Hostage Negotiations: Hostage: The TV Remote
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Key Phrases
Fernbedienung
Remote
Wechseln
To change
Etwas anderes
Something else
Skills You'll Learn
Identifying TV-related vocabulary
Fernsehbezogenes Vokabular erkennen
Expressing change
Veränderung ausdrücken
Requesting alternatives
Alternativen erfragen
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine two friends are having a playful argument about what to watch on TV. One of them is holding the remote control and insists on watching a documentary about moss, while the other is trying to avoid spoilers from a soap opera and suggests watching something else.
Leg die Fernbedienung hin, und wir tun alle so, als ob die Spoiler zur Seifenoper nicht passiert wären.
Put the remote down, and we'll all pretend the soap opera spoilers never happened.
Nein, wir werden meine Doku über Moos ansehen, sonst bleibt die Fernbedienung bei mir!
No, we're going to watch my documentary about moss, or the remote stays with me!
Nur eine Folge deiner Doku, dann geben wir das auch.
Just one episode of your documentary, then we'll call it even.
Es ist sehr interessant, du wirst es sehen. Moos ist nicht nur Grünzeug!
It's very interesting, you'll see. Moss is more than just greenery!
In Ordnung, eine Folge. Aber dann möchte ich den Kanal wechseln.
Alright, one episode. But then I want to change the channel.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Fernbedienung
fairn-buh-dee-noong
Remote
Hinlegen
hin-lay-ghen
To put down
💬 [hinlegen] is one of those verbs that often splits in a sentence: [Leg die Fernbedienung hin.] The [hin] moves to the end.
See breakdown →Tun
toon
To do
Als ob
ahlss awb
As if
💬 [als ob] is often followed by a full clause: [Er tut, als ob er schläft.] You use it when something only seems true, not when it really is.
See breakdown →Tun als ob
toon ahlss awb
To pretend
💬 This is a fixed expression for [to pretend]: [so tun, als ob ...]. In real sentences it usually grows into something longer, like [Tu nicht so, als ob du nichts weißt].
See breakdown →Spoiler
shpoi-luh
Spoilers
Seifenoper
zy-fen-oh-per
Soap opera
Passieren
pah-seer-en
To happen
Doku
doe-koo
Documentary
🇩🇪 [Doku] is the everyday short form people actually say for [Dokumentation]. It sounds casual and normal, not childish.
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
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