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Vocab: Shopping — B2
Shopping vocabulary at B2 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
der Bestandskunde — existing customer
This business term contrasts with der Neukunde, a new customer. It describes an established customer relationship, not simply anyone who has bought something once.
Der Bestandskunde erhält einen Rabatt.
The existing customer receives a discount.
erhält means receives, and ein Rabatt means a discount. Der Bestandskunde is nominative because it is the subject; as a weak masculine noun, it has no -n in the nominative.
Wir informieren den Bestandskunden über die Änderung.
We inform the existing customer about the change.
informieren means inform, and die Änderung means the change. Den Bestandskunden is accusative as the direct object, and this weak masculine noun must take -n outside the nominative.
Wir bieten dem Bestandskunden einen besseren Vertrag an.
We offer the existing customer a better contract.
bieten ... an means offer, and ein besserer Vertrag means a better contract. Dem Bestandskunden is dative because it is the recipient, and the weak noun keeps -n; the separable verb appears as bieten ... an.
Die Wünsche des Bestandskunden sind wichtig.
The existing customer's wishes are important.
die Wünsche means the wishes, and wichtig means important. Des Bestandskunden is genitive because it shows whose wishes they are; the weak noun has -n, not -s, in this case.
Bestandskunden kennen unsere Produkte bereits.
Existing customers already know our products.
kennen means know, unsere Produkte means our products, and bereits means already. Bestandskunden is the plural subject; the plural ending -en is the same ending used by this weak noun in several singular cases.
erstatten — to reimburse, to refund; to file, to give an official report
For a person, the usual pattern is jemandem etwas erstatten: the person is dative and the money or costs are accusative. In formal language, Anzeige erstatten means to file a police report, not to reimburse a report.
Die Firma erstattet mir die Reisekosten.
The company reimburses my travel expenses.
die Firma means the company, and die Reisekosten means travel expenses. mir is dative because the person receiving the reimbursement is the indirect object, while die Reisekosten is accusative; the finite verb erstattet stands in position two.
Die Firma hat mir die Reisekosten erstattet.
The company reimbursed my travel expenses.
hat ... erstattet means reimbursed, and die Reisekosten means travel expenses. mir is dative for the recipient and die Reisekosten is accusative; hat is in position two and the Partizip II erstattet goes to the end.
Die Firma erstattete mir die Reisekosten.
The company reimbursed my travel expenses.
die Firma means the company and die Reisekosten means travel expenses. The weak-verb ending -te makes the Präteritum erstattete; mir is dative for the recipient and die Reisekosten is accusative.
Erstatte mir bitte die Taxikosten.
Please reimburse my taxi fare.
bitte means please and die Taxikosten means the taxi fare. mir is dative for the person receiving the money, while die Taxikosten is accusative; the imperative addresses one person directly.
Ich würde dir die Kosten erstatten.
I would reimburse your costs.
würde ... erstatten means would reimburse, and dir means to you. dir is dative for the recipient and die Kosten is accusative; the infinitive erstatten stands at the end after würde.
Wir werden Ihnen die Kosten erstatten.
We will reimburse your costs.
wir means we, Ihnen means to you in formal address, and die Kosten means the costs. Ihnen is dative for the recipient and die Kosten is accusative; werden is in position two and the infinitive erstatten goes to the end.
Sie erstattet Anzeige bei der Polizei.
She files a police report with the police.
Anzeige means a police report, and bei der Polizei means with the police. The fixed expression Anzeige erstatten is formal; bei takes the dative here, and the finite verb erstattet is in position two.
Der Zeuge erstattete Bericht über den Unfall.
The witness gave a report about the accident.
der Zeuge means the witness, Bericht means report, and der Unfall means the accident. Bericht erstatten is a formal fixed expression; über takes the accusative here, and erstattete is the Präteritum in position two.
der Großhandel — wholesale trade; wholesale business
Großhandel is a mass noun and normally has no plural because it refers to wholesale trade as an activity or sector. The opposite is Einzelhandel, retail trade; im Großhandel is a common phrase meaning in wholesale.
Der Großhandel beliefert viele kleine Geschäfte.
The wholesale trade supplies many small shops.
beliefert means supplies, and viele kleine Geschäfte means many small shops. Der Großhandel is nominative as the subject, while viele kleine Geschäfte is accusative because beliefern takes a direct object.
Wir unterstützen den Großhandel.
We support the wholesale trade.
unterstützen means support. Den Großhandel is accusative because unterstützen takes a direct object; the finite verb unterstützen stands in position two.
Die Preise im Großhandel sind niedriger.
Wholesale prices are lower.
Preise means prices, and niedriger means lower. Im Großhandel is dative because in describes a location or area here; im is the contraction of in dem.
Die Bedeutung des Großhandels nimmt ab.
The importance of wholesale trade is declining.
Bedeutung means importance, and nimmt ab means is declining. Des Großhandels is genitive after die Bedeutung to show what kind of importance; the separable verb nimmt ab has its finite part in position two and its prefix at the end.
kostbar — precious, valuable
kostbar usually describes something with high material or personal value, not merely something expensive. It can also describe time, help, or information that is especially important.
Der Ring ist kostbar.
The ring is precious.
der Ring means the ring. The adjective is predicative after ist, so it has no ending; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Sie trägt einen kostbaren Ring.
She is wearing a precious ring.
trägt means is wearing, and der Ring is a ring. einen kostbaren Ring is accusative because trägt takes a direct object; the adjective has the strong -en ending after einen.
Diese Uhr ist kostbarer als meine.
This watch is more valuable than mine.
diese Uhr means this watch, and meine means mine. kostbarer compares two things and is followed by als; after ist, it is predicative and has no adjective ending.
Das ist der kostbarste Hinweis.
That is the most valuable clue.
der Hinweis means the clue. der kostbarste Hinweis is nominative after ist; before a noun, the superlative takes an adjective ending, rather than using am kostbarsten.
die Naturkosmetik — natural cosmetics
Naturkosmetik is usually a mass noun for the product category, so it normally has no plural. The compound combines Natur (nature) and Kosmetik (cosmetics).
Die Naturkosmetik wird immer beliebter.
Natural cosmetics are becoming increasingly popular.
immer beliebter means increasingly popular. The headword is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb wird stands in position two in the passive-like change-of-state construction.
Viele Kundinnen kaufen die Naturkosmetik.
Many female customers buy natural cosmetics.
Viele Kundinnen means many female customers and kaufen means buy. The headword is accusative because kaufen takes a direct object, while the finite verb stands in position two.
Viele Menschen vertrauen der Naturkosmetik.
Many people trust natural cosmetics.
Viele Menschen means many people and vertrauen means trust. The headword is dative because vertrauen requires a dative object; the finite verb vertrauen stands in position two.
Die Inhaltsstoffe der Naturkosmetik sind oft pflanzlich.
The ingredients of natural cosmetics are often plant-based.
Die Inhaltsstoffe means the ingredients, oft means often, and pflanzlich means plant-based. The headword is genitive after die Inhaltsstoffe, showing which ingredients are meant, and sind stands in position two.
Dieses Geschäft verkauft Produkte aus Naturkosmetik.
This shop sells products made from natural cosmetics.
Dieses Geschäft means this shop, verkauft means sells, and Produkte means products. The headword follows aus, which normally takes the dative, but this mass noun has the same visible form in dative as in the other singular cases.
der Vertrieb — sales, distribution
Der Vertrieb is the sales or distribution function of a company, not an individual salesperson. A salesperson is der Vertreter or die Vertreterin; Vertrieb is usually used as an uncountable business term.
Der Vertrieb arbeitet eng mit dem Marketing zusammen.
Sales works closely with marketing.
arbeitet means works, eng means closely, and das Marketing means marketing. Der Vertrieb is nominative as the subject; mit dem Marketing is dative because mit always takes the dative, and arbeitet is in position two.
Das Unternehmen baut den Vertrieb in Europa aus.
The company is expanding sales in Europe.
das Unternehmen means the company, baut ... aus means expands, and Europa is Europe. Den Vertrieb is accusative because ausbauen takes a direct object; the separable verb splits in the main clause, with aus at the end.
Wir helfen dem Vertrieb bei der Planung.
We help the sales department with the planning.
helfen means help and die Planung means the planning. Dem Vertrieb is dative because helfen requires the dative; bei der Planung is also dative because bei takes the dative.
Die Leitung des Vertriebs beschließt eine neue Strategie.
The sales department’s management decides on a new strategy.
die Leitung means management, beschließt means decides, and eine neue Strategie is a new strategy. Des Vertriebs is genitive because it shows which department’s management is meant; the finite verb beschließt stands in position two.
Die internationalen Vertriebe tauschen ihre Erfahrungen aus.
The international sales departments exchange their experience.
international means international, tauschen ... aus means exchange, and ihre Erfahrungen means their experiences. Die internationalen Vertriebe is plural nominative because it is the subject; the separable verb puts aus at the end of the main clause.