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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 3

Looking for the bakery

German · A1 beginner · 10 minutes · No signup

Download MP3 (6.9 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.

All episodes

Take them in order: each episode builds on the phrases before it. Every one is free to play, download, and read.

  1. Episode 1

    First coffee mix-up

    A1 beginner · 9 minutes

  2. Episode 2

    The name mix-up

    A1 beginner · 9 minutes

  3. Episode 3

    Looking for the bakery

    A1 beginner · 10 minutes · Playing on this page

  4. Episode 4

    Roommate breakfast

    A1 beginner · 9 minutes

  5. Episode 5

    The market bag

    A1 beginner · 10 minutes

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Episodes 1 to 5 are out in every language. See all free audio courses.

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How the lesson works

  1. 1

    Hear the scene

    A customer looking for a bakery asks a man who works on the street, and the pretzel sign turns out to be only a logo. First, you just listen for left or right.

  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

    Ask for the bakery and then a coffee shop from memory, say what you're looking for, then play the customer twice. 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 stop someone politely, ask where a place is, check whether it's on the left or the right, and say what you're looking for.

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

Phrases you’ll say

  • Entschuldigung, wo ist die Bäckerei?

    Excuse me, where is the bakery?

  • Entschuldigung, wo ist das Café?

    Excuse me, where is the coffee shop?

  • Links oder rechts?

    Left or right?

  • Das Schild mit der Brezel?

    The sign with the pretzel?

  • Ich suche Brot.

    I'm looking for bread.

Phrases you’ll recognize

  • Da vorne, neben dem kleinen Café.

    Up ahead, next to the small coffee shop.

  • Links. Sie sehen schon das rote Schild.

    Left. You can already see the red sign.

  • Genau. Aber das ist nur das Logo.

    Exactly. But that's just the logo.

  • Dann sind Sie dort richtig.

    Then you're in the right place.

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 3. Choose a time to play from there. “Your turn” marks a pause for you to speak; German is in bold.

Welcome

Sam: I can smell fresh bread. I just can't find where it's coming from.

Jonas: Then we ask someone. Welcome back to Copycat Cafe. I'm Jonas.

Sam: And I'm Sam.

Jonas: Sam and I are AI-generated voices. Today you'll learn to stop a stranger politely, ask where a place is, check left or right, and say what you're looking for. 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.

On the street

Jonas: Here's the whole scene. Sam is a customer looking for a bakery. She asks a man who works in a shop on the street. I'm that man. They're strangers, so they use Sie, the polite you. Listen for one thing: is the bakery on the left or on the right? Left is links. Right is rechts.

Sam: Entschuldigung, wo ist die Bäckerei?

Jonas: Da vorne, neben dem kleinen Café.

Sam: Links oder rechts?

Jonas: Links. Sie sehen schon das rote Schild.

Sam: Das Schild mit der Brezel?

Jonas: Genau. Aber das ist nur das Logo.

Sam: Gut, ich suche Brot, keine echte Brezel.

Jonas: Dann sind Sie dort richtig.

Jonas: So, is the bakery on the left or on the right? Say it in English or in German.

Your turn · 3.5-second pause

Jonas: On the left. Links. Up ahead, next to a small coffee shop. The bakery has a red sign.

Sam: And a pretzel on the sign. Which is only slightly confusing when you want bread.

Excuse me, where is it?

Jonas: Start with the polite way to stop someone: Entschuldigung. Excuse me. Copy it: Entschuldigung.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Jonas: Once more: Entschuldigung.

Your turn · 4-second pause

Jonas: Then the question: wo ist die Bäckerei? Where is the bakery? Wo ist, where is. Die Bäckerei, the bakery. Copy it: wo ist die Bäckerei?

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: Now together: Entschuldigung, wo ist die Bäckerei?

Your turn · 5.5-second pause

Up ahead, on the left

Jonas: The answer: da vorne, neben dem kleinen Café. Up ahead, next to the small coffee shop. Da vorne, up ahead. Neben, next to. Because it says where the bakery is, das Café becomes dem Café here. Just notice that. You don't need to say this line today. Here's a quick check. Da vorne. Is the bakery behind her, or up ahead? Say it in English.

Your turn · 3.5-second pause

Jonas: Up ahead. Then the customer checks: links oder rechts? Left or right? Copy it: links oder rechts?

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: He answers: links. Sie sehen schon das rote Schild. Left. You can already see the red sign. Sie sehen, you see. That's the polite Sie again, the same Sie the barista used in our first episode. Das Schild, the sign.

Sam: A red sign. I can work with that.

The pretzel sign

Jonas: The customer checks again: das Schild mit der Brezel? The sign with the pretzel? Mit, with. Die Brezel, the pretzel, becomes der Brezel after mit. Copy it: das Schild mit der Brezel?

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: He says: genau. Aber das ist nur das Logo. Exactly. But that's just the logo. Genau, exactly. You'll hear it everywhere in Germany. Copy it: genau.

Your turn · 3.5-second pause

Jonas: Then the customer: gut, ich suche Brot, keine echte Brezel. Good, I'm looking for bread, not a real pretzel. Ich suche, I'm looking for. Brot, bread. Keine, not a. Copy just this: ich suche Brot.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: And the last line: dann sind Sie dort richtig. Then you're in the right place. Richtig means right as in correct. The direction right was rechts.

Sam: So rechts is right, and richtig is right. Very tidy.

Ask for another place

Jonas: Wo ist works for other places too. A coffee shop is das Café. So: wo ist das Café? Where is the coffee shop? German has more than one word for the English word the. It's die Bäckerei, but das Café. Learn each place together with its own little word. Copy it: wo ist das Café?

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: Now without hearing the German first. Stop a stranger politely, and ask: where is the bakery?

Your turn · 6-second pause

Jonas: Entschuldigung, wo ist die Bäckerei? Now: excuse me, where is the coffee shop?

Your turn · 6-second pause

Jonas: Entschuldigung, wo ist das Café? Now say: I'm looking for bread.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: Ich suche Brot. And one more. Coffee is Kaffee, from our first episode. Say: I'm looking for coffee.

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: Ich suche Kaffee.

Sam: That one I'll need every morning.

Find the bakery

Jonas: Let's put it together. You're the customer. I work in the shop. Stop me politely, and ask where the bakery is.

Your turn · 6-second pause

Jonas: Da vorne, neben dem kleinen Café.

Jonas: Ask: left or right?

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: Links. Sie sehen schon das rote Schild.

Jonas: Check: the sign with the pretzel?

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: Genau. Aber das ist nur das Logo.

Jonas: Say: good, I'm looking for bread.

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: Dann sind Sie dort richtig.

Jonas: Here's one version of your part. Entschuldigung, wo ist die Bäckerei? Links oder rechts? Das Schild mit der Brezel? Gut, ich suche Brot. In the scene, the customer also added: keine echte Brezel. Not a real pretzel. 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: Entschuldigung, wo ist die Bäckerei?

Jonas: Da vorne, neben dem kleinen Café.

Sam: Links oder rechts?

Jonas: Links. Sie sehen schon das rote Schild.

Sam: Das Schild mit der Brezel?

Jonas: Genau. Aber das ist nur das Logo.

Sam: Gut, ich suche Brot, keine echte Brezel.

Jonas: Dann sind Sie dort richtig.

Your turn

Jonas: Now you're the customer again. Sam will stay quiet. This time, you want coffee, not bread. Stop me politely, and ask where the coffee shop is.

Your turn · 6-second pause

Jonas: Da vorne.

Jonas: Up ahead. Ask: left or right?

Your turn · 4.5-second pause

Jonas: Rechts.

Jonas: On the right. Say: good, I'm looking for coffee.

Your turn · 5-second pause

Jonas: Dann sind Sie dort richtig.

Jonas: Here's one version of your part. Entschuldigung, wo ist das Café? Links oder rechts? Gut, ich suche Kaffee.

Sam: Bread first, then coffee. That's a good morning.

Keep the phrases

Jonas: One last line from memory. Stop a stranger politely, and ask where the bakery is.

Your turn · 6-second pause

Jonas: Entschuldigung, wo ist die Bäckerei? Keep that question, and swap in another place, with its own little word, when you need one. You also have links oder rechts? and ich suche, for what you're looking for. You don't need every word from the scene today. Come back and try the gaps again. Next in the course, we're at home, making breakfast with not quite enough food. 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 Looking for the bakery. Tschüss!

Sam: Bye. I'm following the pretzel.

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About this episode

Episode 3 of the free Copycat Cafe German audio course. It’s adapted from “Looking for the bakery”, lesson 3 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, “Looking for the bakery” uses the same scene.

See how Copycat works