German course

Lesson 177 of 240

New here? This is lesson 177 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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The warehouse district in German

Priya and Jule walk the Speicherstadt after the delayed train.

Dark brick warehouses sit over dark water, older than they look.

Jule grew up in Hamburg, so she knows this stretch. She does not give a lecture.

She just says what the place used to do, and how it feels now.

By the end, you'll describe an old neighbourhood, say how it was used, and suggest walking through slowly.

Keep it everyday: bricks, water, and what people stored here.

By the end of this lesson

Describe an old neighbourhood, how it used to be used, and suggest walking through it slowly.

  • Das Viertel ist schon über hundert Jahre alt.This neighbourhood is already more than a hundred years old.
  • Die Speicher stehen direkt am Wasser.The warehouses stand right on the water.
  • Früher haben die hier Waren gelagert.They used to store goods here.
  • Heute sieht es fast aus wie ein Museum.Today it almost looks like a museum.
  • Hier ist es ganz anders als in Berlin.It's very different here from Berlin.
  • Lass uns da langsam durchlaufen.Let's walk through slowly.

Scene — over the canals

The ICE ran late, then a replacement bus. Now they stand on a bridge in the Speicherstadt.

Dark-brick warehouses rise over canals. The water is still.

Jule has her yellow rain jacket on. Priya holds the rail and looks down.

Priya and Jule pause together on the bridge above the still canal.

Learn — old bricks and water

Six lines help you talk about an old place: how old it is, what it sits on, and what people used it for.

You'll also say it looks like a museum now, and suggest walking through slowly.

  1. Jule points across the canal toward the old warehouse row as Priya looks where she points.

    Das Viertel ist schon über hundert Jahre alt.

    This neighbourhood is already more than a hundred years old.

    When to use it: Say this when a neighbourhood is already very old.

    The verb sits second: ist comes right after Viertel.

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

  2. The warehouse walls meet the canal right beside Priya.

    Die Speicher stehen direkt am Wasser.

    The warehouses stand right on the water.

    When to use it: Use this when warehouses sit right on a canal.

    Learn die Speicher with the noun for the warehouses.

    Say it: Speicher starts with sp, like Spiel.

  3. Jule looks up at the warehouse windows and loading features as she considers what the buildings once held.

    Früher haben die hier Waren gelagert.

    They used to store goods here.

    When to use it: Say this when people used to store goods in a place.

    Here die means they, the people who stored goods.

    Say it: Früher has the ü sound, like a tight u.

  4. Priya takes in the warehouse district as it almost seems like a museum today.

    Heute sieht es fast aus wie ein Museum.

    Today it almost looks like a museum.

    When to use it: Use this when an old place now looks like a museum.

    With aussehen, the prefix aus stands after sieht in this clause.

  5. Priya turns toward Jule as they compare the quiet waterway with Berlin.

    Hier ist es ganz anders als in Berlin.

    It's very different here from Berlin.

    When to use it: Say this when a place feels very different from Berlin.

    Anders als is the pair you need for different from.

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

  6. Jule steps off the bridge onto the warehouse path and invites Priya to continue at an easy pace.

    Lass uns da langsam durchlaufen.

    Let's walk through slowly.

    When to use it: Use this to suggest walking through a place slowly.

    Lass uns is the friendly way to say let's with a friend.

    Say it: durchlaufen has the ach-ch, as in Bach.

Story — they walk the warehouses

Watch Priya and Jule walk the old warehouses over the water. Jule knows the place, but she keeps it short.

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

  1. They stop on a brick bridge. Dark water sits between the warehouses.
  2. JuleSchau mal da rüber.Take a look over there.
  3. PriyaDie Speicher stehen direkt am Wasser.The warehouses stand right on the water.
  4. JuleDas Viertel ist schon über hundert Jahre alt.This neighbourhood is already more than a hundred years old.
  5. PriyaEcht? Sieht so frisch aus.Really? It looks so fresh.
  6. JuleFrüher haben die hier Waren gelagert.They used to store goods here.
  7. A low boat passes. Jule does not start a history talk.
  8. PriyaHeute sieht es fast aus wie ein Museum.Today it almost looks like a museum.
  9. JuleNa ja. Das sieht gut aus, oder?Well. That looks good, doesn't it?
  10. PriyaHier ist es ganz anders als in Berlin.It's very different here from Berlin.
  11. JuleJa. In Kreuzberg ist weniger Wasser.Yes. In Kreuzberg there is less water.
  12. PriyaUnd ruhiger. Kein Lärm von der Bahn.And quieter. No noise from the train.
  13. JuleLass uns da langsam durchlaufen.Let's walk through slowly.
  14. PriyaJa, gerne. Ich schaue in Ruhe.Yes, gladly. I'll look in peace.
  15. JuleLass dir Zeit. Wir haben den Nachmittag.Take your time. We've got the afternoon.

Practice — age, use, and a slow walk

Ten short exercises wait here. You'll listen, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.

They stay on the warehouses, the water, and the slow walk.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Das Viertel ist schon über hundert Jahre alt.

  3. Fill the gap

    They used to store goods here.

    Früher haben die hier ____ gelagert.

  4. Swap the word

    The old warehouses now look like a place to visit, not a station.

    Heute sieht es fast aus wie ein ____.

  5. What do you say?

    You want to walk through the warehouses slowly, not rush.

  6. Pick the reply

    Jule says:

    Fühlt sich das wie Berlin an?

    Does this feel like Berlin?

    And you reply with:

  7. Fill the gap

    This neighbourhood is already more than a hundred years old.

    Das Viertel ist schon über hundert Jahre ____.

  8. Match the pairs

    German

    Die Speicher stehen direkt am Wasser.Drop the English here
    Früher haben die hier Waren gelagert.Drop the English here
    Heute sieht es fast aus wie ein Museum.Drop the English here

    English

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

  9. True or false?

    You say this when something looks good.

  10. Fill the gap

    Take your time.

    Lass dir ____.

Say it — say it on the bridge

Now you're Priya on a bridge in the Speicherstadt with Jule. 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. JuleSchau mal da runter.Take a look down there.
  2. Priya (you)Say the warehouses stand right on the water.

    Die Speicher stehen direkt am Wasser.

    The warehouses stand right on the water.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Das Viertel ist schon über hundert Jahre alt.This neighbourhood is already more than a hundred years old.
Die Speicher stehen direkt am Wasser.The warehouses stand right on the water.
Früher haben die hier Waren gelagert.They used to store goods here.
Heute sieht es fast aus wie ein Museum.Today it almost looks like a museum.
Hier ist es ganz anders als in Berlin.It's very different here from Berlin.
Lass uns da langsam durchlaufen.Let's walk through slowly.
Next: lesson 178The story grows

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards keeps the old-place lines ready for the next canal walk.

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