Meine Stadt — Wohin?

Worked Example 1. We'll model a short dialogue where someone asks for directions to the Kenya National Library. First, notice the scenario: "Asking directions to the Kenya National Library." This gives us a real‑world setting we all know. Student A says, "Wohin gehst du?" – "Where are you going?" A simple "Wohin?" question that prompts a location answer. Student B replies, "Ich gehe zur Bibliothek. Sie ist neben dem Hauptbahnhof." Here we see two important points: the preposition 'neben' (next to) and the article change 'zur' (zu + der). Notice 'zur Bibliothek' – we use 'zu' + 'der' because Bibliothek is feminine. If it were a masculine noun like 'Museum', we would say 'zum Museum'. Let's pause. Does anyone have a question about the preposition 'neben' or the article changes? Feel free to raise your hand.

Let's work through Example 2, which shows how to give directions in German from home to Kenyatta Stadium. First, notice the overall scenario written here: "From home to Kenyatta Stadium." This helps us picture the route we'll describe. Read the German sentence: "Ich gehe geradeaus bis zur Kreuzung, dann links zum Stadion, das gegenüber vom Einkaufszentrum liegt." In English: "I walk straight ahead to the intersection, then turn left to the stadium, which is opposite the shopping centre." The word "zuerst" means "first". We use it to signal the first step in a sequence. "Dann" translates to "then", marking the next action after the first step. Finally, "danach" means "afterwards", indicating the last part of the route. Notice the arrows in the sketch: they follow the order zuerst → dann → danach, matching the verbal sequence we just discussed. To recap, we identified the scenario, read the full German direction, and highlighted the three key sequence words that guide the listener through the route.

Class, let's work through Worked Example 3 together. We'll practice asking how to get to a place using German transport vocabulary. First, read the scenario: "Scenario: Asking how to get to the 'Mombasa Ferry Terminal'". This is a typical Wohin? (where to?) question. The German dialogue we need is: "Wie komme ich zum Fährterminal?" – "How do I get to the ferry terminal?" A student might answer, "Du nimmst den Bus 42, steigst an der Hauptstraße aus und gehst dann rechts zur Fähre." Notice the two transport options listed: mit dem Bus (by bus) and mit dem Taxi (by taxi). We'll focus on the verb nehmen (to take) and the preposition mit (with). At the table: it shows the verb conjugation for fahren and nehmen with each transport mode. For example, "Ich nehme den Bus 42" and "Ich fahre mit dem Taxi". You can ask and answer directions to the ferry terminal using the right German phrases.