Chapter 12

Recreation and the Great Outdoors

In This Chapter

Talking about sports

Understanding reflexive verbs and pronouns

Taking a trip to the mountains, the country, or the sea

This chapter looks at the fun things people do when they’re not working. Europeans like to make the most of their time off. Germans in particular are among the world’s most seasoned globetrotters, yet they also enjoy visiting the many beautiful spots inside their own country.

Within German-speaking Europe, you can enjoy a vast range of sports and recreation opportunities. Take your pick! You can sail on one of many lakes, ski in the mountains, go mountain biking, relax at the shore, or simply enjoy nature while walking on one of the many well-marked hiking trails, to name just a few possibilities.

Playing Sports

Europeans, like Americans and people all over the world, enjoy participating in and watching a wide variety of indoor and outdoor sports. Traditional favorites include soccer (by far the most popular sport), volleyball, bicycling, skiing, and hiking. Some relative newcomers are tennis, golf, and windsurfing. By using the words and phrases in this section, you can share your interest in sports with other people, auf Deutsch (ouf doych) (in German)!

Playing around with the verb “spielen”

You can express your general interest in playing many sports by using the verb spielen (shpeel-en) (to play) together with the noun that describes the sport in the following phrase:

Ich spiele gern. . . . (iH shpeel-e gêrn. . . .) (I like to play. . . .)

You can insert the names of the following sports at the end of the sentence, and then let the games begin!

Basketball (basketball [as in English]) (basketball)

Fußball (foohs-bâl) (soccer)

Golf (golf [as in English]) (golf)

Tennis (tennis [as in English]) (tennis)

Volleyball (volleyball [as in English]) (volleyball)

Verbalizing sports you enjoy

Some sports are expressed as verbs, so you don’t use the verb spielen to talk about them. You can use the following expression to communicate what you’re interested in doing:

Ich möchte gern. . . . (iH merH-te gêrn. . . .) (I would like to. . . .)

To complete the sentence, you simply tack on the verb that expresses the sport — no conjugating necessary — at the end of the expression. For example:

Ich möchte gern segeln. (iH merH-te gêrn zey-geln.) (I would like to sail.)

Here are a few verbs to choose from:

Fahrrad fahren (fahr-rât fahr-en) (to ride a bike)

joggen (jog-en) (to jog)

schwimmen (shvim-en) (to swim)

segeln (zey-geln) (to sail)

Ski fahren (shee fahr-en) (to ski)

windsurfen (vint-soorf-en) (to windsurf)

The following construction will get you far when discussing favorite activities:

Ich . . . gern. (iH . . . gêrn.) (I like to. . . .)

Here you need to remember to conjugate the verb that you put in the blank. Check out these examples:

Ich schwimme gern. (iH shvim-e gêrn.) (I like to swim.)

Ich fahre gern Fahrrad. (iH fahr-e gêrn fahr-rât.) (I like to bike.)

Inviting someone to play

To ask someone to join you in an activity, use one of the following expressions and add on either the verb (in infinitive form) that expresses the sport or the noun that expresses the sport plus the verb spielen:

Lass uns . . . gehen! (lâs oons . . . gey-en!) (Let’s go . . . !)

Möchtest du . . . ? (merH-test dooh . . . ) (Would you like to . . . ?)

Take a look at these two examples:

Lass uns windsurfen gehen! (lâs oons vint-soorf-en gey-en!) (Let’s go windsurfing!)

Möchtest du Volleyball spielen? (merH-test dooh volleyball speel-en?) (Would you like to play volleyball?)

Talkin’ the Talk

It’s Friday afternoon, and Michael spots his friend Ingo on the subway.

Michael:	Grüß dich Ingo. Was machst du morgen? grues dîH een-goh. Vâs mâHst dooh mor-gên? Hi Ingo. What are you doing tomorrow?
Ingo:	Nichts Besonderes. Joggen oder schwimmen. Was hast du vor? niHts be-zon-der-es. jog-en oh-der shvim-en. vâs hâst du for? Nothing special. Jogging or swimming. What are your plans?
Michael:	Ich möchte gern Fahrrad fahren. Kommst du mit? iH merH-te gêrn fahr-rât fahr-en. Komst du mit? I’d really like to take a bike ride. Want to come along?
Ingo:	Ja, sicher. Wohin fahren wir? yâh, zeeH-er. voh-hin fahr-en veer? Yes, sure. Where shall we go?
Michael:	Lass uns zum Starnberger See fahren. Wir können dort in den Biergarten gehen. lâs oons tsoom shtahrn-bêr-ger zey fahr-en. veer kern-en dort in deyn beer-gâr-ten gey-en. Let’s ride to Starnberger Lake. We can go to the beergarden there.
Ingo:	Abgemacht! Bis morgen! ahp-ge-mâHt. bis mor-gen! That’s a deal! Until tomorrow!

Using Reflexive Verbs to Talk about Plans

You’ve made vacation plans, and you’re excited about participating in activities you’re really interested in. How do you tell someone that you’re looking forward to something? Germans say

Ich freue mich auf den Urlaub. (iH froy-e miH ouf deyn oor-loup.) I’m looking forward to the vacation.

Note that this sentence contains a reflexive verb. Reflexive verbs are a lot more commonly used in German than in English. This section explores reflexive verbs a bit more.

Getting reflexive

German verbs have a reputation for acting a bit strangely. They do things that English verbs just don’t do. For example, German verbs can be at the end of a sentence. And sometimes they split in two, with only one part of the verb going to the end of a sentence! (See Chapter 14 for more on verbs that split.) You need to flex your German grammar muscles as you read on about reflexive verbs.

Some German verbs just can’t work alone and must be accompanied by a helping pronoun in the accusative or the dative case, depending on the pronoun’s function in the sentence. The pronoun reflects back (just like a mirror) on the subject. That’s why these verbs are commonly called reflexive verbs, and the pronouns are called reflexive pronouns.

Accusing and dating your pronouns

What are these so-called reflexive pronouns, and what’s this about accusing and dating them? Well, many of them may look and sound familiar. Table 12-1 shows you the reflexive pronouns in the accusative and dative cases and, for reference, the corresponding personal pronouns. Note that only two reflexive forms aren’t the same in the two cases, namely mich/mir (miH/meer) (me) and dich/dir (diH/deer) (you). Accusative and dative reflexive pronouns have the same meanings.

Table 12-1 Accusative and Dative Reflexive Pronouns
Personal Pronoun	Accusative Reflexive Pronoun	Dative Reflexive Pronoun
ich (iH) (I)	mich (miH) (myself)	mir (meer) (myself)
du (dooh) (you) (singular, informal)	dich (diH) (yourself)	dir (deer) (yourself)
er, sie, es (êr, zee, ês) (he,she,it)	sich (ziH) (himself, herself, itself)	sich (ziH) (himself, herself, itself)
wir (veer) (we)	uns (oons) (ourselves)	uns (oons) (ourselves)
ihr (eer) (you) (plural, informal)	euch (oyH) (yourselves)	euch (oyH) (yourselves)
sie (zee) (they)	sich (ziH) (themselves)	sich (ziH) (themselves)
Sie (zee) (you) singular/plural, formal)	sich (ziH) (yourself/yourselves)	sich (ziH) (yourself/yourselves)

The reflexive pronoun goes after the conjugated verb in a normal sentence. In a question starting with a verb, the reflexive pronoun goes after the subject. (See Chapter 2 for more information on forming questions in German.)

Take a look at the following examples of reflexive verbs and reflexive pronouns doing their thing in sentences:

Ich interessiere mich für die Natur. (iH in-te-rê-see-re miH fuer dee nâ-toohr.) (I am interested in nature.) Literally, this sentence translates as I interest myself in nature. The subject ich (I) is reflected in the pronoun mich (myself).

Freust du dich auf deinen Urlaub? (froyst dooh diH ouf dayn-en oor-loup?) (Are you looking forward to your vacation?)

Herr Grobe hat sich für einen Segelkurs angemeldet. (hêr groh-be hât ziH fuer ayn-en zey-gel-koors ân-ge-mêl-det.) (Mr. Grobe enrolled in a sailing class.)

Herr und Frau Weber erholen sich im Urlaub an der Küste. (hêr oont frou vey-ber êr-hohl-en ziH îm oor-loup ân dêr kues-te.) (Mr. and Mrs. Weber are relaxing during their vacation on the coast.)

Some common reflexive verbs

If you’re wondering how in the world you’re supposed to know which verbs are reflexive and which ones aren’t, good for you — it’s an excellent question. Unfortunately, the answer may not please you: You have to memorize them.

To give you a leg up, start with some common reflexive verbs that use the accusative reflexive pronouns. Take sich freuen (ziH froy-en) (to be glad about, to look forward to) as an example.

Conjugation	Pronunciation
ich freue mich	iH froy-e miH
du freust dich	dooh froyst diH
Sie frauen sich	zee froy-en ziH
er, sie, es freut sich	êr, zee, ês froyt ziH
wir freuen uns	veer froy-en oons
ihr freut euch	eer froyt oyH
Sie freuen sich	zee froy-en ziH
sie freuen sich	zee froy-en ziH

Some of the most common reflexive verbs with accusative reflexive pronouns include the following:

sich anmelden (ziH an-mêl-den) (to enroll in or register for)

sich aufregen (ziH ouf-rey-gen) (to get excited or upset)

sich beeilen (ziH bê-ay-len) (to hurry)

sich entscheiden (ziH ênt-shay-den) (to decide)

sich erholen (ziH êr-hohl-en) (to relax or recover)

sich erinnern (ziH êr-in-ern) (to remember)

sich freuen auf (ziH froy-en ouf) (to look forward to)

sich freuen über (ziH froy-en ue-ber) (to be glad about)

sich gewöhnen an (ziH ge-vern-en ân) (to get used to)

sich interessieren für (ziH in-te-rê-see-ren fuer) (to be interested in)

sich setzen (ziH zêts-en) (to sit down)

sich unterhalten (ziH oon-têr-hâl-ten) (to talk, to enjoy oneself)

sich verletzen (ziH fêr-lets-en) (to get hurt)

Talkin’ the Talk

Anke runs into her friend Jürgen at the supermarket. The two are talking about Anke’s vacation plans. (Track 25)

Jürgen:	Hallo Anke. Wie gehts? Wir haben uns lange nicht gesehen. hâ-lo ân-ke. vee geyts? veer hah-ben oons lâng-e niHt ge-zey-en. Hello Anke. How are you? We haven’t seen each other in a long time.
Anke:	Ich hatte viel zu tun. Aber jetzt mache ich endlich Urlaub. iH hât-e feel tsooh toohn. ah-ber yêtst mâH-e iH ênt-liH oor-loup I had a lot of work. But now I’m finally going on vacation.
Jürgen:	Wie schön. Hast du was vor? vee shern. hâst dooh vâs for? How nice. Do you have anything planned?
Anke:	Ja. Ich fahre in die Schweiz. Ich nehme an einem Snowboardkurs teil. yah. iH fahr-e in dee schvayts. iH ney-me ân ayn-em snoh-bord-koors tayl. Yes. I’m going to Switzerland. I’m taking part in a snowboarding class.
Jürgen:	Wie lange bleibst du? vee lâng-e blaypst dooh? How long are you staying?
Anke:	Zwei Wochen. Ich freue mich riesig auf den Kurs. tsvay voH-en. iH froy-e miH ree-ziH ouf deyn koors. Two weeks. I’m really looking forward to the course.
Jürgen:	Ich hoffe, du verletzt dich nicht! iH hof-e, dooh vêr-lêtst diH niHt! I hope you don’t get hurt!

Reflexive verbs that are flexible

Until this point, you’ve seen verbs with the accusative reflexive pronouns. In order to strengthen the reputation that German verbs can act strangely, here’s yet another aspect to consider. Some verbs — many of them to do with personal hygiene — use dative reflexive pronouns. Look at these examples:

Ich putze mir die Zähne. (iH poots-e meer dee tsai-ne.) (I’m brushing my teeth.)

Ich wasche mir die Hände. (iH vâsh-e meer dee hên-de.) (I’m washing my hands.)

And one more quirk: You can also find verbs that work three ways! Without going into too much detail, look at the verb waschen. In addition to using the dative reflexive pronoun in the previous sentence, you can use the accusative reflexive pronoun, like this example:

Ich wasche mich schnell. (iH vâsh-e miH shnêl.) (I wash [myself] in a hurry.)

You can also use waschen alone:

Ich wasche das Auto morgen. (iH vâsh-e dâs ou-toh mor-gen.) (I’m washing my car tomorrow.)

If you’re the curious type and want to find out more about relative pronouns and verbs, as well as many other details of German grammar, check out the book Intermediate German For Dummies (Wiley).

Exploring the Outdoors

Had a hectic week at work? Tired of working out at the gym? Maybe you just want to get away from it all and experience the great outdoors alone or with your family and friends. In that case, lace up your hiking boots and grab your binoculars and guidebook. And don’t forget to pack a lunch, because you may not find a snack bar at the end of the trail!

Getting out and going

If you’re interested in walking and hiking, the following phrases should get you on your way:

Wollen wir spazieren/wandern gehen? (vol-en veer shpâ-tsee-ren/vân-dern gey-en?) (Should we take a walk/go hiking?)

Ich möchte spazieren/wandern gehen. (iH merH-te shpâ-tsee-ren/vân-dern gey-en.) (I would like to take a walk/go hiking.)

Things to see along the way

When you return from your tour of the great outdoors, you can tell people about what you saw by saying

Ich habe . . . gesehen. (iH hah-be . . . gê-zey-en.) (I saw. . . .)

Ich habe . . . beobachtet. (iH hah-be . . . bê-oh-bâH-tet.) (I was watching. . . .)

Just fill in the blanks. You may encounter any of the following along the way:

der Baum (dêr boum) (tree)

der Fluss (dêr floos) (river)

die Kuh (dee kooh) (cow)

das Meer (dâs meyr) (sea, ocean)

das Pferd (dâs pfêrt) (horse)

das Reh (dâs rey) (deer)

das Schaf (dâs shahf) (sheep)

der See (dêr zey) (lake)

der Vogel (dêr foh-gel) (bird)

Remember that you use the accusative case when completing these sentences. (See Chapter 2 for more information on the accusative case.) For masculine nouns, you phrase your sentences in this way:

Ich habe einen Adler gesehen. (iH hah-be ayn-en âd-ler ge-zey-en.) (I saw an eagle.)

For feminine nouns, follow this phrasing:

Ich habe eine lilafarbene Kuh gesehen! (iH hah-be ayn-e lee-lâ-fâr-bên-e kooh ge-zey-en!) (I saw a purple-colored cow!) Well, maybe not in the Alps, but you can see the purple cow on the wrapper of a well-known brand of chocolate.

Express neuter nouns this way:

Ich habe ein Reh gesehen. (iH hah-be ayn rey ge-zey-en.) (I saw a deer.)

Or you may want to use the plural form, which is generally easier:

Ich habe viele Vögel gesehen. (iH hah-be fee-le fer-gel ge-zey-en.) (I saw a lot of birds.)

The Alps offer a panoply of hiking opportunities for the casual hiker as well as for the expert climber. When you meet German-speaking people in the mountains and strike up a conversation, you’re bound to notice that complete strangers may address each other with du. Using the familiar form is a means of showing camaraderie with others interested in the experience of hiking.

Talkin’ the Talk

Mr. and Mrs. Paulsen are in a small town in the mountains. Today they want to go hiking. They are speaking with Frau Kreutzer at the local tourist information office to find out about hiking trails in the area. (Track 26)

Frau Paulsen:	Guten Morgen. Wir möchten eine Wanderung machen. gooh-ten mor-gen. veer merH-ten ayn-e vân-der-oong mâH-en. Good morning. We would like to go hiking.
Frau Kreutzer:	Ich kann Ihnen eine Wanderkarte für diese Gegend geben. iH kân een-en ayn-e vân-dêr-kâr-te fuer deez-e gey-gend gey-ben. I can give you a hiking map of this area.
Herr Paulsen:	Das ist genau das, was wir brauchen. dâs ist ge-nou dâs, vâs veer brouH-en. That’s exactly what we need.
Frau Kreutzer:	Wie wäre es mit dem Hornberg? Wenn Sie Glück haben, können Sie sogar einige Murmeltiere sehen. vee vair-e ês mit deym hohrn-bêrg? vên zee gluek hah-ben, kern-en zee zoh-gâr ayn-ee-ge moor-mel-teer-e zey-en. How about Horn mountain? If you’re lucky, you can even see some marmots.
Herr Paulsen:	Das klingt gut. Können Sie uns den Weg auf der Karte markieren? dâs klinkt gooht. keer-en zee oons deyn vêg ouf dêr kâr-te mâr-keer-en? Sounds good. Can you mark the trail for us on the map?
Frau Kreutzer:	Ja, natürlich. yah, nâ-tuer-liH. Yes, of course.
Frau Paulsen:	Vielen Dank für ihre Hilfe. fee-len dânk fuer eer-e hil-fe. Thank you very much for your help.

Going to the mountains

Whether you plan to explore the ever-popular Alps or one of the other mountain ranges, you’re sure to meet the locals. In fact, you’re likely to see whole families out hiking on a Sunday afternoon. Before you join them, fortify yourself with some sustaining vocabulary:

der Berg (dêr bêrg) (mountain)

das Gebirge (dâs ge-bir-ge) (mountain range)

der Gipfel (dêr gip-fel) (peak)

der Hügel (dêr hue-gel) (hill)

das Naturschutzgebiet (dâs nâ-toohr-shoots-ge-beet) (nature preserve)

das Tal (dâs tahl) (valley)

Here are a few examples of sentences:

Wir fahren in die Berge. (veer fahr-en in dee bêr-ge.) (We’re going to the mountains.)

Wir wollen wandern gehen. (veer vol-en vân-dern gey-en.) (We want to go hiking.)

Ich will bergsteigen. (iH vil bêrg-shtayg-en.) (I want to go mountain climbing.)

Talkin’ the Talk

Herr Mahler meets Frau Pohl on his way home from work. They start talking about their travel plans.

Frau Pohl:	Tag Herr Mahler. Na, haben Sie schon Urlaubspläne gemacht? tahk hêr mah-ler. nah, hah-ben zee shon oor-loups-plên-e ge-mâHt? Hello, Mr. Mahler. So, have you made plans for your vacation yet?
Herr Mahler:	Aber ja, meine Frau und ich werden wieder in die Berge fahren. ah-ber yah, mayn-e frou oont iH vêr-den vee-der in dee bêr-ge fahr-en. Oh yes, my wife and I will go to the mountains again.
Frau Pohl:	Wieder in die Alpen? vee-der in dee âlp-en? Back to the Alps?
Herr Mahler:	Nein, diesmal gehen wir in den Pyrenäen wandern. Und Sie? nayn, dees-mâl gey-en veer in deyn per-re-nê-en vân-dern. oont zee? No, this time we’re going hiking in the Pyrenees. And you?
Frau Pohl:	Wir wollen im Herbst in die Dolomiten zum Bergsteigen. veer vol-en im hêrpst in dee do-lo-meet-en tsoom bêrg-shtayg-en. We want to go mountain climbing in the Dolomite Alps in the fall.
Herr Mahler:	Haben Sie schon ein Hotel gebucht? hah-ben zee shohn ayn hotel [as in English] ge-booHt? Did you book a hotel yet?
Frau Pohl:	Nein, wir werden in Berghütten übernachten. nayn, veer vêr-den în bêrg-huet-en ue-ber-nâH-ten. No, we’re going to stay in mountain huts.

Going to the country

Mountains not your idea of fun? How about some fresh country air then? Despite a population of around 82 million people in Germany, you can still find quiet rural areas and out-of-the-way places, sometimes surprisingly close to bustling urban centers. And it goes without saying that you can also find peace and quiet in the Austrian and Swiss countryside. All you need to get started is the right language:

der Bauernhof (dêr bou-ern-hohf) (farm)

das Dorf (dâs dorf) (village)

das Feld (dâs fêlt) (field)

das Land (dâs lânt) (countryside)

der Wald (dêr vâlt) (forest)

die Wiese (dee veez-e) (meadow)

Following are a few sample sentences:

Wir fahren aufs Land. (veer fahr-en oufs lânt.) (We’re going to the countryside.)

Wir machen Urlaub auf dem Bauernhof. (veer mâH-en oor-loup ouf deym bou-ern-hohf.) (We’re vacationing on a farm.)

Ich gehe im Wald spazieren. (iH gey-e im vâlt shpâ-tsee-ren.) (I’m going for a walk in the woods.)

Talkin’ the Talk

Daniel runs into his friend Ellen. After greeting each other, Daniel tells Ellen about his upcoming vacation.

Daniel:	Ich fahre in der letzten Juli Woche aufs Land. iH fahr-e in dêr lêts-te yooh-lee voH-e oufs lânt. I’m going to the countryside the last week in July.
Ellen:	Fährst du allein? fairst dooh âl-ayn? Are you going alone?
Daniel:	Nein, ich verreise zusammen mit meiner Schwester und ihren Kindern. nayn, iH fêr-ray-ze tsoo-zâm-en mit mayn-er shvês-ter oont eer-en kin-dern. No, I’m traveling together with my sister and her children.
Ellen:	Habt ihr eine Ferienwohnung gemietet? hahpt eer ayn-e feyr-ee-ên-vohn-oong ge-meet-et? Did you rent a vacation apartment?
Daniel:	Nein. Wir übernachten auf einem Bauernhof in einem kleinen Dorf. nayn. veer ue-bêr-nâHt-en ouf ayn-em bou-ern-hohf in ayn-em klayn-en dorf. No. We’re staying on a farm in a small village.
Ellen:	Die Kindern freuen sich sicher. dee kin-der froy-en ziH ziH-er. The kids are probably looking forward to that.
Daniel:	Und wie! oont vee! Oh, yes!

Going to the sea

If hiking through the mountains or countryside sounds somewhat dry and tame to you, maybe what you need is a stiff breeze and the cry of gulls overhead. Whether you decide to go to one of the windswept islands in the North Sea or settle for the more serene Baltic Sea, you’ll be able to enjoy nature and meet the locals at the same time using the following words:

die Ebbe (dee êb-e) (low tide)

die Flut (dee flooht) (high tide)

die Gezeiten (dee gê-tsayt-en) (tides)

die Küste (dee kues-te) (coast)

das Meer (dâs meyr) (sea)

die Nordsee (dee nort-zey) (North Sea)

die Ostsee (dee ost-zey) (Baltic Sea)

der Sturm (dêr shtoorm) (storm)

die Wellen (dee vêl-en) (waves)

der Wind (dêr vint) (wind)

Talkin’ the Talk

Udo and Karin are talking about their holiday trips. They both like the seaside but have different ideas about what’s fun.

Udo:	Wir wollen dieses Jahr an die Ostsee. veer vol-en deez-es yahr ân dee ost-zey. We want to go to the Baltic Sea this year.
Karin:	Toll! Und was macht ihr dort? Tol! oont vâs mâHt eer dort? Cool! And what are you going to do there?
Udo:	Wir wollen windsurfen. Und ihr? veer vol-en vint-soorf-en. oont eer? We want to go windsurfing. And you?
Karin:	Wir werden auf eine Nordseeinsel fahren. Wir wollen im Watt wandern gehen. veer vêr-den ouf ayn-e nort-zey-in-zel fahr-en. veer vol-en im vât vân-dern gey-en. We’ll go to a North Sea island. We want to go walking in the tidal flats.
Udo:	Ist das nicht gefährlich? ist dâs niHt ge-fair-liH? Isn’t that dangerous?
Karin:	Nein, man geht bei Ebbe los, und dann hat man einige Stunden Zeit, bevor die Flut kommt. nayn, mân geyt bay êb-e lohs, oont dân hât mân ayn-ee-ge shtoon-den tsayt, bê-fohr dee flooht komt. No, you set out at low tide, and then you have several hours before high tide sets in.

Fun & Games

Fill in the boxes with the correct German words.

Across

1. I

3. You (informal, singular )

8. Class

10. Yes

11. Tomorrow

12. Lake

13. She

14. Low tide

15. Mountain

18. And

21. North Sea

Down

2. Hi

3. Article (masculine)

4. Trail

5. Skateboard

6. Article (neuter)

7. Island

9. Skiing

11. Ocean

16. It

17. Good

19. Village

20. a (feminine article)