German · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 4 of 12
Home and housing
Eine neue Wohnung
View a flat to rent in German, ask about the rent, and compare places with größer als, so groß wie and am größten.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Ask about a flat and the rent
- Compare two things with -er als
- Say which one is the best with am -sten
Listen
Lea and Jakob look at a flat in Düsseldorf with the landlady, Frau Krüger. Then they talk on their own. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Frau Krüger
Das hier ist das Wohnzimmer. Die Wohnung hat 65 Quadratmeter.
This is the living room. The flat is 65 square metres.
Lea
Schön hell! Und ist die Wohnung ruhig?
Nice and bright. And is the flat quiet?
Frau Krüger
Ja, sehr ruhig. Das Schlafzimmer hat einen Balkon zum Garten.
Yes, very quiet. The bedroom has a balcony facing the garden.
Jakob
Wie hoch ist die Miete?
How much is the rent?
Frau Krüger
950 Euro im Monat, mit Nebenkosten.
950 euros a month, including bills.
Jakob
Und? Wie findest du die Wohnung?
Well? What do you think of the flat?
Lea
Sie ist größer und heller als unsere Wohnung jetzt.
It's bigger and brighter than our flat now.
Jakob
Aber sie ist auch teurer. Und der Weg zur Arbeit ist länger.
But it's also more expensive. And the way to work is longer.
Lea
Das stimmt. Aber hier ist es ruhiger, und der Park ist ganz nah.
That's true. But it's quieter here, and the park is really close.
Jakob
Wir haben drei Wohnungen gesehen. Welche findest du am besten?
We've seen three flats. Which one do you like best?
Lea
Die hier. Hier ist es am ruhigsten, und der Balkon ist toll.
This one. It's the quietest here, and the balcony is great.
Jakob
Finde ich auch. Dann nehmen wir sie.
I think so too. Then let's take it.
Understand
Comparing: größer als
To compare two things, add -er to the adjective and use (than): → . There's no word for “more” here: means “more interesting”. Many short adjectives also add an umlaut: → , → .
Adjectives ending in -er drop an e: → . To say two things are the same, use … with the normal adjective:
| Adjective | Comparative | English |
|---|---|---|
| cheaper | ||
| brighter | ||
| quieter | ||
| smaller | ||
| bigger | ||
| older | ||
| longer | ||
| more expensive |
- Die Küche ist kleiner als das Bad.The kitchen is smaller than the bathroom.
- Mein Bruder ist älter als ich.My brother is older than me.
The most: am größten
For “the biggest”, “the cheapest” and so on, use + adjective + -sten: , . Adjectives ending in -t, -d, -s or -z usually add -esten: . The umlaut stays: , .
A few common words are irregular, so learn them as a set. This includes (): means “rather” and “most of all”.
| Word | Comparative | Superlative |
|---|---|---|
| (good) | ||
| (a lot) | ||
| (gladly) | ||
| (big) | ||
| (high) | ||
| (near) |
- Welche Wohnung ist am billigsten?Which flat is the cheapest?
- Ich trinke lieber Tee als Kaffee.I prefer tea to coffee.
- Am liebsten wohne ich in der Stadt.Most of all I like living in town.
More in the grammar: Comparatives and superlatives: größer, am größten
New words
- die Wohnungflat, apartment · feminine, plural:
- der Quadratmetersquare metre · masculine, plural: ; written m²
- ruhigquiet, calm
- das Schlafzimmerbedroom · neuter, plural:
- der Balkonbalcony · masculine, plural:
- der Gartengarden · masculine, plural:
- die Mieterent · feminine, plural: ; = How much is the rent?
- die Nebenkostenservice charges, bills (heating, water …) · plural
- unser / unsereour · like /
- alsthan · = bigger than
- der Wegway, route · masculine, plural: ; = the way to work
- Das stimmt.That's true. / That's right.
- nahnear, close · = really close
- welchewhich (one) · = Which one …? – This one.
Practise
1.Which sentence is correct?
2.Write the comparative of .
The flat in Bonn is cheaper than the flat here.
3.Write the comparative of .
But it's also more expensive.
4.Complete with the superlative of .
Which flat do you like best?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The way to work is longer.
6.Match the words about flats.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
Wie hoch ist die Miete?
How much is the rent?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.