Tech Terms
Telephones
Key Phrases: Telephones
Getting Online
Key Phrases: Getting Online
German / English Dictionary
English / German Dictionary
This chapter covers phrases for your tech needs—from buying earbuds to taking photos, from making phone calls (using mobile or landline phones) to getting online (using your portable device or a public Internet terminal).
Portable Devices and Accessories
Cameras
| I need a... |
Ich brauche... ikh browkh-eh |
| Do you have a...? |
Haben Sie...? hah-behn zee |
| Where can I buy a...? |
Wo kann ich... kaufen? voh kahn ikh... kow-fehn |
| battery (for ____) |
eine Batterie (für ____) ī-neh bah-teh-ree (fewr ____) |
| battery charger |
ein Batterieladegerät īn bah-teh-ree-lah-deh-geh-rayt |
| charger |
ein Ladegerät īn lah-deh-geh-rayt |
| computer |
einen Computer ī-nehn “computer” |
| convertor |
einen Konverter ī-nehn kohn-vehr-tehr |
| CD / DVD |
eine CD / DVD ī-neh tsay-day / day-fow-day |
| ereader |
einen e-Reader ī-nehn “ereader” |
| electrical adapter |
einen Adapter ī-nehn “adapter” |
| flash drive |
einen Flashdrive ī-nehn “flashdrive” |
| headphones / earbuds |
Kopfhörer kohpf-hur-ehr |
| iPod / MP3 player |
einen iPod / Mp3-Spieler ī-nehn “iPod” / ehm-pay-drī-shpeel-ehr |
| laptop |
einen Laptop ī-nehn “laptop” |
| memory card |
eine Memory-Karte ī-neh “memory”-kar-teh |
| mobile phone |
ein Handy īn hehn-dee |
| SIM card |
eine SIM-Karte ī-neh sim-kar-teh |
| speakers (for ____) |
Lautsprecher (für ____) lowt-sprehkh-ehr (fewr ____) |
| tablet |
ein Tablet īn “tablet” |
| (mini) USB cable |
ein (mini-)USB-Kabel īn (mee-nee) oo-ehs-bay-kah-behl |
| video game |
ein Videospiel īn vee-day-oh-shpeel |
| Wi-Fi |
WLAN vay-lahn |
Many tech items have both a German name and an English-derived name that is at least understood, if not even more commonly used than the German. An electrical adapter, for example, may be labeled as a Stromwandler in a store, or a memory card may be labeled as a Speicherkarte...but if you use their English names, German speakers will understand you.
Familiar brands (like iPad, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or whatever the latest craze) are just as popular in Europe as they are back home. Invariably, these go by their English names, sometimes with a German accent.
| camera |
Kamera kah-meh-rah |
| digital camera |
Digitalkamera deeg-ee-tahl-kah-meh-rah |
| video camera |
Videokamera vee-day-oh-kah-meh-rah |
| lens cap |
Objektivdeckel ohb-yehk-teef-dehk-ehl |
| film |
Film film |
| Can I download my photos onto a CD? |
Kann ich meine Fotos auf eine CD herunterladen? kann ikh mī-neh foh-tohs owf ī-neh tsay-day hehr-oon-tehr-lah-dehn |
| Will you take a photo of me / us? |
Machen Sie ein Foto von mir / uns? mahkh-ehn zee īn foh-toh fohn meer / oons |
| Can I take a photo of you? |
Kann ich ein Foto von Ihnen machen? kahn ikh īn foh-toh fohn ee-nehn mahkh-ehn |
| Smile! |
Lächeln! laykh-ehln |
You’ll find words for batteries, chargers, and more in the previous list.
Telephone Terms
Key Phrases: Telephones
Making Calls
On the Phone
Mobile Phones
Buying a Mobile Phone SIM Card
Pay Phones and Hotel-Room Phones
Travelers have several phoning options; of these, a mobile phone provides the best combination of practicality and flexibility. Public pay phones are available, but are becoming rare, and some work only with an insertable phone card. Look for public phones at cheap calling shops in train-station neighborhoods. You can also make calls online (using Skype or a similar program) or from your hotel-room phone. As this is a fast-changing scene, check my latest tips at www.ricksteves.com/phoning.
| telephone |
Telefon tehl-eh-fohn |
| phone call |
Telefonanruf tehl-eh-fohn-ahn-roof |
| local call |
Ortsgespräch orts-geh-shprehkh |
| domestic call |
Inlandsgespräch in-lahnds-geh-shprehkh |
| international call |
Auslandsgespräch ows-lahnds-geh-shprehkh |
| toll-free |
gebührenfrei geh-bewr-ehn-frī |
| with credit card |
mit Kreditkarte mit kreh-deet-kar-teh |
| collect call |
R-Gespräch ehr-geh-shprehkh |
| mobile phone |
Handy hehn-dee |
| mobile number |
Handynummer hehn-dee-noo-mehr |
| landline |
Festnetz fehst-nehts |
| toll charged |
gebührenpflichtig geh-bewr-ehn-pflikh-tig |
| country code |
Landesvorwahl lahn-dehs-for-vahl |
| area code |
Vorwahl for-vahl |
| local number |
Lokalnummer loh-kahl-noo-mehr |
| fax |
Fax fahx |
| operator |
Vermittlung fehr-mit-loong |
| phone book |
Telefonbuch tehl-eh-fohn-bookh |
Germany and Austria use area codes while Switzerland has a direct-dial phone system (no area codes). For phone tips—including a calling chart for dialing European numbers—SEE HERE.
| Where is the nearest phone? |
Wo ist das nächste Telefon? voh ist dahs nehkh-steh tehl-eh-fohn |
| May I use your phone? |
Darf ich Ihr Telefon benutzen? darf ikh eer tehl-eh-fohn beh-noot-sehn |
| Can you talk for me? |
Können Sie für mich sprechen? kurn-ehn zee fewr mikh shprehkh-ehn |
| It’s busy. |
Besetzt. beh-zehtst |
| It doesn’t work. |
Es funktioniert nicht. ehs foonkt-see-ohn-eert nikht |
| out of service |
ausser Betrieb ow-sehr beh-treeb |
| Try again? |
Noch einmal versuchen? nohkh īn-mahl fehr-zookh-ehn |
If the number you’re calling is out of service, you’ll hear a recording: Kein Anschluss unter dieser Nummer.
| Hello, this is ____. |
Hallo, ich bin ____. hah-loh ikh bin ____ |
| My name is ____. |
Ich heisse ____. ikh hī-seh ____ |
| Do you speak English? |
Sprechen Sie Englisch? shprehkh-ehn zee ehng-lish |
| Sorry, I speak only a little German. |
Tut mir leid, ich spreche nur wenig Deutsch. toot meer līt ikh shprehkh-eh noor vay-nig dotych |
| Speak slowly, please. |
Sprechen Sie bitte langsam. shprehkh-ehn zee bit-teh lahng-zahm |
| Wait a moment. |
Moment mal. moh-mehnt mahl |
In German-speaking countries, it’s polite to identify yourself by name at the beginning of every phone conversation—whether you’re making or receiving the call. If you call your friend Günther Schmitt, he may answer Schmitt, Hallo or Schmitt hier.
In this book, you’ll find the phrases you need to reserve a hotel room (SEE HERE) or a table at a restaurant (SEE HERE). To spell your name over the phone, refer to the code alphabet SEE HERE.
Your US mobile phone should work in Europe if it’s GSM-enabled, tri-band or quad-band, and on a calling plan that includes international service. Alternatively, you can buy a phone in Europe. While pay-as-you-go phones are fairly uncommon in the US, most European mobile phones come with no commitment—which means it’s easy to get a cheap phone for a short trip. In any mobile phone store, ask for ein Handy mit Prepaid-Guthaben.
| mobile phone |
Handy hehn-dee |
| smartphone |
Smartphone “smartphone” |
| roaming |
Roaming “roaming” |
| text message |
SMS “SMS” |
| Where is a mobile-phone shop? |
Wo is ein Handyladen? voh ist īn hehn-dee-lah-dehn |
| I’d like to buy... |
Ich möchte... kaufen. ikh murkh-teh... kow-fehn |
| ...a (cheap) mobile phone. |
...ein (billiges) Handy īn (bil-lig-ehs) hehn-dee |
| ...a mobile phone with prepaid credit. |
...ein Handy mit Prepaid-Guthaben īn hehn-dee mit “prepaid”-goot-hah-behn |
| ...a SIM card. |
...eine SIM-Karte ī-neh sim-kar-teh |
| prepaid card |
Prepaidkarte “prepaid”-kar-teh |
| prepaid credit |
Guthaben goot-hah-behn |
| calling time |
Sprechzeit shprehkh-tsīt |
| (without) contract |
(ohne) Vertrag (oh-neh) fehr-trahg |
| band |
Band bahnd |
| tri-band / quad band |
Triband / Quadband tree-bahnd / kvahd-bahnd |
| locked / unlocked |
gesperrt / entsperrt geh-shpehrt / ehnt-shpehrt |
| Is this phone unlocked? |
Ist dieses Handy entsperrt? ist dee-zehs hehn-dee ehnt-shpehrt |
| Can you unlock this phone? |
Können Sie dieses Handy entsperren? kurn-ehn zee dee-zehs hehn-dee ehnt-shpehr-ehn |
| How can I...? |
Wie kann ich...? vee kahn ikh |
| ...make calls |
...telefonieren teh-leh-fohn-eer-ehn |
| ...receive calls |
...Gespräche annehmen geh-shprehk-eh ahn-nay-mehn |
| ...send a text message |
...texten “text”-ehn |
| ...check voicemail |
...Voicemail anhören “voicemail” ahn-hur-ehn |
| ...set the language to English |
...die Sprache auf Englisch wechseln dee sprahkh-eh owf ehng-lish vehkh-sehln |
| ...change the ringer |
...den Klingelton wechseln dayn kleeng-ehl-tohn vehkh-sehln |
| ...turn it on |
...es anschalten ehs ahn-shahl-tehn |
| ...turn it off |
...es abschalten ehs ahp-shahl-tehn |
The simplest (but potentially most expensive) solution is to roam with your US phone in Europe. If your phone is unlocked (entsperrt or frei), you can save money by buying a cheap European SIM card (which usually comes with some calling credit) at a mobile-phone shop or a newsstand. After inserting a SIM card in your phone, you’ll have a European number and pay lower European rates.
| Where can I...? |
Wo kann ich...? voh kahn ikh |
| I’d like to... |
Ich möchte.... ikh murkh-teh |
| ...buy a SIM card |
...eine SIM-Karte kaufen ī-neh sim-kar-teh kow-fehn |
| ...top up my credit |
...aufladen owf-lah-dehn |
| Will this SIM card work in my phone? |
Funktioniert diese SIM-Karte in meinem Telefon? foonkt-see-ohn-eert dee-zeh sim-kar-teh in mī-nehm tehl-eh-fohn |
| Which SIM card is best? |
Welche SIM-Karte ist am besten? vehlkh-eh sim-kar-teh ist ahm behs-tehn |
| How much for...? |
Wie viel für...? vee feel fewr |
| ...domestic calls to a landline |
...Inlandsgespräche ins Festnetz in-lahnds-geh-sprehkh-eh ins fehst-nehts |
| ...domestic calls to a mobile phone |
...Inlandsgespräche zu einem Handy in-lahnds-geh-sprehkh-eh tsoo ī-nehm hehn-dee |
| ...international calls |
...Auslandsgespräche ows-lahnds-geh-sprehkh-eh |
| ...calls to the US |
...Gespräche in die USA geh-sprehkh-eh in dee oo ehs ah |
| How much per text message? |
Wie viel pro SMS? vee feel proh “SMS” |
| How much credit is included? |
Wie viel Guthaben ist inklusive? vee feel goot-hah-behn ist in-kloo-zee-veh |
| How much does international roaming cost? |
Was kostet Auslands-Roaming? vahs kohs-teht ows-lahnds-“roaming” |
| Do you have a list of rates? |
Haben Sie eine Tarifliste? hah-behn zee ī-neh tah-reef-lis-teh |
| How do I...? |
Wie...? vee |
| ...insert this into the phone |
...stecke ich das ins Telefon shteh-keh ikh dahs ins tehl-eh-fohn |
| ...check my credit balance |
...überprüfe mein Guthaben ew-behr-prewf-eh mīn goot-hah-behn |
| ...buy more time |
...lade ich mein Guthaben auf lah-deh ikh mīn goot-hah-behn owf |
| ...change the language to English |
...wechsel ich die Sprache auf Englisch vehkh-sehl ikh dee sprahkh-eh owf ehng-lish |
| ...turn off the PIN |
...kann ich den PIN abschalten kahn ikh dayn pin ahp-shahl-tehn |
Each time you turn on your phone, you’ll be prompted to punch in the PIN (the numerical code that came with your SIM card). Before leaving the shop, have the clerk help you set up your new SIM card. Ask to have the prompts and messages changed to English; find out if it’s possible to turn off the PIN feature; and be sure you know how to check your balance and add more time (typically you can buy top-ups at mobile-phone shops, newsstands, and grocery stores—wherever you see the symbol of your mobile-phone company).
If you want to use a phone booth or your hotel-room phone, buy a phone card at a newsstand or hole-in-the-wall Callshop. There are two types: The insertable card (Chipkarte, chip-kar-teh) is designed to stick directly into a slot in a public pay phone; to clarify what you want, you can specify that it’s to insert (zum einführen, tsoom īn-fewr-ehn). The cheap international PIN card (billige Telefonkarte, bil-lig-eh tehl-eh-fohn-kar-teh) comes with a toll-free access number and a PIN that work from any phone. But note that in Germany, it’s best to use international PIN cards only with hotel-room phones, because the German phone company slaps on hefty surcharges (subtracted from your card) for using them at pay phones.
| Where is a phone booth? |
Wo ist eine Telefonkabine? voh ist ī-neh tehl-eh-fohn-kah-bee-neh |
| pay phone (for insertable cards) |
Kartentelefon kar-tehn-tehl-eh-fohn |
| I need a cheap calling card for the USA. |
Ich brauche eine billige Telefonkarte für die USA. ikh browkh-eh ī-neh bil-lig-eh tehl-eh-fohn-kar-teh für dee oo ehs ah |
| Can I call from my room? |
Kann ich von meinem Zimmer aus anrufen? kahn ikh fohn mī-nehm tsim-ehr ows ahn-roo-fehn |
| How do I dial out? |
Wie komme ich in die Leitung? vee koh-meh ikh in dee lī-toong |
| How much per minute for a...? |
Wie viel pro Minute für ein...? vee feel proh mee-noo-teh fewr īn |
| ...local call |
...Ortsgespräch orts-geh-shprehkh |
| ...domestic call |
...Inlandsgespräch in-lahnds-geh-shprehkh |
| ...international call |
...Auslandsgespräch ows-lahnds-geh-shprekh |
| Can I dial this number for free? |
Kann ich diese Nummer kostenlos wählen? kahn ikh dee-zeh noo-mehr kohs-tehn-lohs vay-lehn |
Internet Terms
Key Phrases: Getting Online
Tech Support
Using Your Own Portable Device
Using a Public Internet Terminal
German Keyboards
On Screen
To get online in Europe, you can bring your own portable device or use public Internet terminals (at an Internet café, library, or your hotel).
| Internet access |
Internetanschluss “internet”-ahn-shloos |
| Wi-Fi |
WLAN vay-lahn |
| email |
E-Mail “email” |
| computer |
Computer “computer” |
| Internet café |
Internet-café “Internet café” |
| surf the Web |
im Internet surfen im “Internet” zoor-fehn |
| username |
Benutzername beh-noot-sehr-nah-meh |
| password |
Passwort pahs-vort |
| network key |
Netzwerkschlüssel nehts-vehrk-shlew-sehl |
| secure network |
passwort-geschütztes WLAN pahs-vort-geh-shewts-tehs vay-lahn |
| website |
Website “website” |
| homepage |
Homepage “homepage” |
| download |
herunterladen hehr-oon-tehr-lah-dehn |
| print |
drucken droo-kehn |
| My email address is ____. |
Meine E-Mail-Adresse ist ____. mī-neh “email”-ah-dreh-seh ist ____ |
| What’s your email address? |
Was ist Ihre E-Mail-Adresse? vahs ist ee-reh “email”-ah-dreh-seh |
The www found at the beginning of most URLs is pronounced vay vay vay (three W’s).
| Help me, please. |
Helfen Sie mir, bitte. hehl-fehn zee meer bit-teh |
| How can I...? |
Wie...? vee |
| ...start this |
...starte ich das shtar-teh ikh dahs |
| ...get online |
...komme ich ins Internet koh-meh ikh ins “Internet” |
| ...get this to work |
...kriege ich das ans Laufen kree-geh ikh dahs ahns low-fehn |
| ...stop this |
...beende ich das beh-ehn-deh ikh dahs |
| ...send this |
...schicke ich das shik-eh ikh dahs |
| ...print this |
...drucke ich das droo-keh ikh dahs |
| ...make this symbol |
...mache ich dieses Symbol mahkh-eh ikh dee-zehs zim-bohl |
| ...copy and paste |
...kopiere und füge ich ein koh-pee-ehr-eh oont fewg-eh ikh īn |
| ...type @ |
...geht At / Klammeraffe gayt “at” / klah-mehr-ah-feh |
| This doesn’t work. |
Das funktioniert nicht. dahs foonkt-see-ohn-eert nikht |
If you have a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop, or other wireless device, you can get online at many hotels, cafés, and public hotspots. Most Internet access is Wi-Fi (which German speakers usually call WLAN, pronounced vay-lahn), but occasionally you’ll connect by plugging an Ethernet cable directly into your laptop. While Internet access is often free, sometimes you’ll have to pay.
| laptop |
Laptop “laptop” |
| tablet |
Tablet “tablet” |
| smartphone |
Smartphone “smartphone” |
| Where is a Wi-Fi hotspot? |
Wo ist ein WLAN? voh ist īn vay-lahn |
| Do you have Wi-Fi? |
Haben Sie WLAN? hah-behn zee vay-lahn |
| What is the...? |
Was ist...? vahs ist |
| ...network name |
...der Netzname dehr nehts-nah-meh |
| ...username |
...der Benutzername dehr beh-noot-sehr-nah-meh |
| ...password |
...das Passwort dahs pahs-vort |
| Do I need a cable? |
Brauche ich ein Kabel? browkh-eh ikh īn kah-behl |
| Do you have a...? |
Haben Sie ein...? hah-behn zee īn |
| May I borrow a...? |
Darf ich ein... ausleihen? darf ikh īn... ows-lī-ehn |
| ...charging cable |
...Stromkabel shtrohm-kah-behl |
| ...Ethernet cable |
...Ethernetkabel ay-tehr-neht-kah-behl |
| ...USB cable |
...USB-Kabel oo-ehs-bay-kah-behl |
| Is it free? |
Ist es kostenlos? ist ehs kohs-tehn-lohs |
| How much? |
Wie viel? vee feel |
| Do I have to buy something to use the Internet? |
Muss ich etwas kaufen um das Internet zu benutzen? moos ikh eht-vahs kow-fehn oom dahs “Internet” tsoo beh-noot-sehn |
Many hotels have terminals in the lobby for guests to get online; otherwise, an Internet café is usually nearby.
| Where can I get online? |
Wo kann man hier ins Internet? voh kahn mahn heer ins “Internet” |
| Where is an Internet café? |
Wo ist ein Internet-café? voh ist īn “Internet café” |
| May I use this computer to...? |
Darf ich diesen Computer benutzen...? darf ikh dee-zehn “computer” beh-noot-sehn |
| ...get online |
...um ins Internet zu kommen oom ins “Internet” tsoo koh-mehn |
| ...check my email |
...um meine E-Mails zu lesen oom mī-neh “emails” tsoo lay-zehn |
| ...upload my photos |
...um meine Fotos hochzuladen oom mī-neh foh-tohs hohkh-tsoo-lah-dehn |
| ...download my photos |
...um meine Fotos herunterzuladen oom mī-neh foh-tohs hehr-oon-tehr-tsoo-lah-dehn |
| ...print something |
...um etwas zu drucken oom eht-vahs tsoo drook-ehn |
| boarding passes |
Bordkarten bord-kar-tehn |
| train tickets |
Fahrscheine far-shīn-eh |
| a reservation confirmation |
eine Bestätigung ī-neh beh-shtay-tig-oong |
| Is it free? |
Ist es kostenlos? ist ehs kohs-tehn-lohs |
| How much (for... minutes)? |
Wie viel (für... Minuten)? vee feel (fewr... mee-noo-tehn) |
| ...10 |
...zehn tsayn |
| ...15 |
...fünfzehn fewnf-tsayn |
| ...30 |
...dreissig drī-sig |
| ...60 |
...sechzig zehkh-tsig |
| I have a... |
Ich habe... ikh hah-beh |
| Do you have a...? |
Haben Sie...? hah-behn zee |
| ...webcam |
...eine Webcam ī-neh “webcam” |
| ...headphones |
...Kopfhörer kohpf-hur-ehr |
| ...USB cable |
...ein USB-Kabel īn oo-ehs-bay-kah-behl |
| ...memory card |
...eine Memory-Karte ī-neh “memory”-kar-teh |
| ...flash drive |
...ein Flashdrive īn “flashdrive” |
| Can you switch the keyboard to English? |
Könnten Sie die Tastatur auf englisch umstellen? kurn-tehn zee dee tah-stah-toor owf ehng-lish oom-shtehl-ehn |
If you’re using a public Internet terminal, the keyboard, menus, and on-screen commands will likely be designed for German speakers. Some computers allow you to make the German keyboard work as if it were an American one (look for the box in the lower right-hand corner of the screen to switch to English, or ask the clerk if it’s possible).
German keyboards differ from American ones (for example, you’ll find the German letter ß in place of the hyphen (-) key, and the Z and Y keys are reversed). The multilingual Swiss use a different keyboard from the standard German and Austrian one. Here’s a rundown of how major commands are labeled on a German keyboard:
| YOU’LL SEE... |
IT MEANS... |
YOU’LL SEE... |
IT MEANS... |
 |
Enter |
Entf |
Delete |
| ↑ |
Shift |
← |
Backspace |
| Strg |
Ctrl |
Einfg |
Insert |
| Alt |
Alt |
Pos 1 |
Home |
| ↓ |
Caps Lock |
Ende |
End |
| Num↓ |
Num Lock |
Bild ↑ |
Page Up |
| →| |
Tab |
Bild ↓ |
Page Down |
| Esc |
Esc |
|
|
A few often-used keys look the same, but have different names in German:
| @ sign |
At / At-zeichen / Klammeraffe eht / eht-tsīkh-ehn / klah-mehr-ah-feh |
| dot (.) |
Punkt poonkt |
| hyphen (-) |
Bindestrich bin-deh-shtrikh |
| underscore (_) |
Unterstrich oon-tehr-shtrikh |
| slash (/) |
Schrägstrich shrehg-shtrikh |
The Alt key to the right of the space bar is actually different from our key; it’s called Alt Gr (for Alternate Graphics). Press this key to insert the extra symbol that appears on some keys (such as the € in the corner of the E key). To type @, press Alt Gr and Q at the same time. If that doesn’t work, try copying and pasting the @ sign from elsewhere on the page.
German speakers have several names for @. Most common is the anglicized At-zeichen (at-sign; when reading off an email address, they’ll simply say “at” the way we do). It’s sometimes more creatively called Klammeraffe (monkey hug) or A-Affenschwanz (A with a monkey tail).
| YOU’LL SEE... |
IT MEANS... |
YOU’LL SEE... |
IT MEANS... |
| Netz |
Network |
Ansicht |
View |
| Benutzer (name) |
User(name) |
Einfügen |
Insert |
| Passwort |
Password |
Format |
Format |
| Taste |
Key |
Extras |
Tools |
| Ordner |
Folder |
Hilfe |
Help |
| Datei / Achte |
File |
Optionen |
Options |
| Neu |
New |
Post |
Mail |
| Öffnen |
Open |
Mitteilung |
Message |
| Schliessen |
Close |
(Allen) Antworten |
Reply (to All) |
| Speichern |
Save |
CC |
CC |
| Drucken |
Print |
Weiterleiten |
Forward |
| Löschen |
Delete |
Senden |
Send |
| Suchen |
Search |
Empfangen |
Receive |
| Bearbeiten |
Edit |
Posteingang |
Inbox |
| Ausschneiden |
Cut |
Anhängen |
Attach |
| Kopieren |
Copy |
Hinaufladen |
Upload |
| Einfügen |
Paste |
Herunterladen |
Download |
| Netzwerkschlüssel |
Network key (Wi-Fi password) |
Suchen |
Search |
| Kennwort |
Password |
Fenster |
Window |
| Einstellungen |
Settings |
|
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