13 Expressions to Sound More Advanced in German | Super Easy German 277

Excuse me, can I ask you a question? Can I ask you a question? You've probably heard this question from Janusz in our Street Interviews. He could also say, can I ask you something? And the meaning would be the same. So what's the difference? To ask something is a normal verb. And to ask a question is a so-called noun-verb combination. So the combination of a noun or noun with a verb. And there are quite a few of those in German. And today we're going to show you some of the most common noun-verb combinations in German. Let's go! To make a decision We always buy in the store because we like to support the local economy. And we will definitely not support Amazon. That's why we made a very conscious decision not to do that. A very conscious decision. We do it like that. In this episode, we asked people whether they prefer to shop online or in the store. And you've heard the noun-verb combination twice here. One decision, meeting. There you have the noun, decision, and the verb, meet. And meet, you know that as a verb in sentences like I meet a friend. In the noun-verb combination, however, the verb loses its original meaning. By the way, you can also just say something, decide. We made the decision very consciously. Or we made a very conscious decision. To be questioned I had been thinking about which breed could be questioned for a long time. I wanted a sociable, friendly dog, but also loyal and focused on people. But above all, a dog that is smart and cheerful and needs to be supported a bit. In this video, we talked to the people in the park about dogs. And there you have the noun-verb combination, to be questioned. You have the noun, question, the verb, come, and there is also the preposition in. So, to be questioned. And that means to be a possibility or an option. To be questioned, you often hear that in negative contexts. For example, you say, that is out of the question. And you say that if you don't want something at all. The difficult thing about this noun-verb combination is that the meaning does not arise directly from the noun and the verb. And there are also differences between the languages. In English you can say, can I ask you a question? But if you say in German, can I ask you a question? Then it sounds strange. That is why it is important that you always remember these noun-verb combinations as a whole with their meaning. Insurance companies live somehow from the fear of people. You pay a lot, but whether you then claim it, that is up to the stars. In this episode it was about insurance. And you have heard the formal noun-verb combination something in claim twice. I claim an insurance. And there is also a simple alternative here. To use. I use an insurance. You use this noun-verb combination, even if you use the service or the offer of a company. For example, I claim the transfer service. Speaking of claiming. Do you want to claim our offer to learn German? As an EasyGerman member, you have access to many additional materials for learning German. For example, interactive worksheets. I am also making an interactive worksheet for this video, where you can practice the noun-verb combination from this video in detail and remember it better. There are also video transcripts, vocabulary lists. And as a Conversation member, you can also practice your spoken German with us every day. Take a look at that. The link is up here. You have a lot of social security here. And that's very nice, because you don't have to worry as much as, for example, in the USA, that you lose your job, for example. And I appreciate that. In this episode, we asked people what they like about Germany. And one answer is, you don't have to worry so much about social security. You have the noun-verb worry here. The verb to do and to worry is also reflexive. So you have to remember that too. If that sounds complicated to you, don't worry. You can watch the video again. Here we asked people to complete sentences. And one person says, she is not able to keep her room tidy. And not being able to do something. This noun-verb combination has a really short alternative, namely to be able to. I can't keep my room tidy. And you can always use to be able to. Because being able to, that sounds pretty formal. My parents, to tell them that I love them. That I am grateful that they raised me. So to express that somehow. And yes, grateful for their support. Here we asked people how they show their love. And one person explains how they express their love for their parents. Instead of expressing, you could just say express. I express my love. Or I express my love. The special thing about this well is the golden ring. Which is located on this iron grid. Which surrounds the well. Because if you turn this ring and wish for something, then this wish comes true. You have heard the noun-verb combination in erfüllung gehen. And they are often used by native speakers in everyday life. That means you can also use them. So a dream or a wish comes true. That means it comes true. That means if you already know people in the city where you want to live. Then ask them to let you know if they hear something. In this episode we gave tips on finding an apartment. And Manuel recommends asking other people to let you know if they hear something about an apartment. Letting someone know or letting them know. These noun-verb combinations are super common in German. And you should also like to use them. For example, let me know if you hear something. In elementary school I noticed my elementary school teacher in her childhood. Because she made so much effort to teach me and two other classmates German after school. To help for an hour. In this episode we talked to the people about their teachers. And here you heard another reflexive noun-verb combination. Which is also relatively common. To make an effort. If you do something carefully and very neatly. Then you make an effort with something. You should rather take care of yourself, even if you have an ancestor. Because there are many who don't pay attention to it. In this video it was about road traffic in Berlin. And we hear the tip. You should rather always take into account. This noun-verb combination is also often found in everyday German. And it means to be careful and considerate towards other people. In traffic or in other situations. What bothers me is that politics does not take responsibility. And ensures that for all the people who want to come to Berlin. Affordable housing is available. In this episode we found out why so many people move to Berlin. But there is also a problem. There is not enough affordable housing available. And here you have the noun-verb combination. That sounds relatively formal. But there is a very informal and simple alternative. Which you can always use. There is. There is not enough affordable housing. Or there is not enough affordable housing available. You have already seen that. With these noun-verb combinations. The meaning is often not immediately recognizable. Sure, there is a noun with a meaning. And there is a verb with a meaning. But what the two mean in combination. That's another question. Why do you say, for example, to be available and not to be available? Why do you say to make a decision and not to make a decision? To make a decision. You just have to remember these things. So always learn the noun-verb combinations together as one phrase. It is up for debate whether a speed limit should be introduced on German highways. I am against it. To be up for debate. This means that there is a discussion on a topic. And in this video it was about the topic of the speed limit in Germany. The topic of the speed limit is up for debate. It is the topic of a current discussion. By the way, you often hear that in everyday life. When someone says something that is not relevant at all for the conversation. Then you say, that is not up for debate at all. Yes, I would mainly attack the payment. Here we talked about the equality of man and woman. And the interviewed person finds that you have to take the payment of women into action. Take into action. That sounds military. And it also originates from the military area. But it just means to start with something. Or start something. We have now shown you many noun-verb combinations. And there are many more in German. But don't worry. You don't have to master them all actively. It is also good if you can understand many of them. And if you use a noun-verb combination from time to time in everyday life. Then you sound much more natural and more like a native speaker or a native speaker. Try it out when you speak German. Which German learning topic would you like to tackle next? Write it to us in the comments. Thanks for watching and see you next time.