In a store, a simple question helps you find what you need. This workshop teaches you to ask where an item is and to understand a short reply about an aisle or a counter. You will read both the customer and staff roles aloud, choose the right reply, and then recall the exchange with the roles swapped. The recordings give you the exact lines to practice.
Asking Where Something Is
A direct question starts with the question word for where. You can ask about one item at a time. «Wo finde ich die Milch?» means the speaker wants to know the location of the milk. «Wo finde ich den Käse?» asks the same kind of question about the cheese. «Wo finde ich das Brot?» asks about the bread. A slightly more polite opening adds an apology or attention-getter before the question. «Entschuldigung, wo ist der Reis?» means the speaker first says excuse me, then asks where the rice is. Use the same pattern for other items you have learned. Keep your voice calm and let the question rise slightly at the end.
Understanding a Short Reply
A staff reply often names the item, then gives a place. «Die Milch ist in Gang 3, neben dem Käse.» means the milk is in aisle 3, next to the cheese. The reply repeats the item so you know which question is being answered. It then gives a numbered aisle and a nearby item. «Das Brot ist hinten, bei der Backwaren-Theke.» means the bread is in the back, at the bakery counter. Here the place is not a numbered aisle but a section of the store. Listen for the item first, then the location words. If you hear an aisle number, go to that aisle. If you hear a counter or the back, look for that area.
Following Up and Closing
After you understand the first reply, you can thank the person and ask about a second item. «Danke. Und wo finde ich das Brot?» means the speaker says thank you, then asks where the bread is. This keeps the exchange going without starting over. The staff member answers with a new location. «Das Brot ist hinten, bei der Backwaren-Theke.» gives that second answer. Notice that the customer asks one question, listens, thanks, and then asks the next question. The staff member answers each question in turn. Practice this order so the conversation stays clear.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Wo finde ich die Milch?
Where can I find the milk?
voh FIN-duh ikh dee milkh
Wo finde ich den Käse?
Where can I find the cheese?
voh FIN-duh ikh dayn KAY-zuh
Wo finde ich das Brot?
Where can I find the bread?
voh FIN-duh ikh dahs broht
Entschuldigung, wo ist der Reis?
Excuse me, where is the rice?
ent-SHOOL-dee-goong, voh ist dair rīs
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Entschuldigung, wo finde ich die Milch?
Excuse me, where can I find the milk?Die Milch ist in Gang 3, neben dem Käse.
The milk is in aisle 3, next to the cheese.Danke. Und wo finde ich das Brot?
Thank you. And where can I find the bread?Das Brot ist hinten, bei der Backwaren-Theke.
The bread is in the back, at the bakery counter.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided Store Exchange
You are a customer in a German store. You want milk first, then bread. A partner plays the staff member and reads the replies.
Your task: Read the customer lines aloud in order. First say «Entschuldigung, wo finde ich die Milch?». Wait for your partner to read «Die Milch ist in Gang 3, neben dem Käse.». Then say «Danke. Und wo finde ich das Brot?». Wait for your partner to read «Das Brot ist hinten, bei der Backwaren-Theke.». After you finish, swap roles and read the staff lines while your partner reads the customer lines.
Choose the Matching Reply
You hear a customer question and must choose the reply that matches it. The two possible replies are about milk and about bread.
Your task: Read the customer question «Entschuldigung, wo finde ich die Milch?». Then choose the correct staff reply from these two options: «Die Milch ist in Gang 3, neben dem Käse.» or «Das Brot ist hinten, bei der Backwaren-Theke.». Say your choice aloud. Next, read the customer line «Danke. Und wo finde ich das Brot?» and choose the correct staff reply from the same two options. Say your choice aloud.
Recall with Swapped Roles
Work with a partner. One person is the customer and one is the staff member. You will recall the full exchange from memory, then swap roles.
Your task: Customer: ask about milk using «Entschuldigung, wo finde ich die Milch?». Staff: give the milk location from «Die Milch ist in Gang 3, neben dem Käse.». Customer: thank the staff member and ask about bread using «Danke. Und wo finde ich das Brot?». Staff: give the bread location from «Das Brot ist hinten, bei der Backwaren-Theke.». After one full round, swap roles and repeat the same order.
Common questions
Can I practice alone if I do not have a partner?
Yes. Read the customer lines aloud, then use the recorded lines for the staff replies. Pause after each staff line and repeat it. Then read the staff lines aloud while imagining the customer questions. There is no automatic assessment, so check your own order against the answer keys.
What should I listen for first in a staff reply?
Listen for the item name first, because the reply repeats the item from your question. Then listen for the location, such as an aisle number or a counter. In «Die Milch ist in Gang 3, neben dem Käse.» the item is milk and the place is aisle 3. In «Das Brot ist hinten, bei der Backwaren-Theke.» the item is bread and the place is the bakery counter.
Sources and further reading
- german: ask where item is in storeChecked September 2026
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