A Little German Goes a Long Way Quiz

Answer: Exit

"Der Ausgang" means "exit", and its plural is "die Ausgänge". The opposite is "der Eingang" ("entrance"), plural "die Eingänge". Notice the dots over the "a" in both plurals: these are called an umlaut. Kyle will meet these words again in stations, shops and museums, so they are useful beyond the airport. "Ausgang" can also mean the outcome of something, but on a sign directing people through a building, "exit" is the meaning he needs.

Answer: Change trains here

"Hier umsteigen" means "Change here"; on this journey, Lena means changing trains. "Umsteigen" can also describe transferring between a train and a bus. Its irregular forms are "steigt um" ("changes"), "stieg um" ("changed") and "ist umgestiegen" ("has changed").

The "um" separates in the first two forms. Munich Airport is linked to the city by S-Bahn trains, part of the local rail network. Knowing a word for making connections helps Kyle follow a journey involving more than one service.

Answer: Straight ahead

"Geradeaus" means "straight ahead". The alternatives would be "links" ("to the left"), "rechts" ("to the right") and "zurück" ("back"). These short words are useful whether someone is giving walking directions or helping a driver. "Geradeaus" is written as one word and describes the direction of movement.

It does not tell Kyle how far he needs to walk. Following directions one junction at a time is a manageable way to practise a new language without needing to understand a long explanation.

Answer: Windy

"Windig" means "windy", as in "Es ist windig" ("It is windy"). Its resemblance to the English word gives Kyle a useful starting point. The noun is "der Wind", plural "die Winde". German and English are both Germanic languages, so some everyday words are recognisably related.

It is still worth reading the whole word: "windstill" means calm or without wind, while "windgeschützt" means sheltered from the wind. A familiar beginning does not always give a word its full meaning.

Answer: A bread roll

"Die Semmel", plural "die Semmeln", means a bread roll. It is a word especially associated with Bavaria and Austria, so Kyle is likely to hear it in Munich. Another German word for a roll is "das Brötchen", whose plural is "die Brötchen".

A Semmel can be split and filled with cheese or sausage, or eaten with a sweet topping. German baking includes many regional names and varieties; learning the local word can make choosing a simple snack part of the visit.

Answer: A refundable deposit

"Das Pfand" means a deposit here; its plural is "die Pfänder". Kyle pays this amount for the container and can recover it by returning the eligible empty bottle. In Germany, many drinks containers are part of deposit systems.

Shops may collect empties at a counter or through a return machine, which can issue a voucher to redeem at the till. Refillable bottles and single-use containers follow different systems, so the amount and return arrangements are not identical for every bottle. It is worth checking the label before throwing one away.

Answer: It is its regular closing day

"Der Ruhetag", plural "die Ruhetage", means a rest day or day off. On this restaurant's notice it identifies the day when the business does not open as part of its usual schedule. "Die Ruhe" means rest or quiet, and "der Tag", plural "die Tage", means day.

Some restaurants in German-speaking countries list a weekly Ruhetag with their opening hours. It need not be Monday, and the sign is about this particular restaurant, not a rule that every restaurant in town is closed.

Answer: Miserable

"Das Hundewetter" is an informal expression for very bad weather, and it has no plural. Lena's sentence means "What awful weather!" "Der Hund" means dog (plural "die Hunde"), while "das Wetter" means weather. The expression is not a forecast about dogs: it is a colorful complaint, often used about wet, unpleasant conditions.

Recognizing the parts of a compound word can help, but idioms do not always follow their literal meanings. Kyle and Lena decide that this is a good day to explore a museum.

Answer: The cloakroom

"Die Garderobe", plural "die Garderoben", is the cloakroom or coat-check area in this setting: a place to leave coats and similar belongings. In other contexts the same word can refer to someone's clothing or a performer's dressing room. The surrounding situation helps Kyle choose the right meaning. Munich's Deutsches Museum explores science and technology, and its Museum Island site provides a cloakroom for visitors. Learning the word is useful at theatres and other museums too, even though each venue has its own arrangements.

Answer: Have a good journey!

"Gute Fahrt!" means "Have a good journey!" It is a friendly wish for someone setting off by train, car or another vehicle. "Die Fahrt" means a journey or ride, and its plural is "die Fahrten". "Gute Reise!" is another common travel wish; "die Reise", plural "die Reisen", refers more broadly to a trip or journey. Lena is wishing Kyle well on his travels rather than arranging another meeting.

After navigating signs, snacks and a change in the weather, he has a few useful words to take with him.