German · Hausmeister / Reparatur
Water is leaking from the kitchen ceiling and you phone the building management: what to say in German
Water is dripping from the kitchen ceiling and you phone the property management.
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How it's done. If water is leaking: stop it, put a bucket under it, switch off the power in the room, photograph the damage and tell the Hausverwaltung (property management); write down the date and time.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
THEY SPEAK FIRST
THEY SAY
Hausverwaltung Meyer, guten Tag.KHOWS-fehr-vuhl-toong MIGH-uh, GOO-tayn tahk.
Hausverwaltung Meyer, good day.
They might also say:
Hausmeisterdienst, guten Tag. Was ist passiert?
KHOWS-mighs-tehr-deenst, GOO-tayn tahk. Vahs eest puh-SEERT?
Caretaker service, good day. What has happened?
YOU REPLY
Guten Tag. Aus der Decke in meiner Küche tropft Wasser.
GOO-tayn tahk. Ows dehr DEH-keh een MIGH-nuh KYOO-kheh tropft VAH-suh.
Good day. Water is dripping from the ceiling in my kitchen.
THEY SAY
Seit wann tropft es? Ist die Decke nass?Zight vahn tropft es? Eest dee DEH-keh nahs?
Since when has it been dripping? Is the ceiling wet?
They might also say:
Seit wann geht das so, und ist die Decke nass?
Zight vahn get dahs zoh, oont eest dee DEH-keh nahs?
Since when has it been like this, and is the ceiling wet?
2
YOU REPLY
Seit heute Morgen. Die Decke ist nass, und es tropft immer stärker.
Zight KHOY-teh MOR-gayn. Dee DEH-keh eest nahs, oont es tropft EE-muh SHTEHR-kuh.
Since this morning. The ceiling is wet and it's dripping more and more.
THEY SAY
Bitte stellen Sie einen Eimer unter und fassen Sie nichts Elektrisches an. Wir schicken sofort jemanden.BEE-teh SHTEH-layn zee IGH-nayn IGH-muh OON-tuh oont FAH-sayn zee neekhts eh-LEK-tree-shes ahn. Veer SHEE-kayn zoh-FORT YEH-mahn-dayn.
Please put a bucket underneath and don't touch anything electrical. We'll send someone at once.
They might also say:
Stellen Sie einen Eimer hin und schalten Sie den Strom in der Küche aus. Ein Handwerker kommt gleich.
SHTEH-layn zee IGH-nayn IGH-muh kheen oont SHAHL-tayn zee dayn shtrom een dehr KYOO-kheh ows. Ighn KHAHN-dvehr-kuh komt glighkh.
Put a bucket there and switch off the power in the kitchen. A tradesman will be there shortly.
3
YOU REPLY
Das mache ich sofort. Wann kommt jemand?
Dahs MAH-kheh eekh zoh-FORT. Vahn komt YEH-mahnt?
I'll do that right away. When will someone come?
THEY SAY
Innerhalb einer Stunde.EE-nehr-khuhlp IGH-nuh SHTOON-deh.
Within an hour.
4
YOU FINISH
Danke für die schnelle Hilfe!
DAHN-keh fyoor dee SHNEH-leh KHEEL-feh!
Thank you for the quick help!
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “German for life in Germany”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Hausverwaltung
KHOWS-fehr-vuhl-toong
noun
property management
guten
GOO-tayn
adjective
good (in greetings)
Tag
tahk
noun
day
Decke
DEH-keh
noun
ceiling
Küche
KYOO-kheh
noun
kitchen
tropft
tropft
verb
drips
43 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?
KYOH-nayn zee dahs BEE-teh vee-dehr-KHOH-layn?
Can you repeat that, please?
Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen?
KYOH-nayn zee BEE-teh LAHNG-zuh-muh SHPREH-khayn?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
Können Sie das bitte aufschreiben?
KYOH-nayn zee dahs BEE-teh OWFSH-righ-bayn?
Can you write it down, please?
Similar situations
The smoke detector in the flat is beeping and you ask who will fix itHausmeister / Reparatur · A2 in the app
→The heating in the flat is not workingHausmeister / Reparatur · A2 in the app
→You report mould in the bathroomHausmeister / Reparatur · A2 in the app
→You arrange a time for the repairman's visitHausmeister / Reparatur · A2 in the app
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