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🇩🇪 German · Beginner Level 3

PART 2 · LESSON 19 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES

The Workshop

See Uwe's workshop and the shelf he built himself in East German days, and hear why, with man musste.

Audio instruction: English

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THE STORY

Easter Monday behind the house near Leipzig, a shed with a workbench, tools on the wall and a shelf that has stood for forty years.

Flashcards

The words and phrases of this lesson, one card each. Best after you’ve listened.

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Words and phrases

The lesson is for your ears. Open this afterwards, to see what you learned.
Komm, Max. Das ist meine Werkstatt.kom, mahx, dahs ist MY-neh VAIRK-shtahtCome on, Max. This is my workshop.
Oh! Das Regal, hast du das gebaut?oh, dahs ray-GAHL, hahst doo dahs geh-BOWTOh! The shelf, did you build that? To a friend.
Das habe ich selbst gemacht.dahs HAH-beh ikh zelpst geh-MAHKHTI made that myself.
Ja, selbst gebaut. Das war in der DDR.yah, zelpst geh-BOWT, dahs vahr in dair day-day-AIRYes, built it myself. That was in the GDR.
In der DDR? Warum selbst?in dair day-day-AIR, vah-ROOM zelpstIn the GDR? Why yourself?
Man musste. Es gab nichts zu kaufen.mahn MOOS-teh, es gahp nikhts tsoo KOW-fenYou had to. There was nothing to buy.
Ich musste arbeiten.ikh MOOS-teh AR-by-tenI had to work.
Nichts? Und das Holz?nikhts, oont dahs holtsNothing? And the wood?
Vom Wald. Man musste alles selbst machen.fom vahlt, mahn MOOS-teh AHL-es zelpst MAHKH-enFrom the forest. You had to do everything yourself.
Respekt, Uwe! Das Regal ist super.res-PEKT, OO-veh, dahs ray-GAHL ist ZOO-perRespect, Uwe! The shelf is great.