My Adventures in German: Talking About Entertainment – And Finding My Voice

Okay, so here I am, almost a year into living in Berlin. It’s… intense. Beautiful, frustrating, wonderful, completely baffling, all rolled into one. One of the biggest hurdles, honestly, has been the language. I thought I was decent at Spanish, but German is a whole different beast. It feels like the vowels are actively trying to confuse me. But I’m slowly getting there, and I’m focusing on the things that actually matter – things I actually want to talk about. And that’s usually TV, music, or movies.

Starting the Conversation: “Was schaust du?”

The first few times I tried to ask a colleague, Thomas, what he’d been watching, it was a disaster. I kept trying to use the formal “Sie” and ended up with a very stiff, awkward conversation. Then I realized everyone just uses “du.” It felt weird at first, but it’s the way things are done here, and it makes things so much easier.

I asked him, “Was schaust du?” (What are you watching?) and his response was, “Ich schaue gerade Stranger Things.” (I’m watching Stranger Things right now.) I felt ridiculously proud of myself. It was a small step, but a huge win!

He added, “Ist es gut?” (Is it good?) and I managed a shaky, “Ja, sehr gut!” (Yes, very good!). I definitely need to work on my pronunciation.

Expressing My Opinions with “finden”

But it’s not just about understanding questions. I want to be able to say what I think, and that’s where “finden” (to find, to think) comes in. It’s become a lifesaver. I’ve discovered that Germans are very opinionated about their entertainment.

I was talking to Sarah, who works at the café near my apartment, about a new German film, Toni Erdmann. I said, “Ich finde den Film sehr traurig.” (I find the film very sad.) She looked at me and said, “Toni Erdmann? Ich finde ihn total überbewertet!” ( I find him totally overrated!). I was so surprised! Clearly, my taste in films is different from hers.

Later, I realized I’d used “finden” incorrectly in my own thought process. I was thinking, “Dieser Film ist schön” (This film is beautiful), and mentally felt a bit silly saying it. It felt… too polite. “Ich finde diesen Film wunderschön” felt so much more natural and genuine.

More Phrases and Real-Life Scenarios

Here are a few other phrases I’ve found really useful:

• “Ich mag diesen Schauspieler nicht.” (I don’t like this actor.)
• “Was hältst du von diesem Album?” (What do you think of this album?) – Often followed by “Ich finde die Musik gut.” (I find the music good.)
• “Ich bin der Meinung, dass…” (I am of the opinion that…) – This one feels a little formal, but it’s good to know.

I had a hilarious misunderstanding the other day with a group of friends at a bar. I was trying to compliment someone’s playlist, saying “Ich finde deine Musik toll!” (I find your music great!). One of the guys, Max, looked at me completely bewildered and said, “Toll? Warum sagst du nicht einfach ‘gut’?” (Great? Why don’t you just say ‘good’?). It struck me then that sometimes, simpler is better.

Vocabulary to Know

Here’s a little list of essential vocabulary that’s helped me:

• ein Film – a movie
• eine Serie – a TV series
• ein Album – an album
• die Musik – the music
• gut – good
• schlecht – bad
• interessant – interesting
• spannend – exciting
• traurig – sad
• lustig – funny

Moving Forward

I’m still making mistakes, of course. My grammar is definitely not perfect, and my pronunciation needs work. But I’m learning, slowly but surely. The key, I think, is to just keep talking, even if I stumble over my words. And to be okay with disagreeing – apparently, that’s part of the German entertainment experience! I’m now armed with “finden,” a growing vocabulary, and a willingness to embrace the awkwardness. Next time, I’ll try to convince Thomas that The Crown is actually brilliant…

Resources:

• [Deutsche Welle Learn German](https://www.dw.com/en/learn-german/) – Great free resources.
• [Easy German YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@EasyGerman) – Real conversations for learners.

I hope this helps other newcomers feel a bit more confident diving into conversations about entertainment in Germany! Viel Glück! (Good luck!)