Guidance and getting started (Orientierung)
When you arrive at the airport, it is essential to know how to find your way around so you don’t get lost:
Terminal 1 / Terminal 2: The main sections of the building.
Der Bahnhof (Train station): A key location for getting to or from the airport.
Mietwagen (Rental cars): A specific section if you decide to hire a car.
Ankunfts- und Abflughalle (Arrivals and departures halls): Usually accessible via escalators (Rolltreppen).
Example sentences
Die Gepäckausgabe ist in Terminal 2
Baggage reclaim is in Terminal 2.
Der Bahnhof ist direkt unter dem Flughafen.
The station is right below the airport.
The billing process (Check-in)
In the Check-in Bereich (check-in area), you can complete the process in two ways:
Check-in Schalter (Check-in counter): Where staff assist you in person.
Self-service : A modern process that includes:
1. Scanner den Boarding Pass: Scanning your boarding pass.
2. Gepäckanhänger anbringen: Attaching a luggage tag to your suitcase.
3. Gepäck aufgeben: Checking in your luggage yourself.
Wo ist der Check-in Schalter für Lufthansa?
Where is the Lufthansa check-in desk?
Ich möchte mein Gepäck aufgeben.
I’d like to check in my luggage.
Security checks and regulations (Sicherheitskontrolle)
Before going through Sicherheitskontrolle (Security), please remember the rules regarding liquids:
Flüssigkeiten (Liquids): You are not permitted to carry liquids on the plane.
Behälter für PfandflaschenContainers for returnable bottles: The airport has special containers where you can deposit returnable bottles (Pfand) before going through security.
Wo ist die Sicherheitskontrolle?
Where is the security checkpoint?
Vor der Sicherheitskontrolle kontrolliere ich mein Handgepäck.
Before going through security, I check my hand luggage.
Services and waiting times (Wartezeiten)
Whilst you’re waiting for your flight, you can do various activities using this vocabulary:
Geld wechseln: Convert currencies (for example, from euros to dollars).
Einkaufen (Shopping): You can buy everything from Zeitschriften (magazines) and Bücher (books) to Klamotten (clothes) and Koffer (suitcases).
Essen und Trinken: You have options such as the Bäckerei (bakery) or the Kaffee (coffee shop) to recharge your batteries.
Ich muss noch Geld wechseln, von Euro zu Dollar.
I still need to exchange money – from euros to dollars.
Ich trinke einen Kaffee, bevor ich einsteige.
I’m having a coffee before boarding.
Aviation operations (Flughafenbetrieb)
To understand what happens on the courts, it is useful to be familiar with these terms:
Startbahn und Landebahn (Runway): Where aeroplanes take off or land.
Der Tower (The Control Tower): Where the (Fluglotsen) air traffic controllers work, responsible for ensuring the safety of air traffic.
Das Flugzeug rollt zur Startbahn.
The plane taxis towards the runway.
Die Fluglotsen sorgen für Sicherheit im Luftverkehr.
Air traffic controllers ensure the safety of air traffic.
Meeting points and emergencies
If you are travelling with someone and you get separated, you should go to:
Treffpunkt (Meeting point): A designated place to meet up if you have lost sight of each other (sich aus den Augen verloren hat). Screens displaying Abflugszeiten (departure times) are usually located near these points (horarios de salida).
Additional note: The selection process for becoming an air traffic controller (Fluglotse) is known to be extremely difficult and stressful, involving several rounds of selection. This information is not strictly travel vocabulary, but it helps to understand the professional context of the airport environment.
Vocabulary
Guidance and procedures
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Terminal 1 / Terminal 2 | Terminal 1 / Terminal 2 |
| Der Bahnhof | Train station |
| Mietwagen | Rental cars |
| Ankunfts- und Abflughalle | Arrivals and departures hall |
| Rolltreppen | Escalators |
| Die Gepäckausgabe | Baggage claim |
| Check-in Bereich | Check-in area |
| Check-in Schalter | Check-in counter |
| Self-service | Self-service |
| Boarding Pass scannen | Scan boarding pass |
| Gepäckanhänger anbringen | Attach luggage tag |
| Gepäck aufgeben | Check in luggage |
| Die Sicherheitskontrolle | Security control |
| Flüssigkeiten | Liquids |
| Behälter für Pfandflaschen | Deposit bottle container |
| Handgepäck | Hand luggage |
Services and operations
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Geld wechseln | Exchange money |
| Einkaufen | Shopping |
| Zeitschriften | Magazines |
| Bücher | Books |
| Klamotten | Clothes |
| Koffer | Suitcases |
| Essen und Trinken | Food and drinks |
| Bäckerei | Bakery |
| Kaffee | Coffee |
| sich stärken | Recharge your energy |
| Startbahn | Runway |
| Landebahn | Landing runway |
| Der Tower | Control tower |
| Fluglotsen | Air traffic controllers |
| Luftverkehr | Air traffic |
| Treffpunkt | Meeting point |
| Abflugszeiten | Departure times |
Recourses
Self-assessment
Vocabulary
Quiz