Congratulate someone, express pride, summarize a story & word formation: ‑lich & ‑isch.

Paul has the painting! During the war, the lady and her husband were secretly listening to forbidden news - right in front of the painting (and he proposed to her there). It was the memories of her husband that she didn't want to lose. So she didn’t want to give it away, even though she doesn’t quite like it. It was also in front of this painting that he told her he wants to surrender. That's why she was so sure. Pauls work and blog are going well. He's considering writing a book, given that many people voted for it. But it still bothers him that he doesn’t know why Laura took Fritz's side. Mom calls: She is proud of him. And of his father because he's finally doing a gambling/gaming addiction therapy. Paul and his friends plan to celebrate. They change the date for Laura since she is busy with somehing very important that came up. She makes a secret of what this important thing is. And she doesn't want to reveal it until Saturday... Laura was overly interested in the blog article about Fritz, didn’t want Paul to report him even though she dislikes him, and now it’s even a secret what she’s busy with on Friday. What’s with all the secrecy?

Transcript, lesson and extras: german-stories.com/98-was-im-haus-passiert-ist-word-formation-lich-and-isch

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Express disappointment, surprise, and compassion & comparison: modal verbs and their use.

Paul and the grandson talk secretly: the widow had actually wanted to throw the painting away at one point. But she just can't let go of the old story and memories. Both grandpas were in the Hitler Youth and in the SA together. They really were Nazis. Paul is shocked. Paul’s grandpa must have learned the truth about what the Nazis did when he was a prisoner of war. He probably abandoned his political convictions there. But the grandson says his own grandpa was in Russia. And it was there that he began to no longer believe in the cause. That is what his grandpa told his grandmother while he was on home leave. That was three months before the letter came. In that last letter from the government, it was stated that he heroically tried to incite the enemy to surrender by waving a white handkerchief - and died in the process. But she always knew that he really only wanted to surrender himself. Paul asks how she could be so sure, and what the story has to do with the painting, anyway. That’s when the widow, who had been listening in on their conversation, speaks up. Finally, she realizes that withholding the painting won't bring her husband back either. She wants to give Paul the painting and tell him the story. How come the widow was so sure that Grandpa's friend just wanted to surrender? And what does the story have to do with the painting?

Transcript, lesson and extras: german-stories.com/97-die-opa-uberraschung-modal-verbs-and-their-use

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Tell a sentimental story and express gratitude & word formation: -bar.

Paul seems to have told the widow the whole dramatic story about the book, Fritz, his friends, Laura and his family. And he softened her emotionally with it. So she agrees to give him the painting, even though it didn't look like it at first. But then she suddenly becomes sentimental. She says it was in front of this painting that her now deceased husband had asked her if she wanted to marry him - three months before the letter came. She cries and is no longer willing give the painting away. Paul and her grandson talk to her, but she argues that the painting is the only thing she still has from her husband. She burned the letter. Paul wants to know: What letter, anyways? What letter is the widow talking about - and why did she burn it? Will Paul have to disappoint his family and relatives, and return without the painting?

Transcript, lesson and extras: german-stories.com/96-ich-kann-es-ihnen-nicht-geben-word-formation-bar

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