At the Department Store
A German lesson about shopping in Germany
Print this page (without ads)
Galeries Lafayette: Ein Kaufhaus in Berlin.
Foto: Hyde Flippo
Now let's look at some typical departments or sections (Abteilungen) you would find in a German Kaufhaus. But first, a little background on German department stores.
Some well-known German department store names include Galeria Kaufhof, Hertie (short for founder Hermann Tietz, her-tie), Karstadt, Peek &
Cloppenburg and Wertheim. (But Karstadt AG owns KaDeWe and also operates stores under the names Hertie, Karstadt and Wertheim.) The French Galeries Lafayette has a large, modern department store in Berlin and the British Marks & Spencer recently opened its first department store in Germany, in
Cologne (Köln). The now defunct American chain Woolworth is still a well-known brand in Germany, with stores all across the country. The American discount chain Wal-Mart has also established a presence in Germany over the last few years.
Most historians claim the Magasin au Bon Marché in Paris was the world's first department store (1852). But US department stores such as Macy's in New York (1858) and Marshall Field in Chicago (1865) were also early pioneers. By 1900 there were department stores in every large US and Canadian city. The first German Kaufhäuser appeared in Berlin and Hamburg around 1904, although the stores they elvolved from were founded earlier than that. The two German words for "department store" - das Kaufhaus and das Warenhaus - are interchangeable, but Kaufhaus is used more. Do not confuse the English word "warehouse" with Warenhaus! A warehouse is das Lagerhaus or die Lagerhalle in German.
You should study this page and its related content (pop-ups, glossaries), as well as try the exercises on the next page (17.3).
Abteilungen
Departments/Sections Typical departments found
in a German Kaufhaus
Click on a department to see typical items.
Deutsch Englisch
Bett- und Tischwäsche Bed and Table Linen Bettwaren und Matratzen Beds and Mattresses
Bücher Books
Bürobedarf/Schreibwaren Office Supplies/Stationery For related vocabulary: Im Büro
Babyartikel/Babymode Baby Things - Baby Fashions Computer & Software Computer & Software
For related vocabulary: Computer & Internet Glossary
Damenmode Ladies' Fashions
For related vocabulary: Clothing/Fashion
Eltekro-Großgeräte Large Electrical Appliances Elektro-Kleingeräte Small Electrical Appliances
Foto - Filme Photo - Film
Haushaltswaren - Glas, Porzellan Household - Glass, Porcelain
Herrenmode Men's Clothing
Kindermode Children's Clothing
Lebensmittel Groceries
Restaurant Restaurant
For related vocabulary: Food & Drink
Schuhe Shoes
Spielwaren Toys
Sportswear Sportswear
Tonträger - CD - DVD/Video Recordings - CDs - DVD/Video TV - Video - Hifi TV - Video - Hi-Fi
Uhren/Schmuck Watches/Jewelry
Click on a department to see typical items.
Other Departments not listed above: Autozubehör (auto accessories), Bademoden (swimwear), Geschenkartikel (gifts), Lederwaren (leather apparel), Lampen/Glühbirnen (lamps, lightbulbs), Parfümerie (perfumes), Tabakwaren (tobacco shop), Gardinen und Zubehör (curtains and fixtures), Berufskleidung (work clothes, uniforms), Süßwaren (confectionery), Telekommunikation
(telecommunication)
Below is a graphic of an imaginary Kaufhaus showing various floors and eine Abteilung located on each floor. The diagram also indicates the German floor numbering system (DE) compared to the US. (The letter E stands for das Erdgeschoss, the ground floor, also called das Parterre.) There are two common words for "floor" or "story" in German: the French- based die Etage (like das Parterre) and the Germanic der Stock/das Stockwerk. Most German department stores seem to prefer the French version. In the examples, notice how German says phrases like ―on the fifth floor‖ or ―to the second floor.‖
Another term used for floors is das Obergeschoss. The second floor, for example, is sometimes called das zweite Obergeschoss. Any floor above the Erdgeschoss is an
Obergeschoss. A basement floor below the Erdgeschoss is called an Untergeschoss
(subfloor). To say "on the second subfloor" you would say "im zweiten Untergeschoss." Study the sample questions and answers (in German and English) next to the diagram, so that you can answer similar questions in the exercises that follow. If you need to review your ordinal numbers (first, second, etc. for the floors), see Lektion 12. All answers are based on
the diagram and use the German floor system.
Frage: In welcher Etage befindet sich die Spielwaren-
Abteilung?
Antwort: Die Spielwaren-Abteilung ist in der 3.
(dritten) Etage.
Q: On which floor is the Toy Department located? A: The Toy Department is on the third floor.
F: In welche Etage muss ich hingehen, um eine Bluse zu
kaufen?
A: Gehen Sie in die 1. (erste) Etage. Dort finden Sie
Damenmode.
Q: Which floor do I have to go to in order to buy a
blouse?
A: Go to the first floor. That's where you'll find Ladies'
Clothing.
(Note that this would be called the 2nd floor in the US!) F: Wo kann ich einen Rechner kaufen?
A: Die Computer-Abteilung ist in der 6. (sechsten)
Etage/im 6. Stock.
Q: Where can I buy a computer?
A: The Computer Department is on the sixth floor.
F: Wo ist das Restaurant?
A: Es ist ist ganz oben in der 7. (siebten) Etage/im 7. Stock.
Q: Where is the restaurant?
A: It's all the way at the top on the seventh floor.
F: Wo kauft man Parfum/Parfüm? A: Das findet man im Erdgeschoss.
Q: Where can one buy perfume?
A: That's on the ground floor. (First floor in the US.)
Although our graphic doesn't show it, German department stores often have one or more floors below the ground. Sometimes the English/French word Basement is used, but more often the floors below the ground level are referred to as...
1. Untergeschoss (erstes/1.U) = first subfloor
2. Untergeschoss (zweites/2.U) = 2nd subfloor
3. Untergeschoss (drittes/3.U) = 3rd subfloor
...in which the ground level (Erdgeschoss) is "zero" and each floor below that is 1, 2, 3, etc., with 3 below 2. This floor naming system is also used in parking garages (Parkhäuser) that have levels below ground.
The Dative of Interest
German has a dative construction that is similar to the English ―I'm going to buy myself a computer.‖ - In German, the dative reflexive form can be used with the verbs kaufen (buy) and anschaffen (acquire, get) to indicate for whom something is being bought: myself, himself, themselves, etc. Here are some examples:
Er kauft sich einen Hut. - He's buying himself a hat.
Wir wollen uns ein neues Auto anschaffen. - We want to get ourselves a new car. Ich kaufe mir eine Krawatte. - I'm buying myself a tie.
Habt ihr euch einen neuen Kühlschrank gekauft? - Did you guys buy yourselves a new refrigerator?
Kaufst du dir ein Buch? - Are you buying yourself a book? Dative Reflexive Prounouns
ich - mir du - dir er - sich sie - sich es - sich wir - uns ihr - euch sie - sich Sie - sich