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German · Arbeitsvertrag

You check the hours and type of contract: what to say in German

You clarify the hours and type of contract.

Arbeitsvertrag5 linesLevel A2For life in Germany The rest of the dialogue is in the app
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How it's done. Vollzeit is full time, Teilzeit part time; befristet is fixed-term, unbefristet permanent.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.

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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
Ist die Stelle Vollzeit oder Teilzeit?
Eest dee SHTEH-leh FOL-tsight OH-duh TIGHL-tsight?
Is the job full time or part time?
Or say:Ist das eine Vollzeitstelle?
Eest dahs IGH-neh FOL-tsights-teh-leh?
THEY SAY
Das ist eine Vollzeitstelle, vierzig Stunden pro Woche.
Dahs eest IGH-neh FOL-tsights-teh-leh, FEER-tseekh SHTOON-dayn proh VOH-kheh.
It is a full-time position, forty hours per week.
They might also say:
Vollzeit, vierzig Stunden die Woche.
FOL-tsight, FEER-tseekh SHTOON-dayn dee VOH-kheh.
Full time, forty hours a week.
in the app
2
YOU REPLY
Und ist der Vertrag befristet?
Oont eest dehr fehr-TRAHK beh-FREES-tet?
And is the contract fixed-term?
THEY SAY
Nein, er ist unbefristet.
Nighn, ehr eest OON-beh-frees-tet.
No, it is permanent.
They might also say:
Er ist zuerst auf ein Jahr befristet.
Ehr eest tsoo-EHRST owf ighn yahr beh-FREES-tet.
It is initially for a fixed term of one year.
in the app
3
YOU FINISH
Verstehe, vielen Dank für die Erklärung.
Fehrsh-TEH-eh, FEE-layn dahnk fyoor dee ehr-KLEH-roong.
I see, thank you very much for the explanation.

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.

Open in the App Store
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.

Words worth knowing

Ist
Eest
verb
is
Stelle
SHTEH-leh
noun
job, position
Vollzeit
FOL-tsight
noun
full-time
Teilzeit
TIGHL-tsight
noun
part-time
Vollzeitstelle
FOL-tsights-teh-leh
noun
full-time job
Stunden
SHTOON-dayn
noun
hours

19 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?
Was bedeutet das?
Vahs beh-DOY-tet dahs?
What does this mean?

All 21 rescue phrases in German →

Similar situations

You ask about the probation period in the contractArbeitsvertrag · A2 in the app
→
You start a mini-job and ask about insuranceArbeitsvertrag · A2 in the app
→
You go through the clauses of the employment contractArbeitsvertrag · A2 in the app
→
First day at a new jobKollegen / Alltag · A1 in the app
→
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The rest of the dialogue is in MovkoDownload