German · BeginnerDarf ich ihn streicheln?May I pet him?

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00:00Intro
Hello Mia! Great to see you.
Hello Lukas! I'm very glad too.
Today we have prepared a wonderful topic.
It's about visiting friends, right?
Exactly. And about their pets.
Many people have a dog, or a cat.
When you visit friends, you often meet their pets.
But many people, are unsure at first.
They don't know exactly, what they should say.
Should you touch the animal right away?
No, you must always ask politely first.
That is an important rule in everyday life.
You show respect, for humans and animals.
Lukas, are you a dog person, or a cat person?
I am an absolute dog person. Dogs are such great friends.
I knew it! You like playful animals.
And you prefer cats, that sleep a lot!
Cats just like their peace, and sleep a lot.
We seem to have different opinions there.
But with unfamiliar animals, politeness is very important.
Exactly. That's why we are learning six simple phrases today.
You can use these phrases, with any pet.
Let's go through the six phrases, briefly once.
Let's listen to the overview.
Our first phrase is: Darf ich ihn streicheln?
The second phrase is: Ist er lieb?
Our third phrase is: Wie heißt er?
The fourth phrase is: Wie alt ist er?
Our fifth phrase is: Er ist so süß!
And the sixth phrase is: Ganz ruhig!
Six short phrases, for a safe visit.
They are simple, and sound very natural.
Before we explain each phrase, I'll tell a story.
Did you meet a new pet recently?
Yes, last weekend at my friend Jonas's place in Potsdam.
Tell us your story, Lukas.
On Saturday I had plans with Jonas.
You haven't seen Jonas in a long time, right?
True. He lives in a nice apartment in Potsdam.
Potsdam is really a beautiful city.
I walked up the stairs.
I rang the doorbell at his apartment door.
Did Jonas open the door right away?
Yes. Jonas smiled, and greeted me.
But behind him, suddenly stood a big dog.
A big dog right in the hallway?
Yes. The dog had beautiful golden fur.
He wagged his tail curiously.
Were you a bit cautious at first?
Yes, a little. With big dogs I am careful.
I took a small step back.
I asked Jonas: Ist er lieb?
A clever, and very good question.
Jonas laughed and nodded.
He said: Don't worry, he won't do anything.
You were certainly relieved right away.
In any case. Then I wanted to know more.
I asked: Wie heißt er?
And what is the golden dog's name?
Jonas said: His name is Bruno.
Bruno is a wonderful name for a dog.
I think so too. Bruno looked at me friendly.
Then I asked: Wie alt ist er?
And how many years old is Bruno?
Jonas answered: He is two years old.
So a young and playful dog.
Exactly. Bruno came slowly toward me.
He carefully sniffed at my shoes.
Did you touch him right away then?
No, I asked once again first.
I asked: Darf ich ihn streicheln?
Very good, Lukas. That is the right behavior.
Jonas answered: Yes, of course you may.
I bent down slowly.
I gently petted Bruno behind the ears.
Was his fur really that soft?
Incredibly soft, like a warm wool blanket.
I smiled and said: Er ist so süß!
Did Bruno touch your hand with his nose?
Yes, he was totally happy.
Out of joy, he suddenly wanted to jump up on me.
Oh, young dogs like doing that when they are happy.
I breathed calmly, and waited.
I said in a deep voice: Ganz ruhig!
Did Bruno listen to your calm voice right away?
Yes. He sat down, well-behaved on the floor.
Great reaction! Dogs notice a calm voice very quickly.
After that we went into the living room together.
We sat at the table, and drank apple spritzer.
Bruno lay peacefully, at my feet.
That sounds like a perfect, and relaxed visit.
Yes, we had a really wonderful afternoon.
These six phrases, helped you a lot.
Absolutely. Every phrase had its exact moment.
Let's look at the phrases, in detail now.
Let's explain the meaning, and correct pronunciation.
Let's start with our first phrase for today.
Our first phrase is: Darf ich ihn streicheln?
"Darf ich ihn streicheln" means "May I pet him".
With the verb "dürfen", you ask very politely.
With "darf ich", you always ask very politely.
And "streicheln" means, to touch an animal gently.
When the animal is male, you use the word "ihn".
For a dog you usually say: Darf ich ihn streicheln?
When the animal is female, you say "sie".
For example for a cat: Darf ich sie streicheln?
In Germany it is important, to ask the owner first.
Right. Some dogs do not like stranger's hands.
Or they are in training, and need to learn.
That's why you just ask briefly: Darf ich ihn streicheln?
Let's move directly to our second phrase.
Our second phrase is: Ist er lieb?
"Ist er lieb" means "Is he nice".
The adjective "lieb", means friendly in German.
You ask the owner, about the animal's character.
When you are a bit unsure, this question helps immediately.
The owner knows their animal best.
They usually say then: Er ist sehr lieb.
Or they say: He is a bit scared, please slowly.
Both answers help us right away.
You know then exactly, how you should behave.
Our third phrase, is a great conversation starter.
Our third phrase is: Wie heißt er?
"Wie heißt er" means "What is his name".
That is a very typical question for A1 learners.
With "wie heißt", you ask for the name.
For a female animal you ask: Wie heißt sie?
Every pet owner loves telling their pet's name.
Often there is a funny little story with it.
With Jonas the name was Bruno, a nice dog name.
My neighbor has a dog named Bello, also very well known.
The name also helps, to address the animal directly.
When you call the name, the animal often listens better.
Fitting with that comes our fourth phrase.
Our fourth phrase is: Wie alt ist er?
"Wie alt ist er" means "How old is he".
Here we ask about the age of the animal.
In German you ask: Wie alt ist er?
For a female animal it is: Wie alt ist sie?
The answer is usually: Er ist zwei Jahre alt.
Or: Sie ist fünf Jahre alt.
For young animals you say: Er ist sechs Monate alt.
That way you learn, if the animal is young, or already older.
Older animals often just want to sleep quietly.
Young animals on the other hand want to play and run a lot.
Our fifth phrase expresses great joy.
Our fifth phrase is: Er ist so süß!
"Er ist so süß" means "He is so cute".
The word "süß", means cute here.
When an animal has big eyes, you say that right away.
For a female animal you say: Sie ist so süß!
And when you see little puppies: Sie sind so süß!
The word "so", emphasizes the adjective "süß".
You say it, with a friendly smile.
Pet owners are always overjoyed by this compliment.
It shows, that you really like the animal.
And now we come, to the sixth phrase.
Our sixth phrase is: Ganz ruhig!
"Ganz ruhig" means "Calm down", or "Easy now".
The word "ganz", means completely here.
And "ruhig", means calm or quiet.
When a dog jumps out of excitement, this phrase helps.
You speak the words, with a deep voice.
You should never shout loudly, or be restless.
Shouting only makes the animal more excited.
You simply stay standing calmly, and say softly: Ganz ruhig!
The animal senses the calm, and usually relaxes quickly.
Those were all six phrases in detail.
They are easy to understand, and very useful.
Now we want to test, if you can already use the phrases.
Let's prepare, for the quiz.
Welcome to our interactive quiz.
I paid close attention and am ready.
Perfect. Then let's test your knowledge in six situations.
Here comes situation number one.
You visit a friend, and see her dog.
You would like to touch the animal.
What do you ask the friend politely first?
I smile and ask: Darf ich ihn streicheln?
Excellent! Always ask politely first.
Moving on to situation number two.
A big dog comes to the apartment door.
You want to know, if he is well-behaved.
What do you ask the owner?
I stay standing calmly and ask: Ist er lieb?
Very good! That way you know immediately, if the animal is friendly.
Here is situation number three.
The dog sits peacefully, in front of you on the carpet.
You want to know, what name the dog has.
What do you ask the owner?
I look at the dog and ask: Wie heißt er?
Exactly right! A friendly question about the name.
Let's move to situation number four.
You want to know, how many years old the dog is.
What short question do you ask now?
I ask curiously: Wie alt ist er?
Wonderful! A great question for any conversation.
Here comes situation number five.
The little dog rolls over, and looks at you.
You find the little dog incredibly cute.
What do you say with joy?
I am delighted and say: Er ist so süß!
Perfect! Every pet owner likes hearing this compliment.
And now to situation number six.
The dog is very excited, and wants to jump up.
You want, him to relax again.
What do you say with a calm voice?
I keep my hands still and say: Ganz ruhig!
Great, Lukas! You solved all situations perfectly.
The phrases are simple, and really very useful.
Now let's summarize, all six phrases together.
Let's listen to the short review.
Let's review all six phrases once more.
Phrase number one: Darf ich ihn streicheln?
Phrase number two: Ist er lieb?
Phrase number three: Wie heißt er?
Phrase number four: Wie alt ist er?
Phrase number five: Er ist so süß!
And phrase number six: Ganz ruhig!
Very nice. Now it's your turn, with the exercise.
Exactly, here comes our short speaking exercise for you.
Imagine: You visit a friend, with a dog.
You would like to touch the dog.
Which phrase do you say, out loud first?
Speak the phrase now out loud and clearly.
Say it with a friendly smile.
Speaking out loud helps a lot with learning.
Next time you meet a pet, use these phrases.
Feel free to write to us, in the comments.
Do you have a pet, or do your friends have animals?
We read all your comments with great joy.
Thank you very much for listening, and for learning along diligently.
Until next time, and have fun!
Bye and see you soon!

Key phrases

6 to keep
Darf ich ihn streicheln?May I pet him?
Darf ich ihn streicheln?May I pet him?
Ist er lieb?Is he nice?
Ist er lieb?Is he nice?
Wie heißt er?What is his name?
Wie heißt er?What is his name?
Wie alt ist er?How old is he?
Wie alt ist er?How old is he?
Er ist so süß!He is so cute!
Er ist so süß!He is so cute!
Ganz ruhig!Easy now!
Ganz ruhig!Easy now!

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Today's small task

Stell dir vor: Du triffst zum ersten Mal den Hund eines Freundes. Welchen Satz sagst du laut auf Deutsch?Imagine: You meet a friend's dog for the first time. Which sentence do you say out loud in German?

cocoaDarf ich ihn streicheln?
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