German course

Lesson 225 of 240

New here? This is lesson 225 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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The repair argument in German

Priya finds Herr Schulze in the courtyard with his clipboard. The stairwell light has been dark for two weeks, and he still has not sent anyone.

She will not pay for a house repair. The lease puts it on him, and she has already written twice.

By the end, you'll name the delay, point to the lease, refuse the cost, and set a deadline this week.

Keep Sie with the landlord. Stay brief, like he does.

By the end of this lesson

Argue politely with the landlord about a repair and who pays.

  • Seit zwei Wochen ist das immer noch nicht behoben.After two weeks this still hasn't been fixed.
  • Laut Mietvertrag liegt die Reparatur bei Ihnen.According to the lease, the repair is your job.
  • Ich habe Ihnen dazu schon zweimal geschrieben.I've already written to you about this twice.
  • Das habe nicht ich verursacht.I'm not the one who caused this.
  • Diese Reparatur geht nicht zu meinen Lasten.This repair doesn't come out of my pocket.
  • Ich erwarte, dass das noch diese Woche erledigt wird.I expect this to be dealt with this week.

Scene — the courtyard

The courtyard is grey after rain. Herr Schulze stands by the bikes with his clipboard under one arm.

The stairwell light is still dark. Priya stops him before he can walk past.

Anton sits on the bakery bench across the cobbles, a Milchkaffee he has not finished.

Priya stops Herr Schulze beside the parked bikes while Anton watches from the bakery bench across the wet courtyard.

Learn — who pays for the repair

Six lines for a polite fight about a repair: the delay, the lease, the two emails, and who pays.

You also get a clear deadline: this week, not someday.

  1. Priya stands beside the bikes and gestures toward the dark stairwell as Herr Schulze pauses to listen.

    Seit zwei Wochen ist das immer noch nicht behoben.

    After two weeks this still hasn't been fixed.

    When to use it: Use this when a reported repair still has not happened.

    Put the time first to stress the wait, while the verb still sits second.

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

  2. Priya holds out an unmarked folded paper as she reminds Herr Schulze that the lease assigns him the repair.

    Laut Mietvertrag liegt die Reparatur bei Ihnen.

    According to the lease, the repair is your job.

    When to use it: Use this to point the landlord to the lease, not your opinion.

    Herr Schulze gets Sie, so the repair lies bei Ihnen, never bei dir.

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

  3. Priya calmly raises a pair of fingers to emphasize that she has already written to Herr Schulze twice.

    Ich habe Ihnen dazu schon zweimal geschrieben.

    I've already written to you about this twice.

    When to use it: Use this when two messages have already gone unanswered.

    Keep Ihnen with the landlord, even when you are annoyed about the wait.

  4. Priya explains that she did not cause the problem while Herr Schulze listens with his clipboard under one arm.

    Das habe nicht ich verursacht.

    I'm not the one who caused this.

    When to use it: Use this to say the damage is not your fault.

    Nicht comes before ich to emphasize that it was not you (the speaker) who caused it.

  5. Herr Schulze makes a note on his clipboard after Priya insists that the repair should not be paid from her pocket.

    Diese Reparatur geht nicht zu meinen Lasten.

    This repair doesn't come out of my pocket.

    When to use it: Use this to refuse paying a repair that is not yours.

    Zu meinen Lasten is one piece for a cost that should not hit you.

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

  6. In profile beside the dark stairwell, Priya firmly asks Herr Schulze to have the repair handled this week.

    Ich erwarte, dass das noch diese Woche erledigt wird.

    I expect this to be dealt with this week.

    When to use it: Use this to set a clear deadline for the repair this week.

    After dass the verbs come last, so erledigt wird sits at the end.

    Say it: Woche uses the ach sound, not the ich sound.

Story — the stairwell light

Watch Priya stop Herr Schulze in the courtyard. She wants the stairwell light fixed, and she will not pay for it.

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

  1. The cobbles are still wet. Herr Schulze holds his clipboard by the parked bikes.
  2. PriyaGuten Tag.Good afternoon.
  3. Herr SchulzeGuten Tag.Good afternoon.
  4. PriyaWie geht es Ihnen?How are you?
  5. Herr SchulzeGut, danke. Kommen Sie zur Sache.I'm good, thanks. Get to the point.
  6. PriyaSeit zwei Wochen ist das immer noch nicht behoben.After two weeks this still hasn't been fixed.
  7. Herr SchulzeDas Treppenhauslicht, meinen Sie?The stairwell light, you mean?
  8. PriyaLaut Mietvertrag liegt die Reparatur bei Ihnen.According to the lease, the repair is your job.
  9. Herr SchulzeDas muss ich erst prüfen.I'll have to check that first.
  10. PriyaIch habe Ihnen dazu schon zweimal geschrieben.I've already written to you about this twice.
  11. Herr SchulzeDer Wasserhahn ist doch schon erledigt.The tap is already taken care of, though.
  12. PriyaZurück zum eigentlichen Thema.Back to the actual topic.
  13. He looks at the dark stairwell, then down at the clipboard.
  14. Herr SchulzeWer soll das dann bezahlen?Who is supposed to pay for it, then?
  15. PriyaSie, laut Mietvertrag. Das habe nicht ich verursacht.You, according to the lease. I'm not the one who caused this.
  16. Herr SchulzeTrotzdem bleibt die Rechnung.The bill is still there, though.
  17. PriyaDiese Reparatur geht nicht zu meinen Lasten.This repair doesn't come out of my pocket.
  18. Herr SchulzeIch notiere das.I'll make a note of that.
  19. PriyaIch erwarte, dass das noch diese Woche erledigt wird.I expect this to be dealt with this week.
  20. Herr SchulzeDiese Woche. Gut.This week. Fine.
  21. Across the cobbles, Anton watches from the bench. His Milchkaffee is still full.

Practice — delay and deadline

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

They stay on the courtyard fight, so the round stays sharp.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    Laut Mietvertrag liegt die Reparatur bei Ihnen.Drop the English here
    Ich habe Ihnen dazu schon zweimal geschrieben.Drop the English here
    Diese Reparatur geht nicht zu meinen Lasten.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    You need the lease to show that the repair is the landlord's job.

  4. Fill the gap

    I've already written to you about this twice.

    Ich habe Ihnen dazu schon ____ geschrieben.

  5. What does it mean?

    Das habe nicht ich verursacht.

  6. Build the line

    This repair doesn't come out of my pocket.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    You want the repair finished this week, not merely discussed.

    Ich erwarte, dass das noch diese Woche ____ wird.

  8. Pick the reply

    Herr Schulze says:

    Nächste Woche vielleicht.

    Maybe next week.

    And you reply with:

  9. What do you say?

    It is afternoon in the courtyard, so greet Herr Schulze the daytime way.

  10. Fill the gap

    How are you?

    Wie geht es ____?

  11. Build the line

    Back to the actual topic

    .

    Tap the words in order.

Say it — hold your ground

Now you're Priya in the courtyard with Herr Schulze. 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. Herr SchulzeKommen Sie zur Sache.Get to the point.
  2. Priya (you)Tell him that after two weeks this still has not been fixed.

    Seit zwei Wochen ist das immer noch nicht behoben.

    After two weeks this still hasn't been fixed.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Seit zwei Wochen ist das immer noch nicht behoben.After two weeks this still hasn't been fixed.
Laut Mietvertrag liegt die Reparatur bei Ihnen.According to the lease, the repair is your job.
Ich habe Ihnen dazu schon zweimal geschrieben.I've already written to you about this twice.
Das habe nicht ich verursacht.I'm not the one who caused this.
Diese Reparatur geht nicht zu meinen Lasten.This repair doesn't come out of my pocket.
Ich erwarte, dass das noch diese Woche erledigt wird.I expect this to be dealt with this week.
Next: lesson 226The noise next door

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your lease lines ready for the courtyard.

Open Yak Cards