Verifying an unexpected maintenance visitor | Learn German in English

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Use Verifying an unexpected maintenance visitor to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Vorhin hat jemand geklopft und gesagt, er sei hier, um die Lüftung zu überprüfen.

fohr-HEEN haht YAY-mahnt guh-KLOPFT oont guh-ZAHKT, air zigh heer, oom dee LUEF-toong tsoo oo-ber-PRUE-fen. Someone knocked earlier and said they were here to inspect the ventilation.

Wartungsbesuche werden normalerweise über das Gebäudesystem angekündigt.

VAHRT-oongs-buh-ZOO-khuh VAIR-den nohr-mah-LAIR-vigh-zuh ahn-guh-KUEN-digt doorkh dahs guh-BAY-duh-zues-TEHM. Maintenance visits are usually announced through the building system.

Das hat mich vorsichtig gemacht, deshalb habe ich die Person nicht hereingelassen.

dahs haht mikh FOHR-zikh-tikh guh-MAHKHT, DESS-hahlp HAH-buh ikh dee pair-ZOHN nikht hair-EYN-guh-LAH-sen. That made me cautious, so I did not let them in.

Das war die richtige Entscheidung. Zuerst sollte überprüft werden, ob die Person zum Betreten berechtigt ist.

dahs vahr dee RIKH-tih-guh ent-SHYE-doong. TSOO-AIRST ZOLL-tuh oo-ber-PRUEFT VAIR-den, ohp dee pair-ZOHN tsoom beh-TRAY-ten buh-REKH-tikt ist. That was the right call. Their authorization to enter should be verified first.

Könnten Sie überprüfen, ob tatsächlich eine Inspektion geplant ist?

KURN-ten zee oo-ber-PRUE-fen, ohp tah-TSAYKH-likh EYE-nuh in-spek-TSYOHN guh-PLAHNT ist? Could you check whether an inspection is actually scheduled?

Ich werde die Unterlagen prüfen und Ihnen über das Portal eine Nachricht schicken.

ikh VAIR-duh dee OON-ter-lah-gen PRUE-fen oont EE-nen OO-ber dahs por-TAHL EYE-nuh NAHKH-rikht SHIK-en. I will check the records and send you a message through the portal.

Ich möchte lieber Bescheid wissen, bevor jemand zurückkommt.

ikh MURKH-tuh LEE-ber buh-SHYGHT VISS-en, buh-FOHR YAY-mahnt tsoo-RUEK-kommt. I would rather know before anyone comes back.

Lassen Sie bis zur Bestätigung niemanden herein, außer Sie haben mit der Person gerechnet.

LAH-sen zee bis tsoor beh-SHTAY-tih-goong NEE-mahn-den hair-EYN, OW-sser zee HAH-ben mit dair pair-ZOHN guh-REKH-net. Until it is confirmed, do not let anyone in unless you were expecting them.

Word by Word

Vorhin “Vorhin” means earlier, referring to a time shortly before the current conversation. It is commonly placed at the beginning of a sentence to give a recent time reference, as in “Vorhin hat jemand geklopft.”

hat In “hat jemand geklopft”, “hat” is the auxiliary used to form the past event “knocked”. It is used with a past participle such as “geklopft” when reporting what happened earlier.

jemand “Jemand” means someone or somebody whose identity is not specified. It can be used as the subject when describing an unknown person, as in “Jemand hat angerufen.”

geklopft “Geklopft” means knocked here, describing the action at the door. It is used with “hat” in “hat jemand geklopft” to report a completed past action.

und “Und” connects the two actions “geklopft” and “gesagt”. It is used to join related words, phrases, or clauses, such as “Sie kam und wartete.”

gesagt “Gesagt” means said and introduces the information that the visitor gave. It commonly follows “hat” when reporting a completed statement, as in “Er hat gesagt, dass er später kommt.”

er “Er” refers to the person who said he was there, identified here with a masculine pronoun. It is used as the subject of a clause, such as “Er ist schon da.”

sei “Sei” means is in the reported statement “er sei hier”. This form is used to present someone’s words indirectly, especially after a reporting verb such as “gesagt”; for example, “Sie sagt, er sei krank.”

hier “Hier” means here, referring to the speaker’s location. It can indicate where someone is or where an action is intended to take place, as in “Ich bin hier.”

um In “um die Lüftung zu überprüfen”, “um” begins a purpose construction meaning in order to. The construction is reusable with a purpose, such as “Ich komme, um zu helfen.”

die In “die Lüftung”, “die” is the article for the specific ventilation system being checked. It appears directly before the noun and agrees with that noun in this phrase.

Lüftung “Lüftung” means ventilation, referring here to the building’s ventilation system. It can be used with an action such as “die Lüftung überprüfen” when discussing inspection or maintenance.

zu In “zu überprüfen”, “zu” marks the infinitive in the purpose construction “um die Lüftung zu überprüfen”. It is placed directly before the infinitive in this pattern, which means in order to check the ventilation.

überprüfen “Überprüfen” means to check or verify the ventilation carefully. It can be used with a direct object, as in “einen Termin überprüfen” or “die Angaben überprüfen.”

Wartungsbesuche “Wartungsbesuche” means maintenance visits, referring to visits arranged to inspect or maintain the building. It is used as the topic of the passive sentence “Wartungsbesuche werden normalerweise angekündigt.”

werden In “Wartungsbesuche werden angekündigt”, “werden” helps form the passive meaning that maintenance visits are announced. It is used with a past participle when the focus is on what happens to the visits rather than on who announces them.

normalerweise “Normalerweise” means usually or under ordinary circumstances. It commonly describes a regular procedure, as in “Normalerweise beginnt der Termin um neun Uhr.”

über In “über das Gebäudesystem”, “über” means through or via the building system. It can introduce the channel used to communicate or send something, such as “über das Portal.”

das In “das Gebäudesystem”, “das” is the article before the building system. In “Das hat mich vorsichtig gemacht”, the capitalized “Das” refers to the situation just mentioned and means that or this.

Gebäudesystem “Gebäudesystem” means building system, referring here to the system used to announce maintenance visits. It can be used after “über” to identify the communication channel: “über das Gebäudesystem.”

angekündigt “Angekündigt” means announced, indicating that information about the maintenance visits is communicated in advance. It appears with “werden” in the passive pattern “werden normalerweise angekündigt.”

mich “Mich” means me in “Das hat mich vorsichtig gemacht”, identifying the person whose state was affected. It can follow an action that causes a change in someone, as in “Das hat mich überrascht.”

vorsichtig “Vorsichtig” means cautious, describing a careful attitude toward the unexpected visitor. It can be used after “machen” to describe the result of an event: “Das macht mich vorsichtig.”

gemacht “Gemacht” means made in “hat mich vorsichtig gemacht”, describing the effect that the situation had on the speaker. With “machen”, it can introduce a resulting state, such as “Das hat ihn nervös gemacht.”

deshalb “Deshalb” means therefore or that is why, linking the speaker’s caution to the decision not to let the person in. It can introduce the consequence in a main clause, as in “Es regnet, deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause.”

habe In “habe ich die Person nicht hereingelassen”, “habe” is the auxiliary used to report the completed past action of not letting the person in. It is commonly used with a past participle to describe what the speaker did.

ich “Ich” means I and identifies the speaker as the subject. It appears lowercase in “habe ich” after the verb and capitalized as “Ich” at the start of “Ich werde die Unterlagen prüfen.”

Person “Person” means person, referring here to the unexpected visitor without making a specific claim about their identity. It can be used with “die” or another determiner when referring to a particular individual.

nicht “Nicht” negates the action in “die Person nicht hereingelassen”, meaning that the person was not let in. It is placed before the relevant past participle phrase when denying that the action happened.

hereingelassen “Hereingelassen” means let in, referring to allowing someone to enter the home. It is used with “haben” in the past, as in “Ich habe ihn hereingelassen.”

war “War” means was in “Das war die richtige Entscheidung”. It identifies or evaluates a past situation, and it can be used with a noun phrase such as “die richtige Entscheidung.”

richtige “Richtige” means right or correct in “die richtige Entscheidung”, approving the decision that was made. It appears directly before the noun it describes and takes the form required by this noun phrase.

Entscheidung “Entscheidung” means decision, referring here to the choice not to let the visitor in. It can be used with an evaluation, such as “eine gute Entscheidung” or “die richtige Entscheidung.”

Zuerst “Zuerst” means first or before anything else, emphasizing the order of the verification step. It can be placed at the beginning of an instruction, as in “Zuerst prüfen wir die Unterlagen.”

sollte “Sollte” means should in the recommendation that the person’s authorization be checked first. It is useful for giving advice about an action that is appropriate or necessary, as in “Du solltest vorsichtig sein.”

überprüft “Überprüft” means verified or checked in “sollte überprüft werden”. It is used with “werden” in a passive recommendation when the person performing the check is not specified.

ob “Ob” means whether and introduces the question being checked: whether the person is authorized to enter. It commonly begins an embedded yes-or-no question, with the verb at the end, as in “Ich weiß nicht, ob er kommt.”

zum “Zum” means to the in “zum Betreten”, combining “zu” and “dem”. Here it introduces the activity of entering, and the pattern “zu etwas berechtigt sein” means to be authorized for something.

Betreten “Betreten” means entering in “zum Betreten”, referring to entering the premises. It is used as a noun after “zum” in the expression “zum Betreten berechtigt sein.”

berechtigt “Berechtigt” means authorized or entitled in “zum Betreten berechtigt”. It describes whether the person has permission to enter, and it can be used with “zu” plus an activity, as in “zu etwas berechtigt sein.”

ist “Ist” means is and completes the embedded question “ob die Person zum Betreten berechtigt ist”. It appears at the end of this subordinate clause, as is typical after “ob”.

Könnten “Könnten” means could in the polite request “Könnten Sie überprüfen...?” It softens a request and is commonly placed before the formal subject “Sie” in a question.

Sie “Sie” means you in the formal request “Könnten Sie überprüfen...?” It is used when addressing one or more people formally and is capitalized in this use.

tatsächlich “Tatsächlich” means actually or in fact, emphasizing whether the inspection really is scheduled. It can be placed before the information being confirmed, as in “Ist das tatsächlich geplant?”

eine “Eine” is the indefinite article for the inspection mentioned in “eine Inspektion”. It introduces one non-specific instance of the noun in this phrase.

Inspektion “Inspektion” means inspection, referring to the scheduled examination of the building or its equipment. It can be used with “geplant sein” to discuss whether an inspection is scheduled.

geplant “Geplant” means planned or scheduled in “eine Inspektion geplant ist”. It describes an event that has been arranged, as in “Der Termin ist geplant.”

Unterlagen “Unterlagen” means records or documents, referring here to the information used to verify the inspection. It commonly appears with verbs such as “prüfen” or “durchsehen” when checking official information.

prüfen “Prüfen” means to check or examine the records carefully. It can take a direct object, as in “die Unterlagen prüfen” or “die Angaben prüfen.”

Ihnen “Ihnen” means to you in the formal phrase “Ihnen ... eine Nachricht schicken”. It identifies the recipient of something sent, and a reusable pattern is “jemandem eine Nachricht schicken.”

Portal “Portal” means portal, referring here to the online system through which the message will be sent. It can be used after “über” to name the communication channel: “über das Portal.”

Nachricht “Nachricht” means message, referring to the information that will be sent to the tenant. It commonly appears with “schicken” or “bekommen”, as in “eine Nachricht schicken.”

schicken “Schicken” means send in “Ihnen ... eine Nachricht schicken”. It can be used with a recipient and a direct object, following the pattern “jemandem eine Nachricht schicken.”

möchte “Möchte” expresses would like in “Ich möchte lieber Bescheid wissen”, stating the speaker’s preference or wish. It commonly appears with an infinitive or a desired object, as in “Ich möchte warten.”

lieber “Lieber” means rather or preferably, showing the speaker’s preferred option. It can modify a wish or choice, as in “Ich möchte lieber später kommen.”

Bescheid wissen “Bescheid wissen” means to be informed or know what is going on; here the speaker wants information before the visitor returns. “Bescheid” contributes the idea of information or being up to date, while “wissen” expresses knowing, and the whole expression is reusable in “Ich möchte Bescheid wissen.”

bevor “Bevor” means before and introduces the later event that should not happen before the speaker has information. It begins a subordinate clause, as in “Ruf mich an, bevor du kommst.”

zurückkommt “Zurückkommt” means comes back in the clause about the visitor returning. It appears at the end of the “bevor” clause, and the pattern “bevor jemand zurückkommt” can be used for actions that should happen before someone returns.

Lassen “Lassen” means let in the formal instruction “Lassen Sie ... niemanden herein”. With “Sie”, it forms a formal imperative telling someone not to allow anyone inside. This pattern can be used for instructions such as “Lassen Sie die Tür geschlossen.”

bis “Bis” means until and marks the endpoint of the period in “bis zur Bestätigung”. It can introduce a time limit, as in “Warten Sie bis morgen.”

zur “Zur” means to the in “bis zur Bestätigung”, combining “zu” and “der”. Here it forms the time expression “bis zur Bestätigung”, meaning until the confirmation.

Bestätigung “Bestätigung” means confirmation, referring here to official confirmation that the visitor or inspection is legitimate. It can be used after “bis zur” to mark the point when an action becomes acceptable.

niemanden “Niemanden” means no one or nobody as the person who must not be let in. It is used as the object of “Lassen ... herein”, and a common instruction pattern is “niemanden hereinlassen.”

herein “Herein” means in or inside, viewed as movement into the speaker’s location. It combines with “lassen” in “niemanden hereinlassen” to mean allow someone to enter.

außer “Außer” means unless or except in “außer Sie haben mit der Person gerechnet”. It introduces the exception to the instruction, specifying when someone may be let in.

haben In “Sie haben mit der Person gerechnet”, “haben” is the auxiliary used with “gerechnet” to describe a prior expectation. It can be used with a past participle to report what someone has expected or done.

mit In “mit der Person gerechnet”, “mit” is part of the expression “mit jemandem rechnen”, meaning to expect someone or take their arrival into account. The person after “mit” is expressed in the form shown here: “mit der Person.”

der In “mit der Person”, “der” is the article before “Person” after the preposition “mit”. It belongs to the phrase naming the person whose arrival was expected.

gerechnet “Gerechnet” means expected or counted on in the expression “mit der Person gerechnet”. It is used with “mit” to say that someone anticipated a person’s arrival, as in “Wir haben mit Gästen gerechnet.”

Grammar Points

mit jemandem rechnen

mit der Person gerechnet

mit dair pair-ZOHN guh-REKH-net

expected the person

The fixed phrase uses mit + dative: der Person, not die Person.

berechtigt sein

berechtigt ist

buh-REKH-tikt ist

is authorized

berechtigt is an adjective used with sein; ist agrees with the subject.

German Vocabulary

ankündigen verb

AHN-kuen-dig-en to announce angekündigt

Gebäudesystem noun

guh-BAY-duh-zues-TEHM building system

hereinlassen verb

hair-EYN-lahs-sen to let in hereingelassen

jemand pron

YAY-mahnt someone

klopfen verb

KLOPF-en to knock geklopft

Lüftung noun

LUEF-toong ventilation

normalerweise adv

nohr-mah-LAIR-vigh-zuh usually; normally

sagen verb

ZAH-gen to say gesagt

überprüfen verb

oo-ber-PRUE-fen to inspect; to verify

vorhin adv

FOHR-heen earlier

vorsichtig adj

FOHR-zikh-tikh cautious; careful

Wartungsbesuch noun

VAHRT-oongs-buh-ZOOKH maintenance visit Wartungsbesuche

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to inspect; to verify

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überprüfen

to announce

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angekündigt

ventilation

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Lüftung

someone

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jemand