Four processes at the seam
When two words meet in fast speech, four things happen again and again. A t squeezed between consonants disappears (Tilgung, deletion). An n takes on the place of the next consonant (Assimilation). Two identical sounds merge into one. And an unstressed pronoun or particle leans on the word before it and loses its vowel.
English does all of this too: last week loses its t, ten boys sounds like tem boys. The difference is which words are affected. German speakers keep a crisp start on stressed words that begin with a vowel, and they reduce function words much further than English does.
The t that vanishes
A t at the end of a word drops out when a consonant comes before it and another follows: ist das, nicht mehr, jetzt gleich, und dann (d sounds like t at the end of a word). Before a vowel it stays. Produce this one yourself: keeping every t sounds like dictation.
Say these at speed
Ist das dein Ernst?
[is das dein Ernst]
Are you serious?
Das geht jetzt nicht mehr.
[das geht jetz nich mehr]
That's no longer possible now.
Ich komme gleich, und dann reden wir.
[ich komm gleich, un dann redn wir]
I'll be right there, and then we'll talk.
Er ist im Urlaub.
[er ist im Urlaub]
He's on holiday.
before a vowel the t stays
The n that moves
A final n before b, p or m is formed with the lips and sounds like m. Before g or k it moves to the back of the mouth and sounds like ng. You do this automatically in English; let it happen in German too. Listening, you need to undo it: what sounds like im Berlin is in Berlin.
n in disguise
Ich wohne in Berlin.
[ich wohne im Berlin]
I live in Berlin.
Wir treffen uns in Köln.
[wir treffn uns ing Köln]
We're meeting in Cologne.
Warte einen Moment.
[warte nem Moment]
Wait a moment.
Kannst du den Kaffee mitbringen?
[kannste deng Kaffee mitbringn]
Can you bring the coffee?
Words that lean on the verb
Unstressed er, sie, es, dem and denn attach to the word in front. Where two identical consonants meet, they merge, so hat er becomes one word with one t. These forms are mainly for recognising. Use isses, hatter and wo bisten among friends at most; in any other setting say the full words.
What you hear
| spoken | English |
|---|---|
| hatter, isser | has he, is he |
| hatse, isse | has she, is she |
| isses | is it |
| mitm, mim | with the |
| -n: wo bisten, was isn, wie gehtsn | so, then |
Questions the way you hear them
Wo bist du denn?
[wo bisten]
Where are you, then?
Was ist denn los?
[was isn los]
What's up?
Hat er schon angerufen?
[hatter schon angerufn]
Has he called yet?
Ist es weit?
[isses weit]
Is it far?
Fährst du mit dem Rad?
[fährste mim Rad]
Are you going by bike?
Where German does not link
English links a final consonant straight onto the next vowel: an apple sounds like a napple. German usually does not do this before a stressed vowel. The vowel starts with a small catch in the throat, the glottal stop, so am Abend keeps its two words apart. In fast speech it is mainly unstressed function words that give up the catch, which is why ist es can become isses.
Linked or kept apart
Wir sehen uns am Abend.
[am | Abend, with a fresh start on A]
See you in the evening.
Ist es schon spät?
[isses schon spät, es is unstressed and links]
Is it late already?
