Lonely Planet German Phrasebook & Dictionary

Handy little phrase book for traveling to Germany. I would recommend at least a minimal level of vocabulary and grammar before relying on this completely; you won't be "learning" the language by reading this alone. The book itself is almost pocket-sized but the content is extensive. It is not something you could reference in the midst of a conversation (unless perhaps you tab the cr*p out of it), but it worked well for me to take a peek at before I was entering a store/restaurant/etc. to review what I may need to know, or afterwards to look up something I would have liked to express. Also, there is a TREMENDOUS difference in dialects regionally in Germany, so the "textbook" version is not always what will make sense to someone depending on where you are.I still have a LONG way to go in learning German, and am thankful I had someone who could translate for me, because in that respect, the book would not have been enough. Looking forward to studying more and trying it again the next time I travel there!

My boyfriend and I took this on our trip to Berlin this summer and it worked like a charm. The phonetic spelling of the words are spot on. We tested it with my German family and friends to see if they could understand what my boyfriend (who has never spoken or learned a drop of German) was saying and they could! I recommend it for anyone traveling to Germany. The helpful hints for social ques throughout are also great. It's nice that it's organized by how you use it (Restaurant, social situations, etc) and they have a few dictionaries in the back to help you break down what people say to you phonetically.

Best quick reference phrase book I've purchased to date. I gave it four stars instead of five because I am an American English speaker and the book's pronunciation examples, like other books I have purchased, seem to be based on British English examples rather than American English examples. Still recommended, but whether you are British or American, I also recommend using an audio pronunciation guide recorded by native German speakers if possible, .

I have bought several phrasebooks and I still have no idea why I continue to do so. Traveling in Europe I have found that most young people (under 35ish) speak a fair amount of English and seem to enjoy the opportunity to use it. Plus my ability to wrap my tongue around most of the words in the books just results in frustration. A smile and hand gesture get me a lot further than murdering someone else's native language. I hear that there are loads of phone apps out there as well.....

Very helpful during a recent 3-week trip to Germany. I like how it breaks things down into phrases by topic or situation, rather than just alphabetically. Convenient compact size.

This is a small book that is easy to carry. Categories are color coded with a subtopic index on the first page of each color section making it easy to find the word or phrase desired. There is even a menu decoder at the end of the food section.For those learning German the index becomes a list of useful words for a start. As for pronunciation it is probably better to find the words spoken online; this book does not use the IPA.

Except for the fact that my husband is a big chicken and a baby - and wouldn't use it... I thought it was awesome! Also LOTS of people in Germany do speak English. The trip was wasted on him as I would have used this book continuously! Love Lonely Planet! Best Phrase books ever. Need to get some in Oaxaca Indian.....

Small easy to carry in pocket and simple to go through and review basic phrases on the train or bus rides. It also goes much further in depth if you want to really practice your tenses and vocabulary before your trip!

If you want to learn daily German phrases, it is a good book.

Perfect size for trip to Germany and as a side study for learning. Also purchased Czech and Croatian versions, but might get a couple other ones too!

Small ... just right for a handbag

Never much wrong with any Lonely Planet products. I have other language books which all share the basic layout and I have found them very useful over the years. Early days on the German language front but there is a dictionary in the back of the book which is quite comprehensive for the size of bookGood value

The size of this book is just what I wanted - pocket size - this should be a great help to me when I go to Germany.