Chapter 11

Taking Care of Business and Telecommunications

In This Chapter

Placing phone calls

Sending letters, faxes, and e-mails

Becoming familiar with basic business terminology

Telecommunications increasingly drive daily interaction with others, from ordering pizza to conducting business between continents. The first step involves deciding which interface you want to use in order to convey your message — phone, e-mail, fax, or a good old-fashioned letter. This chapter delves into each of these mediums. We wrap things up with a brief primer in office terminology and some tips on conducting business.

Phoning Made Simple

When German speakers pick up das Telefon (dâs tê-le-fohn) (the telephone), they usually answer the call by stating their last name — particularly when they’re at the office. If you call somebody at home, you sometimes may hear a simple Hallo? (hâ-loh?) (Hello?).

If you want to express that you’re going to call somebody or that you want somebody to call you, you use the verb anrufen (ân-roohf-en) (to call). It’s a separable verb, so the prefix an (ân) (to) gets separated from the stem rufen (roohf-en) (call), when you conjugate it:

Conjugation	Pronunciation
ich rufe an	îH roohf-e ân
du rufst an	dooh roohfst ân
Sie rufen an	zee roohf-en ân
er, sie, es ruft an	êr, zee, ês roohft ân
wir rufen an	veer roohf-en ân
ihr ruft an	eer roohft ân
Sie rufen an	zee roohf-en ân
sie rufen an	zee roohf-en ân

For more info on separable verbs, see Chapter 15.

Asking for your party

If the person you want to speak to doesn’t pick up the phone, you need to ask for your party. As in English, you have some options when it comes to expressing that you want to speak with somebody:

Ich möchte gern Herrn/Frau . . . sprechen. (îH merH-te gêrn hêrn/frou . . . shprêH-en.) (I would like to talk to Mr./Mrs. . . .)

Ist Herr/Frau . . . zu sprechen? (ist hêr/frou . . . tsooh shprêH-en?) (Is Mr./Mrs. . . . available?)

Kann ich bitte mit Herrn/Frau . . . , sprechen? (kân îH bi-te mit hêrn/frou . . . , shprêH-en?) (Can I speak to Mr./Mrs. . . . , please?)

Herrn/Frau . . . , bitte. (hêrn/frou . . . , bi-te.) (Mr./Mrs. . . . , please.)

If you find that somebody talks too fast for you to understand, try these solutions:

Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen? (kern-en zee bi-te lâng-zahm-er sprêH-en?) (Could you please talk more slowly?)

Können Sie das bitte wiederholen? (kern-en zee dâs bi-te vee-der-hoh-len?) (Could you repeat that, please?)

And if the person on the other end starts speaking English in response to your question, don’t consider it a failure on your part. The other person probably just wants to practice his or her English!

Making the connection

After you ask to speak to a specific person, you may hear any number of responses depending on whom you’re calling and where they are:

Am Apparat. (âm â-pa-raht.) (Speaking. [literally, on the phone])

Einen Moment bitte, ich verbinde. (ayn-en moh-mênt bi-te, îH fêr-bin-de.) (One moment please, I’ll put you through.)

Er/sie telefoniert gerade. (êr/zee tê-le-foh-neert ge-rah-de.) (He/she is on the telephone right now.)

Die Leitung ist besetzt. (dee lay-toong ist be-zêtst.) (The line is busy.)

Können Sie später noch einmal anrufen? (kern-en zee shpai-ter noH ayn-mahl ân-roohf-en?) (Could you call again later?)

Kann er/sie Sie zurückrufen? (kân êr/zee zee tsoo-ruek-roohf-en?) (Can he/she call you back?)

Hat er/sie Ihre Telefonnummer? (hât êr/zee eer-e tê-le-fohn-noom-er?) (Does he/she have your phone number?)

Here are some expressions that may be helpful if something goes wrong with your connection:

Es tut mir leid. Ich habe mich verwählt. (ês tooht meer layt. iH hah-be miH fer-vailt.) (I’m sorry. I have dialed the wrong number.)

Die Verbindung ist schlecht. (dee fêr-bin-doong ist shlêHt.) (It’s a bad connection.)

Er/sie meldet sich nicht. (êr/zee mêl-det ziH niHt.) (He/she doesn’t answer the phone.)

Talkin’ the Talk

The following is a conversation between Frau Bauer, the personal assistant of Herr Huber, and Herr Meißner, a client of the company. (Track 24)

Frau Bauer:	Firma TransEuropa, Bauer. Guten Morgen! fir-mâ trâns-oy-roh-pâ, bou-er. gooh-ten mor-gen! TransEuropa company, (Mrs.) Bauer speaking. Good morning!
Herr Meißner:	Guten Morgen! Herrn Huber, bitte. gooh-ten mor-gen! hêrn hooh-ber, bi-te. Good morning! Mr. Huber, please.
Frau Bauer:	Wie ist ihr Name, bitte? vee ist eer nah-me, bi-te? What is your name, please?
Herr Meißner:	Meißner. Ich bin von der Firma Schlecker. mays-ner. iH bin fon dêr fir-mâ shlêk-er. (This is Mr.) Meißner. I’m from the Schlecker company.
Frau Bauer:	Ich verbinde . . .Tut mir leid. Herr Huber ist in einer Besprechung. Kann er Sie zurückrufen? iH fêr-bin-de . . . tooht meer layt. hêr hooh-ber ist in ayn-er be-shprêH-oong. kân êr zee tsoo-ruek-roohf-en? I’ll connect you . . . I’m sorry. Mr. Huber is in a meeting. Can he call you back?
Herr Meißner:	Selbstverständlich. Er hat meine Telefonnummer. zêlpst-fêr-shtant-liH. êr hât mayn-e tê-le-fohn-noom-er. Of course. He has my telephone number.
Frau Bauer:	Gut, Herr Meißner. Auf Wiederhören! gooht, hêr mays-ner. ouf vee-der-herr-en! Good, Mr. Meißner. Good bye!
Herr Meißner:	Vielen Dank. Auf Wiederhören! fee-len dânk. ouf vee-der-herr-en! Thanks a lot. Good bye!

Making Appointments

You may need to make an appointment to see someone. Here’s some of the vocabulary that can help you get past the gatekeepers:

Ich möchte gern einen Termin machen. (iH merH-te gêrn ayn-en têr-meen mâH-en.) (I would like to make an appointment.)

Kann ich meinen Termin verschieben? (kân iH mayn-en têr-meen fêr-shee-ben?) (Can I change my appointment?)

And here are some of the answers you may hear:

Wann passt es Ihnen? (vân pâst ês een-en?) (What time suits you?)

Wie wäre es mit . . . ? (vee vai-re ês mit . . . ?) (How about . . . ?)

Heute ist leider kein Termin mehr frei. (hoy-te ist lay-der kayn têr-meen meyr fray.) (Unfortunately, there is no appointment available today.)

Talkin’ the Talk

Frau Bauer has to make an appointment at the doctor’s office. She is talking to the doctor’s assistant, Liza.

Liza:	Praxis Dr. Eggert. prâx-is dok-tor êg-ert. Dr. Eggert’s office.
Frau Bauer:	Guten Tag, Anita Bauer. Ich möchte einen Termin für nächste Woche machen. gooh-ten tahk, â-nee-tâ bou-er. iH merH-te ayn-en têr-meen fuer naiH-ste voH-e mâH-en. Hello. (This is) Anita Bauer. I would like to make an appointment for next week.
Liza:	Wann passt es Ihnen? vân pâst ês een-en? What time suits you?
Frau Bauer:	Mittwoch wäre gut. mit-vôH vai-re gooht. Wednesday would be good.
Liza:	Mittwoch ist leider kein Termin mehr frei. Wie wäre es mit Donnerstag? mit-voH îst lay-der kayn têr-meen meyr fray. vee vai-re ês mit don-ers-tahk? Unfortunately, there is no appointment available on Wednesday. How about Thursday?
Frau Bauer:	Donnerstag ist auch gut. Geht fünfzehn Uhr? don-ers-tahk ist ouH gooht. geyt fuenf-tseyn oohr? Thursday is good, too. Does 3:00 p.m. work?
Liza:	Kein Problem. Dann bis Donnerstag. kayn proh-bleym. dân bis don-ers-tahk. No problem. Until Thursday.
Frau Bauer:	Danke schön. Auf Wiederhören. dân-ke shern. ouf vee-der-herr-en. Thank you very much. Good-bye.

Leaving Messages

Unfortunately, you often don’t get through to the person you’re trying to reach, and you have to leave a message. In that case, some of the following expressions may come in handy (some of these phrases use dative pronouns, which you can read about in the next section):

Kann ich ihm/ihr eine Nachricht hinterlassen? (kân îH eem/eer ayn-e nahH-riHt hin-ter-lâs-en?) (Can I leave him/her a message?)

Kann ich ihm/ihr etwas ausrichten? (kân iH eem/eer êt-vâs ous-rîH-ten?) (Can I give him/her a message?)

Möchten Sie eine Nachricht hinterlassen? (merH-ten zee ayn-e naH-riHt hin-ter-lâs-en?) (Would you like to leave a message?)

Ich bin unter der Nummer . . . zu erreichen. (iH bin oon-ter dêr noom-er . . . tsooh êr-ayH-en.) (I can be reached at the number . . . .)

A Few Words about Dative Pronouns

Ihm (eem) (him) and ihr (eer) (her) are personal pronouns in the dative case. In German, you need the dative case of these pronouns when they are combined with the dative preposition mit (mit) (with). So when you want to express that you’d like to talk to or speak with a person (him or her), you can say

Ich möchte gern mit ihm/ihr sprechen. (iH merH-te gêrn mit eem/eer shprêH-en.) (I would like to speak with him/her.)

And if you can’t get through to the person you want to speak to, here’s how to indicate that you’re leaving that person a message:

Ich hinterlasse ihm/ihr eine Nachricht. (iH hin-ter-lâs-e eem/eer ayn-e nahH-riHt.) (I’m leaving him/her a message.)

Talkin’ the Talk

Frau Bauer, an assistant at the company TransEuropa, answers a phone call from Hans Seibold, who is an old friend of her boss, Herr Huber.

Frau Bauer:	Firma TransEuropa, guten Tag! fir-mâ trâns-oy-roh-pâ, gooh-ten tahk! TransEuropa company, hello!
Herr Seibold:	Guten Tag, Seibold hier. Kann ich bitte mit Herrn Huber, sprechen? gooh-ten tahk zay-bolt heer. kân iH bi-te mit hêrn hooh-ber, shprêH-en? Hello,( this is Mr.) Seibold. Can I speak to Mr. Huber, please?
Frau Bauer:	Guten Tag, Herr Seibold. Einen Moment bitte, ich verbinde. gooh-ten tahk hêr zay-bolt. ayn-en moh-mênt bi-te, iH fêr-bin-de. Hello, Mr. Seibold. One moment, please. I’ll connect you.
(After a short moment)
Frau Bauer:	Herr Seibold? Herr Huber spricht gerade auf der anderen Leitung. Möchten Sie ihm eine Nachricht hinterlassen? hêr zay-bolt? hêr hooh-ber shpriHt ge-rah-de ouf dêr ân-de-ren lay-toong. merH-ten zee eem ayn-e nahH-riHt hin-ter-lâs-en? Mr. Seibold? Mr. Huber is on the other line. Would you like to leave him a message?
Herr Seibold:	Ja bitte. Ich bin unter der Nummer 089 57 36 488 zu erreichen. yah, bi-te. iH bin oon-têr dêr noom-er nool âHt noyn fuenf zee-ben dray zeks feer âHt âHt tsooh êr-rayH-en. Yes, please. I can be reached at the number 089 57 36 488.
Frau Bauer:	Ich werde es ausrichten! iH vêr-de ês ous-riH-ten! I’ll forward the message!
Herr Seibold:	Vielen Dank! Auf Wiederhören! vee-len dânk! ouf vee-der-herr-en! Thanks a lot! Good-bye!

Sending Written Correspondence

Considering all the tasks you can accomplish with a (cell)phone, you may ask yourself why anyone would bother with the hassle of putting pen to paper. Yet people still like, and need, to send written correspondence from time to time. Entire books have been written about the art of writing letters in German; this section just gives you enough information to begin and end a letter appropriately.

You use certain conventions in German, just as you do in English, to write letters. In German, the phrase you begin with is Sehr geehrte Frau . . ./ Sehr geehrter Herr . . . (zeyr ge-eyr-te frou/zeyr ge-eyr-ter hêr) (Dear Mrs . . ./ Dear Mr . . .). And the phrase most often used to sign off a letter is Mit freundlichen Grüßen (mit froynt-liH-en grues-en) (Sincerely).

Contrary to English convention, the first letter of the first word in the opening sentence of a German letter is not capitalized, unless it’s a noun.

Assuming you don’t have a carrier pigeon at your disposal, the following sections explain how to send your correspondence where it needs to go.

Sending a letter or postcard

With people standing in line behind you, it pays to be prepared with some simple phrases that get you in and out of das Postamt (dâs post-âmt) (post office) as quickly and hassle-free as possible and send der Brief (dêr breef) (letter), die Postkarte (dee post-kâr-te) (postcard), die Ansichtskarte (dee ahn-zîHts-kâr-te) (picture postcard) or das Paket (dâs pâ-keyt) (package) on its merry way.

Buying stamps

In Germany, you usually buy Briefmarken (breef-mâr-ken) (stamps) — or, if you need only one, die Briefmarke (dee breef-mâr-ke) (stamp) — at the post office. To get your stamps, say the following to the postal worker:

Ich möchte gern Briefmarken kaufen. (iH merH-te gern breef-mâr-ken kouf-en.) (I would like to buy stamps.)

To specify how many stamps and what values you want, state your request like this:

5-mal 50 Cent und 10-mal 20 Cent. (fuenf-mahl fuenf-tsiH sent oont tseyn-mahl tsvân-tsiH sent.) (5 times 50 cents and 10 times 20 cents.)

If you want to know the postage for an item you’re sending to the U.S. — for example, a letter or a postcard — ask the following as you hand your correspondence over the counter:

Wie viel kostet es, diesen Brief/diese Ansichtskarte nach Amerika zu schicken? (vee feel kos-tet ês, deez-en breef/deez-e ahn-ziHts-kâr-te nahH â-mey-ree-kah tsooh shik-en?) (How much does it cost to send this letter/this picture postcard to the U.S.?)

Putting your mail in the mailbox

As in the U.S., you can give your mail to a postal worker, drop it into one of the receptacles at the post office (those slits in the wall), or put it into a Briefkasten (breef-kâst-en) (mailbox) found on street corners or in front of post offices (in Germany, mailboxes are yellow, not blue). Sometimes separate mailboxes are available: one for the city you’re in and the surrounding area, and another one for other places. So the mailboxes may have signs saying, for example, Köln und Umgebung (kerln oont oom-gey-boong) (Cologne and surrounding area) and Andere Orte (ân-de-re or-te) (other places).

In Germany, you can’t put items to mail in your mailbox to be picked up.

Asking for special services

If you want to send an express letter, airmail, certified mail, or a package, you need to be familiar with these words:

der Eilbrief (dêr ayl-breef) (express letter)

das Einschreiben (dâs ayn-shrayb-en) (registered letter/certified mail)

die Luftpost (dee looft-post) (airmail)

das Paket (dâs pâ-keyt) (package)

To get these pieces of mail on their way, tell the postal worker

Ich möchte diesen Brief per Eilzustellung/per Luftpost/per Einschreiben schicken. (îH merH-te deez-en breef pêr ayl-tsooh-shtêl-oong/pêr looft-post/pêr ayn-shrayb-en shik-en.) (I would like to send this letter express/by air mail/by registered mail.)

Ich möchte dieses Paket aufgeben. (iH merH-te deez-es pâ-keyt ouf-gey-ben.) (I would like to send this package.)

The following words are helpful when it comes to sending mail (and you also find them on the form you have to fill out when you’re sending certified mail):

der Absender (dêr âp-zên-der) (sender)

der Empfänger (dêr êm-pfêng-er) (addressee)

das Porto (dâs por-toh) (postage)

E-mailing

If you want to catch up on your e-mail, your hotel will probably have Wi-Fi Internet access. Otherwise, head for a cybercafé or ask whether a (free) Wi-Fi hotspot is nearby.

The great thing about e-mail and the Internet is that they involve an international language — the language of computers, which is, for the most part, English. However, being aware of the German equivalents for a few words connected with e-mailing is still handy:

der Computer (dêr computer [as in English]) (computer)

die E-mail (dee e-mail [as in English]) (e-mail)

die E-mail-Adresse (dee e-mail ah-drês-e) (e-mail address)

das Internet (dâs Internet [as in English]) (Internet)

Sending a fax

If you can’t conveniently use somebody’s Faxgerät (fâx-ge-rêt) (fax machine), you should be able to send a Fax (fâx) (fax) from most cybercafés, hotels, and some copy shops. Just walk up to the counter and tell the person working there

Ich möchte etwas faxen. (iH merH-te êt-vâs fâx-en.) (I would like to fax something.)

After you find a place that can send your fax, the person operating the machine will ask you for die Faxnummer (dee fâx-noom-er) (the fax number).

Write the fax number on a piece of paper beforehand so that, when you’re asked, you can just hand it over with a confident smile.

Talkin’ the Talk

Frau Bauer’s workday is almost over, and she only has to mail a package at the post office. Listen in on her conversation with der Postangestellte (dêr post-ân-ge-shtêl-te) (post office worker).

Frau Bauer:	Guten Tag. Ich möchte ein Paket aufgeben. gooh-ten tahk. iH merH-te ayn pâ-keyt ouf-gey-ben. Hello. I would like to send a package.
Der Postangestellte:	Jawohl. Füllen Sie bitte dieses Formular aus. yah-vohl. fuel-en zee bi-te deez-es fohr-moo-lahr ous. Certainly. Please fill out this form.
Frau Bauer:	Was für ein Formular ist das? vâs fuer ayn fohr-moo-lahr ist dâs? What kind of a form is that?
Der Postangestellte:	Es ist eine Zollerklärung. ês ist ayn-e tsol-êr-klair-oong. It’s a customs declaration.
(Frau Bauer fills out the form and hands it back)
Frau Bauer:	Bitte. bi-te Here you are.
Der Postangestellte:	Also, das macht 12,60 Euro. âl-zoh, dâs maHt tsverlf oy-roh sêH-tsiH. So, that’ll be 12 euros 60.

Getting to Know the Office

When it comes to the workplace, Germans have a reputation for being straightforward, productive, and efficient, but you may be surprised to find out that, statistically speaking, they don’t work as many hours as Americans do. Not that people don’t work late, but Germans enjoy much more generous vacation time. And on Fridays, many companies close early.

When you’re working in a German-speaking Büro (bue-roh) (office), you’re assigned various tasks, or Büroarbeit (bue-roh-âr-bayt) (office work).

What do you call all that paraphernalia on your desk or all the stuff in the supply closet? Read on. After you have those terms down, you need to know how to describe what to do with them. Time to get to work!

Office work entails assignments and tasks you may be given or have to give to someone else. Here are a few expressions that come into play in such circumstances. They also come in handy when you need some help:

Wo finde ich den Fotokopierer / das Faxgerät? (voh fin-de iH deyn foh-toh-ko-peer-er/dâs fâx-gê-reyt?) (Where can I find the copy machine/fax machine?)

Können Sie mir bitte zeigen, wie das funktioniert? (kern-en zee meer bi-te tsay-gen vee dâs foonk-tsee-oh-neert?) (Could you please show me how that works?)

Würden Sie bitte diesen Brief für mich übersetzen? (vuer-den zee bi-te deez-en breef fuer miH ue-ber-zêts-en?) (Would you translate this letter for me, please?)

Mastering your desk and supplies

Typically, you may find — or hope to find — the following items on or around your Schreibtisch (shrayp-tish) (desk):

der Brief (dêr breef) (letter)

der Bürostuhl (dêr bue-roh-shtool) (office chair)

der Computer (dêr computer [as in English]) (computer)

der Drucker (dêr drook-er) (printer)

das Faxgerät (dâs fâx-gê-reyt) (fax machine)

der Fotokopierer (dêr foh-toh-ko-peer-er) (copy machine)

die Lampe (dee lâm-pe) (lamp)

die Maus (dee mouse [as in English]) (mouse)

das Telefon (dâs tê-le-fohn) (telephone)

die Unterlagen (dee oon-ter-lah-gen) (documents, files)

Don’t forget the question Wo ist . . . ? (voh ist) (Where is . . . ?) if you need to ask someone for help finding something around the office.

Sooner or later, you’re likely to need one of the following supplies:

der Bleistift (dêr blay-shtift) (pencil)

der Kugelschreiber (dêr kooh-gel-shray-ber) (pen)

das Papier (dâs pâ-peer) (paper)

der Umschlag (dêr oom-shlahk) (envelope)

When you need some of these supplies, and you can’t find them on your own after rummaging around, ask a colleague to help you find them by saying

Haben Sie einen Kugelschreiber/einen Umschlag für mich? (hah-ben zee ayn-en kooh-gel-shray-ber/ayn-en oom-shlahk fuer miH?) (Could you give me a pen/envelope? Literally: Do you have a pen/envelope for me?)

Können Sie mir sagen, wo ich Umschläge/Bleistifte/Papier finde? (kern-en zee meer zah-gen, voh iH oom-shlê-ge/blay-shtift-e/pâ-peer fin-de?) (Could you tell me where I would find envelopes/pencils/paper?)

Doing business in German

Just like everywhere else, German-speaking countries have their own business world with their own culture and specialized language. Non-native speakers study for many years, taking special courses on meetings and negotiations, telephoning, and giving speeches, in order to be successful at doing business in German. This chapter (or book, for that matter) doesn’t have the space to provide all the details you need to communicate at the business level — and you probably don’t have the time it would take to learn all you’d need to know. But you may find yourself in a situation where a few business terms — and a little advice on how to proceed — can come in pretty handy.

If you plan to perform business with German speakers, you may want to call ahead and ask whether the services of der Dolmetscher (dêr dol-mêch-er)/die Dolmetscherin (dee dol-mêch-er-in) (interpreter) or der Übersetzer (dêr ue-ber-zêts-êr)/die Übersetzerin (dee ue-ber-zêts-êr-in) (translator) can be made available to you. Also find out whether the translator will take die Notizen (dee noh-tits-en) (notes) in English during the meeting so that you have a written record of the goings-on. Don’t feel the slightest bit shy about asking for an interpreter or a translator. Business people all over the world respect someone who knows when it’s time to delegate.

Many German job titles have two versions to show whether a man or a woman is doing that job. Often, the title used for men ends in -er, like the term for a male interpreter: der Dolmetscher. The women’s title ends in -erin, as is the case with die Dolmetscherin.

Following are a few more steps to take before you start doing business auf Deutsch (ouf doych) (in German):

Study up on the formal introductions in Chapter 3. Nailing the introductions shows your interest in the proceedings, even if you don’t understand much more of what’s being said.

Read the section “Describing your work” in Chapter 6. This will arm you with a few words you need to make small talk about your job.

Acquaint yourself with the following common office terms:

• anrufen (ân-roohf-en) (to phone)

• die Besprechung (dee be-shprêH-oong) (meeting)

• der Chef/die Chefin (dêr shêf/die shêf-în) (boss)

• der Direktor/die Direktorin (dêr di-rêk-tohr/dee di-rêk-tohr-in) (director)

• der Mitarbeiter/die Mitarbeiterin (dêr mit-âr-bay-ter/dee mit-âr-bay-ter-in) (colleague/employee)

• der Sekretär/die Sekretärin (dêr zê-krê-têr/dee zê-krê-têr-in) (secretary).

• der Termin (dêr têr-meen) (appointment)

Talkin’ the Talk

Listen in on the following conversation between Frau Seifert and her assistant, Frau. Remmert. Frau Seifert has come to the office early because she has an important meeting.

Frau Seifert:	Guten Morgen, Frau Remmert. gooh-ten mor-gen, frou rêm-ert. Good morning, Ms. Remmert.
Frau Remmert:	Guten Morgen, Frau Seifert. gooh-ten mor-gen, frou zayf-êrt. Good morning, Ms. Seifert.
Frau Seifert:	Wissen Sie, ob Herr Krause heute im Hause ist? vis-en zee, op hêr krouz-e hoy-te im houz-e ist? Do you know if Mr. Krause is in the office today?
Frau Remmert:	Ich glaube ja. iH glou-be yah. I think so.
Frau Seifert:	Ich muss dringend mit ihm sprechen. iH moos dring-end mit eem shprêH-en. I have to speak to him urgently.
Frau Remmert:	In Ordnung. Ach ja, Frau Hoffmann von der Firma Solag hat angerufen. in ord-noong. ahH yah, frou hof-mân fon dêr fir-mâ soh-lahk hât ân-gê-roohf-en. Okay. Oh yes, Ms. Hoffman from (the company) Solag called.
Frau Seifert:	Gut, ich rufe sie gleich an. Und würden Sie bitte diesen Brief für mich übersetzen? gooht, iH roohf-e zee glayH ân. oont vuer-den zee bi-te deez-en breef fuer miH ue-ber-zêts-en? Good, I’ll call her right away. And would you translate this letter for me, please?
Frau Remmert:	Wird gemacht, Frau Seifert. virt gê-mâHt frou zayf-êrt I’ll do that, Ms. Seifert.

Fun & Games

The following picture shows the kinds of items you would find in a typical office. Write the German terms for each in the blanks provided.

1. Office chair: _______________

2. Lamp: _______________

3. Envelope: _______________

4. Calendar: _______________

5. Computer: _______________

6. Printer: _______________

7. Telephone: _______________

8. Copy machine: _______________

9. Desk: _______________

10. Paper: _______________

11. Pen: _______________

12. Pencil: _______________

13. Files: _______________

14. Mouse: _______________