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Lesson 178 of 240

New here? This is lesson 178 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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The story grows in German

Jule is back from Hamburg, and the bus hunt grows every time she tells it. Priya was there, so she can catch the extra drama.

At the bakery table, Jule starts again. The delayed ICE was real. The rail-replacement bus was real. The hunt for it gets bigger with each telling.

You'll learn how to start a retelling, push back kindly, and notice when a story grows.

Deniz would add treasure. You will not.

By the end of this lesson

Retell something, catch extra drama, and push back when the story grows.

  • So schlimm war es gar nicht.It wasn't actually that bad.
  • Du machst die Geschichte größer.You're making the story bigger.
  • Also, die Sache war so.So, here's what happened.
  • Ich habe gestern etwas anderes gehört.I heard something different yesterday.
  • Je öfter du es erzählst, desto größer wird sie.The more you tell it, the bigger it gets.
  • Ganz so war das nicht.That's not how it was.

Scene — the bakery table

Sunday morning at Bäckerei Krause. Priya and Jule sit at a small table with coffee. Jule's headphones hang around her neck.

Anton is at the corner table, a Milchkaffee he has not touched. Renate wipes the counter and listens with one ear.

Priya and Jule talk over coffee while Anton sits at the corner table with his untouched Milchkaffee.

Learn — when a story grows

Six lines help you retell a story and catch it when it grows.

You'll start a telling, push back, and say you heard it differently.

  1. Priya gently shakes her head and makes a palm-down gesture over her coffee.

    So schlimm war es gar nicht.

    It wasn't actually that bad.

    When to use it: Say this when a retelling makes a moment sound worse than it was.

    With a friend this shrinks the drama without calling them a liar.

    Say it: Schlimm starts with sch, like the start of ship.

  2. Renate pauses her wiping and turns toward Jule and the table.

    Du machst die Geschichte größer.

    You're making the story bigger.

    When to use it: Say this to a friend when their retelling adds extra drama.

    Du is for a friend like Jule, not for shop staff or strangers.

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

  3. Jule opens both hands beside her coffee as she begins recounting the trip.

    Also, die Sache war so.

    So, here's what happened.

    When to use it: Use this to start a retelling and lay out the facts.

    Also opens the retelling; die Sache war so is the clause that follows.

  4. Anton sits turned toward the conversation beside his untouched Milchkaffee.

    Ich habe gestern etwas anderes gehört.

    I heard something different yesterday.

    When to use it: Say this when today's telling does not match what you heard.

    The verb stays in second place, and gestern follows habe.

  5. Renate stands at the counter with the cloth set down, looking toward the tables.

    Je öfter du es erzählst, desto größer wird sie.

    The more you tell it, the bigger it gets.

    When to use it: Say this when each new telling adds more drama than the last.

    Sie here is the story, die Geschichte, not a person.

    Say it: Öfter has ö, said with rounded lips.

  6. Priya leans toward Jule and lifts a hand in a gentle correction.

    Ganz so war das nicht.

    That's not how it was.

    When to use it: Use this to correct a detail without starting a fight.

    This corrects one detail and does not start a new story.

Story — the bus hunt again

Jule tells the Hamburg bus hunt again at the table. Priya was on that trip, so she can catch the extra drama.

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

  1. Rain still sits on Jule's yellow jacket.
  2. JuleAlso, die Sache war so.So, here's what happened.
  3. PriyaDer Ersatzbus in Hamburg, ja?The rail-replacement bus in Hamburg, right?
  4. JuleDer Bus ist ohne uns abgefahren. Alle sind gerannt.The bus left without us. Everyone ran.
  5. PriyaGanz so war das nicht.That's not how it was.
  6. JuleNa ja, fast. Wir haben den Bus gesucht.Well, almost. We looked for the bus.
  7. PriyaSo schlimm war es gar nicht.It wasn't actually that bad.
  8. AntonIch habe gestern etwas anderes gehört.I heard something different yesterday.
  9. JuleGestern war die Geschichte kürzer, stimmt.Yesterday the story was shorter, true.
  10. PriyaDu machst die Geschichte größer.You're making the story bigger.
  11. Deniz steps in from the Späti with a crate of bottles.
  12. DenizWar da ein Schatz im Bus, oder?Was there a treasure on the bus, or what?
  13. JuleNein. Aber wir sind durch den ganzen Hafen gelaufen.No. But we walked through the whole harbour.
  14. PriyaIch bin nicht sicher, ob das stimmt.I'm not sure that's right.
  15. JuleBis zum Imbiss, okay. Ein Fischbrötchen.As far as the snack stall, okay. A fish roll.
  16. PriyaJe öfter du es erzählst, desto größer wird sie.The more you tell it, the bigger it gets.
  17. JuleOkay, okay.Okay, okay.
  18. PriyaDie Reise lief nicht wie geplant.The trip didn't go as planned.
  19. JuleGenau. Ohne Schatz, ohne Geschrei.Exactly. No treasure, no shouting.
  20. AntonDann passt die Geschichte endlich.Then the story finally fits.

Practice — bigger each time

Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay on the retelling, so the round stays tight.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    So schlimm war es gar nicht.Drop the English here
    Du machst die Geschichte größer.Drop the English here
    Also, die Sache war so.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    Name that your friend is making the story bigger. Do not shrink how bad it sounded, and do not start a retelling.

  4. Fill the gap

    The more you tell it, the bigger it gets.

    Je ____ du es erzählst, desto größer wird sie.

  5. What does it mean?

    So schlimm war es gar nicht.

  6. What do you say?

    Jule's telling today does not match what you heard yesterday. Say that, starting with I, not yesterday.

  7. Swap the word

    Jule has added extra running. Correct the telling.

    Ganz so war das ____.

  8. Pick the reply

    Jule says:

    Wir sind durch den ganzen Hafen gelaufen. Stimmt das?

    We walked through the whole harbour. Is that true?

    And you reply with:

  9. True or false?

    This line says the Hamburg trip went as planned.

  10. Find the mistake

Say it — catch it kindly

Now you're Priya at the bakery table. Jule is making the Hamburg story bigger. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. JuleDer Bus ist ohne uns abgefahren. Alle sind gerannt.The bus left without us. Everyone ran.
  2. Priya (you)Tell her that is not how it was.

    Ganz so war das nicht.

    That's not how it was.

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
So schlimm war es gar nicht.It wasn't actually that bad.
Du machst die Geschichte größer.You're making the story bigger.
Also, die Sache war so.So, here's what happened.
Ich habe gestern etwas anderes gehört.I heard something different yesterday.
Je öfter du es erzählst, desto größer wird sie.The more you tell it, the bigger it gets.
Ganz so war das nicht.That's not how it was.
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your retelling lines ready when a story grows.

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