item when introducing one item or an additional item.
Taschentuch Taschentuch means “tissue” and names the item the speaker wants to take from the bag. It is useful when asking for or referring to a tissue in an everyday situation.
aus aus means “from” or “out of” in „aus deiner Tasche“. It identifies the bag as the source or container, so use aus with something taken from a place or container.
deiner deiner means “your” in „aus deiner Tasche“, referring to one person addressed informally. Here it is the possessive form used with Tasche after aus; use it when referring to an informal singular person’s feminine item in this pattern.
Tasche Tasche means “bag” in „deiner Tasche“. It identifies the container from which the tissue is taken, so it is useful when asking about or locating something in a bag.
nehmen nehmen means “take” in „ein Taschentuch aus deiner Tasche nehmen“. In this context, taking the tissue from the bag expresses the request to borrow it; use it with an object and its source when describing taking something.
Sie Sie or sie changes meaning according to its referent in this dialogue: „Sie sind“ refers to the tissues, while „Darf ich sie öffnen?“ and „Bitte schließe sie“ refer to the pocket. Pay attention to the noun or object being referred to when using this pronoun.
sind sind means “are” in „Sie sind in der Seitentasche“. It describes where the tissues are, so use it with a plural subject to state a location.
in in means “in” in „in der Seitentasche“ and marks the location of the tissues. Use it to say that something is inside a place or container.
der der means “the” in „der Seitentasche“ and points to the specific side pocket. Together with in, it identifies the pocket where the tissues are located.
Seitentasche Seitentasche means “side pocket” and identifies the particular pocket containing the tissues. It is useful when directing someone to a specific compartment of a bag.
Darf Darf means “may” or “be allowed to” in „Darf ich sie öffnen?“. It is used to ask permission before opening or doing something.
öffnen öffnen means “open” in „Darf ich sie öffnen?“ and „Du kannst sie öffnen“. It is the action being discussed, so use it with the thing that will be opened.
Möchtest Möchtest means “would you like” in „Möchtest du lieber eins holen?“. It asks an informal singular person about a preference or choice.
du du means “you” when addressing one person informally, as in „Möchtest du lieber eins holen?“. Use it when speaking directly to an informal singular interlocutor.
lieber lieber means “rather” or “preferably” in „Möchtest du lieber eins holen?“. It marks a preference between possible actions, so use it when asking which option someone prefers.
eins eins means “one” and stands for one tissue in „Möchtest du lieber eins holen?“ and „Ich habe jetzt eins“. Use it as a standalone reference to one item when the item is already understood.
holen holen means “get” or “fetch” in „eins holen“. It describes going to obtain the tissue, so use it with the item someone is going to get.
kannst kannst means “can” or “are allowed to” in „Du kannst sie öffnen“. In this dialogue it grants permission to open the pocket; use it with du to say that an action is possible or permitted.
habe habe means “have” in „Ich habe jetzt eins“. It expresses that the speaker now possesses a tissue, so use it with ich to talk about what you have.
jetzt jetzt means “now” in „Ich habe jetzt eins“. It locates the possession in the present moment, so use it to emphasize a current situation or result.
Bitte Bitte means “please” in „Bitte schließe sie“ and makes the request polite. Use it before a request or instruction addressed to another person.
schließe schließe means “close” in the direct request „Bitte schließe sie“. It tells the informal singular listener to close the pocket after using it.
wenn wenn means “when” or “if” in „wenn du fertig bist“. It introduces the time or condition for closing the pocket, so use it to connect an action with a condition or point in time.
fertig fertig means “done” or “finished” in „du fertig bist“. It describes completion, so it is useful when saying that a person has finished an activity.
bist bist means “are” with du in „du fertig bist“. Because it appears in a wenn-clause, it comes at the end of that clause while stating that the person is done.
vorsichtig vorsichtig means “carefully” or “cautiously” in „Ich schließe sie vorsichtig“. It describes how the speaker closes the pocket, so use it to show that an action is performed with care.
Nimm Nimm is a direct informal request meaning “take” in „Nimm ein weiteres mit“. Together with mit, it tells the listener to take an additional tissue along; use this pattern when instructing one informal person to take something.
weiteres weiteres means “another” or “an additional one” in „ein weiteres“. Here it refers to another tissue, so use ein weiteres when referring to one more item already understood from the context.
mit mit means “along” in „Nimm ein weiteres mit“. It completes the idea of taking something with you, so it is useful in a request to carry or keep an item with you.
es es means “it” in „wenn du es brauchst“ and refers back to the additional tissue. Use it to refer to a singular item that has already been mentioned or understood.
brauchst brauchst means “need” with du in „wenn du es brauchst“. It describes the listener’s need for the tissue, so use it with the item that someone needs.

Grammar Points

mitnehmen → Nimm ... mit

Nimm bitte ein Taschentuch mit.

NIM BIT-tuh ayn TAH-shun-tooh mit.

Please take a tissue along.

mitnehmen is a separable verb: in the imperative, Nimm comes first and mit moves to the end.

ein weiteres + noun

Ich brauche ein weiteres Taschentuch.

Ikh BROWKH-uh ayn VY-ter-es TAH-shun-tooh.

I need another tissue.

For a neuter noun after ein, the adjective uses -es: ein weiteres Taschentuch.

German Vocabulary

bitte intj
BIT-tuh please

Bitte schließe sie.

haben verb
HAH-ben to have habe

Ich habe jetzt eins.

holen verb
HOH-len to get; to fetch

eins holen

jetzt adv
YETST now
lieber adv
LEE-ber rather; preferably

Möchtest du lieber eins holen?

nehmen verb
NAY-men to take

ein Taschentuch aus deiner Tasche nehmen

öffnen verb
URF-nen to open

sie öffnen

schließen verb
SHLEE-sen to close schließe

Bitte schließe sie, wenn du fertig bist.

sein verb
zine to be sind

Sie sind in der Seitentasche.

Seitentasche noun
ZY-ten-tah-shuh side pocket

in der Seitentasche

Tasche noun
TAH-shuh bag

deiner Tasche

Taschentuch noun
TAH-shun-tooh tissue

ein Taschentuch

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

They're in the side pocket.

Show AnswerSie sind in der Seitentasche.

May I open it?

Show AnswerDarf ich sie öffnen?

Would you rather get one?

Show AnswerMöchtest du lieber eins holen?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to get; to fetch

Show Answerholen

to be

Show Answersind

tissue

Show AnswerTaschentuch

rather; preferably

Show Answerlieber