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German / Unit 15: After the holidays (A2) / lesson 1

Holiday words

Welcome to German A2. It is January, and Daniel, Vicki and Emma are back in Chicago after Christmas in Munich. This unit is about the past: what you did. First the words of the holidays: die Ferien, der Weihnachtsbaum, das Geschenk, feiern; then New Year: Silvester, Neujahr, Frohes neues Jahr!, das Feuerwerk. Press Play and say every word out loud.

Christmas, with Vicki

After the holidays

the first unit of A2

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German	English	Note
die Ferien	the holidays	always plural; schools and universities
der Urlaub	the vacation	from work (Unit 14)
der Weihnachtsbaum	the Christmas tree	der Baum: the tree
das Geschenk	the present	plural: die Geschenke
feiern	to celebrate	ich feiere, du feierst, er feiert

New Year

Silvester, with Daniel

New Year's Eve

Silvester · 31 December

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German	English	Note
Silvester	New Year's Eve	no article; an Silvester, zu Silvester
Neujahr	New Year's Day	one word
Frohes neues Jahr!	Happy New Year!	das Jahr: -es
das Feuerwerk	the fireworks	one word, singular
um Mitternacht	at midnight	um + a time, as um acht
der Glühwein	mulled wine	at the Christmas market

Note.

Frohes neues Jahr! has the same ending twice: -es, because das Jahr is neuter. You will also hear Gutes neues Jahr! and, before midnight, Guten Rutsch! (a good slide into the new year).

A first look at the past

Was hast du gemacht?

What did you do?

Was hast du gemacht?

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Practice

Listen: question 1

Press Play and listen.

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Question

What did Daniel say?

A. Christmas EveB. New Year's EveC. New Year's Day

Hint

The name of a saint; 31 December.

Solution

Daniel said Silvester: New Year's Eve.

Listen: question 2

Press Play and listen.

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Question

What did Daniel say?

A. Merry Christmas!B. Happy New Year!C. Have a good trip!

Hint

neu: new.

Solution

Daniel said Frohes neues Jahr!: Happy New Year!

Question

Silvester is on which day of December? Write the number.

Hint

The last day of the year.

Solution

Silvester is the 31st of December; Neujahr is the 1st of January.

Question

Emma is a student. What does she have in January?

A. FerienB. UrlaubC. Feuerwerk

Hint

Schools and universities.

Solution

Emma hat Ferien. Urlaub is vacation from work.

Question

What is the plural of das Geschenk?

A. die GeschenkB. die GeschenkeC. die Geschenken

Hint

Add one letter.

Solution

die Geschenke.

Question

Complete: Wir ___ Silvester in Hamburg.

A. feiereB. feiertC. feiern

Hint

We: the form of the dictionary.

Solution

Wir feiern Silvester in Hamburg.

Listen: question 7

Press Play and listen.

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Question

What did Daniel say?

A. At midnightB. At noonC. In the morning

Hint

die Nacht: the night.

Solution

Daniel said um Mitternacht: at midnight.

Put the end of the year in order

Click the items in the correct order. Click an item in your answer to move it back.

Available items

Your order

Note.

Next: the words for the past: gestern, letzte Woche, letztes Jahr, and the first past forms of everyday verbs.