Today's words · 🧭 Asking directions
Lost in a German town? 10 words to find your way
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The moment your phone hits 0%, these are the words you'll really need.
You're wandering the lanes of an old town when your map app dies. A kind older woman starts giving you directions — links, rechts, Ampel… — and the words fly past far too fast.
Today's ten words help you ask the way and understand the answer: left, right, traffic lights, corners — and how to say you're lost. 🧭
📋 The ten words at a glance
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
links
[LINKS](on the) left📌 Gehen Sie hier links.
→ Turn left here.
💡 Make an L with your left thumb and finger — L for links 👈
Bonus to turn left = links abbiegen
rechts
[REKHTS](on the) right📌 Die Bank ist rechts.
→ The bank is on the right.
💡 Same root as English right 👉
⚠ Don't mix up rechts (right side) and recht (right, correct): Du hast recht. = You're right.
geradeaus
[ge-RAH-duh-OWSS]straight ahead, straight on📌 Gehen Sie immer geradeaus.
→ Keep going straight ahead.
💡 gerade (straight) + aus (out) = straight out ahead ⬆️
Bonus immer geradeaus = keep going straight on
die Ecke
[ECK-uh]corner(Pl. die Ecken)
📌 Die Apotheke ist gleich um die Ecke.
→ The pharmacy is just around the corner.
💡 ‘Eck!’ — the sound of bumping into a corner 📐
Bonus gleich um die Ecke = just round the corner, very close
die Kreuzung
[KROY-tsoong]crossroads, intersection(Pl. die Kreuzungen)
📌 An der Kreuzung biegen Sie links ab.
→ Turn left at the intersection.
💡 Kreuz (cross) + -ung = where roads cross ✝️ -ung, so it's die.
die Ampel
[AMP-el]traffic light(s)(Pl. die Ampeln)
📌 Bei Rot muss man an der Ampel warten.
→ When it's red you have to wait at the traffic light.
💡 Originally a little lamp 🚦 Three lamps: red, amber, green.
Bonus Bei Rot stehen, bei Grün gehen! = Stop at red, go at green!
abbiegen
[AP-bee-gen]to turn (off)(biegt ab – ist abgebogen)
📌 An der Ampel biegen Sie rechts ab.
→ Turn right at the lights.
💡 ab (off) + biegen (bend) = bend off the road ↪️
⚠ Separable, and the perfect uses sein: Ich bin links abgebogen.
der Stadtplan
[SHTAT-plahn]city map, street map(Pl. die Stadtpläne)
📌 Hast du einen Stadtplan?
→ Do you have a city map?
💡 Stadt (city) + Plan (map) = city map 🗺️ Tourist offices often have them.
⚠ The plural gets an umlaut: die Stadtpläne.
der Weg
[VAYK]way, path(Pl. die Wege)
📌 Ich kenne den Weg nicht.
→ I don't know the way.
💡 Same root as English way 🛤️ Wie ist der Weg zum Bahnhof?
⚠ der Weg (path, long e) and weg (away, short e) are different words.
sich verlaufen
[zikh fair-LOW-fen]to get lost (on foot)(verläuft sich – verlief sich – hat sich verlaufen)
📌 In der Altstadt habe ich mich verlaufen.
→ I got lost in the old town.
💡 ver- (wrongly) + laufen (walk) = walk the wrong way and get lost 🌀
Bonus Lost while driving? That's sich verfahren.
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
Many Germans wait at a red light even when there's no car in sight — especially in front of children. Crossing on red may earn you a few disapproving looks.
In Berlin and other cities in the former East, look out for the Ampelmännchen, the little man in a hat on the pedestrian lights. He's a popular souvenir, too.
A strip next to the pavement painted red or another colour is often a cycle lane (Radweg). Walk on it and you'll soon hear a bell, so watch out! 🚲
✅ Quick quiz
Q. You're lost in the old town. What's the best thing to say to a passer-by?
- ① Ich kenne den Stadtplan.
- ② Die Bank ist rechts.
- ③ Entschuldigung, ich habe mich verlaufen.
Show the answer
③ Entschuldigung, ich habe mich verlaufen.
sich verlaufen = to get lost on foot, so this means ‘Excuse me, I'm lost.’
Today, describe the way from your home to the nearest shop in German. You can get surprisingly far with geradeaus, links and rechts! 🧭
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: 📸 Sightseeing