Snowy weather and safe travel | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: On a snowy morning, two adults discuss icy sidewalks, safer shoes, and possible bus delays before leaving..

EN → DE / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Snowy weather and safe travel to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

In der Nacht hat es viel geschneit.

in dair NAH-kht hahpt ess feel geh-SHNYT. It snowed a lot during the night.
B

Die Gehwege können heute Morgen glatt sein.

dee GAY-vay-guh KURN-en HOY-tuh MOR-gen glat zine. The sidewalks may be icy this morning.
A

Dann sollte ich Stiefel mit besserem Halt tragen.

dahn ZOHL-tuh ikh SHTEE-fel mit BESS-uh-rem HAHLT TRAH-gen. Then I should wear boots with better grip.
B

Du solltest auch vorsichtiger als sonst gehen.

doo ZOHL-tuhst owkh FOR-zikh-tig-er ahls zonst GAY-en. You should also walk more carefully than usual.
A

Glaubst du, dass die Busse Verspätung haben werden?

glowpst doo, dahss dee BOO-suh fair-SHPAY-toong HAH-ben VAIR-den? Do you think buses will be delayed?
B

Wahrscheinlich, weil sich der Verkehr im Schnee langsam bewegt.

vah-SHYNE-likh, vile zikh dair fair-KAIR im SHNAY LAHNG-zahm beh-VAYKT. Probably, because traffic moves slowly in snow.
A

Lass mich vor dem Losgehen die Verkehrs-App prüfen.

lahss mikh for dame LOHS-gay-en dee fair-KAIRS-app PROO-fen. Let me check the transport app before leaving.
B

Das kann dir Zeit sparen.

dahss kahn dair TSITE SHPAH-ren. That may save you time.

Word by Word

In In In der Nacht means during the night and introduces the time period when the snow fell. A useful reuse pattern is in plus a time expression.
der In In der Nacht, der means the and accompanies Nacht. It is the article used with this time expression after In.
Nacht Nacht means night in In der Nacht, referring to the previous nighttime period. It is useful in time expressions describing when something happened.
hat Hat helps form the completed past event hat ... geschneit. In this sentence, it works together with es and geschneit to say that snow fell during the night.
es Es is the impersonal it used with weather in hat es viel geschneit. Here it does not refer to a particular object; it is part of the German weather expression.
viel Viel means a lot in viel geschneit and describes the large amount of snow. It can be reused before an expression to indicate a large amount.
geschneit Geschneit means snowed in hat es viel geschneit. It is the form used with hat to describe the completed snowfall.
Die Die means the in Die Gehwege and introduces the plural subject sidewalks. The capital letter is also required because it begins the sentence.
Gehwege Gehwege means sidewalks, the surfaces that may be slippery this morning. It is the subject of Die Gehwege können ... sein.
können Können means may or can here, expressing the possibility that the sidewalks are slippery. A useful pattern is können plus an infinitive, as in können ... glatt sein.
heute Heute means today in heute Morgen. Together with Morgen, it identifies the morning of the current day.
Morgen Morgen means morning in heute Morgen, not tomorrow. The expression heute Morgen is a common way to refer to this morning.
glatt Glatt means slippery or icy here, describing the possible condition of the sidewalks. It is used with sein in glatt sein to describe a surface.
sein Sein means be and completes können ... glatt sein. With a modal verb such as können, the infinitive sein appears at the end of the clause.
Dann Dann means then and connects the snowy, slippery conditions to the speaker’s next decision. It is useful for introducing a consequence or next action.
sollte Sollte means should in sollte ich ... tragen and expresses the speaker’s own sensible recommendation. A reusable pattern is sollte plus an infinitive for advice.
ich Ich means I and identifies the person who should wear the boots. In sollte ich ..., it is the subject of the recommendation.
Stiefel Stiefel means boots, the footwear the speaker plans to wear. The word is used here as the object of tragen.
mit Mit means with in mit besserem Halt and introduces the feature of the boots. A useful pattern is mit plus a characteristic or feature.
besserem Besserem means better in mit besserem Halt and describes improved grip. Its form fits the phrase introduced by mit and agrees with Halt there.
Halt Halt means grip or traction in mit besserem Halt, referring to how securely the boots hold on the slippery ground. The phrase mit besserem Halt describes boots with improved traction.
tragen Tragen means wear here, referring to putting on and using the boots. It completes sollte ich ... tragen and appears as the infinitive after sollte.
Du Du means you and addresses one person directly in the advice. Du solltest is a common pattern for giving someone a recommendation.
solltest Solltest means should when giving advice to du. In Du solltest auch vorsichtiger ... gehen, it introduces the action that is recommended.
auch Auch means also and adds walking carefully to the earlier advice about wearing suitable boots. It can be placed before another recommended action to add it to the list.
vorsichtiger Vorsichtiger means more carefully in vorsichtiger als sonst gehen. It shows that the walking should be more careful than the person’s usual way of walking.
als Als means than and introduces the comparison in vorsichtiger als sonst. It connects the increased care to the usual situation.
sonst Sonst means usually or normally in als sonst, referring to how the person walks under ordinary conditions. The pattern als sonst is useful for comparing something with the normal situation.
gehen Gehen means walk here, describing movement on the slippery sidewalks. It is the infinitive completing Du solltest ... gehen.
Glaubst Glaubst means do you think or do you believe in Glaubst du, dass ... and asks for the other person’s opinion. Glaubst du, dass ... is a reusable way to ask whether someone thinks a statement is true.
dass Dass means that and introduces the content of the speaker’s question. It connects Glaubst du with the statement about the buses.
Busse Busse means buses, the vehicles whose arrival may be affected by the snow. It is the subject of die Busse ... haben werden.
Verspätung Verspätung means delay in Verspätung haben. The complete expression Verspätung haben means to be delayed, so the noun alone does not express the whole idea.
haben Haben means have as part of Verspätung haben, the expression used for buses being delayed. A useful reuse pattern is a transport subject plus Verspätung haben.
werden Werden marks the future in ... Verspätung haben werden, meaning that the buses will be delayed. In a future construction, werden is combined with an infinitive phrase.
Wahrscheinlich Wahrscheinlich means probably and gives a likely answer about the bus delays. It can stand at the beginning of a reply to express an uncertain but likely conclusion.
weil Weil means because and introduces the reason for expecting delays. It is useful for connecting a conclusion with its reason.
sich Sich is part of the movement expression in sich ... bewegt; together with the verb, it describes the traffic moving. It should be learned with the movement verb rather than translated as themselves in this sentence.
Verkehr Verkehr means traffic, the moving vehicles on the roads. Here it is the thing that moves slowly in the snow.
im Im means in the in im Schnee. It is the shortened form used in this phrase and introduces the snowy conditions in which the traffic moves.
Schnee Schnee means snow in im Schnee, identifying the weather condition affecting traffic. Im Schnee is a useful expression for something happening in snowy conditions.
langsam Langsam means slowly here and describes the speed of the traffic’s movement. It can be used to say that an action happens at a low speed.
bewegt Bewegt means moves in sich ... langsam bewegt and describes what the traffic does. Because it follows weil, this finite verb appears at the end of the subordinate clause.
Lass Lass means let in Lass mich ... and introduces a request for permission to do something. Lass mich plus an infinitive is a common way to say let me do something.
mich Mich means me in Lass mich ... and identifies the person who is asking to act. Together with Lass, it forms the request Lass mich ... prüfen.
vor Vor means before in vor dem Losgehen and places the app check earlier than setting off. It is useful for introducing an action that happens before another event.
dem Dem is the article in vor dem Losgehen, accompanying the named action Losgehen. Together, vor dem Losgehen means before setting off.
Losgehen Losgehen means setting off or leaving in vor dem Losgehen. Its capitalized form names the action, and the expression refers to the time before the speakers leave.
Verkehrs-App Verkehrs-App means transport app, the app the speaker wants to check for travel information. It is the object in die Verkehrs-App prüfen.
prüfen Prüfen means check here, referring to checking the transport app before leaving. A useful reuse pattern is prüfen plus an object, as in die Verkehrs-App prüfen.
Das Das means that in Das kann dir Zeit sparen and refers to checking the transport app as an action. It is the subject of the statement about saving time.
kann Kann means can or may here, expressing the possible benefit of checking the app. A useful pattern is kann plus an infinitive, as in kann ... sparen.
dir Dir means to you or for you in kann dir Zeit sparen and identifies the person who benefits. It is part of the expression kann dir Zeit sparen.
Zeit Zeit means time in Zeit sparen. The full expression Zeit sparen means save time, so Zeit names what is saved.
sparen Sparen means save in Zeit sparen, referring to avoiding wasted travel time. Zeit sparen is a common reusable expression for making an activity take less time.

Grammar Points

Komparativ: vorsichtiger als sonst

Wir gehen vorsichtiger als sonst.

veer GAY-en FOR-zikh-tig-er ahls zonst.

We are walking more carefully than usual.

The comparative form vorsichtiger compares how carefully we walk; als introduces the comparison.

Reflexives Verb: sich bewegen

Der Verkehr bewegt sich langsam.

dair fair-KAIR beh-VAYKT zikh LAHNG-zahm.

The traffic is moving slowly.

sich bewegen is reflexive: the pronoun belongs to the verb and refers back to the subject.

German Vocabulary

gehen verb
GAY-en to walk; to go
Gehweg noun
GAY-vake sidewalk Gehwege
glatt adj
GLAHT icy; slippery
Halt noun
HAHLT grip
Nacht noun
NAH-kht night
schneien verb
SHNY-en to snow geschneit
sich bewegen verb
zikh beh-VAY-gen to move bewegt
Stiefel noun
SHTEE-fel boots
tragen verb
TRAH-gen to wear; to carry
Verkehr noun
fair-KAIR traffic
Verspätung haben phrase
fair-SHPAY-toong HAH-ben to be delayed
vorsichtig adj
FOR-zikh-tikh careful; cautiously vorsichtiger

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

That may save you time.

Show AnswerDas kann dir Zeit sparen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to snow

Show Answergeschneit

icy; slippery

Show Answerglatt

night

Show AnswerNacht

grip

Show AnswerHalt