German A1.4 Listening Practice: Speak For Groups And Use Formal Sie
German A1 listening practice with audio, transcript, key phrases, and a speaking challenge for speak for groups and use formal sie.
Podcast listening is in beta while creation and discussion tools are refined. This published chapter includes its complete segmented audio and transcript.
Level
A1.4
Audio
Segmented audio
Transcript
17 segments
What to notice while you listen
What you'll understand
Say where a group is and address one person or a group formally.
Use sind with wir, plural sie, and formal Sie while distinguishing reference through context and capitalization.
New pattern
wir sind, plural sie sind, and formal Sie sind with capitalization distinguishing formal address
Practice aloud after listening
Wir sind hier. Sie sind müde.
We are here. They are tired, or, in formal address: You are tired.
A short German listening chapter with transcript.
Add group speech and formal address with one shared verb form, then use capitalization to read formal Sie correctly.
Read while you listen.
1. Hanna · Teacher
Welcome to today's lesson! Today, we're looking at how to talk about groups using 'wir' and 'sie', as well as formal 'Sie' in German.
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2. Hanna · Teacher
Let's listen to a short conversation between Felix and Clara.
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3. Felix · Native Speaker 1
Hallo! Wir sind hier.
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4. Clara · Native Speaker 2
Guten Tag! Sie sind Herr Berg?
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5. Felix · Native Speaker 1
Nein, wir sind Felix und Maria.
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6. Clara · Native Speaker 2
Ah, wo sind sie?
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7. Felix · Native Speaker 1
Sie sind müde.
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8. Hanna · Teacher
First, Felix said: 'Wir sind hier.' This means 'We are here.' In German, 'wir' means 'we', and it always takes 'sind'.
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9. Lukas · Student
So 'wir sind' is always used for 'we are'?
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10. Hanna · Teacher
That's right, Lukas. Whenever you talk about a group that includes yourself, use 'wir sind'.
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11. Hanna · Teacher
Next, Clara asked Felix: 'Sie sind Herr Berg?' She is using formal 'Sie' to mean 'you'.
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12. Lukas · Student
Does formal 'Sie' also use 'sind'?
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13. Hanna · Teacher
Yes! Capitalized 'Sie' always pairs with 'sind', whether addressing one person or several people formally.
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14. Hanna · Teacher
Finally, Clara asked 'Wo sind sie?' meaning 'Where are they?', and Felix answered: 'Sie sind müde.' - 'They are tired.'
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15. Lukas · Student
Since 'sie' for 'they' sounds identical to formal 'Sie', how do I know the difference when listening?
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16. Hanna · Teacher
You tell by context! The verb 'sind' is the exact same, so the situation around the sentence tells you if it means 'they' or formal 'you'.
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17. Hanna · Teacher
Great practice today! Remember: 'wir sind', 'sie sind', and formal 'Sie sind' all share the verb 'sind'. See you next time!
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