Learn German A1 – Lesson 6: My flat
This is lesson 6 of the A1 German series on the OK+ channel, and its subject is My flat. It is built for someone starting from nothing who wants to use what they learn the same day, rather than collect rules that help neither in the street nor at the office.
The grammar it works on is Komposita · Wohnungswortschatz. This page carries the rule explained, the fifteen words of the lesson, example sentences and an exercise for today.
Komposita · Wohnungswortschatz
German builds one word out of two and writes them joined, so Kühlschrank is a single word made of kühl and der Schrank. The golden rule is that the last part decides both the gender and the meaning: the word is a cupboard, not a coolness, and it takes the article of der Schrank. Once this rule is yours, the long words that frighten beginners become the easiest thing in the language, because you take them apart instead of memorising them.
Compound words from daily life
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| kühl + der Schrank = der Kühlschrank | the fridge |
| schlafen + das Zimmer = das Schlafzimmer | the bedroom |
| waschen + die Maschine = die Waschmaschine | the washing machine |
| das Haus + der Schlüssel = der Hausschlüssel | the house key |
| das Haus + die Ordnung = die Hausordnung | the house rules |
| die Miete + der Vertrag = der Mietvertrag | the tenancy contract |
The fifteen words of this lesson
| Deutsch | English |
|---|---|
| die Wohnung | the flat |
| das Zimmer | the room |
| die Küche | the kitchen |
| das Bad | the bathroom |
| das Schlafzimmer | the bedroom |
| das Wohnzimmer | the living room |
| der Flur | the hallway |
| der Balkon | the balcony |
| die Miete | the rent |
| der Vermieter | the landlord |
| der Kühlschrank | the fridge |
| der Schrank | the cupboard |
| das Bett | the bed |
| der Tisch | the table |
| der Stuhl | the chair |
Example sentences
- Meine Wohnung hat drei Zimmer. — My flat has three rooms.
- Der Kühlschrank steht in der Küche. — The fridge is in the kitchen.
- Die Miete ist hoch. — The rent is high.
- Das Schlafzimmer ist klein. — The bedroom is small.
- Wir haben einen Balkon. — We have a balcony.
Today's exercise
Walk through your home naming every room and every piece of furniture aloud in German, then tape a small slip to each door with the room name and its article. Then find three compound words among them and take each apart. Your home is the most effective vocabulary notebook, because you pass through it every day.
How to study this lesson
- Watch the lesson once end to end without stopping, to get the shape of it
- Watch it again, pausing at every new word and saying it aloud
- Write the fifteen words out by hand — writing fixes them better than reading
- Use three of the sentences the same day, even if only to yourself
- Do not move on until you can recall this vocabulary without looking
Where this lesson sits in the series
The series is twelve lessons in a deliberate order: each builds on the grammar and the vocabulary of the one before it. This is lesson 6 of twelve. Do not skip between them — skipping is the first cause of stalling at A1.
Frequently asked questions
Where does a compound word get its article?
Always from its final part. der Schrank gives der Kühlschrank; das Zimmer gives das Schlafzimmer.
Is there a limit to how long compounds get?
None in theory; German allows three and four parts. The remedy is always the same: read from the end backwards.
What is the difference between Wohnung and Haus?
die Wohnung is a flat inside a building; das Haus is a house of its own.
What should I read first in a tenancy contract?
The rent and what it includes (Nebenkosten), and the notice period. That is a legal matter to check in the contract text itself.
Watch the video
The video is on the OK+ channel on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02fQgaYHZKo
Also on OK+
- Learn German A1 – Lesson 5: My day
- Learn German A1 – Lesson 7: In the town
- Fifty German verbs – part one
A tool that shortens the road
The OK Plus DE app gathers German administrative calculators and form templates in one place, free, ad-free, in seven languages. Android and iPhone, from the same page:
Get the OK Plus DE app
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تابع قناة OK+ على واتساب
كل جديد عن الحياة في ألمانيا: الطلبات، والقوانين، والفرص — أولاً بأوّل.
