Late checkout and suitcase storage | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: At a hotel front desk, a guest asks for late checkout, then arranges suitcase storage when late checkout is unavailable..

EN → DE / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Late checkout and suitcase storage to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Könnte ich morgen später auschecken?

KURN-tuh ikh MOR-gen SHPAY-ter OWS-SHEK-ken? Could I request a late checkout tomorrow?
B

Ich kann die Verfügbarkeit prüfen. Um wie viel Uhr wollten Sie ungefähr abreisen?

Ikh kahn dee fer-FYOOG-bahr-kite PROO-fen. Oom vee FEEL oor VOL-ten zee oon-geh-FAYR AHN-rye-zen? I can check availability. What time were you hoping to leave?
A

Ich hatte gehofft, gegen zwei Uhr nachmittags abzureisen.

Ikh HAH-tuh geh-HOFFT, GAY-gen TSVY oor NAHKH-mit-tahks AHN-rye-zen. I was hoping to leave around two in the afternoon.
B

Es tut mir leid, ein später Check-out ist nicht möglich, weil alle Zimmer ausgebucht sind.

Ess toot meer LYTE, ayn SHPAY-ter CHEK-owt ist nikht MOYK-likh, vyle AL-luh TSIM-mer OWS-geh-BOOKT zint. I'm sorry, late checkout isn't available because the rooms are fully booked.
A

Könnte ich meinen Koffer aufbewahren lassen, nachdem ich das Zimmer verlassen habe?

KURN-tuh ikh MYN-en KOFF-er OWF-buh-VAHR-en LAH-sen, NAHKH-daym ikh das TSIM-mer fer-LASS-en HAH-buh? Could I store my suitcase after I leave the room?
B

Sie können ihn an der Rezeption lassen.

Zee KURN-en een ahn dayr ray-tsep-TSYOHN LAH-sen. You can leave it at the front desk.
A

Dann checke ich ganz normal aus und lasse meinen Koffer an der Rezeption.

Dahn SHEK-uh ikh gahnts nor-MAHL OWS oont LAH-suh MYN-en KOFF-er ahn dayr ray-tsep-TSYOHN. In that case, I'll check out normally and store my suitcase.
B

Wir bewahren ihn hinter der Rezeption auf, bis Sie zurückkommen.

Vee buh-VAHR-en een HIN-ter dayr ray-tsep-TSYOHN owf, bis Zee tsoo-ROOK-kom-en. We'll keep it behind the desk until you return.
A

Brauche ich dafür ein Ticket oder ein Etikett?

BRAH-khuh ikh dah-FYOOR ayn TIK-et OH-der ay-tih-KET? Do I need a ticket or label for it?
B

Wir geben Ihnen einen Gepäckanhänger, wenn Sie den Koffer abgeben.

Vee GAY-ben EE-nen geh-PEK-ahn-heng-er, venn Zee dehn KOFF-er AHP-gay-ben. We'll give you a luggage tag when you drop it off.

Word by Word

Könnte Könnte makes the request Könnte ich morgen später auschecken? polite rather than direct. It is a polite request form related to können and is useful when asking a hotel or service worker for permission.
ich ich means I, the person making the request or describing an intended action. It is used as the subject in patterns such as ich kann ... and Könnte ich ...? for speaking about your own needs.
morgen morgen means tomorrow in the request for a later checkout. It identifies the future day and can be placed with a time expression when arranging a service.
später später means later, here referring to checking out later than the usual time. It is useful before an activity when asking for a delayed time, as in später auschecken.
auschecken auschecken means to check out of the hotel, as in morgen später auschecken. This separable verb is useful for hotel arrangements and is also used after a modal verb such as könnte.
kann kann means can in Ich kann die Verfügbarkeit prüfen, expressing that the front-desk worker is able to check something. The form is related to können and is used before an infinitive such as prüfen.
die die introduces Verfügbarkeit in die Verfügbarkeit, meaning the availability being checked. It is used directly before the noun in this phrase and helps identify the specific availability in question.
Verfügbarkeit Verfügbarkeit means availability, here the availability of a later checkout. It is useful with prüfen when asking or saying that a service or option will be checked.
prüfen prüfen means to check or verify, here checking whether late checkout is available. It follows kann in Ich kann die Verfügbarkeit prüfen and can be reused after a modal verb when describing an action to be performed.
Um Um introduces the time question Um wie viel Uhr, meaning at what time. This construction is used when asking someone to specify a clock time, especially when arranging departure or an appointment.
wie wie means how in Um wie viel Uhr, contributing to the question how much or what time. Together with viel and Uhr, it forms the standard question for asking a specific time.
viel viel contributes the amount meaning in wie viel, which here asks what clock time. The reusable pattern wie viel is used for asking how much, while wie viel Uhr specifically asks the time.
Uhr Uhr means o'clock or hour in Um wie viel Uhr, asking for the time of departure. It follows a number when stating a clock time and appears in questions about when something will happen.
wollten wollten Sie ungefähr abreisen asks what time the guest intended or wanted to leave. It is a form of wollen used here to frame the question politely, and it combines with an infinitive such as abreisen.
Sie Sie means you in the formal address used by the hotel worker with the guest. It is the subject in wollten Sie ungefähr abreisen and can be used when speaking respectfully to a customer or other unfamiliar adult.
ungefähr ungefähr means approximately, so ungefähr marks the departure time as not exact. It is useful before a time or amount when giving an estimate rather than a precise figure.
abreisen abreisen means to depart or leave, here referring to leaving the hotel. It is used as an infinitive after wollten and is useful for describing departure from a place.
hatte hatte helps express the hope the guest had before the current point in Ich hatte gehofft. It is a form of haben and combines with gehofft to describe a previously held hope.
gehofft gehofft means hoped in Ich hatte gehofft, against the background of the guest’s requested departure time. It is the participle form of hoffen used with hatte in this completed past construction.
gegen gegen means around when placed before a clock time, as in gegen zwei Uhr. It marks an approximate time and is useful when the speaker does not want to promise an exact hour.
nachmittags nachmittags means in the afternoon and specifies the part of the day for the planned departure. It is useful after a clock time when clarifying whether the time is in the afternoon.
abzureisen abzureisen means to depart in Ich hatte gehofft, gegen zwei Uhr nachmittags abzureisen. It is the zu-infinitive form of abreisen and is used after gehofft to state what the speaker hoped to do.
Es tut mir leid Es tut mir leid is the complete German apology expression meaning I’m sorry. Es forms the expression, tut is the verb form used in it, mir identifies the person affected, and leid completes the expression; the whole phrase is useful when apologizing for an unavailable service.
ein ein introduces a later check-out as one service option in ein später Check-out. It is used before a singular noun when presenting or describing a non-specific item or option.
Check-out Check-out means check-out, the hotel procedure of leaving the room and settling the stay. In ein später Check-out, it names the service that is not possible, and it is useful in hotel conversations about departure arrangements.
ist ist means is in ein später Check-out ist nicht möglich, linking the check-out with its status. It is a form of sein and is used before an adjective such as möglich.
nicht nicht negates the statement ein später Check-out ist möglich, making it mean that late checkout is not possible. It is placed before the adjective möglich in this sentence and is useful for denying an option or availability.
möglich möglich means possible in ein später Check-out ist nicht möglich. It describes whether the requested service can be provided and is useful after ist when stating that an arrangement can or cannot happen.
weil weil introduces the reason that late checkout is unavailable: because all rooms are fully booked. It begins a subordinate clause, as in weil alle Zimmer ausgebucht sind, and is useful when explaining why something cannot be done.
alle alle means all in alle Zimmer, referring to every room in the hotel. It is placed before a plural noun and is useful when describing a complete group rather than only some items.
Zimmer Zimmer means rooms, here the hotel rooms that are all booked. It is used with alle in alle Zimmer and is useful for discussing hotel accommodation.
ausgebucht ausgebucht means fully booked, describing the rooms as having no remaining availability. In alle Zimmer ausgebucht sind, it follows the rooms and is useful for explaining why a hotel service cannot be offered.
sind sind means are in alle Zimmer ausgebucht sind, stating the condition of the rooms. It is a form of sein used with a plural subject and appears at the end of the weil clause.
meinen meinen means my in meinen Koffer, identifying the suitcase as belonging to the guest. It is the form of possessive mein used before Koffer here, and it is useful before a noun when referring to your own belongings.
Koffer Koffer means suitcase, here the item the guest wants the hotel to store. It is used in phrases such as meinen Koffer aufbewahren and den Koffer abgeben for arranging luggage storage.
aufbewahren aufbewahren means to store or keep, here referring to keeping the guest’s suitcase after room departure. It appears in aufbewahren lassen and is useful when arranging for an item to remain safely somewhere.
lassen lassen in meinen Koffer aufbewahren lassen means to have or arrange for the suitcase to be stored, rather than storing it personally. This construction is useful when another person or service will perform the action.
nachdem nachdem means after and introduces the event that happens first in nachdem ich das Zimmer verlassen habe. It is useful for linking a later action to a completed earlier action and begins a subordinate clause.
das das introduces Zimmer in das Zimmer, meaning the room the guest will leave. It is the article used before this noun and is useful when referring to the specific hotel room.
verlassen verlassen means leave in das Zimmer verlassen habe, referring to leaving the room. It is used with habe in this completed-action construction and can describe departing from a place.
habe habe helps form the completed action ich ... verlassen habe, meaning I have left. It is a form of haben and appears at the end of the nachdem clause after verlassen.
können können means can in Sie können ihn an der Rezeption lassen, expressing that the guest is allowed or able to leave the suitcase there. It is used before the action phrase ihn ... lassen to state what is permitted or possible.
ihn ihn means it in Sie können ihn an der Rezeption lassen, referring back to the masculine noun Koffer. It is used as the object of lassen when the suitcase is already known.
an an means at in an der Rezeption, identifying the front desk as the place where the suitcase can be left. With a location, it combines with the place expression an der Rezeption.
der der is the article in an der Rezeption, identifying the reception desk as the location. It appears after an in this location phrase and is useful as part of the fixed expression for leaving something at reception.
Rezeption Rezeption means front desk or reception, where the guest can leave the suitcase. It is used in an der Rezeption and hinter der Rezeption to describe the storage location.
Dann Dann means then or in that case in Dann checke ich ganz normal aus. It shows the guest’s decision after hearing that late checkout is unavailable and is useful when stating the consequence of information just given.
checke checke means check out in checke ich ganz normal aus. It is the first-person form of auschecken, whose particle aus moves to the end of the main clause, and it is useful for describing your own hotel departure.
ganz ganz strengthens normal in ganz normal, meaning completely or quite normally. Together the phrase describes following the ordinary checkout procedure and can be reused to emphasize that something happens in the usual way.
normal normal means normally or in the usual way in ganz normal. It describes the standard checkout rather than a late checkout and is useful when contrasting an ordinary procedure with a special arrangement.
aus aus is the separable particle that completes auschecken in checke ich ... aus. It moves to the end of the main clause, so the full meaning comes from the construction checke ... aus rather than from aus alone.
und und means and, linking the two actions check out normally and leave the suitcase. It is useful for joining two actions carried out by the same speaker.
lasse lasse means leave or arrange to leave in lasse meinen Koffer an der Rezeption. It is the first-person form of lassen and is useful when saying that you will leave an item at a place for someone else to keep.
Wir Wir means we, referring to the hotel staff in Wir bewahren ihn hinter der Rezeption auf. It is used as the subject when the staff explains what they will do for the guest.
bewahren bewahren contributes the meaning keep or store in bewahren ... auf. Together with the separable particle auf, it forms aufbewahren, the verb used for keeping the suitcase safely until the guest returns.
hinter hinter means behind in hinter der Rezeption, specifying the location where the suitcase will be kept. It is useful before a place when describing something positioned behind it.
auf auf is the separable particle that completes aufbewahren in bewahren ihn ... auf. It appears at the end of the main clause, while bewahren occurs earlier; the full storage meaning belongs to aufbewahren.
bis bis means until and introduces the endpoint in bis Sie zurückkommen. It is useful for saying how long an item will be kept or how long an action will continue.
zurückkommen zurückkommen means return, here describing the guest coming back to collect the suitcase. It is used after bis in bis Sie zurückkommen and is useful for describing a person’s return to a place.
dafür dafür means for that or for it, referring back to leaving the suitcase for storage. In Brauche ich dafür ein Ticket oder ein Etikett?, it links the required document or label to that luggage-storage arrangement.
Ticket Ticket means ticket, here a possible item needed to identify or retrieve the stored suitcase. It is one of the two alternatives joined by oder in the guest’s question.
oder oder means or and joins the alternatives ein Ticket and ein Etikett. It is useful when asking whether one of two possible items or options is required.
Etikett Etikett means label, here a possible label for the stored suitcase. It is paired with Ticket in the question and is useful when discussing an identifying label attached to an item.
Brauche Brauche means need in Brauche ich dafür ein Ticket oder ein Etikett? It is the first-person form of brauchen and is useful at the beginning of a question about whether a document or item is required.
geben geben means give in Wir geben Ihnen einen Gepäckanhänger, describing what the hotel staff will provide. It is used with the recipient Ihnen and the item einen Gepäckanhänger, a reusable pattern for saying who gives what to whom.
Ihnen Ihnen means you in the formal object form used for the guest receiving the luggage tag. It identifies the recipient after geben and is useful when addressing a customer respectfully.
einen einen introduces one luggage tag in einen Gepäckanhänger. It is the form of ein used before this object and is useful when saying that one non-specific item will be provided.
Gepäckanhänger Gepäckanhänger means luggage tag, the identifying tag the hotel gives when the suitcase is dropped off. It is used as the item provided in Wir geben Ihnen einen Gepäckanhänger.
wenn wenn means when in wenn Sie den Koffer abgeben, linking the luggage tag to the time the guest drops off the suitcase. It introduces a subordinate clause and is useful for describing when a service or action occurs.
den den introduces Koffer in den Koffer, the specific suitcase being handed over. It marks the suitcase as the object of abgeben and is useful before a known masculine noun in this object position.
abgeben abgeben means to drop off or hand over, here referring to handing the suitcase to the hotel staff. It appears in wenn Sie den Koffer abgeben and is useful for describing delivery of an item to a person or service desk.

Grammar Points

Trennbare Verben: ab- / zurück- steht im Hauptsatz am Ende.

Ich gebe den Koffer ab.

ikh GAY-buh dehn KOFF-er AHP.

I drop off the suitcase.

Bei trennbaren Verben steht der Präfix im einfachen Hauptsatz am Satzende: abgeben → gebe ... ab.

nachmittags + Verb beschreibt eine Handlung am Nachmittag.

Wir kommen nachmittags zurück.

veer KOM-en NAHKH-mit-tahks tsoo-ROOK.

We come back in the afternoon.

Das Adverb nachmittags steht oft vor dem Verbteil und bedeutet „in the afternoon“.

German Vocabulary

abreisen verb
AHN-rye-zen to depart; to leave

wollten Sie ungefähr abreisen

auschecken verb
OWS-SHEK-ken to check out

später auschecken

ausgebucht adj
OWS-geh-BOOKT fully booked

alle Zimmer ausgebucht

hoffen verb
HOFF-en to hope

Ich hatte gehofft

Koffer noun
KOFF-er suitcase

meinen Koffer

möglich adj
MOYK-likh possible

ist nicht möglich

nachmittags adv
NAHKH-mit-tahks in the afternoon

gegen zwei Uhr nachmittags

prüfen verb
PROO-fen to check

die Verfügbarkeit prüfen

Uhr noun
oor o'clock; hour

gegen zwei Uhr

ungefähr adv
oon-geh-FAYR approximately; around

wollten Sie ungefähr abreisen

Verfügbarkeit noun
fer-FYOOG-bahr-kite availability

die Verfügbarkeit prüfen

Zimmer noun
TSIM-mer room

alle Zimmer

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Could I request a late checkout tomorrow?

Show AnswerKönnte ich morgen später auschecken?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to check out

Show Answerauschecken

approximately; around

Show Answerungefähr

possible

Show Answermöglich

to depart; to leave

Show Answerabreisen