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How to Say ‘You explained the scanner to me.’ in German

Du hast mir den Scanner erklärt.

doo hahst meer DEHN SKEN-er er-KLAIRT

[doo hahst meer DEHN SKEN-er er-KLAIRT]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Colleagues in many German workplaces use du, especially in teams and younger offices. Follow whatever your coworker uses with you.

Phrase Breakdown

Du hast mir

doo hahst meer

You (have) to me

This is the start of a past-tense sentence. 'mir' means 'to me'.

Example

Du hast mir das gezeigt.

You showed me that.

Words in this phrase

[doo]

you (singular/informal)

Used when speaking to one person informally.

Example

Wie fühlst du dich heute Abend?

How do you feel this evening?

hast

[hahst]

have

The verb 'haben' in second person singular form.

Example

Hast du Hunger?

Are you hungry?

mir

[meer]

to me

Indirect object form of 'I'; used when asking someone to tell the speaker something.

Example

Sagen Sie mir bitte, wenn Ihnen übel ist.

Please tell me if you feel nauseous.

den Scanner erklärt.

DEHN SKEN-er er-KLAIRT

explained the scanner.

'Scanner' is said as in English, but with a German 'r' at the end. The participle 'erklärt' goes at the end.

Example

Sie hat den Drucker erklärt.

She explained the printer.

Words in this phrase

den

[DEHN]

The (accusative form)

Defines a specific object in the accusative case.

Example

Ich nehme den Cappuccino.

I'll take the cappuccino.

Scanner

[SKEN-er]

scanner

A machine that copies documents into digital form; masculine noun (der Scanner).

Example

Der Scanner steht im Büro.

The scanner is in the office.

erklärt

[er-KLAIRT]

explained

Past participle of 'erklären' (to explain), used with 'haben' for the perfect tense.

Example

Sie hat die Aufgabe gut erklärt.

She explained the task well.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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