New here? This is lesson 126 of a free 240-lesson German course.
Have you ever in German
Priya is at the canal market with Deniz. He swears by a pastry from a stall she has never tried, and he wants her to taste it.
Anton is already at a table with two chairs. He says he knows the place, then the thread slips away from him.
By the end, you'll ask if someone has ever tried a thing, say you have never done it, and offer to try.
You'll also say you already know something, and ask if a friend has been here before.
By the end of this lesson
Say you have or have never done something, and offer to try it.
- Hast du schon mal ___ probiert?Have you ever tried ___?
- Ich probiere es mal.I'll give it a try.
- Ich war noch nie in ___.I've never been to ___.
- Das habe ich noch nie gegessen.I've never eaten that.
- Das kenne ich schon.I already know that one.
- Warst du schon mal hier?Have you been here before?
Scene — the canal stall
The Friday market is open along the Landwehrkanal. Priya walks the stalls. Deniz waves from a folding table with a tray of warm pastry.
Two chairs sit at the next table. Anton is already there, a Milchkaffee in front of him that he has not touched.
Learn — ever, never, and a try
Six short lines cover ever, never, and I'll try it.
You'll ask if a friend has tried a food or been here, and say you already know a thing.
Hast du schon mal ___ probiert?
Have you ever tried ___?
When to use it: Ask a friend if they have ever tried a food.
Use du with a friend; a new customer would get Sie.
Ich probiere es mal.
I'll give it a try.
When to use it: Offer to try a food you have not had yet.
Mal makes the offer light, like you will give it a go.
Ich war noch nie in ___.
I've never been to ___.
When to use it: Say you have never been to a place.
Noch nie means not once, up to now.
Das habe ich noch nie gegessen.
I've never eaten that.
When to use it: Say you have never eaten that food.
Das is first, then habe, then ich, so the verb stays second.
Das kenne ich schon.
I already know that one.
When to use it: Say you already know that food or place.
Schon here means already, not ever.
Warst du schon mal hier?
Have you been here before?
When to use it: Ask a friend if they have been here before.
Use du with a friend at the stall, not Sie.
Story — Deniz swears by it
Watch Priya at the canal stall. Deniz wants her to try something new, and Anton knows the place until he doesn't.
The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.
- Stalls line the canal. Deniz waves Priya over to a folding table with warm pastry.
DenizHast du schon mal Börek probiert?Have you ever tried börek?
PriyaDas habe ich noch nie gegessen.I've never eaten that.- DenizWas isst du gern?What do you like to eat?
- PriyaNichts zu Süßes.Nothing too sweet.
- DenizDer mit Spinat ist gut.The one with spinach is good.
- PriyaDas klingt gut.That sounds good.
- DenizNa dann.Go on then.
- PriyaIch probiere es mal.I'll give it a try.
- Anton sits on two chairs at the next table. His Milchkaffee is still full.
AntonDas kenne ich schon.I already know that one.- PriyaWarst du schon mal hier?Have you been here before?
- AntonJa, schon mal. Ich war nur zufällig in der Gegend.Yes, I have. I just happened to be in the area.
- DenizMeine Cousine wohnt in Hamburg. Warst du schon mal da?My cousin lives in Hamburg. Have you been there before?
- PriyaIch war noch nie in Hamburg.I've never been to Hamburg.
Practice — tried or not
Ten short rounds wait here. You'll listen, match, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.
Keep going; each one is only one decision.
0 of 10 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
German
Hast du schon mal ___ probiert?Drop the English hereIch war noch nie in ___.Drop the English hereWarst du schon mal hier?Drop the English hereEnglish
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
I've never eaten that.
Das habe ich noch nie ____.
What do you say?
What do you say?
A friend offers you a pastry you have never had. You agree to try it.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Hast du schon mal ___ probiert?
Build the line
Build the line
I'll give it a try.
.
Tap the words in order.
Pick the reply
Deniz says:
Pick the reply
Warst du schon mal in Hamburg?
Have you been to Hamburg before?
And you reply with:
Swap the word
Swap the word
A friend shows you a pastry you already know from the bakery.
Das kenne ich ____.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You want to know what food a friend likes.
True or false?
True or false?
This means you have never eaten the food.
Say it — give it a try
Now you're Priya at the canal stall. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.
Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.
- DenizHast du schon mal Börek probiert?Have you ever tried börek?
- Priya (you)Tell him you have never eaten that.
Tell him you have never eaten that.
Das habe ich noch nie gegessen.
I've never eaten that.
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| German | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Hast du schon mal ___ probiert? | Have you ever tried ___? | |
| Ich probiere es mal. | I'll give it a try. | |
| Ich war noch nie in ___. | I've never been to ___. | |
| Das habe ich noch nie gegessen. | I've never eaten that. | |
| Das kenne ich schon. | I already know that one. | |
| Warst du schon mal hier? | Have you been here before? |
Save your progress — it’s free
Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.
Want the next lesson in your inbox?
Get the next lesson by email, one a day.
Join the newsletterDaily lesson emails are coming soon. Newsletter subscribers get them first.
Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want to keep ever and never handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
A short round with the Yak Cards keeps schon mal and noch nie ready for the next stall.
Open Yak Cards