German course

Lesson 201 of 240

New here? This is lesson 201 of a free 240-lesson German course.

Start hereHow this works

Asking for a recommendation in German

Priya is hungry after work and stops at Deniz's Späti. She wants somewhere to eat by the canal, not a long sit-down meal.

Deniz always has a stall in mind, then a bakery, then a theory. Ask him what to try.

You'll ask for a recommendation, give one, hedge when it depends, and name a must-try.

Keep it to food and places. A friend gets du here.

By the end of this lesson

Ask for and give recommendations for food and places.

  • Was kannst du mir empfehlen?What can you recommend?
  • Den Laden kann ich dir sehr empfehlen.I can really recommend that place.
  • Was soll ich hier unbedingt probieren?What should I definitely try here?
  • Es kommt darauf an, worauf du Lust hast.It depends what you're in the mood for.
  • Ich fand's gut, aber ziemlich teuer.I liked it, but it was pretty expensive.
  • Wenn du hingehst, nimm auf jeden Fall ___.If you go, definitely get ___.

Scene — the Späti pavement

Late afternoon on Fliederstraße. Priya stops at Deniz's Späti, across from the bakery. Crates of bottles sit on the pavement.

She wants something to eat by the canal before it gets dark. Deniz is behind the counter, already talking.

Priya pauses at Deniz’s Späti doorway while Deniz stacks bottles behind the counter.

Learn — asking for a tip

Six lines for asking and giving food tips: what to try, what depends, and a must-get if you go.

You'll also learn a polite way to say you liked a place, with a price caveat.

  1. Priya gestures toward the snack shelves as she asks Deniz for a recommendation.

    Was kannst du mir empfehlen?

    What can you recommend?

    When to use it: Ask a friend what food or place they suggest.

    With a friend you use du; a stranger at a stall gets Sie.

  2. Deniz points through the open doorway toward the canal stall as Priya listens.

    Den Laden kann ich dir sehr empfehlen.

    I can really recommend that place.

    When to use it: Use this to strongly recommend a stall, shop, or café.

    In a main clause the verb kann is second and empfehlen waits at the end.

  3. Deniz’s pointing hand and Priya’s hand indicate the route through the open doorway.

    Was soll ich hier unbedingt probieren?

    What should I definitely try here?

    When to use it: Ask which dish you should try at this place.

    Soll here asks for a tip, not for a rule you must follow.

  4. Outside the Späti, Deniz shrugs as Priya considers what kind of food she wants.

    Es kommt darauf an, worauf du Lust hast.

    It depends what you're in the mood for.

    When to use it: Hedge when the best pick depends on what they fancy.

    The prefix an sits at the end of that first clause.

  5. Priya reflects on an expensive café meal while Deniz listens beside her.

    Ich fand's gut, aber ziemlich teuer.

    I liked it, but it was pretty expensive.

    When to use it: Say you liked a place, but warn that it cost a lot.

    Fand's is fand plus es, written as one spoken piece.

    Say it: The ch in ziemlich is the soft ich sound, not ach.

  6. Priya turns toward the canal route as Deniz points out the stall and recommends its fish roll.

    Wenn du hingehst, nimm auf jeden Fall ___.

    If you go, definitely get ___.

    When to use it: Name the one thing they should get if they go.

    After wenn, the verb hingehst stands last in that first clause.

Story — stall then bakery

Priya asks Deniz where to eat by the canal. He has a stall, then the bakery, then a theory.

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

  1. Priya leans on the Späti counter. Deniz stacks bottles, already talking.
  2. PriyaIch will am Kanal essen. Was kannst du mir empfehlen?I want to eat by the canal. What can you recommend?
  3. DenizDen Imbiss am Wasser. Den Laden kann ich dir sehr empfehlen.The stall by the water. I can really recommend that place.
  4. PriyaIst es hier in der Nähe?Is it near here?
  5. DenizJa, zwei Minuten. Das sieht gut aus.Yes, two minutes. That looks good.
  6. They step onto the pavement. The stall by the canal is in view.
  7. PriyaWas soll ich hier unbedingt probieren?What should I definitely try here?
  8. DenizEs kommt darauf an, worauf du Lust hast.It depends what you're in the mood for.
  9. PriyaLetztes Mal ein Café. Ich fand's gut, aber ziemlich teuer. Das ist zu teuer.Last time a café. I liked it, but it was pretty expensive. That's too expensive.
  10. DenizHier nicht. Wenn du hingehst, nimm auf jeden Fall ein Fischbrötchen.Not here. If you go, definitely get a fish roll.
  11. PriyaUnd wenn der zu hat?And if that one is closed?
  12. DenizDann die Bäckerei. Den Laden kann ich dir sehr empfehlen.Then the bakery. I can really recommend that place.
  13. PriyaDas sieht gut aus. Was soll ich hier unbedingt probieren?That looks good. What should I definitely try here?
  14. DenizWenn du hingehst, nimm auf jeden Fall einen Pfannkuchen.If you go, definitely get a jam doughnut.
  15. He glances at the bakery, as if the old key still sits in the box.
  16. DenizDer Schlüssel da, der öffnet bestimmt eine Schatztruhe.That key in there, it definitely opens a treasure chest.
  17. PriyaErst essen. Was kannst du mir empfehlen?Food first. What can you recommend?
  18. DenizFischbrötchen. Es kommt darauf an, worauf du Lust hast.A fish roll. It depends what you're in the mood for.
  19. PriyaNa gut, ich gehe zum Imbiss.All right, I'm going to the stall.

Practice — food and places

Eleven short rounds. You'll listen, fill a gap, build a line, and pick a meaning.

They stay on food and places, so you practise the job, not extra grammar.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What do you say?

    A friend wants food nearby. Strongly recommend that place.

  3. Pick the reply

    Deniz says:

    Schau, die Theke ist voll. Hier gibt's viele Gerichte.

    Look, the counter is full. There are lots of dishes here.

    And you reply with:

  4. What does it mean?

    Es kommt darauf an, worauf du Lust hast.

  5. Fill the gap

    I liked it, but it was pretty expensive.

    Ich fand's gut, aber ziemlich ____.

  6. Build the line

    It depends what you're in the mood for.

    , .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Put the chat in order

    1. PriyaWhat comes first?
    2. Deniz…
    3. Priya…
    4. Deniz…

    Tap the line that comes next, or drag it into the chat.

  8. Swap the word

    A friend is going. Fill auf ____ Fall. The last blank is the food-item slot.

    Wenn du hingehst, nimm auf ____ Fall ___.

  9. What do you say?

    Comment on how the stall looks from the pavement. It looks appealing.

  10. True or false?

    The speaker thinks the price is too high.

  11. Fill the gap

    Is it near here?

    Ist es hier in der ____?

Say it — your turn at the Späti

Now you're Priya at the Späti, asking Deniz what to eat. 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. DenizNa, Priya. Du willst essen, oder?Hey, Priya. You want to eat, right?
  2. Priya (you)Ask what he can recommend.

    Was kannst du mir empfehlen?

    What can you recommend?

0 of 5 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Was kannst du mir empfehlen?What can you recommend?
Den Laden kann ich dir sehr empfehlen.I can really recommend that place.
Was soll ich hier unbedingt probieren?What should I definitely try here?
Es kommt darauf an, worauf du Lust hast.It depends what you're in the mood for.
Ich fand's gut, aber ziemlich teuer.I liked it, but it was pretty expensive.
Wenn du hingehst, nimm auf jeden Fall ___.If you go, definitely get ___.
Next: lesson 202Making the deadline

Save your progress — it’s free

Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.

Want the next lesson in your inbox?

Get the next lesson by email, one a day.

Where should we start?
Join the newsletter

Daily lesson emails are coming soon. Newsletter subscribers get them first.

Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want these food tips on you? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A short Yak Cards round keeps the recommendation lines ready for the next stall.

Open Yak Cards