Introduction

Starting out on the journey of speaking another language and discovering a foreign culture is like opening a window to the world. By learning to speak German, you're preparing yourself to communicate in the most widely spoken language of the European Union. Perhaps you're getting ready for a business or pleasure trip to Europe; perhaps you're studying German in school; or maybe you're simply curious about exploring Germany and its culture, including its language.

As you consider the plethora of language learning options out there, you'll find methods that promise you'll succeed in just a few easy steps, or better yet, while you're sleeping. Other programs take a significant chunk out of your budget and your spare time yet still don't deliver on their promises. This book lets you delve into the language at your own pace, and you can study the chapters in any order you want. Ample cross-referencing allows you to easily find any supporting information you need. Whatever your reasons for wanting to acquire some German, choosing German All-in-One For Dummies offers you a great opportunity to reach your goals.

About This Book

With German All-in-One For Dummies, you find a wealth of resources in one volume. You get straightforward information on the nuts and bolts of understanding and using the language as it's spoken today in German-speaking countries.

You can go through the chapters in this book in any order you choose, zeroing in on your priorities. You can skim or, better yet, skip over the lessons you don't need. Use the book to find answers to specific questions you may have on a topic that comes up while you're learning to use the language. Without even realizing it, your German vocabulary expands as you cruise through the book.

This book is chock-full of everyday phrases and words with pronunciation guidelines so that you can practice the language right away. You find in-depth grammar explanations that answer your questions about how to build sentences in German. Throughout the book, you also get plenty of words, dialogues, and phrases related to specific situations you may come across in different settings. The appendixes offer more support in understanding grammar points, and the mini-dictionaries give you the translations of important words that appear in the book. The online audio tracks provide ample listening practice of the German alphabet and various dialogues in the book. Most importantly, as you go through this book, Viel Spaß! (feel shpahs!) (Have a lot of fun!)

Conventions Used in This Book

To make your progress go as smoothly as possible, I use the following conventions in this book. They can help you spot essential elements in the text.

• I use boldface to highlight German words, example sentences, and the essential elements in verb tables, which may be information like verb endings or irregular conjugations.
• I italicize English translations that accompany German words and sentences. You'll find them set in parentheses following the pronunciation of German terms or sentences. Within the German pronunciations, I italicize the syllables that are stressed in words with two or more syllables. Finally, I italicize English terms that I define.
• In some cases, German speakers use the same pronunciation as English speakers for words, many of which are borrowed from English or other languages. When such words are pronounced the same way in German as in English, you see the English word in the pronunciation followed by the notation "as in English" rather than the usual phonetic pronunciation. Of course, if the pronunciation differs between the English and the German, I include the German pronunciation as usual.

• Verb conjugations (lists that show you the forms of a verb) are given in tables to show the breakdown of how you form the verb.

  For example, here's what the present-tense conjugation of the verb sein (to be) looks like:

sein (to be)

ich bin (I am)

wir sind (we are)

du bist (you are)

(singular, informal you [or sing. inf.])

ihr seid (you are)

(plural, informal you [or pl. inf.])

er/sie/es ist (he, she, it is)

sie sind (they are)

Sie sind (you are)

(singular formal or plural formal you [or sing. form. or pl. form.])

Sind Sie Herr Schumpich? (Are you Mr. Schumpich?)

(an example sentence using the verb)

To help you make fast progress in German, this book includes a few elements to help you along:

• Talkin' the Talk dialogues: The best way to learn a language is to see and hear how it's used in conversation, so I include dialogues throughout Books 1 and 2. The dialogues come under the heading "Talkin' the Talk" and show you the German words, their pronunciations, and the English translations. For your listening and learning pleasure, I also include a number of these dialogues online.
• Words to Know blackboards: Acquiring key words and phrases is also important in language learning, so I collect these important words in sections that resemble chalkboards, with the heading "Words to Know." Note: In the pronunciations given in these sections, the stressed syllables are underlined rather than italicized.
• Fun & Games activities: If you want to flex your new language muscles, you can use the Fun & Games activities in Appendix D to reinforce what you learn. These activities are fun ways to check your progress.

Also note that, because each language has its own ways of expressing ideas, the English translations that I provide for the German terms may not be exactly literal. I want you to know the essence of what's being said, not just the meanings of single words. For example, the phrase Es geht (ês geyt) can be translated literally as It goes, but the phrase is actually the equivalent of So, so, or Okay, which is what you see as the translation.

Foolish Assumptions

In writing German All-in-One For Dummies, I made the following assumptions about you, dear reader:

• You're a German student looking for an in-depth, easy-to-use reference.
• You know very little or no German - or if you took German back in school, you remember very little of it.
• Your goal is to expand your knowledge of German. You don't want to be burdened by long-winded explanations of unnecessary grammatical terms, nor do you care to hold a scholarly discussion in German about Goethe's Faust. You just want to express yourself in clear and reasonably accurate German.
• You're enthusiastic about having some fun while honing your German skills.

If any or all of these statements describe you, then you're ready to get started using this book. Willkommen! (vil-kom-en!) (Welcome!)

How This Book Is Organized

This book is actually five books in one, each of which tackles a different aspect of German language acquisition. The following sections provide a brief description of what types of information you can find in each book.

Book 1: Getting Started with German

In this book, you acquaint yourself with the world of basic German phrases and pronunciations. You get a broad base in the language of meeting and greeting people and talking about yourself and others. One chapter deals with everyday topics such as talking about the weather and playing sports. Another contains practical vocabulary and expressions you need for speaking in business situations and using telecommunications. In Book 1, you also gain insight into the world of German news media. You get practice in the language you need for buying clothes and food, as well as the ins and outs of having a pleasant dining experience.

Book 2: Speaking German on the Go

Book 2 gets you up to speed on finding your way around in a German-speaking environment. You get practice in asking how to get somewhere and in understanding directions. You find useful input on the language you need for making reservations at a hotel, booking a trip, and going through airports. Book 2 also offers essential language for dealing with money matters like understanding the euro and going to an ATM. And just in case, this book rounds out with a primer on going to the doctor and handling emergencies.

Book 3: Assembling the Grammatical Foundations for Communication

In this book, you move onto the basics of grammar. You see the mysteries of gender and case unveiled, and you get an up-close look at the intricacies of combining nouns and pronouns with verbs. Here, you also find out how to construct sentences in the present tense, how to ask and answer questions, and how to agree and disagree. Book 3 delves into the finer points of expressing yourself using adjectives and adverbs. It shows you the six modal verbs that...