Episode study · A1
Folge 49: Mengen und Preise
Yara is still missing, but Max has keys—and a shopping list: chicken, cucumbers, one Pfund of tomatoes.
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Episode summary
Friends admit they do not know where Yara is or when she will return. The good news: Max and Tarek have keys because the three help each other—Yara also holds keys to the restaurant. Inge wants a few rolls and invites Nico along; Max asks a favor, needing groceries without leaving Tarek alone at the restaurant. Nico and Inge agree to shop and are promised a free meal next time. The list is precise: one chicken, three cucumbers, and one Pfund of tomatoes for Max’s evening bread. Nico must write it down and ask for repetition while Max patiently syllables Hähn-chen and Gur-ken, then explains that a Pfund is 500 grams—half a kilo. Quantities, polite shopping help, and the Yara mystery share this practical frame.
Key vocabulary
der Schlüssel
Meaning: key
Example: Hast du den Schlüssel für die Wohnung?
das Brötchen
Meaning: bread roll
Example: Ich kaufe noch ein paar Brötchen.
die Lebensmittel
Meaning: groceries / foodstuffs
Example: Wir brauchen noch ein paar Lebensmittel.
das Hähnchen
Meaning: chicken
Example: Für das Abendessen holen wir ein Hähnchen.
die Gurke
Meaning: cucumber
Example: Drei Gurken reichen für den Salat.
die Tomate
Meaning: tomato
Example: Ein Pfund Tomaten ist nicht viel.
das Pfund
Meaning: pound (500 g)
Example: Ein Pfund sind 500 Gramm, also ein halbes Kilo.
das Abendbrot
Meaning: evening meal / supper (often cold)
Example: Die Tomaten sind für mein Abendbrot.
einkaufen gehen
Meaning: to go shopping
Example: Könnt ihr für uns einkaufen gehen?
wiederholen
Meaning: to repeat
Example: Kannst du das bitte noch einmal wiederholen?
umsonst
Meaning: for free
Example: Das nächste Essen bekommt ihr umsonst.
Grammar & usage focus
Quantities: ein paar, numbers, and das Pfund
German shopping talk mixes vague and exact amounts. Ein paar means a few. Exact counts use cardinal numbers before the noun. Weight words like das Pfund (500 g / ein halbes Kilo) stand before the product: ein Pfund Tomaten. Clarifying phrases—Kannst du das bitte noch einmal wiederholen?—keep the list accurate.
Examples
- Wir brauchen ein Hähnchen, drei Gurken und ein Pfund Tomaten.
- Ein Pfund sind 500 Gramm—schreibst du die Liste auf?
Comprehension check
Why do Max and Tarek have keys related to Yara?
Show answer: They are friends who help each other; Yara also has keys to their restaurant.
What shopping favor does Max ask?
Show answer: To buy groceries so he need not leave Tarek alone—specifically a chicken, three cucumbers, and a pound of tomatoes.
What does Max offer in return?
Show answer: The next meal for free.
How much is one Pfund, according to Max?
Show answer: 500 grams, which is half a kilo.
Tips for shadowing this episode
Write Max’s list from memory, then check syllable by syllable with the video. Practice the clarification line Kannst du das bitte noch einmal wiederholen? until it feels automatic at a counter. Convert one Pfund Tomaten into grams and kilos aloud every time you hear it.
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.