German · Fahrkartenautomat
The ticket machine does not work as you expected: what to say in German
The ticket machine does not work as you expected.
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How it's done. The machine has buttons Fahrkarte, Ziel (destination), Erwachsene, Bezahlen; ask a bystander: Wie funktioniert der Automat?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
YOU START
Entschuldigung, wie funktioniert der Automat?
Aynt-SHOOL-dee-goong, vee foonk-tsee-oh-NEERT dehr ow-toh-MAHT?
Excuse me, how does the machine work?
Or say:Entschuldigung, können Sie mir helfen? Ich verstehe den Automaten nicht.
Aynt-SHOOL-dee-goong, KYOH-nayn zee meer KHEL-fayn? Eekh fehrsh-TEH-eh dayn ow-toh-MAH-tayn neekht.
THEY SAY
Zuerst müssen Sie Ihr Ziel eingeben.Tsoo-EHRST MYOO-sayn zee eer tseel IGHN-geh-bayn.
First you have to enter your destination.
They might also say:
Wählen Sie zuerst Ihr Ziel aus.
VEH-layn zee tsoo-EHRST eer tseel ows.
First choose your destination.
2
YOU REPLY
Und dann?
Oont dahn?
And then?
THEY SAY
Dann wählen Sie die Fahrkarte und bezahlen.Dahn VEH-layn zee dee FAHR-kuhr-teh oont beh-TSAH-layn.
Then you choose the ticket and pay.
3
YOU REPLY
Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?
Kahn eekh meet KAHR-teh TSAH-layn?
Can I pay by card?
THEY SAY
Ja, da vorne ist der Kartenleser.Yah, duh FOR-neh eest dehr KAHR-tayn-leh-zuh.
Yes, there at the front is the card reader.
4
YOU FINISH
Super, vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe!
ZOO-puh, FEE-layn dahnk fyoor EE-reh KHEEL-feh!
Great, thank you very much for your 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
wie
vee
adverb
how
funktioniert
foonk-tsee-oh-NEERT
verb
works
Automat
ow-toh-MAHT
noun
machine
Zuerst
Tsoo-EHRST
adverb
first
müssen
MYOO-sayn
verb
to have to
Ziel
tseel
noun
destination, goal
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 mir das zeigen?
KYOH-nayn zee meer dahs TSIGH-gayn?
Can you show me?
Similar situations
You buy a train ticket to Munich at the ticket officeBahnhof / Deutsche Bahn · A2 in the app
→You look for the platform of your trainBahnhof / Deutsche Bahn · A1 in the app
→The train is late and you risk missing your connectionVerspätung / Störung · A2 in the app
→The train is cancelled and buses run insteadVerspätung / Störung · A2 in the app
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