German · A2 · Family moment
Bath to Bed in German
Use gentle German phrases to guide your baby from bath time to bed. The words zuerst, dann, danach and zum Schluss make each step clear.
What you'll learn
- Describe a simple bath-to-bed routine.
- Sequence steps with zuerst, dann, danach and zum Schluss.
- Keep the conjugated verb in second position after a sequencing expression.
- Use common bedtime words and separable verbs.
German phrases for bath to bed
Zuerst legen wir dein Handtuch bereit.
First we get your towel ready.
Bereitlegen means to get something ready. Its prefix bereit goes at the end.
Dann prüfe ich das Badewasser.
Then I check the bath water.
Prüfen means to check. After dann, put the verb prüfe before ich.
Danach wasche ich dich ganz sanft.
After that I wash you gently.
Ganz sanft means very gently. Dich means you as the direct object.
Zum Schluss wickle ich dich in dein Handtuch.
Finally I wrap you in your towel.
Zum Schluss marks the last step of this part of the routine.
Zuerst ziehe ich dir eine saubere Windel an.
First I put a clean nappy on you.
Jemandem etwas anziehen means to put an item of clothing on someone. Dir refers to your baby.
Dann ziehen wir dir deinen Schlafanzug an.
Then we put on your pyjamas.
German uses the singular noun der Schlafanzug for a set of pyjamas.
Danach lese ich dir ein kleines Buch vor.
After that I read you a little book.
Vorlesen means to read aloud. Dir tells us who is being read to.
Zum Schluss lege ich dich in dein Babybett.
Finally I put you in your cot.
Legen means to lay or put someone down. Babybett is a clear word for a baby's cot.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
zuerst
first
Introduces the first step.
dann
then
Introduces the next step.
danach
after that
Connects a step to what happened just before it.
zum Schluss
finally; at the end
Introduces the final step.
das Handtuch
the towel
Dein Handtuch means your towel.
das Badewasser
the bath water
Written as one word in German.
die Windel
the nappy; the diaper
Eine saubere Windel means a clean nappy.
der Schlafanzug
the pyjamas
A singular noun in German, although pyjamas is plural in English.
das Babybett
the cot; the crib
A bed for a baby.
sanft
gentle; gently
Use sanft to describe a soft, gentle action.
Sequencing expressions and verb-second order
In a German statement, the conjugated verb comes in second position. When a sequencing expression comes first, the subject follows the verb. Zum Schluss contains two words but fills just one position.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| First | Zuerst + verb + subject + rest | Zuerst legen wir dein Handtuch bereit. |
| Then | Dann + verb + subject + rest | Dann prüfe ich das Badewasser. |
| After that | Danach + verb + subject + rest | Danach wasche ich dich ganz sanft. |
| Finally | Zum Schluss + verb + subject + rest | Zum Schluss lege ich dich in dein Babybett. |
Separable verbs in the routine
Some German verbs have a detachable prefix. In these present-tense statements, the conjugated part stays in second position and the prefix goes at the end.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bereitlegen — to get ready | wir legen … bereit | Zuerst legen wir dein Handtuch bereit. |
| anziehen — to put on | ich ziehe … an | Zuerst ziehe ich dir eine saubere Windel an. |
| vorlesen — to read aloud | ich lese … vor | Danach lese ich dir ein kleines Buch vor. |
More examples
Ich prüfe das Badewasser. Dann prüfe ich das Badewasser.
I check the bath water. Then I check the bath water.
Compare the word order: when dann comes first, ich moves after prüfe.
Zuerst ziehen wir dir deinen Schlafanzug an. Danach lese ich dir ein Buch vor.
First we put on your pyjamas. After that I read you a book.
The sequencing words come first; the separable prefixes an and vor come last.