Clothes in the Suitcases
Situation
From behind a tall potted plant steps a man with paint on his hands and shirt. Max Ludwig, he says with a nod. His secret? He believes that five well-chosen words can unlock an entire story. With a playful gleam, he studies their suitcases.
“I’ll guess the clothes you packed—five each,” he says. For Ermanno, he images clothes that could only belong to an Italian traveler; for Oliver, Hamlet-style stage accessories.
Lesson
Oliver's Homework
Neatly note the ten clothing words you heard and add their English translations.
Ermanno's Homework
The indefinite article: ein/eine
Example (1): Jacke (jacket)
- eine Jacke (a jacket)
- die Jacke (the jacket)
Example (2): Gürtel (belt)
- ein Gürtel (a belt)
- der Gürtel (the belt)
Example (3): Schwert (sword)
- ein Schwert (a sword)
- das Schwert (the sword)
We note that:
Only the definite article distinguishes between the three genders. The indefinite article clearly distinguishes the feminine gender. No distinction is made between the masculine and neuter genders.
Dialogue
Max (zu Ermanno): Sind Sie ein Lehrer?
Ermanno: Ja. Ich bin Lehrer. Ich komme aus Italien.
Max (zu Oliver): Sind Sie ein Schauspieler?
Oliver: Ermanno?
Ermanno: Ja, Oliver, you are an actor. Du bist ein Schauspieler.
Oliver (zu Max): Ich bin Schauspieler. Ich komme aus England.
Max: Ich bin Maler. Ich komme aus Deutschland.
Zampettone's Word Flock
Oreste's Challenge
Your extra exercise is waiting for you at the end of the lesson!