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中文Daily story · Die schwarze Katze · A1 · Chapter 1 of 20
Die Katze vor der Tür The cat at the door
Before you read
Lena has just moved to Marburg, an old university town in Germany, to study. It is her first morning in her new flat. Look at the title: someone is at the door.
Touch a word for its meaning; tap a sentence for its translation.
Ich bin Lena. I'm Lena.
Ich bin Studentin. I'm a student.
Am Morgen esse ich Brot. In the morning I eat bread.
Ich trinke auch Kaffee. I drink coffee too.
Vor der Tür ist eine Katze. There's a cat in front of the door.
Die Katze ist schwarz. The cat is black.
„Hallo. Wer bist du?“ "Hello. Who are you?"
Die Katze sagt nichts. The cat says nothing.
Im Maul hat die Katze einen kleinen Zettel. In its mouth the cat has a small piece of paper.
Auf dem Zettel ist eine Drei. On the paper there's a three.
„Drei? Was ist das?“ "Three? What is this?"
Die Katze ist gegangen. The cat has gone.
The words glossed, the English for each sentence, the notes and the questions.
New words in this chapter
- Studentin die Studentin, Studentinnen — student (a woman)
- Morgen der Morgen, Morgen — morning
- essen — to eat
- Brot das Brot, Brote — bread
- trinken — to drink
- Kaffee der Kaffee — coffee
- Tür die Tür, Türen — door
- Katze die Katze, Katzen — cat
- schwarz — black
- Maul das Maul, Mäuler — mouth (of an animal)
- klein — small
- Zettel der Zettel, Zettel — slip of paper, note
Grammar notes
Ich bin Studentin. — I'm a student.
No article before a job or role after sein: Ich bin Studentin, not eine Studentin. The ending -in makes the word feminine: Student, Studentin.
Am Morgen esse ich Brot. — In the morning I eat bread.
The verb comes second in a German statement. When something else comes first (Am Morgen), the subject moves behind the verb: esse ich.
Im Maul hat die Katze einen kleinen Zettel. — In its mouth the cat has a small piece of paper.
Einen kleinen Zettel is the object of hat, so it is in the accusative: der Zettel becomes einen Zettel, and klein takes -en.
Questions
Read the story, then try these.
Summary (try reading it in German first)
On Lena's first morning a black cat sits at her door with a small piece of paper in its mouth. On it is the number three. Then the cat walks away.
Make a free account and the next chapter comes each morning, at your level and your pace.