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Learn languages by copying everyday conversations.

Free German audio course

Learn by copying everyday conversations.

Hear a short scene, understand the useful phrases, copy them out loud, then try your own answers in the pauses.

Episode 1

First coffee mix-up

German · A1 beginner · 9 minutes · No signup

Download MP3 (6.2 MB) Read the transcript

Free to play, download, and read, with no account or email needed.

Voices are AI-generated. Jonas, the teacher, and Sam, the learner, are fictional characters.

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Each free audio course will follow the 200 everyday conversations of our app, from A1 to B2. Episodes come out one at a time.

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How the lesson works

  1. 1

    Hear the scene

    Nora, a new customer at a café in Germany, nearly takes the wrong drink. First, you just listen for one word.

  2. 2

    Understand the useful phrases

    Jonas explains each phrase in English, only as much as helps your next try.

  3. 3

    Copy them out loud

    Say each phrase in the pause after you hear it. Copy the sound and rhythm before worrying about grammar.

  4. 4

    Try your answers

    Introduce yourself from memory, swap coffee for tea, then play Nora. A spoken answer follows every pause, so you can compare.

Missed an answer? Keep listening. The words come back, and you don’t need to touch the screen once the episode is playing.

After this episode

You can say good morning, say you’re new, give your name, ask “and you?” politely, and check that a drink is yours.

Level A1. Written for adult English speakers starting German. You don’t need any German to begin.

Phrases you’ll say

  • Guten Morgen! Ich bin neu hier.

    Good morning! I'm new here.

  • Ja, ich bin Nora.

    Yes, I'm Nora.

  • Und Sie?

    And you? (polite)

  • Das ist mein Kaffee?

    That's my coffee?

  • Das ist mein Tee?

    That's my tea?

Phrases you’ll recognize

  • Willkommen! Sind Sie Nora?

    Welcome! Are you Nora?

  • Ich bin Ben. Ich bin der Barista.

    I'm Ben. I'm the barista.

  • Fast. Das ist Tee.

    Almost. That's tea.

  • Ihr Kaffee ist hier.

    Your coffee is here.

Listening with your screen off

The download is the most reliable way. Save the MP3 and play it offline in any audio app. Your browser puts it with your other downloads (on iPhone, in the Files app).

Playing from this page can keep going when you lock your phone, depending on your phone and browser. Some pause when you switch apps or close the tab. If yours does, use the download.

The speaking pauses are optional. If you’re driving, keep your attention on the road: just listen, or skip the speaking parts. The episode says the same.

Transcript

Every word of Episode 1. Choose a time to play from there. “Your turn” marks a pause for you to speak; German is in bold.

Welcome

Sam: I need coffee. Badly. And the barista only speaks German.

Jonas: Then this is the lesson for you. Welcome to Copycat Cafe. I'm Jonas.

Sam: And I'm Sam. Not awake yet.

Jonas: One more thing before we start: Sam and I are AI-generated voices. By the end, you'll be able to say good morning in German, say you're new, give your name, ask and you?, and check that you've got the right drink. Listen first. Copy the sound. Then try the words for yourself. We'll leave space for you to speak.

Jonas: If you miss an answer, let it go. You'll hear the words again. You don't need to rewind or look at a screen. If you're driving, keep your attention on the road and skip the speaking exercises.

At the café

Jonas: Here's the whole scene. Sam is Nora, a new customer at a coffee shop in Germany. I'm Ben, the barista. Just listen for one word: Kaffee. Coffee.

Sam: Guten Morgen! Ich bin neu hier.

Jonas: Willkommen! Sind Sie Nora?

Sam: Ja, ich bin Nora. Und Sie?

Jonas: Ich bin Ben. Ich bin der Barista.

Sam: Ah, und das ist mein Kaffee?

Jonas: Fast. Das ist Tee. Ihr Kaffee ist hier.

Sam: Gut, dann bin ich jetzt richtig wach.

Jonas: Gut, dann bleibt der Tee hier.

Say good morning

Sam: I nearly took the tea. On my first morning.

Jonas: Let's make sure that doesn't happen to you. Start with: guten Morgen. Good morning. Copy it.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Jonas: Then Nora says: ich bin neu hier. I'm new here. Ich bin, I am. Neu, new. Hier, here. Copy just this part: ich bin.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Jonas: Now the whole line: ich bin neu hier.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: And together: guten Morgen! Ich bin neu hier.

Your turn · 5.5-second pause

Give your name

Jonas: Ben answers: willkommen! Welcome. Then he asks: sind Sie Nora? Are you Nora? Sie with a capital S is the polite you, for a customer or someone you don't know. You don't need to say that one. Just recognise it. Sind Sie Nora?

Jonas: Nora says: ja, ich bin Nora. Yes, I'm Nora. Copy it: ja, ich bin Nora.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: Then she turns it back to him: und Sie? And you? Copy it: und Sie?

Your turn · 4-second pause

Jonas: Now both together: ja, ich bin Nora. Und Sie?

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: Ben replies: ich bin Ben. Ich bin der Barista. I'm Ben. I'm the barista. Here's a quick check. Ich bin der Barista. What's Ben's job? Say it in English.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Jonas: He's the barista. Same word in English.

Sam: Finally, an easy one.

Check your drink

Jonas: Now the important part. Nora points at a cup: ah, und das ist mein Kaffee? Ah, and that's my coffee? Das ist, that is. Mein Kaffee, my coffee. In German, you can make it a question just by letting your voice rise. Copy it: das ist mein Kaffee?

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: Once more. Das ist mein Kaffee?

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: Ben says: fast. Das ist Tee. Ihr Kaffee ist hier. Almost. That's tea. Your coffee is here. In German, fast means almost. It has nothing to do with speed. Here's a quick check. Das ist Tee. Is the first cup coffee or tea? Say it in English.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Jonas: Tea. And Ihr Kaffee ist hier. Your coffee is here. Ihr with a capital I is the polite your.

Swap the drink

Sam: What if I actually wanted the tea?

Jonas: Then change one word. Das ist mein Tee? That's my tea? Copy it.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: Now without hearing the German first. Ask: that's my coffee?

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: Das ist mein Kaffee? Now ask: that's my tea?

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: Das ist mein Tee? One question, two drinks. That little switch matters: copying gives you a starting point you can change.

Jonas: The scene ends with two lines just to listen to. Nora: gut, dann bin ich jetzt richtig wach. Good, then I'm properly awake now. And Ben: gut, dann bleibt der Tee hier. Good, then the tea stays here. Notice that after dann, the verb comes straight next: dann bin ich. You don't need to say these today.

Sam: Properly awake. That's ambitious.

Your first coffee

Jonas: Let's put it together. You're Nora. I'll be Ben. Say good morning, and say you're new here.

Your turn · 5.5-second pause

Jonas: Willkommen! Sind Sie Nora?

Jonas: Say yes, you're Nora. And ask: and you?

Your turn · 5.5-second pause

Jonas: Ich bin Ben. Ich bin der Barista.

Jonas: Nora sees a cup on the counter. Ask: that's my coffee?

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: Fast. Das ist Tee. Ihr Kaffee ist hier.

Jonas: Here's one version of your part. Guten Morgen! Ich bin neu hier. Ja, ich bin Nora. Und Sie? Das ist mein Kaffee? If you missed a step, that's fine. These gaps are for practice, not a test.

Listen again

Jonas: Let's hear the original scene again. No explanations this time. Notice which bits you recognise.

Sam: Guten Morgen! Ich bin neu hier.

Jonas: Willkommen! Sind Sie Nora?

Sam: Ja, ich bin Nora. Und Sie?

Jonas: Ich bin Ben. Ich bin der Barista.

Sam: Ah, und das ist mein Kaffee?

Jonas: Fast. Das ist Tee. Ihr Kaffee ist hier.

Sam: Gut, dann bin ich jetzt richtig wach.

Jonas: Gut, dann bleibt der Tee hier.

Your turn

Jonas: Now you're the new customer again. Sam will stay quiet. Same steps as before, but this time, you want the tea. Say good morning, and say you're new here.

Your turn · 5.5-second pause

Jonas: Willkommen! Sind Sie Nora?

Jonas: Say yes, you're Nora, and ask: and you?

Your turn · 5.5-second pause

Jonas: Ich bin Ben. Ich bin der Barista.

Jonas: Ask: that's my tea?

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: Ja, das ist Ihr Tee.

Jonas: Yes, that's your tea. Here's one version of your part: Guten Morgen! Ich bin neu hier. Ja, ich bin Nora. Und Sie? Das ist mein Tee?

Sam: I introduced myself, asked a question, and got the right drink. I'll call that progress.

Keep the phrases

Jonas: One last line from memory. Say: good morning, I'm new here.

Your turn · 5.5-second pause

Jonas: Guten Morgen! Ich bin neu hier. Keep that line, and the question das ist mein Kaffee? You heard them, copied them, and changed the drink. You don't need every word from the scene today. Come back and try the gaps again. This is the free Copycat Cafe audio course. The optional paid app adds pronunciation feedback and conversations that respond to you. Today's matching lesson is First coffee mix-up. Tschüss!

Sam: Tschüss! And yes, now I'm properly awake.

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About this episode

Episode 1 of the free Copycat Cafe German audio course. It’s adapted from “First coffee mix-up”, lesson 1 of our German course.

Jonas and Sam are fictional characters with AI-generated voices. The music is original.

Want feedback on your pronunciation?

The free course gives you the phrases, the pauses, and an answer to compare with. It can’t hear you. The Copycat Cafe app is a paid app that adds a pronunciation score on every word you say, and conversations with Copy, your AI conversation partner, that respond to what you actually say. In the app, “First coffee mix-up” uses the same scene.

See how Copycat works