Im Supermarkt: Einkaufen auf Deutsch
Grocery shopping · a free German immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Entschuldigung, wo finde ich die Milch?
Excuse me, where do I find the milk?
Literal Excuse me, where find I the milk?
A polite way to ask for the location of an item in a store. 'Wo finde ich' uses question inversion: the verb 'finde' comes before the subject 'ich'.
- Question inversion: 'Wo finde ich...?' — verb before subject
- 'die Milch' uses the feminine definite article 'die'
Die Milch ist im Kühlregal, gleich dort drüben.
The milk is in the refrigerated section, right over there.
Literal The milk is in-the cooling-shelf, right there over.
'Im' is a contraction of 'in dem' (in the), using the dative case. 'Kühlregal' is a compound noun: Kühl (cool) + Regal (shelf).
- 'im' = 'in dem', a dative contraction
- German compound nouns: Kühl + Regal = Kühlregal
Ich hätte gerne ein Kilo Äpfel, bitte.
I would like one kilogram of apples, please.
Literal I had-would gladly one kilo apples, please.
'Ich hätte gerne' is a polite subjunctive II request form, softer and more natural than 'Ich will'. Used frequently when ordering at a deli or produce counter.
- 'hätte gerne' = subjunctive II of 'haben' for polite requests
- 'ein Kilo Äpfel' — no article between the quantity and the food item
Wie viel kostet der Käse?
How much does the cheese cost?
Literal How much costs the cheese?
'Wie viel kostet' uses inversion after the question phrase. 'Der Käse' is a masculine noun, taking the definite article 'der' in the nominative case.
- 'Wie viel kostet...?' — inversion after question word
- 'der Käse' — masculine nominative
Der Gouda kostet drei Euro fünfzig pro 100 Gramm.
The Gouda costs three euros fifty per 100 grams.
Literal The Gouda costs three Euro fifty per 100 gram.
German prices are stated as euros then cents without a conjunction: 'drei Euro fünfzig' = €3.50. 'Pro' means 'per' and takes the accusative.
- Currency pattern: 'drei Euro fünfzig' = €3.50
- 'pro 100 Gramm' — 'Gramm' stays singular after numbers
Geben Sie mir bitte 500 Gramm von dem Schinken.
Please give me 500 grams of the ham.
Literal Give you me please 500 gram of the ham.
'Geben Sie mir' is the formal polite imperative. 'Von dem' triggers the dative case, so masculine 'der Schinken' becomes 'dem Schinken'.
- Formal polite imperative: 'Geben Sie mir...'
- 'von dem' + dative: 'der Schinken' becomes 'dem Schinken'
Haben Sie eine Empfehlung für einen guten Wein?
Do you have a recommendation for a good wine?
Literal Have you a recommendation for a good wine?
Yes/no questions use inversion: 'Haben Sie' (have you). 'Einen guten Wein' shows accusative case: 'einen' is the indefinite masculine accusative article, and the adjective takes the '-en' ending.
- Yes/no question inversion: 'Haben Sie...?'
- Accusative: 'einen guten Wein' — masculine indefinite article + adjective ending
Ich nehme eine Packung Nudeln und eine Flasche Olivenöl.
I will take one package of pasta and one bottle of olive oil.
Literal I take one package pasta and one bottle olive-oil.
'Eine Packung' (a packet) and 'eine Flasche' (a bottle) are common container quantity expressions. Both are feminine, so they use 'eine'. 'Olivenöl' is a compound: Oliven + Öl.
- Feminine container nouns: 'eine Packung', 'eine Flasche'
- Compound noun: Olivenöl = Oliven (olives) + Öl (oil)
Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen?
Can I pay by card?
Literal Can I with card pay?
The modal verb 'kann' (can) pushes the main infinitive 'bezahlen' to the end of the sentence. 'Mit Karte' (with card) is a set phrase meaning card payment.
- Modal verb 'kann' sends infinitive 'bezahlen' to sentence-final position
- 'mit Karte' — dative set phrase, no article needed
Ja, natürlich. Das macht zusammen zwölf Euro zwanzig.
Yes, of course. That comes to twelve euros twenty in total.
Literal Yes, naturally. That makes together twelve Euro twenty.
'Das macht' (that makes/comes to) is the standard cashier phrase for giving a total. 'Zusammen' (together/in total) emphasizes the combined sum. 'Zwölf Euro zwanzig' = €12.20.
- 'Das macht...' — standard cashier phrase for stating a total
- Number + currency: 'zwölf Euro zwanzig' = €12.20
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
der Supermarkt
the supermarket
Ich gehe heute in den Supermarkt.
I am going to the supermarket today.
Accusative after movement verbs: 'in den Supermarkt'
die Milch
the milk
Wo finde ich die Milch?
Where do I find the milk?
der Käse
the cheese
Wie viel kostet der Käse?
How much does the cheese cost?
der Schinken
the ham
Geben Sie mir 200 Gramm von dem Schinken.
Give me 200 grams of the ham.
Dative after 'von': 'der Schinken' becomes 'dem Schinken'
bezahlen
to pay
Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen?
Can I pay by card?
Moves to sentence-final position when used with a modal verb
die Empfehlung
the recommendation
Haben Sie eine Empfehlung?
Do you have a recommendation?
die Packung
the package / packet
Ich nehme eine Packung Nudeln.
I will take one package of pasta.
Used as a container unit: 'eine Packung + noun'
das Gramm
the gram
Ich möchte 500 Gramm Käse.
I would like 500 grams of cheese.
Stays singular after numbers: '500 Gramm', not 'Gramme'
kosten
to cost
Wie viel kostet das?
How much does that cost?
zusammen
together / in total
Das macht zusammen zehn Euro.
That comes to ten euros in total.
Common in the cashier phrase 'Das macht zusammen...'
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Anna betritt den Supermarkt und holt einen Einkaufswagen. Zuerst sucht sie die Milch und fragt eine Mitarbeiterin: "Entschuldigung, wo finde ich die Milch?" Die Frau zeigt ihr das Kühlregal. Dann geht Anna zur Fleischtheke und sagt: "Ich hätte gerne 300 Gramm Schinken, bitte." An der Käsetheke fragt sie: "Wie viel kostet der Gouda?" Schließlich legt sie eine Packung Nudeln und eine Flasche Olivenöl in den Wagen. An der Kasse fragt sie: "Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen?" Die Kassiererin lächelt und sagt: "Ja, natürlich. Das macht zusammen vierzehn Euro fünfzig."
Sentence by sentence
Anna betritt den Supermarkt
Anna enters the supermarket
'betritt' is the third-person singular of 'betreten' (to enter). 'den Supermarkt' is accusative masculine, showing movement toward a place.
Wo finde ich die Milch?
Where do I find the milk?
Question inversion: the verb 'finde' comes before the subject 'ich'. 'Die Milch' is feminine accusative.
Ich hätte gerne 300 Gramm Schinken, bitte.
I would like 300 grams of ham, please.
'Ich hätte gerne' is the polite subjunctive II request. '300 Gramm Schinken' uses no article between quantity and food.
Das macht zusammen vierzehn Euro fünfzig.
That comes to fourteen euros fifty in total.
The standard cashier total phrase. 'zusammen' signals the combined sum. 'vierzehn Euro fünfzig' = €14.50.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Polite Requests: 'Ich hätte gerne' and 'Geben Sie mir'
German shoppers use two main patterns for polite requests. 'Ich hätte gerne...' (I would like...) uses the subjunctive II of 'haben' and feels warm and natural at any counter. 'Geben Sie mir...' (Please give me...) is the formal imperative — direct but perfectly polite in a service context. Both are essential for ordering at a deli or produce counter.
Ich hätte gerne + [quantity] + [item] + bitte. / Geben Sie mir + [quantity] + von dem/der + [item].
Ich hätte gerne ein Kilo Äpfel, bitte.
I would like one kilogram of apples, please.
Ich hätte gerne eine Flasche Wasser.
I would like a bottle of water.
Geben Sie mir bitte 500 Gramm von dem Schinken.
Please give me 500 grams of the ham.
Geben Sie mir bitte ein Stück von dem Kuchen.
Please give me a piece of the cake.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to German: 'Excuse me, where do I find the milk?'
Hint Use 'Entschuldigung' to get someone's attention politely.
What does this sentence mean? 'Ich hätte gerne ein Kilo Äpfel, bitte.'
Hint 'Ich hätte gerne' is a polite way to express what you'd like.
Complete the sentence: 'Geben Sie mir bitte 500 ___ von dem Schinken.'
Hint Think about the unit of weight used at a deli counter.
You want to ask if you can pay by card. Which sentence is correct?
Rewrite this informal request as a polite 'Ich hätte gerne' sentence: 'Ich will eine Flasche Olivenöl.'
Hint Replace 'Ich will' with the polite subjunctive form and add 'bitte' at the end.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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