A birthday at the bakery in German

When to use it: Say this on the person's birthday, never the day before.

After zu you use the dative, so zu plus dem becomes zum.

When to use it: Hand over a gift and say this as you give it.

Friends get dich here; a stranger you just met gets Sie.

Say it: The ch in dich is the soft ich sound.

When to use it: Play down a small gift so nobody makes a fuss.

Learn eine Kleinigkeit as a pair with the noun.

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

When to use it: Say this when a candle is there to blow out.

einen Wunsch uses einen, the accusative form with that noun.

When to use it: Tell them the cake comes from your whole group.

After von you use the dative, and uns is that form.

Say it: The ch in Kuchen is the ach sound.

When to use it: Say this when a gift was kind but you did not need it.

The verb war stays in second place in this main clause.

Say it: nötig uses the rounded ö sound.