Choosing an activity based on the weather | Learn German in English

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Use Choosing an activity based on the weather to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Sollen wir morgen etwas drinnen oder draußen machen?

ZOL-len veer MOR-gen ET-vahs DRIN-nen OH-der DROW-sen MAKH-en? Should we do something indoors or outdoors tomorrow?

Schauen wir auf die Wettervorhersage, bevor wir uns entscheiden.

SHOW-en veer owf dee VET-ter-fohr-HAIR-zah-guh, buh-FOHR veer oons ent-SHY-den. Check the forecast before we decide.

In der Vorhersage steht, dass es am Morgen sonnig sein wird.

In dair FOHR-hair-zah-guh shtayt, dahss ess am MOR-gen ZON-nikh zine veert. It says the morning will be sunny.

Dann könnten wir vor dem Mittagessen spazieren gehen.

DAHN KURN-ten veer fohr dehm MIT-tahk-ESS-en shpah-TSEER-en GAY-en. Then we could take a walk before lunch.

Wenn es später regnet, können wir in ein Café gehen.

Ven ess SHPAY-ter RAYG-net, KURN-ten veer in ine ka-FAY GAY-en. If it rains later, we can visit a cafe.

So bleibt der Plan flexibel.

Zoh blypt dair plahn flek-SEE-bel. That keeps the plan flexible.

Planen wir einen Spaziergang am Morgen.

PLAH-nen veer EYE-nen shpah-TSEER-gahng ahm MOR-gen. Let's plan on a morning walk.

Wenn sich das Wetter ändert, können wir nach drinnen gehen.

Ven zikh dahss VET-ter END-ert, KURN-ten veer nahkh DRIN-nen GAY-en. We can move indoors if the weather changes.

Word by Word

Sollen In "Sollen wir ...?", "Sollen" asks whether the speakers should do something together, so it introduces a suggestion. This is a useful pattern for proposing a shared activity: "Sollen wir" followed by an action.

wir "wir" means the group "we" and identifies the people making the plan together. It is the subject in phrases such as "Sollen wir" and "können wir".

morgen The lowercase form "morgen" means tomorrow in "morgen etwas ... machen". The capitalized form "Morgen" in "am Morgen" means morning, so capitalization changes the meaning here.

etwas "etwas" means something unspecified; here it refers to an activity the speakers might do. The reusable pattern "etwas machen" means to do something without naming the activity yet.

drinnen "drinnen" means indoors and presents an indoor option for tomorrow's activity. It is paired with "draußen" in "drinnen oder draußen" when choosing between inside and outside.

oder "oder" connects alternatives. In "drinnen oder draußen", it shows that the speakers are choosing between two possible locations.

draußen "draußen" means outdoors or outside and names the outdoor alternative in the plan. The contrast "drinnen oder draußen" is useful when discussing where an activity will take place.

machen "machen" means do or make; here it means doing an activity in "etwas ... machen". It appears at the end of the question after "Sollen wir", a common position for the action after this suggestion pattern.

Schauen At the beginning of "Schauen wir auf die Wettervorhersage", "Schauen" introduces a joint suggestion to check something. The pattern is useful when suggesting that both people look at a source of information together.

auf In "auf die Wettervorhersage", "auf" directs attention toward the forecast, so "schauen auf" means look at or check. It is used here with the object being checked.

die "die" is the definite article before "Wettervorhersage", referring to the specific forecast relevant to the plan. It stands directly before the noun in "die Wettervorhersage".

Wettervorhersage "Wettervorhersage" means weather forecast, the source the speakers check before deciding. It is the object of "auf" in "auf die Wettervorhersage" and the information source in "In der Vorhersage".

bevor "bevor" means before and introduces the action that must happen first: checking the forecast before deciding. In "bevor wir uns entscheiden", the verb comes at the end of the subordinate clause.

uns In "wir uns entscheiden", "uns" refers back to "wir" and shows that the speakers are deciding themselves. It is part of the reflexive expression used for making a decision, rather than an independent object here.

entscheiden "entscheiden" means decide; in "bevor wir uns entscheiden", it names the decision the speakers will make after checking the forecast. This exact infinitive appears at the end of the clause after "bevor".

In At the start of "In der Vorhersage steht", "In" means in and introduces where the information is found. It is useful for identifying a source that contains written or stated information.

der "der" is the definite article before "Vorhersage" in "In der Vorhersage". Together with the noun, it identifies the forecast as the source containing the information.

Vorhersage In "In der Vorhersage", "Vorhersage" means forecast. Here it is the source in which the prediction about the morning is stated.

steht In "In der Vorhersage steht, dass ...", "steht" means says or states rather than simply stands. This construction is useful for reporting information written in a forecast or another source.

dass "dass" means that and introduces the content of what the forecast states. In "dass es am Morgen sonnig sein wird", it connects the report to the prediction.

es In "es am Morgen sonnig sein wird" and "es später regnet", "es" is the subject used for these weather statements. It appears with weather conditions rather than referring to a particular person.

am "am" means in the or at the in the time expression "am Morgen". It is a common way to place an event at a particular time of day.

sonnig "sonnig" means sunny and describes the expected weather in "es am Morgen sonnig sein wird". It is used with "sein" to state the weather condition.

sein "sein" means be and completes the weather description "sonnig sein". In "sein wird", it combines with "wird" to describe a future condition.

wird In "sonnig sein wird", "wird" gives the statement a future meaning: the morning will be sunny. It appears with the infinitive "sein" in this prediction.

Dann "Dann" means then and links the forecast to the next planning decision. It signals that the proposed walk follows from the sunny morning.

könnten "könnten" means could and presents the walk as a possible or tentative suggestion. It is used with the action "spazieren gehen" in "könnten wir ... spazieren gehen".

vor In "vor dem Mittagessen", "vor" means before and places the walk earlier than lunch. This is a common temporal use for specifying when an activity happens.

dem In "vor dem Mittagessen", "dem" is the article used with the noun after "vor" in this time expression. The complete phrase means before lunch.

Mittagessen "Mittagessen" means lunch and marks the time boundary for the walk in "vor dem Mittagessen". It is used after "vor" to say that something happens before lunch.

spazieren In "spazieren gehen", "spazieren" contributes the idea of walking for pleasure, so the whole expression means go for a walk. This expression is used here to name the proposed outdoor activity.

gehen "gehen" means go; in "spazieren gehen" it forms the expression go for a walk. It also appears in "in ein Café gehen", where it describes going to a destination.

Wenn "Wenn" means if here and introduces a condition: rain later would change the plan. It also begins "Wenn sich das Wetter ändert", where it means if the weather changes.

später "später" means later and places the possible rain after the current planning point. It modifies the weather event in "später regnet".

regnet "regnet" means rains and describes the possible later weather in "Wenn es später regnet". It is used with "es" in this weather expression.

können "können" means can and shows that visiting a café is an available option if it rains. It is followed by the action "in ein Café gehen".

ein "ein" means a or an and introduces the destination "Café" in "in ein Café gehen". It stands directly before the noun when one café is meant without identifying a specific one.

Café "Café" means café and names the indoor destination in the backup plan. In "in ein Café gehen", it is the place the speakers can go if it rains.

So "So" means so or that way and refers to the arrangement just proposed. In "So bleibt der Plan flexibel", it explains the result of having an outdoor plan with an indoor alternative.

bleibt "bleibt" means remains or stays; here the plan remains flexible despite the possible weather change. It is used with "der Plan" as the thing that continues in that condition.

Plan "Plan" means plan and refers to the agreed arrangement for the activity. In "der Plan", it is the subject of "bleibt" and is described as flexible.

flexibel "flexibel" means flexible and describes a plan that can adapt to changing weather. The pattern "der Plan bleibt flexibel" is useful for saying that an arrangement can change without being abandoned.

Planen At the beginning of "Planen wir einen Spaziergang am Morgen", "Planen" introduces a joint suggestion to arrange an activity. The pattern "Planen wir" can be used when proposing what the group should organize.

einen "einen" means a or an and introduces the planned activity in "einen Spaziergang". It appears directly before the noun that is being planned.

Spaziergang "Spaziergang" means walk and names the activity the speakers choose for the morning. The reusable phrase "einen Spaziergang planen" means plan a walk.

sich In "Wenn sich das Wetter ändert", "sich" shows that the weather itself undergoes the change. The earlier dialogue also uses the related reflexive idea in "wir uns entscheiden", where the form changes to match "wir".

das "das" is the definite article before "Wetter" in "das Wetter". It identifies the weather as the thing whose change may affect the plan.

Wetter "Wetter" means weather and is the subject of the change in "sich das Wetter ändert". It is also the factor used to decide between the outdoor plan and the indoor backup.

ändert "ändert" means changes; in "sich das Wetter ändert", it describes the weather becoming different. This form is useful when explaining that a plan may need to respond to changing conditions.

nach In "nach drinnen gehen", "nach" means toward the inside and describes moving indoors. It is used here to show the direction of the backup activity when the weather changes.

Grammar Points

nach drinnen gehen

Wir gehen nach drinnen.

Veer GAY-en nahkh DRIN-nen.

We go indoors.

„Nach drinnen“ bezeichnet eine Richtung. Für einen Ort ohne Bewegung steht „drinnen“.

sich entscheiden

Wir entscheiden uns später.

Veer ent-SHY-den oons SHPAY-ter.

We will decide later.

„Sich entscheiden“ ist reflexiv: Das Pronomen passt zur Person, hier „uns“ bei „wir“.

German Vocabulary

draußen adv

DROW-sen outdoors

etwas draußen machen

drinnen adv

DRIN-nen indoors

etwas drinnen machen

etwas pron

ET-vahs something

etwas drinnen oder draußen machen

machen verb

MAKH-en to do; to make

etwas drinnen oder draußen machen

Mittagessen noun

MIT-tahk-ESS-en lunch

vor dem Mittagessen

morgen adv

MOR-gen tomorrow

morgen etwas machen

regnen verb

RAYG-nen to rain regnet

Wenn es später regnet

schauen verb

SHOW-en to look; to check Schauen

Schauen wir auf die Wettervorhersage

sich entscheiden verb

zikh ent-SHY-den to decide uns entscheiden

bevor wir uns entscheiden

sonnig adj

ZON-nikh sunny

dass es am Morgen sonnig sein wird

spazieren gehen phrase

shpah-TSEER-en GAY-en to go for a walk

vor dem Mittagessen spazieren gehen

Wettervorhersage noun

VET-ter-fohr-HAIR-zah-guh weather forecast

auf die Wettervorhersage schauen

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

That keeps the plan flexible.

Show Answer

So bleibt der Plan flexibel.

Let's plan on a morning walk.

Show Answer

Planen wir einen Spaziergang am Morgen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to look; to check

Show Answer

Schauen

outdoors

Show Answer

draußen

something

Show Answer

etwas

sunny

Show Answer

sonnig