Everyday activities
Use German to handle everyday plans, meals, health, time and travel with precise details.
Exam scope and assessment notes
All German texts, listening scripts, prompts, model responses, examples and exercises here are original StudyForA practice, not Cambridge assessment material. The map covers the five broad topic areas, the published grammar categories and the paper formats for both syllabus cycles; Cambridge describes its topic sub-lists as examples rather than an exhaustive vocabulary boundary. The separate 2028 vocabulary spreadsheet is linked but has not been reconciled word by word. German-language specialist review, comprehensive vocabulary auditing and full timed paper simulations remain outstanding. Browser speech synthesis is not Cambridge audio and cannot guarantee accent or pronunciation. Speaking checklists and writing review are practice aids, not an examiner mark or Cambridge moderation. This is not a complete 130-hour course. Confirm exam year, series, zone and entry with your school and Cambridge. Use the paper lesson that matches your examination year; speaking and writing practice does not award official marks. This lesson is shared with German 0525 because Cambridge states the subject content is otherwise the same; 7159 is graded 9–1. Cambridge lists 7159 as a limited-availability 9–1 qualification: in June, zone 3 and centres in Oman and UAE; in November, zone 3 only. Confirm your centre and series before choosing this code.
Before you begin
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which sentence gives both a time and destination?
What you will learn
- Understand and express times, days, dates, months, seasons and routines.
- Discuss meals, food, drinks, utensils and polite requests.
- Describe body parts, health and common symptoms without inventing a diagnosis.
- Follow travel and transport information, including changes and delays.
Build an accurate day plan
German clock time uses forms such as «um sieben Uhr» for a scheduled time and «halb acht» for 7:30. Days and dates often take «am» («am Montag», «am dritten Mai»); months and seasons generally take «im» («im Juli», «im Winter»).
Put the finite verb in second position in a main statement: «Am Montag fährt der Bus um acht Uhr.» The time can come first, but the verb remains second. «Zuerst», «danach» and «später» make a sequence clear.
Make requests and report a change
«Ich hätte gern einen Tee, bitte» is a polite request. «Ich habe Kopfschmerzen» reports a symptom, not a diagnosis. «Der Zug fällt aus» means the train is cancelled; it does not say the next train's time.
Check the details that change a plan: departure, arrival, platform, cost, destination and reason. Do not infer that a connection will wait unless the message says so.
Sources for this lesson
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) German 7159 subject page
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) German 7159 syllabus for exams in 2025–2027 · Version 2
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) German 7159 syllabus update for 2025–2027
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) German 7159 syllabus for exams in 2028–2030
- Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) German 7159 2028 vocabulary list
Pause and explain
A museum opens at 10:00 and the walk takes 25 minutes. To arrive before opening, when should you leave?
Worked example
A notice reads: «Der Bus nach Bonn fährt heute nicht um 9.10 Uhr, sondern um 9.40 Uhr. Bitte warten Sie am Bahnsteig 3.» What changed, and where should passengers wait?
Show the worked solution
- Compare the original and replacement time.
- Identify the destination and platform.
- Do not infer the reason or arrival time.
Answer The bus to Bonn now leaves at 9:40 instead of 9:10, and passengers should wait at platform 3. The notice gives no reason or arrival time.
Try a topic test
Choose Easy, Normal or Difficult. Save your answers and open worked review after finishing.
Test this topic →From guided practice to a new situation
Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Write a three-step German plan: meet at 15:30, travel by bus to a swimming pool and arrive before a 17:00 lesson.
Give me a hint
Use «um», «danach» and a destination with «zu» or «nach».
Compare my reasoning
- Give the meeting time.
- Name the transport and destination.
- Give an arrival time before 17:00.
Example: «Wir treffen uns um halb vier. Danach fahren wir mit dem Bus zum Schwimmbad. Wir kommen vor fünf Uhr an.»
Look for these in your work
- Includes the correct meeting time
- Names transport and destination
- Arrives before the lesson
Read: «Gestern hatte ich Halsschmerzen und blieb zu Hause. Heute geht es mir besser, aber ich weiß noch nicht, ob ich zum Training gehe.» What happened yesterday and what remains undecided?
Give me a hint
Separate the past symptom and action from the current uncertainty.
Compare my reasoning
- Find the symptom.
- Connect it to what the writer did.
- Notice «ich weiß noch nicht, ob».
Yesterday the writer had a sore throat and stayed home. Today they feel better, but have not decided whether to go to training. The message does not say they are fully recovered.
Look for these in your work
- Reports the symptom
- Reports the action
- Preserves the uncertainty
A visitor is at a station, feels unwell and has 40 minutes to reach a clinic by public transport. Give a practical German suggestion without diagnosing them.
Give me a hint
Acknowledge how they feel, give a route and duration, and suggest asking station staff if needed.
Compare my reasoning
- Use a neutral phrase about feeling unwell.
- Name the destination and transport.
- Give a realistic time and a safe next step.
Example: «Es tut mir leid, dass es Ihnen nicht gut geht. Nehmen Sie den Bus zur Klinik am Marktplatz; die Fahrt dauert ungefähr zwanzig Minuten. Fragen Sie bei Bedarf das Personal am Bahnhof.» This is a language example, not medical advice.
Look for these in your work
- Avoids a diagnosis
- Gives a route and duration
- Includes an appropriate next step
Common mistakes
- Confusing «halb acht» (7:30) with 8:30
- Treating a symptom as a medical diagnosis
- Assuming a cancellation or delay supplies a new departure time
What can you explain now?
What does «Der Zug fällt aus» tell you?
Compare with the explanation
The train is cancelled
It does not state when a replacement train will leave.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
Your review choice appears on Today. Sign in to sync it across devices.
Make it stick
Before leaving everyday activities, explain one idea from memory, answer the checkpoint and name one point to practise again.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.