🎯 Today's Learning Goals / Lernziele
- Complete a full-length Start Deutsch 1 mock exam under timed conditions
- Practice all four exam sections: Lesen, Hören, Schreiben, Sprechen
- Apply reading strategies to signs, advertisements, and short texts
- Demonstrate listening comprehension through transcript-based exercises
- Write a form and a short informal message in correct German
- Perform a simulated speaking exam: self-introduction, Q&A, and requests
📚 Grammar & Rules / Grammatik
1. Exam Overview & Scoring
Start Deutsch 1 has four sections worth 25 points each, totaling 100 points. You need 60 points to pass.
The Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1 tests basic German at the A1 level of the Common European Framework. It proves you can communicate in simple everyday situations. The exam has four equally weighted parts. You do not need to pass each section individually — your total score across all four sections must reach at least 60 out of 100. However, a very weak score in one section cannot be fully compensated by other sections. The Lesen and Hören sections are multiple-choice. Schreiben requires you to fill out a form and write a short message. Sprechen is a face-to-face group exam with two or three candidates.
| SECTION | POINTS | DURATION | PARTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lesen (Reading) | 25 | 20 minutes | 3 Teile |
| Hören (Listening) | 25 | 20 minutes | 3 Teile |
| Schreiben (Writing) | 25 | 20 minutes | 2 Teile |
| Sprechen (Speaking) | 25 | 15 minutes | 3 Teile |
| Gesamt (Total) | 100 | ~75 minutes | Pass: 60+ |
Lesen Teil 1: Kurze Texte — richtig oder falsch?
— Reading Part 1: Short texts — true or false?
💡 5 items, signs and notices
Lesen Teil 2: Anzeigen zuordnen
— Reading Part 2: Match advertisements
💡 5 items, match situations to ads
Lesen Teil 3: Einen längeren Text lesen
— Reading Part 3: Read a longer text
💡 5 items, multiple choice a/b/c
Hören Teil 1: Kurze Alltagsgespräche
— Listening Part 1: Short everyday conversations
💡 Played twice
⚠️ Common Mistake: Do not spend too long on any single question. If you are unsure, make your best guess and move on — unanswered questions always score zero.
💡 Study Tip: Read ALL answer options before choosing. The first option that sounds right is often a distractor.
2. Lesen — Reading Strategies
Read the question or task FIRST, then scan the text for the answer. Do not try to understand every word.
In Teil 1, you read short signs, notices, or instructions and decide if a statement about them is richtig (true) or falsch (false). Focus on keywords, not every word. In Teil 2, you match five short situation descriptions to advertisements — read the situations first, then scan the ads for matching details. In Teil 3, you read one longer text (email, notice, article) and answer five multiple-choice questions. The questions follow the order of the text, so answer them in sequence.
| TEIL | TASK | ITEMS | STRATEGY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Richtig oder Falsch | 5 | Match keywords in statement to sign |
| Teil 2 | Zuordnung (Matching) | 5 | Read situations first, then scan ads |
| Teil 3 | Multiple Choice (a/b/c) | 5 | Questions follow text order |
Schild: 'Heute geschlossen' — Das Geschäft ist heute offen. → Falsch
— Sign: 'Closed today' — The shop is open today. → False
💡 Look for negation and opposites
Anzeige: 'Zimmer frei ab 1. Mai, 400 € warm'
— Ad: 'Room available from May 1, 400 euros including utilities'
💡 Scan for dates, prices, and conditions
Frage: Was macht Frau Müller am Samstag? a) arbeiten b) einkaufen c) kochen
— Question: What does Mrs. Müller do on Saturday?
💡 Find 'Samstag' in the text, read that sentence
⚠️ Common Mistake: In Teil 1, 'richtig' does not mean the sign is correct — it means the statement matches the sign. Read the statement carefully!
💡 Study Tip: Underline keywords in the question, then find those same keywords (or synonyms) in the text.
3. Hören — Listening Strategies
Read the questions and answer options BEFORE the audio plays. You hear each recording twice.
In the real exam, you get a short pause before each audio segment to read the questions. Use this time wisely — if you know what to listen for, you can focus on the relevant information. Teil 1 has short everyday dialogues (at a shop, on the phone, etc.) with one question each. Teil 2 has short announcements (train station, radio, answering machine) with one question each. Teil 3 has longer conversations with multiple questions. Everything is played twice. On the first listen, try to get the main idea. On the second listen, confirm your answer.
| TEIL | CONTENT | ITEMS | FORMAT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Short dialogues | 5 | Multiple choice or true/false |
| Teil 2 | Announcements | 5 | Multiple choice |
| Teil 3 | Longer conversation | 5 | Multiple choice |
Sie hören: 'Der Zug nach München fährt um 14:30 von Gleis 7.'
— You hear: 'The train to Munich departs at 14:30 from platform 7.'
💡 Listen for numbers, times, and platform
Frage: Wann fährt der Zug? a) 13:30 b) 14:30 c) 15:30
— Question: When does the train leave?
💡 Numbers are common distractors — listen carefully
Sie hören: 'Guten Tag, hier ist die Praxis Dr. Schmidt. Wir haben am Montag geschlossen.'
— You hear: 'Hello, this is Dr. Schmidt's office. We are closed on Monday.'
💡 Answering machine messages are common in Teil 2
⚠️ Common Mistake: Do not panic if you miss something on the first listen — you always get a second chance. Use the first listen to eliminate wrong options.
💡 Study Tip: Numbers, times, days, and prices are tested most often. Practice hearing these in German before the exam.
4. Schreiben — Writing Strategies
Teil 1: Fill out a form with personal information. Teil 2: Write a short message (email, note, SMS) of about 30 words.
In Teil 1, you fill out a standard form — name, address, birthday, nationality, etc. Practice writing your personal details in the correct fields. In Teil 2, you receive a short situation and must write an informal message. Common tasks: reply to an invitation, cancel an appointment, ask about something, or make plans. You need about 30 words. Focus on answering ALL the prompt points — even a short answer for each point scores better than a long answer that misses one. Spelling and grammar matter but are not weighted as heavily as content and task completion.
| TEIL | TASK | POINTS | FOCUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Formular ausfüllen | 5 | Correct personal data in correct fields |
| Teil 2 | Kurze Mitteilung | 20 | Address all prompt points, ~30 words |
Vorname: Maria | Nachname: González | Geburtsdatum: 15.03.1990
— First name: Maria | Last name: González | Date of birth: 15/03/1990
💡 German date format: DD.MM.YYYY
Aufgabe: Schreiben Sie eine E-Mail an Ihren Freund. Sie können nicht zum Geburtstag kommen.
— Task: Write an email to your friend. You cannot come to the birthday party.
💡 Include: greeting, reason, apology, alternative suggestion, closing
Lieber Tom, ich kann leider nicht zu deiner Party kommen. Ich muss am Samstag arbeiten. Tut mir leid! Wollen wir nächste Woche essen gehen? Viele Grüße, Maria
— Dear Tom, unfortunately I cannot come to your party. I have to work on Saturday. I'm sorry! Do you want to go eat next week? Best regards, Maria
💡 This covers all points in ~30 words
⚠️ Common Mistake: Do not write too much — long messages with errors score worse than short, correct messages. Quality over quantity.
💡 Study Tip: Memorize a template: greeting + 2-3 sentences addressing the points + closing. This works for almost every Schreiben Teil 2 task.
5. Sprechen — Speaking Strategies
Teil 1: Introduce yourself. Teil 2: Ask and answer questions using prompt cards. Teil 3: Make and respond to requests in everyday situations.
The speaking section is done with one or two other candidates and two examiners. In Teil 1, you introduce yourself using prompt words (Name, Alter, Land, Wohnort, Sprachen, Beruf, Hobby). In Teil 2, you draw cards with a word or topic and must form a question, then answer a question from another candidate. In Teil 3, you draw cards showing everyday situations and must make a polite request or respond to one. Speak clearly and simply. You are not expected to be fluent — the examiners want to see that you can communicate basic information.
| TEIL | TASK | DURATION | CONTENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teil 1 | Sich vorstellen | ~3 min | Name, age, country, city, languages, job, hobby |
| Teil 2 | Fragen stellen und antworten | ~5 min | Draw topic cards, form W-questions |
| Teil 3 | Bitten formulieren und reagieren | ~5 min | Everyday requests with polite forms |
Mein Name ist Maria González. Ich komme aus Spanien und wohne in Berlin.
— My name is Maria González. I come from Spain and live in Berlin.
💡 Teil 1: simple, clear sentences
Karte: 'Essen' → Frage: Was essen Sie gern?
— Card: 'Food' → Question: What do you like to eat?
💡 Teil 2: form a W-question from the topic
Karte: 'Fenster / aufmachen' → Können Sie bitte das Fenster aufmachen?
— Card: 'Window / open' → Can you please open the window?
💡 Teil 3: use 'Können Sie bitte...' for requests
⚠️ Common Mistake: Do not memorize long speeches — if you forget a word, you will freeze. Instead, practice flexible short sentences you can adapt.
💡 Study Tip: For Teil 1, prepare 7 sentences (one per prompt word) and practice them until they flow naturally. This section is free points.
6. Time Management Tips
Allocate your time by section and do not go back. Mark uncertain answers and move forward.
You have approximately 75 minutes for the entire exam. The reading and listening sections each allow 20 minutes, writing allows 20 minutes, and speaking takes about 15 minutes. In the reading section, spend about 4 minutes on Teil 1, 8 minutes on Teil 2 (matching is slower), and 8 minutes on Teil 3. In writing, spend 2-3 minutes on the form and 15 minutes on the message, leaving 2-3 minutes to check. For listening, the timing is controlled by the audio — just stay focused. Answer every question even if you must guess — there is no penalty for wrong answers.
| SECTION | TIME | TIP |
|---|---|---|
| Lesen Teil 1 | ~4 min | Quick decisions: richtig or falsch |
| Lesen Teil 2 | ~8 min | Read all ads before matching |
| Lesen Teil 3 | ~8 min | Questions follow text order |
| Schreiben Teil 1 | ~3 min | Fill form quickly and legibly |
| Schreiben Teil 2 | ~15 min | Draft, write, check |
| Hören | ~20 min | Timing is fixed by audio |
Keine Panik bei schwierigen Fragen — weiter!
— No panic with difficult questions — move on!
💡 Guess and continue
Kontrollieren Sie Ihre Antworten am Ende.
— Check your answers at the end.
💡 Use remaining time to review
⚠️ Common Mistake: The biggest time trap is Teil 2 of Lesen — matching ads takes longer than expected. Set a strict 8-minute limit.
💡 Study Tip: Wear a watch. After each section, check your time. If you are behind, speed up your reading and trust your first instinct.
📖 Study Offline with the Official German A1 Ebook (PDF)
Get the Ebook →
Get all 45 days, 1,500+ vocabulary words, and Goethe exam practice formatted into a 274-page printable PDF.
📖 Core Vocabulary / Wortschatz (44 Words)
Click 🔊 to hear correct German pronunciation. Nouns are marked with articles: der (masculine) die (feminine) das (neuter).
| Audio | German | English | Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| diePrüfung, -en | exam, test | noun (f.) |
Die Prüfung beginnt um 9 Uhr. (The exam starts at 9 o'clock.)
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| dieAufgabe, -n | task, exercise | noun (f.) |
Lesen Sie die Aufgabe genau. (Read the task carefully.)
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| dieAntwort, -en | answer | noun (f.) |
Kreuzen Sie die richtige Antwort an. (Mark the correct answer.)
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| dieFrage, -n | question | noun (f.) |
Stellen Sie eine Frage. (Ask a question.)
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| dieLösung, -en | solution | noun (f.) |
Die Lösung steht auf Seite 10. (The solution is on page 10.)
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| ankreuzen | to mark, to check (a box) | verb |
Kreuzen Sie die richtige Antwort an. (Check the correct answer.)
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| richtig | correct, true, right | adj. |
Ist die Aussage richtig oder falsch? (Is the statement true or false?)
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| falsch | false, wrong, incorrect | adj. |
Die Antwort ist falsch. (The answer is wrong.)
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| dieAussage, -n | statement | noun (f.) |
Lesen Sie die Aussage. (Read the statement.)
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| dieAnzeige, -n | advertisement, notice | noun (f.) |
Lesen Sie die Anzeigen. (Read the advertisements.)
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| zuordnen | to match, to assign | verb (sep.) |
Ordnen Sie die Texte den Anzeigen zu. (Match the texts to the advertisements.)
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| dasFormular, -e | form | noun (n.) |
Füllen Sie das Formular aus. (Fill out the form.)
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| ausfüllen | to fill out | verb (sep.) |
Bitte füllen Sie das Formular aus. (Please fill out the form.)
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| dieMitteilung, -en | message, notice | noun (f.) |
Schreiben Sie eine kurze Mitteilung. (Write a short message.)
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| dieEinladung, -en | invitation | noun (f.) |
Danke für die Einladung! (Thanks for the invitation!)
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| absagen | to cancel, to decline | verb (sep.) |
Ich muss leider absagen. (I unfortunately have to cancel.)
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| zusagen | to accept (an invitation) | verb (sep.) |
Ich sage gern zu! (I happily accept!)
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| sich vorstellen | to introduce oneself | verb (refl.) |
Stellen Sie sich bitte vor. (Please introduce yourself.)
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| dieBitte, -n | request | noun (f.) |
Formulieren Sie eine Bitte. (Formulate a request.)
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| derPrüfer, - | examiner (m.) | noun (m.) |
Der Prüfer stellt eine Frage. (The examiner asks a question.)
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| derTeilnehmer, - | participant (m.) | noun (m.) |
Jeder Teilnehmer bekommt eine Karte. (Each participant gets a card.)
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| dieKarte, -n | card | noun (f.) |
Ziehen Sie eine Karte. (Draw a card.)
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| dasErgebnis, -se | result | noun (n.) |
Das Ergebnis kommt in zwei Wochen. (The result comes in two weeks.)
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| bestehen | to pass (an exam) | verb |
Ich möchte die Prüfung bestehen. (I want to pass the exam.)
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| derAlltag | everyday life | noun (m.) |
Die Prüfung testet den Alltag. (The exam tests everyday life.)
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| dieDurchsage, -n | announcement | noun (f.) |
Hören Sie die Durchsage. (Listen to the announcement.)
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| dasGespräch, -e | conversation | noun (n.) |
Hören Sie das Gespräch. (Listen to the conversation.)
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| dieNachricht, -en | message, news | noun (f.) |
Sie haben eine Nachricht. (You have a message.)
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| derAnrufbeantworter, - | answering machine | noun (m.) |
Hören Sie den Anrufbeantworter. (Listen to the answering machine.)
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| dasSchild, -er | sign | noun (n.) |
Lesen Sie das Schild. (Read the sign.)
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| dieÖffnungszeiten (pl.) | opening hours | noun (pl.) |
Die Öffnungszeiten stehen an der Tür. (The opening hours are on the door.)
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| geschlossen | closed | adj./part. |
Das Geschäft ist heute geschlossen. (The shop is closed today.)
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| geöffnet | open (for business) | adj./part. |
Wir sind von 9 bis 18 Uhr geöffnet. (We are open from 9 to 6.)
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| derHinweis, -e | notice, hint | noun (m.) |
Beachten Sie den Hinweis. (Pay attention to the notice.)
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| dieErmäßigung, -en | discount, reduction | noun (f.) |
Kinder bekommen eine Ermäßigung. (Children get a discount.)
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| dieVeranstaltung, -en | event | noun (f.) |
Die Veranstaltung ist am Samstag. (The event is on Saturday.)
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| derBetreff | subject (of email) | noun (m.) |
Schreiben Sie einen Betreff. (Write a subject line.)
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| dieAnrede | salutation, greeting | noun (f.) |
Beginnen Sie mit einer Anrede. (Begin with a salutation.)
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| derGruß, Grüße | greeting, regards | noun (m.) |
Viele Grüße, Maria (Best regards, Maria)
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| leider | unfortunately | adverb |
Ich kann leider nicht kommen. (Unfortunately, I cannot come.)
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| vielleicht | maybe, perhaps | adverb |
Vielleicht nächste Woche? (Maybe next week?)
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| genau | exactly, precisely | adverb |
Lesen Sie genau. (Read carefully.)
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| ungefähr | approximately, about | adverb |
Schreiben Sie ungefähr 30 Wörter. (Write approximately 30 words.)
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| diePunktzahl, -en | score, number of points | noun (f.) |
Sie brauchen 60 Punkte. (You need 60 points.)
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💬 Key Conversational Phrases / Redemittel
Ist die Aussage richtig oder falsch?
Is the statement true or false? · Lesen Teil 1 instruction
Welche Anzeige passt?
Which advertisement fits? · Lesen Teil 2 matching
Lesen Sie den Text und die Aufgaben.
Read the text and the tasks. · Lesen Teil 3 instruction
Sie hören jeden Text zweimal.
You hear each text twice. · Hören general instruction
Füllen Sie das Formular aus.
Fill out the form. · Schreiben Teil 1 instruction
Schreiben Sie eine E-Mail / eine Karte / eine SMS.
Write an email / a card / a text message. · Schreiben Teil 2 instruction
Stellen Sie sich bitte vor.
Please introduce yourself. · Sprechen Teil 1 instruction
Ich heiße ... und komme aus ...
My name is ... and I come from ... · Sprechen Teil 1 self-introduction
Können Sie bitte ... ?
Can you please ... ? · Sprechen Teil 3 polite request
Darf ich bitte ... ?
May I please ... ? · Sprechen Teil 3 asking permission
Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen?
Could you please help me? · Sprechen Teil 3 formal request
Natürlich! / Ja, gern! / Kein Problem!
Of course! / Yes, gladly! / No problem! · Sprechen Teil 3 responding to a request
Wie bitte? Können Sie das wiederholen?
Pardon? Can you repeat that? · Asking for repetition during exam
Entschuldigung, ich habe das nicht verstanden.
Sorry, I didn't understand that. · Asking for clarification
🗣️ Practical Dialogue / Dialog
Situation: Sprechen-Prüfung — Simulation
Prüfer:
Willkommen zur Prüfung Start Deutsch 1, Teil Sprechen. Wir beginnen mit Teil 1: Stellen Sie sich bitte vor. Sagen Sie Ihren Namen, Ihr Alter, Ihr Land, Ihren Wohnort, Ihre Sprachen, Ihren Beruf und Ihr Hobby.
Welcome to the Start Deutsch 1 exam, speaking section. We begin with Part 1: Please introduce yourself. Say your name, age, country, city, languages, job, and hobby.
Maria:
Guten Tag. Mein Name ist Maria González. Ich bin 28 Jahre alt. Ich komme aus Spanien, aus Madrid. Jetzt wohne ich in Berlin. Ich spreche Spanisch, Englisch und ein bisschen Deutsch. Ich bin Grafikdesignerin. Mein Hobby ist Malen.
Good day. My name is Maria González. I am 28 years old. I come from Spain, from Madrid. Now I live in Berlin. I speak Spanish, English, and a little German. I am a graphic designer. My hobby is painting.
Prüfer:
Danke, Maria. Und Sie?
Thank you, Maria. And you?
Kenji:
Hallo. Ich heiße Kenji Tanaka. Ich bin 35 Jahre alt und komme aus Japan, aus Tokio. Ich wohne seit einem Jahr in München. Ich spreche Japanisch und Deutsch. Ich bin Ingenieur. In meiner Freizeit koche ich gern.
Hello. My name is Kenji Tanaka. I am 35 years old and come from Japan, from Tokyo. I have been living in Munich for one year. I speak Japanese and German. I am an engineer. In my free time I like to cook.
Prüfer:
Sehr gut. Jetzt kommen wir zu Teil 2. Sie ziehen eine Karte mit einem Thema und stellen eine Frage. Maria, bitte ziehen Sie eine Karte.
Very good. Now we come to Part 2. You draw a card with a topic and ask a question. Maria, please draw a card.
Maria:
Meine Karte sagt 'Frühstück'. Meine Frage an Kenji: Was essen Sie zum Frühstück?
My card says 'Breakfast'. My question to Kenji: What do you eat for breakfast?
Kenji:
Zum Frühstück esse ich meistens Brot mit Käse und trinke Kaffee. Und am Wochenende esse ich manchmal Eier.
For breakfast I usually eat bread with cheese and drink coffee. And on weekends I sometimes eat eggs.
Prüfer:
Gut. Kenji, ziehen Sie bitte eine Karte.
Good. Kenji, please draw a card.
Kenji:
Meine Karte sagt 'Wochenende'. Maria, was machen Sie am Wochenende?
My card says 'Weekend'. Maria, what do you do on the weekend?
Maria:
Am Wochenende gehe ich oft ins Museum oder treffe Freunde. Manchmal gehe ich auch spazieren im Park.
On the weekend I often go to the museum or meet friends. Sometimes I also go for a walk in the park.
Prüfer:
Sehr schön. Jetzt Teil 3: Bitten formulieren. Sie bekommen eine Karte mit einer Situation. Formulieren Sie eine Bitte. Maria, Ihre Karte bitte.
Very nice. Now Part 3: Formulating requests. You get a card with a situation. Formulate a request. Maria, your card please.
Maria:
Meine Karte zeigt: 'Supermarkt — Milch — wo?' Entschuldigung, können Sie mir bitte sagen, wo die Milch ist?
My card shows: 'Supermarket — milk — where?' Excuse me, can you please tell me where the milk is?
Kenji:
Ja, natürlich. Die Milch ist in Gang 3, rechts.
Yes, of course. The milk is in aisle 3, on the right.
Prüfer:
Gut. Kenji, Ihre Karte bitte.
Good. Kenji, your card please.
Kenji:
Meine Karte zeigt: 'Büro — Fenster — zumachen'. Entschuldigung, könnten Sie bitte das Fenster zumachen? Es ist sehr kalt.
My card shows: 'Office — window — close'. Excuse me, could you please close the window? It is very cold.
Maria:
Ja, kein Problem! Ich mache das Fenster zu.
Yes, no problem! I'll close the window.
Prüfer:
Sehr gut. Vielen Dank. Die Prüfung ist beendet. Sie bekommen das Ergebnis in zwei Wochen.
Very good. Thank you very much. The exam is over. You will receive the result in two weeks.