Basic Home Actions | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: A beginner practices six useful English phrases about basic home actions and choices..

EN → DE / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Basic Home Actions to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Bitte mach die Tür auf.

BIT-tuh mahkh dee TEWR owf. Please open the door.
B

Bitte mach das Fenster zu.

BIT-tuh mahkh dahss FEN-stuh tsoo. Please close the window.
A

Bitte mach es an.

BIT-tuh mahkh ess AHN. Please turn it on.
B

Bitte mach es aus.

BIT-tuh mahkh ess OWSS. Please turn it off.
A

Bitte gib mir das.

BIT-tuh gip meer dahss. Please give me this.
B

Ich nehme das.

ikh NAY-muh dahss. I will take this.

Word by Word

Bitte “Bitte” means “please” in these polite requests, such as “Bitte mach die Tür auf.” It commonly comes before a request: “Bitte” + request. You use it when asking someone politely to do something.
mach “Mach” is the informal request form of machen in the expressions “mach die Tür auf,” “mach das Fenster zu,” “mach es an,” and “mach es aus.” Together with the following particle, it asks someone to open, close, turn on, or turn off something. You use “Mach …” when giving a simple request to one person you address informally.
die In “die Tür,” “die” is the definite article meaning “the” and belongs with Tür. The exact phrase “die Tür” means “the door.” You reuse it before this noun when referring to a specific door.
Tür “Tür” means “door” in “Bitte mach die Tür auf.” The phrase “die Tür” refers to the specific door being opened. You use “Tür” when talking about a door in a home or another building.
auf In “mach die Tür auf,” “auf” is the separable part that makes the request mean “open the door.” It appears after the object in this dialogue: “mach die Tür auf.” You use this pattern when asking someone to open a door or another suitable object.
das In “das Fenster,” “das” means “the” and belongs with Fenster; later, in “Ich nehme das,” “das” means “this” or “that” as the thing being taken. The exact phrases are “das Fenster” and “Ich nehme das.” You use the article before the noun, but the pronoun can stand alone when the thing is already clear.
Fenster “Fenster” means “window” in “Bitte mach das Fenster zu.” The phrase “das Fenster” refers to the specific window being closed. You use “Fenster” when talking about a window in a home or another building.
zu In “mach das Fenster zu,” “zu” is the separable part that makes the request mean “close the window.” It appears after the object in this dialogue: “mach das Fenster zu.” You use this pattern when asking someone to close a window or another suitable object.
es “Es” means “it” in “Bitte mach es an” and “Bitte mach es aus.” It refers to an object or device that is already understood from the situation. You use “mach es an” or “mach es aus” when asking someone to turn that thing on or off.
an In “mach es an,” “an” is the separable part that makes the request mean “turn it on.” It comes after “es” in the exact phrase “mach es an.” You use this pattern for a device or other thing that can be turned on.
aus In “mach es aus,” “aus” is the separable part that makes the request mean “turn it off.” It comes after “es” in the exact phrase “mach es aus.” You use this pattern for a device or other thing that can be turned off.
gib “Gib” means “give” in the request “Bitte gib mir das.” It is used with the recipient “mir” and the thing being given “das.” You use the pattern “gib mir …” when asking one person informally to give you something.
mir “Mir” means “to me” or “me” as the recipient in “Bitte gib mir das.” It appears between “gib” and “das” in the pattern “gib mir das.” You use “mir” when saying that something is given or shown to you.
Ich “Ich” means “I” in “Ich nehme das.” It identifies the speaker as the person taking the item. You use “Ich” at the beginning of a sentence when describing your own action or choice.
nehme “Nehme” means “take” in “Ich nehme das,” where the speaker says they will take or choose the item. It follows “Ich” and comes before the object “das.” You can reuse the pattern “Ich nehme …” when accepting or choosing something.

Grammar Points

mach ... auf / zu / an / aus

Mach die Tür auf.

MAHkh dee TEWR owf.

Open the door.

With separable verbs, the prefix moves to the end in a simple command: mach ... auf.

gib + mir + das

Gib mir das.

GIP meer dahss.

Give me this.

The person receiving something comes directly after the verb: gib mir das.

German Vocabulary

anmachen verb
AHN-mah-khen to turn on mach ... an

Bitte mach es an.

aufmachen verb
OWF-mah-khen to open mach ... auf

Bitte mach die Tür auf.

ausmachen verb
OWSS-mah-khen to turn off mach ... aus

Bitte mach es aus.

das pron
dahss this; that
das Fenster noun
dahss FEN-stuh the window
die Tür noun
dee TEWR the door
es pron
ess it
gib verb
gip give
ich pron
ikh I
mir pron
meer me
nehmen verb
NAY-mun to take nehme
zumachen verb
TSOO-mah-khen to close mach ... zu

Bitte mach das Fenster zu.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Please open the door.

Show AnswerBitte mach die Tür auf.

Please close the window.

Show AnswerBitte mach das Fenster zu.

Please turn it on.

Show AnswerBitte mach es an.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to take

Show Answernehme

I

Show Answerich

this; that

Show Answerdas

it

Show Answeres