German course

Lesson 14 of 240

New here? This is lesson 14 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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Slower, please in German

Priya is at the counter at Bäckerei Krause, but Renate is already talking. The words come too fast, and one of them is new.

She needs a way to stop the rush: slower, once more, or on paper.

By the end, you'll ask someone to repeat, slow down, write a word, or name it in German.

Anton has a napkin. He writes very large.

By the end of this lesson

Ask someone to repeat, slow down, write a word, or name it in German.

  • Noch einmal, bitte.Once more, please
  • Langsamer, bitte.Slower, please
  • Können Sie das wiederholen?Can you repeat that?
  • Schreiben Sie das bitte.Please write that down
  • Wie sagt man ___ auf Deutsch?How do you say ___ in German?
  • Ist das richtig?Is this right?

Scene — too fast at the counter

Priya is back at Bäckerei Krause on Fliederstraße. Renate is already at the counter, talking fast over the bags.

Anton sits at the corner table with his Milchkaffee. A napkin and a pencil wait by his hoof.

Priya listens at the counter while Renate gestures briskly over paper bags and Anton waits at the corner table.

Learn — slower, please

Six short lines help when talk is too fast.

You can ask for slower, once more, a repeat, or the word on paper.

  1. Priya raises one palm politely toward Renate to ask her to slow down.

    Noch einmal, bitte.

    Once more, please

    When to use it: Ask this when you missed a word and want it again.

    Learn it as one piece for a short once-more.

    Say it: Noch uses the ach sound for ch.

  2. Priya presses both palms downward slowly to ask Renate to slow down.

    Langsamer, bitte.

    Slower, please

    When to use it: Ask this when someone talks too fast for you.

    Learn it as one piece when talk is too fast.

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

  3. Priya makes a small circling gesture toward Renate to ask her to repeat the phrase.

    Können Sie das wiederholen?

    Can you repeat that?

    When to use it: Ask staff or a stranger to say that again.

    Learn it as one piece with staff and new people.

    Say it: Können uses the ö sound, with rounded lips.

  4. Priya points toward a roll in the display while asking Anton what it is called in German.

    Schreiben Sie das bitte.

    Please write that down

    When to use it: Ask someone to put the word on paper for you.

    Learn it as one piece when you want it on paper.

    Say it: Schreiben starts with sch, like English sh.

  5. Priya indicates the roll through the glass as Anton responds from the corner table.

    Wie sagt man ___ auf Deutsch?

    How do you say ___ in German?

    When to use it: Ask this when you need the German word for something.

    Learn it as one piece and fill the blank.

  6. Anton writes on the napkin as Priya checks what he has written.

    Ist das richtig?

    Is this right?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want a check on a word.

    Learn it as one piece to check a word.

    Say it: Richtig uses the soft ich sound for ch.

Story — a huge word

Watch Priya stop the rush at the counter. Renate says the same fast line twice.

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

  1. The coffee machine hisses. Renate is already talking.
  2. RenateEine Schrippe, ja?A roll, yes?
  3. PriyaEntschuldigung. Langsamer, bitte.Excuse me. Slower, please.
  4. RenateEine Schrippe, ja?A roll, yes?
  5. PriyaNoch einmal, bitte.Once more, please.
  6. RenateEine Schrippe.A roll.
  7. PriyaKönnen Sie das wiederholen?Can you repeat that?
  8. RenateSchrippe.A Berlin roll.
  9. Priya points at a roll on the shelf.
  10. PriyaWie sagt man das auf Deutsch?How do you say that in German?
  11. AntonSchrippe.A Berlin roll.
  12. PriyaSchreiben Sie das bitte.Please write that down.
  13. Anton writes Schrippe in huge letters on a napkin and hands it to Priya.
  14. PriyaIst das richtig?Is this right?
  15. AntonJa.Yes.

Practice — once more or slower

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

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    Noch einmal, bitte.Drop the English here
    Langsamer, bitte.Drop the English here
    Ist das richtig?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 heard the line, but you want that same sentence one more time.

  4. Fill the gap

    Is this right?

    Ist das ____?

  5. What does it mean?

    Schreiben Sie das bitte.

  6. Swap the word

    You want the German word, not the English one.

    Wie sagt man ___ auf ____?

  7. What do you say?

    Renate said a word you missed. You want her to repeat what she said.

  8. Build the line

    Please write that down

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  9. What do you say?

    You bump someone at the counter and need a short excuse me.

  10. True or false?

    Say this when you want someone to write a word.

Say it — ask again

Now you're Priya at the counter, and the talk is too fast. 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. RenateEine Schrippe, ja?A roll, yes?
  2. Priya (you)Ask her to go slower.

    Langsamer, bitte.

    Slower, please

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Noch einmal, bitte.Once more, please
Langsamer, bitte.Slower, please
Können Sie das wiederholen?Can you repeat that?
Schreiben Sie das bitte.Please write that down
Wie sagt man ___ auf Deutsch?How do you say ___ in German?
Ist das richtig?Is this right?
Next: lesson 15I'm learning German

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps slower and once-more ready for the counter.

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