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How to Say ‘Oh, the card reader's acting up today.’ in German

Oh, das Kartengerät spinnt heute.

oh dahs KAR-ten-geh-rayt shpint hoin-te

[oh dahs KAR-ten-geh-rayt shpint hoin-te]

🇩🇪 In Germany: A "broken" card reader is a known excuse among some taxi drivers who prefer cash. Taxis in many German cities are required to accept cards, so it's fair to push back politely.

Phrase Breakdown

Oh, das Kartengerät

oh dahs KAR-ten-geh-rayt

Oh, the card machine

'Kartengerät' is a compound of 'Karte' (card) and 'Gerät' (device). Stress falls on 'KAR'.

Example

Das Kartengerät ist neu.

The card machine is new.

Words in this phrase

[oh]

An exclamation showing surprise, sympathy, or reaction.

Example

Oh, das wusste ich nicht.

Oh, I didn't know that.

das

[dahs]

the

Definite article used with the noun 'Gespräch.'

Example

Das Gespräch hat mir neue Einblicke gegeben.

The conversation gave me new insights.

Kartengerät

[KAR-ten-geh-rayt]

card reader

Machine used to pay by bank or credit card.

Example

Das Kartengerät ist neu.

The card reader is new.

spinnt heute.

shpint hoin-te

is acting up today.

'spinnen' literally means 'to spin'. Colloquially it means 'to malfunction' or 'to be crazy'.

Example

Mein Handy spinnt heute.

My phone is acting up today.

Words in this phrase

spinnt

[shpint]

is acting up

Colloquial: a device is malfunctioning (literally 'spins').

Example

Mein Handy spinnt.

My phone is acting up.

heute

[hoin-te]

today

On this present day.

Example

Heute zieh' ich zum letzten Mal um.

Today I am moving for the last time.

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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