Carnival: Complimenting someone’s elaborate makeup or outfit
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Key Phrases
Darf ich ein Foto von dir machen?
May I take a photo of you?
Hast du das selbst gemacht?
Did you make it yourself?
Das hat eine Stunde gedauert.
That took an hour.
Skills You'll Learn
Giving compliments about costumes and appearance
Komplimente über Kostüme und Aussehen machen
Asking for permission to take a photo
Um Erlaubnis bitten, ein Foto zu machen
Talking about how long an activity took
Über die Dauer einer Tätigkeit sprechen
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're at a carnival street party in Cologne. You see someone in an amazing costume and want to compliment them and ask for a photo.
Hallo! Wow, dein Kostüm ist ja toll!
Hi! Wow, your costume is amazing!
Oh, danke schön! Ich bin ein Pfau.
Oh, thank you! I'm a peacock.
Die Federn sind super. Hast du das selbst gemacht?
The feathers are great. Did you make it yourself?
Ja, alles selbst genäht. Zwei Wochen lang!
Yes, I sewed it all myself. It took two weeks!
Und dein Make-up ist auch wunderschön.
And your makeup is beautiful too.
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Dein Kostüm ist ja toll!
dine kos-TUEM ist yah tol
Your costume is amazing!
💬 ja here doesn't mean "yes". It adds a sense of happy surprise, like "wow, really". Try Das ist ja lecker! "That's really tasty!"
See breakdown →Das Kostüm
dahs kos-TUEM
The costume
Oh, danke schön!
oh DAHN-kuh shurn
Oh, thank you!
Ich bin ein Pfau.
ikh bin ine pfow
I'm a peacock.
💬 Pf at the start is said with both sounds, a quick p then f: (pfow). Same in Pferd "horse" and Pfeffer "pepper".
See breakdown →Die Federn sind super.
dee FAY-dern zint ZOO-per
The feathers are great.
Hast du das selbst gemacht?
hahst doo dahs zelpst geh-MAHKHT
Did you make it yourself?
💬 The hast goes first to ask the question, and gemacht waits at the very end. Swap in other actions: Hast du das selbst gekocht? "Did you cook it yourself?"
🇩🇪 Homemade costumes are a point of pride at Carnival, so this question is a real compliment and often starts a proud chat about the work involved.
See breakdown →Alles selbst genäht
AL-les zelpst guh-NAYT
Sewed everything myself
Ja, alles selbst genäht.
yah AL-les zelpst guh-NAYT
Yes, all sewn myself.
💬 In casual speech Germans drop the habe ich "I have" and keep just the end word. The full version is Ich habe alles selbst genäht.
See breakdown →Zwei Wochen lang!
tsvy VOKH-en lahng
For two weeks!
💬 To say how long something lasted, put lang after the time: drei Tage lang "for three days".
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
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