German course

Lesson 144 of 240

New here? This is lesson 144 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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Packages and delivery in German

Priya finds a note on her door on Fliederstraße: the parcel is with the neighbour. She knocks next door, then later tells a driver where to leave food.

You'll pick up a parcel, ask a neighbour to take one in, and send a driver to the door.

Use Sie with the neighbour and the driver. Keep the lines short at the stairwell.

By the end of this lesson

Pick up a parcel, ask a neighbour to take one in, and tell a driver where to leave food.

  • Ich hole mein Paket ab.I'm here to pick up my parcel.
  • Ihr Paket ist beim Nachbarn.Your parcel is with the neighbour.
  • Können Sie das Paket für mich annehmen?Could you take the parcel in for me?
  • Ich hole es an der Packstation.I'll pick it up from the parcel locker.
  • Bitte an der Tür abstellen.Please leave it at the door.
  • Klingeln Sie bitte unten.Please ring the bell downstairs.

Scene — the door note

A slip is taped to Priya's third-floor door in the Hinterhaus. Herr Schulze is in the courtyard with his clipboard.

The neighbour's door is one landing down. Later a driver waits with a bag on the cobbles below.

Priya notices the slip on her door while Herr Schulze waits in the courtyard with his clipboard.

Learn — parcels and drop-offs

Six lines cover picking up a parcel, leaving it with a neighbour, and telling a driver where to stop.

You'll also get the Packstation as a backup plan.

  1. Priya approaches Herr Schulze, who gestures toward the neighbour's stairwell.

    Ich hole mein Paket ab.

    I'm here to pick up my parcel.

    When to use it: Say this at a neighbour's door when you come for your parcel.

    The prefix ab sits at the end of the clause in a main sentence.

  2. Herr Schulze turns toward the neighbour's stairwell as he gives Priya directions.

    Ihr Paket ist beim Nachbarn.

    Your parcel is with the neighbour.

    When to use it: Tell someone their parcel was left with a neighbour.

    After bei, German uses the dative, so it is beim Nachbarn.

    Say it: Nachbarn uses the ach sound for ch, not the ich sound.

  3. Priya accepts a brown parcel from Renate at the neighbour's doorway.

    Können Sie das Paket für mich annehmen?

    Could you take the parcel in for me?

    When to use it: Ask a neighbour you do not know well to take in a parcel.

    A neighbour you have just met gets Sie, not du.

  4. Priya walks through the courtyard arch toward the street after choosing the parcel locker.

    Ich hole es an der Packstation.

    I'll pick it up from the parcel locker.

    When to use it: Say this when you will collect a parcel from a locker.

    Packstation is the locker; learn the place name with the line.

  5. Priya points to the threshold where the food delivery should be left.

    Bitte an der Tür abstellen.

    Please leave it at the door.

    When to use it: Tell a driver to leave food or a parcel at the door.

    This short request is for staff; you keep Sie with a driver.

    Say it: Tür has a tight rounded ü, not a plain u.

  6. Priya points down from the railing toward the bell at the courtyard entrance.

    Klingeln Sie bitte unten.

    Please ring the bell downstairs.

    When to use it: Ask a driver to ring the bell at street level.

    Unten is downstairs at the street door, not at your flat.

    Say it: Klingeln puts the stress on the first syllable.

Story — with the neighbour

Watch Priya track a parcel from a door note to the neighbour, then talk a driver through a drop-off.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. A slip hangs on Priya's door. She goes down to the courtyard.
  2. Herr SchulzeGuten Tag.Good afternoon.
  3. PriyaGuten Tag.Good afternoon.
  4. Herr SchulzeIhr Paket ist beim Nachbarn.Your parcel is with the neighbour.
  5. She knocks on the neighbour's door, one landing down.
  6. NeighbourEinen Moment, bitte.One moment, please.
  7. NeighbourKommen Sie rein.Come in.
  8. PriyaIch hole mein Paket ab.I'm here to pick up my parcel.
  9. The neighbour holds out a brown box. Priya takes it.
  10. NeighbourDas andere kommt morgen.The other one is coming tomorrow.
  11. PriyaKönnen Sie das Paket für mich annehmen?Could you take the parcel in for me?
  12. NeighbourNa ja, morgen nicht.Well, not tomorrow.
  13. PriyaIch hole es an der Packstation.I'll pick it up from the parcel locker.
  14. Later a driver stands on the cobbles with a warm bag.
  15. DriverHallo, Ihr Essen ist da.Hello, your food is here.
  16. PriyaBitte an der Tür abstellen.Please leave it at the door.
  17. PriyaKlingeln Sie bitte unten.Please ring the bell downstairs.
  18. DriverAlles klar, mache ich.All right, I'll do that.

Practice — locker or door

A short round waits 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

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Ich hole es an der Packstation.

  3. What do you say?

    You are at the neighbour's door. You came for your own parcel.

  4. Pick the reply

    Herr Schulze says:

    Guten Tag.

    Good afternoon.

    And you reply with:

  5. Fill the gap

    Your parcel is with the neighbour.

    Ihr Paket ist beim ____.

  6. Build the line

    I'm here to pick up my parcel.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    Tell the driver to leave the food at the door.

    Bitte an der Tür ____.

  8. Find the mistake

  9. What do you say?

    The neighbour is at your door with a box. Invite them in.

  10. True or false?

    You say this when you need a short pause before you open.

  11. Match the pairs

    German

    Ihr Paket ist beim Nachbarn.Drop the English here
    Bitte an der Tür abstellen.Drop the English here
    Klingeln Sie bitte unten.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its German, or tap one and then the other.

Say it — tell the driver

Now you're Priya on the landing, then on the phone to a driver. 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.

  1. Herr SchulzeGuten Tag.Good afternoon.
  2. Priya (you)Say good afternoon back.

    Guten Tag.

    Good afternoon

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Ich hole mein Paket ab.I'm here to pick up my parcel.
Ihr Paket ist beim Nachbarn.Your parcel is with the neighbour.
Können Sie das Paket für mich annehmen?Could you take the parcel in for me?
Ich hole es an der Packstation.I'll pick it up from the parcel locker.
Bitte an der Tür abstellen.Please leave it at the door.
Klingeln Sie bitte unten.Please ring the bell downstairs.
Next: lesson 145Treating friends to dinner

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these parcel lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards keeps neighbour and driver lines ready for the next knock.

Open Yak Cards