German course

Lesson 172 of 240

New here? This is lesson 172 of a free 240-lesson German course.

Start hereHow this works

A trip that went wrong in German

Jule is on the loft sofa with a story that did not go to plan. She got lost near the canal, then found it again.

Priya listens, then tries the same lines: what went wrong, how she got through, and what she would do next time.

By the end you'll tell a small mishap, say it was harder than you thought, and keep one moment.

Keep the Hamburg trip for later. This is just a short weekend trip that went sideways.

By the end of this lesson

Tell what went wrong on a trip and how you got through.

  • Die Reise lief nicht wie geplant.The trip didn't go as planned.
  • Ich habe mich verlaufen, aber ich habe den Weg zurückgefunden.I got lost, but I found my way back.
  • Auf dem Weg dorthin ist ___ passiert.On the way there, ___ happened.
  • Nächstes Mal würde ich ___.Next time I would ___.
  • Es war anstrengender, als ich erwartet hatte.It was more tiring than I had expected.
  • Ich werde den Moment nie vergessen.I'll never forget that moment.

Scene — the loft sofa

Monday at the loft by the canal. Priya and Jule share the sofa, laptops shut for a minute.

Keks sleeps under the desk. Jule starts a short weekend trip that went sideways, before any Hamburg trip.

Priya and Jule sit together on the loft sofa with their laptops closed on the table.

Learn — a trip that went wrong

Six lines cover a trip that went wrong, getting lost, what happened on the way, and what you'd do next time.

You'll also say it was more tiring than you expected, and that you won't forget a moment.

  1. Jule gives a helpless shrug as Priya turns toward her to listen.

    Die Reise lief nicht wie geplant.

    The trip didn't go as planned.

    When to use it: Use this to say a trip did not follow the plan.

    In a main clause the verb comes second, right after Die Reise.

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

  2. Jule sets her mug down and traces a winding route in the air with one finger.

    Ich habe mich verlaufen, aber ich habe den Weg zurückgefunden.

    I got lost, but I found my way back.

    When to use it: Say this after you got lost and then found the way again.

    aber joins two main clauses, and each keeps the verb in second place.

    Say it: The ü in zurückgefunden is a tight rounded vowel.

  3. Priya leans toward Jule with open hands as Jule explains that she got lost.

    Auf dem Weg dorthin ist ___ passiert.

    On the way there, ___ happened.

    When to use it: Use this to name what went wrong on the way there.

    After Auf dem Weg dorthin, the verb ist still comes second.

  4. Priya raises one hand slightly as she asks Jule where she got lost.

    Nächstes Mal würde ich ___.

    Next time I would ___.

    When to use it: Use this to say what you would do differently next time.

    After Nächstes Mal, würde stays in second place.

    Say it: The ü in würde is a tight rounded vowel.

  5. Jule sinks into the sofa, looking tired after finding her way back to the canal.

    Es war anstrengender, als ich erwartet hatte.

    It was more tiring than I had expected.

    When to use it: Say this when something took more energy than you thought.

    After als, the verb in that clause comes last.

    Say it: Final -er in anstrengender sounds like a short ah.

  6. The quiet canal fills the window view while Jule sits turned toward it with a hand on her chest.

    Ich werde den Moment nie vergessen.

    I'll never forget that moment.

    When to use it: Use this for one moment from the trip you still remember.

    In a main clause werde comes second, right after Ich.

Story — lost by the canal

Jule tells Priya about a weekend trip that went wrong. She got lost, then found the canal again.

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

  1. Monday on the loft sofa. Jule grins, then starts the weekend trip.
  2. PriyaUnd, wie war dein Wochenende?So, how was your weekend?
  3. JuleDie Reise lief nicht wie geplant.The trip didn't go as planned.
  4. She puts her mug down. Priya waits.
  5. PriyaWas ist passiert?What happened?
  6. JuleAuf dem Weg dorthin ist etwas passiert.On the way there, something happened.
  7. PriyaErnsthaft?Seriously?
  8. JuleIch habe mich verlaufen.I got lost.
  9. PriyaKeine Sorge.Don't worry.
  10. JuleIch habe mich verlaufen, aber ich habe den Weg zurückgefunden.I got lost, but I found my way back.
  11. PriyaWo denn genau?Where exactly?
  12. JuleIrgendwo hinter den Hinterhöfen, weg vom Kanal.Somewhere behind the back courtyards, away from the canal.
  13. PriyaUnd dann?And then?
  14. JuleDann habe ich den Kanal wiedergefunden. Es war anstrengender, als ich erwartet hatte.Then I found the canal again. It was more tiring than I had expected.
  15. She looks toward the window, toward the water.
  16. PriyaAber du warst wieder da.But you were back.
  17. JuleIch werde den Moment nie vergessen.I'll never forget that moment.
  18. PriyaWelchen Moment?Which moment?
  19. JuleAls der Kanal wieder da war, ganz ruhig.When the canal was there again, all quiet.
  20. PriyaUnd nächstes Mal?And next time?
  21. JuleNächstes Mal würde ich eine Karte mitnehmen.Next time I would take a map.
  22. PriyaJa, mach das nächstes Mal.Yes, do that next time.

Practice — what went wrong

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

They stay short, so you can retell the mishap without getting stuck.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    Die Reise lief nicht wie geplant.Drop the English here
    Auf dem Weg dorthin ist ___ passiert.Drop the English here
    Nächstes Mal würde ich ___.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 got lost on a weekend trip, then you found the way back.

  4. Fill the gap

    I got lost, but I found my way back.

    Ich habe mich verlaufen, aber ich habe den ____ zurückgefunden.

  5. What does it mean?

    Es war anstrengender, als ich erwartet hatte.

  6. Pick the reply

    Jule says:

    Ich habe mich verlaufen.

    I got lost.

    And you reply with:

  7. Build the line

    I'll never forget that moment.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Swap the word

    The trip took more energy than you thought.

    Es war ____, als ich erwartet hatte.

  9. True or false?

    You say this when you got lost, looking back on a trip.

  10. Put the chat in order

    1. PriyaWhat comes first?
    2. Jule…
    3. Priya…
    4. Jule…
    5. Priya…

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

  11. Which one doesn’t belong?

Say it — tell the mishap

Now you're Priya on the loft sofa. Jule has told her weekend trip. Now you tell yours: a short trip that also went wrong.

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. JuleNa, wie war deine kleine Reise?So, how was your little trip?
  2. Priya (you)Tell her your trip did not follow the plan.

    Die Reise lief nicht wie geplant.

    The trip didn't go as planned.

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Die Reise lief nicht wie geplant.The trip didn't go as planned.
Ich habe mich verlaufen, aber ich habe den Weg zurückgefunden.I got lost, but I found my way back.
Auf dem Weg dorthin ist ___ passiert.On the way there, ___ happened.
Nächstes Mal würde ich ___.Next time I would ___.
Es war anstrengender, als ich erwartet hatte.It was more tiring than I had expected.
Ich werde den Moment nie vergessen.I'll never forget that moment.
Next: lesson 173Planning a weekend trip

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

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your mishap story ready.

Open Yak Cards