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)
- ein — a; an
- 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 verbs split in the sentence, and the prefix often goes to the end: Er ruft sofort seine Frau an. (“He immediately calls his wife.”) — the verb is anrufen, but the story uses ruft + an.
- The intensifier sehr means “very” and comes before an adjective: Er hat ein Problem, aber er bleibt sehr ruhig. (“He has a problem, but he stays very calm.”)
- The dative after an can show a place (location): Am Abend hält ein rotes Auto an der Tankstelle. (“In the evening, a red car stops at the gas station.”) — the phrase is an der Tankstelle with der (dative feminine).
- am is an + dem, the dative form of der, and it is used in time expressions like “in the …”: 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.