Lesson 4: Introducing 'sie' and 'es'
Welcome back to our German lessons! In our previous lessons, we discussed occupations and hobbies. Let’s continue by introducing new pronouns ‘sie’ and ’es’.
Exploring Personal Pronouns
Let’s revisit our conversation with Frau Schmidt and Hanna Parker:
-
Guten Tag, Hanna! Wie geht es dir?
- Guten Tag, Frau Schmidt! Mir geht es gut. Und wie geht es Ihnen?
- Mir geht es auch gut, danke. Wie geht es deiner Schwester?
- Sie ist müde, aber es geht ihr besser heute.
Here is the phrase-by-phrase translation from German to English:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Guten Tag, Hanna! Wie geht es dir? | Good day, Hanna! How are you? |
| Guten Tag, Frau Schmidt! Mir geht es gut. Und wie geht es Ihnen? | Good day, Mrs. Schmidt! I am fine. And how are you? |
| Mir geht es auch gut, danke. Wie geht es deiner Schwester? | I am fine too, thank you. How is your sister? |
| Sie ist müde, aber es geht ihr besser heute. | She is tired, but she is feeling better today. |
Analysis of the Dialogue
In this dialogue, Frau Schmidt asks Hanna about her well-being:
Guten Tag, Hanna! Wie geht es dir?
Frau Schmidt uses the phrase Wie geht es dir? to ask How are you? in an informal manner.
Hanna Parker responds:
Guten Tag, Frau Schmidt! Mir geht es gut.
Hanna replies, saying Mir geht es gut, meaning I am fine. Then, she asks about Frau Schmidt’s well-being using Und wie geht es Ihnen?, which means And how are you? in a formal manner.
Frau Schmidt responds:
Mir geht es auch gut, danke. Wie geht es deiner Schwester?
Frau Schmidt says Mir geht es auch gut, translating to I am fine too. Then, she inquires about Hanna’s sister using Wie geht es deiner Schwester?, which means How is your sister?.
Hanna responds:
Sie ist müde, aber es geht ihr besser heute.
Hanna answers by saying Sie ist müde, which means She is tired. Then, she continues, saying es geht ihr besser heute, translating to she is feeling better today.
Grammar Focus
In this dialogue, we introduced new pronouns:
| . | . |
|---|---|
| dir | you - singular informal (referring to Hanna) |
| Ihnen | you - singular formal (referring to Frau Schmidt) |
| Sie | she (referring to Hanna’s sister) |
| es | it (neutral pronoun referring to Hanna’s sister’s well-being) |
These pronouns are used to refer to individuals, their well-being, or objects in the singular form.
Vocabulary
Let’s review the vocabulary related to well-being in German:
| . | . |
|---|---|
| müde | tired |
| besser | better |
| heute | today |
Some German Phrases
1. Greetings and Courtesies
- “Hallo!” - Hello!
- “Guten Morgen/Tag/Abend!” - Good morning/day/evening!
- “Bitte” - Please
- “Danke” - Thank you
- “Entschuldigung” - Excuse me
- “Auf Wiedersehen!” - Goodbye!
2. Politeness and Social Graces
- “Ja” - Yes
- “Nein” - No
- “Es tut mir leid.” - I’m sorry.
- “Kein Problem.” - No problem.
- “Prost!” - Cheers!
3. Basic Questions and Responses
- “Wie geht es Ihnen/dir?” - How are you? (formal/informal)
- “Ich verstehe nicht.” - I don’t understand.
- “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” - Do you speak English?
- “Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?” - Can you please repeat that?
4. Navigating Places
- “Wo ist die Toilette?” - Where is the restroom?
- “Ich möchte gerne bestellen.” - I would like to order.
- “Wie viel kostet das?” - How much does this cost?
- “Ich suche nach…” - I’m looking for…
5. Expressing Gratitude and Pleasantries
- “Vielen Dank!” - Many thanks!
- “Alles Gute!” - All the best!
- “Gute Besserung!” - Get well soon!
- “Herzlichen Glückwunsch!” - Congratulations!
Summary
In Lesson 4, we explored the use of personal pronouns ‘sie’ and ’es’ in German, focusing on well-being and describing someone’s condition.
We learned how to inquire about and express well-being using formal and informal pronouns.
Additionally, we expanded our vocabulary related to describing feelings and conditions in German.
This enhances our conversational skills in German and sets the stage for further language proficiency.