German · Schlüsseldienst
The door has slammed shut and you phone a locksmith: what to say in German
You are locked out and phone a locksmith service.
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How it's done. Before agreeing, ask for the total price including call-out (Festpreis): at night and weekends it rises.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
Schlüsseldienst, guten Tag!SHLYOO-sel-deenst, GOO-tayn tahk!
Locksmith service, good day!
They might also say:
Schlüsselnotdienst, was kann ich für Sie tun?
SHLYOO-sel-not-deenst, vahs kahn eekh fyoor zee toon?
Emergency locksmith, how can I help?
YOU REPLY
Guten Tag, ich habe mich ausgesperrt. Können Sie kommen?
GOO-tayn tahk, eekh KHAH-beh meekh OWS-gesh-pehrt. KYOH-nayn zee KOH-mayn?
Good day, I've locked myself out. Can you come?
THEY SAY
Ja, wo wohnen Sie?Yah, voh VOH-nayn zee?
Yes, where do you live?
They might also say:
Wie ist Ihre Adresse?
Vee eest EE-reh uh-DREH-seh?
What is your address?
2
YOU REPLY
Ich wohne in der Lindenstraße, Hausnummer zwölf.
Eekh VOH-neh een dehr LEEN-dayns-truh-seh, KHOWS-noo-muh tsvyolf.
I live on Lindenstraße, number twelve.
THEY SAY
Wir sind in zwanzig Minuten da.Veer zeent een TSVAHN-tseekh mee-NOO-tayn duh.
We'll be there in twenty minutes.
3
YOU FINISH
Was kostet das ungefähr?
Vahs KOS-tet dahs OON-geh-fehr?
Roughly how much does that cost?
THEY SAY
Das sage ich Ihnen vorher als Festpreis.Dahs ZAH-geh eekh EE-nayn for-KHEHR ahls FEST-prighs.
I'll tell you beforehand as a fixed price.
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
Schlüsseldienst
SHLYOO-sel-deenst
noun
locksmith
guten
GOO-tayn
adjective
good (in greetings)
Tag
tahk
noun
day
habe
KHAH-beh
verb
I have
ausgesperrt
OWS-gesh-pehrt
adjective
locked out
Können
KYOH-nayn
verb
to be able to, can
27 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
You want to have a spare key cutSchlüsseldienst · A2 in the app
→The key to the building has gone missing and you tell your landlordSchlüsseldienst · A2 in the app
→The trousers are too long and you ask to have them taken upSchneider / Schuster · A2 in the app
→You take a coat to the dry cleaner'sReinigung · A2 in the app
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