Finding an accessible route at a station | Learn German in English

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Use Finding an accessible route at a station to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Entschuldigung, gibt es einen barrierefreien Weg zum richtigen Bahnsteig?

ent-SHOOL-dee-goong, gipt ess EYE-nen ba-ree-uh-ruh-FRY-en vayk tsoom RIKH-tih-gen BAHN-shtyk? Excuse me, is there an accessible way to reach the correct platform?

Der nächstgelegene Aufzug ist gerade wegen Wartungsarbeiten geschlossen.

dair NEKHST-guh-LAY-guh-nuh OWF-tsoog ist guh-RAH-duh VAY-gen VART-oongs-ar-BY-ten guh-SHLOSS-en. The closest elevator is closed for maintenance at the moment.

Das könnte mit meinem schweren Koffer schwierig sein.

dass KURD-tuh mit MY-nem SHVAY-ren KOFF-er SHVEE-rikh zyn. That might be difficult with my heavy suitcase.

Benutzen Sie den Aufzug am nördlichen Eingang. Das bedeutet einen kurzen Fußweg.

beh-NOOT-sen zee den OWF-tsoog am NURD-likh-en EYE-gang. dass beh-DOY-tet EYE-nen KUR-tsen FOOSS-vayk. Use the elevator by the north entrance. It adds a short walk.

Könnten Sie mir die Richtung zeigen, oder kann ich den Schildern leicht folgen?

KURN-ten zee meer dee RIKH-toong TSY-gen, OH-der kan ikh den SHIL-dern lykht FOL-gen? Could you point me toward it, or are the signs easy to follow?

Gehen Sie an den Fahrkartenautomaten vorbei und folgen Sie dann den blauen Schildern.

GAY-en zee an den FAHR-kar-ten-ow-toh-MAH-ten for-BY, oont FOL-gen zee dan den BLOW-en SHIL-dern. Go past the ticket machines, then follow the blue signs.

Werde ich den Zug noch erreichen, bevor er abfährt?

VAIR-duh ikh den TSOOK nokh air-RY-khen, beh-FOHR air AP-fairt? Will I still reach the train before it leaves?

Wenn Sie jetzt losgehen, sollten Sie dort noch genug Zeit haben.

ven zee yetst LOHS-gay-en, ZOL-ten zee dort nokh guh-NOOK tsyt HAH-ben. If you leave now, you should get there with time to spare.

Ich mache mich jetzt auf den Weg dorthin.

ikh MAKH-uh mikh yetst owf den VAYK dort-HIN. I'll head that way now.

Fragen Sie das Personal am Zugang, wenn Sie unterwegs Hilfe brauchen.

FRAH-gen zee dass per-soh-NAHL am TSOO-gang, ven zee OON-ter-vayks HIL-fuh BROW-khen. Ask the gate staff if you need help on the way.

Word by Word

Entschuldigung Entschuldigung is used here to politely get someone’s attention before asking for help. It is a common way to begin a question to a staff member or stranger.

gibt In gibt es, gibt asks whether something exists or is available, so the question means whether there is an accessible route. The reusable pattern is Gibt es ...? for asking whether something is available or present.

es In gibt es, es is the placeholder referring to the thing whose existence is being asked about. Together with gibt, it forms the common question pattern Gibt es ...?

einen einen introduces one specific route as the object of the question: einen barrierefreien Weg. This form is used before the masculine noun Weg in this expression.

barrierefreien barrierefreien describes the route as accessible, meaning usable without barriers for someone who may need step-free access. Here it directly modifies Weg in einen barrierefreien Weg.

Weg Weg means a way or route in this dialogue, specifically a route through the station. It is useful for asking about a route to a destination, as in einen Weg zum Bahnsteig.

zum zum expresses movement or direction to the platform in zum richtigen Bahnsteig. It combines the meaning of to with the article used before Bahnsteig.

richtigen richtigen identifies the platform as the correct one for the traveler’s train. It modifies Bahnsteig in zum richtigen Bahnsteig.

Bahnsteig Bahnsteig means platform, the place where the traveler boards the train. It is used here after zum to name the destination of the route.

Der Der introduces Aufzug as the subject of the sentence and means the. It is used here before the masculine noun Aufzug.

nächstgelegene nächstgelegene identifies the elevator that is closest to the current location. It directly describes Aufzug in Der nächstgelegene Aufzug.

Aufzug Aufzug means elevator, the facility that is unavailable because of maintenance. It is the subject in Der nächstgelegene Aufzug ist ... .

ist ist links the elevator with its current condition, closed. The pattern ist geschlossen describes the present state of something.

gerade gerade means currently or at the moment here, emphasizing that the elevator is closed now. It is placed before wegen Wartungsarbeiten geschlossen in the sentence.

wegen wegen introduces the reason for the closure: Wartungsarbeiten. It is useful for explaining why a service or place is unavailable.

Wartungsarbeiten Wartungsarbeiten means maintenance work, the reason the elevator is closed. It follows wegen to give the cause of the current problem.

geschlossen geschlossen describes the elevator’s state as closed or not available for use. With ist, the expression ist geschlossen states that condition directly.

Das Das refers back to the alternative route or situation just described and means that in Das könnte ... schwierig sein. It lets the speaker comment on the whole preceding suggestion.

könnte könnte expresses a possibility: the route might be difficult with the suitcase. The pattern Das könnte ... sein is useful for making a cautious assessment.

mit mit introduces the circumstance or thing involved in the difficulty, here the suitcase. The phrase mit meinem schweren Koffer means with my heavy suitcase.

meinem meinem shows that the suitcase belongs to the speaker: meinem schweren Koffer. It is the possessive form used before Koffer in this phrase.

schweren schweren describes the suitcase as heavy, explaining why the extra route may be difficult. It modifies Koffer in mit meinem schweren Koffer.

Koffer Koffer means suitcase, the piece of luggage that makes the longer route difficult. It is used after mit to identify what the speaker is carrying.

schwierig schwierig describes the alternative route as difficult for the speaker in this situation. It is completed by sein in Das könnte ... schwierig sein.

sein sein completes the expression Das könnte ... schwierig sein and means be. It follows könnte in this statement about a possible difficulty.

Benutzen Benutzen gives a direct instruction to use the alternative elevator. At the beginning of the sentence, it functions as a polite formal instruction to a traveler.

Sie Sie addresses the traveler formally as you. It is used with the formal instruction Benutzen Sie ... and later in the staff member’s other instructions.

den den introduces the specific elevator being recommended in den Aufzug. It means the before the masculine noun Aufzug in this instruction.

am am locates the elevator at or by the north entrance in am nördlichen Eingang. It combines the meaning of at with the article used before Eingang.

nördlichen nördlichen identifies the entrance as the northern one. It modifies Eingang in am nördlichen Eingang.

Eingang Eingang means entrance, the location used to identify the alternative elevator. It appears in am nördlichen Eingang to specify where that elevator is.

bedeutet bedeutet explains what using the alternative elevator involves: it means an additional short walk. The pattern Das bedeutet ... is useful for stating the consequence of a choice.

kurzen kurzen describes the walk as short in einen kurzen Fußweg. It modifies Fußweg in the explanation of the route’s consequence.

Fußweg Fußweg means a walk or walking distance. In Das bedeutet einen kurzen Fußweg, it describes the extra distance caused by using the alternative elevator.

Könnten Könnten begins a polite request asking whether the staff member can help. The pattern Könnten Sie ...? is useful when making a courteous request to someone formally.

mir mir identifies the person who would receive the help, the speaker. In mir die Richtung zeigen, it means to me and occurs with zeigen.

die die introduces Richtung, the direction that the speaker is asking the staff member to show. It means the in die Richtung.

Richtung Richtung means direction, here the direction toward the alternative elevator. It is used with zeigen in die Richtung zeigen.

zeigen zeigen means show or point out in mir die Richtung zeigen. The reusable construction is to show someone a direction, with the person and the direction both stated.

oder oder connects two alternatives in the question: asking for directions or following the signs independently. It means or and introduces the second possibility.

kann kann asks whether the speaker is able to follow the signs easily. In kann ich ... folgen, it expresses ability or possibility.

ich ich is the speaker who may follow the signs. It is the subject of kann ich den Schildern leicht folgen.

Schildern Schildern means signs, specifically the station signs the traveler can use for navigation. It appears in den Schildern after folgen.

leicht leicht means easily here and describes how the speaker may follow the signs. It is placed before folgen in kann ich den Schildern leicht folgen.

folgen folgen means follow in relation to the station signs. The reusable pattern is den Schildern folgen, meaning to follow the signs.

Gehen Gehen gives the formal instruction to go past the ticket machines. It begins a route instruction addressed to Sie.

an In an den Fahrkartenautomaten vorbei, an contributes to the route expression meaning past the ticket machines. It works together with vorbei to describe passing a reference point.

Fahrkartenautomaten Fahrkartenautomaten means ticket machines, the station objects the traveler should pass. It is the reference point in an den Fahrkartenautomaten vorbei.

vorbei vorbei completes an ... vorbei and means past, telling the traveler to go beyond the ticket machines. This expression is useful for giving directions through a place.

und und links the two route instructions: go past the machines and follow the signs. It means and and joins the actions in the same direction sequence.

dann dann means then and shows that following the blue signs happens after passing the ticket machines. It is useful for ordering steps in directions.

blauen blauen identifies the signs by their blue color. It modifies Schildern in den blauen Schildern.

Werde Werde helps form a question about whether the speaker will reach the train in time. The pattern Werde ich ...? asks about a future result.

Zug Zug means train, the vehicle the traveler is trying to catch. It is the destination object of erreichen in den Zug erreichen.

noch noch means still here, asking whether the traveler will still be able to catch the train. It highlights that there may still be enough time despite the detour.

erreichen erreichen means reach or catch in Werde ich den Zug noch erreichen. It is used with the destination object den Zug when asking whether someone will get to it in time.

bevor bevor introduces the time condition that must come first: the train departing. It means before and starts the clause bevor er abfährt.

er er refers back to Zug, which is treated as masculine in German. In bevor er abfährt, it is the subject that will depart.

abfährt abfährt describes the train leaving or departing. It appears in the subordinate clause bevor er abfährt to state the deadline for reaching the train.

Wenn Wenn introduces the condition for having enough time: the traveler must leave now. The pattern Wenn ..., ... is useful for stating what happens if a condition is met.

jetzt jetzt means now and sets the time for leaving. In Wenn Sie jetzt losgehen, it makes immediate departure the condition.

losgehen losgehen means set off or leave, referring to beginning the walk through the station. It follows Sie in the conditional clause Wenn Sie jetzt losgehen.

sollten sollten expresses the staff member’s expectation that the traveler will have enough time. In sollten Sie dort ... haben, it gives a reassuring prediction or recommendation.

dort dort means there and refers to the destination where the traveler needs to arrive. It is used before genug Zeit haben to describe having enough time there.

genug genug means enough and describes the amount of time available. The reusable pattern genug Zeit haben means to have enough time.

Zeit Zeit means time, specifically the time remaining before the train leaves. It appears in the common expression genug Zeit haben.

haben haben means have in genug Zeit haben, referring to possessing or having enough available time. The same pattern can be used whenever someone has enough time for an activity.

mache In mache mich auf den Weg, mache contributes to the expression meaning set off or head out. It is used with the reflexive word mich and auf den Weg, not as a literal reference to making an object.

mich mich is part of the expression mache mich auf den Weg and refers back to the speaker. Together with mache and auf den Weg, it describes the speaker setting off.

auf In auf den Weg, auf is part of the expression sich auf den Weg machen, meaning to set off or head out. It should be learned together with mache mich and den Weg in this sentence.

dorthin dorthin means to that place or in that direction and points toward the elevator or route just mentioned. In mache mich ... dorthin, it states where the speaker is heading.

Fragen Fragen gives the formal instruction to ask for help if necessary. It is used at the beginning of the sentence with Sie understood as the person receiving the instruction.

Personal Personal means staff, referring to the people working at the access point. The phrase das Personal am Zugang identifies whom the traveler should ask.

Zugang Zugang means access point or entrance in this station context. In am Zugang, it identifies the location where the relevant staff are stationed.

unterwegs unterwegs means on the way, while the traveler is moving toward the platform. It is useful for describing something that happens during a journey or route.

Hilfe Hilfe means help, the assistance the traveler may need during the route. The phrase Hilfe brauchen means to need help.

brauchen brauchen means need in Hilfe brauchen, stating that assistance may be necessary. The reusable pattern is something brauchen, such as Hilfe brauchen for needing help.

Grammar Points

sich auf den Weg machen

Ich mache mich jetzt auf den Weg.

ikh MAKH-uh mikh yetst owf den VAYK.

I am setting off now.

This fixed expression uses the reflexive pronoun mich and means to set off or head out.

abfahren: ab- moves to the end

Der Zug fährt ab.

dair TSOOK fairt AP.

The train departs.

With a separable verb in a main clause, the prefix ab moves to the end.

German Vocabulary

Aufzug noun

OWF-tsoog elevator

Bahnsteig noun

BAHN-shtyk platform

barrierefrei adj

ba-ree-uh-ruh-FRY accessible barrierefreien

benutzen verb

beh-NOOT-sen to use Benutzen

Entschuldigung intj

ent-SHOOL-dee-goong excuse me

Used to politely get someone's attention.

geschlossen adj

guh-SHLOSS-en closed

Used predicatively to describe something that is not open.

Koffer noun

KOFF-er suitcase

nächstgelegen adj

NEKHST-guh-LAY-gun nearest nächstgelegene

schwer adj

SHVAIR heavy schweren

schwierig adj

SHVEE-rikh difficult

Wartungsarbeit noun

VART-oongs-ar-BYT maintenance work Wartungsarbeiten

Weg noun

vayk way; route

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

closed

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geschlossen

elevator

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Aufzug

heavy

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schweren

platform

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Bahnsteig