About This Lesson
Use Expanding a Professional Networking Conversation to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
Mir ist aufgefallen, dass auf Ihrem Namensschild Produktstrategie steht.
meer ist OWF-geh-fah-len, dass ouf EE-rem NAH-menshilt proh-DOOKT-shtrah-teh-GEE shtayt. I noticed your badge mentions product strategy.
B
Das ist mein Hauptbereich, aber meine Arbeit überschneidet sich auch mit Forschung und operativem Geschäft.
dass ist mine HOWPT-beh-RYKH, AH-ber MY-nuh AR-bite oo-ber-SHNY-dət zikh owkh mit FOR-shoong oont oh-peh-rah-TEE-vem geh-SHEFT. That is my main area, though my work also crosses into research and operations.
A
Diese Mischung ist bestimmt hilfreich, wenn Produktentscheidungen kompliziert werden.
DEE-zuh MISH-oong ist beh-SHTIMT HILF-rikh, ven proh-DOOKT-ent-SHY-doong-en kom-pleet-SEERT VEHR-den. That mix must help when product decisions get complicated.
B
Das ist sie, besonders wenn eine Strategie davon abhängt, wie Teams tatsächlich arbeiten.
dass ist ZEE, beh-ZON-ders ven EYE-nuh shtrah-teh-GEE dah-FON AP-hengt, vee TEEMS TAKT-saykh-likh AR-bye-ten. It does, especially when a strategy depends on how teams actually work.
A
Ich helfe kleinen digitalen Teams dabei, ihre Arbeitsabläufe zu verbessern.
ikh HEL-fuh KLY-nen dee-gee-TAH-len TEEMS dah-BYE, EE-ruh AR-bites-owf-luhf-uh tsoo beh-FER-sern. I help small digital teams clean up their workflows.
B
Dann haben wir wahrscheinlich mit einigen der gleichen Koordinationsproblemen zu tun.
dahn HAH-ben veer vahr-SHYNE-likh mit EYE-nee-gen dair GLY-khen koh-or-dee-nah-TSYOHNS-proh-BLAY-men tsoo toon. Then we are probably dealing with some of the same coordination issues.
A
Ich würde unsere Ansätze gerne einmal vergleichen.
ikh VUR-duh OON-zuh-ruh AN-say-tsuh GER-nuh EYE-nahl fer-GLY-khen. I would like to compare approaches sometime.
B
Das könnte nützlich sein, besonders wenn wir das Gespräch praxisnah halten.
dass KURNT-uh NOOTZ-likh zine, beh-ZON-ders ven veer dass geh-SHPRAYKH PRAK-sis-nah HALL-ten. That could be useful, especially if we keep the conversation practical.Word by Word
Mir
In 'Mir ist aufgefallen, dass auf Ihrem Namensschild Produktstrategie steht.', 'Mir' identifies the person who noticed the detail: to me. This construction is useful when reporting something that has come to your attention.
ist
In 'Mir ist aufgefallen, dass auf Ihrem Namensschild Produktstrategie steht.', 'ist' helps form the expression for a detail having come to someone's attention. Use it as part of this noticing construction.
aufgefallen
In 'Mir ist aufgefallen, dass auf Ihrem Namensschild Produktstrategie steht.', 'aufgefallen' means noticed or came to my attention. It is the form of 'auffallen' used with 'ist' in this expression, useful when pointing out an observed detail.
dass
In 'dass auf Ihrem Namensschild Produktstrategie steht', 'dass' introduces the clause stating what was noticed. It links a noticing expression to a complete statement, which is useful when reporting an observation.
auf
In 'auf Ihrem Namensschild', 'auf' means on and identifies the badge as the place where the information appears. It is useful for saying where something is written or displayed.
Ihrem
In 'auf Ihrem Namensschild', 'Ihrem' means your in formal address. It belongs to the phrase for the other person's name badge and is useful when addressing someone respectfully.
Namensschild
In 'auf Ihrem Namensschild', 'Namensschild' means name badge, the badge carrying a person's name at the event. It is useful for talking about information printed or displayed on a badge.
Produktstrategie
In 'Produktstrategie steht', 'Produktstrategie' names the professional field written on the badge: product strategy. It is a compound professional term useful when describing an area of work.
steht
In 'auf Ihrem Namensschild Produktstrategie steht', 'steht' means is written or appears, not physically stands. Use it for information that appears on a badge or another displayed text.
Das
In 'Das ist mein Hauptbereich', 'Das' refers back to the area just mentioned and means that or it. This pattern is useful for identifying something as a particular professional area.
mein
In 'mein Hauptbereich', 'mein' marks the area as belonging to the speaker: my. It is useful for identifying a professional area as one's own.
Hauptbereich
In 'Das ist mein Hauptbereich', 'Hauptbereich' means main area, here the speaker's central professional field. Use it when stating the main focus of your work.
aber
In 'aber meine Arbeit überschneidet sich auch mit Forschung', 'aber' introduces a contrast between the speaker's main area and the additional areas involved. It is useful for adding an exception or qualification.
meine
In 'meine Arbeit überschneidet sich auch mit Forschung', 'meine' means my and identifies the work as belonging to the speaker. Use it to describe your own work or responsibilities.
Arbeit
In 'meine Arbeit überschneidet sich auch mit Forschung', 'Arbeit' means work or professional activity. It is useful when describing what your work involves or overlaps with.
überschneidet
In 'meine Arbeit überschneidet sich auch mit Forschung und operativem Geschäft', 'überschneidet' says that the work overlaps or intersects. It works with 'sich' and 'mit' to identify the areas of overlap.
sich
In 'meine Arbeit überschneidet sich auch mit Forschung', 'sich' is part of the expression saying that the work overlaps with another area. Keep it with 'überschneidet' when describing two areas that partly coincide.
auch
In 'überschneidet sich auch mit Forschung und operativem Geschäft', 'auch' means also and adds research and operations to the speaker's main area. It is useful for adding another relevant point.
mit
In 'mit Forschung und operativem Geschäft', 'mit' means with and introduces the areas that the work overlaps with. It is useful in this overlap expression when naming the connected fields.
Forschung
In 'mit Forschung und operativem Geschäft', 'Forschung' means research. It names one of the professional areas connected with the speaker's work.
und
In 'Forschung und operativem Geschäft', 'und' joins research with operational business. It is useful for connecting two or more related items.
operativem
In 'operativem Geschäft', 'operativem' describes the business or work as operational. It is part of the phrase naming the operational side of professional activity.
Geschäft
In 'operativem Geschäft', 'Geschäft' refers to business or operations, not a shop in this context. Together with 'operativem', it names the operational side of the speaker's work.
Diese
In 'Diese Mischung ist bestimmt hilfreich', 'Diese' means this and points to the combination of product strategy, research, and operations just mentioned. Use it to refer back to a recently described combination.
Mischung
In 'Diese Mischung ist bestimmt hilfreich', 'Mischung' means mix or combination. Here it refers to the speaker's combination of professional areas and is useful for describing a blend of skills or fields.
bestimmt
In 'ist bestimmt hilfreich', 'bestimmt' expresses a confident expectation: surely or definitely. It is useful for making a positive inference about someone's experience or situation.
hilfreich
In 'Diese Mischung ist bestimmt hilfreich', 'hilfreich' means helpful. It describes the professional mix as providing assistance when decisions become difficult.
wenn
In 'wenn Produktentscheidungen kompliziert werden', 'wenn' introduces the situation in which the mixture helps. It is useful for linking a result to a condition or recurring situation.
Produktentscheidungen
In 'wenn Produktentscheidungen kompliziert werden', 'Produktentscheidungen' means product decisions. It names the work situations that may become complicated.
kompliziert
In 'Produktentscheidungen kompliziert werden', 'kompliziert' says that the product decisions become difficult or complex. It is useful for describing a situation that is not easy to handle.
werden
In 'Produktentscheidungen kompliziert werden', 'werden' means become or get and expresses a change into a more complicated state. Use it with an adjective when describing a situation changing.
sie
In 'Das ist sie, besonders wenn eine Strategie davon abhängt', 'sie' refers back to the helpful mixture, so it means it, not she. It is useful for referring to that previously mentioned idea.
besonders
In 'besonders wenn eine Strategie davon abhängt', 'besonders' means especially and highlights the situation considered most relevant. Use it to give extra emphasis to one condition or circumstance.
eine
In 'eine Strategie davon abhängt', 'eine' introduces one strategy being discussed. It is useful when mentioning a non-specific strategy before explaining what it depends on.
Strategie
In 'eine Strategie davon abhängt', 'Strategie' means strategy, a planned approach to achieving an aim. Here it is the thing whose usefulness depends on how teams work.
davon
In 'davon abhängt, wie Teams tatsächlich arbeiten', 'davon' refers to the factor described in the following clause and combines with 'abhängt' to express dependence. This pattern is useful for saying that one thing depends on another.
abhängt
In 'davon abhängt, wie Teams tatsächlich arbeiten', 'abhängt' means depends. Together with 'davon', it says that the strategy depends on how teams work.
wie
In 'wie Teams tatsächlich arbeiten', 'wie' means how and introduces the description of the teams' way of working. It is useful for explaining the manner in which an action happens.
Teams
In 'wie Teams tatsächlich arbeiten', 'Teams' means teams. Here it refers to the groups whose real working methods influence the strategy.
tatsächlich
In 'wie Teams tatsächlich arbeiten', 'tatsächlich' means actually or in reality. It emphasizes the teams' real way of working rather than an assumed one.
arbeiten
In 'wie Teams tatsächlich arbeiten', 'arbeiten' means work and describes what the teams do. It is useful after 'wie' when explaining how a group operates.
Ich
In 'Ich helfe kleinen digitalen Teams dabei, ihre Arbeitsabläufe zu verbessern', 'Ich' marks the speaker as the person providing help. Use it to introduce your own role or service.
helfe
In 'Ich helfe kleinen digitalen Teams dabei, ihre Arbeitsabläufe zu verbessern', 'helfe' means help. It connects the people receiving support with the activity that the support is intended to improve.
kleinen
In 'kleinen digitalen Teams', 'kleinen' describes the teams as small. It is part of the description of the teams receiving help and is useful for specifying their size.
digitalen
In 'kleinen digitalen Teams', 'digitalen' describes the teams as digital. It identifies the type of teams the speaker supports.
dabei
In 'helfe kleinen digitalen Teams dabei, ihre Arbeitsabläufe zu verbessern', 'dabei' links the help to the activity that follows. This pattern is useful for saying that someone helps with doing something.
ihre
In 'ihre Arbeitsabläufe', 'ihre' means their and refers to the small digital teams. It identifies the workflows as belonging to or being managed by those teams.
Arbeitsabläufe
In 'ihre Arbeitsabläufe zu verbessern', 'Arbeitsabläufe' means workflows or work processes. It refers to how work is organized and carried out, making it useful when discussing process improvement.
zu
In 'zu verbessern', 'zu' marks the infinitive that expresses the activity connected with the help. It is part of the construction describing what the teams' workflows are intended to do.
verbessern
In 'ihre Arbeitsabläufe zu verbessern', 'verbessern' means improve or make better. It is useful with the thing being improved, here the teams' workflows.
Dann
In 'Dann haben wir wahrscheinlich mit einigen der gleichen Koordinationsproblemen zu tun', 'Dann' means then and introduces a conclusion from the preceding information. It is useful for presenting a consequence or next inference.
haben
In 'haben wir wahrscheinlich mit einigen der gleichen Koordinationsproblemen zu tun', 'haben' is part of the expression for dealing with or having to do with something. It frames the issues as something both speakers are dealing with.
wir
In 'haben wir wahrscheinlich mit einigen der gleichen Koordinationsproblemen zu tun', 'wir' means we and includes both the speaker and the listener. It is useful for describing a shared situation or experience.
wahrscheinlich
In 'wir wahrscheinlich mit einigen der gleichen Koordinationsproblemen zu tun', 'wahrscheinlich' means probably. It makes the conclusion cautious rather than completely certain.
einigen
In 'mit einigen der gleichen Koordinationsproblemen', 'einigen' means some or several and refers to an unspecified number of issues. It is useful when referring to only part of a larger set.
der
In 'einigen der gleichen Koordinationsproblemen', 'der' links 'einigen' to 'gleichen Koordinationsproblemen' in the phrase meaning some of the same coordination issues. It is best learned here as part of this noun group.
gleichen
In 'einigen der gleichen Koordinationsproblemen', 'gleichen' means same. It identifies the issues as matching or shared rather than merely similar in a general sense.
Koordinationsproblemen
In 'einigen der gleichen Koordinationsproblemen', 'Koordinationsproblemen' means coordination issues or problems. It names practical difficulties involving coordination among people or teams.
tun
In 'mit einigen der gleichen Koordinationsproblemen zu tun', 'tun' contributes to the expression meaning deal with or have to do with. Keep it with 'mit' when describing a problem or subject someone is dealing with.
würde
In 'Ich würde unsere Ansätze gerne einmal vergleichen', 'würde' makes the proposal more tentative and polite: I would like to. It is useful when suggesting a possible future action without presenting it as a firm plan.
unsere
In 'unsere Ansätze', 'unsere' means our and refers jointly to the approaches of both speakers. Use it to mark something shared by the speaker and listener.
Ansätze
In 'unsere Ansätze gerne einmal vergleichen', 'Ansätze' means approaches, here ways of doing professional work. It is useful when comparing different methods or ways of addressing a task.
gerne
In 'würde unsere Ansätze gerne einmal vergleichen', 'gerne' shows that the speaker would like to make the comparison. It makes the proposal friendly and expresses willingness to do the action.
einmal
In 'gerne einmal vergleichen', 'einmal' means sometime or at some point, leaving the timing open. It is useful when suggesting an activity at an unspecified opportunity.
vergleichen
In 'unsere Ansätze gerne einmal vergleichen', 'vergleichen' means compare. It is useful when examining two approaches side by side to identify their similarities or differences.
könnte
In 'Das könnte nützlich sein', 'könnte' presents usefulness as a possibility: could. It is useful for making a cautious assessment or suggestion.
nützlich
In 'Das könnte nützlich sein', 'nützlich' means useful. It evaluates the proposed comparison as something that may provide practical value.
sein
In 'könnte nützlich sein', 'sein' completes the expression that something could be useful. It is used here to describe what the proposed comparison may be.
Gespräch
In 'das Gespräch praxisnah halten', 'Gespräch' means conversation, specifically the discussion between the two attendees. It is useful for referring to an ongoing or planned discussion.
praxisnah
In 'das Gespräch praxisnah halten', 'praxisnah' means practical and closely connected to real work. It describes a conversation that stays focused on application rather than abstract discussion.
halten
In 'das Gespräch praxisnah halten', 'halten' means keep or maintain the conversation in a particular way. This construction is useful when saying that a discussion should remain practical or focused.
Grammar Points
sich überschneiden → überschneidet sich
Die Produktstrategie und die Forschung überschneiden sich.
DEE proh-DOOKT-shtrah-teh-GEE oont dee FOR-shoong oo-ber-SHNY-den zikh.The product strategy and the research overlap.
Bei reflexiven Verben steht sich im Hauptsatz nach dem konjugierten Verb: überschneidet sich.
weil … abhängt
Der Ansatz ist hilfreich, weil er vom Arbeitsablauf abhängt.
dair AN-sats ist HILF-rikh, vile air fom AR-bites-owf-lowf AP-hengt.The approach is helpful because it depends on the workflow.
Im weil-Satz steht das konjugierte Verb am Ende: abhängt.
German Vocabulary
auffallen
verb
OWF-fah-len
to notice
aufgefallen
Mir ist aufgefallen
bestimmt
adv
beh-SHTIMT
certainly; surely
Forschung
noun
FOR-shoong
research
Hauptbereich
noun
HOWPT-beh-RYKH
main area
hilfreich
adj
HILF-rikh
helpful
kompliziert
adj
kom-pleet-SEERT
complicated
Mischung
noun
MISH-oong
mix
Namensschild
noun
NAH-menshilt
name badge
operatives Geschäft
phrase
oh-peh-rah-TEE-ves geh-SHEFT
operations
Produktentscheidung
noun
proh-DOOKT-ent-SHY-doong
product decision
Produktentscheidungen
Produktstrategie
noun
proh-DOOKT-shtrah-teh-GEE
product strategy
sich überschneiden
verb
zikh oo-ber-SHNY-den
to overlap
überschneidet sich
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
to notice
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aufgefallenmix
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Mischungresearch
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Forschungmain area