4.1 Café Einstein 

The Scotsman Ken McNaught, whom we first met in Chapter 2, arrives in Berlin for the first time by train. Having arrived at Berlin's new central station, the Hauptbahnhof, he then takes the local train to Zoo Station. He gets off and then walks for a while along the famous Kurfürstendamm street in the city centre before stopping off at the Café Einstein near the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (= Kaiser Wilhelm memorial church) for something to eat and drink.

Listen to his conversation with the waitress in the café by clicking either here or on the sound icon at the top of the previous paragraph. You can also:

• click here for a panoramic view of Berlin's Zoo station taken by Helmut Koelbach.
• click here for a panoramic view of Berlin's famous Kurfürstendamm thoroughfare at night taken by Helmut Koelbach.
• click here for a live webcam of the Kurfürstendamm and the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche.
• click here for a panoramic view of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche. Requires JavaScript.
  (Tip: you can rotate your view of the church through 360° by placing your mouse in the picture!)
• click here to find the location of Ken McNaught on a map of Berlin.

Conversation 1: Im Café Einstein Kellnerin Guten Morgen! Ken McNaught Guten Morgen! Kellnerin Bitte schön? Was bekommen Sie? Ken McNaught Kaffee, bitte. Kellnerin Eine Tasse oder ein Kännchen? Ken McNaught Eine Tasse. Kellnerin Mit Milch und Zucker? Ken McNaught Mit Milch aber ohne Zucker. Kellnerin Möchten Sie sonst noch etwas? Ken McNaught Und ein Stück Sachertorte. Kellnerin (Sie kommt zurück.) Bitte sehr. Ein Stück Sachertorte, eine Tasse Kaffee. Ken McNaught Vielen Dank. Ich möchte gleich zahlen. Kellnerin Das macht neun Euro fünfzig, bitte. Ken McNaught Zehn Euro. Bitte schön. Stimmt so. Kellnerin Ich danke Ihnen. Ken McNaught Auf Wiedersehen! Kellnerin Auf Wiedersehen!

Café Einstein

Glossary das Café  The café  im Café  in the café die Kellnerin  waitress  bitte schön  This is essentially an invitation to speak. We might translate it by "What can I get you?" "Bitte" normally means "please". Was bekommen Sie?  "What can I get you?" This is one of many ways of asking in German what a customer wants. der Kaffee  coffee die Tasse cup das Kännchen  This is the word for a "pot" of coffee. In some cafés you might be required to order a pot of coffee rather than a cup. die Milch  milk der Zucker  sugar ohne  without  mit Milch aber ohne Zucker  "With milk but without sugar." As in English, the definite article is omitted in this context. Möchten Sie sonst noch etwas?  "Would you like anything else?" The waitress naturally uses the polite form "Sie" to address her customers. das Stück  a piece die Sachertorte This is a variety of chocolate gateau, invented in 1832 by Metternich's Viennese cook, Franz Sacher. See the picture at the top of the page or click here for a recipe. bitte sehr  This is a what the waitress says when she puts your food in front of you. We might possibly translate it by "There you go". (Sie kommt zurück)  (She comes back) vielen Dank  This means "Many thanks". It expresses more gratefulness than the word "danke". gleich  immediately  ich möchte gleich zahlen  I would like to pay immediately das macht...  "It comes to...". Literally: "This makes..." neun Euro fünfzig  nine euros fifty (cents) bitte schön Ken gives the waitress the money and thus uses the same phrase as she had done when she brought him the food. stimmt so  Literally: "(That's) correct like that". We would translate it by saying "Keep the change!" ich danke Ihnen  Literally: "I thank you." It is simply another variant of "Thanks!".

 Chapter 4.2: Conversation - At the snack bar

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