Appearance
Vocab: Transport — B2
Transport vocabulary at B2 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
die Kaskoversicherung — comprehensive vehicle insurance
Kasko insurance covers damage to the insured person's own vehicle; Haftpflichtversicherung covers liability to other people. Teilkasko and Vollkasko are common types of Kaskoversicherung.
Die Kaskoversicherung bezahlt den Schaden.
The comprehensive vehicle insurance pays for the damage.
bezahlt means pays, and der Schaden means the damage. Die Kaskoversicherung is nominative as the subject, while den Schaden is accusative as the object.
Ich brauche eine Kaskoversicherung.
I need comprehensive vehicle insurance.
brauche means need. Eine Kaskoversicherung is accusative because brauchen takes a direct object; the finite verb brauche is in position two.
Mit der Kaskoversicherung bin ich gut geschützt.
With comprehensive vehicle insurance, I am well protected.
mit means with, and gut geschützt means well protected. Der Kaskoversicherung is dative because mit always takes the dative; the finite verb bin is in position two.
Die Bedingungen der Kaskoversicherung sind kompliziert.
The conditions of the comprehensive vehicle insurance are complicated.
die Bedingungen means the conditions, and kompliziert means complicated. Der Kaskoversicherung is genitive because it identifies which conditions; the plural subject Bedingungen requires sind.
Die Kaskoversicherungen werden teurer.
Comprehensive vehicle-insurance policies are becoming more expensive.
werden teurer means are becoming more expensive. Kaskoversicherungen is the plural with -en, and the plural subject requires werden.
das Kraftfahrzeug — motor vehicle
This is a formal and technical word; in everyday speech, das Auto is much more common. It includes vehicles such as Autos, Lastwagen and Motorräder.
Das Kraftfahrzeug steht vor dem Haus.
The motor vehicle is in front of the house.
steht means is standing or parked, and vor dem Haus means in front of the house. Das Kraftfahrzeug is nominative because it is the subject, while the dative dem Haus follows the location preposition vor; the finite verb steht is in position two.
Die Polizei kontrolliert das Kraftfahrzeug.
The police are checking the motor vehicle.
die Polizei is the police and kontrolliert means checks. Das Kraftfahrzeug is accusative because kontrollieren takes a direct object, while the finite verb kontrolliert stands in position two.
Der Fahrer gibt dem Kraftfahrzeug neue Reifen.
The driver gives the motor vehicle new tyres.
der Fahrer is the driver, gibt means gives, and neue Reifen are new tyres. Dem Kraftfahrzeug is dative because it is the recipient, while neue Reifen is the accusative thing being given.
Die Farbe des Kraftfahrzeugs ist ungewöhnlich.
The colour of the motor vehicle is unusual.
die Farbe is the colour and ungewöhnlich means unusual. Des Kraftfahrzeugs is genitive because it identifies whose colour it is; the noun ends in -s, and the finite verb ist is in position two.
Auf der Straße stehen viele Kraftfahrzeuge.
Many motor vehicles are standing on the road.
auf der Straße means on the road, stehen means are standing or parked, and viele means many. Kraftfahrzeuge is plural and nominative as the subject; der Straße is dative because auf describes a location here.
die Mobilität — mobility
Die Mobilität can mean physical ability to move or the ability to travel between places. In social and employment contexts, it can also mean willingness or ability to change location for work.
Die Mobilität älterer Menschen ist ein wichtiges Thema.
The mobility of older people is an important topic.
ältere Menschen means older people, wichtig means important, and das Thema means topic. Die Mobilität is nominative because it is the subject; älterer Menschen is a genitive phrase showing whose mobility is meant.
Die Stadt fördert die Mobilität ihrer Bürger.
The city promotes the mobility of its citizens.
die Stadt means the city, fördern means promote, and ihre Bürger means its citizens. Die Mobilität is accusative because fördern takes an accusative object, while the finite verb fördert stands in position two.
Mit dem Fahrrad kann man der Mobilität der Menschen helfen.
With a bicycle, one can help people’s mobility.
mit dem Fahrrad means with a bicycle, kann means can, and helfen means help. Der Mobilität is dative because helfen governs the dative; with a modal verb, the infinitive helfen goes to the end.
Die Vorteile der Mobilität sind deutlich.
The advantages of mobility are clear.
die Vorteile means the advantages and deutlich means clear. Der Mobilität is genitive after Vorteile and means of mobility; the plural subject die Vorteile requires sind, not ist.
Moderne Städte brauchen neue Formen von Mobilitäten.
Modern cities need new forms of mobility.
moderne Städte means modern cities, neue Formen means new forms, and brauchen means need. Mobilitäten is plural after Formen von; the whole phrase is accusative because brauchen takes an accusative object.
der Perron — railway platform (Swiss and Austrian German)
der Perron is a regional word, especially in Switzerland and Austria. In much of Germany, the usual word is der Bahnsteig; the plural is die Perrons.
Der Perron ist heute sehr voll.
The platform is very crowded today.
voll means crowded or full, and heute means today. Der Perron is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich suche den Perron für den Zug nach Wien.
I am looking for the platform for the train to Vienna.
suchen means to look for, der Zug means train, and nach Wien means to Vienna. den Perron is accusative because suchen takes a direct object; für also requires the accusative in für den Zug.
Wir warten auf dem Perron auf den Nachtzug.
We are waiting on the platform for the night train.
warten means to wait, and der Nachtzug means night train. dem Perron is dative because auf describes a fixed location here; the verb warten also commonly uses auf with the accusative for the thing awaited.
Die Nummer des Perrons steht auf dem Ticket.
The platform number is on the ticket.
die Nummer means the number, stehen means to be written or displayed, and das Ticket means ticket. des Perrons is genitive because it specifies which number; masculine genitive uses des and adds -s to the noun.
Die drei Perrons liegen nebeneinander.
The three platforms are next to one another.
drei means three, and nebeneinander means next to one another. Perrons is the plural subject, so the finite verb is liegen, the plural of liegt.
der PS — horsepower
PS is the abbreviation for Pferdestärke, a unit of engine power. It is pronounced like the letters and has the same written form in the singular and plural: ein PS, zwei PS.
Der Wagen hat 120 PS.
The car has 120 horsepower.
der Wagen means the car, and hat 120 PS means has 120 horsepower. Der Wagen is nominative as the subject; the abbreviation PS follows the number and has no visible plural change.
Ich kaufe einen Wagen mit 200 PS.
I am buying a car with 200 horsepower.
kaufe means buy, einen Wagen means a car, and mit means with. Einen Wagen is accusative because it is the object of kaufe, while mit 200 PS is a prepositional phrase with dative, although the abbreviation shows no case ending.
Mit 80 PS kommt das Motorrad gut den Berg hinauf.
With 80 horsepower, the motorbike gets up the hill well.
das Motorrad is the motorbike, gut means well, and den Berg hinauf means up the hill. Mit always takes the dative; the abbreviation PS does not show a different ending, and the finite verb kommt is in position two.
Die Leistung des PS ist hier nicht entscheidend.
The horsepower’s output is not decisive here.
die Leistung means the output or performance, and entscheidend means decisive. Des PS is genitive to show association, and the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Moderne Autos haben oft mehr als 150 PS.
Modern cars often have more than 150 horsepower.
moderne Autos means modern cars, oft means often, and mehr als means more than. Autos is the plural nominative subject, while PS after the number names the measured amount and does not change form.
Der neue Motor hat deutlich mehr PS.
The new engine has considerably more horsepower.
der neue Motor means the new engine, and deutlich mehr means considerably more. The finite verb hat is in position two; PS is an unchanged abbreviation used after a quantity.