Bite 5: Talking About Daily Routines in German

German in 100 bites by Dr. Mitar Pitzek

Bite 5:
Talking about daily routines in German
(A1 Level)

Innes Blog - Bite 5: Talking About Daily Routines in German

Before we begin

Did you know that Vienna has a long-standing tradition of leisurely coffeehouse culture, known as Kaffeehauskultur? In these traditional cafés, people don’t just sip coffee – they read, think, converse, and savor the experience of time itself. The Kaffeehaus is more than just a café; it’s a place to enjoy a slower pace, indulge in reflection, or chat with friends about life’s big ideas.

In fact, this rhythm of thoughtful pauses makes Kaffeehauskultur a unique part of daily life in Austria, inviting everyone to take a break and reflect. So, as you dive into learning how to talk about your daily routines in German, imagine how you’d describe your perfect Kaffeehaus moment – because language, like life, is best enjoyed one moment at a time!

Introduction

Hello there! Now that you’re comfortable telling time in German, let’s add another dimension and talk about daily routines. Being able to discuss your everyday activities gives you the chance to connect with others and share a bit of your life, from your morning habits to your evening unwinding rituals. This is practical for casual chats, and it’s also a great way to build vocabulary and practice sentence structure.

Step-by-Step Guide to Talking About Time

1. Key Vocabulary for Daily Activities

Here are some essential verbs and phrases to describe common daily activities. Try to remember these as they’ll be the building blocks for our lesson:

aufstehen – to get up
frühstücken – to have breakfast
zur Arbeit gehen – to go to work
Mittagessen essen – to have lunch
einen Kaffee trinken gehen – to have a coffee
nach Hause kommen – to come home
Abendessen essen – to have dinner
ins Bett gehen – to go to bed

Using these, you can start building simple sentences about your day!

Exercise 1:
Translate these sentences into German:

I get up at 7:00.
I have breakfast at 8:00.
At 3, I’m going to have a coffee
I go to bed at 10:00.

2. Talking About When Activities Happen

In German, you can use um…Uhr (at…o’clock) to specify the time something happens. You might remember this from talking about time in our last lesson, but now let’s apply it to routines.

Examples:

Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf. – I get up at 7:00.
Ich gehe um neun Uhr zur Arbeit. – I go to work at 9:00.

For activities that happen at general times of the day, you can use morgens (in the morning), nachmittags (in the afternoon), abends (in the evening), or nachts (at night).

Examples:

Ich frühstücke morgens. – I have breakfast in the morning.
Ich gehe abends spazieren. – I go for a walk in the evening.

Exercise 2:
Create sentences in German for these activities:

I have lunch at 12:00.
I come home in the evening.
I go for a walk in the morning.

3. Reflexive Verbs for Daily Routines

Some German verbs use reflexive pronouns (like mich or mir) when talking about routines, especially personal actions like getting dressed or washing up. Here are a few common ones:

sich anziehen – to get dressed
sich waschen – to wash oneself
sich die Zähne putzen – to brush one’s teeth

Examples:

Ich ziehe mich an. – I get dressed.
Ich putze mir die Zähne. – I brush my teeth.

Exercise 3:
Translate these sentences into German:

I get dressed in the morning.
I wash my face at night.
I brush my teeth after breakfast.

4. Building a Simple Routine

Now that you know the vocabulary and structure, you can combine activities to describe a full day. Here’s an example of a daily routine in German:

„Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf, dann frühstücke ich. Um acht Uhr gehe ich zur Arbeit. Ich esse um zwölf Uhr zu Mittag. Am Abend komme ich nach Hause und esse zu Abend. Danach sehe ich fern und gehe um zehn Uhr ins Bett.“

This translates to:
“I get up at 6:00, then I have breakfast. At 8:00 I go to work. I have lunch at 12:00. In the evening, I come home and have dinner. After that, I watch TV and go to bed at 10:00.”

Exercise 4:
Write your own daily routine in German, using at least three different activities.

5. Practice Makes Perfect!

Try talking through your day using these phrases. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to recall the verbs and vocabulary associated with each part of the day. Imagine a friend or colleague asking, “What’s a typical day like for you?” How would you respond?

And a little Tipp: Checking Your Knowledge with AI

Now that you’ve practiced creating sentences, why not double-check your work? Using AI tools like ChatGPT can be a great way to get feedback on your translations, grammar, or even pronunciation tips. Simply input your sentences and see how they’re structured in English or get suggestions to refine your phrasing. It’s like having a language coach on standby!

Bonus Tip from Dr. Pitzek

Making language learning a part of your daily routine can help it feel more natural, just like visiting your favorite Kaffeehaus. At the INNES Institute Vienna, our courses focus on real-life, conversational skills, so speaking German can become a seamless part of your everyday life. Join us to learn how to integrate German into your day, one step at a time!