German course

Lesson 2 of 240

New here? This is lesson 2 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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Come in, sit down in German

Priya is still at the bakery door. Renate waves her in from the counter, and the corner table already has a guest.

Anton sits on two chairs with a Milchkaffee he has not touched. He still offers Priya a seat.

By the end, you'll welcome someone, invite them in, offer a seat, and bounce a question back.

Renate uses the polite lines with a new customer. Keep the short ones for friends.

By the end of this lesson

Welcome someone in, offer a seat, and bounce the question back.

  • Willkommen.Welcome
  • Kommen Sie rein.Come in
  • Setz dich.Have a seat
  • Setzen Sie sich.Please sit down
  • Und dir?And you?
  • Und Ihnen?And you?

Scene — the empty chair

Renate waves from the counter and holds the door with her eyes. Priya is still half outside.

Anton already uses two chairs at the corner table. His Milchkaffee sits full. He still has a free chair for her.

Renate waves from the counter as Priya pauses in the open doorway and Anton occupies two chairs beside his full milky coffee and a free seat.

Learn — welcome and sit down

Six short lines cover a welcome, come in, two ways to offer a seat, and two ways to bounce a question back.

You'll use the short ones with friends, and the longer ones with someone new.

  1. Renate warmly welcomes Priya with a raised hand while Priya waits at the doorway.

    Willkommen.

    Welcome

    When to use it: Say this when someone arrives and you want to welcome them.

    Learn it as one piece for a short welcome.

  2. From the threshold, Priya sees Renate beckoning her into the bakery.

    Kommen Sie rein.

    Come in

    When to use it: Say this to invite a new guest in from the door.

    Learn it as one piece to invite someone in.

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

  3. Anton begins to rise from his two chairs as Priya approaches the free seat at the corner table.

    Setz dich.

    Have a seat

    When to use it: Offer a seat this way to a friend.

    Learn it as one piece with a friend.

  4. Renate gestures toward the empty chair as Priya stands beside the corner table.

    Setzen Sie sich.

    Please sit down

    When to use it: Offer a seat this way to a new guest.

    Learn it as one piece with new people.

    Say it: Sich uses the soft ch sound, as in ich.

  5. Priya responds to Anton with a relaxed expression and an informal lean at the corner table.

    Und dir?

    And you?

    When to use it: Bounce the question back after a friend asks how you are.

    Learn it as one piece with a friend.

  6. Anton turns from the corner table toward Renate at the counter as she responds to him.

    Und Ihnen?

    And you?

    When to use it: Bounce the question back after someone new asks how you are.

    Learn it as one piece with new people.

Story — two chairs

Watch Renate wave Priya in from the door. Anton already sits, but he still offers a chair.

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

  1. The door is still half open. Renate waves her in.
  2. RenateWillkommen.Welcome.
  3. Priya still has one foot on the pavement.
  4. RenateKommen Sie rein.Come in.
  5. PriyaGuten Morgen.Good morning.
  6. RenateSetzen Sie sich.Please sit down.
  7. Anton already uses two chairs. He starts to stand.
  8. RenateSetz dich.Have a seat.
  9. AntonSetzen Sie sich.Please sit down.
  10. He looks at Priya.
  11. AntonWie geht es Ihnen?How are you?
  12. PriyaGut, danke. Und Ihnen?I'm good, thanks. And you?
  13. AntonGut, danke.I'm good, thanks.
  14. He looks at Renate.
  15. AntonUnd dir?And you?
  16. RenateGut, danke.I'm good, thanks.

Practice — in or sit

Eleven short exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and swap a word.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    Willkommen.Drop the English here
    Kommen Sie rein.Drop the English here
    Setzen Sie sich.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    Someone new has just arrived. Welcome them in one word.

  4. Find the mistake

  5. Fill the gap

    Have a seat

    ____ dich.

  6. What does it mean?

    Wie geht es Ihnen?

  7. Swap the word

    Bounce the question back to someone you have just met.

    Und ____?

  8. Pick the reply

    Renate says:

    Wie geht es Ihnen?

    How are you?

    And you reply with:

  9. Build the line

    Come in

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  10. True or false?

    You say this to invite someone in from the door.

  11. What do you say?

    You already told a friend you are fine. Bounce the question back.

Say it — say it back

This time Anton is arriving at the bakery door, still outside. You stand at the counter and welcome him in.

When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line. Tap ▶ first if you want to hear it. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. AntonGuten Morgen.Good morning.
  2. Priya (you)He is still outside. Welcome him in one word.

    Willkommen.

    Welcome

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Willkommen.Welcome
Kommen Sie rein.Come in
Setz dich.Have a seat
Setzen Sie sich.Please sit down
Und dir?And you?
Und Ihnen?And you?
Next: lesson 3What's your name

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