German · A1 · Family moment
Your Afternoon Routine in German
Use these simple German phrases to talk warmly about your child's afternoon routine. Use du, the familiar word for “you,” when speaking to your child.
What you'll learn
- Describe everyday afternoon activities in the present tense.
- Use common verbs with ich, du and wir.
- Recognize the special forms isst and liest.
- Distinguish between going home and being at home.
German phrases for your afternoon routine
Du gehst zu Fuß nach Hause.
You walk home.
Zu Fuß means “on foot”; nach Hause means “home” when describing where someone is going.
Ich arbeite zu Hause.
I work at home.
Use zu Hause for “at home.” Arbeite is the present-tense form of arbeiten with ich.
Du isst einen Snack.
You eat a snack.
Essen changes to isst with du. Der Snack becomes einen Snack here because it is what you eat.
Du machst deine Hausaufgaben.
You do your homework.
German uses machen, “to do/make,” with Hausaufgaben. Hausaufgaben is plural.
Dein Freund ruft an.
Your friend calls.
For a female friend, say: Deine Freundin ruft an. Anrufen means “to call” by phone; an goes at the end.
Du spielst Gitarre.
You play the guitar.
For playing an instrument generally, German commonly leaves out the article: Gitarre spielen.
Wir kochen das Abendessen.
We cook dinner.
With wir, kochen keeps the same form as the infinitive.
Du liest ein Buch.
You read a book.
Lesen changes to liest with du.
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
nach Hause
home; toward home
Use this with movement toward home, such as gehen.
zu Hause
at home
Use this to say where an activity takes place.
zu Fuß
on foot
Add this to gehen to make it clear that someone walks.
die Hausaufgaben
homework
Unlike English “homework,” this German word is plural.
anrufen
to call; to phone
A separable verb: Dein Freund ruft an.
das Abendessen
dinner; the evening meal
A noun for the meal eaten in the evening.
Present tense for everyday routines
German uses the present tense for regular activities. In a simple statement, put the subject first and the conjugated verb second.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I: ich | arbeiten → ich arbeite | Ich arbeite zu Hause. |
| You: du | machen → du machst | Du machst deine Hausaufgaben. |
| We: wir | kochen → wir kochen | Wir kochen das Abendessen. |
Common du forms
Many verbs take -st with du. Some common verbs also change their stem vowel, so learn these forms as small chunks.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| To go | gehen → du gehst | Du gehst zu Fuß nach Hause. |
| To play | spielen → du spielst | Du spielst Gitarre. |
| To eat: e changes to i | essen → du isst | Du isst einen Snack. |
| To read: e changes to ie | lesen → du liest | Du liest ein Buch. |
A separable verb: anrufen
In a simple present-tense statement, anrufen splits into two parts. The conjugated part comes second, and an goes at the end.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Your friend calls | anrufen → dein Freund ruft … an | Dein Freund ruft an. |
| You call | anrufen → du rufst … an | Du rufst an. |
More examples
Du isst einen Snack und liest ein Buch.
You eat a snack and read a book.
Und means “and.” You do not need to repeat du for the second activity.
Wir kochen zu Hause.
We cook at home.
Zu Hause tells us where the cooking happens.
Deine Freundin ruft an.
Your friend calls.
Use deine Freundin when the friend is female.