Organizing account activity | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use Organizing account activity to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ich versuche, regelmäßige Kontobewegungen von gelegentlichen Zahlungen zu trennen.

ikh fer-ZOO-khuh, RAY-guhl-MEH-sih-guh KON-toh-buh-VAY-goong-en fon guh-LAY-guhnt-lih-khen TSAH-loong-en tsoo TREH-nen. I'm trying to separate routine account activity from occasional payments.

Das kann Ihnen helfen zu erkennen, welche Dienste sich automatisch verlängern.

dahs kahn EE-nen HEL-fen tsoo ehr-KEN-en, VEL-khuh DEEN-stuh zikh ow-toh-MAH-tish fer-LENG-ern. That can help you see which services renew automatically.

Die Schwierigkeit besteht darin, Veränderungen zu bemerken, bevor sie zwischen den anderen Buchungen untergehen.

dee SHVEE-rih-kite buh-SHTAYT dah-REEN, fehr-EN-deh-roong-en tsoo buh-MER-ken, buh-FOHR zee TSVISH-en den AHN-deh-ren BOO-khoong-en oon-ter-GAY-en. The hard part is noticing changes before they get buried.

Ähnliche Zahlungen zu gruppieren, könnte hilfreicher sein, als sich auf Erinnerungen zu verlassen.

EHN-lih-khuh TSAH-loong-en tsoo groo-PEER-en, KURN-tuh HILF-rye-kher zine, als zikh owf ehr-IN-neh-roong-en tsoo fer-LASS-en. Grouping similar payments may help more than relying on reminders.

Ich könnte eine eigene Karte für regelmäßige Dienste verwenden.

ikh KURN-tuh EYE-nuh EYE-guh-nuh KAR-tuh fyoor RAY-guhl-MEH-sih-guh DEEN-stuh fer-VEN-den. I could use one dedicated card for regular services.

Dann würden ungewöhnliche Kontobewegungen schneller auffallen.

dahn VYOOR-den oon-guh-VOHN-lih-khuh KON-toh-buh-VAY-goong-en SHNEL-er OWF-fal-en. Then unusual activity would stand out more quickly.

Das könnte außerdem mein Hauptkonto übersichtlicher halten.

dahs KURN-tuh OW-ser-DAYM mine HOWPT-kon-toh oo-ber-ZIKHT-lih-kher HAL-ten. It might also keep my main account less cluttered.

Übersichtlichere Aufzeichnungen können künftige Entscheidungen erleichtern.

oo-ber-ZIKHT-lih-kheh-ruh OWF-tsye-khnoong-en KURN-en KYOONF-tih-guh ent-SHYE-doong-en ehr-LYE-khtern. Cleaner records can make future decisions easier.

Word by Word

Ich Ich means “I” here and is the subject of the sentence. It refers to the speaker and is used with a first-person verb such as versuche. A common reuse pattern is Ich versuche, ... zu ... when explaining an effort or intention.

versuche versuche means “am trying” here and expresses the speaker’s current effort. It is the first-person form of versuchen in Ich versuche, regelmäßige Kontobewegungen ... zu trennen. This pattern is useful for describing something you are attempting to do.

regelmäßige regelmäßige means “regular” or “recurring” here and describes Kontobewegungen that happen as part of a routine. Its form agrees with the plural noun Kontobewegungen in regelmäßige Kontobewegungen. This adjective is useful for classifying repeated activities, payments, or events.

Kontobewegungen Kontobewegungen means account activity or account transactions here. It refers to movements of money in the account, especially the regular ones the speaker wants to separate from occasional payments. It is useful in banking contexts when discussing a list or overview of account activity.

von von means “from” in the separation pattern regular account activity from occasional payments. Here it introduces gelegentlichen Zahlungen as the category from which the account activity is being separated. The reusable construction is trennen von when distinguishing one thing from another.

gelegentlichen gelegentlichen means “occasional” here and describes payments that do not belong to the regular routine. Its form appears in von gelegentlichen Zahlungen, where it modifies the plural noun Zahlungen. It is useful for describing events or expenses that happen from time to time rather than regularly.

Zahlungen Zahlungen means “payments” here and refers to money transfers or charges made occasionally. In gelegentlichen Zahlungen, it identifies the type of account activity being separated from regular transactions. This noun is useful after expressions about making, receiving, grouping, or checking payments.

zu zu marks the infinitive trennen in the construction Ich versuche, ... zu trennen. Together with the following verb, it expresses what the speaker is trying to do. A common reuse pattern is versuchen, etwas zu tun.

trennen trennen means “to separate” here: the speaker wants to distinguish regular account activity from occasional payments. It appears after zu in Ich versuche, regelmäßige Kontobewegungen von gelegentlichen Zahlungen zu trennen. The reusable pattern is to separate one category from another with trennen von.

Das Das means “that” here and refers back to the suggested separation of account activity and payments. It is the subject of Das kann Ihnen helfen zu erkennen. This kind of demonstrative pronoun can refer to an idea or action mentioned immediately before.

kann kann means “can” here and says that the previous action has the potential to help. It is used with the infinitive helfen in Das kann Ihnen helfen zu erkennen. A common pattern is Das kann Ihnen helfen, ... when describing a useful method or action.

Ihnen Ihnen means “you” in the formal address here and is the person who may receive help. It is used with helfen in Das kann Ihnen helfen zu erkennen. The verb helfen commonly identifies the person helped with a dative form.

helfen helfen means “help” here and describes the benefit of separating the account activity. It follows the modal verb kann and is followed by zu erkennen, showing what the help makes possible. A useful pattern is jemandem helfen, etwas zu tun.

erkennen erkennen means “recognize” or “see” here, referring to identifying which services renew automatically. It appears in zu erkennen after helfen. This verb is useful when a person notices or identifies a fact, pattern, or category.

welche welche means “which” here and introduces the specific services being identified. It appears before Dienste in the embedded question welche Dienste sich automatisch verlängern. This form is useful when selecting one or more items from a known group.

Dienste Dienste means “services” here and refers to subscription-like services connected with recurring charges. In welche Dienste sich automatisch verlängern, it is the subject of the renewal action. This noun is useful when discussing services that may renew, charge, or continue automatically.

sich sich is the reflexive pronoun used with sich verlängern here, describing the services as renewing themselves or continuing automatically. Its meaning belongs to the whole expression sich verlängern, not to sich alone. This reflexive pattern is useful for processes that happen to the subject itself.

automatisch automatisch means “automatically” here and explains that the renewal happens without a separate manual action. It modifies sich verlängern in welche Dienste sich automatisch verlängern. This adverb is useful for describing processes controlled by a system or schedule.

verlängern verlängern means “renew” or “extend” here, as in services continuing for another period. In welche Dienste sich automatisch verlängern, this exact form is the plural present verb at the end of the embedded question. It is useful when discussing subscriptions, contracts, or periods that continue.

Die Die means “the” here and introduces Schwierigkeit, the difficulty being discussed. It forms the noun phrase Die Schwierigkeit besteht darin, ... . This article is used here with the feminine noun Schwierigkeit.

Schwierigkeit Schwierigkeit means “difficulty” here and names the hard part of monitoring account activity. It is the subject of Die Schwierigkeit besteht darin, Veränderungen zu bemerken. A useful pattern is Die Schwierigkeit besteht darin, ... when explaining what makes a task difficult.

besteht besteht means “consists” or “lies” here in the expression Die Schwierigkeit besteht darin, Veränderungen zu bemerken. It is the third-person singular present form of bestehen. This construction is useful for stating what the main difficulty or problem is.

darin darin means “in that” here and points forward to the activity that constitutes the difficulty: noticing changes. It appears in Die Schwierigkeit besteht darin, Veränderungen zu bemerken. The pattern besteht darin, ... zu ... explains what something consists in.

Veränderungen Veränderungen means “changes” here and refers to changes in the account activity that may be easy to miss. It is the object of bemerken in Veränderungen zu bemerken. This noun is useful when discussing changes in records, plans, prices, or processes.

bemerken bemerken means “notice” here and describes recognizing changes before they disappear among other entries. It appears as the infinitive in darin, Veränderungen zu bemerken. A common use is to describe noticing a change, problem, or detail.

bevor bevor means “before” here and introduces the time condition for noticing the changes. It begins the clause bevor sie zwischen den anderen Buchungen untergehen. This conjunction is useful for connecting an action with something that happens later.

sie sie means “they” here and refers back to Veränderungen. It is the subject of the clause bevor sie zwischen den anderen Buchungen untergehen. This pronoun is useful for referring to plural things already mentioned.

zwischen zwischen means “between” or “among” here and describes the changes becoming hidden among other account entries. It appears in zwischen den anderen Buchungen. This preposition is useful for locating something between or among other things.

den den means “the” here in den anderen Buchungen. It is part of the plural phrase governed by zwischen in this context. This form is useful to recognize as the definite article in a phrase referring to the other account entries.

anderen anderen means “other” here and distinguishes the remaining account entries from the changes being noticed. It modifies Buchungen in den anderen Buchungen. This adjective is useful when contrasting one item or group with the rest.

Buchungen Buchungen means “account entries” or “bookings” here and refers to the other recorded transactions in the account. In zwischen den anderen Buchungen, these entries are the background among which changes may be overlooked. This noun is useful when discussing individual lines in an account statement.

untergehen untergehen means “get lost” or “get buried” here, figuratively describing changes becoming hard to notice among other entries. In bevor sie zwischen den anderen Buchungen untergehen, it is the plural present verb at the end of the subordinate clause. This usage is useful when information becomes overlooked within a larger collection.

Ähnliche Ähnliche means “similar” here and describes payments that have common characteristics. It modifies Zahlungen in Ähnliche Zahlungen zu gruppieren. This adjective is useful when organizing items according to shared features.

gruppieren gruppieren means “to group” here and describes putting similar payments together. It appears in the infinitive phrase Ähnliche Zahlungen zu gruppieren. This verb is useful for organizing items into categories or sets.

könnte könnte means “could” or “might” here and presents grouping similar payments as a possible helpful method. It is used with sein in könnte hilfreicher sein. This form is useful when making a cautious suggestion rather than stating a certainty.

hilfreicher hilfreicher means “more helpful” here and compares grouping payments with relying on reminders. It is the comparative form in Ähnliche Zahlungen zu gruppieren, könnte hilfreicher sein. This form is useful when evaluating which of two methods offers greater assistance.

sein sein means “be” here and completes the modal expression könnte hilfreicher sein. It links the proposed method with the quality of being more helpful. A common pattern is etwas könnte hilfreicher sein, wenn ... when evaluating a possible approach.

als als means “than” here and introduces the method used for comparison: relying on reminders. It connects könnte hilfreicher sein with als sich auf Erinnerungen zu verlassen. This conjunction is useful after a comparative expression when comparing two actions or options.

auf auf means “on” here as part of the fixed expression sich auf Erinnerungen verlassen, meaning to rely on reminders. It introduces the thing depended on. This preposition is normally learned together with sich verlassen auf.

Erinnerungen Erinnerungen means “reminders” here and refers to notifications or prompts intended to help someone remember account activity. It appears after auf in sich auf Erinnerungen zu verlassen. This noun is useful when discussing tools or prompts used to remember tasks.

verlassen verlassen means “rely on” here as part of sich auf Erinnerungen verlassen. In als sich auf Erinnerungen zu verlassen, it is an infinitive describing the alternative method being compared. In this reflexive construction, the meaning is dependence on something, not leaving a place.

eine eine means “a” or “one” here and introduces a single card in eine eigene Karte. It accompanies the feminine noun Karte. This form is useful when referring to one unspecified item or one chosen item of a feminine noun.

eigene eigene means “own” or “dedicated” here and indicates that the card would be reserved for regular services. It modifies Karte in eine eigene Karte. This adjective is useful when assigning an item specifically to a person, purpose, or category.

Karte Karte means “card” here and refers to the payment card proposed for regular services. It is the object of verwenden in eine eigene Karte für regelmäßige Dienste verwenden. This noun is useful in banking contexts for discussing payment cards and their purposes.

für für means “for” here and introduces the purpose of the dedicated card: regular services. It appears in eine eigene Karte für regelmäßige Dienste. This preposition is useful for stating what an object, action, or resource is intended for.

verwenden verwenden means “use” here and describes using the dedicated card for regular services. It follows könnte as an infinitive in Ich könnte eine eigene Karte für regelmäßige Dienste verwenden. A common pattern is etwas für einen bestimmten Zweck verwenden.

Dann Dann means “then” here and presents the expected result of using a dedicated card. It links that proposal to the following consequence about unusual account activity. This adverb is useful for introducing a result or next step.

würden würden means “would” here and presents the result as a consequence of the proposed arrangement. It is used with the infinitive auffallen in Dann würden ungewöhnliche Kontobewegungen schneller auffallen. This conditional pattern is useful for describing what would happen under a proposed condition.

ungewöhnliche ungewöhnliche means “unusual” here and describes account movements that do not fit the expected routine. It modifies Kontobewegungen in ungewöhnliche Kontobewegungen. This adjective is useful for identifying activity that differs from a normal pattern.

schneller schneller means “more quickly” here and says that unusual activity would become noticeable sooner. It modifies auffallen in schneller auffallen. This comparative adverb is useful when comparing how quickly two things become visible or happen.

auffallen auffallen means “stand out” or “be noticeable” here, referring to unusual account activity becoming easier to detect. It appears as the infinitive after würden in Dann würden ungewöhnliche Kontobewegungen schneller auffallen. This verb is useful when a detail attracts attention because it differs from what is expected.

außerdem außerdem means “also” or “in addition” here and adds another possible benefit of using a dedicated card. It connects the clearer detection of unusual activity with keeping the main account more organized. This adverb is useful when adding a further point to an explanation.

mein mein means “my” here and identifies the main account as belonging to the speaker. It modifies Hauptkonto in mein Hauptkonto übersichtlicher halten. This possessive determiner is useful for marking personal ownership or association.

Hauptkonto Hauptkonto means “main account” here and refers to the speaker’s primary bank account. It is the object being kept more organized in mein Hauptkonto übersichtlicher halten. This compound noun is useful when distinguishing a primary account from other accounts.

übersichtlicher übersichtlicher means “clearer” or “more organized” here and describes the desired state of the main account. It appears with halten in mein Hauptkonto übersichtlicher halten. This comparative form is useful when describing an improvement in clarity or manageability.

halten halten means “keep” here and describes maintaining the main account in a clearer, more organized state. It follows könnte as the infinitive in Das könnte außerdem mein Hauptkonto übersichtlicher halten. A useful pattern is etwas in einem bestimmten Zustand halten.

Übersichtlichere Übersichtlichere means “clearer” or “more organized” here and describes records that are easier to follow. It modifies Aufzeichnungen in Übersichtlichere Aufzeichnungen. This comparative adjective is useful when describing improved structure or readability.

Aufzeichnungen Aufzeichnungen means “records” here and refers to organized written or digital account information. It is the subject of Übersichtlichere Aufzeichnungen können künftige Entscheidungen erleichtern. This noun is useful when discussing information kept for later review.

können können means “can” here and expresses the possible effect of clearer records. It is used with erleichtern in Übersichtlichere Aufzeichnungen können künftige Entscheidungen erleichtern. This pattern is useful for explaining what a resource or action makes possible.

künftige künftige means “future” here and describes decisions that will be made later. It modifies Entscheidungen in künftige Entscheidungen. This adjective is useful when referring to later plans, choices, or actions.

Entscheidungen Entscheidungen means “decisions” here and refers to choices that may be easier after reviewing clearer records. It is the object of erleichtern in künftige Entscheidungen erleichtern. This noun is useful when discussing choices based on information or planning.

erleichtern erleichtern means “make easier” here and describes the effect of clearer records on future decisions. It follows können as the infinitive in Übersichtlichere Aufzeichnungen können künftige Entscheidungen erleichtern. A common pattern is etwas erleichtert eine Entscheidung or etwas kann etwas erleichtern.

Grammar Points

sich verlängern + automatisch

Der Dienst verlängert sich automatisch.

dare DEENST fer-LENG-ert zikh ow-toh-MAH-tish.

The service renews automatically.

The reflexive verb uses sich when the service renews itself; automatisch describes how the action happens.

sich auf etwas verlassen

Ich verlasse mich auf die Aufzeichnung.

ikh fer-LASS-uh mikh owf dee OWF-tsye-khnoong.

I rely on the record.

This fixed phrase uses auf + accusative: sich auf etwas verlassen. The reflexive pronoun changes with the subject.

German Vocabulary

automatisch adv

ow-toh-MAH-tish automatically

bestehen verb

buh-SHTAY-en to consist besteht

Dienst noun

DEENST service Dienste

gelegentlich adj

guh-LAY-guhnt-lihkh occasional gelegentlichen

helfen verb

HEL-fen to help

Kontobewegung noun

KON-toh-buh-VAY-goong account activity Kontobewegungen

regelmäßig adj

RAY-guhl-MEH-sikh regular regelmäßige

Schwierigkeit noun

SHVEE-rih-kite difficulty

sich verlängern verb

zikh fer-LENG-ern to renew automatically

Veränderung noun

fehr-EN-deh-roong change Veränderungen

versuchen verb

fer-ZOO-khen to try versuche

Zahlung noun

TSAH-loong payment Zahlungen

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Then unusual activity would stand out more quickly.

Show Answer

Dann würden ungewöhnliche Kontobewegungen schneller auffallen.

Cleaner records can make future decisions easier.

Show Answer

Übersichtlichere Aufzeichnungen können künftige Entscheidungen erleichtern.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

regular

Show Answer

regelmäßige

automatically

Show Answer

automatisch

service

Show Answer

Dienste

to try

Show Answer

versuche