A1
Am Abend hält ein rotes Auto an der Tankstelle.
Herr Bauer möchte tanken, aber er findet sein Geld nicht.
Er sucht in seiner Hose, aber die Tasche ist leer.
Er hat ein Problem, aber er bleibt sehr ruhig.
Er ruft sofort seine Frau an.
„Bringst du mir bitte etwas Geld?“, fragt er.
Vocabulary
- ohne — without
- das Geld — money
- an — at; on
- die Tankstelle (die Tankstellen) — gas station (gas stations)
- an der Tankstelle — dative: at the gas station
- am Abend — dative: in the evening
- der Abend (die Abende) — evening (evenings)
- er/sie/es hält (halten) — stops (to stop)
- rot — red
- das Auto (die Autos) — car (cars)
- er/sie/es möchte (möchten) — would like to (would like to)
- tanken — to get gas
- aber — but
- er/sie/es findet (finden) — finds (to find)
- sein — his
- nicht — not
- er/sie/es sucht (suchen) — searches (to search)
- seiner — his
- die Hose (die Hosen) — trousers (trousers)
- die Tasche (die Taschen) — pocket; bag (pockets; bags)
- er/sie/es ist (sein) — is (to be)
- leer — empty
- er/sie/es hat (haben) — has (to have)
- das Problem (die Probleme) — problem (problems)
- er/sie/es bleibt (bleiben) — stays; remains (to stay)
- sehr — very
- ruhig — calm
- er/sie/es ruft an (anrufen) — calls (to call)
- sofort — immediately
- seine — his
- die Frau (die Frauen) — wife; woman (wives; women)
- mir — me
- bitte — please
- etwas — some
- er/sie/es fragt (fragen) — asks (to ask)
Grammar / Notes
- Separable verb: anrufen anrufen is a separable verb. In a main-clause statement it splits: the conjugated verb form (ruft) stands in second position and the prefix (an) moves to the end. Er ruft sofort seine Frau an.(“He immediately calls his wife.”)
- sehr / zu + adjective sehr before an adjective intensifies it (‘very’); zu says the degree is more than acceptable (‘too’): sehr heiß, zu schwer. Er hat ein Problem, aber er bleibt sehr ruhig.(“He has a problem, but he stays very calm.”)
- an + dative (location) an is a two-way preposition. With the dative it answers Wo? and marks a location, so the article becomes der. Am Abend hält ein rotes Auto an der Tankstelle.(“In the evening, a red car stops at the gas station.”)
- am = an + dem am is a contraction of an + dem. Here, dem is the dative form of the article because an takes the dative for a location (Wo?) or a point in time. Am Abend hält ein rotes Auto an der Tankstelle.(“In the evening, a red car stops at the gas station.”)
English
Without Money at the Gas Station
In the evening, a red car stops at the gas station.
Mr. Bauer wants to get gas, but he does not find his money.
He searches in his trousers, but the pocket is empty.
He has a problem, but he stays very calm.
He immediately calls his wife.
”Can you please bring me some money?”, he asks.