Staying Focused on Needed Purchases | Learn German in English

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Use Staying Focused on Needed Purchases to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ich bin wegen Schuhen gekommen, aber die anderen ausgestellten Sachen lenken mich ab.

ikh bin VAY-gen SHOO-en guh-KOM-en, AH-ber dee AHN-de-ren OWS-guh-SHTEL-ten ZAH-khen LEN-ken mikh ahp. I came for shoes, but the other items on display are distracting me.

Beginne mit dem, weshalb du gekommen bist, bevor du etwas anderes dazulegst.

beh-GIN-uh mit daym, vays-HAHLP doo guh-KOM-en bist, beh-FOHR doo ET-vas AHN-de-res DAHT-soo-laykst. Start with what you came for before adding anything else.

Die Schuhe sind nötig, aber die Jacke ist nur verlockend.

dee SHOO-uh zint NUHR-tikh, AH-ber dee YAH-kuh ist noor fer-LOK-ent. The shoes are necessary, but the jacket is only tempting.

Dann leg die Jacke erst einmal nicht in deinen Korb.

dahn layk dee YAH-kuh airrst EYN-mahl nikht in DYE-nen korp. Then keep the jacket out of your basket for now.

Diese Socken würden zu den Schuhen passen und mein abgetragenes Paar ersetzen.

DEE-zuh ZOK-en VUR-den tsoo dayn SHOO-en PASS-en oont mine AHP-guh-TRAH-guh-nes pahr air-ZET-sen. These socks would match the shoes and replace my worn pair.

Sie passen besser zu deinem Plan als die Jacke.

zee PASS-en BES-er tsoo DYE-nem plahn ahls dee YAH-kuh. They fit your plan better than the jacket.

Ich nehme die Schuhe und die Socken und gehe dann.

ikh NAY-muh dee SHOO-uh oont dee ZOK-en oont GAY-uh dahn. I'll take the shoes and socks, then head out.

So bleibt dein Einkauf gezielt und praktisch.

zoh blypt dine EYN-kowf guh-TSEELT oont PRAK-tish. That keeps your shopping trip focused and practical.

Word by Word

Ich “Ich” means “I” here, referring to the speaker. It is used as the subject before a verb, as in “Ich bin ...” when talking about yourself.

bin “bin” means “am” in “Ich bin wegen Schuhen gekommen.” It is the first-person form of sein used with Ich, and it helps form the statement about having come for shoes.

wegen “wegen” means “because of” or “for” here, introducing the reason for coming. It commonly appears before the thing that explains a purpose or reason, as in “wegen Schuhen” in this shopping situation.

Schuhen “Schuhen” means “shoes” here, the reason for the speaker’s visit. The form appears after “wegen” in “wegen Schuhen”; it is useful when naming the item connected with the reason for an action.

gekommen “gekommen” means “come” or “came” here, describing arrival at the shop. It is the past participle of kommen and appears with “bin” in “bin wegen Schuhen gekommen”; reuse this form with bin when describing having come somewhere.

aber “aber” means “but” and introduces a contrast between coming for shoes and being distracted by other items. It connects two contrasting statements, as in “..., aber ...” in the dialogue.

die “die” means “the” before “anderen ausgestellten Sachen.” Here it introduces the specific items that are distracting the speaker, and it can similarly introduce a known plural group before a noun.

anderen “anderen” means “other” here, distinguishing the displayed items from the shoes the speaker came to buy. It appears directly before “ausgestellten Sachen” and is reusable before a noun when referring to additional or different items.

ausgestellten “ausgestellten” means “displayed” or “put on display,” describing the Sachen in the shop. It appears before “Sachen” and specifies which items are meant; this form can be used before a noun for things presented for people to see.

Sachen “Sachen” means “things” or “items” here, referring to the other products on display. It is used after the describing words “anderen ausgestellten” and is a practical general word for items when the exact object is not specified.

lenken “lenken” means “distract” in “lenken mich ab,” where the displayed items draw the speaker’s attention away. It is used with a person as the object and the separable part “ab”; this pattern is useful for describing something taking your attention away.

mich “mich” means “me” here, the person whose attention is being distracted. It appears after “lenken” in “lenken mich ab” and is used when the speaker is the affected person.

ab “ab” contributes the idea of “away” in “lenken mich ab.” Together with “lenken,” it forms the separable verb expression “lenken ... ab,” meaning to distract someone; the two parts are separated by the conjugated verb in this sentence.

Beginne “Beginne” means “start” or “begin” here and gives direct advice to one person. It is the imperative form of beginnen and is used at the beginning of a command, as in “Beginne mit ...” when telling someone where to start.

mit “mit” means “with” here and introduces the starting point of the recommended action. It appears in “Beginne mit dem ...”; this pattern is useful when saying what someone should begin with.

dem “dem” refers to “the thing” in “mit dem, weshalb du gekommen bist.” It points to the reason or purpose already described, allowing the speaker to refer to it without repeating the noun; it follows “mit” in this expression.

weshalb “weshalb” means “why” or “for which reason” here, linking the referred-to thing with the reason for coming. In “dem, weshalb du gekommen bist,” it introduces the reason clause; it can be used to ask about or explain a reason.

du “du” means “you” when addressing one person informally. It is the subject in “du gekommen bist” and is used for a direct conversation between the two people in the shop.

bist “bist” means “are” in “du gekommen bist.” It is the second-person singular form of sein and appears with “gekommen” in the subordinate clause; this combination describes what the addressed person has come to do.

bevor “bevor” means “before” and sets the time relationship between starting with the intended purchase and adding something else. It introduces the clause “bevor du etwas anderes dazulegst”; use it to say that one action should happen earlier than another.

etwas “etwas” means “something” here, referring generally to an additional item. It appears before “anderes” in “etwas anderes” and is useful when the exact thing is not specified.

anderes “anderes” means “else” or “another thing” in “etwas anderes.” Together, “etwas anderes” refers to any additional item beyond the intended purchase; this expression is useful when discussing an unspecified alternative or extra thing.

dazulegst “dazulegst” means “put in” or “add” here, referring to placing something else in the shopping basket. It is the second-person singular form of dazulegen and appears after “etwas anderes” in “etwas anderes dazulegst”; this pattern is useful for telling someone not to add another item.

Schuhe “Schuhe” means “shoes” here, the items that are necessary to buy. It is the subject in “Die Schuhe sind nötig” and can be used as the noun for a pair or group of shoes in a shopping conversation.

sind “sind” means “are” in “Die Schuhe sind nötig.” It is the plural form of sein and links the shoes with the description “nötig”; use it to describe a plural subject.

nötig “nötig” means “necessary” here, showing that the shoes are needed rather than merely attractive. It follows “sind” in “Die Schuhe sind nötig” and is useful for explaining that an item is required.

Jacke “Jacke” means “jacket” here, the item that is tempting but not necessary. It is the subject in “die Jacke ist nur verlockend” and is used when identifying that particular garment.

ist “ist” means “is” in “die Jacke ist nur verlockend.” It is the third-person singular form of sein and links “die Jacke” with the description “verlockend.”

nur “nur” means “only” or “just” here, limiting the description of the jacket to being tempting. It appears before “verlockend” in “nur verlockend” and is useful for narrowing or limiting a statement.

verlockend “verlockend” means “tempting” here, describing something attractive enough to make the shopper want it. It appears after “nur” in “nur verlockend”; use it when an option is appealing even though it may not be needed.

Dann “Dann” means “then” here and introduces the advice that follows from recognizing the jacket is unnecessary. It commonly comes at the start of a response to mark the next step, as in “Dann leg ...”.

leg “leg” means “put” or “place” here in the command “leg die Jacke ... in deinen Korb.” It is the informal imperative form of legen and is used to tell one person where to place an object.

erst einmal “erst einmal” means “for now” here, making the instruction temporary rather than final. The expression combines “erst,” which limits the action to an initial point, with “einmal,” which softens it as a first or temporary step; it is useful in advice such as “Leg ... erst einmal nicht ...”.

nicht “nicht” means “not” and negates the instruction to put the jacket in the basket. It appears before “in deinen Korb” in “nicht in deinen Korb” and is used to make the requested action negative.

in “in” means “into” here, showing the destination of the jacket’s movement. It appears in “in deinen Korb” after “leg” and is reusable when describing placing something inside a container or area.

deinen “deinen” means “your” here, referring to the basket belonging to the person being addressed. It appears before “Korb” in “deinen Korb” and is used to identify something associated with one informal listener.

Korb “Korb” means “basket” here, specifically the shopping basket into which the jacket should not be placed. It appears after “in deinen” in “in deinen Korb”; this phrase is useful when talking about putting products into a shopping basket.

Diese “Diese” means “these” here and points to the socks the speaker is considering. It appears before “Socken” in “Diese Socken” and is useful for identifying specific nearby items.

Socken “Socken” means “socks” here, the items that would match the shoes and replace the worn pair. It is the subject of “Diese Socken würden ...” and can be used when discussing socks as a plural group.

würden “würden” means “would” here, presenting a possible result rather than a definite fact: the socks would match the shoes. It is the plural form of werden used with “passen” in “würden zu den Schuhen passen”; this pattern is useful for describing a possible suitability or result.

zu “zu” means “with” in the matching expression “zu den Schuhen passen.” It connects the item that matches with the item it matches; use the pattern “zu etwas passen” when saying that one thing goes well with another.

den “den” means “the” in “zu den Schuhen,” referring to the specific shoes already being considered. It introduces the plural noun “Schuhen” after “zu” in this expression.

passen “passen” means “match” here, describing how the socks would go with the shoes. It appears in “würden zu den Schuhen passen”; this reusable pattern keeps the matching item after “zu.”

und “und” means “and” and joins the two possible benefits of the socks: matching the shoes and replacing the old pair. It connects parallel actions or descriptions, as in “passen und ... ersetzen.”

mein “mein” means “my” here and identifies the pair as belonging to the speaker. It appears before “abgetragenes Paar” and is used before a noun when referring to something owned by the speaker.

abgetragenes “abgetragenes” means “worn” here, describing the pair that has become used and needs replacing. It appears before “Paar” in “mein abgetragenes Paar”; this pattern is useful for describing clothing or other items worn through use.

Paar “Paar” means “pair” here, referring to the speaker’s worn pair of socks. It appears after “mein abgetragenes” and is useful when one item is understood as a matching set of two.

ersetzen “ersetzen” means “replace” here, describing the socks taking the place of the worn pair. It is linked with “würden” in “würden ... ersetzen”; use it with the thing being replaced when explaining that a new item will take its place.

Sie “Sie” means “they” here and refers back to the socks. It is the subject in “Sie passen besser ...” and is used to refer to a plural group already mentioned.

besser “besser” means “better” here, comparing how well the socks fit the plan with how well the jacket fits it. It appears in “passen besser zu deinem Plan als die Jacke”; this pattern is useful for making a comparison.

deinem “deinem” means “your” here, referring to the plan of the person being addressed. It appears before “Plan” in “zu deinem Plan” and identifies something belonging or relating to one informal listener.

Plan “Plan” means “plan” here, specifically the intention to buy needed shoes and socks. It appears after “zu deinem” in “zu deinem Plan passen”; this expression is useful for saying that an item suits or supports someone’s plan.

als “als” means “than” here and introduces the second part of a comparison between the socks and the jacket. It appears after “besser” in “besser ... als die Jacke”; use this pattern when comparing two options.

nehme “nehme” means “take” here, as in deciding to buy the shoes and socks. It is the first-person form of nehmen in “Ich nehme die Schuhe und die Socken”; this phrase is useful when selecting or buying items in a shop.

gehe “gehe” means “go” here, describing the speaker leaving after choosing the items. It is the first-person form of gehen in “gehe dann”; use it with “dann” to show the next action after the purchase.

So “So” means “so” or “in this way” here and refers to choosing only the needed items. It introduces the result in “So bleibt dein Einkauf ...” and is useful for linking an action with its consequence.

bleibt “bleibt” means “stays” or “remains” here, saying that the shopping trip continues to have a focused and practical character. It is the third-person singular form of bleiben in “dein Einkauf bleibt ...”; use it when describing something continuing in a particular state.

dein “dein” means “your” here and identifies the shopping trip as belonging to the person being addressed. It appears before “Einkauf” in “dein Einkauf” and is used with a masculine singular noun in this expression.

Einkauf “Einkauf” means “shopping” or “purchase” here, referring to the whole shopping trip or set of purchases. It is the subject in “dein Einkauf bleibt ...” and is useful when discussing the activity or result of shopping.

gezielt “gezielt” means “focused” or “targeted” here, describing shopping directed toward the needed items. It appears after “bleibt dein Einkauf” and is useful for describing an activity that stays aimed at a clear purpose.

praktisch “praktisch” means “practical” here, describing shopping that is useful and avoids unnecessary purchases. It is coordinated with “gezielt” in “gezielt und praktisch” and can be used to describe a sensible choice or approach.

Grammar Points

wegen + Genitiv

wegen der ausgestellten Sachen

VAY-gen dair OWS-guh-SHTEL-ten ZAH-khen

because of the displayed items

„wegen“ steht standardsprachlich mit dem Genitiv; hier zeigt „der“ den Genitiv Plural an.

erst einmal

Beginne erst einmal.

beh-GIN-uh airrst EYN-mahl

Start for now.

„erst einmal“ ist eine feste Wendung und bedeutet „for now“ oder „for the time being“.

German Vocabulary

ablenken verb

AHP-lenk-en to distract

die anderen ausgestellten Sachen lenken mich ab

ausgestellten adj

OWS-guh-SHTEL-ten displayed

die anderen ausgestellten Sachen

Beginne verb

beh-GIN-uh start

Beginne mit dem

dazulegen verb

DAHT-soo-LAY-gen to add; to put in

bevor du etwas anderes dazulegst

erst einmal phrase

airrst EYN-mahl for now; for the time being

Dann leg die Jacke erst einmal nicht in deinen Korb.

Jacke noun

YAH-kuh jacket

die Jacke ist nur verlockend

nötig adj

NUHR-tikh necessary

Die Schuhe sind nötig

Sachen noun

ZAH-khen items

die anderen ausgestellten Sachen

Schuhe noun

SHOO-uh shoes

Ich bin wegen Schuhen gekommen.

verlockend adj

fer-LOK-ent tempting

die Jacke ist nur verlockend

wegen prep

VAY-gen because of

Ich bin wegen Schuhen gekommen.

weshalb adv

vays-HAHLP why; for which reason

mit dem, weshalb du gekommen bist

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

why; for which reason

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weshalb

items

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Sachen

start

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Beginne

because of

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wegen