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German · A1 Bilingual Reader Daily Life

Ein Besuch beim Bauern

A city child visits a Bavarian farm stand for the first time and must overcome her fear of a friendly cow to buy fresh milk.

Today's learning

  • 1-minute story
  • Native narration
  • 8 useful words
  • 3 comprehension questions
  • A1 German
Illustration for the A1 story "Ein Besuch beim Bauern": A city child visits a Bavarian farm stand for the first time and must overcome her fear of a friendly cow to buy fresh milk.
Warm-up

Pre-Reading Vocabulary

Review these key words and phrasing examples before you begin reading.

der Besuch
visit
"Lina macht einen Besuch beim Bauern."
die Kuh
cow
"Die Kuh steht auf der Wiese."
der Bauer
farmer
"Der Bauer arbeitet auf dem Hof."
die Milch
milk
"Ich trinke gern Milch."

Your German story — tap highlighted words when you need help

1 min read
Native narration · pick a speed

Am Samstag kommt Lina mit ihrer Mama zu einem kleinen Stand. Ein freundlicher Bauer sitzt hinter einem Tisch voller Äpfel und Käse. Lina möchte frische Milch kaufen. lächelt und sagt: „Komm, ich zeige dir meine Kühe!“ Hinter dem Stand steht eine große Kuh mit braunen und weißen Flecken. schaut Lina an und macht „Muh!“. Lina hat ein bisschen und geht einen Schritt zurück. Der Bauer lacht leise und sagt: „Keine , sie ist ganz .“ Lina atmet tief ein und macht einen Schritt nach vorne. Langsam streckt sie ihre Hand und die Kuh leckt ihre Finger. Die Kuh hat warme, weiche Zunge. Lina muss lachen und dreht sich zu ihrer Mama um. „Die Kuh mag mich!“ Der Bauer nickt und gibt Lina eine Milch. „ kommt von dieser Kuh. Sie heißt Rosa.“ Lina nimmt die Milch, schaut Rosa an und sagt: „Danke, Rosa!“ Die Kuh blinzelt langsam mit den Augen. Der Bauer zeigt Lina noch drei Hühner und ein kleines . Lina zählt: „Ein, zwei, drei, vier!“ Auf dem Weg nach Hause lächelt Lina die ganze Zeit. „Mama, nächste Woche besuchen wir Rosa wieder!“

Show full English translation

On Saturday Lina comes with her mom to a small stand. A friendly farmer sits behind a table full of apples and cheese. Lina wants to buy fresh milk. The farmer smiles and says: "Come, I'll show you my cows!" Behind the stand stands a big cow with brown and white spots. The cow looks at Lina and goes "Moo!". Lina is a little scared and takes a step back. The farmer laughs quietly and says: "No fear, she is very gentle." Lina takes a deep breath and takes a step forward. Slowly she reaches out her hand and the cow licks her fingers. The cow has a warm, soft tongue. Lina has to laugh and turns to her mom. "The cow likes me!" The farmer nods and gives Lina a bottle of milk. "The milk comes from this cow. Her name is Rosa." Lina takes the milk, looks at Rosa and says: "Thank you, Rosa!" The cow blinks slowly with her eyes. The farmer shows Lina three more chickens and a small pig. Lina counts: "One, two, three, four!" On the way home Lina smiles the whole time. "Mom, next week we'll visit Rosa again!"

Reading Comprehension Exercise

A1 German Reading Comprehension Exercises

1. Where does Lina go on Saturday?

2. What is the cow's name?

3. What does Lina buy from the farmer?

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Notebook

Patterns to reuse

Asking about quantities

„Hast du drei Hühner und ein Schwein?“

"Do you have three chickens and a pig?"

Numbers come before the noun in German, like English.

[Number] [Noun]

  • eine Kuh
  • zwei Flaschen
  • drei Hühner

In German, the number comes directly before the noun and affects the article — but at A1, just focus on the number-noun order.

Describing animals

Eine große Kuh mit braunen und weißen Flecken.

A big cow with brown and white spots.

Use 'mit' to describe colors or features of animals or objects.

[Noun] mit [description]

  • ein Hund mit schwarzen Ohren
  • eine Katze mit grünen Augen

Use 'mit' (with) to add descriptive details about what something looks like.

Expressing feelings

Lina hat ein bisschen Angst.

Lina is a little scared.

Use 'haben' to express feelings in German.

[Subject] hat [feeling]

  • Ich habe Angst
  • Sie hat keine Angst
  • Wir haben Hunger

Germans use 'haben' (to have) for many emotions where English uses 'to be' — like 'Angst haben' (to be scared, literally 'to have fear').

Insight

Translator's Note

"This story introduces young learners to farm vocabulary in a relatable context. The cow's name Rosa and the child's transition from fear to affection mirror how many city children experience their first farm visit in German-speaking regions, where direct-marketing farm stands (Hofladen) are common in Bavaria."

Story complete

You just understood 192 German words.

  • 8 new expressions
  • 1 grammar pattern
  • A1 level unlocked

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