When should you use 'arbeiten' and when should you use 'funktionieren'? All the answers are here!
You'll learn these two verbs in the context of wine harvest, too, because it's wine harvest time. Learning to differentiate synonyms in German works really well when you use context.
This way you can easily build a picture in your mind that will help you for all of your German learning.
If it helps, you can even draw yourself a little sketch of a scene you'll hear in this audio.
And yes, stick figures count.
N.B. While the GermanWithNicole.com Podcast no longer exists, you can still hear all of the audios here on the blog. The audios are available on the blog posts published between August 1, 2021 and October 1, 2024. Viel Spaß beim Hören! And while the Riesling class was several years ago now, it was delightful and we all share wonderful memories of it.
Arbeiten versus funktionieren
This is a really common mistake, so if you know you make this mistake, put aside whatever else you're doing and listen to this one thing.
You know, one of my clients had to use the guest bathroom so she could be alone for a lesson once and if she can do that, you can find five minutes of quiet time to nail this. It's harvest time for wine, one vintner told me that last week, and lots of other foodstuffs can be harvested now, so we're going to explore 'arbeiten' and 'funktionieren' in the context of people who do the harvesting and the machines they use.
By now you've probably found a quiet closet and maybe your pen and paper, so here goes: Take a vintner, for example. Ours is a woman.
Die Winzerin
What does she do every day, especially at harvest time?
Die Winzerin arbeitet.
Sie arbeitet auf dem Weinberg.
Sie arbeitet mit einer Erntemaschine.
The vintner works. She works at the vineyard. She works with a harvesting machine.
Die Winzerin arbeitet.
Sie arbeitet auf dem Weinberg.
Sie arbeitet mit einer Erntemaschine.
And what about the machine?
Die Maschine funktioniert sehr gut.
Die Maschine war teuer.
Diese Maschine muss gut funktionieren!
The machine functions very well. It was expensive. It must function well.
Die Maschine funktioniert sehr gut.
Die Maschine war teuer.
Diese Maschine muss gut funktionieren!
When die Winzerin does good work and the Erntemaschine functions well, then we get to enjoy that work, too, frequently in the form of a fantastic bottle of German Riesling.
Remember: Die Vintnerin arbeitet und die Maschine funktioniert.
Das ist genug für heute. Passen Sie gut auf sich auf!