German · Intermediate (B1) · Chapter 3 of 12
News and current events
Nachrichten aus der Stadt
Understand simple local news in German: the passive with wird and wurde, and how to report what you read or heard.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Understand simple news about your town
- Use the passive in the present: wird gebaut
- Use the passive in the past: wurde eröffnet
- Report what you read or heard
Listen
At breakfast in Regensburg, Jürgen (58) reads the local news to his wife Sabine (56). Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Jürgen
Hör mal, Sabine: Die Brücke über die Donau wird ab Montag gesperrt.
Listen to this, Sabine: the bridge over the Danube will be closed from Monday.
Sabine
Wirklich? Warum?
Really? Why?
Jürgen
Sie wird repariert. In der Zeitung steht, dass die Reparatur zwei Millionen Euro kostet.
It's being repaired. The paper says the repairs will cost two million euros.
Sabine
Und wie komme ich dann zur Arbeit? Ich fahre doch jeden Tag mit dem Rad über die Brücke.
And how am I going to get to work then? I cycle over that bridge every day.
Jürgen
Keine Sorge. Radfahrer werden mit einer Fähre über die Donau gebracht.
Don't worry. Cyclists will be taken across the Danube by ferry.
Sabine
Na gut. Gibt es noch andere Nachrichten?
All right. Is there any other news?
Jürgen
Ja. Das neue Schwimmbad wurde gestern eröffnet. Der Bürgermeister hat gesagt, dass es das modernste in Bayern ist.
Yes. The new swimming pool was opened yesterday. The mayor said it's the most modern one in Bavaria.
Sabine
Endlich! Es wurde schon vor fünf Jahren geplant.
At last. It was already being planned five years ago.
Jürgen
Und am Wochenende ist das Stadtfest. Es werden 50.000 Besucher erwartet.
And the town festival is at the weekend. 50,000 visitors are expected.
Sabine
50.000? Das sind mir zu viele Leute.
50,000? That's too many people for me.
Jürgen
Schade. Ich wollte eigentlich zum Konzert am Samstag.
Pity. I actually wanted to go to the concert on Saturday.
Sabine
Dann geh doch mit Thomas hin. Ich bleibe lieber zu Hause.
Then go with Thomas. I'd rather stay at home.
Understand
The passive: wird repariert
In the news, what happens is often more important than who does it. Then German uses the passive: a form of + the past participle at the end. means “the bridge is being repaired” or “the bridge will be repaired”.
Compare: (active: the city is doing it) and (passive: the bridge is the subject). If you want to say who does it, use + dative: If the sentence starts with , the verb agrees with the noun after it:
| Active | Passive | English |
|---|---|---|
| The bridge is being closed. | ||
| The bridge is being repaired. | ||
| Many visitors are expected. | ||
| The cyclists are taken. |
The passive in the past: wurde eröffnet
For the past, use the Präteritum of : + participle. (the swimming pool was opened yesterday). This is the form you'll read most often in the news.
As with and , and / / have the same form. You may also hear ; it means the same.
| Person | (Präteritum) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (I was asked.) | ||
| (You were seen.) | ||
| / / | (It was opened.) | |
| (We were invited.) | ||
| (You were seen.) | ||
| / | (They were built.) |
Reporting what you read or heard
To pass on news, use with the verb at the end: … (the paper says that …), … (they said on the radio that …), ….
In newspapers you'll also meet special verb forms for reported speech, like (from ): For now, you only need to recognise them; in conversation, and the normal verb are fine.
- In der Zeitung steht, dass die Brücke gesperrt wird.The paper says that the bridge is being closed.
- Im Radio haben sie gesagt, dass es morgen regnet.They said on the radio that it's going to rain tomorrow.
More in the grammar: The passive: wird gemacht, wurde gemacht · The Konjunktiv I: reported speech (er sei, sie habe)
New words
- Hör mal.Listen. / Listen to this. · = to hear, to listen
- die Brückebridge · feminine, plural: ; = over the bridge
- sperrento close (a road, a bridge) · = from Monday
- die Zeitungnewspaper · feminine, plural: ; , … = The paper says …
- reparierento repair · Perfekt: ; = repair
- der Radfahrer / die Radfahrerincyclist · plural: /
- die Fähreferry · feminine, plural:
- die Nachrichtenthe news · plural; = message, piece of news
- eröffnento open (for the first time) · Perfekt: (no ge-)
- der Bürgermeister / die Bürgermeisterinmayor · plural: /
- endlichat last, finally
- das Stadtfesttown festival · neuter, plural: ; = festival, party
- erwartento expect · Perfekt: (no ge-); = visitor
- hingehento go (there) · separable: ; Perfekt:
Practise
1.Which sentence is in the passive?
2.Complete the passive with the present of .
The bridge will be closed from Monday.
3.Complete the passive with the past of .
The swimming pool was opened yesterday.
4.Complete with the past participle of .
50,000 visitors are expected.
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.The new swimming pool was opened yesterday.
6.Match the words from the news.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
In der Zeitung steht, dass die Brücke gesperrt wird.
The paper says that the bridge is being closed.
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.