New here? This is lesson 142 of a free 240-lesson German course.
Fruit and bargaining in German
Friday at the canal market is closing. Deniz walks Priya to a grape stall and tells her to ask the price per kilo, then to ask for a little less.
The stall holder still has crates out. Priya can taste a grape first, then order a kilo or a half.
By the end, you'll ask the kilo price, check if the fruit is ripe, taste a piece, and ask for a better price.
Use Sie with stall staff. Closing time is a fair moment to bargain.
By the end of this lesson
Buy fruit, ask the price per kilo, and ask for a better price.
- Was kostet das Kilo?How much is it per kilo?
- Ein Kilo ___, bitte.A kilo of ___, please.
- Ein halbes Kilo, bitte.Half a kilo, please.
- Kann ich mal probieren?Can I try a piece?
- Machen Sie mir einen guten Preis?Can you give me a better price?
- Sind sie reif?Are they ripe?
Scene — the grape stall
Friday afternoon on the Landwehrkanal. The market is packing up. Deniz stops Priya at a grape stall.
The stall holder is still selling. Crates of fruit sit on the folding table, with the water behind.
Learn — kilo, taste, and price
Six lines cover the kilo price, a kilo or a half, a taste, a better price, and whether the fruit is ripe.
Stall staff get Sie. Kann ich mal probieren is a taste, not a have-you-ever.
Was kostet das Kilo?
How much is it per kilo?
When to use it: Ask this at a stall when fruit is sold by the kilo.
Ask for the price of one kilo, not one piece.
Say it: Kilo puts the stress on the first syllable.
Ein Kilo ___, bitte.
A kilo of ___, please.
When to use it: Use this to order one kilo of a fruit you name.
Put the fruit name in the blank, then add bitte.
Ein halbes Kilo, bitte.
Half a kilo, please.
When to use it: Say this when you want only half a kilo.
Keep halbes with Kilo when you only want half.
Kann ich mal probieren?
Can I try a piece?
When to use it: Ask this when you want to taste a piece first.
This is a taste of a piece, not have you ever tried it.
Machen Sie mir einen guten Preis?
Can you give me a better price?
When to use it: Ask stall staff this when you want a lower kilo price.
Preis is masculine, so the accusative is einen guten Preis.
Say it: Preis puts the stress on the first syllable.
Sind sie reif?
Are they ripe?
When to use it: Ask this about fruit before you buy.
Small sie means they, the fruit, not formal you.
Story — a better kilo price
Watch Priya at a grape stall near closing time. Deniz coaches her, and she asks for a better kilo price.
The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.
- The market is packing up. Deniz points at a crate of grapes.
DenizDie Trauben sehen gut aus.The grapes look good.
PriyaGuten Tag.Good afternoon.- ClerkJa, bitte?Yes, please?
- PriyaSind sie reif?Are they ripe?
- ClerkJa, sie sind reif.Yes, they are ripe.
- PriyaKann ich mal probieren?Can I try a piece?
- ClerkKlar, eine Traube.Sure, one grape.
- Priya tastes a grape. Deniz waits by the crate.
- PriyaWas kostet das Kilo?How much is it per kilo?
- ClerkVier Euro.Four euros.
- PriyaEin halbes Kilo, bitte.Half a kilo, please.
- DenizNimm ein Kilo. Frag nach einem besseren Preis.Take a kilo. Ask for a better price.
- PriyaMachen Sie mir einen guten Preis?Can you give me a better price?
- ClerkNa gut, drei Euro.All right, three euros.
- PriyaEin Kilo Trauben, bitte.A kilo of grapes, please.
Practice — kilo or a half
Eleven quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.
They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.
0 of 11 done
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
German
Was kostet das Kilo?Drop the English hereEin Kilo ___, bitte.Drop the English hereEin halbes Kilo, bitte.Drop the English hereKann ich mal probieren?Drop the English hereSind sie reif?Drop the English hereEnglish
What do you say?
What do you say?
You want to taste a grape before you buy.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
Half a kilo, please.
Ein halbes Kilo, ____.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You want to check if the fruit is ripe.
Build the line
Build the line
Can you give me a better price?
?
Tap the words in order.
Swap the word
Swap the word
You only want half a kilo of fruit, not a whole kilo.
Ein ____ Kilo, bitte.
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Kann ich mal probieren?
True or false?
True or false?
This line means the fruit on the stall is ripe.
Which one doesn’t belong?
Which one doesn’t belong?
Find the mistake
Find the mistake
Say it — at the stall
Now you're Priya at the Friday grape stall on the canal. 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.
- ClerkJa, bitte?Yes, please?
- Priya (you)Ask if they are ripe.
Ask if they are ripe.
Sind sie reif?
Are they ripe?
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| German | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| Was kostet das Kilo? | How much is it per kilo? | |
| Ein Kilo ___, bitte. | A kilo of ___, please. | |
| Ein halbes Kilo, bitte. | Half a kilo, please. | |
| Kann ich mal probieren? | Can I try a piece? | |
| Machen Sie mir einen guten Preis? | Can you give me a better price? | |
| Sind sie reif? | Are they ripe? |
Save your progress — it’s free
Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Want to keep these stall lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.
A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your stall lines ready for the market.
Open Yak Cards