Episode study · A1

Folge 62: Meine Eltern

Police questions about missing Ms. González lead to jobs, Seville parents, weak aunt contact—and a clue about Yara in Switzerland.

All episodes · Practice this episode

Episode summary

Officials ask how long Frau González has been unseen—about two weeks—and whether she said where she was going or planned to travel. She told them nothing. Asked why the police were not informed sooner, the answer is almost casual: anyone can be away for two weeks. Calls to her mobile fail even though the number is known. When the topic turns to family, the parents’ jobs appear clearly: father is a lawyer, mother an engineer, living in Seville, Spain. Someone wonders whether the aunt visited them there, but contact is poor, so that seems unlikely. A final document or screen raises a new question—what is Yara doing in Switzerland?—shifting the search away from Spain. Jobs, cities, and polite Sie-questions drive the language of this inquiry scene.

Key vocabulary

die Eltern (Article: die · Plural: Eltern)

Meaning: parents

Example: Meine Eltern wohnen in Sevilla.

der Vater (Article: der · Plural: Väter)

Meaning: father

Example: Mein Vater ist Anwalt.

die Mutter (Article: die · Plural: Mütter)

Meaning: mother

Example: Meine Mutter ist Ingenieurin.

der Anwalt (Article: der · Plural: Anwälte)

Meaning: lawyer

Example: Ihr Vater arbeitet als Anwalt.

die Ingenieurin (Article: die · Plural: Ingenieurinnen)

Meaning: female engineer

Example: Meine Mutter ist Ingenieurin.

die Tante (Article: die · Plural: Tanten)

Meaning: aunt

Example: Glauben Sie, dass Ihre Tante in Spanien ist?

die Handynummer (Article: die · Plural: Handynummern)

Meaning: mobile phone number

Example: Haben Sie ihre Handynummer?

der Kontakt (Article: der · Plural: Kontakte)

Meaning: contact (relationship / communication)

Example: Der Kontakt zu den Eltern ist nicht sehr gut.

verreisen

Meaning: to go on a trip / travel away

Example: Wollte sie verreisen?

erreichen

Meaning: to reach (by phone)

Example: Ich erreiche sie nicht.

informieren

Meaning: to inform

Example: Warum haben Sie die Polizei nicht früher informiert?

Grammar & usage focus

Jobs with sein and formal Sie questions

Professions often follow sein without an article in simple statements: Mein Vater ist Anwalt, meine Mutter ist Ingenieurin (feminine -in). Formal interviews use Sie and past questions with haben … gesagt / angerufen / informiert. Wohin and wo distinguish direction versus location: wohin sie geht vs wo … wohnen. Ungefähr zwei Wochen shows approximate time.

Examples

  • Mein Vater ist Anwalt und meine Mutter Ingenieurin.
  • Meine Eltern wohnen in Sevilla.

Comprehension check

How long has Ms. González not been seen?

Show answer: About two weeks.

Did she say where she was going?

Show answer: No, she did not tell them anything.

What are the parents’ jobs, and where do they live?

Show answer: Father lawyer, mother engineer; they live in Seville, Spain.

Why might the aunt not be visiting the parents?

Show answer: Because contact with them is not very good.

What new place is mentioned at the end?

Show answer: Switzerland—someone asks what Yara is doing there.

Tips for shadowing this episode

Learn job pairs with gender: der Anwalt / die Anwältin, der Ingenieur / die Ingenieurin. Practice Ich erreiche sie nicht for failed calls. In formal scenes, keep verbs on Sie: Haben Sie …? Können Sie …?

Practice this episode

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.

Open the practice player