Radio D Series 1 | Learning German | Deutsche Welle

Both journalists are fascinated with Icarus, the tragic hero from Greek mythology. But do the listeners know who Icarus was? Paula and Philipp tell his story.

Seeing a little boy in an Icarus costume gives Paula and Philipp an idea: They decide to present the Greek saga in one of their radio plays. The story is about a youth who doesn't heed the advice of his father Dädalus and falls while trying to fly. He can't resist the temptation to get close to the sun, but he gets so close that the wax in his wings starts to melt.

"Don't fly too high, don't fly too low," Dädalus tells his son Icarus. The imperative, which is covered in this episode, can be used to make a request, a demand, a warning or an order. If Icarus had listened to his father's warning, maybe he wouldn't have fallen.

From the streets, Paula and Philipp report on Carnival once again. They discover different kinds of costumes and even learn a few German dialects along the way.

Back in the office, Paula takes revenge on Ayhan -- ironically by means of a Carnival custom. Then, amidst the celebration in the streets, Philipp and Paula report on the original costumes they see. They come across Papageno from Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" and Icarus, a hero from Greek mythology.

Philipp and Paula meet people from different regions in Germany, who speak in their local dialects. Click on the link below to open DW-WORLD.DE's Dialect Atlas.

Despite difficulties, Philipp manages to report safely from the Black Forest and gets into the Carnival spirit himself. Paula, on the other hand, has some problems with the customs.

Philipp enjoys the Carnival atmosphere, while Paula finds it chaotic. Not only does she search for Philipp, she also has to find his stolen car. Masquerade games make this task a bit more difficult for her. Even Ayhan plays a dirty trick on poor Paula.

The functions of the verb "sein" (to be) are just as diverse as the costumes you see at a Carnival party. In this episode, you will take a look at various verb compliments.

Not everyone at Radio D is excited about Carnival. Compu's assignment takes the two journalists to the Black Forest, where the Carnival spirit is strong.

In certain regions of Germany, Carnival is celebrated with gusto. In the Radio D office, the traditional party causes a rift. Paula can't share Philipp's enthusiasm and she thinks his witch costume is ridiculous.

To Philipp's delight, their investigation takes them to the Black Forest, where people in witch costumes are stealing cars in the midst of the Carnival madness. The journalists try to do a live program, but to no avail. The witches drag Philipp out of the car and kidnap him.

Word order in German is somewhat less chaotic than Carnival. This episode focuses on the position of the subject and the predicate.

If there's something you don't understand, it's always good to ask. The professor answers the questions about past episodes that Radio D listeners have sent in.

The listeners ask and the professor answers, getting to the root of every question. It's a good opportunity for the listeners to review information, expand their knowledge, or just ask something they always wanted to know.

Listen for these question from the listeners -- and the professor's answers to each of them: Which address is suitable for which situation? When can I use "du" or "Sie"? How do I introduce myself? When do I know when to use first or last names? What do modal particles like "denn," "doch," and "eigentlich" mean? What is the difference between "nicht" and "nichts"?

Where does the name Eulalia come from? Compu, Ayhan and Josefine look into the meaning and come up with several different answers. A Spanish co-worker helps them out.

Eulalia the owl wants to know what her name means. The team in the Radio D office goes to work and finds out that the name comes from the Greek. Carlos from the Spanish department has interesting information on the topic: He knows a saint with the same name.

Yet again, the team has plenty of questions to answer. In this episode you will hear questions posed with and without question words. Intonation is particularly important.

Philipp meets the actor playing the role of King Ludwig in the musical and asks him to do an interview. Suddenly he recognizes the man's voice. Meanwhile, an unexpected visitor turns up at the Radio D office.

At Neuschwanstein Castle, Philipp manages to solve the pretender's identity, even without Paula's help: it's the actor from the King Ludwig musical. Philipp uses the opportunity to conduct an interview with the man. When he returns to the Radio D office in Berlin, he is surprised to find a talking owl there.

This episode holds many surprises for Philipp. You will hear him say "Das glaube ich nicht" (I don't believe it) and "Das weiß ich nicht" (I don't know) several times. This is a chance to take a closer look at the negation "nicht."

Philipp also finds a clue to the stranger's identity. He sees an ad in the newspaper for a musical about King Ludwig. On the way there, he interviews tourists visiting from all over the world.

While Paula sits in her office in Berlin, Philipp is running around Munich. He doesn't know anything about Paula's discoveries, but is on the right track himself. A newspaper ad for a musical about King Ludwig sparks his interest. In the bus on the way there, he speaks with tourists about their expectations for the musical.

Practice your listening comprehension in this episode. In the bus, you will hear many languages being spoken. Try to recognize the German words. The negation "nichts" and its position after the verb will also be introduced.

At Neuschwanstein Castle, Paula and Philipp question the would-be King Ludwig. Paula stumbles on an interesting discovery and finds a clue as to who the mysterious stranger really is.

The two journalists talk the allegedly resurrected King Ludwig into doing a live interview. His real identity remains a mystery, however. When Paula returns to the office, she sees a television commercial that tips her off. The voice in the ad sounds strangely familiar.

You can't express preferences without saying what or whom you like. The verb "lieben" takes an accusative object. In this episode you will be introduced to the accusative case.

Paula and Philipp introduce King Ludwig to their listeners in the radio play. Night-time sledding, wild parties and strange inventions make for a first impression of Ludwig and his time.

The two journalists take their listeners back in time to the 19th century. They get to know the fantastical King Ludwig, his love of nature and Richard Wagner's music and his connection to his cousin, the legendary Empress Sissi. Everyone is amazed by an original table that Ludwig himself had invented.

This episode is all about King Ludwig's preferences, which lends itself to learning the verb "lieben" (to love). The same endings apply to the verb "kommen" (to come), which you will also hear.