Episode study · A1
Folge 18: Wo liegt das?
A party game with north, south, east, and west helps place Spain, Seville, Syria, and Damascus on the map.
All episodes · Practice this episode
Episode summary
Nico is called over to join a lively party game with four teams named for the compass: Team East, Team South, Team West, and Team North. Someone points around the room to show which side is south, north, east, and west so the labels make sense. Nico chooses Team South and introduces himself: he comes from Spain, from Seville. The others confirm that Spain lies in the south of Europe and that Seville is in the south of Spain. Selma introduces herself next. She comes from Syria, from Damascus, and that city is also described as lying in the south of its country. The south team cheers Wir gewinnen!, but Nico does not know the verb yet, so the group practices gewinnen together until he can say it too. After their strong round, someone suggests dancing. Selma’s mother is called, answers that she is coming, and offers a quick apology as she joins.
Key vocabulary
der Osten
Meaning: east
Example: Die Sonne kommt im Osten.
der Süden
Meaning: south
Example: Spanien liegt im Süden von Europa.
der Westen
Meaning: west
Example: Unser Dorf liegt im Westen.
der Norden
Meaning: north
Example: Im Norden ist es oft kälter.
liegen
Meaning: to lie / be located
Example: Wo liegt das Land auf der Karte?
kommen aus
Meaning: to come from
Example: Ich komme aus Spanien.
gewinnen
Meaning: to win
Example: Unser Team will heute gewinnen.
das Team
Meaning: team
Example: Welches Team bist du?
tanzen
Meaning: to dance
Example: Kommt, gehen wir tanzen!
die Entschuldigung
Meaning: apology / excuse me
Example: Entschuldigung, ich komme sofort.
Grammar & usage focus
Directions: im Norden / Süden / Osten / Westen
To say where a place is, use liegen with im + direction: Spanien liegt im Süden von Europa. Add von + country or region for precision: Sevilla ist im Süden von Spanien. The four direction nouns—Norden, Süden, Osten, Westen—are masculine and usually appear with im in this pattern. Ich komme aus … still answers where you are from as a person.
Examples
- Damaskus liegt im Süden von Syrien.
- Hamburg liegt im Norden von Deutschland.
Comprehension check
What are the four team names?
Show answer: Team East, South, West, and North (Osten, Süden, Westen, Norden).
Where is Nico from, and where does that country lie?
Show answer: From Seville in Spain; Spain is in the south of Europe.
Where is Selma from?
Show answer: From Damascus in Syria (also in the south of the country).
What new verb do they practice together?
Show answer: gewinnen (to win).
What do they want to do after the game?
Show answer: Go dance.
Tips for shadowing this episode
Draw a quick compass and label Osten, Süden, Westen, Norden until the four words feel automatic. Always practice the full chunk im Süden von … rather than the bare noun. When a word is new, repeating it as a group—as they do with gewinnen—helps it stick.
Video © Deutsche Welle (Nicos Weg on YouTube). Echo Deutsch is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Deutsche Welle.