Episode study · A1
Folge 41: Wo ist der Bahnhof?
Borrowed clothes, vacation shopping, gift swaps with Emma, and a city map that pins down Kälberstraße.
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Episode summary
Nico thanks a friend for lending clothes: he may keep the two T-shirts and the trousers, but the bag and jacket must come back. Clock-watching kicks in at ten—someone still needs sunscreen, juice, and later water from the supermarket around the corner for an upcoming holiday. Emma and Nico then trade small gifts: she receives her picture, and he gets a notebook for new German words plus soap bubbles. When Emma asks where he lives now, Nico explains he stays with Frau Kohlhaas on Kälberstraße. Together they orient themselves on a map: Friedensplatz, where Max and Tarek work; the theater next to Nico’s workplace; the restaurant and language school near his street; and the police station where Emma’s grandpa works. Place names and “in der Nähe von” turn the map into usable city language.
Key vocabulary
die Tasche
Meaning: bag
Example: Die rote Tasche steht unter dem Tisch.
die Jacke
Meaning: jacket
Example: Im Winter brauche ich eine warme Jacke.
die Hose
Meaning: trousers / pants
Example: Diese Hose ist zu groß für mich.
die Sonnencreme
Meaning: sunscreen
Example: Vergiss die Sonnencreme am Strand nicht.
der Supermarkt
Meaning: supermarket
Example: Der Supermarkt um die Ecke hat gutes Obst.
das Geschenk
Meaning: present / gift
Example: Zum Geburtstag bekomme ich ein kleines Geschenk.
das Notizbuch
Meaning: notebook
Example: In mein Notizbuch schreibe ich neue Wörter.
das Theater
Meaning: theater
Example: Wir arbeiten neben dem Theater in der Stadt.
die Polizeistation
Meaning: police station
Example: Die Polizeistation ist hinter dem Platz.
in der Nähe von
Meaning: near / in the vicinity of
Example: Die Schule liegt in der Nähe vom Bahnhof.
zurückgeben
Meaning: to give back
Example: Ich gebe dir das Buch morgen zurück.
Grammar & usage focus
Location phrases: bei, neben, in der Nähe von
Wohnen bei + person marks staying with someone (Ich wohne bei Frau Kohlhaas). Neben + dative places one thing beside another (neben dem Theater). In der Nähe von / vom + place means nearby (in der Nähe vom Restaurant). On a map scene, these prepositions turn street names into a usable mental picture.
Examples
- Ich wohne bei einer Freundin in der Altstadt.
- Der Laden ist neben dem Theater und in der Nähe vom Restaurant.
Comprehension check
Which borrowed items must Nico return?
Show answer: The bag and the jacket; he can keep the two T-shirts and the pants.
What should still be bought for the vacation?
Show answer: Sunscreen, juice, and also water from the supermarket around the corner.
What gifts do Emma and Nico exchange?
Show answer: Emma gets her picture; Nico gets a notebook for German words and soap bubbles.
Where does Nico live now, and what landmarks are nearby?
Show answer: With Frau Kohlhaas on Kälberstraße, near the restaurant and language school; they also locate Friedensplatz, the theater, and the police station.
Tips for shadowing this episode
Trace the map lines with a finger while you hear each landmark—Friedensplatz, Theater, Kälberstraße—so the prepositions stick to places. Make a mini shopping list aloud: Sonnencreme, Saft, Wasser. Replay only the gift exchange once with sound off and retell who gave what.
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