Your Monthly Dose of German - Best of February 2026

Wait Before we begin would you like a bundle of 30 printable German PDF cheat sheets to help you learn words and phrases for conversations—completely free Then click the link in the description and sign up for a free lifetime account to gain access Okay the recording is running Hello everyone Welcome back to Der Pass I'm at the weekly market in Dresden It's noisy crowded and very hot today Today I'm buying food I need ingredients for my new restaurant in Leipzig I'm looking for special vegetables and Oh no not her Paul Hi Mom What are you doing here What do you mean I'm grocery shopping I'm cooking tonight for a lot of people Put your phone away You look like a tourist I'm not a tourist Mom I'm working I'm filming a video for my restaurant People want to see the food See the food You're blocking the shot Please move aside Look at these peppers—they're good Very firm and fresh Those ones Mom those are regular peppers Come here Take a look at these They're crooked They look funny That's character Character I don't want funny peppers Paul I just want to chop them You young chefs You love ugly vegetables It's not ugly Mama That's straight from the field to the plate Oh please From the field to the plate All food comes from the field Where else could it come from It means we know the farmer It's personal I know the farmer That's Uwe He's standing right there Hello Uwe See He waved I've been buying vegetables from Uwe for 20 years We don't talk about field to plate We just call it cooking But people want a story Mama Look at these tomatoes The dark ones Look at the color I serve them raw—just the tomato and a little salt They're too soft Paul Can't you feel it This will turn to mush later I need these red tomatoes They're strong and make a great sauce The red ones are boring They have no flavor They're cheap and durable You charge 20 euros for a tomato salad My customers want a big hot stew No chemistry lesson This isn't chemistry It's respect I teach that to my young colleagues Taste begins in the soil You teach them to be complicated A true chef works with ordinary vegetables And he makes it delicious Need the perfect tomato Maybe you can't cook Ouch Okay That hurts Let's change the subject Let's talk about cabbage Good I need savoy cabbage and kale I see the kale I want this dark kale I drizzle lemon oil over it I serve it raw Roh Kale is very tough Paul You have to cook it You need heat You need time Cook it with bacon See That's the old way Cook it until it turns gray What Not gray Soft That's delicious And the juice at the bottom of the pot That's the best It tastes good yes but it's tough My friends and I prefer it crispy We want bright colors I'll cook it for 30 seconds in the pan Done Then your customers chew on a leaf for 10 minutes Look I get it You want to take a nice photo It's not just about the photo Mama It's about the The soul of food It's that it satisfies people You make everything complicated my son Just like your mother You've got your helmet with you Did you come by bike Of course Parking is terrible and I need the exercise I talk to people all day long It's exhausting You're exhausting me too I'm just helping I'm a teacher Take a look at this root Celery root A hideous thing It tastes okay as a puree Mashed potatoes No no I bake them with salt then slice them very thin It's for a vegetable plate A vegetable plate Just say salad Paul It's marketing Mom You have to sell the idea I'm selling the steak Speaking of steak are you coming to the meat stand Yes I need to ask about the beef Watch the freshness I need two kilograms of beef for the meatloaf Meatloaf Mom it's July It's really hot People are hungry in July too Paul Not everyone wants foam This isn't foam This is sauce Okay one question—about your meatloaf How do you make it I'll take meat with fat—without fat it's dry And I'll have old bread with milk Bread and milk See That's a French technique That's my grandmother's method That's the same thing I'm telling you that From field to plate is just Grandma's kitchen Then why is your food so expensive Good quality costs money Uwe needs money I'll pay Uwe in cash I don't need a website for carrots You're impossible Typical virgin Everything has to go your way And you're a Leo Just a show Look at me Look at my purple carrot It's a lovely carrot It tastes like a carrot Come on let's pick peaches Okay peaches are good Do you smell that They smell like flowers This smells like summer Yes So are we making foam out of this or are we baking a cake I'd like to grill them Grilled peaches with cheese That sounds good Salty and sweet Wait did you just say you like my idea Don't get so worked up It's just cheese and fruit That's easy I'll take the compliment Hey are you cooking for Dad tomorrow Yeah Sunday dinner Are you coming Or do you have too much work I always have time for free food What are we eating Now I've got the meatloaf but I saw some lovely fish Is that fish from the region That's good for nature I just really like the taste Paul Can I come earlier I'll cook the fish you handle the vegetables Don't bring your tweezers into my kitchen No tweezers I promise Just a pan and fire The skin must be crispy If you burn your skin I'm ordering pizza Done But let me buy the ugly tomatoes Why Because I'm making tomato juice for the fish We're squeezing out the ugly tomatoes The clear juice tastes delicious Tomato juice So you're paying money for juice That's flavor Mama That's the soul of the tomato You know what Go ahead and make your juice I'll make mashed potatoes Potato mash and fish That's a great dinner See I can cook I know You taught me that Even if you're stubborn I'm not stubborn I'm consistent That's a difference Okay consistent Wait look at the mushrooms Paul let's go No look These mushrooms are great They're good for the earth I often cook mushrooms They taste earthy in a good way I want to make a powder out of it And the powder goes on the fish Powder You want to feed Dad dust to eat That's a spice It enhances the flavor Salt and pepper improve the taste Why make it complicated It's just boring I need to try something new My friends want something different too A grilled mushroom is boring But mushroom powder That’s when they say wow And that’s exactly the problem You’re cooking for the eyes People eat at my restaurant wipe their mouths and say wow that was good That's the only review that matters to me Okay I understand that But can we do both Can it beautiful and delicious Only if you respect the food I know You're the boss The big boss That's right Now buy the mushrooms Whole mushrooms No powder Alright Whole mushrooms Shall we sauté them in butter With butter And a touch of thyme Okay that sounds delicious Now help me carry these Take the bags or I'll hit you with this zucchini Violence isn't the answer Sometimes in the kitchen it's the only solution You're scaring me Mama I raised you didn't I That was hard work You were so difficult at mealtime I hate peas—they’re so mushy Because they were from the can Fresh peas are good Oh no not peas again Also now everything is good I have my own restaurants I'm proud of you Paul Even with your funny hair The hair is cool It looks like the barber never finished Okay okay Let's go home The ice cream's melting Turn off the recording Understood I'm done Now we cook — what should we call it We'll call it dinner A modern traditional fusion dinner Just take the bag Paul It's fine it's fine Later the kitchen was chaos Mom was using her old heavy skillets I was using my new sharp knives We are so different For her food is love For me it's art But the fish was ready It lay beside her mashed potatoes It worked It was delicious We didn't talk—we just ate Sometimes a good dinner solves all problems And she said the tomato juice wasn't terrible I'm glad Tune in again next week Then I'll explain fermentation to her She thinks it's just spoiled food Paul is the dirty dishes still in the sink It needs to soak Come over here right away and wash up That feels good Welcome to the Triple Almond House Quite a different world in here isn't it Yes absolutely It's so loud outside Berlin really is intense But here in the lobby it's so quiet You can't hear a thing from the street anymore That's the goal—we want peace and quiet here I'm Marvin Maas Nice to meet you I'm Margaret McDonald Nice to meet you too Mr Maas Thank you for taking the time Oh please just call me Marvin We're in Berlin so we don't need to be so formal here And I'd be happy to show you my place How was your trip here Did you find the building easily Well it was okay I'm from New Jersey in the United States We have cities there too but Berlin is different I nearly got lost on the subway The streets here are like a labyrinth to me I understand that completely Berlin really is chaotic The streets run in all directions I'm originally from Kiel way up in the north of Germany Have you been to Kiel No unfortunately not Is it different there Oh yes Kiel is much smaller and quieter The streets there are well more logical Not such a mess as here In Sapporo in Japan or in Mannheim the streets are like a chessboard pattern—perfectly straight lines I love that Berlin feels more like spaghetti on a plate Spaghetti That's a great comparison That's exactly how I sometimes feel here I always have to check my phone to know where I am But this building looks very modern Yes the Triple Almond is brand new And we want to go all the way to the top Today we're checking out the penthouse Are you ready The penthouse Wow Yes I'm ready After you please Thank you Oh wow the elevator is really fast Yes this is a high-speed elevator Everything here is optimized for efficiency Are you doing alright Yeah yeah just a bit of pressure in the ears Like on an airplane Swallow quickly— that helps We'll be there soon The elevator runs very smoothly no worries What do you actually do for a living Margaret I'm a nurse doing an exchange program here in Berlin Oh exciting Which hospital are you at I work at the university hospital It's very interesting but also very demanding The shifts are long and I'm on my feet all day That's why I'm looking for an apartment where I can truly unwind I understand that immediately Those who work hard need a good home And you Do you work here in the house Not directly I work in the field of digital finance Blockchain crypto stuff like that Are you familiar with this Um not really Bitcoin and stuff like that Exactly The business never sleeps The markets are open 24 hours a day I often work at night or very early in the morning My mind is always full of numbers and data That's why I've designed this apartment this way I needed a place that was perfect—no distractions pure relaxation a true retreat That sounds good A retreat is exactly what I need after a night shift So we're here Floor 12 Here it is Apartment 12a Where's the key Key That's from yesterday Here take a look I just use my phone The app unlocks the door No need to search in my pocket Oh that's convenient Sometimes I come home completely loaded from shopping Exactly no problem anymore Come on in Wow No what do you say That's huge And these windows They go from floor to ceiling Yes this is the open-concept living design We wanted as much light and space as possible You have a panoramic view of the entire city here You really can see everything That's the TV tower over there Yeah the view is amazing right But wait it gets even better Smart Home lighting scene relaxation on Did you just talk to the apartment Yes I love technology You can control everything here with your voice Smart Home shades up or Smart Home lights off No need touch a switch It's like something out of a science fiction movie I feel like a villain in a movie sitting in my tower and giving orders Yes there's a touch of evil- villain ambiance going on But it's incredibly comfortable Tell me Marvin so much glass Won't it be terribly hot in the summer I'm from New Jersey We have hot summers But here everything is open I don't want to live in a greenhouse That's a very good question But don't worry The glass is specially designed It keeps the heat outside It has a special coating And of course we have a very powerful air conditioning system The air in here is always perfect no matter how hot it is outside Really The glass blocks the heat Yes absolutely You won't sweat here in the summer I promise Good to know I love sunshine But I hate heat indoors Come on follow me I' ll show you the kitchen I'm only renting out the apartment right now because I'm extremely busy I'm buying a tennis club A tennis club Do you play tennis I'm learning it right now I love it Movement strategy Do you have hobbies Do you play tennis too Oh no I'm not very athletic I prefer a quieter lifestyle I enjoy knitting and sewing I make my own clothes or fix things Handwork you know Knitting That's fascinating It's the exact opposite of my digital job It 's very analog Yes exactly I like doing things with my hands Here's the kitchen What do you think Oh where is it then This is the minimalist design Do you see this white wall here The refrigerator is hidden here And right next to it is the dishwasher Everything is behind panels Nothing disturbs the eye That looks really stylish Yes very neat But where am I supposed to put my things Your things Yes my kitchen appliances I love cooking and baking I have a blender baking pans pots and bowls There aren't any shelves or cabinets here for something like that Oh right I don't cook much I usually eat out order something But look over there by the entrance There's a large storage closet There's plenty of room in there But it's far from the stove That's not very practical when cooking Maybe that's true But look here on the counter You're going to love this What's that That's the best espresso machine on the market Oh I love coffee Without coffee I can't get through my shifts Then watch this— the espresso machine has Wi-Fi You can start the coffee from bed What did you say From bed Yes You wake up grab your phone and tap a button in the app And when you get to the kitchen the cappuccino will be ready and hot Okay that's incredible That's really a compelling argument Coffee right after waking up That sounds heavenly I knew you'd like that Technology can make life more beautiful don't you think Maybe you're right Let's go to the bedroom You have to hear this Or rather not hearing So we're in the bedroom Do you hear anything No it's deathly quiet Triple glazing and extra sound insulation in the walls Here you can sleep soundly no matter what’s happening outside That’s perfect for me When I work night shift I have to sleep during the day And if it's noisy outside I can't do that This quiet is worth its weight in gold And next to it is a small room Right now it's my office and my library Wow there are so many books Yes those are my manga Japanese comics I collect them These are centuries Yeah I'm a bit of a nerd But don't worry I'll take them all with me Or I'll store them away Then the space will be empty You could use it Maybe as a sewing room Oh a dedicated sewing room I' ve never had that before That would be fantastic I could set up my sewing machine by the window The light here is excellent for working And look over here on the right Is that the closet A walk-in closet yes It's bigger than my first apartment in New Jersey That's insane So much space for my clothes Space is luxury isn't it Absolutely A walk-in closet and a sewing room I'm starting to fall in love That makes me happy But we also need to talk about practical matters How do you get to work Yes that's important How far is it to the subway Just a short walk —maybe two or three minutes The station is right around the corner And from there the train goes directly to the university hospital You don't even need to transfer No transfers That's great It saves a lot of time And it's safe here We have a security service in the building 24 hours a day The streets outside are brightly lit There are many restaurants and cafés so there are always people around That's good When I come home late at night I don't want to be afraid Here you're safe And shopping is easy too There's a great organic supermarket two streets away Organic supermarket Sounds expensive Yes it's not exactly cheap But the quality is top-notch If you want a regular supermarket you'll need to walk about ten minutes But that's not far at all Ten minutes is fine I enjoy taking a little walk now and then So that was the tour What do you think Well there are many positive things The lighting is great The wardrobe is a dream And the tranquility in the bedroom is exactly what I need And of course the Wi-Fi-enabled coffee machine The coffee machine is the best I can already tell But the kitchen It's really very small And there's barely any storage space for my baking supplies That worries me I understand But think about the sewing room And the apartment is fully furnished You don't need to buy any furniture That's correct How about the rental agreement The contract is initially for twelve months Internet and water are included You just need to pay the extra electricity bill The price is already at my upper limit It's more expensive than I planned I understand But think about it—no more gym membership fees Why not We have a gym in the building—down in the basement just for residents and it's included in the price And fast internet is included too That also saves money A fitness studio on the premises That’s naturally convenient Exactly Shall we step out onto the balcony for a moment Yes The air is better on the twelfth floor than down on the street below A food truck And when I cook I roll him into the kitchen When I'm done I push him away That's a clever idea You see every problem has a solution I think this could work That makes me happy Actually I'm looking for someone who' ll take good care of the apartment You seem very neat and responsible Margaret That's important to me Thank you I always take good care of my things One more question May I have visitors My mother might come over from the USA sometime Of course Guests aren't a problem The sofa in the living room is a sleeper sofa Very comfortable And pets I don't have one right now but maybe someday Pets are fine But there's an extra cleaning fee at the end And no big animals please No big animals Exactly No horses are allowed Got it I'll leave my horse in New Jersey Very good Okay Marvin I'm truly impressed I need to review my finances again tonight Can I give you answer tomorrow Of course Sleep on it overnight Just let me know tomorrow morning I'll do that Thank you for the tour You're welcome Come on let's go downstairs I'll quickly show you the gym Yes please Smart Home Secure mode activated Wow Simply cool Right Technology is awesome After you Hi everyone I'm Luca Hello everyone Welcome to the German Whiteboard Lessons In this lesson you'll learn how to say where you're from in German Let's get started Let's look at the dialogue When I read I want you to pay attention to the place names Find the place name and see how it's used in the dialogue Where are you from Where are you from I'm from Berlin I'm from Berlin Now let's examine the sentence pattern This pattern will be the structure that all of our dialogues will follow I am from Placename I'm from Placename Now let's examine some speaking examples I am from Munich I'm from Munich I am from Lower Saxony I'm from Lower Saxony I'm from Cologne I'm from Cologne I'm from Bavaria I'm from Bavaria I'm from Lower Saxony Berlin Cologne Bavaria Munich Rather than saying a region like north or south Germans typically mention the federal state they're from Since Germany has only 16 federal states you're usually immediately recognized by where you're from Do you remember how to say "Where are you from " Where are you from And how do you say I am from I'm from there Do you remember how to say Munich Munich And how do you say I'm from Munich I'm from Munich Do you remember how to say Bavaria Bavaria And how do you say I'm from Lower Saxony I am from Lower Saxony In this lesson you learned how to say "Where are you from " in German Thanks for watching I'm Luca and I'll see you at GermanPod101 com Goodbye What's the best way to speak and understand more of the language Simply learn more words But with all the words in your target language where do you even begin And if you're a beginner which words should you learn first You're about to find out How to expand your vocabulary using the 2000 most common words list and achieve conversational fluency In this video you'll learn First our list of the 2000 most common words Second how to begin building your vocabulary Third how to learn even faster using special study tools But first if you don't yet have access to this tool just click the link down in the description and sign up for your free lifetime account right now So what is this word list And how does it help language learners expand their vocabulary The 2000 most common words list is a premium study tool It gives you the 2000 most commonly used words According to experts you need to know about 1500 words for conversational fluency Two thousand is more than enough for any language learner First here's how it works This 2000-word list is divided into simple categories such as verbs adjectives common words numbers and days of the week Plus smaller lists like the core 100 words core 500 words and so on So you can easily learn without getting overwhelmed Next each word in the word list comes with the meaning audio pronunciation sample sentences and an image so you fully understand each word Now here's how to make the most of this powerful study tool First begin with a category such as everyday words or the core 100 word list If you'd like to learn the vocabulary click on view slideshow to see all the words in an interactive presentation By the way the core 100-word list is completely free for all users Next if you want to learn these words even faster or save them for later review click on Add All Words and send them to your word bank Or select a few desired words click Add Selected Words and send them to your word bank The word bank is your personal list of words and phrases all in one place You can also use it to create and print physical study sheets To learn these words faster study with flashcards a guaranteed way to memorize words fast Simply click Add All Words or Add Selected Words if you only want to send a few then click New Deck under Flashcards This deck will now be waiting for you inside Flashcards So make the most of the list of the 2000 most common words Find it in the vocabulary dropdown menu on the site Remember you can use this powerful feature with the word bank and flashcards Access it right now learn new words easily and achieve conversational fluency using the 2000 most common words list If you don't yet have access to this tool simply click the link below in the description and sign up for your free lifetime account right now Now that you're finished with this lesson don't forget as a free bonus you get over 30 conversation cheat sheets but only if you sign up through the link in the description You'll learn how to have natural conversations and how to answer the most common questions You can also print out these colorful cheat sheets to keep as physical study material So don't miss out on this free gift Click the link in the description and sign up for a free lifetime account o get your PDF cheat sheets