This episode of Coffee Break German introduces the verbs sein and haben and how they are used in the past. In fact, these verbs use a different tense, the Präteritum, or “imperfect” as it is often referred to in English. You’ll learn to conjugate the imperfect of sein and haben and how to use it in a variety of situations.
CBI 2.17 | Abbiamo visto tutto!
In this episode of Coffee Break Italian, we’re continuing to learn about the Perfect Tense, this time focusing on verbs which have irregular past participles. You’ll learn to form past participles for irregular verbs and you’ll also learn about the groupings of irregular verbs which form their past participles in similar ways.
Listen to the episode
The audio lesson is free, as are all the main audio lessons of Coffee Break Italian. Use the audio player to listen to the lesson, or subscribe in iTunes to receive this lesson and all future lessons automatically. If you can’t see the player below, click here to access the lesson.
Accessing the Premium Version
The premium version of Coffee Break Italian provides additional materials which will help you move forward more effectively with your Italian studies.
The premium version includes the following elements:
- video flashcards: listen to each lesson and see the words and phrases covered in the lesson displayed on the screen of your computer, phone or tablet (mp4 format);
- bonus audio materials: use our review lessons to practise the language covered in the main lesson, and to pick up some useful bonus vocabulary (mp3 format);
- comprehensive lesson notes: study the language of each lesson in greater detail and access additional information about the Italian language (pdf format).
The members’ version can be accessed on the Coffee Break Academy.
Subscribe links
Subscribe in iTunes | RSS Feed | Purchase members’ audio and transcripts
CBG 2.17 | Ich habe die Hausaufgaben nicht gemacht, weil der Hund sie gefressen hat
In this episode we’re focusing on the use of weil with the Perfect Tense and you’ll be learning to give excuses as to why you arrived late and why you haven’t done your homework!
CBG 2.16 | Schokolade schmeckt vielen Leuten
In this lesson we’re looking further at the dative case and specifically at verbs which need the dative like geben, schicken, schenken, antworten and helfen. You’ll also be learning to use the dative forms of the personal pronouns.
CBC 1.20 | Zhǐnéng fù xiànjīn
This lesson marks the end of the first half of the Coffee Break Chinese Season 1 course, and we’re taking the opportunity to review much of the vocabulary and structures learned in the first 20 lessons through a series of conversations in different situations.
CBI 2.16 | Abbiamo imparato molto!
It’s time to think about the past. We’ve already seen examples of the Perfect Tense, one of the main Italian tenses used to talk about what happened in the past, but so far we’ve not learned exactly how to use it. In this lesson you’ll be learning to form the past participle of -are, -ere and -ire verbs and how you combine these with the verb avere to form the Perfect Tense.
CBC 1.19 | Qǐng gěi wǒ yì zhāng qù Guìlín de huǒchēpiào
In this lesson of Coffee Break Chinese you’ll be learning about train travel in China. You’ll learn to book your tickets in advance and request the particular type of ticket and seat you require. There’s also a cultural segment about travel in China.
CBG 2.15 | Mark fragt, ob Heidelberg schön ist
This lesson focuses on the topic of asking questions, both “open” questions using the W Fragewörter, and more closed questions which are more likely be answered by ja or nein. You’ll learn to ask questions using various words, all of which begin with the letter W, and you’ll also learn to use reported speech involving questions. Julia is back with another Kulturbeitrag in which she talks about celebrating birthdays in Germany.
CBI 2.15 | Adoro il calcio – ci penso giorno e notte
In this lesson we’re continuing our study of ne and introducing a new pronoun, ci. Both of these words are small, but exceptionally useful, and you’ll learn how to use them in many situations.
CBG 2.14 | Mark hat bemerkt, dass diese Lektion schwierig ist
Learn how to gossip in German! In this lesson we’ll be looking at reported speech and how this works with dass. You’ll learn how to say who said what to whom, of course using the correct grammatical constructions.
Episode 8 – Coffee Break Conversations
In this episode of Coffee Break Conversations, Mark is joined by Tetsu Yung, one of the organisers of the Langfest conference taking place next weekend in Montreal. Mark’s presenting at the conference and Tetsu shares more information about Langfest, a celebration of languages and language-learning.
To find out more about Langfest, visit the official site here.
CBC 1.18 | Zuò dìtiè èrshí fēnzhōng
In this lesson of Coffee Break Chinese we’re looking at the topic of getting around the town. You’ll develop your range of vocabulary for asking for directions – and understanding the answers – and you’ll learn more vocabulary and structures to help you deal with public transport in China.
CBI 2.14 | Abbiamo delle belle mele rosse
In this lesson we’ll be looking at the partitive article – the technical name for how to translate “some” in Italian. We’re using the context of buying food so you’ll learn how to ask for some cheese, del formaggio, some cream, della panna, and lots more. This topic also enables us to look at the word ne, and we’ll see how easy it is to use this tiny, but powerful, word.
CBG 2.13 | Wie viel Schokolade isst du jede Woche?
In this episode of Coffee Break German we’ll be learning how to translate “much”, “many”, “some”, “few”, and lots more quantifying words – something learners often find difficult. By the end of this lesson you’ll be able to talk confidently in German using the words viel(e), wenig(e), etwas, manche, and say how much chocolate you eat, how many glasses of water you drink, or how many portions of fruit you have.
CBC 1.17 | Bówùguǎn jǐ diǎn kāimén? – Tourist information in Chinese
In this episode of Coffee Break Chinese you’ll learn to ask questions in the tourist information office or at your hotel. We take the time topic further by looking at more complex times like “half past” and “quarter to”, and we also cover opening and closing times. By the end of this lesson you’ll be able to ask questions like “what can you do here?” and say what you’d like to visit, and you’ll understand the Mandarin responses you may hear in reply. This is the perfect lesson to study before a trip to China!
CBI 2.13 | Questo libro è in italiano, ma quello è in francese
In this lesson you’ll learn to use the demonstrative adjectives questo and quello, meaning “this” and “that”. You’ll also learn to use the demonstrative pronoun forms, meaning “this one” and “that one”. There are a few things you need to remember, particularly with quello, because the forms change slightly depending on whether you’re using the adjective or pronoun forms. You’ll build on what you know already with this lesson, and there’s further practise with the help of translations and a dialogue.
CBG 2.12 | Ich denke, dass Deutsch eine wunderbare Sprache ist!
In this lesson of Coffee Break German we’ll be taking the dass structures a stage further and looking at other verbs which can be used in this context. You’ll learn to use a number of verbs with this structure and you’ll also learn some important rules involving grammar and word order.
CBC 1.16 | Xiǎngyào mǎi shénme? – Shopping in Chinese
This episode of Coffee Break Chinese focuses on the topic of shopping. You’ll learn to say that you’d like to buy souvenirs, postcards, stamps and lots more. You’ll also learn to say that you’re just looking. By the end of this lesson you’ll be ready to shop for souvenirs and other useful items on your trip to China. If you use our bonus materials, there’s also a special conversation in the bonus lesson which will teach you to haggle in Chinese to make sure you get the best price in a Chinese market!
CBI 2.12 | Che belle scarpe e che bell’orologio!
Paying compliments is a key part of Italian culture and society, and in this lesson of Coffee Break Italian you’ll learn to compliment native speakers on their beautiful clothes, their delicious ragù, and their delightful children using the tricky adjectives bello and buono. You’ll discover a trick which will help you to know exactly which form of these adjectives to choose for any noun, and Francesca explains the very Italian concept of la bella figura in the Caffè Culturale.
CBG 2.11 | Ich möchte, dass du das Fenster öffnest
In this lesson we’ll be covering the topic of subordinate clauses. That sounds more complicated than it is! Basically this lesson will teach you how to make requests in German and tell people what you’d like them to do – or not do! Julia is back with another Cultural Correspondent segment and in this episode she’s talking about rules and regulations in German-speaking areas.
