German

Main Contents

Introduction
Lessons
Grammar
Appendices (Anhänge)
Contributors
GFDL

Introduction

A Textbook on Five Levels

The question arose early in the development of this textbook as to precisely who would be the target audience. Although intended to be a "beginning" textbook on German, many felt that the early lessons were too difficult for younger students with very limited or no experience with German and, perhaps more importantly, limited skills in English grammar. For this reason a textbook on three levels was conceived. Beginning German (Level I) puts more emphasis on building vocabulary around subject matter interesting and useful to young students. Basic German (Level II) emphasises grammar, and assumes a greater knowledge of English grammar more typical of an older high school or a college student. If you are just beginning to learn German or attempting to teach yourself, you may wish to try both approaches and see which works better for you, since some people require a strong structural approach to learning a new language while others find this "structure" only impedes progress by adding another layer of complexity. Intermediate German (Level III), which requires even more knowledge of English, is for college students, preferably for sophomores or juniors. With even more complex lessons, grammar and vocabulary comes Advanced German (Level IV), which with the most complex and difficult parts of the German language, is for late college students (Seniors) and college graduates. The last level, which is a review level, but also has cultural facts and the history of the German language, is Reviewed German. (Level V). An existing, separate text, German/Grammar, may eventually be merged into the lesson modules or developed into useful appendices as a grammar reference. At present, however, German Grammar is an expanding, significant contribution to the textbook; it provides an important reference on German language grammar rules useful to the student working through any of the three levels.

The German Language

German (Deutsch) is a member of the western group of the Germanic languages. It is spoken primarily in Germany, Austria, the majority of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Südtirol (South Tyrol) region of Italy, the Opole Voivodship of Poland, the eastern part of Belgium, parts of Romania, the Alsace (Elsass) region of France and parts of Denmark. Additionally, several former colonial possessions of these countries, such as Namibia in Africa, have sizable German-speaking populations. There are German-speaking minorities in several eastern European countries including Russia, and in the United States as well as countries in South America like Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Over 120 million people speak German as their native language. German is the third most popular foreign language taught worldwide, and the second most popular in Europe. Continue reading about the German language.

German and English

If you are an English speaker unfamiliar with German, you may be surprised to learn that English and German are closely related languages and share many words that are very similar. Such words are called cognates. This is particularly true for everyday words in English that are Anglo-Saxon (that is, Germanic) in origin. Consider the following list of English words followed by their German counterparts:

arm ~ der Arm

book ~ das Buch

cat ~ die Katze

father ~ der Vater

finger ~ der Finger

wagon ~ der Wagen

house ~ das Haus

hand ~ die Hand

June ~ der Juni

man ~ der Mann

mother ~ die Mutter

mouse ~ die Maus

name ~ der Name

son ~ der Sohn

garden ~ der Garten

lamp ~ die Lampe

bush ~ der Busch

baker ~ der Bäcker

net ~ das Netz

storm ~ der Sturm

hat ~ der Hut

fire ~ das Feuer

grass ~ das Gras

fish ~ der Fisch

kindergarten ~ der Kindergarten

Some German words have the same origin as their English counterparts but the meaning has changed:

worry ≠ würgen (strangle)

kind ≠ das Kind (child)

Audio: OGG (308KB) ~ Hear these words

Of course, even words whose spelling is no different in English and German may be pronounced quite differently. But in reading German, you will see the connections between these languages, even in many of the "small" words (the above examples are all nouns). For example:

This week, my father is with my brother in the city.

Diese Woche ist mein Vater mit meinem Bruder in der Stadt.

Audio: OGG (87KB) ~ Hear these sentences

Note also the general similarity of sentence structure with English. The only real difference in the German is that the verb is moved forward in the sentence. However, there are many German sentences in which a verb form is the last word in the sentence.

Unfortunately, while German is perhaps the easiest "foreign" language for an English speaker to learn, meanings of words that are spelled similarly are not always identical. These "false friends" can be confusing for the beginner. Further, German is a more structured language than English, with a more complex grammar, and it will become apparent as you learn German that you will also learn more about English language structure than you might ever recall from your high school English classes. For a quick listing of similarities and differences between English and German, read the Introduction to Level I.

Vocabulary and Grammar

In learning to read or speak any language with which you have minimal acquaintance (that is, are not a native speaker of), the two aspects to be mastered are vocabulary and grammar. Acquiring vocabulary is a "simple" matter of memorization. For the language(s) we learn as children, this process is so transparent that we have trouble conceiving of the importance of having a large vocabulary. By the age of conscious recognition of our communicating with others through speech, we have already learned the meaning of thousands of words. Even words we have trouble defining, we readily understand their use in conversation. This process can be "reactivated," as it were, by immersion in a second language: a method of learning a new language by moving to a place where that language is spoken and having to get around and live without use of one's native tongue.

The student of German language, if not residing in a German-speaking environment, must put forth substantial effort to learning words, including their meaning, their pronunciation and their usage in common sentences. Be sure to "learn"—commit to memory—all of the vocabulary words in each lesson as they are presented. Early lessons have simple sentences because it is assumed that the student's vocabulary is limited. But throughout the text, more complex discourses (often as photo captions) are included to introduce the student to regular German in use. It may be helpful to translate these using a German-English dictionary (access to one is a must; see Appendix 5 for on-line options). Other sources of German, such as newspapers, magazines, web sites, etc., can also be useful in building vocabulary and developing a sense of how German words are put together. The German Wikipedia provides an ever expanding source of German language articles that can be used for this purpose. Further, a German version of the Wikibooks project—a library of textbooks in German—is available at German Wikibooks.

German grammar is more complex than, but sufficiently similar to, English that "reading" German is possible with minimal vocabulary in the sense that the student should generally recognize the parts of a sentence. With a good dictionary or an online translator, an English speaker can usually translate a German sentence close to correctly. However, to accurately speak and understand German, you must learn how each word functions in a sentence. There are eight basic grammatical functions: case, gender, number, tense, person, mood, voice, and comparison. How words "signal" these functions is an important aspect of learning a new language. English speakers should know all of these functions and the signals used in English, but it is often the situation that you know perfectly well how to speak English, without understanding much about word-functions and signals. For this reason, this textbook incorporates considerable detail on grammar, including both English and German grammar. The reference book English at Wikibooks may be consulted for additional help. When we say German is more complex than English, what we really mean is that the signals used in German are different from and more numerous than those used by English.

Pronunciation

A guide to the pronunciation of German is provided. You should become familiar with this page early on, and refer to it often. Nothing can replace learning a language from a native speaker, but the text is liberally sprinkled with audio files providing the student with valuable input from hearing spoken German. Analyze the spoken words carefully. The pronunciation guide can only closely, not exactly, convey how German words should be pronounced. And of course, German (like English) has a number of dialects distinguished by differences in pronunciation.

Help in the pronunciation of individual words can be found by accessing the sound files of either of the online dictionaries, links to which are given in the German websites appendix.

Layout of Lessons

This textbook is intended as a beginning course in the German language for English speakers. Early lessons emphasize conversational subjects and gradually introduce German grammatical concepts and rules. In addition, sound files accompany appropriate parts of each lesson. Although the basic lessons (Grundlegende Lektionen) are presented at about the (US) high school level, beginners (including those attempting to learn German outside of a course structure) are expected to work through several basic lessons up to an indicated point, when review is suggested along with additional study. The basic way lessons go to other lessons is very simple and direct:

Lesson 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > and on to the end of the text.

Layout within Lessons

The following subheadings or categories are offered within the lessons (Level II and above):

One or more conversation (Gespräch) or story (Geschichte) pieces in German alone to illustrate the language in use.
Study material (Lernen) in English and German to present lists of conceptually related words.
One or more grammar (Grammatik) lessons covering elements of German grammar, with illustrations drawn from the conversation, story, or study materials.
A list of words (Vokabeln) and phrases introduced in the lesson, above that point, usually in the conversation, story, or study presentations. Words and phrases are arranged alphabetically within groups, and the groups are presented in the following order: 1) nouns, 2) phrases, 3) verbs, and 4) all other words. A guide to pronunciation of the words presented is consolidated within Appendix 1. However, in each Vokabeln, nouns stressed on other than the first syllable (the general rule in German) are indicated by bolding of the stressed syllable (e.g., Biologie). Note that the English translation of all German words in a Vokabeln is the best equivalent for the lesson example. The lesson Vokabeln is not a dictionary, but a quick reference for translation purposes. For this reason, verbs are not translated into a typical English infinitive form with a preceding particle, "to".
A list of additional, related words or phrases (Andere Wörter; advanced lessons only) that relate to, but are not included in, the vocabulary presented in the basic and advanced lessons.
English sentences and other material to be translated by the student into German (Übersetzung). These are numbered and a matching answer sheet is linked to this category. The student should write out the German using material from the lesson (and previous lessons) before checking their work against the answer list.

The Student and the Lesson

Each level of the text is designed to constitute a course of study in the German language. For any level selected, each lesson should be read thoroughly and mastered before moving on. Substantial text in German is included and the student should read all of it, not once, but multiple times. At Levels II and III, complete translations into English are included only in selected places. Most of this text must be translated by the student using his or her acquired vocabulary and the vocabulary presented at the bottom of each lesson. As the German text is read (preferably out loud), the student must succeed in gaining an understanding of the meaning of each sentence, and of the role each word plays in establishing that meaning. To the beginner, there will seem to be many words in a German sentence that are out of place or even redundant or unnecessary. These add subtleties to the language that will make sense eventually. But it is important to experience these subtleties from the very beginning.

Continue to the level one introduction.

LEVEL ONE LESSONS

#Lesson 1.00 - Introduction
- #Section 1.01 ~ Starting Point
#Lesson 1.01 - Wie heißt du?
#Lesson 1.02 - Freizeit
#Lesson 1.03 - Essen
- #Review 1.01
#Section 1.02 ~ Berlin, Germany
#Lesson 1.04 - Kleidung
#Lesson 1.05 - Volk und Familie
#Lesson 1.06 - Schule
- #Review 1.02
#Section 1.03 ~ Vienna, Austria
#Lesson 1.07 - Das Fest
#Lesson 1.08 - Privileg und Verantwortung
#Lesson 1.09 - Wetter
- #Review 1.03
#Section 1.04 ~ Berne, Switzerland
#Lesson 1.10 - Zu Hause Essen
#Lesson 1.11 - Filme
#Lesson 1.12 - Das Haus
- #Review 1.04

Lesson 1.00 - Introduction

I.0: Introduction

Welcome to Level I German!

Level I is aimed at junior high and high school students. However, it can also be used by others just beginning to learn to speak or read German.

The goal of Level I German is to introduce the basics of the German language without overwhelming students. Therefore, the vocabulary is formatted for translating from English (which the students know) into German.

Although Level II is aimed at students and people who are a bit proficient after Level I, still, English translation will be used, so as to ease the learning. It helps because, at times while learning a new language, even with basic understanding, the words are above normal understanding level, and thus require a "sub" assistance.

German and English

German and English are quite close to each other, and are called language sisters or, more formally, cognate languages. Both belong to the Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. Here are some major similarities:

Both languages use the Latin alphabet.
Normally, sentences follow Subject-Verb-Object order.
Questions have Verb-Subject-Object order or Adverb-Verb-Subject-Object order.
There are contractions (e.g., isn't) in both German and English.
Many words share the same roots, such as word and Wort, or house and Haus.
Many words are spelled almost the same way in English and German; for example, Text, Zoo, Handball, Motor, Bus, Park, Position, or Garage.
Kindergarten (early school grade) is an English word borrowed directly from German, with a slight change of meaning from its original sense of daycare or nursery school.

As you can see, German is quite similar to English. There are, however, differences:

German has more letters than and different pronunciations from English.
In German the verb is sometimes the last word of a sentence.
German has more verb forms than English.
German is the only known written language where every noun is capitalized, whether or not it is a proper noun.
The word ich (I) is only capitalized if it is the first word of the sentence.
German has three different words for you.
Adjectives have different endings based on the noun they are modifying in German.
German does not have any Present Continuous tense, only Present tense.

However, German is still one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn. The differences will be tackled over the course of the lessons.

How to Use this Level of the German Textbook

The lessons are meant to be taken in order. You should read and review the German dialogs as often as possible. Many of the dialogs come with audio recordings by native speakers. These recordings are invaluable to learn the German pronunciation. If there is a recording, you can do several kinds of exercises:

Read the German dialog and translate it to English with the help of the vocabulary list.
Listen to the dialog while you read it and try to understand as much as possible.
Listen to the dialog without reading it, pause the playback after each sentence and translate it to English.
Listen to the dialog without reading it, pause the playback after each sentence, and write it down in German.
Listen to the dialog while reading it, stop after each sentence and repeat the pronunciation.

At the reviews, after every third lesson, go back to look at the previous lessons.

Layout of the Lessons

Every lesson has a title at the top.
The lesson will introduce several topics, more and more as the lessons progress.
Topics are usually introduced by dialogs, which are accompanied by vocabulary lists.
Each lesson features several problems and a test at the end. You should write down your answers (either electronically or on paper) before looking at the suggested answers. The act of writing down your answers will help you to learn the spelling.
Level I uses a "more than enough" system for the problems. You don't have to do all of the problems if you think you know the material. However, the test may require knowing certain vocabulary, so you need to make sure you know it.

Levels of Completion

On the contents page, you will see filled-in boxes next to each lesson. The number of boxes corresponds to the completeness of the lesson as follows:

- The lesson is started, with a lesson overview at least.

- At least half of the sections are complete.

- Most of the lesson is complete.

- The entire lesson is complete.

Section 1.01 ~ Starting Point

Lesson 1.01 - Wie heißt du?

This lesson deals with basic conversation topics such as saying hello and goodbye and asking people how they are feeling. This lesson features audio recordings by native speakers to help you with the pronunciation.

Dialogue

Read and listen to the following dialogue between two students: Franz and Greta. You don't have to understand anything! You should rather try to find out how each word is pronounced.

Dialogue: What's your name? (1st Part) — Wie heißt du? (1. Teil)
Franz	Hallo, ich bin Franz. Wie heißt du?
Greta	Hallo, Franz. Ich heiße Greta. Wie geht's?
Franz	Es geht mir gut. Kennst du den Lehrer?
Greta	Ja, er heißt Herr Weiß.
Franz	Oh, danke, Greta. Bis dann!
Greta	Wiedersehen!

Problems: Listen carefully!

The German pronunciation of many letters is similar to the English pronunciation, but there are also many differences. Try to answer the following question by listening carefully. Write your answers on a piece of paper or in a text file before you check them.

How is the "a" in "Hallo", "Franz", "Greta", "ja", "danke", and "dann" pronounced?
How is the "i" in "ich" and "bis" pronounced?
How is the "ch" in "ich" pronounced?
How is the "z" in "Franz" pronounced?
How is the "w" in "wie", "Weiß" and "wiedersehen" pronounced?
How is the "ie" in "wie" and "Wiedersehen" pronounced?
How is the "ei" in "heißt", "heiße" and "Weiß" pronounced?
How is the "ß" in "heißt", "heiße" and "Weiß" pronounced?
How is the "e" in "es", "kennst", "er" and "Herr" pronounced?
How is the first "e" in "gehen", "Greta", and "geht" pronounced?
How is the “s” in “wiedersehen” pronounced?
How is the “j” in “Ja” pronounced?

Answers

Similar to the "a" in "hard".
Similar to the "i" in "hit".
Similar to, but not entirely like, the “Sh” as in English “shell.” The sound in German needs the tongue to be quite hardly pressed against the top of your mouth, then the air is somewhat forced out through.
"z" is pronounced like "ts".
Similar to the "v" in "vat".
Similar to the "ee" in "meet".
"ei" is pronounced like "ai" in German or like the "i" in the English word "time".
"ß" is a ligature (combination letter) of a double s (“ss”). pronounced like "s". It is always a soft “S.” Always like “sound” but never like a “z.”
Similar to "e" in "pet".
This is a long German "e"; the sound doesn't exist in English. It is between the "i" in "hit" and the "e" in "pet". The sound is like the “a” in “day,” without the “y.”
“S” in German is usually pronounced hard like an English “z” at the start and in the middle of words. Before other consonants or at the end of a word, it is soft like an English “s” in “soft.” It's sometimes pronounced similar to "sh" in "she".
“J” in German is usually pronounced like the “y” in “yes” (which by the way is what “Ja” means). It's sometimes pronounced the same as in English, i.e. like in "jog".

Now try to understand the dialogue with the help of the following list of vocabulary. (A complete translation is given in the answers to the next problems.)

Vocabulary: What's your name? (1st Part) — Wie heißt du? (1. Teil) noicon
English	German
Hello!	Hallo!
I	ich
I am...	Ich bin ...
how	wie
you	du
Your name is...	Du heißt ...
What is your name?	Wie heißt du?
My name is...	Ich heiße ...
it	es
it goes	es geht
How is it going?	Wie geht's? (Longer: Wie geht es?)
me	mir
good	gut
I'm good.	Es geht mir gut. (Shorter: Mir geht's gut. Even shorter: Gut.)
you know	du kennst
Do you know...?	Kennst du ...?
teacher	Lehrer
yes	ja
he	er
His name is...	Er heißt ...
Mr.	Herr
oh	oh
thanks	danke
until	bis
then	dann
See you!	Bis dann!
on	auf
again	wieder
(to) see	sehen
Goodbye!	(Auf) Wiedersehen!

Problems: Working with the dialogue

Translate the dialogue to English with the help of the list of vocabulary. Write your translation on a piece of paper before you check it.
Listen to the recording without reading and try to understand the meaning of the words. If you cannot remember some words, look them up and start again.
Read the dialogue aloud. Compare your pronunciation with the pronunciation of the recording.
Listen to the recording without reading and write down the dialogue in German. Pause the playback after each sentence to write down what you have heard. Repeat this exercise until you know the spelling of the German words.

Answers

Translation to English:
Franz: Hello, I am Franz. What is your name?

Greta: Hello, Franz. My name is Greta. How is it going?

Franz: I'm good. Do you know the teacher?

Greta: Yes, his name is Mr. Weiß.

Franz: Oh, thanks, Greta. See you!

Greta: Goodbye!
—
—
See the dialogue.

Hellos and Goodbyes

There are many ways of saying hello and goodbye in German; some of them are:

Vocabulary: Greetings — Grüße
English	German
Hello!	Hallo!*
	Servus! (used in southern Germany and eastern Austria, informal)
	Moin! (used in northern Germany)
Good morning!	Moin Moin! (used in northern Germany)
	Guten Morgen!*
	Morgen! (shorter)
Good day!	Guten Tag!*
Good day!	Tag! (used in Germany, shorter)
Good evening!	Guten Abend!*
Hello!	Grüß Gott! (used in southern Germany, Austria and South Tyrol)
Goodbye!	Auf Wiedersehen!*
Goodbye!	Wiedersehen! (shorter)
Bye!	Tschüss!*
	Tschau! (also spelled "ciao" as in Italian)
	Servus! (used in southern Germany and eastern Austria, informal)
See you later!	Bis später!*
See you!	Bis dann!*
See you!	Bis bald!*
See you soon!	Bis gleich!
Good night!	Gute Nacht!*

*You will need to know each expression with an asterisk (*) after it. The others, of course, would be useful to know if you are traveling to regions where they are used. (As you can see, the different German-speaking regions often have their own ways of saying hello and goodbye. However, you will not be required to know any of these less common phrases for any problems or tests.)

The more formal phrases are guten Morgen, guten Tag, and auf Wiedersehen. The less formal ones are tschüss, Tag, servus, and ciao. The others are somewhat inbetween formal and informal.

Problems: Hellos and goodbyes

How would you say hello and goodbye in these situations:

You meet a friend in the morning.
You meet a teacher in the classroom in the afternoon.
You meet a classmate in the evening.
You talk to a shop assistant in the morning.

Answers

Avoiding local variants, these are some options:

Hello: Hallo!/(Guten) Morgen!/(Guten) Tag! Goodbye: Tschüss!/Bis später!/Bis dann!/Bis bald!
Hello: Guten Tag! Goodbye: Auf Wiedersehen.
Hello: Hallo!/Guten Abend! Goodbye: Tschüss!/Bis dann!/Bis bald!
Hello: Guten Morgen!/Guten Tag! Goodbye: (Auf) Wiedersehen!

Mr. and Mrs.

In German, Herr and Frau are used instead of Mr. and Mrs. before a last name; e.g., Mr. Schwarz – Herr Schwarz.

Vocabulary: Mr. & Ms. — Herr und Frau
English	German
Mr.	Herr
Mrs.	Frau

Frau is used for married and unmarried women. Some people still use Miss – Fräulein in spoken German but it is no longer used in written German since it is considered an inappropriate discrimination of unmarried women.

Literally, der Herr means the gentleman and die Frau means the woman. If you use these words without a last name after them, you have to use an article before them; e.g., der Herr or die Frau. This is actually just like in English. For example:

The woman's name is Mrs. Weiß – Die Frau heißt Frau Weiß.

Note also that the German translation of the man is der Mann and the lady should be translated to die Dame. Thus, without last names you would rather use these pairs:

man and woman – Mann und Frau
men and women – Männer und Frauen
lady and gentleman – Dame und Herr
ladies and gentlemen – Damen und Herren

Problems: Mr. & Mrs.

Translate the following words and phrases to German:

Mr. Schwarz
the man
The man's name is Mr. Schwarz.
the woman
The woman's name is Mrs. Schwarz.
ladies and gentlemen

Answers

Herr Schwarz
der Mann
Der Mann heißt Herr Schwarz.
die Frau
Die Frau heißt Frau Schwarz.
Damen und Herren

Replies to Wie geht's?

There are many ways to reply to the question Wie geht's? Here are some of them:

Vocabulary: How are you — Wie geht's?
English	German
How are you?	Wie geht's? (longer: Wie geht es dir?)*
great	prima
good	gut
very good	sehr gut
miserable	miserabel
bad	schlecht
not (so) good	nicht (so) gut
O.K.	ganz gut
all right	Es geht so. (Or shorter: Geht so.)

*The more formal form is Wie geht es Ihnen?

After replying to the question, you could continue with:

And how are you? — Und wie geht es dir? (formal: Und wie geht es Ihnen?)

Or shorter:

And you? — Und dir? (or: Und selbst?; or formal: Und Ihnen?)

Problems: Wie geht's?

Fill in the blanks:

_______ geht's?
Prima. _______ dir?
Es _______ so.
Wie geht _______ Ihnen?
Sehr _______. _______ selbst?
Ganz _______, danke.

Answers

Wie geht's?
Prima. Und dir?
Es geht so.
Wie geht es Ihnen?
Sehr gut. Und selbst?
Ganz gut, danke.

Test

The test consists of three parts: pronunciation, vocabulary, and translation. As always, you should write down your answers before you check them. (Writing the German words is in fact a great way to practice the spelling of German words.) The vocabulary and translation problems are all from English to German because this is what you have to learn if you want to communicate in German. Once you are able to translate an English word to the corresponding German word, it won't be any problem to translate the German word back to English.

Problems: Pronunciation

How do you pronounce "Ich heiße ..."?
How do you pronounce "Franz"?
How do you pronounce "Wiedersehen"?

Answers

"i" as in "hit", "ch" as in "Loch", "h" as in "hotel", "ei" as the "i" in "times", "ß" is pronounced just like a "s", last "e" as in "pet"
"f", "r", "n" similar to the English pronunciation of these letters, "a" as in "hard", "z" like "ts".
"w" as the "v" in "vat", "ie" as the "ee" in "meet", "eh" is the long German "e" (between "i" in "hit" and a "e" in "pet"), the other letters are pronounced similarly in English.

Problems: Vocabulary

Translate from English to German:

Mr.
Good evening!
how
Good morning!
teacher
(the) man
Good night!
you
(the) woman
Bye!
How are you?
thanks
bad
Good day!
I
Goodbye!
he
See you later!
Hello!
very good
Mrs.
yes
not (so) good

Answers

Herr
Guten Abend!
wie
Guten Morgen!
Lehrer
(der) Mann
Gute Nacht!
du
(die) Frau
Tschüss!
Wie geht's?
danke
schlecht
Guten Tag!
ich
Auf Wiedersehen!
er
Bis später!
Hallo!
sehr gut
(die) Frau
ja
nicht (so) gut

Problems: Translation

Translate from English to German:

Hello! I'm Susanne. What's your name?
Good morning, Susanne. My name is Andreas.
Good day, Andreas. How are you?
Very good. Thanks, Susanne. And you? How are you?
Great, thanks. See you later, Andreas!
Goodbye!

Answers

Hallo! Ich bin Susanne. Wie heißt du?
Guten Morgen, Susanne. Ich heiße Andreas.
Guten Tag, Andreas. Wie geht's?
Sehr gut. Danke, Susanne. Und dir? Wie geht's dir?
Prima, danke. Bis später, Andreas!
Wiedersehen!

External resources

Vocabulary drill for this level on Memrise

Lesson 1.02 - Freizeit

Lesson I.4: Freizeit

Dialogue

Literally, Freizeit means free time, i.e., spare time. In this dialogue, Franz and Greta are familiarizing each other with their sports activities.

Dialogue: Sports and time — Sport und Zeit
Franz	Hallo, Greta! Wie spät ist es?
Greta	Es ist Viertel vor drei.
Franz	Wirklich? Ich spiele um drei Fußball. Machst du Sport, Greta?
Greta	Nein, ich bin faul. Ich gehe jetzt nach Hause.
Franz	Fußball macht aber Spaß!
Greta	Bis dann.
Franz	Wiedersehen!

Vocabulary: Sports and Time — Sport und Zeit
English	German
late	spät
quarter	das Viertel
to (+ hour)	vor (+ hour)
three	drei
to play	spielen
I play	ich spiele
at (+ time)	um (+ time)
soccer	der* Fußball
(to) make; (to) do	machen
you make; you do	du machst
sport(s)	der Sport
lazy	faul
(to) go	gehen
I go	ich gehe
now	jetzt
to (+ place)	nach (+ place)
house	das Haus
home (direction)	nach Hause
at home (place)	zu Hause
but	aber
fun	der Spaß

*The audio recording says "das", but it should be "der".

Sports and Activities

Vocabulary: Sports and activities — Sport und Aktivitäten
English	German
the sport(s)	der Sport
the interests, hobbies, activities	die Hobbys (singular: das Hobby) or das Steckenpferd (-e)
the football/soccer	der Fußball
the American football	der Football (pronounced as in English)
the volleyball	der Volleyball (the Volley- in Volleyball is pronounced as in English)
the basketball	der Basketball
the tennis	das Tennis
the baseball	der Baseball (pronounced as in English)
the 9-pin bowling	das Kegeln
the chess	das Schach
the board game	das Brettspiel
the game	das Spiel
the homework	die Hausaufgaben (usually plural; singular: die Hausaufgabe)
the TV watching	das Fernsehen (the TV: der Fernseher)
the movie	der Film

Section Problems>>

Spielen, Machen and Other Verbs

All three verbs that you were introduced to in Lesson 2 are irregular in some way; however, most verbs are regular verbs. In English, the regular conjugation is very easy: only for the third person singular an "-s" is added to the infinitive ("to see" becomes "he/she/it sees"). Unfortunately, there are more endings in German. The following two tables show the endings for the two regular verbs spielen (to play) and machen (to do; to make):

Verb: to play — spielen
		English		German
singular	1st person	I	play	ich	spiele
	2nd person	you	play	du	spielst
	3rd person	he/she/it	plays	er/sie/es	spielt
plural	1st person	we	play	wir	spielen
	2nd person	you	play	ihr	spielt
	3rd person	they	play	sie	spielen

Verb: to do_make — machen
		English		German
singular	1st person	I	do/make	ich	mache
	2nd person	you	do/make	du	machst
	3rd person	he/she/it	does/makes	er/sie/es	macht
plural	1st person	we	do/make	wir	machen
	2nd person	you	do/make	ihr	macht
	3rd person	they	do/make	sie	machen

As you see, the endings are the same for corresponding forms of spielen and machen. In fact, they are the same for all regular verbs. Thus, you can always just remove the -en from the infinitive of a regular German verb to form the stem (e.g., spielen becomes spiel- and machen becomes mach-) and then add the ending for the particular person. Here is a table with these endings:

Verb: conjugation — Konjugation
		English		German
singular	1st person	I	-	ich	-e
	2nd person	you	-	du	-st
	3rd person	he/she/it	-s	er/sie/es	-t
plural	1st person	we	-	wir	-en
	2nd person	you	-	ihr	-t
	3rd person	they	-	sie	-en*

*The form for you (polite) — Sie is exactly the same as for the plural, 3rd person pronoun they — sie.

Examples

Was machst du?

What are you doing?

Ich spiele Basketball.

I'm playing basketball.

Spielst du Fußball?

Do you play soccer?

Ich mache Hausaufgaben.

I'm doing homework.

Er macht Hausaufgaben.

He's doing homework.

Machst/Treibst du Sport?

Do you play sports?

Note that in English one plays sport, while in German one does sport. You can also use the question words from Lesson 3 to form more combinations:

Warum spielst du Baseball?

Why do you play baseball?

Wann machst du die Hausaufgaben?

When do you do the/your homework?

To say "not", use "nicht". "Nicht" goes after the verb but before the sport.

Wer spielt nicht Fußball?

Who doesn't play soccer?

Wir spielen nicht Tennis.

We don't play tennis.

Compound Sentences

Vocabulary: Conjunctions — Verbindungen
English	German
and	und
but	aber
or	oder

Both German and English have compound sentences; the applications of these are enormous. They can be used in lists and also in compound sentences. For example,

Ich spiele Basketball, und er spielt auch Basketball.

I play basketball, and he also plays basketball.

The new word, also — auch is very important. The one grammar rule about auch is that it always comes after the verb.

Section Problems>>

Other Verbs and Their Conjugations

Grammar: Verbs — Verben
English	German
(to) read	lesen
(to) watch	schauen
(to) see	sehen
(to) work	arbeiten
(to) write	schreiben
(to) swim	schwimmen

Schauen, schreiben and schwimmen are all regular verbs; i.e., they follow regular conjugations. To conjugate them, you first remove the -en from the infinitive to form the stem (i.e., schau-, schreib-, and schwimm-), and then add the correct ending. Here is an example:

verb (infinitive)	first step (stem)	conjugated form
schauen	schau-	ich schaue

Arbeiten is an irregular verb; however, it has a simple change. Whenever the ending starts with a consonant, an -e- is added before it. For example, du arbeitest (not ~~du arbeitst~~). As well as er/sie/es/ihr arbeitet (not ~~er/sie/es/ihr arbeitt~~).

Lesen is also an irregular verb. For the second and third person singular the form is liest, i.e., du/er/sie/es liest (not ~~du lesst~~).

Sehen is the last irregular verb. The second person singular is du siehst and the third person singular is er/sie/es sieht.

Section Problems>>

Two More Verb Forms

There are two common verb forms in English that just don't exist in German: the ing-form (or: present progressive); e.g., "I am playing" or "he is making"; and forms with "to do"; e.g., "I do play" or "he does not play".

The simple rule is: these constructions don't exist in German. Thus, you should translate I am playing to ich spiele. Similarly, I do play is also translated to ich spiele. Anything else (~~ich mache spielen~~ or ~~ich bin spielen~~) is either not possible in German or has a different meaning.

The phrase I do not play should be translated to ich spiele nicht (literally: I play not) since nicht (not) comes usually after the verb. This may sound like Early Modern English in a play by Shakespeare, and this is no coincidence since German and English are both West Germanic languages.

Section Problems>>

Expressing likes and dislikes

Vocabulary: Expressing likes and dislikes — Vorlieben und Abneigungen ausdrücken
English	German
What do you like to do?	Was machst du gern*?
I like to play.	Ich spiele gerne*.
What do you like to play?	Was spielst du gerne*?
I like to play soccer.	Ich spiele gerne* Fußball.

* gern and gerne can be used interchangeably.

In German, there are several ways to express likes and dislikes; this is just one of them. You can also add other verbs for other activities, e.g., I like to read. — Ich lese gern. or I like to work. — Ich arbeite gern. or I like to watch TV. — Ich schaue gern Fernsehen.

To express preference, you can use lieber instead of gern. For example, I prefer to play basketball. — Ich spiele lieber Basketball. or I prefer to read. — Ich lese lieber.

To express favorite activities, you can use am liebsten (meaning most of all) instead of lieber or gern. For example, Most of all, I like to play chess. — Ich spiele am liebsten Schach.

To express dislikes, you can use nicht gern instead of gern, for example I don't like to swim. — Ich schwimme nicht gern. or I don't like to work. — Ich arbeite nicht gern. or I don't like to play soccer. — Ich spiele nicht gern Fußball.

Section Problems>>

Numbers

Numbers are among the most important and most useful words: we need them to talk about time, amounts, money, etc. Even if you are "just" a tourist, you often cannot avoid numbers. Learning numbers can be a bit of a pain; thus, here is some advice: whenever you have time, count something in German; e.g., steps, cars, people, seconds, whatever: just count.

Vocabulary: Numbers — Zahlen
English	German
zero	null*
one	eins
two	zwei**
three	drei
four	vier
five	fünf
six	sechs
seven	sieben
eight	acht
nine	neun
ten	zehn
eleven	elf
twelve	zwölf
thirteen	dreizehn
fourteen	vierzehn
fifteen	fünfzehn
sixteen	sechzehn
seventeen	siebzehn
eighteen	achtzehn
nineteen	neunzehn
twenty	zwanzig
twenty-one	einundzwanzig*
twenty-two	zweiundzwanzig*
twenty-three	dreiundzwanzig*
24 – 29	analogous to 22 and 23
thirty	dreißig
31 – 39, etc.	analogous to 21 – 29
forty	vierzig
fifty	fünfzig
sixty	sechzig
seventy	siebzig
eighty	achtzig*
ninety	neunzig*
hundred	hundert (or: einhundert)
hundred and one	hunderteins*
two hundred	zweihundert*
thousand	tausend (or: eintausend)
two thousand	zweitausend*

*Some numbers are missing in the audio recording.

**Some people sometimes say zwo instead of zwei in order to distinguishing it more clearly from drei (three), especially on the phone.

Notice the pattern: -teen translates to -zehn, and -ty to -zig.

There is one big problem with the numbers: in German the unit position comes before the tens and is connected by und (and). For example: twenty-three — dreiundzwanzig (literally: threeandtwenty), twenty-four — vierundzwanzig, thirty-five — fünfunddreißig, forty-six — sechsundvierzig, etc.

One exception is eins which becomes ein- in 21, 31, 41, etc.: twenty-one — einundzwanzig (literally: oneandtwenty), thirty-one — einunddreißig, forty-one — einundvierzig, etc.

German is not the only language with this "reverse" order of numbers: Danish (another Germanic language) and Arabic do it the same way. This was also the standard way of forming numbers in older versions of English ("Four and twenty blackbirds/Baked in a pie." w:Sing a Song of Sixpence).

Section Problems>>

What's On the Test

To go straight to the lesson test, go here.

The test will have four parts to it: Grammar (79 points), Translating (95 points), Reading Comprehension (20 points), Vocabulary (20 points), and Previous Topics (10 points) in that order. The Grammar section will test your ability to know the verbs from this lesson and its various versions, to know articles – the genders of them and the correct usage of them, and correct word order.

The Translating section is worth the most points, and it too has three sections. You must know the translations for sentences and phrases going from English to German, and be able to take a German dialogue and translate it back into English. Also you must know the translation from Numbers to German.

The third section, Reading Comprehension, is Comprehension Questions you must know how to read the conversion and after reading you will be asked question on the previous conversion.

The fourth section is a vocabulary section. You get 20 English words on the left and 20 German words on the right, and be asked to match them. To study for that, check out the 401 flashcards related to this lesson at FlashcardExchange.com Part I and FlashcardExchange.com Part II.

The last section, Previous Topics, is a quick review on Lesson 1 to get ready for this section, just look at some past notes or go to Lesson 1 and study. That is the whole test. Take it!

Lesson 1.03 - Essen

Lesson I.6: Essen

Dialogue

Dialogue: I'm hungry! — Ich habe Hunger! (missing file: File:German Dialogue - I'm hungry!.ogg, how to upload audio)
Franz	Hallo, Greta! Wie geht's?
Greta	Sehr gut. Ich habe Hunger.
Franz	Ich auch. Möchtest du etwas essen?
Greta	Ja!
	In der Gaststätte
Greta	Ich möchte Salat, Brot und Wasser.
Franz	Hast du jetzt keinen Hunger?
Greta	Doch, ich habe großen Hunger. Was bekommst du?
Franz	Ich bekomme ein Stück Apfelstrudel und einen Eisbecher.
Greta	Warum das? Du sollst eine Bratwurst nehmen.
Franz	Nein, ich bin zufrieden. Ich habe keinen großen Hunger.
Greta	Ach so, dann ist das genug.
	Nach zwanzig Minuten
Greta	Diese Gaststätte ist schrecklich! Ich möchte etwas zu essen!
Franz	Wir gehen!

Food!

Vocabulary: Food — die Nahrungsmittel (pl.) (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - Food.ogg, how to upload audio)
die Früchte (das Obst) - fruits		das Gemüse - vegetables
der Apfel	apple	der Champignon, die Pilze	mushroom
die Banane	banana	der Spargel	asparagus
die Erdbeere	strawberry	der Spinat	spinach
die Kirsche	cherry	die Erbsen	peas
die Orange	orange	die Kartoffel	potato
die Traube	grape	die Tomate	tomato
die Zitrone	lemon	die Zwiebel	onion
die Grapefruit	grapefruit	die Bohnen	beans
		die Möhre, die Karotte	carrot
das Fleisch - meat		die Meeresfrüchte - shellfish, seafood
das Lammfleisch	lamb	die Kammmuschel	scallop
der Truthahn	turkey	die Krabbe	crab
der Schinken	ham	die Garnele	shrimp
das Schweinefleisch	pork	der Fisch - fish
das Hähnchen	chicken	die Sardellen	anchovies
das Rindfleisch	beef	der Lachs	salmon
die Wurst	sausage	der Aal	eel
die Milchprodukte - dairy products		Other Foods
die Butter	butter	die Suppe	soup
der Käse	cheese	die Pommes (frites)	French fries
die Milch	milk	die Pizza	pizza
der Joghurt	yogurt	der Hamburger	hamburger
die Nachspeise - dessert		der Senf	mustard
das Bonbon	candy	das Brot	bread
die Schokolade	chocolate	die Butter	butter
die Torte	tart	der Salat	salad
der Kuchen	cake	der Pfeffer	pepper
der Apfelstrudel	apple strudel	der Reis	rice
der (Apfel)Kuchen	(apple) pie	das Salz	salt
das Eis	ice cream	der Zucker	sugar
der Eisbecher	bowl of ice cream	die Konfitüre	jam

Section Problems >>

Accusative Case

As you know from the introduction, in German, there are four cases. Three are used often. The first, Nominative Case, you learned in Lesson 1. It covers the subject, and the predicate noun (in "He is (noun).", (noun) is the predicate noun). The second, the Accusative Case, you will learn now. It covers the direct object and the object of several prepositions. The third, the Dative Case will be taught later on. It covers the indirect object and the object of many other prepositions.

The object of a sentence will be in accusative case. In, "You hurt me.", 'me' would be accusative.

Note: The Accusative Case and Dative Case are identical in English; that's why German has one case extra.

Articles

	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Definite Article	den	die	das	die
Indefinite Article	einen	eine	ein	-eine*

* The indefinite article for plurals is non-existent. However related words, such as possessives and the kein- words that you will learn later this lesson, will end in eine for plurals.

In the articles, the memory hook for accusative case is "Der goes to den (pronounced "dane" audio (help·info)) and the rest stays the same." The masculine indefinite article goes to einen, and everything else stays the same there. Therefore above, der Hamburger goes to den Hamburger and ein Hamburger goes to einen Hamburger when the hamburger is the direct object, such as in "Er hat einen Hamburger." ("He has a hamburger.")

If you are getting confused, it's fine. This topic is one of the hardest for English speakers to grasp. Here are some solutions:

To find out the case of something, first find the verb. The verb rules the sentence. Everything revolves around it. Next you find the subject of the sentence. The subject is the thing/person that is doing the verb. The subject is always in the Nominative Case, so it takes on the der, die, das, die, or ein, eine, ein.

Now you look back at the verb. If it is a being verb (am, are, is, etc.), the next noun after the verb is the predicate noun. An easy way to figure this out is to write an equation. If the verb can be replaced with an equals sign (=), then the following noun is a predicate noun. If it can't be replaced by an equals sign, refer to the next paragraph. The predicate noun is also always in the Nominative Case, so the same rules apply to it.

Ich bin ein Junge.
Sie ist eine Frau.

If the verb of the sentence is an action verb (playing, throwing, making, eating), find what the subject is doing the verb to. For example, if the verb is "makes" (macht), you look for what is being made. That is the direct object. The direct object is always in the Accusative Case, so it takes on the den, die, das, die, or einen, eine, ein.

Sie haben den Cheeseburger.
Habt ihr einen Salat?

The indefinite articles, when you just look at their endings, select e, -, e for nominative case, and en, e, -, e for accusative.

Remember, between nominative and accusative, the only third-person change is in the masculine form.

Section Problems >>

Pronouns

The pronouns experience a much bigger change than the articles. This is also true in English, as the articles (a, an, the) do not change ever, but I goes to me, we goes to us, etc.

Not everything is the same, though. While me is mich and us is uns, the second and third persons undergo different changes. In third person, as in the articles, the only change is in masculine singular. Following the "der goes to den" rule, er goes to ihn when in the accusative case.

The second person in English never changes. In German, du goes to dich and ihr goes to euch. Sie, the formal version of either, stays the same. Remember, Sie (2nd person formal) and sie (3rd person plural) only differ in their meanings and the fact that the former is capitalized and the latter is not. This stays true throughout German grammar.

Here is a tabular representation of the above.

Person	Singular		Plural
	English	German	English	German
1st	me	mich	us	uns
2nd	you	dich	you (all)	euch
3rd	him, her, it	ihn, sie, es	them	sie

Section Problems >>

Antecedents

Note: This is just a quick lesson in English grammar applied into German. If you already know all about antecedents in English, skip the first paragraph.

When using a pronoun, you have to know what it is for it to work. There are some rare exceptions, such as in mysteries or drama, but otherwise this is always true. Sometimes in dialogue this is taken care of by pointing or making some other gesture, but most of the time, the pronoun modifies something already mentioned. The object/person mentioned earlier that turns into a pronoun later is called the antecedent.

In German this is very useful. You can't simply say 'it' any more. Many food words are masculine and feminine, and when you turn them into pronouns, they turn into 'he', 'she', 'him', and 'her', not always 'it'. For example, the sentence "The cheeseburger tastes good. It's very crunchy." turns into "The cheeseburger tastes good. He's very crunchy." Note: You will learn how to say this in German later in this lesson.

Why is it "he"? This is where the antecedent comes in. Because there are foods that are masculine and feminine in German, you can't assume the 'es'. You have to look back at the previous sentence, at the antecedent, der Cheeseburger. "Der Cheeseburger" is replaced by er (since it is the subject, and therefore in Nominative Case). Therefore, all you need to know are these connections: der/den-er/ihn, die-sie, das-es, die-sie.

Section Problems >>

Food-Related Verbs

essen (I) - to eat, to be eating, to do eat
trinken - to drink, to be drinking, to do drink
bekommen - to get/receive, to be getting/receiving, to do get/receive
möchten (M) - would like
wollen (M) - to want, to be wanting, to do want

Of these five verbs, only trinken and bekommen are regular. Essen is irregular (that's what the "I" means). Do you remember from the last lesson 'lesen' and 'sehen'? In both of them, the first 'e' changed to 'ie' in the du- and er/sie/es-forms. Well essen experiences the same change, except that it changes to 'i', not 'ie'. Also, it acts the same as 'lesen' in the du-form: You don't have three s's in a row.

Person	Singular		Plural
1st	ich	esse	wir	essen
2nd	du	isst	ihr	esst
3rd	er/sie/es	isst	sie	essen

Isst sounds and looks a lot like ist. The minute difference happens to be in the way you pronounce the s. When you mean eats it is sometimes an overstressed hissing (i.e. extremely sharp) sound. In normal life Germans, too, can only tell which verb is meant from knowing the context.

Just like in last lesson, where you could say, "Ich spiele gerne Fußball.", you can also extend it to food. "I like to eat cheeseburgers." is translated as "Ich esse gerne Cheeseburger."

Before 1996, the usage of ißt and eßt were common, but the new reform rules specify that these spellings are now the only correct spellings.

The last two verbs (marked (M)) are modals. They will be discussed in the next section.

Section Problems >>

Modals

In the introduction, you learned that German has no helping verbs. Instead, they have modals, words that basically do the same thing.

Modals are conjugated very differently from normal verbs. The ich- and er/sie/es-forms are always the same, while the du-form adds an 'st'. Most modals experience a vowel change from singular to plural, and the rest is the same.

Möchten

'Möchten' isn't technically a modal, but it acts exactly the same. There is no vowel change, and the ich- and er/sie/es forms are "möchte". Here is the complete conjugation:

Person	Singular		Plural
1st	ich	möchte	wir	möchten
2nd	du	möchtest	ihr	möchtet
3rd	er/sie/es	möchte	sie	möchten

'Möchten' means "would like" and can be applied to food (e.g. Ich möchte einen Cheeseburger.). Möchten can be translated even more literally as "would like to", and is traditionally used with an infinitive verb at the end of the sentence (e.g. "Ich möchte jetzt gehen"/"I would like to go now"). However, this infinitive is not necessary if it's completely obvious what you're talking about (If you say "Ich möchte einen Cheeseburger", everyone will assume that you would like a cheeseburger to eat.)

(Note: Technically, "möchten" is not a word. The above cited conjugation is actually the "Konjunktiv" of "mögen", which has become so popular as a phrase, that even many Germans today aren't aware of it any more, so you don't need to worry about it. "Etwas mögen" means "to like to", and "I would like" is the closest translation of "ich möchte.")

Wollen

'Wollen' is a true modal; it even changes vowels. Ich/er/sie/es will and du willst. Here is the complete conjugation:

Person	Singular		Plural
1st	ich	will	wir	wollen
2nd	du	willst	ihr	wollt
3rd	er/sie/es	will	sie	wollen

'Wollen' can also be applied to food, but may be considered impolite and demanding ("Ich will einen Cheeseburger!" roughly means "I demand a cheeseburger!" Möchten should be used instead: "Ich möchte einen Cheeseburger!" = "I want a cheeseburger!").

'Wollen' should not be confused with the future tense, despite the presence of the English word 'will' in the conjugations. However, will can also mean an intent or a document showing what one wants to happen. So it is not so different from 'to want' as possibly originally presumed.

Modals with other verbs

This is very important. When you need to use another verb with a modal (such as expressing you would like or want to perform an action), the sentence's word order is somewhat different than it would be in English. In English, you would state the subject pronoun (such as "I"), an English equivalent to the modal verb (such as "want"), the action you want to perform (such as "to eat") and then what the action will be performed on (such as "hamburger"), making the sentence "I want to eat a hamburger." In German you must put the action at the end of the sentence, making the sentence "I want a hamburger to eat." ("Ich will einen Hamburger essen.")

Section Problems >>

Hunger and Thirst

In German, instead of saying, "I'm hungry."(Ich bin hungrig), you may also say "I have hunger."(Ich habe Hunger) The same applies to thirst. Here are the German translations of the corresponding nouns:

Hunger - der Hunger

Thirst - der Durst

Like in English, these two words do not have a plural form. When using them, you don't need to worry about the 'der'; you can just say, "Ich habe Hunger" to say "I am hungry" and "Ich habe keinen Hunger" for "I am not hungry."

Somewhat archaic but still in use are the adjectives hungrig and durstig. Those are often used when talking about someone (especially animals): "Der Löwe ist hungrig" for "The lion is hungry".

Section Problems >>

Formal Conversations

In Lesson 1, you learned how to talk formally, using phrases like "Guten Morgen!" and "Wie heißen Sie?". There are, however, a few words that are 'survival words' in Germany, specifically:

Danke - Thank you, Thanks

Bitte - Please and You're welcome.

To make this even more formal, you can tack on the word 'schön' to the end of "Thank you" and "You're welcome" to make 'dankeschön' and 'bitteschön' (both one word) in response. 'Schön' literally means 'pretty' (you'll relearn this next lesson).

Some other ways to say "thank you":

Dankeschön - Thank you very much
Danke sehr - Thanks a lot
Herzlichen Dank ("herzlichen" means sincere or from the heart; you may remember it from "Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag!" last lesson)
Vielen Dank - Thanks a lot
Tausend Dank* - Thanks a million (literally meaning a thousand, but English is more generous)
Aufrichtigen Dank* - would be "thank you sincerely" (very formal)

* - You will not be tested on these phrases.

Some other ways to say "You are welcome":

Bitteschön!
Bitte sehr!
Gern geschehen! - Don't mention it
Gerne! - also meaning "gladly"
Kein Problem! - No problem
Dafür nicht!* - (Do) not (thank me) for this (only used in Northern Germany)

* - You will not be tested on this phrase.

These might also be useful:

Entschuldigung - Excuse me, Pardon

Es tut mir leid - Sorry, I'm sorry

Section Problems >>

Kein-words

Twice you have been taught that the ending of the indefinite article for plurals would be eine (for Nominative and Accusative cases), if there was an indefinite article for plurals. Now that lesson applies. The kein-words have the same endings as the ein-words, and they mean the opposite: no, not any, none. For example, "kein Cheeseburger" means "no cheeseburger". "Keine Cheeseburger" (in this case Cheeseburger is plural) means "No cheeseburgers". Notice the 'e' at the end of 'keine'. That's the ending for plurals and feminine nouns and can be likened to the "der, die, das -> die" relationship, where the feminine article serves for the plural as well.

Section Problems >>

Ordering at a Restaurant in Germany

das Restaur'ant' (French pronunciation) - Restaurant Fr-Restaurant.ogg (help·info)

There are many restaurants you might find in Germany. Much like in English-speaking countries, you would more likely use the name of the restaurant than name what kind of restaurant. If you want to address the wish to eat a certain food, there are two ways:

example: "wanting to eat chinese food"

1. "Ich möchte gerne zum Chinesen." - literally: "I want to go to the Chinese (restaurant)." 2. "Ich möchte gerne chinesisch essen (gehen)." - literally: "I want to (go) eat Chinese (style food)."

Here are some more restaurants you can find in Germany:

American food: "zum Amerikaner" / "amerikanisch essen"*
Arabic food: "zum Araber" / "arabisch essen"
Chinese food: "zum Chinesen" / "chinesisch essen"
French food: "zum Franzosen" / "französisch essen"
Greek food: "zum Griechen" / "griechisch essen"
Italian food: "zum Italiener" / "italienisch essen"
Indian food: "zum Inder" / "indisch essen"
Japanese food: "zum Japaner" / "japanisch essen"
Mexican food: "zum Mexikaner" / "mexikanisch essen"
Spanish food: "zum Spanier" / "spanisch essen"
Turkish food: "zum Türken" / "türkisch essen"

* "zum Amerikaner" is often used in a jokey way, to express that one is going to either McDonald's or Burger King. There are few American restaurants, in Germany and they are mostly referred to as "(American) Diner", so it is not used like "zum Italiener".

Accusative case prepositions

You read at the beginning of this lesson that the Accusative Case covers the direct object and the objects of some prepositions. Here are those prepositions that always fall under Accusative Case

bis - until

durch - through

entlang - along

für - for

gegen - against

ohne - without

um - at, around

You learned um last lesson, and ohne earlier this lesson. Bis, durch, entlang and gegen will be taught in depth later, and für will be taught now.

Up until this point, you have only worried about the Accusative Case in third person. Für, meaning 'for', can and should be used in the first and second persons, too. Here's an example:

"The cheeseburger is for me." - "Der Cheeseburger ist für mich."

As you can see, 'me' is put into accusative case because the preposition is für.

Section Problems >>

Saying How Food Tastes

In German (as in English) there are several ways of telling how food tastes. You can do this with 'gut' and 'schlecht' from Lesson 1 to say:

Der Cheeseburger schmeckt gut - The cheeseburger tastes good

Der Cheeseburger schmeckt schlecht - The cheeseburger tastes bad

But this is bland. Hopefully the food has more flavor than the description of it. You can use the following words to more colorfully describe how the cheeseburger tastes:

delicious - lecker

delicious - delikat* (a lot more formal than lecker)

tasty - schmackhaft

juicy - saftig*

crunchy - knackig (can also mean crispy)

crispy - knusprig*

spicy - würzig, pikant

stale, tasteless - fade* (Austria: fad)

salty - salzig

oversalted - versalzen* oder zu salzig

sweet - süß

bitter - bitter

sour - sauer

creamy - cremig*

hot (in the sense of "very spicy") - scharf - literally meaning "sharp"

hot (in the sense of "very warm") - heiß

burnt - angebrannt*

cold - kalt

disgusting, terrible - schrecklich

* - You will not be tested on these descriptors.

Schmecken is a regular verb. Here is its conjugation:

Person	Singular		Plural
1st	ich	schmecke	wir	schmecken
2nd	du	schmeckst	ihr	schmeckt
3rd	er/sie/es	schmeckt	sie	schmecken

The first and second persons really shouldn't be used. No one is going to say, "You guys taste salty" or "I taste creamy." So the only forms you really need to know are er/sie/es schmeckt and sie (plural) schmecken.

You can use 'schmeckt' and 'schmecken' or 'ist' and 'sind' to state how the food tastes. Just use whichever one you would use in English and it'll usually be correct.

Although the English meaning of schmecken is simply to taste, "Schmeckt der Cheeseburger?" can be taken in a positive way to mean "Do you like the cheeseburger?". In other words, schmecken alone can mean to taste good.

Section Problems >>

Dieser-forms

"The cheeseburger tastes good." does not sound that specific as to which cheeseburger you are talking about. You could be talking about a cheeseburger that is not directly in front of you. It just isn't clear. Now, if you said, "This cheeseburger tastes good.", it would be obvious that you're talking about the cheeseburger you're eating. 'Dieser' is the German translation for 'this': "Dieser Cheeseburger schmeckt gut."

Dieser

'Dieser' is a special adjective. It changes forms in different situations: different genders and different cases. It can also mean 'these' when modifying a plural. Here are its forms:

	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nominative Case	dieser	diese	dieses	diese
Accusative Case	diesen	diese	dieses	diese

As you can see, dieser is only appropriate for modifying masculine nouns in nominative case. But 'Cheeseburger', which is masculine, is the subject of the sentence, "Dieser Cheeseburger schmeckt gut." So it is correct in that circumstance.

Jeder

Jeder means 'every'. It acts exactly like 'dieser' in its endings, so it should be easy to remember. Here are the different forms:

	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative Case	jeder	jede	jedes
Accusative Case	jeden	jede	jedes

Notice the absence of the plural form. When you think about this, it's the same in English: no one says 'every books'.

Welcher

'Welcher' is the third of this threesome of adjectives. 'Welcher' means 'which' and is used like the other interrogatives (wer, was, wann, wo, warum, wie, and welcher). However, because the general subject has to be specified, welcher must be inflected before use: "Welcher Hamburger ist seiner?" Its forms have the same endings as 'dieser'.

	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Nominative Case	welcher	welche	welches	welche
Accusative Case	welchen	welche	welches	welche

Connection with Time

You might want to say 'every day', 'this week', 'every morning', or 'which Tuesday night?'. But to do this, not only do you need to know the jeder-forms, but also the genders of the times and the cases. The second one is easy: Whenever you do something at a certain time, that time is put into Accusative Case. Last lesson, you learned the gender of one time: der Tag. So now you know everything to say 'diesen Tag', 'jeden Tag', and 'welchen Tag?' (this day, every day, and which day?). Here are the cases of all the times in Lesson 2:

Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Tag Monat Morgen Abend Nachmittag	Woche Nacht	Jahr Wochenende

When extending to 'which Tuesday night?', remember that the night stays feminine on Tuesday, so it stays "Welche Dienstagnacht?". Likewise, you can say 'every June' the same as 'every month': 'jeden Juni'.

This and That

Ich möchte einen Cheeseburger. Der schmeckt sehr gut.

Ich esse jeden Tag Cheeseburger. Die habe ich gern.

Look at the second sentence of each of these German dialogues. What's missing? That's right, instead of "Der Cheeseburger schmeckt sehr gut." and "Die Cheeseburger habe ich gern.", both of the 'Cheeseburgers, so to speak, are dropped. We're left with just the articles, only in this case, they aren't articles. They're demonstrative pronouns.

Demonstrative pronouns aren't scary. They're just the same as the normal pronouns, only they give more oomph to the sentence. They can be translated as either 'this' or 'that' ("I'd like a cheeseburger. That tastes very good."), or 'these' or 'those' for plurals ("I eat cheeseburgers every day. These I like.").

Demonstrative pronouns are exactly the same as the definite articles (well, there is one change in dative, but that will be covered in Lesson 7). If you are not sure of the gender (meaning in context, the speaker doesn't know, not that you've forgotten that it's 'der Cheeseburger'), use 'das', like in "Was ist das?" (What is that?).

Money and Paying

Germany, Austria, Luxemburg, Belgium and Südtirol – in other words: all German speaking regions except Switzerland and Liechtenstein– have given up their former currencies and adopted the Euro as of 1999. One Euro is worth 100 Cents. Because they are not members of the European Union, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have kept the Swiss Francs (Franken = 100 Rappen).

'Euro' normally does not change in the plural in German, so you would still say "Ich habe 500 Euro." Nevertheless, there is an exception: Euro coins. If you say "Ich habe vier Euros.", you actually are saying that you have four 1-Euro coins. Because the backsides of euro coins look different in each country, many people in Europe have started collecting foreign euro coins. In this case you can say "Ich habe irische Euros." (I have Irish euro coins.) for example.

There is not yet a rule whether or not the word "Cent" has a different plural form. The majority of Germans are using the word "Cent" as a plural form, but when they don't it is simply "Cents".

In German "euro" is pronounced [‘oi-ro], not [you-ro]. For "Cent" there are two pronunciations: you can either pronounce it as in English or you say "tzent". The latter version seems to be preferred by older people.

When at a restaurant, you will want to pay at the end. You can use this vocabulary to help you.

to pay - zahlen

the bill - die Rechnung*

the waiter - der Kellner, die Bedienung (also der Ober)**

the waitress - die Kellnerin (but not die Oberin because this means Reverend Mother)

"How much is that?" - "Was macht das?" ("What does that make?") or the "umgangssprachliche" "Wie viel kostet das?"

* To ask for the bill you can say, "Bitte zahlen!", or make it a complete sentence: "Ich würde gern zahlen!", or "Wir möchten/wollen zahlen!". You can also say, "(Herr Ober), die Rechnung bitte!". The term "der Ober" is the waiter, but this sounds very old fashioned and is hardly ever used today. To address the waiter you would probably say "Entschuldigen Sie, ..." ("Pardon, ...") as in "Entschuldigen Sie, wir würden gern zahlen" (Pardon me, we would like to pay").

** Although it is perfectly OK to say “Bedienung” or “Kellner” when talking about a waiter or a waitress, you should not address the waiter by saying "Bedienung!" or even “Fräulein!” which is regarded very impolite since the 1980s.

Section Problems >>

Test

The test will be located here, but the test for this lesson is not yet completed.

Review 1.01

Review Section I.A: Lessons I.1 to I.3

Vocabulary

Vocabulary: What's your name? (1st Part) — Wie heißt du? (1. Teil)
English	German
Hello!	Hallo!
I	ich
I am...	Ich bin ...
how	wie
you	du
Your name is...	Du heißt ...
What is your name?	Wie heißt du?
My name is...	Ich heiße ...
it	es
it goes	es geht
How is it going?	Wie geht's? (Longer: Wie geht es?)
me	mir
good	gut
I'm good.	Es geht mir gut. (Shorter: Mir geht's gut. Even shorter: Gut.)
you know	du kennst
Do you know...?	Kennst du ...?
teacher	Lehrer
yes	ja
he	er
His name is...	Er heißt ...
Mr.	Herr
oh	oh
thanks	danke
until	bis
then	dann
See you!	Bis dann!
on	auf
again	wieder
(to) see	sehen
Goodbye!	(Auf) Wiedersehen!

Vocabulary: Greetings — Grüße
English	German
Hello!	Hallo!*
	Servus! (used in eastern Austria, informal)
	Moin! (used in northern Germany)
Good morning!	Moin Moin! (used in northern Germany)
	Guten Morgen!*
	Morgen! (shorter)
Good day!	Guten Tag!*
Good day!	Tag! (used in Germany, shorter)
Good evening!	Guten Abend!*
Hello!	Grüß Gott! (used in southern Germany, Austria and South Tyrol)
Goodbye!	Auf Wiedersehen!*
Goodbye!	Wiedersehen! (shorter)
Bye!	Tschüss!*
	Ciao! (pronounced as in Italian)
	Servus! (used in eastern Austria, informal)
See you later!	Bis später!*
See you!	Bis dann!*
See you!	Bis bald!*
See you soon!	Bis gleich!
Good night!	Gute Nacht!*

*You will need to know each expression with an asterisk (*) after it. The others, of course, would be useful to know if you are traveling to regions where they are used. (As you can see, the different German-speaking regions often have their own ways of saying hello and goodbye. However, you will not be required to know any of these less common phrases for any problems or tests.)

Vocabulary: Mr. & Ms. — Herr und Frau
English	German
Mr.	Herr
Mrs.	Frau

Vocabulary: How are you — Wie geht's?
English	German
How are you?	Wie geht's? (longer: Wie geht es?)*
great	prima
good	gut
very good	sehr gut
miserable	miserabel
bad	schlecht
not (so) good	nicht (so) gut
O.K.	ganz gut
all right	Es geht so. (Or shorter: Geht so.)

*The more formal form is Wie geht es Ihnen?

Vocabulary: What's your name? (2nd Part) — Wie heißt du? (2. Teil) (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - What's your name? (2nd Part).ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Good morning.	Guten Morgen.
you (formal)	Sie
You are... (formal)	Sie sind ...
Are you...? (formal)	Sind Sie ...?
no	nein
late	spät
I am late.	Ich bin spät dran.
You're welcome.	Bitte.
also	auch
later	später
See you later.	Bis später.

Grammar: Subject Pronouns — Subjekt-Pronomina
		English	German
singular	1st person	I	ich
	2nd person	you	du, Sie*
	3rd person	he, she, it	er, sie, es
plural	1st person	we	wir
	2nd person	you	ihr, Sie*
	3rd person	they	sie

*Sie is the formal (polite) version of du and ihr.

Grammar: Names — Namen
English	German
My name is...	Ich heiße ...
His/Her/Its name is...	Er/Sie/Es heißt ...
Their names are...	Sie heißen ...
Our names are...	Wir heißen ...
Your name is...	Du heißt ...
Your names are...	Ihr heißt ...
What is your name?	Wie heißt du?*
What are your names?	Wie heißt ihr?*

*Remember, the formal way to ask someone's name is to ask Wie heißen Sie?

Verb: to be called — heißen
		English	German
singular	1st person	I am called	ich heiße
	2nd person	you are called	du heißt
	3rd person	he/she/it is called	er/sie/es heißt
plural	1st person	we are called	wir heißen
	2nd person	you are called	ihr heißt
	3rd person	they are called	sie heißen*

*The form of verbs for you (polite) — Sie is exactly the same as for the plural, 3rd person pronoun they — sie.

Verb: to be — sein
		English	German
singular	1st person	I am	ich bin
	2nd person	you are	du bist
	3rd person	he/she/it is	er/sie/es ist
plural	1st person	we are	wir sind
	2nd person	you are	ihr seid
	3rd person	they are	sie sind*

*Don't forget that the form for you (polite) — Sie is the same as for the plural, 3rd person pronoun they — sie.

Verb: to have — haben
		English	German
singular	1st person	I have	ich habe
	2nd person	you have	du hast
	3rd person	he/she/it has	er/sie/es hat
plural	1st person	we have	wir haben
	2nd person	you have	ihr habt
	3rd person	they have	sie haben*

*This is also the form for you (polite) — Sie.

Vocabulary: Vocabulary — Wortschatz
English	German
the directory assistance	die Auskunft
I would like to have...	Ich hätte gern(e) ...
the phone number	die Telefonnummer
from Berne	aus Bern
How do you write this?	Wie schreibt man das?
please	bitte
(to) spell	buchstabieren
of course	natürlich
A as in Anton	A wie Anton
twice	zweimal
The number is...	Die Nummer lautet ...

Grammar: The Alphabet — Das Alphabet
Characters	Aa	Bb	Cc	Dd	Ee	Ff	Gg	Hh	Ii	Jj	Kk	Ll	Mm	Nn	Oo	Pp	Qq	Rr	Ss	Tt	Uu	Vv	Ww	Xx	Yy	Zz
Umlauts	Ää														Öö				SS ß		Üü
Examples	Ärger (anger)														Ökonom (economist)						Übermut (high spirits)

Vocabulary: Questions — Fragen
English	German
who?	wer?
what?	was?
where?	wo?
when?	wann?
why?	warum?
how?	wie?

Grammar: The Definite Article in the Nominative Case — Der bestimmte Artikel im Nominativ
		German	English
singular	masculine	der Junge	the boy
	feminine	die Frau	the woman
	neuter	das Mädchen*	the girl
plural	masculine	die Jungen	the boys
	feminine	die Frauen	the women
	neuter	die Mädchen	the girls

*Note that Mädchen is neuter. (In fact, almost all words with the ending -chen are neuter.)

Grammar: The Indefinite Article in the Nominative Case — Der unbestimmte Artikel im Nominativ
		German	English
singular	masculine	ein Mann	a man
	feminine	eine Frau	a woman
	neuter	ein Mädchen*	a girl

*Note that Mädchen is neuter.

Wie heißt Du? (1. Teil)

Hello and Goodbyes

Can you remember the most common phrases for hellos and goodbyes in German?

Review

Mr. and Mrs.

How do you say Mr. and Mrs. in German?

Review

Replies to Wie geht's?

Do you remember how to reply to this question?

Review

Wie heißt du? (2. Teil)

Sie and du

Do you remember when to use Sie and when to use du?

Review

Subject Pronouns

Do you remember what a subject pronoun is? Do you remember the German subject pronouns?

Review

Names

Do you remember how to tell your or someone else's name?

Review

Important Verbs

Do you remember how to conjugate heißen, sein, and haben?

Review

Bitte buchstabieren Sie

The German Alphabet

Do you remember how to spell the German letters?

Review

Forming Questions

Do you remember the word order in questions and the most common question words?

Review

Articles

Do you remember the definite and indefinite articles in German?

Review

Section 1.02 ~ Berlin, Germany

Lesson 1.04 - Kleidung

Gedächtniskirche auf dem Kurfürstendamm, Berlin

Lesson I.7: Kleidung

Hello from Berlin!

In every Lesson from 7 - 15 there is going to be a featured German-Speaking city, which will be the theme of the lesson. For 7 - 8 it is Berlin. There will be famous locations in Berlin, for this lesson it's Kurfürstendamm and KaDeWe, the shopping area of Berlin. Also in each lesson there will be facts, so if you ever travel to a German-Speaking country, it'll be like you are a native!

Facts

It's Time to Change Time

Berlin's time is GMT+1, meaning they are 6 hours ahead of EST. If it's 2:00pm in New York City, it's 8:00pm (or 20:00) locally. Please note that Germany changes to and from daylight-saving time a few weeks before the U.S., so time differences still vary in March and October.

Tip, Tip, and More Tip

In contrast to many other countries where waiters sometime 'live on the tips,' in German-speaking countries service personnel always receive a regular wage (usually per hour), and the tip is always an extra for good service. Not to give a tip will probably give the waiter the impression that either the service or product were not that good and you are too polite to admit this, but not tipping is not considered 'rude'. If you tip you usually round up, up to 50 Cents for coffee or up to the next 5 euros for lunch, e.g. 2,70 € becomes 3,00 € and 21 € become 25 €. Also, tipping is only expected when you get served, i.e. when the service personnel bring something to your table, so if you pay at a counter – like at McDonald's or Starbucks – you don't tip at all. Only when having a large party, like celebrating your birthday in a restaurant, you do extra tipping. For a night you should pay 30 EUR to 80 EUR per waiter and give it separately to the manager (“für die Bedienung”). In many restaurants it is normal the tip is shared with the kitchen personnel. Paying with credit card or debit card makes tipping difficult, because there is no line on the bill to fill in the tip. Always tip when paying, don't leave money on the table.

Shopping Locations

There are two major shopping locations. The Kurfürstendamm in the old west is lined with boutiques and department stores. It continues eastwards for about three hundred yards where you can visit KaDeWe, the biggest department store in Europe. On the newly-developed Friedrichstraße in the old east, the famous French store Galleries Lafayette is to be found together with a maze of underground shopping malls. Shops are generally open 9am-8pm Monday through Saturday. In the outskirts, most shops close at 4pm on Saturdays.

Dialogue

Dialogue: Going Shopping — Einkaufen gehen (missing file: File:German Dialogue - Going Shopping.ogg, how to upload audio)
Sarah	Morgen, Lisa.
Lisa	Morgen. Wie geht's dir?
Sarah	Gut, danke! Ich gehe zum Kurfürstendamm, möchtest du mitkommen?
Lisa	Ja, gerne. Ich hole vorher noch Geld.
Sarah	Ich sehe dich dann am Kurfürstendamm.
	am Kurfürstendamm
Sarah	Hallo Lisa!
Lisa	Hallo!
Sarah	Wohin gehen wir zuerst?
Lisa	Lass uns zu dieser Boutique gehen.
Sarah	O.K.
	in der Boutique
Angestellter Thomas	Hallo meine Damen!
Sarah und Lisa	Guten Tag!
Angestellter Thomas	Darf ich Ihnen helfen?
Lisa	Ja, können Sie mir helfen, diesen Rock in meiner Größe zu finden?
Angestellter Thomas	Natürlich.
Angestellter Thomas	Hier ist der Rock in Ihrer Größe.
Lisa	Danke. Wo ist die Umkleidekabine?
Angestellter Thomas	Dort drüben.

Shopping

There is a lot to say about shopping, places to shop at, money and items to buy. In this lesson we will cover most of it. There are two major shopping locations in Berlin: Kurfürstendamm and KaDeWe.

Vocabulary: Shopping — Einkaufen (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - Shopping.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Babywear	die Babyartikel (plural)
Children's Wear	die Kinderbekleidung
(Children) department	die (Kinder-)Abteilung
Clearance Sale	der Räumungsverkauf
Closed	geschlossen
Clothing	die Kleidung
Computer Section	die Computerabteilung
Cosmetics	die Kosmetik (singular) die Kosmetika (plural)
Customer	der Kunde
Customer Service	der Kundendienst
Electrical Appliance	das Elektrogerät
Escalator	die Rolltreppe
Fashion	die Mode
Furniture	das Möbelstück (singular), die Möbel (plural)
Gift	der Geschenkartikel
Good Value (Adj.)	preiswert
Groceries	die Lebensmittel (plural)
Jewellery	der Schmuck (no plural)
Lady's Shoes	die Damenschuhe (plural)
Leather Goods	die Lederwaren (plural)
Open	geöffnet
Opening Hours	die Öffnungszeiten (plural)
Present	das Geschenk
Reduced	reduziert
price cut	die Preissenkung
Sales Receipt	der Kassenbon, der Kassenzettel, die Quittung
Souvenir	das Andenken
Special Offer	das Sonderangebot
Sporting Goods	die Sportartikel (plural)
Stationery	die Schreibwaren (plural)
Summer Sale	der Sommerschlussverkauf (abbr. SSV)
Video Store	die Videothek
Winter Sale	der Winterschlussverkauf (abbr. WSV)

Kurfürstendamm

Kurfürstendamm

Tauentzienstraße

Fasanenstraße

The Kurfürstendamm has many boutiques, department stores, etc., which are on Tauentzienstraße and Fasanenstraße, two streets in Kurfürstendamm. Tauentzienstraße has a lot of the department stores, including KaDeWe, which we will get into greater detail later. Fasanenstraße has a lot of the boutiques.

Vocabulary: A Shopping Street in Berlin — Kurfürstendamm (Ku'damm) (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - A Shopping Street in Berlin.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Department Store	das Kaufhaus (old fashioned "das Warenhaus")
Retail Store	das Einzelhandelsgeschäft
The Mall	das Einkaufszentrum
Boutique	die Boutique
Store	das Geschäft

And some of the things you might say or ask while in a clothing store...

Können Sie mir helfen, meine Größe zu finden (für dieses ____)?

Can you help me find my size (for this ____)?

Wo ist die Umkleidekabine?

Where is the dressing room?

Vocabulary: A Shopping Street in Berlin — Kurfürstendamm (Ku'damm) (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - A Shopping Street in Berlin.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Manager	der Manager
Employee	der/die Angestellte
Sales Clerk	der Verkäufer
Cashier	der Kassierer
Dressing Room	die Umkleidekabine
Men's Section	die Männerabteilung
Women's Section	die Frauenabteilung

Section Problems >>

KaDeWe

Another shopping location is das KaDeWe, an upscale department store in Germany. It has six floors, and is also called "the department store of the west" (Kaufhaus des Westens), because it is the largest and most magnificent department store on continental Europe.

Vocabulary: A Department Store in Berlin — Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - A Department Store in Berlin.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
First Floor	Erstes Stockwerk
Menswear	Männerkleidung
Second Floor	Zweiter Stock
Womenswear	Frauenkleidung
Third Floor	Dritter Stock
Kids Section	Kinderabteilung
Fourth Floor	Vierter Stock
Electronics	Elektronik
Kitchenware	Küchenbedarf
Fifth Floor	Fünfter Stock
Lighting	Beleuchtung
Bedding	Bettwäsche
Toys	Spielwaren
Sixth Floor	Sechster Stock
Food	Lebensmittel

Since we already have most of the general shopping phrases and vocabulary down, we are going to get into more detail in the next few sections.

Section Problems>>

Electronics

First is electronics: it might seem a little sparse, but electronics and many other things will be featured in Lesson 12.

Vocabulary: A Department Store in Berlin — Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - A Department Store in Berlin.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Electronics	die Elektronik
Television	das Fernsehen/der Fernseher, die Fernseher (plural)
Digital Camera	die Digitalkamera, die Digitalkameras (plural)
Telephone	das Telefon, die Telefone (plural)
Cell phone	das Mobiltelefon/das Handy (pronounced "Hendee"), die Mobiltelefone/Handys (plural)
Computer	der Computer/der Rechner, die Computer/Rechner (plural)
Speaker, Speakers	der Lautsprecher, die Lautsprecher (plural)
DVDs	die DVDs (singular: die DVD)
CDs	die CDs (singular: die CD)
DVD Player	der DVD-Player
CD Player	der CD-Player

Spielt der DVD-Player auch CDs?

Does the DVD player also play CDs?

Hat das Mobiltelefon/das Handy eine Digitalkamera?

Does the cell phone have a digital camera?

If you look at the word order of this sentence, you will see that you've already learned everything you need to make these sentences, and you, yourself can customize these sentences if you want.

Section Problems>>

Bedding

The bedding section is also quite bare, but that is because it will be discussed further in Lesson 12.

Vocabulary: A Department Store in Berlin — Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - A Department Store in Berlin.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Bedding	die Bettwäsche
Blanket	die Decke, die Decken
Pillow	das Kopfkissen/das/der Polster (Austrian German), die Kopfkissen/Polster
Pillow Case	der Kopfkissenbezug, die Kopfkissenbezüge
Sheet	das Betttuch, die Betttücher
Bed Skirt	der Bett-Rock

And like always here are some of the things you might say that are related to bedding.

Passen die Kopfkissenbezüge auf das Kopfkissen?

Does the pillow case fit the pillow?

And with that question there are other variations of it you can ask, like...

Passt die Decke auf das Bett?

Does the blanket fit the bed?

Section Problems>>

Money

Germany, Austria, Luxemburg, Belgium and Südtirol – in other words: all German speaking regions except Switzerland and Liechtenstein– have given up their former currencies and adopted the Euro as of 1999. Because they are not members of the European Union, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have kept the Swiss Francs. Currently 1 EUR is 1.34 USD.

Now if you were at a shopping center in German like Kurfürstendamm, and you were shopping at a boutique here is some vocabulary you might want to know.

Was macht das?

Was kostet das?

How much does it cost?

Das Hemd kostet 120 Euro.

The shirt costs 120 euros.

Das kostet 690 Euro.

That costs 690 euros (all together).

Vocabulary: Money — Geld (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - Money.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Price	der Preis
Note	der Schein
Coin	die Münze
1 Euro coin	das Eurostück, das Ein-Euro-Stück
2 Euro coin	das Zweieurostück
5 Euro note	der Fünfeuroschein
10 Euro note	der Zehneuroschein
100 Euro note	der Hunderteuroschein

Note: The word coin (Münze) mostly turns to Stück when a word or number is put together with it.

Even though in the vocabulary we list the 1, 2, 5, 10, 100 Euro there are more Euro notes. The twenty, fifty, two hundred, and five hundred Euro notes are the ones we didn't list, also there are cent coins.

Vocabulary: Money — Geld (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - Money.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
1 Cent Coin	das Centstück
2 Cent Coin	das Zweicentstück
5 Cent Coin	das Fünfcentstück
10 Cent Coin	das Zehncentstück
20 Cent Coin	das Zwanzigcentstück
50 Cent Coin	das Fünfzigcentstück

German Math

In written German, a comma is used (e. g. in prices) where we would put a decimal point in English. Thus € 5,49 (or 5,49 €) means five euros and forty-nine cents. When a price ends in a round number of euros, it is most commonly written as € 5,- etc. The reverse is also true. Where as English uses a comma to split up large numbers, German uses a dot. So "€ 6.945" means sechs tausend neunhundertfünfundvierzig (six thousand nine hundred and forty-five) euros - not six point nine four five euros.

Clothing

Vocabulary: Clothes — Kleidung (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - Clothes.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Skirt	der Rock, die Röcke (plural)
Pullover	der Pullover, die Pullover
Sweatshirt	das Sweatshirt, die Sweatshirts
Scarf	der Schal, die Schale/Schals
Jacket	die Jacke, die Jacken
Coat	der Mantel, die Mäntel
Shirt	das Hemd, die Hemden
T-shirt	das T-Shirt, die T-Shirts
Sweater	der Sweater, die Sweater
(Neck)tie	die Krawatte, die Krawatten
Bowtie	die Fliege, die Fliegen
Suit	der Anzug, die Anzüge
Pants	die Hose, die Hosen (note: "die Hose IST"="the (pair of) pants ARE")
Underpants	die Unterhose, die Unterhosen
Boxershorts	die Boxershorts (plural)
Top	das Top
Bra	der Büstenhalter/der Busenhalter (abbr. BH), die Büstenhalter/Busenhalter
Swimming costume	der Badeanzug, die Badeanzüge
Trunks	die Badehose, die Badehosen
Hat	der Hut, die Hüte
Shoe	der Schuh, die Schuhe
Sock	die Socke, die Socken
Stocking	der Strumpf, die Strümpfe
Tights/Pantyhose	die Strumpfhose, die Strumpfhosen
Glove	der Handschuh, die Handschuhe
Blouse	die Bluse, die Blusen
Cap	die Mütze, die Mützen
Woollen hat	die Wollmütze, die Wollmützen

Vocabulary: Clothes — Kleidung (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - Clothes.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Size	die Größe, die Größen
Color	die Farbe, die Farben
Cotton	die Baumwolle
Leather	das Leder
Rayon	die Kunstseide

Vocabulary: Sizes — Die Größen (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - Sizes.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Small	klein (abbr. S)
Medium	mittel (abbr. M)
Large	groß (abbr. L)
Extra-Large	extragroß (abbr. XL)

Section Answers >>

Describing Clothes

Here are some of the words you can use when you are describing clothes:

Vocabulary: Adjectives for Clothes — Adjektive für Kleidung (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - Adjectives for Clothes.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
Cheap	günstig, billig
Expensive	teuer
Pretty	schön
Ugly	hässlich
Soft	weich
New	neu
Broad	breit
Wide	weit
Tight	eng
Comfortable	bequem
Uncomfortable	unbequem

To say I like something or not, for clothing, it's...

I like it!

Er/Sie/Es gefällt mir!

I don't like it!

Er/Sie/Es gefällt mir nicht!

Now if you try something on or you're looking for a soft shirt with a tight fit, you find it, feel it, try it on, but it's fairly expensive you might say this...

In English: The shirt looks great! The shirt feels soft, fits tight. The shirt is very comfortable. How much does it cost? Oh no! The shirt is expensive! 55 euros is a little too much for me.

In German: Das Hemd sieht prima aus! Das Hemd fühlt sich weich an, es sitzt eng. Das Hemd ist sehr bequem. Wieviel kostet es? Oh nein! Das Hemd ist teuer! 55 Euro sind mir ein bisschen zuviel.

The phrases to describe the shirt were...

The shirt looks great.

Das Hemd sieht prima aus.

The shirt feels soft.

Das Hemd fühlt sich weich an.

The shirt fits tight.

Das Hemd sitzt eng.

Now, the bold words are verbs that are one part in describing how the shirt is. The other half of describing it is the adjectives like soft, tight, great, etc. And as you can see the verb "looks" is separable, but we will get into that later.

Clothing-Related Verbs

And now getting into verbs - here are some of the verbs, and also some of these are Separable-Prefix Verbs, like aussehen, anprobieren, and anhaben. But we will study those in more detail later. Also we will be learning about "tragen".

Vocabulary: Verbs Related to Clothes — Verben im Zusammenhang mit Kleidung (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - Verbs Related to Clothes.ogg, how to upload audio)
English	German
To look	aussehen
He looks	Er sieht aus
To try on	anprobieren
He tries on	Er probiert an
to put on	anziehen
He puts on	Er zieht an
To take	nehmen
To buy	kaufen
To have on/wear	anhaben, tragen
He has on/wears	Er hat an

Separable Prefix Verbs

Many German verbs change their meaning by adding prefixs, which are often preposition such as ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, bei-, ein-, mit-, vor-, or zu-.The verbs anhaben (to wear) and aussehen (to look) are both verbs with separable (trennbar) prefixes. That is, when used next to the subject pronoun, the prefix is separated from the verb and put at the end of the sentence or clause. Or, better put, In the present tense and imperative, the prefix is separated from the infinitive stem.

Examples:

"Ich habe einen Mantel an." ("I'm wearing a coat." Or, more literally translated, "I have a coat on.")

"Was hast du an?" ("What are you wearing?" or "What do you have on?")

However, when the separable-prefix verb is put at the end of the sentence, such as when used with a modal verb, the verb in question and its prefix are not separated.

Examples:

"Du willst einen Mantel anhaben." ("You want to wear a coat.")

"Willst du eine Bluse anhaben?" ("Do you want to wear a blouse?")

Section Problems >>

Tragen

Instead of "anhaben" the verb "tragen" is often used. The sentences from above would then be:

"Ich trage einen Mantel." ("I'm wearing a coat." )
"Was trägst du?" ("What are you wearing?")
"Du willst einen Mantel tragen." ("You want to wear a coat.")
"Willst du eine Bluse tragen?" ("Do you want to wear a blouse?")

The verb "tragen" has two meanings: "to wear" and "to carry". So if someone says "Ich trage Schuhe" only the context will tell you whether the person is carrying the shoes in his hands or actually wearing them. Tragen is a different kind of irregular verb -- one that not only changes at the end of the word, but also changes internally. Notice that the vowel in tragen's second and third-person forms changes from an a into an ä. Other verbs with similar conjugation patterns include fahren, graben, schaffen, and waschen.

Person	Singular		Plural
1st	ich	trage	wir	tragen
2nd	du	trägst	ihr	tragt
3rd	er/sie/es	trägt	sie	tragen

Colors

Color are also another great way to describe clothes like Das rote Hemd passt gut.which means The red shirt fits well.

Read the following paragraph, try to find the words described to have a color.

Wir fahren in den Schwarzwald. Ich habe ein grünes Hemd getragen. Die Reise war lang. Es begann kälter zu werden und abzukühlen. Ich hörte Musik auf meinem braunen iPod. Ich bin schließlich eingeschlafen. Als ich aufwachte, sah ich den blauen Himmel und den weißen Schnee.

If you found 5 words you are right.

Schwarz which means black (the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) is a wooded mountain range)

Grünes Hemd which is a green shirt.

Brauner iPod which is a brown iPod.

Blauer Himmel which is blue sky.

And weißer Schnee which is white snow.

And now for the actual colors...

Red                "Rot"     
Blue               "Blau"
Green              "Grün"  
Orange             "Orange"
Violet             "Violett"
Yellow             "Gelb"
Brown              "Braun"
Indigo             "Indigo"
Gray               "Grau"
Black              "Schwarz"
White              "Weiß"

Section Problems >>

Lesson 1.05 - Volk und Familie

Lesson I.8: Familie und Nationalität

Hello from Berlin!

Facts

Banks and Money

Germany's main banks are Deutsche Bank, Dresdner Bank and Commerzbank. There are many banks of all kinds throughout the country. Banks are open Mon-Fri 9am-12pm and 2:30-4pm. On Thursdays, they are open until 5:30 or 6pm. Changing money is best done at a bank because their rates will be better than exchange services located at a Bureau de Change. Major post office branches and travel agents also offer currency exchange. Germany is one of 15 European countries that have replaced their national currencies with the Euro, which is stronger to the U.S. Dollar, but weaker than the British Pound.

Dialog

Dialogue: Visiting Family — Familie besuchen
	Vater, Mutter und die Geschwister bekommen Besuch von Oma und Opa
Vater Karl	Hallo Mama, Hallo Papa! Wie geht es euch?
Opa Rudolf	Na mein Enkel, du bist ja richtig groß geworden!
Oma Lisa	Mir geht's gut. Ich gehe zum Kurfürstendamm. Möchtet ihr mit mir kommen?
Sohn Thomas	Ja, Opa, ich weiß.
Tochter Marie	Oma! Hast du uns etwas mitgebracht?
Mutter Bettina	Nun sei nicht so aufgeregt Marie, lass Oma und Opa erst einmal hereinkommen.
	kurze Zeit später, die Geschenke wurden schon ausgepackt...
Tochter Marie	Mutti! Thomas nimmt mir immer meine Puppe weg.
Mutter Bettina	Thomas! Du sollst deiner Schwester nicht ihre Puppe wegnehmen.
Sohn Thomas	Nein, das ist meine Puppe.
Mutter Bettina	Nein. Die Puppe gehört deiner Schwester.
Sohn Thomas	Gut, hier hast du die Puppe...
Mutter Bettina	Und bedanke dich bei deinen Großeltern, Marie.

People

The Family

Home is where the heart is, they say. And what is in the home? Family! of course, so this is a very important section of the lesson. It'll give all vocabulary for the family, and later in a different section, you'll learn how to describe your brothers and sisters or any person! And now to get started let's do some vocabulary...

Vocabulary: The Family — Die Familie
English	German
Son	der Sohn, die Söhne (plural)
Daughter	die Tochter, die Töchter
Father	der Vater, die Väter
Mother	die Mutter, die Mütter
Dad	der Papa (informal), der Vati/der Papi (informal)
Mum	die Mama (informal), die Mutti/die Mami (informal)
Grandfather	der Großvater, die Großväter
Grandmother	die Großmutter, die Großmütter
Grandpa	der Opa, die Opas
Grandma	die Oma, die Omas
Sister	die Schwester, die Schwestern
Stepsister	die Stiefschwester, die Stiefschwestern
Brother	der Bruder, die Brüder
Stepbrother	der Stiefbruder, die Stiefbrüder
Siblings	die Geschwister
Stepbrothers and stepsisters	die Stiefgeschwister (kein Singular)
Grandson	der Enkel/der Enkelsohn, die Enkelsöhne
Granddaughter	die Enkelin, die Enkelinnen
Wife	die Ehefrau, die Frau (informal), die Gattin (formal)
Husband	der Ehemann, der Mann (informal), der Gatte (formal)
Father-in-law	der Schwiegervater
Mother-in-law	die Schwiegermutter
Brother-in-law	der Schwager, die Schwäger
Sister-in-law	die Schwägerin, die Schwägerinnen
Son-in-law	der Schwiegersohn, die Schwiegersöhne
Daughter-in-law	die Schwiegertochter, die Schwiegertöchter
Uncle	der Onkel, die Onkel
Aunt	die Tante, die Tanten

Now even though many of these are common phrases you and I would say in everyday life, some of these are rather used when you are on a visit to grandmother's, or things your mother would say. Maybe you notice some of these in the dialogue. Now you might be asking "How am I going to speak fluent German, if I just learn phrases?" Like I said, these are basically from the dialogue, and you can study these to look at the word order. Also certain things are just different in German, like "Wie heißt du?" which translates literally to "How are you called?" when we use "What is your name?". Okay let's get started on these common phrases...

Du bist ja richtig groß geworden.

You have grown up so much (usual sentence used by Opa und Oma)

Hast du uns etwas mitgebracht?

Have you brought something for us? (usual sentence used by Enkel and Enkelin)

Nun sei nicht so aufgeregt.

Now don't be so excited.

Komm rein.

Come in.

(Sie) Wurden schon ausgepackt.

(They) Have already been opened.

(Sich) Bedanken für etwas.

To thank for something.

Using Formal and Informal Pronouns in the Family

Some very conservative families might still use Sie with grandparents or even parents! This is sometimes practiced in families of nobility or exterritorial cultural islands in which older German customs have survived. However, using "Sie" feels very outdated to the vast majority of people. In practically every family all members use du with each other.

Describing People

I can't describe in words how important this section of the lesson is. Even though you have already learned to describe to some degree, here we will introduce a new aspect of describing, and we will review. But how could we describe if we didn't have vocabulary? Here it is...

Vocabulary: Describing People — Leute beschreiben
English	German
Nice	nett, sympathisch
Mean	unfreundlich, gemein
Nasty	fies, gemein
Pretty	schön
Ugly	hässlich
Intelligent	intelligent
Unintelligent	unintelligent
Clever	schlau, klug, clever
Stupid	dumm/blöd/deppert (Austrian German)
Interesting	interessant
Boring	langweilig, fad (Austrian German)
Active	rührig, aktiv
Lazy	faul
Funny	komisch, witzig
Serious	ernst(haft)
Strong	stark, kräftig
Weak	schwach
Odd	eigenartig
Talented	begabt, talentiert
Untalented	unbegabt, untalentiert
Bossy	rechthaberisch
Passive	untätig
Old	alt
Young	jung
Fat	fett, dick
Skinny	dünn
Tall	groß
Short	klein
Evil	böse

The verb used most often for describing is "to be" which we learned in the first lesson. Some examples are: He is wet, This is stupid, I am lazy. But you do use other verbs like feel, look, etc. This lesson we will be sticking mostly with the verbs we've learned in the past. We will, however, learn one new verb. All sentences we will create will be in the nominative case. Okay, let's get started!

In term of beauty, you can say four basic things. These aren't the all but these are the easiest and simplest ones.

She is beautiful.

Sie ist schön.

He is ugly.

Er ist hässlich.

These two use the verb to be, and the next one will use the verb to look which would need something else in order to make sense.

She looks beautiful, but that shirt is ugly.

Sie sieht schön aus, aber dieses Hemd ist hässlich.

He looks ugly, but he looked handsome yesterday.

Er sieht hässlich aus, aber gestern sah er schön aus.

And in the last sentence it says "ausgesehen." Don't worry about that--it wouldn't be taught until Level 3. So since you get the idea of describing, let's learn a new verb! And the new verb is klingen which is to sound. As in "He sounds weird.", "She sounds boring." Since we know how to describe, we really don't have to cover it. It's works just like other verbs.

He sounds nice.

Er klingt nett.

They sound funny.

Sie klingen komisch.

Remember that when describing it's S+V+A, or subject, verb, then adjective. Exactly like in English. For right now, that's all for describing things. We are going to have some small describing lessons with some parts of this lesson.

Related Verbs

Okay we just went over the verb in the previous section. This will basically be a list that will help you memorize them better, and there is not a lot. Other than "klingen" and "fühlen" you should know all of these. The "Er sieht aus" is to show you it is a separable-prefix verb.

Vocabulary: Verbs — Verben
English	German
To be	sein
To look	aussehen, ausschauen (Austrian German)
He looks	Er sieht aus
To feel	(sich) fühlen
To sound	klingen

Nationality

This is also a large section of this lesson: nationality, and it's very important. There are many nationalities, too many to go over in this lesson, but you will learn more nationality as this level and book goes on. Right now we are just going to have a vague little list, and as this section goes on there will be more. Finally, gentlemen, get ready to have your minds blown...

Some Nationalities

This is the small list, make sure you memorize this list and the next one.

Vocabulary: Nationalities — Nationalitäten
English	German
German(s)	(masculine) der Deutsche, (m. plural) die Deutschen; (feminine) die Deutsche, (f. plural) die Deutschen
American(s)	der Amerikaner, die Amerikaner; die Amerikanerin, die Amerikanerinnen
Englishman	der Engländer, die Engländer; die Engländerin, die Engländerinnen
Spaniard(s)	der Spanier, die Spanier; die Spanierin, die Spanierinnen
Italian(s)	der Italiener, die Italiener; die Italienerin, die Italienerinnen
Frenchman	der Franzose, die Franzosen; die Französin, die Französinnen

Describing People with Nationality

It is no surprise you can describe people with nationality, most times, it's stereotypical, like Norwegians are blonde, tall, etc. or Germans wear lederhosen, drink beer, and play polka all day long, but that is just not true. However you can just use it for what it is, a nationality. If you do describe people by nationality this will help. Okay, you should already know how to describe, right?

This part we will get more in to detail later, but right it is an important part of describing people with nationality, even though in English we most times don't do this, in German they do. The difference between nationality and language, like in English, French and French. But in German it is französisch and Franzose, Französin. This also is how it works for nationality describing by noun or adjective, which we are going to learn right now.

Noun or Adjective Nationality

There are two ways to describe someone. With a noun-based nationality word or an adjective-based nationality word. But note that in German the noun-based form is used more often.

Example: Ich bin Schwede (I am Swedish) and Ich bin schwedisch (I am Swedish)

Example: Ich bin Franzose (I am French) and Ich bin französisch (I am French)

More Nationalities

A longer list of nationalities found in and around Germany:

Vocabulary: More Nationalities — Mehr Nationalitäten
African	(m.) Afrikaner (-); (f.) Afrikanerin (-nen)
Albanian	Albaner (-); Albanerin (-nen)
Austrian	Österreicher (-); Österreicherin (-nen)
Czech	Tscheche (-n); Tschechin (-nen)
Chinese	Chinese (-n); Chinesin (-nen)
Dane	Däne (-n); Dänin (-nen)
Dutchman/woman	Holländer (-); Holländerin (-nen)
Estonian	Este (-n); Estin (-nen)
Finnish	Finne (-n); Finnin (-nen)
Greek	Grieche (-n); Griechin (-nen)
Hungarian	Ungar (-n); Ungarin (nen)
Irish	Ire (-n); Irin (-nen)
Indian	Inder (-); Inderin (-nen)
Japanese	Japaner (-); Japanerin (-nen)
Korean	Koreaner (-); Koreanerin (-nen)
Latvian	Lette (-n); Lettin (-nen)
Lithuanian	Litauer (-); Litauerin (-nen)
Norwegian	Norweger (-); Norwegerin (-nen)
Polish	Pole (-n); Polin (-nen)
Romanian	Rumäne (-n); Rumänin (-nen)
Russian	Russe (-n); Russin (-nen)
Serbian	Serbe (-n); Serbin (-nen)
Slovakian	Slovake (-n); Slovakin (-nen)
Swede	Schwede (-n); Schwedin (-nen)
Swiss	Schweizer (-); Schweizerin (-nen)
Turkish	Türke (-n); Türkin (-nen)
Ukrainian	Ukrainer (-); Ukrainerin (-nen)

Age

Now we are all familiar with the word "alt'", which means old. And in English, to find out somebody's age we ask "How old are you?". In German it is exactly the same. The "alt" kind of belongs to the interrogative adverb, so in both German and English it may be in front of the verb:

Wie alt bist du?

How old are you?

Now to ask the question with 1st person it is...

Wie alt bin ich?

How old am I?

And as response you might get...

Ich bin __ Jahre alt.

I am __ years old.

Du bist __ Jahre alt.

You are __ years old.

And now the plural version of the 1st person...

Wie alt sind wir?

How old are we?

The responses you will get is...

Wir sind __ Jahre alt.

We are __ years old.

Ihr seid __ Jahre alt.

You all are __ years old.

To ask this important question in the 2nd person. First, we will learn the biggest question here, "How old are you?" which is...

Wie alt bist du?

How old are you?

And there is only one response to this it is...

Ich bin __ Jahre alt.

I am __ years old.

For the equally important plural 2nd person...

Wie alt seid ihr?

How old are you all?

Which the response is...

Wir sind __ Jahre alt.

We are __ years old.

And formal question, for both singular and plural is...

Wie alt sind Sie?

How old are you?

How old are you all?

You should all ready get the pattern for this, but we are going to keep on doing this list, if you aren't sure of something or you are confused. So for the 3rd person...

Wie alt ist er/sie?

How old is he/she?

The responses to this are...

Er ist __ Jahre alt.

He is __ years old.

Sie ist __ Jahre alt.

She is __ years old.

And now the plural 3rd person of question and response...

Wie alt sind sie?

How old are they?

And of course the response...

Sie sind __ Jahre alt.

They __ years old.

Now with some people you might be able to guess their age, and you could ask them directly about it. This is usually pretty of rude, but it illustrates nicely how the phrase has to be changed if you ask a yes-no-question, so let's get started, anyway!

Bist du __ Jahre alt?

Are you __ years old?

Ist er/sie __ Jahre alt?

Is he/she __ years old?

Sind sie __ Jahre alt?

Are they __ years old?

Note the inversed order between "Wie alt bist du?" und "Bist du __ Jahre alt?" This is exactly the same as in English!

Possessives

Person	Singular		Plural
	English	German	English	German
1st	my	mein	our	unser
2nd	your	dein, Ihr	your	euer, Ihr
3rd	his, her, its	sein, ihr, sein	their	ihr

Note: 'Euer' is irregular. When 'euer' has to have a different ending the e before r is dropped, so it turns into 'eur-'.

Gender, Case, and Endings

Expressing Favorites

Problems >>

Lesson 1.06 - Schule

Lesson I.9: Schule

Hello from Berlin!

School in Germany

School is not regulated nationwide, but by each Land
German "Kindergarten" is optional - it translates rather to "play school", "Vorschule" being roughly the equivalent to "Kindergarten"
From the age of six on, all Germans attend a "Grundschule" (elementary school) for four or six years, depending on the Land.
After that, they go to either
- the "Hauptschule" which is industrially oriented,
- the "Realschule", which is skill oriented,
- the "Gymnasium", which is academically oriented,
- or the "Gesamtschule", or comprehensive school.
Schooling is obligatory until the age of 16, but the Gymnasium diploma "Abitur" can only be obtained after 12 or 13 years, i.e. at age 18 or 19.
Latin and sometimes even ancient Greek are regularly taught at the Gymnasium. For the "Abitur", at least two foreign languages as well as some calculus and analysis classes have to be taken.
School days often are from 8:00-13:00. In most 'Länder', only the older students have additional classes between about 14:00-15:30 (i.e. 8AM - 1PM and 2PM - 3:30PM)
In most schools, Extracurricular Activities are offered, such as Drama Club or School Choir, but they are less common than in the U.S. Though many students feel some sort of identification with their school, most are just happy when they can go home.
Generally speaking, many schools still are more formal than US or Canadian schools.
The marking system uses
- 1 (very good, 87,5% or 96%),
- 2 (good 75% or 85%), **
- 3 (satisfactory, 62,5% or 65%),
- 4 (sufficient 50% or 45%).
- 5 (faulty) is failed or 25%.
- 6 (not sufficient) is only used when the student literally hands in a blank sheet or failed.
These marks can be modified with a "+" or a "-" to indicate a tendency, so e.g. 2+ is a fairly good mark that corresponds to about 80%.

Dialogue

Silke: Jetzt haben wir Mathe.
Torsten: Oh nein, ich habe überhaupt keine Lust dazu.
Silke: Hast du die Aufgaben gemacht?
Torsten: Ja, im Bus.
Silke: Super! Kann ich sie abschreiben?

Lehrer (Betritt den Raum): Guten Morgen!
Klasse: Guten Morgen!

Lehrer: Wer möchte die Aufgaben an der Tafel rechnen? Florian?
Florian geht zur Tafel, schreibt an und liest vor: 
   "5 plus 8 ist gleich 13"
   "8 minus 5 ist gleich 3"
   "3 mal 8 ist gleich 24"
   "24 geteilt durch 12 ist gleich 2"
Lehrer: Sehr gut, Florian!

Die Glocke läutet. Es ist Fünfminutenpause.
Silke: Schnell, wir müssen zu Musik!
Torsten: Au ja, darauf freue ich mich schon.
Silke: Was machen wir heute?
Torsten: Wir wollen ein Lied von Grönemeyer singen!
Silke: Welches denn?
Torsten: "Alkohol", glaube ich.

Nach dem Musikunterricht:
Silke: Jetzt haben wir nur noch Geschichte...
Torsten: Komm, wir schwänzen und gehen ins Bistro.
Silke: Schon wieder!

Und Satz für Satz ...

Oh nein, ich habe überhaupt keine Lust dazu.

"Lust (zu etwas) haben" means "feeling like (it)". "Ich habe keine Lust (dazu)" is "I don't feel like (it)". "Ich habe überhaupt keine Lust" emphasizes it, meaning "I don't feel like it at all."

Hast du die Aufgaben gemacht?
Have you the tasks done?

"Did you do your homework?"

Ja, im Bus.
Yes, in the bus.

This is a common practice of students everywhere in the world, I guess...

Notice the contraction of "im", which is derived from "in dem", "in the".

Super! Kann ich sie noch schnell abschreiben?
Super! Can I just quickly copy them?

"Super", "Cool", "Toll", are common exclamations ... "Noch schnell" is here meant as "while there is still time"

Lehrer (Betritt den Raum): Guten Morgen!
Teacher (enters the room): Good Morning!

Klasse: Guten Morgen!
Class: Good Morning!

Wer möchte die Aufgaben an der Tafel rechnen? Florian?
Who would like the tasks on the blackboard calculate?

"Who would like to do these questions on the blackboard?" Note that "Tafel" is related to "table", meaning a flat surface, and indeed German "Tafel" can also designate a table prepared for a feast.

Don't let the weird order of the words disturb you, even if the phrase seems totally incomprehensible at first. I'll try to construct this bit by bit:

This is the basic question and answer pair:

"Wer rechnet?" - "Ich rechne."
"Who calculates?" - "I calculate."

To ask, if you want to do something, you use a construction similar to English:

"Wer will rechnen" - "Ich will rechnen."
"Who wants to calculate" - "I want to calculate."

Note that the "to" is already included in the German word "rechnen". "Rechnen" is clearly already an infinitive, and doesn't need a "zu" to prove it. This is one of the main reasons why complicated conjugations can survive, they contain information that doesn't have to be expressed otherwise then...

To be a little more polite (or at least seem like it, since our teacher probably wouldn't take a no for an answer)

"Wer möchte rechnen?" - "Ich möchte rechnen!"
"Who would like to calculate?" - "I would like to calculate"

This is another example for brevity by conjugation. The word "möchte" contains the "would", as it is a "Konjunktiv"-form of the word "mögen" which translates to "like". Don't be discouraged, many Germans don't realize this, and many don't use the Konjunktiv correctly, if ever. However, "ich möchte"-phrases are extremely popular, so just use them, even if you didn't understand yet a word of the explanation above ;-)

Let's introduce objects in our phrase:

"Wer rechnet die Aufgabe?" - "Ich rechne die Aufgabe"
"Who calculates the task?" - "I calculate the task", meaning "Who answers the question"

This is a direct object, "Aufgabe" is in the accusative case. Because this is a feminine noun, this is not so obvious, but the structure is the same as in:

"Wer sieht den Mann?" - "Ich sehe den Mann."
"Who sees the man?" - "I see the man."

Now, we also have an adverbial expression of the place. This is an expression that defines the verb, thus ad-verbial.

"Wer rechnet an der Tafel?" - "Ich rechne an der Tafel"
"Who calculates on the blackboard?" - "I calculate on the blackboard"

Now let's put all this together:

"Wer rechnet die Aufgabe an der Tafel?" - "Ich rechne die Aufgabe an der Tafel."
"Who calculates the task on the blackboard?" - "I calculate the task on the blackboard"

Note that the order expressions is widely interchangeable. You can emphasize something by putting it closer to the end of the question.

And now for the whole phrase in all its glory:

"Wer | möchte | die Aufgabe | an der Tafel | rechnen?" - "Ich | möchte | die Aufgabe | an der Tafel | rechnen."
"Who | would like | the task | on the blackboard | calculate?" - "I | would like | the task | on the blackboard | calculate."

It wasn't THAT bad, was it?

Florian geht zur Tafel, schreibt an und liest vor: 
Florian goes to the blackboard, writes on and reads out:

"Florian goes to the blackboard, writes down and reads out aloud"

"zur" is another contraction, this time of "zu" and "der". Note that after "zu" follows the dative case, so "der" is not the masculine but the feminine article.

"anschreiben" splits to "schreibt an", and means literally "writing on". It is often used when writing legibly on a large, visible surface such as blackboard or a flipchart.

"vorlesen" splits to "liest vor" and translates to "read aloud".

   "5 plus 8 ist gleich 13"
   "8 minus 5 ist gleich 3"
   "3 mal 8 ist 24"
   "24 geteilt durch 12 gleich 2"

So, as you might have guessed, plus and minus are the same as in English - they are just pronounced German. The verbs "addieren" and "subtrahieren" are probably not difficult either... "Ist gleich" or short "gleich" or just "ist" corresponds obviously to "is equal to" or "equals".

"mal" means "times". This is also used in every day phrases, such as "100mal habe ich dir gesagt ..." "I told you a 100 times ..." The corresponding verb is "malnehmen" or "multiplizieren"

"geteilt durch" is literally "divided by", and the verb is "teilen" or "dividieren".

Lehrer: Sehr gut, Florian! Very good, Florian!

Now, that was easy!

Die Glocke läutet. Es ist Fünfminutenpause.
The bell rings. It is five-minute-break

Between single classes, there is usually a break of five minutes to allow teachers and students to go from one classroom to another. In most schools, classes such as German, English, History, Philosophy are taught in the classroom. Classes that use special equipment, such as all sciences, music and arts and of course computers and sport are being taught in a specialized lab classes. Roughly every second break is 15 minutes long, and if there are lessons in the afternoon, there's often a break of 45 to 60 minutes for lunch.

Schnell, wir müssen zu Musik!
Quick, we must to music!

This sentence sounds strange. This is, because in everyday German, sometimes the verb gehen can be left out, if it is clear what is meant. In this case, the complete phrase would have to be "Wir müssen zu Musik gehen". But since Torsten will not think Silke is going to fly there, there will be no misunderstanding. Additionally, the word "class", or "course" is missing, which is the usual way of students to talk about their subjects.

Note: In English, the phrase might be "We have to go to the music room" instead of must. The German translation "Wir haben in den Musikraum zu gehen" would be understood, but is quite formal. Additionally, there is a connotation that the speaker distances himself from the order he is being given.

Au ja, darauf freue ich mich schon!
Oh yes, to this look forward I myself already!

Whew, what was that?

Let's start at the beginning. "Au ja" ist an exclamation meaning "cool", "that's great". It has nothing to do with the German equivalent of "ouch!", which is "au(a)!"

"Sich freuen" means "being happy". It is reflexive such as in "I help myself", because the subject and the object are the same. Some phrases simply are constructed like this, even if there seems to be no real reason to this, and many languages know this phenomenon. The "sich" here is technically the accusative of "he, she, it" and is being changed depending on the person:

ich freue mich                 I am happy
du freust dich                 you are happy
er, sie, es freut sich         he, she, it is happy
wir freuen uns                 we are happy
ihr freut euch                 you are happy
Sie/sie freuen sich            they are happy

Note that "to be happy" actually would be rather translated by "glücklich sein", but it is the closest English equivalent to "sich freuen".

"Sich über etwas freuen" means "to be happy about something". This is kind of self-explanatory. But "sich auf etwas freuen", literally "to be happy on something" means "to look forward to". This is a common phrase that uses the on in the same wide sense as in "on drugs", or "living on something" - there is no spatial relation here...

In "darauf" you recognize the "auf". The "da" is a demonstrative prounoun such as in "that place". "Darauf" actually is another contraction which developped a long time ago from "da-herauf". The "darauf" is referencing the word "Musik" from Silke's sentence.

So "Au ja, darauf freue ich mich schon" or "to-this look-forward I myself already" just means "Great, I'm already looking forward to that"

Maybe it comforts you a little that the English phrase in a word-by-word translation to German would be just as unintelligible...

Was machen wir heute?
What make we today?

"What we (are going to) do today?" Note again, that "machen" often does not translate to "make", but to "do"!

Wir wollen ein Lied von Grönemeyer singen!
We want a song of Grönemeyer sing!

"We want to sing a song by Grönemeyer!"

Welches denn?
Which then?

"Alkohol", glaube ich...
"Alcohol", believe I...

Note that adding a "glaube ich" is another common phrase, exacly as "I think" or "I believe" can be added to an English phrase. (Never mind the word order, this is because Alcohol is the object, so the verb is at the second position in the text)

Herbert Grönemeyer is a very popular German rock singer from the Ruhr region. His most famous songs include "Männer", "Bochum" (a city in the Ruhr region), "Mensch" and also "Alkohol".

Nach dem Musikunterricht:
After the music class:

"Unterricht" comes from "unterrichten" "to teach", and means simply "class". Better not think about "under" and "right" here, which you might have correctly recognized as the word's components "richten" literally means "to correct".

Jetzt haben wir nur noch Geschichte...
Now have we only still history...

"Now we have only history left"

Komm, wir schwänzen und gehen ins Bistro.
Come, we skip and go in the bistro.

"Come on, let's skip class and go to the bistro instead". As in English, "Komm" can be used to motivate others.

There is yet another contraction here "ins" is derived from "in das", meaning "in the". "das" is the neutral article in accusative case here.

Schon wieder!
Already again!

Aufgabe

Make a list of all the contractions used in this chapter. Can you determine the full tables?

School

Vocabulary

School-Related Verbs

Lesen                                                 To Read
Schreiben                                             To Write
Rechnen                                               To Calculate (doing maths)
Studieren                                             To Study
Lernen                                                To Learn
Zeichnen                                              To Draw
Malen                                                 To Paint

School Subjects

Deutsch                                               German
Englisch                                              English
Russisch                                              Russian
Französisch                                           French
Latein                                                Latin
Mathe                                                 Maths
Mathematik                                            Mathematics
Sport                                                 PE or Gym
Kunst, Zeichnen                                       Arts
Musik                                                 Music
Werken                                                Crafts
Sachkunde, Sachunterricht                             Science Lesson in Elementary School
Geschichte                                            History
Erdkunde                                              Geography
Politik                                               Politics
Biologie                                              Biology
Geografie                                             Geography
Religion                                              RE or Religion
Ethik                                                 Ethics
Chemie                                                Chemistry
Physik                                                Physics
Informatik                                            Computer Science
Elektronische Datenverarbeitung                       Computer Science

School Supplies and Ect.

der Radiergummi                                       Eraser/Rubber
der Bleistift                                         Pencil
der Stift, der Kugelschreiber                         Pen
der Füller, der Füllfederhalter                       Fountain pen
das Fach                                              Subject
die Klasse                                            Class
der Lehrer                                            Teacher (male)
die Lehrerin                                          Teacher (female)
die Schule                                            School
der Schüler                                           Pupil
der Student                                           Student (College/University)
die Stunde/Schulstunde                                school hours
die Pause                                             Break
die Schultasche                                       Backpack

Die Straße the street

Review 1.02

Review Section I.B: Lessons I.4 to I.6

Vocabulary

Pronouns:

I             ich
We            wir
You           du
              Sie (formal) 
You All       ihr
              Sie (formal)
He            er
She           sie
It            es
They          sie

Common Verbs (to have and to be) and Their Conjugations:

Have          habe (1st Person, Singular, ich)
              hast (2nd Person, Singular, informal, du)
              haben (1st & 3rd Person, Plural, wir, sie; 2nd Person, singular & plural, formal, Sie)
              habt (2nd Person, Plural, informal, ihr)
Has           hat (3rd Person, singular, er, sie, es

Am            bin (1st person, Singular)
Are           bist (2nd Person, Singular, informal)
              sind (1st & 3rd Person, Plural; 2nd Person, sing. & plur., formal)
              seid (2nd Person, Plural, informal)
Is            ist

Greetings and Goodbyes

Hello!        Hallo!
              Servus! (used in Bavaria and Austria)
              Moin! or Moin Moin! (used in northern Germany)                    
              Grüezi! (used in Switzerland)
Good morning! Guten Morgen! or Morgen!
Good day!     Guten Tag! or Tag!
Good evening! Guten Abend! or N'Abend!
              Grüß Gott! (used in southern Germany, Austria and South Tyrol)
Goodbye!      Auf Wiedersehen! or Wiedersehen 
Bye!          Tschüss! or Tschau! (Ciao from Italy)
              Servus! (used in Bavaria, Austria)
Later!        Bis später! or Bis dann!
Good night!   Gute Nacht!

Common Adjectives:

Good          Gut
Super!        Spitze!
Great!        Prima!
Very good!    Sehr gut!
Bad           Schlecht
Miserable     Miserabel

Common Question Words

Who           Wer
What          Was
Where         Wo
When          Wann
Why           Warum
How           Wie

People

Boy           Der Junge
Girl          Das Mädchen
Man           Der Herr
Woman         Die Frau
Boys          Die Jungen
Girls         Die Mädchen
Men           Die Männer
Women         Die Frauen

Hobbies and Conjuctions

Sport(s)      Sport
Interests     Hobbys
Soccer        Fußball
USA Football  Football
Volleyball    Volleyball
Basketball    Basketball
Tennis        Tennis
Baseball      Baseball
9-pin Bowling Kegeln
Chess         Schach
Board Game    Das Brettspiel
Game          Das Spiel
Homework      Hausaufgaben
Television    Fernsehen
Movie         Der Film, Filme
And           und
But           aber
Or            oder

Common Verbs

To Have       haben
To Be         sein
To Be Called  heißen
To Play       spielen
To Do/Make    machen
To Read       lesen
To Watch      schauen
To See        sehen
To Work       arbeiten
To Write      schreiben
To Swim       schwimmen

Numbers

One           Eins
Two           Zwei
Three         Drei
Four          Vier
Five          Fünf
Six           Sechs
Seven         Sieben
Eight         Acht 
Nine          Neun
Ten           Zehn
Eleven        Elf
Twelve        Zwölf
Thirteen      Dreizehn
Fourteen      Vierzehn
Fifteen       Fünfzehn
Sixteen       Sechzehn
Seventeen     Siebzehn
Eighteen      Achtzehn
Nineteen      Neunzehn
Twenty        Zwanzig
Thirty        Dreißig
Forty         Vierzig
Fifty         Fünfzig
Sixty         Sechzig
Seventy       Siebzig
Eighty        Achtzig
Ninety        Neunzig
Hundred       Hundert
Thousand      Tausend

Time

Noon           Mittag
Midnight       Mitternacht
After          Nach
Till           Vor
Quarter        Viertel
Half Before    Halb
Quarter Before Dreiviertel (used in eastern Germany)

Day           Tag
Today         Heute
Tomorrow      Morgen
Yesterday     Gestern
Early Morning Morgen (use morgen früh for tomorrow morning)
Morning       Vormittag
Afternoon     Nachmittag
Evening       Abend
Night 	      Nacht

Monday        Montag
Tuesday       Dienstag
Wednesday     Mittwoch
Thursday      Donnerstag
Friday        Freitag
Saturday      Samstag or Sonnabend
Sunday        Sonntag
January       Januar 
              Jänner (used in Austria)
February      Februar
March 	      März
April 	      April
May 	      Mai
June 	      Juni 
              Juno (in spoken word only)
July 	      Juli 
              Julei (in spoken word only)
August        August
September     September
October       Oktober
November      November
December      Dezember
Spring        Frühling
Summer        Sommer
Autumn        Herbst
Winter        Winter

Time          Die Zeit
Free Time     Die Freizeit
Always        immer
Often         oft
Sometimes     manchmal
Seldom        selten
Never         nie
Only          nur

Accusative Case

Me            mich
Us            uns
You           dich
You (formal)  Sie
You All       euch
Him           ihn
Her           sie
It            es
Them          sie

Food

Appetizers    Vorspeisen
Salad         Der Salat
Bread         Das Brot
Breadstick    Die Scheibe Brot
Main Dishes   Hauptgerichte
Sausage       Die Wurst
Sausages      Die Würste
Bratwurst     Die Bratwurst
Hot Dog       Das Hot Dog
Pizza         Die Pizza
Pizzas        Die Pizzen
Hamburger     Der Hamburger
Hamburgers    Die Hamburger
With          mit (ignore article)
Without       ohne (ignore article)
Tomatoes      Die Tomaten
Lettuce       Der Salat
Cheese        Der Käse
Pickles       Die Gewürzgurken
Onions        Die Zwiebeln
Ketchup       Der Ketchup
Mustard       Der Senf
Chicken       Das Hähnchen
Chickens      Die Hähnchen
Seafood       Die Meeresfrüchte (plural)
Fish          Der Fisch 
Sides         Die Beilage (singular), die Beilagen (plural)
Soup          Die Suppe
Soups         Die Suppen
Noodle Soup   Die Nudelsuppe
French Fries  Die Pommes frites (plural)
Fries         Die Fritten (Informal and plural)
Pasta         Die Pasta or Die Nudeln
Potato        Die Kartoffel
Potatoes      Die Kartoffeln
Corn          Der Mais
Bean          Die Bohne
Beans         Die Bohnen
Desserts      Nachspeisen
Gâteau        Die (Sahne-)Torte
Strudel       Der Strudel
Apple strudel Der Apfelstrudel
Cake          Der Kuchen
Piece of Cake Das Stück Kuchen
Pie           Die Pastete
Piece of Pie  Das Stück Pastete
Apple Pie     Die Apfelpastete
Ice Cream     Das Eis
Pudding       Der Pudding
Cookie        Der Keks
Cookies       Die Kekse
Fruit         Das Obst
The Meal      Das Essen
Lunch         Das Mittagessen
Dinner        Das Abendessen
Hunger        Der Hunger 
Thirst        Der Durst

To Eat        essen
To Drink      trinken
To Receive    bekommen
To Want       wollen
Would Like    möchten

Useful Phrases

Thank you                Danke        
Please & You're Welcome  Bitte   
Thank you very much      Dankeschön
Thanks a lot             Danke sehr
No problem               Kein Problem!

Nationalities

Chinese Food  chinesisches Essen
Japanese Food japanisches Essen
American Food amerikanisches Essen
Mexican Food  mexikanisches Essen
Arabic Food   arabisches Essen
Italian Food  italienisches Essen
Indian Food   indisches Essen
French Food   französisches Essen
Greek Food    griechisches Essen

Common Prepositions

Through       Durch
For           Für
Against       Gegen
Without       Ohne
At, Around    Um

Adjectives to Describe Food

Delicious     lecker
Tasty         schmackhaft
Juicy         saftig
Crunchy       knackig
Crispy        knusprig
Spicy         würzig
Stale         fade 
              fad (used in Austria)
Salty         salzig
Sweet         süß
Bitter        bitter
Sour          sauer
Creamy        cremig     
Hot           heiß
Burnt         angebrannt
Cold          kalt
Disgusting    schrecklich

Restaurant

To Pay        Zahlen
The Bill      Die Rechnung
Waiter        Der Ober/Der Kellner

Wie heißt Du?

Hello and Goodbyes

Wir haben Begrüßungen und Verabschiedungen gelernt. Können Sie sich an diese erinnern?

Bericht!

Nominative Case

Wir haben auch den Nominativ gelernt. Können Sie sich an ihn erinnern?

Bericht!

Names

Wir haben das Verb heißen gelernt. Erinnern Sie sich?

Bericht!

Verbs

Wir haben zwei andere Verben konjugiert. Können Sie sich daran erinnern?

Bericht!

Articles

Wir haben die Artikel beim Nominativ gelernt. Können Sie sich an sie erinnern?

Bericht!

Freizeit

Regulars Verbs

Wir haben die regelmäßigen Verbende gelernt. Können Sie sich an sie erinnern?

Bericht!

Likes & Dislikes

Wir haben gelernt unser Gefallen auszudrücken. Können Sie sich daran erinnern?

Bericht!

Numbers

Wir haben die Zahlen gelernt. Können Sie sich an sie erinnern?

Bericht!

Time

Wir haben schon Zeit-Wörter gelernt. Können Sie sich an diese erinnern?

Bericht!

Essen

Accusative Case

Wir hatten schon den Akkusativ-Fall gelernt. Können Sie sich an ihn erinnern?

Bericht!

Modal Verbs

Wir haben die Modalverben gelernt. Können Sie sich an sie erinnern?

Bericht!

Kein-Words

Wir haben die „Kein“-Wörter gelernt. Können Sie sich daran erinnern?

Bericht!

This, Everyone, and Which

Wir haben „dieser“, „jeder“ und „welcher“ gelernt.. Können Sie sich erinnern?

Bericht!

Section 1.03 ~ Vienna, Austria

Lesson 1.07 - Das Fest

Lesson I.10: Das Fest

This lesson deals with the Christmas time in the German language countries, where you learn some traditions and vocabularies about Christmas. You'll also learn about "there is" and "there are" in German and about the dative case.

Dialogue

Read and listen to the following dialogue between mother and daughter: Roswitha and Anja. Both of them want to decorate for Christmas.

Dialogue: Decoration — Dekoration noicon
Roswitha	Heute ist der erste Advent. Lass uns zusammen schmücken!
Anja	Au ja, Mama. Ich hole die Dekoration heraus.
Roswitha	Den Adventskranz stellen wir wie jedes Jahr auf den Wohnzimmertisch und die Weihnachtspyramide kommt auf das Regal.
Anja	Wo soll ich den Räuchermann hinstellen?
Roswitha	Stelle ihn bitte mal auf den Fenstersims hin, Mäuschen.
Anja	Wird gemacht!

Vocabulary: words of the dialogue — Wörter vom Dialog (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - words of the dialogue.ogg, how to upload audio)
advent	der Advent
decorate	schmücken, dekorieren
decoration	die Dekoration, die Deko coll., der Schmuck
advent wreath	der Adventskranz
coffee table	der Wohnzimmertisch
Christmas pyramid	die Weihnachtspyramide
shelf	das Regal
sill	der Fenstersims, die Fensterbank
Little mouse	das Mäuschen

In Austria Adventkranz

Es gibt

Grammatik: There is — Es gibt (missing file: File:German Grammatik - There is.ogg, how to upload audio)
German		English
Es gibt	Zimt	There is	cinnamon
Es gibt	ein Rentier	There is	a reindeer
Es gibt	Nussknacker	There are	nutcrackers
Es gibt	ein paar Ausstecher	There are	some cookie cutter

The English words there is and there are are both in German es gibt. When you ask someone, if there's a snowman, you say Gibt es hier einen Schneemann?. Many German native speaker put the words gibt and es into gibt's.

Weihnachten in Deutschland

In Germany the advent season begins on Sunday four weeks before Christmas. It's the day where many families decorate their houses or flats, begin to bake some biscuits and start to sing some Christmas carols. One typical decoration is the advent wreath, which has four candles - one candle is lit in the first week, two candles in the second week, etc. - and normally stands on the dining table or on the coffee table. Another tradition, especially for children, is the advent calendar that you hang on the wall. They've often got 24 doors and you're only allowed to open one a day. Other typical Christmas decorations are a crib, a Räuchermann - a wooden figure that blows flavour of incense cones - in Northern Germany a Moosmann, Christmas pyramids and Schwibbogen and nutcrackers and poinsettias and much more. Most Christmas markets start in the first week of Advent. There you can buy some little Christmas presents, decorations, ride some carnival rides, and often drink some hot spiced wine - the children drink punch for children, listen to carolers and enjoy a warm, snowy atmosphere. On the 6th of December, German children celebrate St. Nicholas Day. The children put a boot in front of the door and wait until St. Nicholas brings little presents that are often sweets, walnuts, apples, tangerines and oranges. Bad children get birching by Knecht Ruprecht (which is now forbidden in Germany). Pupils do a secret Santa with other pupils on the last school days before the Christmas holidays, which are often two or three weeks long. St. Nicholas looks similar to Santa Claus who brings big presents on the evening of the 24th of December; in Southern Germany Christkind brings the presents. Most families decorate their Christmas trees on this day with Christmas baubles and tinsel and candles and so forth. After the Christmas dinner, the whole family sits next to the Christmas tree and exchanges gifts.

Vocabulary: Christmas — Weihnachten (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - Christmas.ogg, how to upload audio)
Merry Christmas!	Frohe Weihnachten!
	Fröhliche Weihnachten! (used by Santa)
advent season	die Adventszeit
advent calendar	der Adventskalender
bag	der Sack
boot	der Stiefel
caroller	der Sternsinger
Christmas bauble	die Christbaumkugel
Christmas bonus	Weihnachtsgeld
Christmas carol	das Weihnachtslied
Christmas card	die Weihnachtskarte
Christmas cracker	Knallbonbon
Christmas Day Speech	die Weihnachtsansprache
Christmas Eve	der Heiligabend
Christmas market	der Weihnachtsmarkt
Christmas ornament	Christbaumschmuck, Weihnachtsbaumschmuck
Christmas present	das Weihnachtsgeschenk
Christmas spirit	die Weihnachtsstimmung
Christmas time	die Weihnachtszeit
Christmas tree	der Weihnachtsbaum, der Christbaum
crib	die Krippe
dining table	der Esstisch
do a secret Santa	wichteln
flavour	der Duft
gift giving	die Bescherung
gnome	der Wichtel
holly	die Stechpalme
Jack Frost	Väterchen Frost
list of wishes	der Wunschzettel
mistletoe	der Mistelzweig
North Pole	der Nordpol
nutcracker	der Nussknacker
poinsettia	der Weihnachtsstern
Santa's Little Helper	Knecht Ruprecht
sleigh	der Schlitten
St. Nicholas	St. Nikolaus
the three Magi	die heiligen drei Könige
tinsel	das Lametta
tradition	der Brauch

Do you have the Christmas spirit yet? - Bist du schon in Weihnachtsstimmung?
Do you decorate your house this year? - Schmückst du dieses Jahr dein Haus?
On St. Nicholas Day gets Julian a little present. - An Nikolaustag bekommt Julian ein kleines Geschenk.
The Queen takes every year a Christmas Day Speech. - Die Queen hält jedes Jahr eine Weihnachtsansprache.
The whole room is sweet with cinnamon. - Der ganze Raum duftet nach Zimt.

Dativsätze

The Dativ, also called 3. Fall or Wemfall is in the German language the third object.
Die Kokosmakronen gehören der Anja. - You ask: Wem gehören die Kokosmakronen? - the answer is: Der Anja (gehören die Kokosmakronen).
Lisa schenkt (dem) Björn ein Spekulatius - You ask: Wem schenkt Lisa ein Spekulatius? - the answer is: Dem Björn (schenkt Lisa ein Spekulatius).

Weihnachtsessen

das Plätzchen, der Keks         cookie 
die Ausstecher                  cookie cutter
das Nudelholz                   rolling pin
die Vanillekipferl              vanilla cornets
der Lebkuchen                   gingerbread         
das Lebkuchenhaus               gingerbread house
die Kokosmakrone                coconut macaroon
die Spitzbuben                  jammy dodgers, linzer eye a biscuit with currant jam and icing powdered sugar
die Pfeffernuss                 spice nut
der Christstollen               stollen
die Marzipankartoffel           marzipan potato
die Weihnachtsgans              Christmas goose
der Weihnachtskarpfen           Christmas carp
der Truthahn                    turkey
Würstchen und Kartoffelsalat    sausages and potato salad
das Spekulatius                 almond biscuit
der Baumkuchen                  pyramid cake
der Mürbeteig                   shortcrust
der Springerle                  springerle
das Bethmännchen                bethmännchen typical Frankfurt marzipan biscuits
der Zimtstern                   star-shaped cinnamon biscuit
das Früchtebrot                 fruitcake
der Bratapfel                   roast apple
der Dominostein                 domino  a candy that you can eat in advent time
die Zuckerstange                candy cane
der Glühwein                    hot spiced wine
der Kinderpunsch                punch for children
das Kenkentjüch                 kenkentjüch cookies from northern Germany
die gebrannte Mandeln           roasted almonds
das Weihnachtsessen             Christmas dinner
das Hirschhornsalz              salt of harts horn
der Zimt                        cinnamon
der Puderzucker                 icing powdered sugar
das Aroma                       flavour

In the southern part of Germany they have other words for Plätzchen.

So in Swabian they call it Plätzle or Brötle and in Bavaria Platzerl. In Switzerland they call it Guetsli.

Other names for Nudelholz are Teigrolle, Wellholz, Wälgerholz and Rollholz rare.

In Austria and Bavaria they call it Nudelwalker and in Switzerland Wallholz.

Lesson 1.08 - Privileg und Verantwortung

Lesson I.11: Privileg und Verantwortung

Jobs and Tasks

Vocabulary

Careers

Work                        Arbeit
Doctor                      Arzt
Business Man                Geschäftsmann
Business Woman              Geschäftsfrau
Teacher                     Lehrer
Police Officer              Polizeibeamte
Fireman                     Feuerwehrmann
Actor  	             Schauspieler  	 
Artist  	            Künstler  	
Author  	            Schriftsteller  	
Bank Clerk  	            Bankangestellter  	 
Car Mechanic  	            Automechaniker  	 
Chemist  	            Chemiker  	 
Civil Servant  	    Beamter  	
Computer Programmer        Programmierer  	 
Engineer  	            Ingenieur  	
Farmer  	            Landwirt  	 
Hairdresser  	            Friseur  	 
Journalist  	            Journalist  	 
Lawyer  	            Rechtsanwalt  	 
Lecturer  	            Dozent  	 
Nurse  	            Krankenpfleger  	 
Pensioner  	            Rentner  	 
Photographer  	            Fotograf  	 
Politician  	            Politiker  	 
Postman  	            Briefträger  	 
Professor  	            Professor  	 
Salesperson  	            Verkäufer  	 
Secretary  	            Sekretär  	 
Student  	            Student  	 
Taxi Driver  	            Taxifahrer  	  
Waiter  	            Kellner

Tasks

Cleaning                   Reinigung
Cooking                    Kochen
Homework                   Hausaufgaben 
Laundry                    Wäscherei
Tasks                      Aufgaben

Plans

Common Phases

Ich habe Pläne...

I have plans...

Ich habe Pläne mit...

I have plans with...

Places To Go

Vocabulary

Germany                 Deutschland
Hamburg                    Hamburg
Berlin                     Berlin
Frankfurt                  Frankfurt
Cologne                    Köln
Munich                     München

Common Phases

Ich muss nach ... gehen.

I have to go to...

Lesson 1.09 - Wetter

Lesson I.12: Wetter

Dialoge

Lukas calls his friend Nadja after he sees the weather forecast.

Dialogue: The weather — Das Wetter (missing file: File:German Dialogue - The weather.ogg, how to upload audio)
Lukas	Was für ein Dreckswetter die heute mal wieder in der Wettervorhersage angekündigt haben!
Nadja	Was für ein Wetter soll es denn geben?
Lukas	Es soll heute regnen.
Nadja	Hattest du was vor?
Lukas	Ja, ich wollte in die Stadt gehen, um einen Mantel zu kaufen.
Nadja	Es kommt noch schlimmer!
Lukas	Wieso?
Nadja	Es wird nämlich zuerst regnen und dann bekommen wir Schneefall.
Lukas	Boah nee! Die Straßen werden dann vereist sein.
Nadja	Na ja, ich muss jetzt zur Schule. Tschau Lukas!
Lukas	Tschau!

Weather

Vocabulary

Vocabulary: weather — das Wetter (missing file: File:German Vocabulary - weather.ogg, how to upload audio)
informal for: bad weather	das Sauwetter (lit. sow weather)
	das Dreckswetter (lit. dirty weather)
	das Scheißwetter (lit. shit weather)
weather forecast	die Wettervorhersage*
sun	die Sonne*
sunny with some clouds	heiter (you'll hear it in the weather forecast)
rainbow	der Regenbogen
starlit	sternenklar
fog	der Nebel*
frost	der Frost*
wind	der Wind*
storm	der Sturm*
thunderstorm	das Gewitter*
bad weather	das Unwetter
thunder	der Donner*
lightning	der Blitz*
cloud	die Wolke*
overcast	bedeckt*
precipitation	der Niederschlag
rain	der Regen*
rain shower	der Regenschauer*
rainy	regnerisch*
(to) rain cats and dogs	in Strömen regnen
pour down	schütten
drizzle	der Niesel*
snow	der Schnee*
snow falling	der Schneefall*
snowy	verschneit*
sleet	der Schneeregen*
low snow falling	der Schniesel (in some regions of Germany)
hail	der Hagel*
graupel	der Graupel*
black ice	das Glatteis*

You will need to know each expression with an asterisk (*) after it. The others, of course, would be useful to know for the weather forecast or when someone talks with you about weather. But you aren't forced to know Schniesel. Because many people don't know this word.

Common Phrases

Wie ist (denn) das Wetter in Berlin?

What's the weather like in Berlin?

In Berlin scheint die Sonne.

The sun shines in Berlin.

Wie wird das Wetter?

What's the weather going to be like?

Können Sie mir sagen wie das Wetter heute wird?

Can you tell me how today's weather is going to be?

Wird es regnen, oder bleibt es schön?

Will it rain, or will it remain nice?

Es wird heute schlechtes Wetter erwartet. Nimm bitte deinen Regenschirm mit!

Bad weather is today expected. Please take your umbrella with you!

Wie viel Grad zeigt das Thermometer an?

How many degrees on the thermometer?

Das Thermometer zeigt 15 Grad (Celsius) an.

The thermometer says 15 degrees (Celsius).

Das Thermometer zeigt minus 15 Grad (Celsius)* an.

The thermometer says minus 15 degrees (Celsius).

You can also say Das Thermometer zeigt 15 Grad minus an.

Transportation

Vocabulary

das Auto                  car
der Bus                   bus
das Fahrrad               bike
das Motorrad              motor-cycle
das Mofa                  moped
der Lastwagen             truck, lorry
die Straße                road
die Landstraße            highway
die Autobahn              motorway
der Stadtbus              city bus
der Linienbus             urban bus
der Reisebus              coach
die Bushaltestelle        bus stop
der Zug                   train
die Stadtbahn             city railway
die Straßenbahn           tramway, streetcar
der Bahnhof               train station, railway station
das Flugzeug              airplane, aeroplane
der Helikopter            helicopter
der Flughafen             airport
das Boot                  boat
das Schiff                ship
die Fähre                 ferry
der Hafen                 harbor, harbour

Review 1.03

Review Section I.C: Lessons I.7 to I.9

Here is a review of what we have learnt;

Vocabulary

Here is the vocabulary we have learnt.

Clothes

We have learnt about the clothes we wear.

Babywear 	             Die Babyartikel  
Children's Wear 	     Die Kinderbekleidung 
Fashion                      Die Mode
Clearance Sale 	             Der Räumungsverkauf 
Closed 	                     Geschlossen,
Cosmetics                    Die Kosmetik
Clothing 	             Die Kleidung
die Schultasche              Backpack

Shops

We have learnt about shops.

Computer Section 	     Der Computershop 
Customer 	             Der Kunde
Customer Service 	     Der Kundendienst 
Good Value (Adj.)             Preiswert

Gifts and objects

We have learnt about gifts and objects sold in shops.

Electrical Appliance 	     Das Elektrogerät
Escalator 	             Die Rolltreppe   
Furniture 	             Das Möbel (no plural)
Gift 	                     Der Geschenkartikel 
Groceries 	             Die Lebensmittel (plural)
Jewellery 	             Damenschuhe (plural) 
Leather Goods 	             Die Lederwaren (plural) ,

Other

Open 	                     Geöffnet 
Opening Hours 	             Die Öffnungszeiten (plural) 
Present 	             Das Geschenk
Reduced 	             Reduziert
Sales Receipt 	             Der Kassenbon 
Souvenir 	             Das Andenken 
Special Offer 	             Das Sonderangebot 
Sports Goods 	             Sportartikel (plural)
Stationery 	             Schreibwaren (plural)
Summer Sale 	             Der Sommerschlussverkauf (abbr. SSV)  
Video Store 	             Die Videothek 
Winter Sale 	             Der Winterschlussverkauf (abbr. WSV) 

Department Store             Warenhaus
Retail Store                 Einzelhandelsgeschäft
The Mall                     Einkaufszentrum
Boutique                     Boutique
Store                        Geschäft
Manager                      Manager
Employee                     Angestellter
Sales Clerk                  Verkäufer               
Cashier                      Kassierer
Dressing Room                Umkleidekabine
Men's Section                Männerabteilung
Women's Section              Frauenabteilung
First Floor                  Erstes Stockwerk
Menswear                     Männerkleidung
Second Floor                 Zweiter Stock
Womenswear                   Frauenkleidung
Third Floor                  Dritte Stock
Kids Section                 Kinderabteilung
Fourth Floor                 Vierter Stock
Electronics                  Elektronik
Kitchenware                  Küchenbedarf
Fifth Floor                  Fünfter Stock
Lighting                     Beleuchtung           
Bedding                      Bettwäsche
Toys                         Spielwaren
Six Floor                    Sechster Stock
Food                         Lebensmittel

Electronics                  Elektronik           
Television                   Fernsehen
Digital Camera               Digitalkamera
Telephone                    Telefon
Cell phone                   Mobiltelefon, Handy
Computer                     Computer, Rechner
Speakers                     Lautsprecher
DVDs                         DVDs
CDs                          CDs
DVD Player                   DVD-Player
CD Player                    CD-Player
Bedding                      Bettwäsche
Blankets                     Decken
Pillow                       Kopfkissen
Pillow Case                  Kopfkissenbezug
Sheets                       Blätter
Bed Skirt                    Bett-Rock

Prices

Price                        Preis
Note                         Der Schein
Coin                         Die Münze
1 Euro Coin                  Das Eurostück
2 Euro Coin                  Das Zweieurostück
5 Euro Note                  Der Fünfeuroschein
10 Euro Note                 Der Zehneuroschein
100 Euro Note                Der Hunderteuroschein
1 Cent Coin                  Das Centstück
2 Cent Coin                  Das Zweicentstück
5 Cent Coin                  Das Fünfcentstück
10 Cent Coin                 Das Zehncentstück
20 Cent Coin                 Das Zwanzigcentstück
50 Cent Coin                 Das Fünfzigcentstück

Clothes

You should now know what different clothes are called.

Skirt                        Der Rock
Pullover                     Der Pullover
Scarf                        Das Tuch
Coat                         Der Mantel
Shirt                        Das Hemd
Sweater                      Der Pullover
Necktie                      Der Schlips
Jacket                       Die Jacke
Pants                        Die Hose
Hat                          Der Hut
Shoe                         Der Schuh
Sock                         Die Socke
Glove                        Der Handschuh
Blouse                       Die Bluse

Material

We have learnt about different materials. Cotton Die Baumwolle Leather Das Leder Rayon Die Kuntseide

Size

Size                         Die Größe
Small                        Klein
Medium                       Mittel
Large                        Groß
Extra-Large                  Extragroß

Is it cheap?!

We have learnt how to say if something is cheap or expensive.

Cheap                        Billig                               
Expensive                    Teuer

Describe

We have learnt how to say something is ugly or pretty and how it feels and looks.

Pretty                       Schön
Ugly                         Hässlich
Soft                         Weich
New                          Neu
Broad                        Breit 
Wide                         Weit 
Tight                        Eng
Comfortable                  Bequem

Colour

We have learnt about how to describe what colour things are.

Color                        Die Farbe
Red                          Rot     
Blue                         Blau
Green                        Grün  
Orange                       Orange
Violet                       Veilchen
Yellow                       Gelb
Brown                        Braun
Indigo                       Indigo
Gray                         Grau
Black                        Schwarz
White                        Weiß

Family

We have learnt what relatives are called.

Sohn                         Son
Tochter                      Daughter
Vater                        Father
Mutter                       Mother
Großvater                    Grandfather
Großmutter                   Grandmother
Opa                          Grandpa  
Oma                          Grandma
Schwester                    Sister
Bruder                       Brother
Geschwister                  Brothers & Sisters
Enkel                        Grandson
Enkelin                      Granddaughter  
Frau                         Wife
Mann                         Husband
Schwiegervater               Father-in-Law
Schwiegertochter             Daughter-in-Law
Schwager                     Brother-in-Law
Schwägerin                   Sister-in-Law
Schwiegermutter              Mother-in-Law
Schwiegersohn                Son-in-Law
Onkel                        Uncle
Tante                        Aunt
Geschenk                     Present

Verbs

Nimmt                        To Take Away
Lesen                        To Read
Schreiben                    To Write
Studieren                    To Study
Lernen                       To Study
Zeichnen                     To Paint
To Look                      Aussehen 
To Try On                    Anprobieren 
To Put On                    Anziehen
To Take                      Nehmen
To Buy.                      Kaufen
To Have On/Wear.             Anhaben/Tragen

Subjects

das Fach                     Subject
Deutsch                      German
Englisch                     English
Russisch                     Russian
Französisch                  French
Latein                       Latin
Mathematik                   Mathematics
Sport                        PE or Gym
Kunst or Zeichnen            Arts
Musik                        Music
Geschichte                   History
Biologie                     Biology
Geografie                    Geography
Religion                     RE or Religion
Chemie                       Chemistry
Physik                       Physics
Informatik                   Computer Science

Objects in a pencil case

der Radiergummi              Eraser/Rubber
der Bleistift                Pencil
der Kuli/Kugelschreiber      Pen

School

die Klasse                   Class
der Lehrer                   Teacher (male)
die Lehrerin                 Teacher (female)
die Schule                   School
der Schüler                  Student (High/Secondary School and Lower)
der Student                  Student (College/University)
die Stunde/Schulstunde       Lesson
die Pause                    Break

Section 1.04 ~ Berne, Switzerland

Lesson 1.10 - Zu Hause Essen

Lesson I.13: Zu Hause essen

Lesson 1.11 - Filme

Lesson I.14: Filme

Lesson 1.12 - Das Haus

Lesson I.15: Das Haus

The Home

Rooms in the Home

Room	das Zimmer
Living Room	das Wohnzimmer
Dining Room	das Esszimmer
Kitchen	die Küche
Pantry	die Speisekammer
Bedroom	das Schlafzimmer/das Bettzimmer
Bathroom	das Badezimmer/die Toilette
Hall	der Flur
Closet	der Schrank

Features in the Home

Floor	der Boden
Ceiling	die Decke
Door	die Tür
Front door	die Haustür
Window	das Fenster
Wall	die Wand
Roof	das Dach
Stairs	die Treppe
Central heating	die Zentralheizung

Furniture and fittings

Carpet	der Teppich
Table	der Tisch
Chair	der Stuhl
Armchair	der Sessel
Sofa	das Sofa
Cupboard	der Küchenschrank
Bed	das Bett
Radiator	der Heizkörper
Cooker/Stove	der Herd
Oven	der (Back)Ofen
Dishwasher	die Spülmaschine
Refrigerator	der Kühlschrank
Washer	die Waschmaschine
Dryer	der Trockner
Bathtub	die Badewanne
Television	der Fernseher

The Bathroom

English	Deutsche
Toothbrush	die Zahnbürste
Toothpaste	die Zahnpasta
Toilet bowl	die Toilettenschüssel
Bath tub	die Badewanne
Shower	die Dusche
Vanity	die Nichtigkeit
Mirror	der Spiegel
Hot water	das Heißes Wasser
Cold water	das Kaltes Wasser
Faucet	der Wasserhahn
Sink	die Wasserspüle
Soap	die Seife
Shampoo	das Shampoo
Razor	der Rasierer
Perfume	das Parfüm
Shaving gel	das Rasiergel
Scissors	die Schere

Review 1.04

Review Section I.D: Lessons I.10 - I.12

Vocabulary

das Spiel                   Game
das Videospiel              Video Game
der Spaß                    Fun
die Feier                   Party*
die Party                   Party
die Musik                   Music
die Torte                   Cake
das Fass                    Keg
das Bier                    Beer
der Schnaps                 Hard Liquor
der Wein                    Wine
der Weißwein                White Wine
der Rotwein                 Red Wine

Feiern                      To Party
Trinken                     Drinking
Saufen                      To Get Drunk
Erbrechen / sich Übergeben  To Throw Up
Kotzen                      To Puke (slang)
Tanzen                      To Dance
der Geburtstag              Birthday
Weihnachten                 Christmas
Ostern                      Easter
das Jubiläum                Anniversary
das Wasser                  Water

Work                        Arbeit
Doctor                      der Arzt
Buniness Man                der Geschäftsmann
Buniness Woman              die Geschäftsfrau
Teacher                     der Lehrer
Police Officer              der Polizeibeamte
Fireman                     der Feuerwehrmann
Actor  	             der Schauspieler  	 
Artist  	             der Künstler  	
Author  	             der Schriftsteller  	
Bank Clerk  	             Bankangestellter  	 
Car Mechanic  	             der Automechaniker  	 
Chemist  	             der Chemiker  	 
Civil Servant  	            Beamter  	  	 
Engineer  	            der Ingenieur  	
Farmer  	            der Landwirt  	 
Hairdresser  	            der Friseur  	 
Journalist  	            der Journalist  	 
Lawyer  	            der Rechtsanwalt  	 
Lecturer  	            der Dozent  	 
Nurse  	            der Krankenpfleger  	 
Pensioner  	            der Rentner  	 
Photographer  	            der Fotograf  	 
Politician  	            der Politiker  	 
Postman  	            der Briefträger  	 
Professor  	            der Professor  	 
Salesperson  	            der Verkäufer  	 
Secretary  	            der Sekretär  	 
Student  	            der Student  	 
Taxi Driver  	            der Taxifahrer  	  
Waiter  	            der Kellner
Germany                     Deutschland
Humburg                     Hamburg
Berlin                      Berlin
Frankfurt                   Frankfurt
Colonge                     Köln
Munich                      München
Weather                     das Wetter
Rain                        der Regen
Snow                        der Schnee
Snow Showers                Schneesch
Showers                     Schauer
Thunder                     Donner
Storm                       der Sturm
Thunderstorm                das Gewitter
Cloudy                      Bewölkt
Overcast                    Bedeckt
Hail                        der Hagel
Drizzle                     Nieseln
Thaw                        Tauen
Frost                       der Frost
Car                         das Auto
Train                       der Zug
Trainstation                der Bahnhof
Airplane                    das Flugzeug
Boat                        das Boot
Highway                     die Landstraße
Road                        die Straße

LEVEL TWO LESSONS

Section 2.01 ~ Salzburg, Austria

Lesson 2.01 - Einfache Gespräche unter Freunden

German/Level II/Einfache Gespräche unter Freunden

Lesson 2.02 - Fremde und Freunde

German/Level II/Fremde und Freunde

Lesson 2.03 - Die Zahlen

German/Level II/Die Zahlen

Lesson 2.04 - Eine Geschichte über Zürich

German/Level II/Eine Geschichte über Zürich

Review 2.01

German/Level II/Review 1

Section 2.02 ~ Zürich, Switzerland

Lesson 2.05 - Die Wohnung

German/Level II/Die Wohnung

Lesson 2.06 - Mathematik

German/Level II/Mathematik

Lesson 2.07 - Mein, Dein, und Sein

German/Level II/Mein, Dein, und Sein

Lesson 2.08 - Einkaufen gehen

German/Level II/Einkaufen gehen

Review 2.02

German/Level II/Review 2

Section 2.03 ~ Hannover, Germany

Lesson 2.09 - Verbtempus und Wortstellung

German/Level II/Verbtempus und Wortstellung

Lesson 2.10 - Undeveloped

German/Level II/Undeveloped

Lesson 2.11 - Undeveloped

German/Level II/Undeveloped

Lesson 2.12 - Undeveloped

German/Level II/Undeveloped

Review 2.03

German/Level II/Review 3

LEVEL THREE LESSONS

Section 3.01 ~ Bonn, Germany

Lesson 3.01 - Markus

German/Level III/Markus studiert

Lesson 3.02 - Gespräche unter Geschäftsmännern

German/Level III/Gespräche unter Geschäftsmännern

Lesson 3.03 - Mach dir keine Sorgen!

German/Level III/Mach dir keine Sorgen!

Section 3.02 ~ Innsbruck, Austria

Lesson 3.04 - Die Geschäftsleute

Lektion Vier für Fortgeschrittene

Gespräch 4-2 ~ Die Geschäftsleute

Herr Schmidt und Herr Standish, als sie sich am Hauptsitz endlich begegnen. Frau Baumann ist auch da.

Herr Schmidt: Guten Morgen, Herr Standish! Darf ich mich vorstellen: mein Name ist Schmidt, Johann Schmidt.
Herr Standish: Es freut mich sehr, Sie kennen zu lernen. Ich heiße Miles Standish.
Herr Schmidt: Ich glaube, dass Sie Frau Baumann schon kennen.
Herr Standish: Ja, gewiss. Wie geht es Ihnen, Frau Baumann?
Frau Baumann: Danke, es geht mir gut.
Herr Schmidt: Verstehe ich es richtig, dass Sie gestern ankamen und morgen ins Wiener Büro reisen müssen?
Herr Standish: Ja, am Montag fuhr ich mit dem Schnellzug durch den Ärmelkanaltunnel. Wenn ich meine Arbeit abgeschlossen habe, werde ich am Donnerstag nach Zürich und Wien reisen.
Herr Schmidt: Sehr gut. Bitte sprechen Sie vor Ende der Woche noch mit Frau Kaufmann.
Frau Baumann: Sie arbeitet in der Geschäftsbibliothek.
Herr Schmidt: Das ist richtig. Die Bibliothek.
Herr Standish: Ich werde es sofort tun.
Herr Schmidt: Alles klar.
Frau Baumann: Später werden wir eine Versammlung in der Buchhaltung abhalten.
Herr Standish: Sehr gut. Auf Wiedersehen Frau Baumann. Auf Wiedersehen Herr Schmidt.
Herr Schmidt: Auf Wiedersehen.

Vokabeln 4-3

der Ärmelkanaltunnel    Chunnel (England-France channel tunnel)
die Arbeit              work
die Bibliothek          library
die Buchhaltung         accounting office
das Büro                office
der Donnerstag          Thursday
die Geschäftsbibliothek company (business) library 
der Montag              Monday
der Name                name
der Schnellzug          express train
das Sehen               vision
die Versammlung         meeting
das Wien                Vienna (Austria)
das Wiedersehen         reunion  
die Woche               week
das Zürich              Zurich

alles klar              all right, everything clear
am Montag               on Monday
dann wenn               at such time when
Darf ich... ?           May I... ?
Es freut mich sehr      It gives me pleasure
Guten Morgen!           Good morning!                    (greeting)
Ja, gewiss               certainly, of course
vor Ende der Woche      before the end of the week
Wiener Büro             Vienna branch office

abhalten                hold
abschließen             complete
ankommen (kam an,
     angekommen)        arrive
fahren                  ride
geben                   give
kennen lernen           meet, make acquaintance
müssen                  must                             (aux.)
reisen                  travel
sehen                   see, look
tun                     do, accomplish
sich vorstellen         introduce
werden                  will
würde                   would

bitte                   please
da                      there
durch                   through, by means of
endlich                 finally
gestern                 yesterday
nach                    to, towards
natürlich               of course
mich                    myself (reflexive)
mit                     with
schnell                 fast, quick, rapid
sofort                  directly, forthwith
wieder                  again, once again

Pronunciation Guide >>

Grammatik 4-4 ~ Personal Pronouns: Accusative Case

Here are the personal pronouns in the accusative case:

	Singular		Plural
1st person	mich	me	uns	us
2nd person	dich (Sie*)	you	euch (Sie*)	you
3rd person	ihn, sie, es	him, her, it	sie (all genders)	them

*Polite form.

The accusative case is that of the object of a verb. Only transitive verbs take direct objects. The pronoun (and noun in two cases) object in each of these sentences is underlined in the German and the English:

Können Sie mich verstehen?       Can you understand me?
Ich kann Sie verstehen.          I can understand you. 
Ich kann sie verstehen           I can understand (her or them).
Ich kann ihn dir zurück kicken!  I can kick it back to you!

Note the order of the pronouns in this last sentence. If the direct object (here: ihn) is a personal pronoun, it precedes the dative (dir); if it were a noun, the dative would precede it, as in these sentences:

Hier, ich kicke dir den Ball zu.       Here, I kick the ball to you. 
Darf ich Ihnen meine Freundin vorstellen?   May I introduce my friend to you?

Other uses of the accusative case in German will be explored in future lessons. Tables of the personal pronouns in all cases are summarized in Pronoun Tables.

Grammatik 4-5 ~ Personal Pronouns in the Dative Case

Here are the personal pronouns in the dative case:

	Singular		Plural
1st person	mir	me	uns	us
2nd person	dir (Ihnen*)	you	euch (Ihnen*)	you
3rd person	ihm, ihr, ihm	him, her, it	ihnen (all genders)	them

*Polite form.

The dative case is that of the indirect object of a verb. The pronoun indirect object of these sentences is underlined in the German and the English:

Es geht mir gut              It goes (for) me well 
Wie geht es dir?             How goes it (for or with) you
Und können Sie mir sagen...?     And can you tell me...?
Karl gibt ihm den Ball       Karl gave him the ball.
Wie geht es Ihnen?           How goes it (with) you? (How are you?)

This last sentence is an example from Gespräch 1-2 using the polite form of 'you'. Whether singular or plural must be established by context. This next sentence translates with ihnen as 'them':

Wie geht es ihnen?           How goes it with them? (How are they?)

The meaning of ihnen (or Ihnen) would have to come from context in a conversation.

Another use of the dative case in German is after these prepositions: aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu. You will be introduced to the meanings of these prepositions over many future lessons rather than all at once, because some have many meanings in English. Indeed, because each language associates specific prepositions with many common sayings (and these often do not correspond in German and English), these "little" words can be troublesome for students. Nonetheless, you should memorize now the list of prepositions above to always remember their association with the dative case. Tables of the pronouns in all cases are summarized in Appendix 2.

Word order in a German sentence with an indirect object depends upon whether that direct object is a pronoun or a noun. If the direct object is a noun, the dative precedes the accusative; if the direct object is a personal pronoun, the accusative precedes the dative:

Ich gebe dem Jungen den Ball.	I give the boy the ball.
Ich gebe ihm den Ball.	I give him the ball.
Ich gebe ihn ihm.	I give it to him.
Ich gebe ihn dem Jungen.	I give it to the boy.

English sentence structure is similar.

Lesson 3.05 - Der Engländer in Österreich

Lektion Fünf

Rathaus von St. Pölten

Gespräch 5-2 ~ Der Engländer in Österreich

Republik Österreich

Wenn er auf den Kontinent fährt, wandert Herr Standish gern. Heute früh fährt er in die Stadt St. Pölten in Niederösterreich. Er spricht mit einer fremden Frau:

Herr Standish: Entschuldigen Sie bitte. Wo ist hier ein Hotel?
Die Frau: Gleich dort drüben. Das ist das Hotel "Zur Post".
Herr Standish: Gibt es ein Restaurant darin?
Die Frau: Ja gewiss! Ein Restaurant mit einfacher Küche, besonders zum Abendessen. Aber ich könnte Ihnen ein anderes Restaurant empfehlen. Es heißt 'Alt-Wien', und es gibt dort das beste Frühstück. Das Restaurant ist links neben dem Hotel, um die Ecke.
Herr Standish: Danke sehr. Und können Sie mir sagen, wo das Rathaus von St. Pölten ist?
Die Frau: Wie bitte?
Herr Standish: Wie komme ich zum Rathaus?
Die Frau: Rechts um die Ecke und dann immer geradeaus – ungefähr ein Kilometer.
Herr Standish: Danke sehr.
Die Frau: Bitte sehr. Wiedersehen.
Herr Standish: Auf Wiedersehen.

Vokabeln 5A

das Abendessen             supper (evening meal)
[das] Österreich           Austria
die Ecke                   corner
das Frühstück              breakfast
das Hotel                  hotel
der Kilometer              kilometer
die Küche                  cooking, cuisine
der Kontinent              continent (Europe)
[das] Niederösterreich     (federal state of) Lower Austria
das Rathaus                city hall
das Restaurant             restaurant
die Stadt                  city

Bitte sehr                 You're welcome
Entschuldigen Sie          Pardon me, excuse me
Es gibt dort...            There is there...
Gibt es...?                Is there..?
Guten Tag                  good day (parting)
immer geradeaus            straight on ahead
können Sie                 could you (polite form)
Wie bitte?                 Pardon me? (polite "come again?")

empfehlen                  recommend
fahren                     travel
kommen                     come, go, get
wandern                    wander
sagen                      say, tell
sprechen                   speak

anderer, andere, anderes   other
besonders                  especially
bitte                      please
das                        that
dann                       then
darin                      therein
ein                        a (indefinite article)
eins                       one (cardinal number)
fremd                      unknown
gern                       gladly 
gleich                     just, right (correct), right here, same         
heute früh                 this morning
hier                       here (in this place)
ich                        I (personal pronoun)
links                      left (direction)
neben                      next to
rechts                     right (direction)
ungefähr                   approximately           
von                        of (Rathaus von St. Pölten = St. Polten City Hall)
wie                        how (interrogative)
wo                         where (interrogative)
zu                         to (zum = contraction of zu dem)

Andere Wörter 4A

der Bahnhof                train station
der Flughafen              airport
die Polizeiwache           police station
die Post                   post office

genau                      exact(ly)
heute                      today

Lesestück 5-1 ~ Eine Geschichte über St. Pölten

Karte: St. Pölten in Österreich

Niederösterreich ist sowohl flächenmäßig als auch nach Einwohnern das größte der neun österreichischen Bundesländer. Sankt Pölten ist die Landeshauptstadt von Niederösterreich. Der Name St. Pölten geht auf den heiligen Hippolytos zurück, nach dem die Stadt benannt wurde.

Die Altstadt befindet sich dort, wo vom 2. bis zum 4. Jahrhundert die Römerstadt Aelium Cetium stand. 799 wurde der Ort als "Treisma" erwähnt. Das Marktrecht erhielt St. Pölten um 1050, zur Stadt erhoben wurde es 1159. Bis 1494 stand St. Pölten im Besitz des Bistums Passau, dann wurde es landesfürstliches Eigentum. Bereits 771 findet sich ein Benediktinerkloster, ab 1081 gab es Augustiner-Chorherren, 1784 wurde deren Kollegiatsstift aufgehoben, das Gebäude dient seit 1785 als Bischofssitz. Zur Landeshauptstadt von Niederösterreich wurde St. Pölten mit Landtagsbeschluss vom 10. Juli 1986, seit 1997 ist es Sitz der Niederösterreichischen Landesregierung.

Luftbild von St. Pölten

Vokabeln 5B

Die Altstadt                   old town
Der Augustiner                 Augustinian
Der Besitz                     possession, holding
Das Bistum                     diocese
Der Bischofssitz               bishop's see (a seat of a bishop's authority)
Die Bundesländer               federal states
Die Chorherren                 men's choir 
Das Eigentum                   proprietorship
Die Einwohner                  inhabitants
Das Gebäude                    premises
Die Geschichte                 history
Das Jahrhundert                century
Das Kloster                    monastery, friary
Das Kollegiatsstift            monastery college
Die Landeshauptstadt           regional or state capital city
Die Landesregierung            provincial (state) government
Der Landtagsbeschluss          day of jurisdictional reorganization
Das Marktrecht                 right to hold markets
Der Name                       name
Der Ort                        place, spot, city
Die Römerstadt                 Roman town
Der Sitz                       official place

Bistum Passau                  a dioecian region in Bavaria
sowohl... als auch             both... and
zurück auf                     goes back to

aufheben (hob auf, aufgehoben) merged in (or turned into?)
befinden sich                  situated, located
(befand sich, haben sich befunden)
finden sich*                   found (located)
benennen (benannte, benannt)   call (as to label)
erhalten (erhielt, erhalten)   receive
erheben (erhob, erhoben)       arise, raise
erwähnen (erwähnte, erwähnt)   mention
stehen (stand, gestanden)      stand (stood, stood)
werden (wurde, [ist]geworden)  become

ab                             from
auf                            up
bereits                        already
bis                            until, by, up to
flächenmäßig                   (no direct translation) ~ when measured in surface
heilig                         holy
landesfürstlich                baronial or princely (holdings)
nach                           in terms of 
um                             around

(* one short form of anfinden: findet sich (an); in colloquial language you can cut the "an"; but in THIS special case it is the short form of "(be)findet sich (dort)")

Pronunciation Guide >>

Read more about St. Pölten at the German Wikipedia (source of article above).

Lesson 3.06 - Undeveloped

German/Level III/Undeveloped

Section 3.03 ~ Bavaria, Germany

Lesson 3.07 - Undeveloped

German/Level III/Undeveloped

Lesson 3.08 - Undeveloped

German/Level III/Undeveloped

Lesson 3.09 - Undeveloped

German/Level III/Undeveloped

LEVEL FOUR LESSONS

Section 01 ~ Kiel, Germany

Section 02 ~ Schaan, Liechtenstein

Section 03 ~ Schaffhausen, Switzerland

LEVEL FIVE LESSONS

GRAMMAR

Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives

Adjectives are words that describe nouns. Most adjectives are stand-alone words; however, present and past participles can also be used as adjectives. Numbers are also adjectives, though they do not decline.

Adjectives can have three functions in a sentence:

Attributive
Predicative
Adverbial

An adjective is only declined when it is attributive. The predicative and adverbial functions are not declined. You can determine what function an adjective plays in a sentence by looking at what the adjective modifies.

Attributive Adjectives

An attributive adjective precedes the noun it describes; it directly modifies the noun.

Example of an attributive adjective:
Der große Mann ist lustig.
The tall man is funny.

Attributive adjectives are always declined.

Predicative Adjectives

A predicative adjective follows a copulative verb (for example, sein, bleiben, werden) in a sentence. A copulative verb links the subject of a sentence with an adjective or a noun.

Example of a predicative adjective:
Der große Mann ist lustig.
The tall man is funny.

In the example above, the copulative verb is sein (to be). This verb links the subject (Der große Mann) with the adjective (lustig).

Another example of a predicative adjective using the adjective groß:
Der Mann ist groß.
The man is tall.

Predicative adjectives are not declined.

Adverbial Adjectives

An adverbial adjective is an adjective that performs the function of an adverb in a sentence. That is, the adverbial adjective modifies a verb or an adjective. In German, any adjective can be used as an adverb.

Example of an adverbial adjective:
Der große Mann läuft gut.
The tall man runs well.

In the example above, the adjective modifies the verb laufen (läuft is the third person singular conjugation of the verb) and accordingly, it acts like an adverb.

Adverbial adjectives, like adverbs, are not declined.

Declension of Attributive Adjectives

Learning the adjective endings for attributive adjectives is an important aspect of the study of German. Declension of adjectives is frequently cited as one of the hardest topics for new students to learn. It is best to commit the declension tables to memory, while attempting to speak independently. Proper use of adjective endings, especially in speaking, will come with repeated use.

This section makes use of the Oklahoma mnemonic, which denotes the fields of nominative masculine; nominative neuter; accusative neuter; nominative feminine; and accusative feminine, which resemble the state of Oklahoma in the tables used below.

Forms of Declension

There are three forms of declension that you must learn for attributive adjectives. The manner in which adjectives are declined depends on what precedes them:

Strong declension (no article preceding the adjective).
Weak declension (a definite article or der-word precedes the adjective).
Mixed declension (an indefinite article or ein-word precedes the adjective).

The guiding principle for adjective endings is that a noun, whenever possible, should have a primary case ending. Definite articles and der-words always provide a primary case ending. Indefinite articles and ein-words provide primary case endings outside of Oklahoma. Sometimes nouns have no article, in which case adjectives provide the primary case ending.

Strong Declension

Strong declension describes the declension of adjectives that are not preceded by either a definite or indefinite article (e.g. der, die, das, ein, or eine). The table below sets out the endings for adjectives in this situation.

**Strong Adjective Declension**
Case	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	-er	-es	-e	-e
Accusative	-en	-es	-e	-e
Dative	-em	-em	-er	-en
Genitive	-en	-en	-er	-er

The strong adjective endings are nearly the same as the der-word endings, with the exception of masculine and neuter adjectives in the genitive case (both marked in bold).

Weak Declension

Weak declension describes the declension of adjectives that are preceded by a definite article or der-word, e.g. der, die, das, jeder, alle, etc.

If an attributive adjective has weak declension, you simply add an -e or an -en to the end of the adjective depending on the case of the noun that the adjective modifies. The table below sets out the endings for adjectives in this situation.

**Weak Adjective Declension**
Case	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	-e	-e	-e	-en
Accusative	-en	-e	-e	-en
Dative	-en	-en	-en	-en
Genitive	-en	-en	-en	-en

Make note of the Oklahoma shaped region in the table below for the nominative and accusative cases.

Mixed Declension

Mixed declension describes the declension of adjectives that are preceded by an indefinite article or ein-word, e.g. ein, eine, mein, meine, kein, keine, etc). The table below sets out the endings for adjectives in this situation.

Mixed Adjective Declension
Case	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	-er	-es	-e	-en
Accusative	-en	-es	-e	-en
Dative	-en	-en	-en	-en
Genitive	-en	-en	-en	-en

Forms in Context of Articles

This terminology - strong and weak endings - is confusing for many students. As the student develops, they will develop an ear for case endings and will recognize when a noun has and has not received a case ending. Nonetheless, it is worth providing the three declension tables that result from this principle.

**Adjective Declension following a Definite Article or der-word**
Case	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
	the large man	the small book	the quiet cat	the red apples
Nominative	der große Mann	das kleine Buch	die ruhige Katze	die roten Äpfel
Accusative	den großen Mann	das kleine Buch	die ruhige Katze	die roten Äpfel
Dative	dem großen Mann	dem kleinen Buch	der ruhigen Katze	den roten Äpfeln
Genitive	des großen Mannes	des kleinen Buches	der ruhigen Katze	der roten Äpfel

Adjectives following a definite article or der-word always have a weak ending. Within Oklahoma, that is "-e", and outside of Oklahoma, that is "-en". Also dies.., jed.., manch.., welch.., solch.. and all.. get the same ending as in the table above.

**Adjective Declension following an Indefinite Article or ein-word**
Case	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
	a large man	a small book	a quiet cat	no red apples
Nominative	ein großer Mann	ein kleines Buch	eine ruhige Katze	keine roten Äpfel
Accusative	einen großen Mann	ein kleines Buch	eine ruhige Katze	keine roten Äpfel
Dative	einem großen Mann	einem kleinen Buch	einer ruhigen Katze	keinen roten Äpfeln
Genitive	eines großen Mannes	eines kleinen Buches	einer ruhigen Katze	keiner roten Äpfel

Note how, within Oklahoma, adjectives take strong endings, and outside Oklahoma, they take weak endings. This is because indefinite articles provide primary endings only outside of Oklahoma. Also mein.., dein.., sein.., ihr.., unser.., euer.. and Ihr.. get the same ending as in the table above.

**Adjective Declension with no preceding article**
Case	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	großer Mann	kleines Buch	ruhige Katze	rote Äpfel
Accusative	großen Mann	kleines Buch	ruhige Katze	rote Äpfel
Dative	großem Mann	kleinem Buch	ruhiger Katze	roten Äpfeln
Genitive	großen Mannes	kleinen Buches	ruhiger Katze	roter Äpfel

Forms of nouns without articles are rare compared to those with definite and indefinite articles; however, one must still know the strong declension. Note that the strong adjective declension is almost the same as the der-word endings, with the exceptions of masculine and neuter in the genitive case (in bold).

Adverbs

Adverbs based on adjectives are one of the simplest parts of German grammar. Any adjective can be used as an adverb simply by placing its uninflected form within the sentence, usually towards the end.

Das Ehepaar ging gestern fröhlich spazieren.
(The married couple went for a walk joyfully yesterday.)

Other adverbs have no adjectival equivalent. Many of these express time.

Damals (at that time)
Ich bin gestern dort gewesen.  (I was there yesterday.)
Morgens bin ich normalerweise im Büro.  (I am normally in the office in the morning.)

Adverbs can also be based on participles (past and present). These are less common.

Er betrachtete mich bedrohlich.  (He looked at me threateningly.)

Some adverbs are formed by adding -weise to adjectives and nouns in the plural form, and mean "regarding", "with respect to", or "-wise" in English. Construction of new adverbs of this sort is usually frowned upon.

Adverbs based on prepositions

Much of the material in this section will be explained in greater detail in the chapter on prepositions.

German has a complex system of adverbs based on prepositions, which are used to indicate direction of motion, location, time, and other concepts. English also possesses such a system, though it is used less. Consider the following sentences in English:

1) Could you take the garbage out?
2) Come over this evening if you get the chance.
3) You should just give up.
4) I will look you up in the phone book.
5) The contract, and the conditions contained therein, is hereby declared null and 
   void. (Legalese)

In both English and German, prepositions and particles derived from prepositions are treated as adverbs. In many cases, these prepositional adverbs are associated with specific verbs.

In the first two examples, the italicized prepositions are used as adverbs of motion; in the first example, the word "out" indicates the direction "out of the apartment"; in the second case, "over" not only means means the direction "towards", but also implies visitation of a residence.

The third and fourth examples correspond to separable-prefix verbs in German. The word "up" is integral to the verb, which would have a different meaning without the adverb. "To give up", whose infinitive in German would be "to up-give", means "to quit", in sharp contrast to "to give". In the fourth example, it is not even possible to "look someone", whereas it is possible to "look someone up," or "look a candidate's resume over". (English even has inseparable prepositional prefix verbs; compare "to look s.o. over" to "to overlook s.o." Many of these verbs have been replaced by verbs based on Latin and Greek.)

The adverbs in the fifth example correspond to da-, wo-, hin- and her- compounds in German. Such compounds are often used in legal texts in English. In such compounds, the object of the preposition is replaced with the words "there" or "here", compounded with the preposition. "Therein" simply means "in it".

The German system of adverbs based on prepositions is considerably more rigorous, and forms the basis of a large part of the language's morphology. "To catch on" means "to begin" in English; In German, the primary word for "to begin" is literally "to catch on" (anfangen), from which the equivalent noun, der Anfang (the beginning) is derived. A remnant of this in English can be found when describing a child's upbringing.

As in English, prepositional adverbs in German to varying degrees alter the meaning of their associated verb.

Separable-prefix verbs. This topic is better explored in the chapter on verbs. Separable prefixes are themselves adverbs. As in English, many of them are integral to the meaning of the verb. Fangen means "to catch," whereas anfangen means "to begin".

Most prepositional adverbs are treated as part of the root word in the infinitive, and are used as such in the construction of participles. However, not all possible separable-prefix verbs are lexical; "vorbeikommen" (to come over), "vorbeibringen" (to bring over), and so on, may not all be listed in a dictionary. It is better to learn "vorbei" as an adverb implying visitation.

The German prefix in is of note. It has two adverbial forms. As in it describes location; when describing movement, it becomes ein. Thus, for example, darin means "in there", whereas darein means "in(to) there". Another example is the word, einleiten, to introduce.

Hin- and her-. Prepositional adverbs of motion are usually based on hin-, implying motion or direction away from the speaker, and her-, implying motion or direction towards the speaker. Hin and her are themselves stand-alone adverbs meaning the same thing, and describe less-specific motion or direction. (One example in which hin is an integral separable prefix is the verb hinrichten, which means "to execute.) Not all verbs formed from hin- and her- compounds are lexical. Some examples of hin- and her- compounds are:

herab (down, down from)
hinein (in, inside)
hinaus (out, out of, onto)
darüber hinaus (furthermore, above all)
dahin (in the direction/towards of known location)

Mastery of hin- and her- requires considerable effort from the student.

Da- compounds are also adverbs, corresponding to "there-" compounds in English. They replace specific prepositional objects. Although are used principally in legal texts and therefore sound formal in English, they are often employed in written and spoken German and are convenient replacements for long and complicated prepositional phrases. Their comprehension and active use are essential in German. Da- compounds are formed by adding da- before the preposition, with an "r" inserted before prepositions starting with a vowel. There are exceptions to this, and da- compounds are given a fuller treatment in the chapter on prepositions.

Hier- and dort- compounds also exist in German, though they are used less frequently. As in English, they are considered formal, and are used primarily in academic and legal texts. They are best memorized as vocabulary.

hierhin und dorthin - hither and thither

Articles

German/Grammar/Articles

Nouns

What Is a Noun?

A noun is a word that can be used to refer to a person, place, thing, quality, or idea, that is, a part of speech. It can serve as the subject or object of a verb. For example, a table (ein Tisch, eine Tafel) or a computer (ein Computer). What makes nouns in German special is that they must start with a capital letter in the written language.

Plurals

German, unlike English, has more than one way to make nouns plural, and plural form, like gender, must be memorized with every noun.

There are twelve different ways to form plurals in German. They are formed by affixes at the end of the word, and the umlaut of the vowel of the stem. They are - (changing nothing); -¨; -e; -¨e; -n; -¨n; -en; -¨en; -er; -¨er; -nen (to feminine suffix -in); -s (mainly with English loan-words); adding "foreign" endings (mainly Latin words); and changing suffixes (mainly Latin words).

When German nouns are used in the plural, their gender becomes irrelevant. The plural can almost be thought of as a gender on its own. In the plural, the definite article is always "die" when using the nominative and accusative cases.

When using the dative case, "den" is the definite article of all plurals. All plurals not ending in -n or -s affix an -n.

The definite article of the plural in the genitive case is "der".

Examples

Nominative: Die alten Männer spielen Schach. The old men are playing chess.

Accusative: Ich sah die alten Männer beim Schachspielen. I saw the old men as they played chess.

Dative: Ich spielte mit den alten Männern Schach. I played chess with the old men.

Genitive: Das Schachspiel der alten Männer war nicht sehr spannend. The old men's chess game was not very exciting.

Suffixes

Although gender and plural form are often arbitrary, there exist certain suffixes whose gender and plural form are regular. They are mainly feminine.

-ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ion, and -tät

These are all feminine endings, which are pluralized by -en.

Diskussion(en)

Discussion(s)

Universtät(en)

University(ies)

-unft

This ending is feminine and is pluralized by changing the stem vowel and adding -e

Unterkunft

Lodging

Unterkünfte

Lodgings

-ik

This ending often doesn't have a plural. When it does however, you add '-en

Technik(en)

Technique(s)

Other

When verb infinitives transform into nouns, they do not have a plural form.

das Sprechen

Language

Many masculine nouns are formed by verbal stems without a suffix. Many of these receive an umlaut in their plural form.

Gender

German, like many other languages, gives each noun a gender: Masculine, Feminine, and Neuter. Plural nouns also act differently not only with the verb of the sentence, but the article preceding it.

The way any particular word is classified may not be logical.

Examples:

das Mädchen       the girl (neuter)
die Person        the person (feminine - even when talking about a man)

However, not all German Nouns are randomly allocated a gender. The following notes will apply to most nouns but not all.

A note on Mädchen:

This is derived from the diminutive form of Maid (old, rarely used) - Maidchen. Grammatically it is neuter, but when referenced, nowadays the logical feminine gender can take over: "Das Mädchen und ihr Hund", instead of "Das Mädchen und sein Hund".

Compound nouns have the same gender as the last noun.

Example: die Armbanduhr (wristwatch) (der Arm, das Band, die Uhr)

Masculine

There are far more masculine nouns than of either of the other genders. The masculine nominative definite article is der.

Semantic Groups Which Are Masculine

days              z.B. der Montag
times of the day  z.B. der Morgen
months            z.B. der August
seasons           z.B. der Sommer
compass points: Norden, Osten, Süden, Westen, Nordwesten, ...
(male) animals      z.B. der Löwe, der Hahn, der Ochse
alcohol**         z.B. der Wein, der Likör, der Alkohol, der Champagner
car***            z.B. der Wagen, der Opel, der Mercedes, der BMW

** However, it is das Bier, die Spirituose (because of the ending "-ose"), das Pils (because it is a beer), das Methanol (because it is a scientific term of a substance)
*** Excepting "das Auto".

Nouns meaning a male person are usually masculine. Typical endings for such nouns are -er, -iker, -or, -ar, -är, -ent, -ant, -ist, -loge, -graph, -graf, -eur, -arch.

Examples (masculine): Mann, Sohn, Bub, Junge, Bruder, Vater, Enkel, Onkel, König, Lehrer, Mathematiker, Student, Arzt, Professor, Ingenieur, Demonstrant, Kommissar, Tourist, Meteorologe, Fotograf, Biograph, Monarch, Millionär
Exceptions: die Person, das Kind, das Baby, das Opfer, die Geisel (These words can mean a male or a female person but the gender stays the same.)

Words with Certain Endings

Nouns ending with -ismus are always masculine: der Kommunismus, der Anglizismus, der Terrorismus
Nouns ending with -smus or -thmus are usually masculine: der Algorithmus, der Logarithmus, der Rhythmus, der Enthusiasmus, der Sarkasmus, der Orgasmus

Nouns ending with -ling that are not English words are usually masculine (if they mean a person, they can mean a male or a female person): der Flüchtling (refugee), der Lehrling (apprentice), der Liebling (darling), der Schmetterling (butterfly), der Setzling, der Zwilling

Nouns ending with -or are often masculine: der Motor, der Rotor, der Faktor, der Vektor, der Prozessor, Äquator, Monitor
Exceptions: das Labor (because it is short for das Laboratorium)

Nouns ending in -en are usually masculine (but not infinitives used as nouns. They are neuter: das Rauchen, das Lachen).

Examples (masculine): Kuchen (cake), Frieden (peace), Glauben (faith), Balken, Bogen (bow), Socken (sock), Brocken, Stecken, Samen, Daumen (thumb), Boden, Busen, Degen, Reigen, Faden, Hafen, Haken, Laden, Orden, Rasen, Braten, Spaten, Ballen, Barren, Batzen, Drachen, Felsen (rock), Fetzen, Funken, Garten (garden), Galgen, Gaumen, Graben, Haufen, Hopfen, Klumpen, Kasten, Karren, Besen, Schuppen, Karpfen, Krapfen, Knoten, Kolben, Korken, Kragen, Lappen, Brunnen, Rahmen, Schaden, Ofen, Magen, Zapfen, Schinken, Knochen, Pfropfen, Topfen, Regen (rain), Reifen, Streifen, Tropfen, Hoden, Loden, Fladen, Roggen, Weizen, Segen, Husten, Schnupfen, Nacken, Packen, Rücken, Zacken, Zinken, Rachen, Rechen, Rochen, Wagen

Exceptions (neuter): Leben, Wissen, Essen, Küken, Laken, Leinen, Nomen, Becken, Examen, Fohlen, Wappen, Kissen, Eisen, Beben, Volumen, Treffen, Schreiben, Wesen, Zeichen

The following groups of nouns are relatively often masculine if they do not begin with the unstressed syllable Ge-:
Nouns ending in -el (but not stressed on the last syllable): der Vogel
Nouns ending in -er (but not -ier): der Hamster

Examples (-el, masculine): Vogel (bird), Apfel (apple), Himmel (sky, heaven), Nebel (fog), Hagel (hail), Nagel (nail), Nabel (navel), Schnabel (beak), Hebel (lever), Kübel (bucket), Löffel (spoon), Hügel (hill), Gipfel (peak), Wipfel (treetop), Schlüssel (key), Deckel (lid), Henkel (handle), Beutel (bag), Schenkel, Tempel, Zirkel, Würfel, Handel (trade), Flügel (wing), Gürtel (belt), Mantel (coat), Kegel, Ziegel, Knödel, Esel (donkey), Igel, Dackel, Pudel, Pinsel (paint brush), Titel (title), Ärmel, Muskel, Knöchel, Knorpel, Tunnel (tunnel), Artikel (article), Pegel, Pickel, Winkel (angle), Stapel, Zettel, Sessel (chair), Jubel, Trubel, Mörtel, Meißel, Kessel (kettle), Kittel, Sockel, Tümpel, Mangel, Büffel, Rüssel, Säbel, Bügel, Dübel, Egel, Engel (angel), Erpel, Pöbel

Exceptions (-el, feminine): Schachtel (box), Schüssel (bowl), Amsel, Drossel, Wachtel, Kordel, Kurbel, Achsel, Dattel, Ampel, Insel (island), Muschel, Regel (rule), Wurzel (root), Bibel, Fabel, Gabel (fork), Nadel (needle), Nudel, Kugel, Fackel, Gondel, Kapsel, Tafel, Rodel, Orgel, Formel (formula), Geisel, Distel, Eichel, Angel

Exceptions (-el, neuter): Segel (sail), Kabel (cable), Pendel (pendulum), Kapitel (chapter), Rätsel, Wiesel, Ziesel, Orakel, Ferkel, Übel, Paddel, Debakel, Rudel, Nickel

Examples (-er, masculine): Acker, Ärger, Anker, Eifer, Eimer, Eiter, Hafer, Käfer, Biber, Tiger, Kater, Kader, Köder, Laser, Polster, Bagger, Becher, Bohrer, Hammer, Hamster, Bunker, Donner, Dotter, Dünger, Fächer, Falter, Fehler, Filter, Finger, Fühler, Höcker, Hocker, Hummer, Hunger, Ingwer, Jammer, Keller, Kerker, Kleber, Körper, Koffer, Krater, Kühler, Kummer, Luster, Ordner, Panzer, Puffer, Sender, Sommer, Teller, Walzer, Wecker, Winter, Zauber, Zeiger, Zucker

Exceptions (-er, feminine): Ader, Butter, Dauer, Faser, Leiter, Feder, Feier, Leber, Mauer, Oper, Elster, Folter, Kammer, Nummer, Steuer, Trauer, Wimper, Ziffer

Exceptions (-er, neuter): Alter, Messer, Fenster, Feuer, Futter, Wasser, Wetter, Lager, Leder, Opfer, Puder, Pulver, Ruder, Ufer, Banner, Fieber, Gatter, Gitter, Kupfer, Muster, Poster, Silber, Wunder, Zimmer

Nouns that end with -pf but do not begin with Ge- are often masculine.

Examples (masculine): Kopf, Zopf, Napf, Sumpf, Strumpf, Dampf, Kampf, Rumpf, Tropf, Knopf, Kropf, Krampf, Stumpf, Trumpf, Propf, Schopf, Topf, Unterschlupf, Gugelhupf

Nouns ending in -aum are often masculine.

Examples:
Baum, Traum, Schaum, Raum, Saum, Flaum

Nouns ending in -ang are often masculine.

Examples:
Drang, Fang, Gang, Hang, Klang, Rang, Anfang, Empfang, Gesang, Tang

Nouns ending in -und are often masculine.

Examples:
Bund, Grund, Schund, Hund, Fund, Schwund, Schlund, Mund

Exceptions:
neuter: Pfund

Nouns ending in -all are often masculine.

Examples:
Ball, Fall, Krawall, Drall, Hall, Wall, Aufprall, Kristall, Knall, Schall, Zufall, Abfall, Vorfall, Schwall

Exceptions:
neuter: All, Metall, Intervall
feminine: Nachtigall

Feminine

The feminine Gender article is die. It is used in the nominative and accusative singular case. It is also used to indicate nominative and accusative plural for nouns of any gender.

e.g. die Katze — Feminine

                 —or—
       die Katzen — feminine plural
       die Männer - masculine plural
       die Mädchen - neuter plural

Semantic Groups Which Are Feminine

Female persons and (female) animals are usually feminine (very few exceptions).

Examples:

die Frau (woman)
die Schwester (sister)
die Mutter (mother)

To change a designation to explicitly feminine, one often uses the ending -in.

der Lehrer - die Lehrerin (teacher)
der Kaiser - die Kaiserin (emperor and empress)
der König - die Königin (king and queen)
der Arzt - die Ärztin (doctor)
der Löwe - die Löwin (lion and lioness)

Exceptions

das Mädchen (girl)
das Kind (child)
das Fräulein (old fashioned for Miss)

A lot of trees and other plants are also feminine.

Examples:

die Buche (beech)
die Eiche (oak)
die Rose (rose)
die Tulpe (tulip)
die Nelke (carnation)

Exceptions:

das Veilchen (violet), der Farn (fern) ...

Words With Certain Endings

Words with these endings are feminine:
-heit: die Gesundheit (health), die Wahrheit (truth)
-keit: die Möglichkeit (possibility)
-schaft: die Wirtschaft, die Freundschaft
-ei: die Türkei, die Mongolei, die Bäckerei*

Exceptions

* das Ei (egg) has nothing to do with the ending -ei. 

   Das Ei is neuter, including all words derived from:
   z.B. das Spiegelei, das Rührei, das Vogelei (different types of eggs)
* der Papagei (parrot)

Words with the suffix -ung are feminine (they are usually derived from verbs). But: der Sprung, der Schwung, der Dung.

Examples (feminine): die Beobachtung (observation; v: beobachten), die Verfolgung (persecution; v: verfolgen), Wohnung, Zeitung, Bildung, Währung, Werbung, Landung, Warnung, Erfahrung, Forschung, Übung, Beziehung, Richtung, Bewegung, Vorlesung, Bedeutung, Erziehung, Erklärung, Ordnung, Spannung, Bedingung, Siedlung, Öffnung, Handlung, Zeichnung, Lösung, Verbindung, Stimmung, Endung, Erzählung, Wirkung, Regierung, Einführung, Sammlung, Beratung, Neigung, Prüfung, Veränderung, Abteilung, Sendung, Rettung, Erfindung, Verletzung, Leistung

Words derived from verbs (mostly irregular verbs) and ending in -t are feminine:
 die Handschrift (hand writing (n), derived from schreiben),
 die Fahrt (journey, trip or ride, derived from fahren)

Many German nouns end with an -e that is pronounced [ə]. They are usually feminine if they do not mean a male person and do not begin with the unstressed syllable Ge-.

Examples: die Lampe (lamp), die Karte (card, map), Liebe, Freude, Erde, Tasse, Masse, Klasse, Rasse, Rolle, Brücke, Lücke, Krücke, Ecke, Zecke, Decke, Strecke, Matte, Ratte, Krabbe, Ebbe, Sonne, Tonne, Wonne, Nonne, Farbe, Narbe, Nase, Zunge, Lunge, Wange, Zange, Spange, Lippe, Frage, Sprache, Suche, Seite, Kante, Bitte, Socke, Hose, Jacke, Kreide, Waffe, Sekunde, Minute, Stunde, Straße, Gasse, Suppe, Speise, Reise, Oase, Diagnose, Analyse, Krise, Seele, Flagge, Fahne, Falle, Bremse, Beute, Adresse, Presse, Messe, Toilette, Pause, Tomate, Banane, Melone, Kirsche, Pflaume, Ameise, Motte, Fliege, Biene, Wespe, Schlange, Schnecke, Giraffe, Spinne, Blume, Pflanze, Vase, Tanne, Kanne, Pfanne, Lüge, Sorge, Kappe, Liste, Summe, Zelle, Trompete, Flöte, Gitarre, Violine, Ehe, Schokolade, Wiese, Sache, Schule, Oboe, Treue, Kleie

Exceptions:
der Name, der Wille, der Käse (cheese), der Friede, der Glaube, der Buchstabe (letter (symbol)), das Ende (end), das Interesse (interest), das Auge (eye), das Erbe (heritage), der Löwe (lion), der Hase (hare), der Affe (monkey), der Rabe, der Falke, der Drache, das Karate, der Rüde, das Genre, das Prozedere, der Ochse, der Welpe, das Finale

Foreign words:

Words with the endings given below are stressed on the last syllable. They are feminine.
-anz: die Eleganz, die Toleranz
-enz: die Intelligenz (intelligence), die Konsequenz (consequence)
-logie: die Biologie, die Meteorologie
-grafie/graphie: die Biografie, die Orthografie
-tät: die Universität, Majestät, Lokalität, Pietät, Integrität, Qualität, Aktivität, Priorität, Nationalität, Kapazität
-tion, -sion, -gion, -xion, -lion, -nion: die Nation, die Mission, die Religion, die Reflexion, die Million, die Union
-thek: die Bibliothek, die Diskothek

Words with the endings given below are usually feminine.
-ie (but not English words, e.g.  das Selfie): die Philosophie (philosophy), die Melodie (melody), die Familie, die Studie, die Demokratie
-ik: die Musik (music), die Politik (politics), die Physik, die Klassik, die Gotik, die Romantik, Kritik
-ur (but not -eur): die Kultur (culture), die Natur, die Temperatur, die Literatur, die Frisur, die Tastatur, die Armatur, die Glasur

Exceptions: das Genie, das Mosaik, das Abitur, der Merkur, der Purpur

Words ending with -age are often feminine.
Examples:

Garage, Montage, Etage, Spionage, Persiflage, Blamage

Neuter

The neutral Gender article is das for the nominative and accusative case.

Semantic Groups Which Are Neuter

The letters of the alphabet are neuter: das A, das z, das scharfe S

Names of colors are neuter: das Blau, das Rot, das Gelb, das Hellgrün, das Dunkelbraun

Languages are usually neuter.
Examples: Deutsch, Englisch, Esperanto, Latein

Countries with the ending -ien, -land, -reich or -stan are always neuter.

Examples: Italien, Spanien, Deutschland, England, Österreich, Frankreich, Vereinigtes Königreich, Afghanistan, Pakistan

Other countries are often neuter.

Examples (neuter): China, Japan, Mexiko, Kanada, Peru, Chile, Nigeria, Bangladesch, Ägypten, Vietnam, Südafrika, Polen
Exceptions:
masculine: Irak, Iran, Jemen, Senegal, Sudan, Niger
feminine: Schweiz, Slowakei, Türkei, Mongolei, Ukraine

The definite article of neuter countries is only used when there is an adjective, e.g. you have to say "ich bin in Österreich", not "ich bin im Österreich", but you say "ich bin im schönen Österreich". The definite article of masculine and feminine countries is always used, e.g. "ich bin in der Schweiz", "ich bin in der schönen Schweiz", "ich bin im Senegal".

Afrika, Amerika, Asien, Europa and Ozeanien are neuter. Arktis and Antarktis are feminine.

Words With Certain Endings

Words with the diminutive endings -lein and -chen are always neuter:
  das Mädchen (girl), das Häuschen (little house), das Büchlein (little book)

Words with the ending -tum are often neuter.

Examples: Judentum, Heldentum, Rittertum, Rowdytum, Schrifttum, Sklaventum, Spießertum, Volkstum, Wachstum, Altertum, Brauchtum, Bürgertum, Christentum, Eigentum, Fürstentum, Heiligtum
Exceptions: der Reichtum, der Irrtum

Words with these endings are often neuter:
ending -um if the word has Latin origin: das Zentrum, das Museum, Studium, Stadium, Kriterium, Maximum, Minimum, Optimum, Jubiläum, Evangelium, Gymnasium, Ministerium, Album, Opium, Podium, Serum, Vakuum, Visum, Aquarium, Terrarium, Bakterium, Auditorium, Publikum, Forum, Datum, Impressum, Individuum, Ultimatum
Exceptions: der Konsum

ending -ment: das Parlament (parliament), das Fundament (base, basis), das Element (element), Dokument, Experiment, Instrument, Kompliment, Medikament, Temperament, Abonnement, Management, Fragment, Monument, Ornament, Pergament, Segment, Testament, Argument, Pigment, Sortiment, Apartment, Equipment, Exkrement, Reglement, Sakrament, Statement
Exceptions: der Zement, der Konsument

Words that end with -em and are stressed on the last syllable are often neuter.

Examples:
Problem, Theorem, System, Extrem, Emblem, Ekzem, Diadem, Phonem, Ödem
Also these words with the stress on the first syllable are neuter:
Modem, Totem, Tandem, Requiem
But these words with the stress on the first syllable are masculine: Atem, Harem, Moslem

Foreign words that end with -ett and are stressed on the last syllable are often neuter.

Examples:
Tablett, Etikett, Korsett, Parkett, Kabarett, Ballett

Words that end with -ma are often neuter.

Examples:
Thema, Trauma, Drama, Dilemma, Prisma, Schema, Koma, Klima, Komma, Karma, Lama, Dogma, Paradigma, Charisma, Magma, Panorama, Plasma, Stigma, Aroma

Exceptions:
feminine: Firma
masculine: Puma

Words that end with -om or -ym  are often neuter.

Examples:
Syndrom, Palindrom, Phantom, Polynom, Binom, Monom, Atom, Axiom, Genom, Symptom, Diplom, Kondom, Chromosom, Metronom; Enzym, Pseudonym, Synonym, Akronym

Foreign words from English with the ending -ing are usually neuter.

Examples (neuter): Training, Stalking, Jogging, Mobbing, Lobbying, Marketing, Recycling
Exceptions:
feminine: Holding (because it is short for die Holdinggesellschaft)

Words that end with -skop, -fon, -phon or -gramm are usually neuter.

Examples: Mikroskop, Teleskop, Periskop, Kaleidoskop, Horoskop, Telefon, Mikrophon, Megaphon, Grammophon, Programm, Diagramm, Parallelogramm, Kilogramm, Autogramm, Hologramm, Telegramm

Words With Certain Beginnings

Nouns that begin with the unstressed syllable Ge-, do not mean a person and do not end with the feminine suffix -heit, -keit, -schaft or -ung are often neuter.

Examples: Gedicht (poem), Gericht (court, dish), Gesicht (face), Gewicht (weight), Geheimnis (secret), Gebirge (mountains), Geschirr (dishes), Gedächtnis (memory), Gebiet, Gespenst, Gewissen, Gesetz (law), Getränk (drink), Gewand, Gewitter (thunderstorm), Geschenk (present), Gespräch (talk), Gebäude (building), Gehäuse (case), Gemüse (vegetable), Geschäft (shop), Getreide (cereal), Gerücht (rumor), Gewerbe, Gefühl (feeling), Gepäck (luggage), Gehirn (brain), Gewürz (spice), Gemälde (painting), Gebet (prayer), Gerät (device), Gebiss, Gesindel, Gerangel, Gelaber, Getue, Gewehr, Gesuch, Gelenk, Geweih, Gewinde, Geschrei, Gebäck, Gewirr, Gebell, Gewühl, Gewölbe, Gewieher, Gejaule, Gewässer, Gewebe, Gewächs, Gestrüpp, Gestüt, Gestein, Gestell, Gestirn, Getöse, Geschlecht, Geschoss, Geschoß, Geschütz, Geschwader, Geschick, Geschwür, Gespür, Geschehen, Gesäß, Gerede, Gerippe, Geröll, Gerüst, Gerinnsel, Gerümpel, Gelände, Gelächter, Gemäuer, Gelage, Gemenge, Gemetzel, Gemüt, Genick, Geräusch, Gefäß, Geschöpf, Geschwätz

Exceptions:
masculine: Gedanke (thought), Genuss (enjoyment), Geschmack (taste), Gewinn (prize, profit), Geruch (smell), Gestank (stink), Gebrauch (use), Gesang (singing), Gefallen (favor)
feminine: Gewalt (violence), Gestalt, Geschichte (story, history), Gemeinde, Gefahr (danger), Geduld (patience), Gewähr, Gebühr, Geburt (birth), Gebärde

Nouns Derived From Infinitives

Verbs used as noun (roughly corresponding to the gerund) are neuter:
das Rauchen (Smoking), das Lesen (Reading)

Masculine or Neuter

Words that end with a double consonant, -ck, -tz or -ß are usually masculine or neuter if they do not end with -ness.

Exceptions (feminine): Nuss, Null, Nachtigall, Hatz, Hetz, Geiß, Maß (different meaning than das Maß)
Examples (masculine): Pass, Biss, Sinn, Damm, Zoll, Stoff, Griff, Tipp, Müll, Witz, Schluck, Rock, Ritt, Tritt, Kuss, Fluss, Schluss, Schuss, Schlamm, Gruß, Fuß, Fraß, Scheiß, Stoß, Schoß, Fleiß, Grieß, Kloß, Löss/Löß, Ruß, Spaß, Spieß, Schweiß, Strauß
Examples (neuter): Ass, Fass, Kinn, Fell, Schiff, Kaff, Netz, Deck, Glück, Bett, Brett, Lamm, Schloss, Maß, Floß, Gefäß, Gesäß, Edelweiß, Geschoß/Geschoss

Words that end with -kt are usually masculine or neuter.

Examples (masculine): Prospekt, Sekt, Takt, Pakt, Trakt, Markt, Punkt, Aspekt, Defekt, Effekt, Infekt, Affekt, Dialekt, Infarkt, Kontakt, Akt, Respekt, Instinkt, Konflikt, Kontrakt, Architekt, Intellekt, Katarakt
Examples (neuter): Projekt, Produkt, Objekt, Subjekt, Edikt, Delikt, Insekt, Relikt, Konfekt, Verdikt, Artefakt, Konstrukt, Perfekt
Examples (masculine and neuter): Fakt, Extrakt, Aquädukt, Viadukt
Exceptions (feminine): Katarakt (different meaning than der Katarakt)

Words that end with -o are usually neuter or masculine.

Examples (neuter):
Auto, Video, Kino, Kilo, Büro, Sakko, Solo, Ego, Deo, Bistro, Manko, Banjo, Tempo, Motto, Fresko, Embargo, Esperanto, Studio, Ghetto, Foto, Echo, Piano, Cello, Kasino, Klo, Duo, Trio, Ufo, Konto, Go, Judo, Logo, Veto, Karo, Polo, Lasso, Lotto, Porto, Rodeo, Bingo, Intro, Credo/Kredo, Mikro, Makro, Rollo, Rondo, Risiko, Rokoko, Cabrio, Eldorado, Fiasko, Cembalo, Inferno, Placebo, Shampoo, Inkasso, Kommando, Libretto, Neutrino, Szenario, Portfolio, Abo, Intermezzo, Montenegro, Marokko, Monaco, Mexiko, Memo

Examples (masculine):
Euro, Tango, Fango, Espresso, Embryo, Torpedo, Salto, Po, Kakao, Zoo, Pluto, Saldo, Torso, Korso, Gecko, Ginkgo, Porno, Macho, Tacho, Torero, Sombrero, Trafo, Bolero, Dynamo, Eskimo, Gigolo, Kimono, Pharao, Poncho, Oregano, Tornado, Calypso, Schirokko, Flamenco, Flamingo, Cappuccino, Mungo, Dingo, Gusto

Examples (neuter and masculine): Radio, Silo, Storno, Tattoo, Techno, Indigo, Kosovo

Exceptions (feminine): Demo, Disko, Limo, Info (because they are short for die Demonstration, die Diskothek, die Limonade/Limousine, die Information); Uno/UNO, NATO, NGO (because the O stands for die Organisation); Mango, Avocado, Libido

Neuter or Feminine

Words with the ending -nis are usually neuter or feminine.

Examples (neuter): Zeugnis, Hindernis, Bekenntnis, Ereignis, Geheimnis, Gefängnis, Gedächtnis, Erlebnis, Ärgernis, Bildnis, Hemmnis, Bündnis, Wagnis, Verzeichnis, Bedürfnis, Begräbnis, Besäufnis, Erzeugnis, Geständnis, Verhältnis, Zerwürfnis, Ergebnis, Verständnis
Examples (feminine): Wildnis, Kenntnis, Befugnis, Ödnis, Fäulnis, Erlaubnis, Bitternis, Bedrängnis, Finsternis

Animals

Birds

Bird species that end with -e or -el are often feminine.

Examples (feminine): Amsel (blackbird), Drossel (thrush), Wachtel (quail), Taube (dove, pigeon), Möwe (gull), Krähe (crow), Meise (tit), Ente (duck), Eule (owl), Lerche (lark), Schwalbe (swallow, martin)

Exceptions (masculine): Tölpel (gannet, booby), Rabe (raven), Falke (hawk, falcon)

Bird species that end with -chen are often neuter.

Examples (neuter): Rotkehlchen (robin)

Other bird species are often masculine. Vogel (bird) is masculine too.

Examples (masculine): Uhu (eagle owl), Papagei (parrot), Kuckuck (cuckoo), Star, Reiher, Spatz, Fink, Adler (eagle), Geier, Habicht, Pinguin, Pelikan, Albatros, Kormoran, Schwan, Pfau, Kolibri, Wellensittich, Strauß, Kakadu, Emu, Kasuar, Kiwi, Storch, Kranich, Wiedehopf, Tukan, Nandu

Exceptions (feminine): Elster, Gans (goose), Nachtigall (nightingale)

Exceptions (neuter): Huhn (chicken)

Fish

Fish species that end with -e are often feminine.

Examples (feminine): Forelle, Makrele, Scholle, Sardine, Äsche, Groppe, Seekatze, Seezunge

Exceptions (neuter): Neunauge

Exceptions (masculine): Meerrabe

Other fish species are often masculine. Fisch (fish) is masculine too. Dolphins and whales are not fish, but Delphin (dolphin) and Wal (whale) are masculine too.

Examples (masculine): Karpfen (carp), Hai (shark), Stör, Hecht, Piranha, Aal, Wels, Barsch, Rochen, Hering, Lachs, Goldfisch, Thunfisch, Kabeljau, Zander, Saibling, Zobel, Barrakuda, Steinbutt, Dorsch

Exceptions (feminine): Grundel, Flunder, Seenadel

Rivers

Rivers in Europe and Russia are usually feminine or masculine. Other rivers are usually masculine.

Examples (feminine, Europe/Russia): Donau, Wolga, Seine, Themse, Elbe, Oder, Weichsel, Loire, Maas, Weser, Moldau, Isar
Examples (masculine, Europe/Russia): Rhein, Main, Po, Tiber, Don, Dnjepr, Tajo, Ebro, Inn, Neckar
Examples (masculine, not Europe/Russia): Nil, Amazonas, Mississippi, Rio Grande, Ganges, Jangtsekiang, Kongo, Yukon River, Orinoco, Euphrat, Tigris

Chemical Elements

The chemical elements with the ending -stoff are masculine (because of der Stoff): Wasserstoff, Sauerstoff, Stickstoff, Kohlenstoff.
The others are usually neuter: Gold, Silber, Eisen, Kupfer, Aluminium, Platin, Helium, Neon, Chlor, ...
Exceptions: der Schwefel, der Phosphor

Tips For Learning

As most German articles can not be attributed to certain rule, it is best to always learn the article when learning the noun. You may think of the article as necessary information belonging to every noun. You avoid a lot of looking-up-time that way.

Looking Up Gender in Dictionaries

Most dictionaries do not give the article. Instead, you find different sets of abbreviations which tell you to which class the noun in question belongs.

The most common sets of abbreviations are:

r, e, and s.
  r: der, masculine; 
  e: die, feminine; 
  s: das, neuter.
The abbreviations of this type are usually given before the noun.

m., f., and n.. 

  m.: masculine; 
  f.: feminine; 
  n.: neuter. 
The abbreviations of this type are usually given after the noun.

m., w., and s.. 

  m.: männlich, masculine;
  w.: weiblich, feminine; 
  s.: sächlich, neuter. 
The abbreviations of this type are usually given after the noun.

Gender

German/Grammar/Nouns/Gender

Plurals

German/Grammar/Nouns/Plurals

Adjectival Nouns

German/Grammar/Nouns/Adjectival nouns

Weak Nouns

German/Grammar/Nouns/Weak nouns

Mixed Nouns

German/Grammar/Nouns/Mixed nouns

Pronouns

**German Pronouns Declined**
	Nominative	Accusative	Dative	Genitive	Possessive Pronoun
Singular
I	ich	mich	mir	meiner	mein-
You (informal singular)	du	dich	dir	deiner	dein-
He	er	ihn	ihm	seiner	sein-
It	es	es	ihm	seiner	sein-
She	sie	sie	ihr	ihrer	ihr-
Plural
We (us)	wir	uns	uns	unser	unser-
You (informal plural)	ihr	euch	euch	euer	euer- (shortened to eur- for "eure")
They	sie	sie	ihnen	ihrer	ihr-
You (formal - singular or plural)	Sie	Sie	Ihnen	Ihrer	Ihr-

Note: The possessive is not a case of the personal pronoun; it's a possessive determiner, called possessive adjective. This table shows the possessive adjective's stem, which is declined as an ein- word (that is, like the indefinite article "ein").

The genitive case indicates possession or association, and is equivalent to, and replaces, the English word "of". "Des" and "der" (do not confuse with masculine singular nominative) mean "of the"; "eines" and "einer" mean "of a" / "of an"; and "der Sohn guten Weins" means "the son of good wine" (no article, M, Gen strong adjective). Strict replacement of the genitive case with the word "of" maintains the word-order of the German nominal phrase: possessed - possessor (in genitive). The genitive case also replaces "'s" in English, though reversing the word order (possessed then possessor, vs. English: possessor then possessed). German itself also uses an "s" (though without the apostrophe) to indicate possession, in the same word order as English. It is used mainly with proper nouns, such as "Goethes Heimat", as well as for compounding words.

Standard genitive constructions are used with nouns and modifiers of nouns such as articles and adjectives, and the inflection they receive implies possession. The first noun may be in any case and may occur in any part of the sentence; the second noun, which possesses the first noun, immediately follows the first noun, and is in the genitive case. The noun in the genitive case need not have any modifiers - e.g., Heimat Goethes, Heimat Katerina, which mean the homeland of Goethe and Katerina, respectively - though such constructions can be cumbersome and ambiguous.

Proper treatment of the genitive case, including all of the declensions, is found in another part of this book.

German pronouns have genitive forms, but they are used only rarely nowadays, mostly in archaic or formal German. In many cases, a preposition can be added to allow a different case to be used.

Ich erinnere mich ihrer. (I remember her)
Also possible: Ich erinnere mich an sie.

Wir gedachten seiner. (We thought of him)
Also possible: Wir dachten an ihn.

Herr, erbarme dich unser! (Lord, have mercy upon us)
Also possible: Herr, erbarme dich über uns.

The possessive pronouns (mein-, dein-, unser-, etc.) are almost identical in form to the genitive pronouns but they directly modify their attribute and could be conceived of as adjectives, though they decline differently. Alternatively, one could think of possessive pronouns, for example, "mein-", as replacing the phrase, "of me". Directly translated, "mein-" means "mine" in English.

Examples:

I want the teacher's book. Let's rewrite this as: I want the book of the teacher.
-Ich will das Buch des Lehrers (der Lehrerin).

--The genitive case here is masculine (feminine) singular, inflecting the definite article (der/die inflected to des/der) as well as the noun (Lehrer [+s], but not Lehrerin, which doesn't change because it is feminine).

Without his friend's car, we cannot go home.
-Ohne den Wagen seines Freundes können wir nicht nach Hause fahren.

--Here, two possessive relationships are mentioned. The car belongs to the friend, and the friend belongs to "him". For illustrative purposes, one could conceivably rewrite the prepositional phrase as "without the car (accusative case) of the friend of him". German's rendering is far less awkward.

The wall of the building is old and brown.
-Die Wand des Gebäudes ist alt und braun.

--As in the first example, the genitive case here is in the neuter singular, and inflects the definite article and the noun (M,N add +s/+es in the genitive case).

Comparison of Pronouns to other Parts of Speech

Despite the difficulty many people have in learning German declensions, case endings in German correspond to each other to a considerable degree. Specifically, the pronouns bear an obvious resemblance to their parent direct articles. Learning the corresponding third-person declensions side by side allows some people to comprehend the declension pattern more easily.

As discussed above, possessive pronouns replace the genitive case for pronouns. In this table, they will be placed where the genitive case is, so that their similarities to other parts of speech that actually are in the genitive case can become clear.

German is very rigorous in its use of gender, and will use the pronoun corresponding to the gender of the referential noun, regardless of whether the noun being referenced is a person (unlike English, which uses "it" for everything not a person or other entities (animals, ships) in certain contexts). Der Liberalismus will be referred to as "er", or "he", whereas "das Mädchen" would be "es", or "it". Many English speakers have trouble with this, especially in spoken language. Mastery is nonetheless possible with a proper understanding of German declension, use of a few rules of thumb (for example, nouns ending in "-chen" are usually neuter), and a considerable amount of practice.

**Side-by-side Declension of Definite Articles, der-word Endings, 3rd-Person Pronouns (and possessives), Strong Adjective Endings, and Interrogative Pronouns, to illustrate their similarities**
Gender and Case	Definite Article	der-word Endings	Pronoun (possessive)	Strong Adjective Endings	Interrogative Pronouns, sometimes also used as relative pronouns
Masculine
Nominative	der	-er	er	-er	wer (who?)
Accusative	den	-en	ihn	-en	wen (whom?)
Dative	dem	-em	ihm	-em	wem (to/for whom?)
Genitive	des + s	-es	(sein-) (corresponding "s")	-en (M,N strong adjective endings in genitive case do not fit pattern)	(wessen) (whose? - form similar to masculine, genitive relative pronoun). N.B.(1)
Neuter
Nominative	das	-es	es	-es	was (what?)
Accusative	das	-es	es	-es	was (what?)
Dative	dem	-em	ihm	-em
Genitive	des + s	-es	(sein-) (corresponding "s")	-en (M,N strong adjective endings in genitive case do not fit pattern)
Feminine
Nominative	die	-e	sie	-e
Accusative	die	-e	sie	-e
Dative	der	-er	ihr	-er
Genitive	der	-er	(ihr-)	-er
Plural
Nominative	die	-e	sie	-e
Accusative	die	-e	sie	-e
Dative	den + n	-en	ihnen N.B.(2)	-en
Genitive	der	-er	(ihr-)	-er

N.B.(1) The use of "wessen" is considered old-fashioned, though most Germans would find it endearing to hear a non-native speaker use the word. One is encouraged to use the "gehören + dativ (wem?)" construction, which means "to belong to someone (whom?)".

N.B.(2) The dative plural. Except for words whose plural form adds an "-s" (mainly loan words), and words whose plural form already ends in "-n"/"-en", all nouns add an "-n/-en" in the dative plural. Like the s's added to masculine and neuter nouns in the genitive, this is a remnant from when German inflected all of its nouns. Other languages based on declension, such as Russian and Latin, retain that characteristic. Sometimes one will notice an "-e" after masculine and neuter nouns in the dative case, such as the dedication on the Reichstag building - "Dem deutschen Volke", "for the German People".

This nominal declension is reflected in the dative plural pronoun (to/for them), "ihnen", instead of "ihn" (masculine, accusative). For example,

Helga: Können Sie bitte meinen Brüdern helfen?
Olga: Natürlich, aber ich kann ihnen leider nur nach zwei Tagen helfen.
Helga: Unsere Leben gehen trotzdem weiter.

Make a point of studying and getting used to the dative plural.

Sentences

Sentence Structure in Main clauses

Here is the ultimate syntax guide for a main clause. German allows a considerable amount of syntactical freedom as parts of speech are indicated through case, rather than syntax. Nonetheless, there are conventions to follow, especially ones that reduce the ambiguity of pronouns.

**Word-Order in the Main Clause**
First Position	Anything	Used for emphasis. Sometimes people will even put a past participle or some other verb in the first position. You shouldn't do that until you know what you are doing. The first position is often used for the subject (Nominative), however.
Second Position	Conjugated Verb	"habe", "muss", "arbeitete"
Mittelfeld	Nominative Pronoun	"ich"
	Reflexive Pronoun	"mich", "uns"
	Accusative Pronoun	A "dich"
	Dative Pronoun	D "dir", "mir"
	(Temporal Expressions)	Expressions of time, especially short temporal adverbs, are often placed here.
	Nominative Noun	"die Katze"
	Dative Noun	D "meiner Mutter"
	Accusative Noun	A = ADDA "meinen Vater"
	Prepositional Phrases	Time, Manner, Place
	Adverbs, Predicate Adjectives	Time, Manner Place
	Verbal negation using "nicht"	see section on negation for proper treatment of this topic
Final Position All Remaining Verbs	Separable Prefixes	"Ich fange damit an!"
	Past Participles (conjugated verb should be either "haben" od. "sein)	"Ich habe heute nicht gearbeitet."
	Infinitives	Used with modal verb as conjugated verb. "Du sollst das nicht tun."
		Used with modal-like verbs (sehen, hören, helfen, lassen) "Ich höre dich atmen."
	Extended verb phrases: three verbs in sentence	Build Inwards
		Translating a hypothetical English sentence with three verbs into German, the first English verb - the conjugated verb - would be in the second position in the German sentence. The second verb will be on the outside of the verb-phrase, at the end of the German sentence. The third verb will be immediately before that. Subj . 1 . [Mittelfeld] . 3 . 2.
		"Ich habe (1) seit dem Unfall nicht arbeiten (3) können (2)." "I have (1) not been able (2) to work (3) since the accident."
Nachfeld	The stuff you forgot to say, or that you just thought of after saying your verb. This happens to both native-speakers and those learning the language. However, try to avoid it.	This position is also used for comparisons. See below.

This is the officially-sanctioned syntax of a main clause. However, German syntax is not written in stone. One has considerable latitude in the way one constructs one's sentence. Before fleshing out the topic, here are some rules, conventions, and words of advice:

1) In terms of being placed in proper syntax, the pronouns are the most important, for they are the ones most liable to ambiguity ("sie" = which person, what part of speech, which case? Put it in its correct position).

2) It is not possible for a sentence to include all of the listed items, but it is still good to be able to reproduce that schema from memory.

3) You must be able to recognize an element of a sentence. For example, you must not split something like, "mit einem Buch", for that is a prepositional phrase, i.e., one and only one sentence element. Many other sentence elements are, however, only one word. You get a lot better at this as time goes on.

4) Two good mnemonics. Number one: pronouns before nouns. always. even if it feels weird to put both your accusative and dative objects before your subject (a noun), you must get used to it. It doesn't happen very often, though.

5) The second one is "ADDA" (i.e., NOT DAAD, the Deutsche Akademische Austausch Dienst). ADDA describes, first, the pronouns (Accusative, then Dative), and then the nouns (Dative, then Accusative). ADDA. think ABBA, but with D's instead of B's.

6) The first position is usually your subject, but can also draw attention to something you want to discuss.

7) As will be explained below, prepositional phrases and adverbs follow the "Time, Manner, Place" format.

8) Beyond reducing/eliminating ambiguity, you actually do have a fair amount of freedom. "Time, Manner, Place" is more a suggestion than a commandment, and most German textbooks tell you to learn the schema laid out above, but then to speak and write your sentences with items in ascending order of importance. Put the important stuff at the end. Then you get to your verb, which gives all of the words in the sentence meaning, resulting in a crescendo of emotion and understanding. Or not. But you see how that might work.

9) If you speak enough, your verbs start going to the right places. It will seem perfectly natural that the verb is in the second position, and that the other verbs are at the end. Getting used to subordinate clauses takes more time, but eventually your words go to the right place. Don't worry about making mistakes, but also try not to forget which verb you have waiting in your head until the sentence ends.

10) Banish the terms, "subject", "direct object", and "indirect object" from your head. Get used to explaining things in terms of "nominative", "accusative", "dative", and "genitive". Same goes for "linking-" and "helping-verbs". Start talking about modal verbs, and modal-like verbs.

In general, you have to learn how to talk about grammar to be able to study German successfully.

11) If you can do the declensions in your head, you can do the syntax in your head. Syntax is easier.

Position of the Verb

Clauses with one verb part - Sätze mit nur einem Verbteil

In a main clause (Hauptsatz), the conjugated verb is in second position.

**Clauses with one verb part**
	First Position (I)	(II)	Mittelfeld	Punctuation
1.	Er	geht	nach Hause	.
2.	Heute Abend	fahre	ich mit dem Auto nach Köln	.
3.	Im Park	machte	er einen langen Spaziergang	.

Second position does not equal second word, as you can see above. However, there is only one group of words allowed before the conjugated verb. Such groups of words are called "phrases". While you can put very long phrases in front of the conjugated verb you mustn't use two. Therefore the sentence "Heute Abend ich fahre mit dem Auto nach Köln" is wrong. This is a big difference between English and German syntax.

Clauses with two verb parts - Sätze mit zwei Verbteilen

**Clauses with two verb parts**
	First Position (I)	(II)	Mittelfeld	Second Verb	Punctuation
4.	Der Junge	zieht	den Mantel	an	.
5.	Der Junge	hat	den Mantel	angezogen	.
6.	Schüler	müssen	Hausaufgaben	machen	.
7.	Gestern	hat	sein Vater ein fantastisches Essen	gekocht	.
8.	Ein fantastisches Essen	hat	sein Vater gestern	gekocht	.

Sometimes you have to use more than one verb part in a clause. This is true for Perfekt forms, separable verbs, modals etc. Only one of these verbs is conjugated. The conjugated verb stays in second position, the other part goes to the end.

Clauses with three verb parts - Sätze mit drei Verbteilen

**Clauses with three verb parts**
	First Position	II	Mittelfeld	Third Verb	Second Verb	Punctuation
9.	Ich	werde	die Aufgaben	nicht machen	können	.
10.	Du	hast	mich	nicht besuchen	dürfen	.
11.	Ich	kann	dir deinen Wagen übermorgen	umsetzen	helfen	.

Sometimes there are even three verbs in a sentence. These usually involve modals and perfect tenses. The conjugated verb is in the second position. The remaining two verbs are at the end of the clause, building inwards that is to mean, what would be the second verb in English is placed at the end, and what would be the third verb is placed before the second verb.

Order of phrases - Reihenfolge der Satzglieder

In English, you need the position of phrases to determine whether a noun phrase is a subject or an object. In German the cases tell you which role is assigned to a certain noun phrase. Therefore, the word order is less strict.

First Position - erste Position

In neutral sentences the subject is most likely in the first position (Examples 1, 4, 5, 6).

However, you can put everything there you want to stress. This is very common with phrases about time or place (Examples 2, 3, 7). English speakers need to remember that the first position is restricted to exactly one phrase.

You can even put objects in first position (Example 8). You do it mostly, if you want to emphasize the object or if you have to repeat the sentence because your partner has not understood this particular part of it.

If the subject is not in first position, it goes directly after the conjugated verb (Examples 2, 3, 7, 8), unless preceded by a reflexive pronoun or an accusative or dative pronoun.

Order of Phrases in the Middle of the clause - Reihenfolge der Satzglieder im Mittelfeld

Introduction

In the middle of the sentence – the part between the two parts of the verb – word order is quite flexible.

Often the word order for a neutral sentence can be described like this:

Time
Objects
Manner
Place

The mnemonic is "STOMP" where S is for subject. However, when looking at wild German sentences you will find structures that do not follow these principles but are nonetheless correct. This is very frequent in spoken language. Mostly the deviation from the neutral structure is caused by a special focus. While they are not wrong, it would be inappropriate to use them all the time. Therefore it is best to learn the principles described here. If you have mastered them and can use them without thinking about it, you can try some of the deviations.

Time

Time seems to be a very important concept for German speaking people. It is mostly mentioned very early in the sentence, either at the very beginning in the first position which means that the subject goes directly after the conjugated verb (i.e.: Gestern war ich im Kino) or early in the middle field (i.e.: Ich war gestern im Kino). The sentence "Ich war im Kino gestern" is not exactly wrong, but it would sound weird in most situations. It could be used though in a casual conversation when putting special emphasis on "im Kino", but it's not the regular sentence pattern.

Order of Objects

The order of objects is different for nouns and pronouns. Pronouns always come before nouns, and reflexive pronouns come before everything except nominative pronouns. ADDA, mentioned above, is a good way to remember the prescribed order of cases for pronouns and then nouns. As sentences can contain only two objects, here are the three possible combinations deriving from ADDA:

Two pronouns: accusative before dative (AD)

I   II    Acc. Dat.       
Ich habe  sie  ihm  gegeben.
Ich gab   sie  ihm         .

One noun, one pronoun: The pronoun goes first, regardless of the case

I   II    Pronoun  Noun      
Ich habe  ihm      die Kleider gegeben.
Ich gab   sie      dem Jungen         .

Two nouns: dative before accusative (DA)

I   II    Dat.           Acc.      
Ich habe  dem Jungen     die Kleider gegeben.
Ich gab   dem Jungen     die Kleider        .

Manner

This includes adverbs and prepositional phrases describing how, why, and by what methods the event of the sentence has taken place.

Place

This includes adverbs and prepositional phrases describing location and direction

Satzglieder im Nachfeld

In German grammar the term Nachfeld is used to describe parts of the sentence that come after the second part of the verb. The Nachfeld is neglected in most learner's grammars. It is mostly used in spoken language, when people add something to a sentence as an afterthought or with special emphasis. In written language it is important for comparisons. You put them almost exclusively in the nachfeld.

Consider the example Peter verdient mehr Geld als Paul' (Peter earns more money than Paul). Now try to convert the sentence to the perfect. If you follow the normal sentence structure rules you would have to write: Peter hat mehr Geld als Paul verdient, but this is almost never done. The sentence best accepted by a majority of German speakers is: Peter hat mehr Geld verdient als Paul. The comparison is put after the past participle.

Note that the two items being compared must be in the same case. Du verdienst mehr Geld als ich. This is also correct grammar in English, though it is now almost obsolete among native English speakers.

Syntax of Interrogatives and Imperatives

I am putting this up here for the sake of completion.

Interrogatives

Interrogatives (questions) change word order in the first two fields or so. There are two kinds. In a question based on a verb, the conjugated verb comes first. Following that is the same string of pronouns first and nouns thereafter (and other sentence elements and finally the remaining verbs) that was detailed above. The main difference between questions and statements is that the freedom of the first position is eliminated; the item you wanted to emphasize must now find a different position in the sentence. The ascending-order-of-importance convention still holds.

Example:

Q: Hast du schon "Fargo" gesehen?
A: "Fargo" habe ich noch nicht gesehen.

The second kind of question involves a question word or wo-compound, which always comes at the beginning, and is immediately followed by the conjugated verb. They are then followed by the remaining parts of the sentence in the order outlined above. Be mindful of the case of the question word, and make sure never to use a wo-compound when referring to a person.

Q: Warum hast du "Fargo" nie gesehen? (Why have you never seen "Fargo"?)
A: Ich hatte keine Lust. (I had no interest.)

Q: Wem hast du geholfen? (Wem = "whom?" in the dative case.) (Whom have you helped?)
A: Ich habe meiner Mutter geholfen. (I have helped my mother.)

Q: Bei wem hast du dich beworben?  (From whom have you applied [for a job]?)
A: Beim Geschäft meines Onkels habe ich mich beworben. (I applied at my uncle's business.)

Q: Worum hast du dich beworben? (For what did you apply?)
A: Um eine Stelle habe ich mich beworben!  Bist du verrückt? (I applied for a job!  
Are you insane?)

And so on.

Imperatives

Imperatives (commands) also slightly alter the aforementioned main-clause sentence structure. Imperatives are formed in several ways:

Geh', bitte!  (Please go, informal)
Gehen Sie, bitte! (Please go, formal)
Gehen wir, bitte! (Let's go! Within a group)

This sequence - verb in imperative form, perhaps followed by the person to whom it is directed in the nominative case (depending on the kind of imperative used, however) - is then followed by all of the other elements of the sentence, in the aforementioned order.

German-speakers, like English-speakers and the speakers of many other languages, consider the use of the imperative mood to be rude, and, as in English, use a conditional or subjunctive construction to convey requests. This will be dealt with in a different section of this book.

Both of these syntaxes are very easy to master once you understand main-clause syntax.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Before moving on to subordinate and relative clauses, we must address coordinating conjunctions and parallel clauses. A coordinating conjunction is a conjunction that connects two clauses that are able to stand alone, i.e., two main clauses.

Here are some examples in English:

I am here and I am glad to see you.
You are grateful for this job, or you are a spoiled brat.

Commas are generally optional in English, whereas they used more often in German.

Here are the common coordinating conjunctions one would find in German:

German   English

aber     but, nevertheless, however 
denn     for, because (rarely used in spoken German; not to be confused with weil)
oder     or 
sondern  but rather 
und      and

As coordinating conjunctions connect two independent clauses, they do not affect word-order in the two clauses. The first clause is often separated from the second with a comma - especially if it is a long or complicated clause - after which follows the coordinating conjunction and the second clause.

Here are some examples in German:

Ich hasse und ich liebe, und ich weiß nicht warum.  (Odi et amo - Catullus)
Ich bin nicht jung, aber ich bin froh.

There are two more constructions to be aware of: entweder/oder and weder/noch, which correspond to "either/or" and "neither/nor", respectively.

Entweder bist du mit uns gemeinsam, oder du bist unser Feind.

Entweder/oder and weder/noch can also be employed to contrast two items as well as clauses. Note how "entweder" functions as an adverb.

English speakers should take note of the difference between aber and sondern, both of which can be translated directly as "but". Aber means "however". Sondern means "rather". Many other languages make this distinction.

Coordinating conjunctions are rather straightforward, and the number of coordinating conjunctions is few.

Dependent Clauses: Subordinate and Relative Clauses

Introduction

Subordinate and relative clauses introduce information regarding the main clause that needs to be expressed as a separate clause. They are collectively called "dependent clauses" because they are unable to stand by themselves as independent clauses. Usually, subordinate and relative clauses occupy a part of the main clause that was not fully explained; subordinate clauses tend to fulfill more abstract missing sentence elements than relative clauses do. Here are a few examples in English:

Subordinate Clauses:

I know that you are unhappy.
We came because it was your birthday.
We came because we knew that you were having a rough time.

This last example has two subordinate clauses: because we knew and that you were having a rough time.

Subordinate clauses are usually set off by a subordinating conjunction, such as that, because, when, if, and so on. In English, it is sometimes possible to omit the subordinating conjunction, specifically that, resulting in sentences such as, "I know you are unhappy," which is perfectly acceptable in English. Such an option does not exist in German.

Relative Clauses:

I know the person to whom you were talking (who you were talking to).
God helps those who help themselves.
You are the person that got hit by the fly-ball at the game on Saturday.

Relative clauses relate one element of a clause to another clause by way of a relative pronoun. The system of relative pronouns in German is considerably more extensive than that of English.

In German, both subordinate clauses and relative clauses affect syntax, in most cases by moving the conjugated verb to the end of the clause. Both subordinate clauses and relative clauses are set off by a comma in German, which can frequently be omitted in English. We should now examine the two types of clauses in greater detail, and then return to their syntax.

Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate clauses are always set off by a comma, and begin with a subordinating conjunction. Here is a list of all subordinating conjunctions in German. Note how all of them answer a question presumably introduced in the main clause:

**Subordinating Conjunctions**
German	English
als	as, when
bevor	before
bis	until
da	as, since (because)
damit	so that, with it
dass	that
ehe	before
falls	in case
indem	while; "by [do]ing..." See below.
nachdem	after
ob	whether
obgleich	although
obschon	although
obwohl	although
seit/seitdem	since (time)
sobald	as soon as
sodass / so dass	so that
solang(e)	as long as
trotzdem	despite the fact that
während	while, whereas
weil	because
wenn	if, when, whenever

Furthermore, all interrogative (question) words, such as wie, wann, wer, and wo, and wo-compounds, may be used as subordinating conjunctions. For example:

Ich weiß nicht, wohin er gegangen ist.  (I don't know where he went.)
Ich weiß nicht, wie das Fest sich entwickelt hat.  (I don't know how the party turned out)
Ich weiß nicht, warum er dir so böse ist.  (I don't know why he is so mad at you.)

Subordinate clauses provide information missing in the main clause. Consider the previous two examples. In both cases, the subordinate clause answered the question, "what?", or what would have been the accusitive object. Other subordinate clauses provide information that would otherwise have been provided by one of the several parts of speech.

Er hat mich geschlagen, als meine Frau im Klo war.  (He hit me when my wife was in the bathroom.)

In this example, the subordinate clause, set off by the conjunction, "als", answers the question, "when?", which would otherwise be answered adverbially.

The syntax regarding subordinate clauses will be discussed later. At this point, a property of subordinate clauses that is not altogether shared with relative clauses should be pointed out. Subordinate clauses are themselves parts of speech for the main clause, and to a limited extent can be treated as such. Consider the following two sentences, which are equivalent:

Ich darf in Kanada bleiben, solange wir noch verheiratet sind.
Solange wir noch verheiratet sind, darf ich in Kanada bleiben.

Note how, in the second sentence, the subordinate clause occupied the first position, immediately followed by the conjugated verb. In reality, the use of subordinate clauses as parts of speech integrated into the main clause is limited; they are, for aesthetic reasons, restricted to the first position and to following the main clause. At both times they are set off from the main clause by a comma.

Indem..., ist x passiert. This subordinating conjunction accomplishes the same functions as the English construction, "by [do]ing something..., x happened."

Indem er die Tür offen gelassen hat, hat er auch die Räuber ins Haus eingelassen.
By leaving the door open, he let the robbers into the house.

By requiring a subject in the clause, the German construction is less susceptible to ambiguity than English is; consider the sentence, "by leaving the door open, the robbers were able to enter the house," which is lacking an agent for the door being left open, even though such a construction is common in spoken English.

This section must make note of the differences between the words, als, wenn, and wann, all of which can mean "when" in English.

Als refers to a single event or condition in the past, usually expressed using the preterite tense.

Als du mich anriefst, war ich noch nicht zu Hause.  (When you called me, I was not yet home.)

Wann is the interrogative word for "when". It's use as a subordinating conjunction is limited to indirect questions and immediate temporal events.

Ich weiß nicht, wann er nach Hause kommen wird.

Wenn is the most versatile of the three, and has several other meanings beyond its temporal meaning. In the temporal space wenn describes, events are less recognized, or focuses on a condition, rather than an event.

Finally, "wenn" has one other principal function. It also means, "if", and is used in conditional and subjunctive statements.

Wenn ich einmal reich wär', ... (If i were ever rich...)

We will return to syntax later.

Relative Clauses

In many ways, a relative clause is a lengthy description of an item in the main clause. Minimally, a relative clause takes a part of speech from the main clause, known as the antecedent and uses it in the dependent clause. What connects the two is a relative pronoun. As should already be published in this book, the following declension table is provided:

**Relative Pronoun - Declension Summary**
Case	Masculine	Neuter	Feminine	Plural
Nominative	der	das	die	die
Accusative	den	das	die	die
Dative	dem	dem	der	denen
Genitive	dessen	dessen	deren	deren

Relative pronouns are similar to the definite article, with the exceptions of the dative plural and the genitive case being marked in bold.

Note that the distinctions between "that" and "which"; and "that" and "who" in English do not exist in German, where everything is described with a standard set of relative pronouns with no regard to how integral the qualities described in the relative clause are to the antecedent.

As relative clauses take one item from the main clause and use it in some way in a dependent clause, it is important to consider how relative pronouns work to avoid confusion. All words in German possess gender, number (singular or plural), and case. The main clause, as it relates to the antecedent, determines the gender and number of the relative pronoun; the relative clause determines its case.

In order to use relative clauses successfully, it is critical that this point be understood. Gender and number are "inherent" to the antecedent; no grammatical agent could conceivably change those properties. The relative pronoun's case is determined by its role in the relative clause, i.e., how it relates to the other parts of speech in the clause. Consider the following examples, all based on "the man", who is masculine and singular, and apparently not well-liked.

Case of Relative Pronoun	Example
Nominative	Der Mann, der nach Hause allein ging, ...
	The man, who went home alone, ...
Accusitive	Der Mann, den mein Freund während der Hochzeit schlug, ...
	The man, whom my friend punched at the wedding, ...
Dative	Der Mann, dem meine Mutter kein Weihnachtsgeschenk gegeben hat, ...
	The man, to whom my mother didn't give a Christmas present, ...
Genitive	Der Mann, dessen Tochter arbeitslos ist, ...
	The man, whose daughter is unemployed, ...

In each of these examples, the gender and number of the relative pronoun were determined by the antecedent, while the case of the relative pronoun was determined by its role in the relative clause. Note particularly the genitive example, wherein the relative pronoun, meaning whose, modified a feminine noun, without his gender being affected.

Whenever you construct a relative clause, be mindful of this rule. Don't confuse yourself with its complexity, especially regarding the genitive case. As discussed in the chapter on personal pronouns, the word "whose", as well as other possessive pronouns such as "my", "your", and so forth, is a pronoun and not an adjective. The pronoun always expresses the characteristics of its antecedent, viz., gender and number.

Relative pronouns offered within prepositional phrases are perfectly acceptable:

Der Mann, mit dem meine Mutter wieder gestritten hat, ...
The man, with whom my mother argued again, ...

However, if the antecedent is not a person, and the relative pronoun falls within a prepositional phrase, a wo-compound is frequently substituted:

Das Flugzeug, worin ich nach Seattle geflogen bin, war fast kaputt.
The airplane, in which I flew to Seattle, was almost broken.

Relative clauses almost invariably follow the item that they are modifying or the main clause as a whole (with the gender and number of the relative pronoun indicating - to some extent - which potential antecedent it is referring to). Very rarely do they precede the main clause. Exceptions to this come in the form of aphorisms and proverbs:

Der (oder Wer) heute abend ruhig einschläft, bekommt morgen Eiskrem und Keks.  
(He who goes to bed quietly tonight will get ice-cream and cookies tomorrow 
- something a mother might say to her children.)

This usage is relatively unimportant.

One final property of relative clauses should be discussed. Relative clauses in some way describe their antecedent. The rules governing attributes in German are considerably more flexible than in English, because the German case system reduces ambiguity. This allows the German speaker to turn a relative clause into an extended attribute, which is essentially a long adjective. Compare the following two sentences, which are equivalent:

Der Mann, der jede Woche auf Dienstreise nach Seattle fährt, ist krank.
The man, who drives to Seattle every week on business, is sick.

Der jede Woche nach Seattle auf Dienstreise fahrende Mann ist krank.
The to-Seattle-every-week-on-business driving man is sick.

Such a construction is ludicrous in English, but not-uncommon in German. The experienced reader of German will, with practice, be able to read through such an item without difficulty.

It would be best to review what we have learned about subordinate and relative pronouns before discussing their syntax. Dependent clauses - both subordinating and relative clauses - modify or in some other way describe the antecedent clause upon which they are based. Subordinating clauses provide a variety of ways in which new information can relate to the main clause, many of which are adverbial in nature (e.g., "weil/because", but not "dass/that", which, in the examples above, replaced the accusitive object). Relative clauses modify and describe entities already mentioned in the main clause. Generally speaking, only subordinate clauses have the ability to occupy the first position in a main clause.

Format:

Main clause, subordinating conjunction + subordinate clause.
Subordinating conjunction + subordinate clause, conjugated verb + main clause.

Main clause including antecedent, relative pronoun based on antecedent + relative clause.

Syntax of Dependent Clauses

Subordinate and relative clauses have similar syntax. Indeed, neglecting the verbs, they have a syntax similar to main clauses. Recall the syntax described at the beginning of this chapter. That syntax will form the basis of the Mittelfeld in dependent clauses.

**Syntax of Dependent Clauses**
Field	Items	Examples
Comma	All dependent clauses are set off with a comma unless occupying the first position of a main clause	,
Conjunction	For subordinate clauses, this is the subordinating conjunction. For relative clauses, this is the relative pronoun.	"dass", "weil", "obwohl", "denen"
Mittelfeld	The Mittelfeld of a dependent clause follows the same syntax as the Mittelfeld of the main clause.
	Nominative Pronoun	"ich", "wir"
	Reflexive Pronoun	"mich", "uns"
	Accusative Pronoun	A "dich"
	Dative Pronoun	D "dir", "mir"
	Nominative Noun	"die Katze"
	Dative Noun	D "meiner Mutter"
	Accusitive Noun	A = ADDA "meinen Vater"
	Prepositional Phrases	Time, Manner, Place
	Adverbs, Predicate Adjectives	Time, Manner, Place
Verbs	Verbs will be dealt with in greater detail below.	They are very complicated.
	Number of Verbs	Placement of Verbs (always at end of clause}
	One (conjugated)	At end of Clause
	Two (conjugated - modal/-like or auxiliary; infinitive)	Build inwards. Infinitive, then conjugated verb
	Three
	Modal/-like is conjugated	3.2.1. Build inwards.
	Modal/-like is not conjugated (likely the second verb)	Conjugated verb (1); infinitive verb (3); modal verb (2)

Once again, no dependent clause will contain each of these elements. But understanding the position of pronouns is critical. The same conventions listed under the main clause schema apply.

Verbs in Dependent Clauses

The way the verbs are arranged depends on the number of verbs in the verb-phrase, and the presence of a modal verb.

Dependent Clauses with One Verb

This is the simplest case. Such a clause has one verb, conjugated based on the person and number of the subject of the sentence. This conjugated verb is placed at the end of the clause.

Subordinate Clause	Du weißt, dass ich dich liebe. (You know that I love you.)
Relative Clause	Er ist ein Mann, der oft Berlin besucht. (He is a man who often visits Berlin.)

Dependent Clauses with Two Verbs

A clause with two verbs has one conjugated verb and one verb in the infinitive. Such examples are clauses in a perfect tense (wherein the conjugated verb is the auxiliary verb, either "haben" or "sein"), the future tense ("werden"), ones with modal verbs, and ones with modal-like verbs (sehen, hören, helfen, lassen).

In a main clause, the conjugated verb will be in the second position, and the infinitive verb will be at the end of the clause.

In a dependent clause, both verbs will be at the end of the clause, with the conjugated verb last. This supports the principle of "building inwards".

Subordinate Clause	Du weißt, dass ich dich nicht lieben kann. (You know that I cannot love you.)
Relative Clause	Er ist ein Mann, der nach seiner absolvierten Prüfung Berlin besuchen wird. (He is a man who will visit Berlin after his graduation exam.)

Dependent Clauses with Three Verbs

Sentences with three verbs typically involve a modal verb, whose presence complicates matters terribly. Let us think of some examples in English.

1) I am not able to help you move your car. - können - helfen - bewegen

2) I will be able to go to the store with you. - werden - können - gehen

3) I have not been able to afford that. (haben + "sich (dat) etw. leisten können" = to be able to afford sth.)

4) I have not been able to reach you over the phone. - haben - können - erreichen

And so on. The problem is, after you've learned how to put your verb at the end of the sentence in a main clause, and after you've learned how to "build inwards" in dependent clauses, and after you've pulled your hair out, night after night, sitting in a cafe in Seattle declining relative pronouns, German grammar throws yet another rule at you, this one so pointless and downright counter-productive, and it seems like German grammar is simply making fun of you at this point, that you leap out of your seat, scream "woo hoo!", and then get back to work.

The modal verb (or the modal-like verb) has to be at the end of the verb phrase, regardless of whether it has been conjugated. In cases where it has not, the conjugated verb moves to the beginning of the verb phrase. Let's look at our examples above.

Du weißt, dass...

1) ...ich dir dein Auto nicht bewegen helfen kann. This one is straightforward, because the modal verb is the conjugated verb, allowing the clause to follow the "build inwards" principle.

2) ...ich zum Markt mit dir nicht werde gehen können. The modal verb must come last. No semantic or logical reason for this.

3) ...ich mir das nicht habe leisten können. The modal verb must come last. Note here that the modal verb does not form a past participle when it has main verb to modify.

4) ...ich dich am Telefon nicht habe erreichen können. Note the somewhat sensible placement of "nicht".

And so...

**Verb-order in Dependent Clauses**
Number of Verbs	Placement of Verbs (always at end of clause}
One (conjugated)	At end of Clause
Two (conjugated - modal/-like or auxiliary; infinitive)	Build inwards. Infinitive, then conjugated verb
Three
Modal/-like is conjugated	3.2.1. Build inwards.
Modal/-like is not conjugated (likely the second verb)	Conjugated verb (1); infinitive verb (3); modal verb (2)

Infinitive Clauses

The reader is already familiar with several types of German verbs that require other verbs; these verbs are modal verbs (können, dürfen, wollen, etc.); modal-like verbs (sehen, hören, helfen, lassen); auxiliary verbs (sein, haben), used for the perfect tenses; and werden, used for future and passive constructions. Another verb that can take another verb without forming an infinitive clause is bleiben (e.g., stehenbleiben, to remain standing). These verbs never form infinitive clauses, and the verbs that are used with them go at the end of the sentence.

Infinitive clauses are another kind of clause found in German, and are equivalent to infinitive clauses in English. Consider the following examples in English:

I am here (in order) to help you clean your house.
The car is ready to be driven.
I work to be able to afford my car.

Infinitive clauses are formed after verbs that do not regularly take other verbs. They indicate purpose, intent, and meaning of the action in the main clause. As such, infinitive clauses have no subject, or no nouns in the nominative case. Here are the above examples in German:

Ich bin hier, um dir dein Haus putzen zu helfen.
Das Auto ist bereit, gefahren zu werden.
Ich arbeite, um mir ein Auto leisten zu können.

Infinitive clauses are usually found after a main clause, though it is possible for them to occupy the first position of a main clause. They are always set off by a comma.

Of particular interest is the construction, "um...zu..."", which corresponds to the English construction, "in order to...". Um is placed at the beginning of the clause, after which follows a standard infinitive clause. Whereas "in order" is frequently omitted from English infinitive clauses of this sort, "um" is always included such clauses in German.

The Mittelfeld follows the standard syntax of main clauses, though without nominative nouns and pronouns. At any rate, infinitive tend to be rather short.

Verbs (in the infinitive form) always come at the end, immediately preceded by the word zu. In the case of separable-prefix verbs, such a verb is written as one word, with the word zu between the prefix and the main verb; e.g. anzuschlagen, auszugehen, abzunehmen, and so forth.

The syntax of infinitive clauses can thus be summarized as follows:

**Syntax of Infinitive Clauses**
Position	Contents	Examples
Introduction	Comma or Capital Letter (beginning of sentence)	"," "Um"
Mittelfeld	Reflexive Pronoun	"mich", "uns"
	Accusative Pronoun	A "dich"
	Dative Pronoun	D "dir", "mir"
	(Temporal Expressions)	Expressions of time, especially short temporal adverbs, are often placed here.
	Dative Noun	D "meiner Mutter"
	Accusitive Noun	A = ADDA "meinen Vater"
	Prepositional Phrases	Time, Manner, Place
	Adverbs, Predicate Adjectives	Time, Manner Place
Infinitive Verb Phrase	Verbs with no separable prefix	zu + Infinitive; e.g., "zu gehen"
	Verbs with separable prefix	prefix-zu-infinitive, written as one word; e.g., "anzufangen"
End	Either a period to end the sentence, or a comma to introduce the main clause	","; "."

Verbs

German verbs can be classified as weak or as strong. Weak verbs are very regular in their forms, whereas strong verbs change the stem vowel.

Weak:

kaufen, kaufte, gekauft

Strong:

singen, sang, gesungen

With its Anglo-Saxon origin, this notion is also present in English.

flip, flipped, flipped
sing, sang, sung

Some German verbs have weak and strong forms. This may depend on meaning:

Der Botschafter wurde nach Berlin gesandt.
Der Süddeutsche Rundfunk sendete ein Konzert aus dem Gasteig.

Or on transitive vs. intransitive use:

Das Hemd hing auf der Wäscheleine.
Sie hängte das Hemd auf die Wäscheleine.

Strong Verbs

Liste der starken und unregelmässigen Verben

	Infinitiv	Präteritum (Preterite)	Perfekt (Past Participle)
A	anfangen begin	fing an began	angefangen begun
	ankommen arrive	kam an arrived	ist angekommen arrived
	anrufen call up	rief an called up	angerufen called up

B	backen bake	backte baked	gebacken baked
	befehlen command	befahl commanded	befohlen commanded
	beginnen begin	begann began	begonnen begun
	beißen bite	biss bit	gebissen bitten
	bekommen get, receive	bekam got	bekommen gotten
	bergen salvage	barg salvaged	geborgen salvaged
	bersten burst	barst burst	geborsten burst
	betrügen deceive	betrog deceived	betrogen deceived
	biegen bend	bog bent	gebogen bent
	bieten offer	bot offered	geboten offered
	binden tie	band tied	gebunden tied
	bitten request	bat requested	gebeten requested
	blasen blow	blies blew	geblasen blown
	bleiben stay	blieb stayed	ist geblieben stayed
	bleichen bleach	blich bleached	geblichen bleached
	braten roast	briet roasted	gebraten roasted
	brechen break	brach broke	gebrochen broken
	brennen* burn	brannte burned	gebrannt burned
	bringen* bring	brachte brought	gebracht brought

C

D	denken** think↓ A "mixed" verb. Combination of strong + weak verbs.	dachte thought	gedacht thought
	dreschen thresh	drosch threshed	gedroschen threshed
	dringen force	drang forced	gedrungen forced
	dürfen may	durfte was allowed	gedurft been allowed↓ Used with an infinitive. The past participle being the infinitive dürfen**: "Wir haben nicht gehen dürfen".

E	empfangen receive	empfing received	empfangen received
	empfehlen recommend	empfahl recommended	empfohlen recommended
	erfinden invent	erfand invented	erfunden invented
	erlöschen extinguish	erlosch extinguished	erloschen extinguished
	erschallen echo, sound	erscholl sounded	erschollen sounded
	erschrecken* scare↓ Strong (passive) and weak (active) forms: "Ich habe ihn erschreckt." (I scared him.) and "Ich erschrak bei der Explosion." (I was startled/scared by the explosion.)	erschrak scared	erschrocken scared
	essen eat	aß ate	gegessen eaten

F	fahren travel	fuhr traveled	ist gefahren traveled
	fallen fall	fiel fell	ist gefallen fallen
	fangen catch	fing caught	gefangen caught
	fechten fence	focht fenced	gefochten fenced
	finden find	fand found	gefunden found
	fliegen fly	flog flew	ist geflogen flown
	fliehen flee	floh fled	ist geflohen fled
	fließen flow	floss flowed	ist geflossen flowed
	fressen gorge	fraß gorged	gefressen gorged
	frieren freeze	fror froze	gefroren* frozen↓ Frieren takes the helping verb haben or sein, which depends on its meaning. In most cases ("to be cold") is "hat gefroren". However meaning of "to freeze, turn into ice," turns out to be "Der Boden/Das Wasser ist steif gefroren." (The ground/ water has frozen solid.)
	frohlocken rejoice	frohlockte rejoiced	frohlockt rejoiced

G	gären ferment	gor fermented	gegoren fermented
	gebären bear (child)	gebar bore	geboren born
	geben give	gab gave	gegeben given
	gedeihen flourish	gedieh flourished	ist gediehen flourished
	gefallen be pleasing, like	gefiel liked	gefallen liked
	gehen go	ging went	ist gegangen gone
	gelingen succeed	gelang succeeded	ist gelungen succeeded
	gelten be valid	galt was valid	gegolten been valid
	genesen recover	genas recovered	genesen recovered
	genießen enjoy	genoß enjoyed	genossen enjoyed
	geschehen happen	geschah happened	ist geschehen happened
	gewinnen win	gewann won	gewonnen won
	gießen pour	goß poured	gegossen poured
	gleichen resemble	glich resembled	geglichen resembled
	gleiten glide, slide	glitt glided	ist geglitten glided
	glimmen glow, smoulder	glomm* glowed	ist geglommen* glowed↓ Also glimmte and hat geglimmt (weak).
	graben dig	grub dug	gegraben dug
	greifen grasp	griff grasped	gegriffen grasped

H	haben have	hatte had	gehabt had
	halten hold	hielt held	gehalten held
	hängen hang	hing hung/hanged↓ Hängen* is weak in transit ("Er hängte das Bild an die Wand.") and strong in intransitive nomances ("Das Bild hing an der Wand.").	hauen hew, hit
	haute* hit	gehauen hit	gehangen hung/hanged↓ Past form hieb* (strong verb) is used and the meaning becomes "struck (him) with a weapon."
	heben lift	hob lifted	gehoben lifted
	heißen be called	hieß named	geheißen named
	helfen help	half helped	geholfen helped
I

J

K	kennen* know	kannte knew	gekannt known Kennen is a "mixed" verb. Combination of strong and weak verbs.
	klingen ring	klang rang	geklungen rung
	kneifen pinch	kniff pinched	gekniffen pinched
	kommen come	kam came	ist gekommen come
	können can	konnte could	gekonnt* could Können becomes past participle, once added with an infinitive: "Ich habe nicht gehen können."
	kriechen crawl	kroch crawled	ist gekrochen crawled

L	laden load	lud loaded	geladen loaded
	lassen let, allow	ließ let	gelassen let
	laufen run	lief ran	ist gelaufen run
	leiden suffer	litt suffered	gelitten suffered
	leihen lend	lieh lent	geliehen lent
	lesen read	las read	gelesen read
	liegen* lie↓ Liegen (lie, recline, strong) and (sich) legen (lay, put, weak) are not the same.	lag lay	gelegen lain
	lügen lie	log lied	gelogen lied

M	mahlen grind	mahlte ground	gemahlen ground
	meiden avoid	mied avoided	gemieden avoided
	messen measure	maß measured	gemessen measured
	misslingen fail	misslang failed	misslungen failed
	mögen like	mochte liked	'gemocht* liked↓ The past participle is mögen, when used with a infinitive: "Sie hat nicht gehen mögen."
	müssen must	musste had to	gemusst* had to↓ The past participle is the infinitive müssen, when used under all modals, with an infinitive: "Wir haben nicht gehen müssen."

N	nehmen take	nahm took	genommen taken
	nennen name	nannte named	genannt named

O

P	pfeifen whistle	pfiff whistled	gepfiffen whistled
	preisen praise	pries praised	gepriesen praised

Q	quellen gush	quoll* gushed↓ Weak form quellte.	ist gequollen* gushed↓ Weak form hat gequellt.

R	raten advise	riet advised	geraten advised
	reiben rub	reib rubbed	gerieben rubbed
	reißen tear	riss tore	gerissen torn
	reiten* ride↓ The verb reiten is only used for riding an animal (e.g., horseback riding); to express "ride" in a transportation sense (bus, train, etc.), fahren is used.	ritt rode	ist geritten ridden
	rennen* run↓ A "mixed" verb, combining elements of strong and weak verbs.	rannte ran	ist gerannt run
	riechen smell	roch smelled	gerochen smelled
	ringen wring	rang wrung	gerungen wrung
	rinnen flow	rann flowed	ist geronnen flowed
	rufen call	rief called	gerufen called

S	salzen salt	salzte salted	gesalzen/gesalzt salted
	saufen drink	soff drank	gesoffen drunk
	saugen suck	sog* sucked	gesogen* sucked↓ The weak forms saugte and hat gesaugt. Mostly the weak form is used.
	schaffen create; accomplish, make	schuf* created→↓ The strong forms schuf/hat geschaffen are used when the meaning is "created" ("Sie hat schöne Sachen geschaffen.").	geschaffen* created→↓ To express "accomplished" or "made it," the weak forms schaffte/hat geschafft are used: "Er hat es geschafft (ein Tor zu machen)!"
	scheiden depart; separate	schied separated	geschieden* separated↓ In the sense of "leave" or "depart" scheiden takes sein as a helping verb: "Karl ist aus dem Dienst geschieden."
	scheinen shine	schien shone	geschienen shone
	scheißen shit	schiss shit	geschissen shit
	schelten scold	schalt scolded	gescholten scolded
	schießen shoot	schoss shot	geschossen shot
	schlafen sleep	schlief slept	geschlafen slept
	schlagen hit	schlug hit	geschlagen hit
	schleichen sneak	schlich sneaked	ist geschlichen sneaked
	schleifen polish	schliff* polished	geschliffen* polished↓ Although the strong form is preferred, schleifte and hat geschleift (weak) are also used.
	schleißen slit	schliß slit	geschlissen slit
	schließen close, lock	schloss closed	geschlossen closed
	schlingen gulp (down)	schlang gulped	geschlungen gulped
	schmeißen fling, toss	schmiss flung	geschmissen flung
	schmelzen melt	schmolz melted	geschmolzen melted
	schneiden cut	schnitt cut	geschnitten cut
	schrecken scare	schrak/schreckte scared	geschreckt/geschrocken scared
	schreiben write	schrieb wrote	geschrieben written
	schreien scream	schrie screamed	geschrien screamed
	schreiten step	schritt stepped	ist geschritten stepped
	schweigen be silent	schwieg was silent	geschwiegen been silent
	schwellen* swell, rise↓ There are two forms of schwellen: Strong (above) for the sense of "to swell up/fill with wind," and Weak to "fill (something) up with wind/to swell (something) up."	schwoll swelled	ist geschwollen swollen
	schwimmen swim	schwamm swam	ist geschwommen swum
	schwinden dwindle	schwand dwindled	ist geschwunden dwindled
	schwingen swing	schwang swung	geschwungen swung
	schwören swear	schwur/schwor swore	geschworen sworn

Se	sehen see	sah saw	gesehen seen
	sein be	war was	ist gewesen been
	senden* send, transmit↓ In the sense of "transmit" or "broadcast" only the weak forms sendete and hat gesendet are used. The weak forms may also be used in the sense of "send."	sandte sent	gesandt sent
	sieden boil	sott/siedete boiled	gesotten boiled
	singen sing	sang sang	gesungen sung
	sinken sink	sank sank	ist gesunken sunk
	sitzen* sit↓ Sitzen (sit, strong) and (sich) setzen (set, weak) are different!	saß sat	gesessen sat
	sollen should, ought to	sollte should	gesollt* should↓ With an infinitive, the past participle is sollen: "Ich habe nicht gehen sollen."
	spalten split	spaltete split	gespalten/gespaltet split
	speien spew	spie spewed	gespien spewed
	spinnen spin	spann spun	gesponnen spun
	sprechen speak	sprach spoke	gesprochen spoken
	sprießen sprout	spross sprouted	gesprossen sprouted
	springen jump	sprang jumped	ist gesprungen jumped
	stechen stab, sting	stach stung	gestochen stung
	stehen stand	stand stood	gestanden* stood↓ In some southern German and Austrian dialects, stehen takes sein as a helping verb: "Er ist im Eingang gestanden."
	stehlen steal	stahl stole	gestohlen stolen
	steigen climb	stieg climbed	ist gestiegen climbed
	sterben die	starb died	ist gestorben died
	stieben fly about	stob flew about	ist gestoben flown about
	stinken stink	stank stank	gestunken stunk
	stoßen push, bump	stieß pushed	gestoßen pushed
	streichen strike, paint	strich struck	gestrichen struck
	streiten argue	stritt argued	gestritten argued

T	tragen carry, wear	trug wore	getragen worn
	treffen meet	traf met	getroffen met
	treiben move, drive	trieb drove	getrieben* driven↓ In the sense of "drift" or "float" treiben takes sein as a helping verb: "Das Eis ist den Fluss entlang getrieben."
	triefen drip	triefte/troff dripped	getrieft dripped
	trinken drink	trank drank	getrunken drunk
	trügen be deceptive	trog was deceptive	getrogen been deceptive
	tun do	tat did	getan done

U	überwinden overcome	überwand overcame	überwunden overcome

V	verderben spoil	verdarb spoiled	verdorben spoiled
	verdrießen annoy	verdross annoyed	verdrossen annoyed
	vergessen forget	vergaß forgot	vergessen forgotten
	verlieren lose	verlor lost	verloren lost
	verschleißen wear (out)	verschliss wore (out)	verschlissen worn (out)
	verzeihen forgive	verzieh forgave	verziehen forgiven

W	wachsen* grow↓ In the sense of "to wax" (skis, etc.), wachsen is weak: (wachste and hat gewachst).	wuchs grew	ist gewachsen grown
	waschsen wash	wusch washed	gewaschsen washed
	weben weave	wob/webte wove	gewoben/gewebt woven
	weichen* yield↓ In the sense of "to soften" (up), weichen is weak: (weichte and hat geweicht).	wich yielded	ist gewichen yielded
	weisen indicate	wies indicated	gewiesen indicated
	wenden turn	wandte* turned→↓	gewandt* turned→↓ Also wendete and gewendet (car, hay, etc.).
	werben recruit	warb recruited	geworben recruited
	werden become	wurde became	ist geworden* become↓ As a helping verb in the passive voice: worden, as in "Ich bin oft gefragt worden." (I have often been asked.)
	werfen throw	warf threw	geworfen thrown
	wiegen weigh	wog/wiegte weighed	gewogen/gewiegt weighed
	winden twist	wand twisted	gewunden twisted
	wissen* know↓ Wissen is a "mixed" verb, combination of strong and weak verbs	wusste knew	gewusst known
	wollen want to	wollte wanted to	gewollt* wanted to↓ With an infinitive, the past participle is wollen: "Ich habe nicht gehen wollen."
	wringen wring	wrang wrung	gewrungen wrung

X

Y

Z	zeihen accuse	zieh accused	geziehen accused
	ziehen* pull↓ Do not confuse with ↑zeihen.↑	zog pulled	gezogen pulled
	zwingen compel	zwang compelled	gezwungen compelled

Separable Verbs

Sometimes you will run into verbs such as anrufen, aufräumen, mitkommen. These verbs are examples of Separable Prefix Verbs. When you see these kinds of verbs, it will have a preposition prefix followed by a verb. These verbs separate when they are the main verb of a sentence.

EXAMPLES:

I am calling the butcher. Ich rufe den Metzger an.

I am trying on the boots. Ich probiere die Stiefel an.

Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive Verbs are verbs involving the reflexive pronoun "sich" and its conjugations that reflect, or refer back, to the performer of the action. There are only accusative and dative reflexive pronouns.

Accusative reflexive pronouns are used when there is no direct object. Dative reflexive pronouns are used when a direct object is present. However, when using a direct object, the possessive is not used.

Examples:

Accusative: Ich verletze mich. I injure myself.

Dative: Ich verletze mir die Hand. I injure my hand.

Accusative: Er hat sich verbrannt. He burned himself.

Dative: Er hat sich den Daumen verbrannt. He burned his thumb.

Reflexiv Pronommen
	Akkusativ (Wenfall)	Dativ (Wemfall)
1st sg.	mich	mir
2nd sg. (informal)	dich	dir
1st pl.	uns	uns
2nd pl. (informal)	euch	euch
2nd sg. or pl. formal; 3rd.	sich	sich

Notice that all reflexives are the same as the Akkusativ and Dativ Pronoun Declensions — except for 3rd Person and 2nd sg./pl. Person formal (man/sie/Sie), in which case all reflexives are sich.

Modals

Dürfen

Dürfen means to be allowed/permitted, may.

	Present	Past	Conjunctive II
ich	darf (I am allowed to)	durfte	dürfte
du	darfst (You are allowed to)	durftest	dürftest
er/sie/es	darf (He/She/It is allowed to)	durfte	dürfte
wir	dürfen (We are allowed to)	durften	dürften
ihr	dürft (You (plural) are allowed to)	durftet	dürftet
sie/Sie	dürfen (They are allowed to/You (formal) are allowed to)	durften	dürften

Examples:

Darf ich einen Freund zum Fest bringen? May I bring a friend to the party?
Man darf hier nicht rauchen. One is not allowed to smoke here.
Niemand durfte die Stadt verlassen. No one was allowed to leave the city.

Können

können means 'to be able, capable'. It is cognate with the English word 'can'/'could'.

	Present	Past	Conjunctive II
ich	kann (I can)	konnte	könnte
du	kannst (You can)	konntest	könntest
er/sie/es	kann (He/She/It can)	konnte	könnte
wir	können (We can)	konnten	könnten
ihr	könnt (You can)	konntet	könntet
sie/Sie	können (They can)	konnten	könnten

Examples:

Ich kann das nicht tun. I can't do it.
Wir konnten sie nicht erreichen. We could not reach them.

Mögen

mögen expresses a pleasure, or desire. In the present tense, it is used transitively with people or food. e.g. 'Ich mag dich' 'I like you' or 'Ich mag Erdbeeren' 'I like strawberries'. The subjunctive (of the past) expresses preference to perform the action of a subordinate clause 'Ich möchte nach Frankreich reisen' 'I would like to travel to France'. 'mögen' is cognate with the English verb 'may'/'might'.

	Present	Past	Conjunctive II
ich	mag (I would like to)	mochte	möchte (I would like to)
du	magst (You like to)	mochtest	möchtest (You would like to)
er/sie/es	mag (He/She/It likes to)	mochte	möchte (He/She/It would like to)
wir	mögen (We like to)	mochten	möchten (We would like to)
ihr	mögt (You like to)	mochtet	möchtet (You would like to)
sie/Sie	mögen (They like to)	mochten	möchten (They would like to)

Example:

Ich möchte nach Deutschland reisen. I would like to travel to Germany.

(There is also a present subjunctive möge, which is very formal:
Der König sagte: "Er möge eintreten." - The king said: "He may enter.")

Müssen

müssen expresses something forced on you. It is etymologically related to 'must'.

	Present	Past	Conjunctive II
ich	muss gehen (I must/have to go)	musste (I had to)	müsste
du	musst	musstest	müsstest
er/sie/es	muss	musste	müsste
wir	müssen	mussten	müssten
ihr	müsst	musstet	müsstet
sie/Sie	müssen	mussten	müssten

Examples:

Ich muss nicht arbeiten. ~ Ich brauche nicht zu arbeiten.  I don't have to work.
Ich darf nicht arbeiten.  I must not work.

Note that the negative nicht müssen is not the English must not, but rather need not or don't have/need to. must not translates to nicht dürfen.

There are however some northern German uses like:

Du musst das nicht tun meaning Du solltest das nicht tun.

Sollen

sollen expresses an obligation or duty. It is etymologically related to 'shall'.

	Present	Past
ich	soll schwimmen (I am to swim)	sollte (I was to)
du	sollst	solltest
er/sie/es	soll	sollte
wir	sollen	sollten
ihr	sollt	solltet
sie/Sie	sollen	sollten

Wollen

wollen means to want.

	Present	Past
ich	will rennen (I want to run)	wollte
du	willst	wolltest
er/sie/es	will	wollte
wir	wollen	wollten
ihr	wollt	wolltet
sie/Sie	wollen	wollten

Use in Perfect (and Pluperfect) Tense

Although all these modals have a normal perfect:

gedurft gekonnt gemocht gemusst gesollt

in connection with other verbs, the infinitive form is used:

Ich habe das tun dürfen - können - mögen - müssen - sollen.

Wrong:

Ich habe das tun gedurft - gekonnt - gemocht - gemusst - gesollt.

It holds also for the verbs sehen and hören:

Ich habe ihn kommen sehen - hören.

Use of modal verbs as full verbs

Modal verbs can be used as full verbs indicating motion. In these cases, the infinitive verb is only implied.

Er muss nach Berlin. (implied: gehen or fahren) He must go to Berlin.

Present Tense

Use

The Present Tense is used for..

The Present Tense (="das Präsens") is used to describe situations that are happening and aren't the past.

For Ongoing Action, like I'm swimming in the pool now

Everyday Truths, like The moon and stars will come at night.

Future meaning, if explicitly stated, like I will run tomorrow morning

Actions started in the past and still going on in the present I've been cleaning the house all day

Progressive Forms

There is a present progressive tense in colloquial spoken German. Its use is optional.

Here is one example:

Ich bin am Fahren. (I am at the driving) I'm driving.

The person to say this would be driving during the time they say this and they would continue to drive after stating this for some time.

You nominalize the verb ("fahren" (driving) becomes "das Fahren") and add a "am". You can also do this with forms of the past.

Als er kam war ich gerade am Abwaschen. (When he arrived i was at "the dishwashing") I was washing the dishes when he arrived.

So the verb "sein" (to be) includes the information what tense he was doing what he did in.

Here the progressive meaning is also emphasized with the word "gerade" meaning something like: I was JUST ABOUT to wash the dishes(not the same though because it means he is already doing it and not about to start).

Perfect Tense

The Perfect Tense or das Perfekt of verbs is used to talk about things in the past which have already happened. It is sometimes referred to as "Present Perfect Tense". This can cause confusion. While the formation is similar, the meaning and usage differs.

Formation

As in English, the perfect tense consists of two parts. An auxiliary (Hilfsverb) and a past participle (Partizip Perfekt). Compare the examples given below with their English translations.

Er	hat	gelacht.
He	has	laughed.

Sie	ist	gekommen
She	has	come.

Die Kinder	haben	gegessen.
The children	have	eaten.

Past participle for regular verbs

The general rule is simple:

verb	prefix	+ 3rd-person sing.	participle(er/sie/es)
lachen (laugh)	ge	+ (er/sie/es) lacht	gelacht
kaufen (buy)	ge	+ (er/sie/es) kauft	gekauft
mähen (mow)	ge	+ (er/sie/es) mäht	gemäht

There are some groups of regular verbs that slightly differ from that pattern.

Some verbs drop the prefix ge-. Like the other regular verbs they end in -t. These are:

1. Verbs with unseparable prefixes (be-, ent-, er-, empf-, ge-, ver-, miss-, zer-)
Examples:

verb	past participle
besuchen (visit)	besucht
entfernen (remove)	entfernt
erreichen (achieve)	erreicht
gehören (belong)	gehört
verstecken (hide)	versteckt
missverstehen (misunderstand)	missverstanden

2. Verbs ending in -ieren
Examples:

verb	past participle
kopieren (copy)	kopiert
polieren (polish)	poliert

3. Another group is formed by verbs with separable prefixes
With separable verbs, the prefix ge is placed between the prefix and the rest of the verb.
Examples:

verb	sep. pref.+ ge + 3rd-person sg.	= past participle
aufmachen (open)	auf + ge + macht	= aufgemacht
abstellen (put down)	ab + ge + stellt	= abgestellt

Separable and inseparable verbs are distinguished by the stressed syllable:

verb	past participle
über'setzen (to translate)	über'setzt
'übersetzen (to ferry across)	'übergesetzt

Er hat das Buch ins Chinesische übersetzt.
Der Fährmann hat den Passagier übergesetzt (über den Fluss gesetzt).

Past Participle for Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs always end in -en. The vowel can be different from the one in present tense. Look at some examples:

infinitive	3rd-person sg.	past participle
gehen (go)	geht	gegangen
essen (eat)	isst	gegessen
schreiben (write)	schreibt	geschrieben
trinken (drink)	trinkt	getrunken
schlafen (sleep)	schläft	geschlafen
nehmen (take)	nimmt	genommen

You have to learn these forms by heart. How you can obtain the necessary information and how you should learn them is described in section tips for learning below.

Note that irregular verbs can be combined with the same prefixes as described above. The same rules regarding the prefix ge- apply. Therefore the forms for schreiben, verschreiben and aufschreiben are geschrieben, verschrieben and aufgeschrieben respectively.

Which verbs are irregular

A lot of verbs that are irregular in English are irregular in German, too. Unfortunately, this is not always true. It is most likely when the German and the English verb are related (i.e. look similar).

Examples:

see:    irregular   sehen:    irregular
buy:    irregular   kaufen:   regular
get:    irregular   bekommen: irregular ;-)

Regular verbs are much more frequent than irregular ones, but a lot of the irregular verbs are used very frequently, for instance haben, sein, gehen, kommen etc.

When in doubt whether a verb is irregular or not, it is best to look it up in a dictionary (See below).

Haben or sein as auxiliaries

Whether a verb is irregular or not does not influence the choice of auxiliary.

Most verbs take haben as auxiliary.

A) Verbs which take an accusative object (transitive verbs)
B) Reflexive verbs always take haben as auxiliary.

Examples A:

trinken: Er hat ein Bier getrunken.
lesen:   Sie hat ein Buch gelesen
kochen   Sie haben gestern Spaghetti gekocht.

Examples B:

sich freuen   Ich habe mich gefreut
sich kämmen   Er hat sich gekämmt
sich ärgern   Wir haben uns schon lange nicht mehr so geärgert.

The auxiliary sein is taken by verbs that describe

C) the relocation from one place to another or

D) the change of a state

and with

E) sein (be) and bleiben (stay)

Note: none of the verbs from groups C-E is combined with an accusative object.

Examples C: relocation verbs

verb               aux.  irregular  sentence with perfect tense 
kommen (come)      sein  yes        Ich bin gekommen.
reisen (travel)    sein  no         Wir sind schon dreimal nach China gereist.
fahren (drive)     sein  yes        Ich bin mit dem Auto nach Kalifornien gefahren.
begegnen (meet)    sein  no         Er ist ihm gestern begegnet. 
gehen (go)         sein  yes        Du bist gegangen.
starten (take off) sein  yes        Das Flugzeug ist gestartet.

In southern German (mostly Bavarian) use, also stehen, sitzen und schwimmen are treated like a (non-)movement:

Ich bin gestanden - gesessen - geschwommen. High German is: Ich habe gestanden - gesessen - geschwommen.
Aber: Ich habe den See durchschwommen.

Examples D: change of state verbs

verb                        aux.   irr.    sentence with perfect tense
aufstehen (get up)          sein   yes     Ich bin heute früh aufgestanden.
einschlafen (fall asleep)   sein   yes     Die Kinder sind endlich eingeschlafen.
verblühen (whither)         sein   no      Die Blumen sind schon verblüht

Examples E: sein and bleiben

Er ist nicht lange geblieben.  He didn't stay long.
Er ist immer nett gewesen.     He has always been nice.

Exceptions to the rules Some of the verbs from group A can be used with an object in accusative case. In this case, they take haben as auxiliary.

Compare:

Ich bin nach Kalifornien gefahren.                  I drove to California. 
Ich bin mit dem Auto nach Kalifornien gefahren.     I drove to California by car (literally: with the car)
Ich habe das Auto (Akk.) nach Kalifornien gefahren. I drove the car to California.

The same applies to fliegen (fly), starten and reiten (ride a horse).

Usage

Unlike in English the difference in meaning between Perfekt and Präteritum is rather small. The main difference between those two forms lies in usage. Perfekt is mostly used in spoken language, while Präteritum is mostly reserved for written texts. However, the modals, the verbs haben and sein and the expression es gibt are almost exclusively used in Präteritum - even when speaking. One reason might be the frequency of those verbs, the other reason is most likely the very complex perfect forms for modals.

(This is in southern German use; in northern German, you'll hear the preterite also in spoken language.)

On the other hand, the perfect tense is used in writing too. The more oral the text is, the more perfect tense you will find (for example in personal letters etc.). If an action has happened very recently, it tends to be in perfect tense too.

Look at the following conversation and concentrate on the distribution of Präteritum and Perfekt.

(1) Anna: Hallo Peter. Wo warst du denn? Ich habe dich schon lange nicht mehr gesehen.
(2) Peter: Hallo Anna. Ich war die letzen zwei Wochen im Urlaub.
(3) Anna: So? Wo warst du denn genau?
(4) Peter: Auf der Insel Elba, in einem fantastischen Hotel. Es gab jeden Abend ein Büffet und man konnte essen, so viel man wollte!
(5) Anna (lacht): Ich glaube dir sofort, dass dir das gefallen hat. Du hast aber nicht nur gegessen, oder? Was hast du denn den ganzen Tag gemacht?
(6) Peter (lacht auch): Nein, natürlich nicht. Ich bin viel geschwommen, ich habe mir die Insel angeguckt und am Abend bin ich immer zum Tanzen in eine Disco gegangen.
(7) Anna: Aha... Und? Hast du jemanden kennen gelernt?
(8) Peter (grinst): Kein Kommentar.

Vocablary to help you understand the text:

der Urlaub, -e   vacation
genau            exactly, precisely
die Insel, -n    island
das Büffet, -s   buffet
gefallen         like
angucken         to look at (colloquial)
kennen lernen    get to know
grinsen          grin

Used forms to talk about past events

Präteritum         Perfekt
du warst (1/3)     habe gesehen (1)
ich war (2)        es hat gefallen (5)
es gab (4)         du hast gegessen (5)
konnte (4)         du hast gemacht (5)
wollte (4)         ich bin geschwommen (6)
                   ich habe angeguckt (6)
                   ich bin gegangen (6)
                   du hast kennen gelernt

How to find the forms in a dictionary

Unless you have a special dictionary for learners, not all the forms will be spelled out. Regular forms are often omitted. The same goes for the auxiliary haben. If no forms are indicated, you may assume that the verb is regular and has the verb haben as an auxiliary. However, if you find the abbreviation itr or i. (for intransitive) behind the verb, the auxiliary is often sein. Intransitve verbs don't have an accusative object and these are often used with sein, while transitive verbs (tr. or t.) are always conjugated with haben.

Sometimes not even the forms of irregular verbs are given in the lexicon entry. Irregular verbs are often indicated by irr. for irregular or a similar abbreviation. In that case, look for a list of irregular verb forms in the index of your dictionary.

To find the past participle of separable verbs you often have to cut the prefix and look for the base form of the verb. If you look for aufstehen (get up), you probably find your answer in the entry of stehen. Remember: The prefix ge goes in between the prefix of the separable verb and the verb itself: auf + ge + standen.

When working online, you might consider using Canoo. Enter an arbitrary form of the word you are interested in into the mask. Hit enter. On the results page, choose the link Flexion behind the appropriate entry (or inflection in the English version). You will get a table of all possible verb forms.

Tips for learning

Irregular forms are just that - irregular. Therefore you have to learn them by heart. By learning four forms, you can construct every verb form for a given verb.

The forms you should know are:

Infinitiv    Präsens          Präteritum    Hilfsverb  + Partizip Perfekt
infinitiv    3rd person       preterite     auxiliary  + past participle
gehen        geht             ging          ist        + gegangen
nehmen       nimmt            nahm          hat        + genommen
fahren       fährt            fuhr          ist        + gefahren
lesen        liest            las           hat        + gelesen
essen        isst             aß            hat        + gegessen
kommen       kommt            kam           ist        + gekommen
bleiben      bleibt           blieb         ist        + geblieben
sein         ist              war           ist        + gewesen
anfangen     fängt ... an     fing ... an   hat        + angefangen
...

All forms - besides the infinitive of course - should be in 3rd-person singular.

A good way to learn those forms is to put them on small cards. On one side you write the infinitive and probably a sentence to illustrate the usage of the verb. On the backside you put the rest of the forms and - if needed - a translation of the verb. When learning, you look at the infinitve and try to remember the forms and the meaning. You can easily verify your hypothesis by flipping the card.

If you encounter a verb you want to learn, look it up in a dictionary. If it is irregular, learn the verb together with its defining forms. Like that, you spare yourself a lot of trouble later on.

Sentence Structure

The perfect tense consists of two verb forms: an auxiliary and a past participle. Together they form the so called predicate. The predicate consists of all verb parts in one clause.

The sentence structure in perfect behaves as with every two parts predicate (modals plus infinitive, separable verbs etc.)

Main Clauses

In a main clause (Hauptsatz), the conjugated verb (the auxiliary in this case) is in the second position and the past participle stands at the end of the clause.

   First Position (I)       (II)
1) Sein Vater               hat  gestern ein fantastisches Essen gekocht.
2) Gestern                  hat  sein Vater ein fantastisches Essen gekocht.
   Both: Yesterday, his father cooked a fantastic meal.
3) Ein fantastisches Essen  hat  sein Vater gestern gekocht.*
   It was a fantastic meal that his father cooked yesterday.

* The third example is correct, although not very frequent. You might use it if you want to stress what exactly his father has prepared or if you have to repeat the sentence because your partner has not understood this particular part of it.

Second position does not equal second word, as you can see above. However, there is only one group of words allowed before the conjugated verb (the auxiliary in this case). Such groups of words are called "phrases". While you can put very long phrases in front of the conjugated verb, you must not use two. Therefore the sentence "Gestern sein Vater hat ein fantastisches Essen gekocht" is wrong.

Subordinated Clauses

Subordinated clauses begin with a subordinating conjunction. Well known conjunctions of this kind are

weil  dass  wenn.

*In spoken language weil is often used like und or aber, which means that it is followed by a main clause. However, after weil, speakers often pause for a little while. There is no pause after either und or aber.
Weil + main clause is not allowed in written language. Therefore you may say: Ich gehe, weil - (little pause) - ich bin müde. But you wouldn't use it in a letter. At least not yet.
The correct conjunction for a main clause is denn, which is rarely used in spoken language.

In subordinated clauses the conjugated verb, i.e. the auxiliary, stands at the very end of the sentence. The past participle stands directly in front of it. For example:

                  conj.    aux.                 participle  aux.
Ich weiß,         dass  du      das             gemacht     hast.
Ich glaube dir,   weil  du      bisher noch nie gelogen     hast.
Ich glaube dir,   denn  du hast bisher noch nie gelogen.
Ich gehe,         wenn  du                      gegangen    bist.

Past tense

Regular verbs

Regular (or better, weak) verbs take the ending -te. The person endings are added afterwards. Note that the forms for 1st- and 3rd-person singular are the same.

	lernen
ich	lernte
du	lerntest
er/sie/es	lernte
wir	lernten
ihr	lerntet
sie/Sie	lernten

If the stem of a verb (infinitive minus -en) ends in -t (arbeit-en), -d (end-en) or consonant plus m or n (öffn-en, rechn-en) you add an -e before the preterite endings.

	arbeiten
ich	arbeitete
du	arbeitetest
er/sie/es	arbeitete
wir	arbeiteten
ihr	arbeitetet
sie/Sie	arbeiteten

Irregular verbs

Without -te

The strong verbs belong to this group. The endings are easy to memorize. It is harder to know which vowel to use. The rule mentioned above for t/d, double-consonant + n/m applies also for irregular verbs.

	fahren	stehen
ich	fuhr	stand
du	fuhrst	stand(e)st
er/sie/es	fuhr	stand
wir	fuhren	standen
ihr	fuhrt	standet
sie/Sie	fuhren	standen

gehen, ging, gegangen
stehen, stand, gestanden

With -te

Few irregular verbs take the -te ending. Examples are: nennen, rennen, kennen, bringen, denken and the irregular modals (können, dürfen and müssen).

	nennen
ich	nannte
du	nanntest
er/sie/es	nannte
wir	nannten
ihr	nanntet
sie/Sie	nannten

Future Tense

Talking about future with the present tense

German uses the Present Tense to talk about the future whenever it is clear to both speaker and listener that the future is meant. In the dialogue example:

Wenn du zu Hause bleibst, kommen wir dich besuchen.
If you stay at home, we shall come and visit you.

The whole conversation is about the future, so there is no need to indicate it again in the tense of the verb.

Some more examples:

Ich schreibe den Brief heute Abend.
I will write the letter this evening.

Wir gehen nächstes Jahr nach Spanien.
We will go to Spain next year.

Futur I

Where the meaning would not otherwise be clear, and in more formal language, e.g. to express an intention, German talks about the future tense by using werden plus the infinitive at the end of the clause. The forms of werden are:

ich werde
du wirst
er/sie/es/man wird

wir werden
ihr werdet
sie/Sie werden

Examples:

Ich werde ein Haus bauen.
I shall build a house. (an intention)

Wir werden sehen.
We will see.

The future can also express some inescapable fate:

Sie werden alle umkommen.
They will all perish.

Future II

The Future II is formed with added "sein" oder "haben" and expresses that one action will happen before another one.

Wenn sie das Abendessen gekocht haben wird, werden sie kommen. 
When she will have cooked the dinner, they will come.

In the colloquial language, the perfect is often used for that.

In the colloquial language expresses the Future II often a speculation about the past.

Sie werden angekommen sein.
literally "they will have arrived" - meaning "(I gather) they have arrived (by now)"

Sie werden es gemacht haben.
"they will have done it"

In the colloquial language, the Futur II is normally used when speaking about something that should have happened already, but you are not sure or you can't prove it.

APPENDICES

A.01 - Das Alphabet

The Alphabet

Like English, the German alphabet consists of 26 basic letters. However, there are also combined letters and three umlauted forms. An umlaut is the pair of dots placed over certain vowels; in German, Umlaut describes the dotted letter, not just the dots.

As in English, letters may be pronounced differently depending on word and location. The first column is the German letter, the second describes the IPA pronunciation and rough English approximation of the letter name. The third gives an English word that matches or approximates the German letter sound.

Reading down this column and pronouncing the "English" words will recite the alphabet auf Deutsch ("in German"). Note that letter order is exactly the same as in English, but pronunciation is not for many of the letters. In the list of pronunciation notes, no entry means essentially "pronounced as in English".

Pronunciation: The alphabet — Das Alphabet
A	(a) /aː/ U as in up but short, and with spread out lips, just like the A in Spanish. All vowels except for the A can be long or short: This one is always short, except in diphthongs, see below.
B	(be) /beː/	Pronounced like 'p' when at the end of a word or before a consonant (except a liquid)
C	(ce) /tseː/	See combination letter forms; without a following 'h': before 'e', 'i', 'y', 'ä', 'ö', 'ü', like the German letter 'z' elsewhere like 'k'
D	(de) /deː/	Pronounced like 't' when at the end of a word or before a consonant (except for a liquid)
E	(e) /eː/	Long 'e': as 'a' in 'late' (ay) without the y, like the E in the Received Pronunciation of bed Short 'e': as 'e' in 'pet'. E is also short in unstressed syllables, when it sounds like 'a' in 'about' or 'e' in 'garden'
F	(ef) /ɛf/
G	(ge) /geː/	Pronounced like 'g' in 'get'; pronounced like 'k' when at the end of a word or before a consonant (except a liquid) pronounced like the German word "ich" (see below) in the suffix '-ig' at the end of words, and in words of French origin when followed by E or I, like the "S" in vision.	gn≠n
H	(ha) /haː/	Pronounced like 'h' in 'house' only at the beginning of words.	After a vowel, it is silent.	See combinations with " H".	The letter H can show up anywhere in a German word, just like in English.
I	(i) /iː/	Long 'i' as 'e' in 'seen' (ee); short 'i' as 'i' in 'pit'
J	(jot) /jot/	Pronounced like 'j' in juice at the beginning of words with English origin, and the "S" in vision at the beginning of words with French origin, the same as the J in English but without the initial D, and otherwise the English y as in yogurt.
K	(ka) /kaː/	kn≠n
L	(el) /ɛl/	Pronounced like 'l' but is always light. Not appɫe but Apfel	Not miɫk, but Milch
M	(em) /ɛm/
N	(en) /ɛn/	Slightly more "dental"; Before a vowel
O	(o) /oː/	Long 'o': as 'o' in 'open' (oh), without the "W", similar to the O in American English cold. Short 'o': as 'o' in 'pot'.
P	(pe) /peː/
Q	(ku) /kuː/	Pronounced like 'k'; only occurs in the combination 'qu', which is pronounced like 'kv', not like 'kw'.
R	(er) /ɛʁ/, /er/	At the end of a word or before a consonant, like the U in up.	Before a vowel, after a consonant or when doubled, like the G in the Spanish amigo.
S	(es) /ɛs/	Pronounced like the English 'z': •Before a vowel at the beginning of a word •Between two vowels. •Pronounced like 'sh' in the beginning of a word or syllable before 'p' or 't' Like English 's' everywhere else.
T	(te) /teː/	Pronounced like 't' but with the tongue touching the teeth (dental). Sometimes, this letter sounds like a ts, just like the German z. It happens in these endings: TION, TIE, TUAL, TIAL, TIO.
U	(u) /uː/	Long 'u' as 'oo' in 'moon' (oo); short 'u' as 'u' in 'put'
V	(vau) /faʊ/	Can be soft (like the german f) or hard (like the German w). I can do three tricks. If a word starts with Ver- followed by a consonant, use the hard V, unless the Ver- is the prefix, if it appears at the end of a word, use the soft V, and if you need to guess, listen to the audio, for example, November sounds like:
W	(ve) /veː/	Pronounced like 'v', but again, if it is the last letter of a word, do not pronounce it.
X	(iks) /ɪks/	Pronounced like 'ks', like in English
Y	(üpsilon) /ʏpsɪlon/	Pronounced like 'ü' (see below), 'i' at the end and 'j' at the beginning.
Z	(zet) /tsɛt/	Pronounced like 'ts'

Unique German Letters

Umlaut Letters

Umlauts were originally written as 'ae', 'oe', and 'ue'.

Ä

(ä), /ɛː/ or

(a Umlaut), /aː 'ʊmlaʊt/

Long ä /ɛː/: pronounced as 'e' in 'pet', but longer.

Short ä /ɛ/: pronounced as 'e' in 'pet'.

Ö

(ö), /øː/ or

(o Umlaut), /oː 'ʊmlaʊt/

No English equivalent sound (see below).

Long ö /øː/: somewhat similar to vowel in 'jerk', 'turn', or 'third', but it is critical to note that there is no 'r' sound that is pronounced in conjunction with the ö.

Short ö /œ/: somewhat like 'ur' as in 'hurt', without the 'r' sound.

Ü

(ü), /yː/ or

(u Umlaut), /uː 'ʊmlaʊt/

No English equivalent sound (see below).

Long ü /yː/: similar to 'ew' as in 'stew' or 'new', but with lips rounded.

Short ü /ʏ/: similar to 'u' as in 'cute'.

The ss-Ligature, ß

Pronunciation: ß-ligature — Eszett (missing file: File:German Pronunciation - ß-ligature.ogg, how to upload audio)
ß	(es-zet or scharfes es) /ɛsˈtsɛt/	Pronounced like 's' in 'set' or 'c' in 'nice'; see below for uses.

Combined Letters

eu and äu both sound like the oy in b"oy"

Pronunciation: Combined letters — Buchstabenkombinationen (missing file: File:German Pronunciation - Combined letters.ogg, how to upload audio)
ch	(ce-ha) //	Pronounced like h in huge: At the beginning of a word, after e i y ä ö ü l n r eu äu, in chen S as in sugar after s (see below) Spanish x in México elsewhere
ck	(ce-ka) // K sound after a short vowel.
tz	(te-zet) // Z sound after a short vowel.
ie	(i-e) //	pronounced like the 'ee' in the English word 'meet'. Here long I, silent E.	ei, ai, ay, and ey are pronounced 'eye', just like the letter I, but ay (as in Paraguay) and ey (as in Aubrey) are rare, mostly used in proper nouns.
au	(a-u) //	Pronounced like the 'ow' in the English word cow
dt	(de-te) // Like b, if d appears at the end of a word or right before any consonant except for L or R, it will be pronounced as a t. DT is thus pronounced as a T.	st	(es-te) //	Pronounced like English 'sh' followed by 't' when at the beginning of words or a syllable, like in washed, or the Bulgarian letter Щ.
sp	(es-pe) //	Pronounced like English 'sh' followed by 'p' when at the beginning of words or a syllable.
sch, sh	Pronounced like English 'sh'
tsch		Pronounced like English 'ch', like you word expect. The sound is made of a t sound (spelled t in German) and then an sh sound (spelled sch or sh in German), so that makes sense.
ph	(pe-ha) //	Pronounced like 'f'. However, words in German that contain a Ph in them are always borrowed from English or Greek, because these words are always of foreign origin.
pf	(pe-ef) //	Difficult pronunciation for non-speakers. Both letters are pronounced. It sounds similar to the 'pef' in typeface. But it: Can appear anywhere. Can't follow any consonant. Cannot be divided into Syllables e. g. Apf\|el, not Ap\|fel, and Tropf\|en, not Trop\|fen.
qu	(ku-u) //	Pronounced like 'kv'. q is always followed by u. Audio: OGG (305KB) ~ Das Alphabet oder Das ABC Audio: OGG (114KB) ~ Die Umlaute
th	(te-ha)	Pronounced like the English T. Note that the two English th sounds, /θ/ and /ð/, which are always spelled with a "TH", in English, do not exist in German at all. E. g. Feather, Feder. And, Brother, Bruder. Yep, again, the H is silent.

Notes: •There is no uppercase ß. •All vowels (withot umlauts) are pronounced like those in Spanish, but in Spanish the long ones are pronounced much shorter in Spanish. •In German you capitalize these:

Nouns (and words used as nouns)*
Beginning of a sentence.
The word "Sie", but only meaning you in the formal sense, and its forms.

•Modern German, Luxembourgish, and Bavarian are the only languages in the world that capitalizes every noun. •Also, the only English word that is always capitalized whose German translation (unless it starts a sentence) is not capitalized is the pronoun "I". •in a title, like in Spanish only the first word and other "always" capitalized words are capitalized

Expect names of italicized letters: das a or das A.

The silent letters in German appear in five situations: • H after a vowel or T • First letter of double consonants, ck, and tz* • E after I, in which I is always long • Final W. • D before the T Vowels are long with one consonant after it, and short with two. But… A is always short Diphthongs are long Compound words are broken up: Weg|weiser Borrowed and short words may break this rule. Any following H's: Tuch, John, Sohn, Joshua, Buch have a long vowel sound. In French loanwords, if a vowel is followed by a nasal consonant in the same syllable, then the nasal consonant will be silent and the vowel will be nasal. A nasal vowel produces air through your mouth and your nose.

A double vowel is long, except for AA (see above)

Konsonanten ~ Consonants

Most German consonants are pronounced similarly to the way they are pronounced in English, with exceptions noted in column 3 above. Details of certain consonant sounds and uses are discussed further here.

d, t, l, and n – In German, these letters are pronounced with the tongue extended up to the back of the base of the teeth, creating a more dental sound. As noted above, 'd' is a 'dental d' except at the end of a word or before a consonant (except an R), where it becomes a 'dental t'.

Note that as above, L only uses the front of your tongue, just like in Spanish or French, which is similar to the L in Laugh.

sch – this combination is pronounced like 'sh' /ʃ/, not 'sk' as in English. A German example is Schüler /ˈʃyːlɐ/ (student).

sp and st – Where these combinations appear at the beginning of a word or syllable, the 's' sound becomes an 'sh' /ʃ/ sound, while the next letter is pronounced the same as itself in English and German. German examples are spielen /ʃpiːlən/ (play) and Stelle /ˈʃtɛlə/ (place).

German Sounds not found in English

There are sounds in the German language that have no real equivalent in the English language. These are discussed here.

r – Most Germans pronounce 'r' as /ʁ/, a guttural sound the g in amigo.

ö (read as oh-umlaut) – This vowel is pronounced similarly to the 'u' in the word 'murder' (spoken with a British accent), but with the lips rounded. Commonly, the 'long ö' /øː/ is made by first sounding 'oo' as in moon, then pursing the lips as if to whistle, and changing the sound to 'a' as in 'late'. An example of "long ö" is schön /ʃøːn/ (beautiful). The 'short ö' sound /œ/ is made by first sounding 'oo', pursing the lips, and changing the sound to 'e' as in 'pet', and it sounds very similar to the 'i' in 'sir'. An example of the "short ö" is zwölf /t͡svœlf/ (twelve). If you have problems pronouncing ö, do not replace it by 'o' but by 'e' (as in elf), which occurs in some German dialects. In written and printed German, 'oe' can be an acceptable substitute for 'ö' if the latter is unavailable.

ü (read as oo-umlaut) – As with 'ö', 'ü' is a rounded vowel sound with no real English equivalent. The 'long ü' /yː/ is made by first sounding 'oo' as in moon, then pursing the lips as if to whistle, and changing the sound to 'ee' as in 'seen'. A simpler approach is to simply shape your lips and tongue as if you are going to whistle, and then put some voice. An example of "long ü" is früh /fʁyː/ (early). The "short ü" sound /ʏ/ is made by first sounding 'oo', pursing the lips, and changing the sound to 'i' as in 'pit. An example of "short ü" is fünf /fʏnf/ (five). If you have problems pronouncing ü, do not replace it by 'u' but by 'i' (as in fish), which occurs in some German dialects. In written and printed German, 'ue' can be an acceptable substitute for 'ü' if the latter is unavailable.
ß looks like a B but be aware of the five warnings, which are as follows:

•It always sounds like an S. •It can't be the first letter of a word. •It always follows a vowel. •It doesn't have an uppercase version. •It looks like a Greek letter, the $\beta$ , but never replace it with the Greek letter $\beta$ .

ach – When 'ch' is not preceded by ä, ö, ü, l, n, r, e, i, y, eu, äu, or s it sounds like the x in the country México, when spoken by a Spanish-speaking person.

Ich has a meaning by itself: it means me. When ig is at the end of the word, it also sounds like the pronoun ich in German!

Audio: OGG ~ ach | OGG ~ ich auch | OGG ~ richtig

Syllable Stress

The general rule in German is that words are stressed on the first syllable. However, there are exceptions. Almost all exceptions are of Spanish or French origin. For those borrowed from French it will generally stressed on the last syllable, for example, Vokal, Konsonant, and Lektion (vowel, consonant, lesson). In loanwords from Spanish, however, the stress is generally on the next-to-last syllable if it ends in N, S, or a vowel and the last one otherwise. These words (not stressed on the first syllable) appear in the (Level II and III) lesson vocabularies as Vokal, Lektion (in some regions: Lektion), etc.

Words starting in common prefixes (ge-, be-, ver-, etc.) stress the syllable following said prefix. Examples are Gemüse, Beamte, and Vereinigung. Also, the German word "Ski" means "ski" and is spelled "ski" but it is actually pronounced like the pronoun "She" in English. Notice that we have genders in German, masculine, feminine, neutral. English doesn't have genders. Also as mentioned above, all nouns are capitalized in German, Bavarian and Luxembourgish. And finally, we saw that in words of French origin the letter J, as well as the letter G (before E or I) makes the sound of S as in vision, which is the English J sound without the initial D, and the IPA is this: /ʒ/, a very rare sound in both German and English. Example: In Garage the first G is pronounced the same as how it is pronounced in English, while the second one is pronounced /ʒ/ because it comes before an E, and the word has a French origin. Again, remember that this sound is very rare in both of these languages. Don't forget the ${\ddot {}}$ , which will go on back vowels only and move the sound from the back to the front, except for AU. The AU sounds like ow as in cow, while the ÄU sounds like the oy in boy. The ${\ddot {}}$ may not appear on the A in the AI or AY diphthongs. Last the A, which is always short, except in a diphthong and as ${\ddot {A}}$ , as well as long vowels without double-dots on top, are pronounced like those in Spanish, but the Spanish vowel sounds are pronounced short, while in German, all of them except for the A are longer. Again A is always short, never long.

A.02 - Phrase Book

German Phrases

Greetings

Hallo!                      Hello!

Guten Tag!                  Good day!

Tag Day

Guten Morgen! Good morning!

Guten Abend! Good evening- this is for close friends and family

Wie geht es Ihnen? How are you (formal)? How are you doing?

Wie geht's How are you (informal)

Es geht mir gut I'm doing fine, I'm well

Prima!, Great!

Spitze! Super!

Gut!                        Good!

Sehr gut! Very good!

Toll!                       Terrific!
  
    Ganz gut                    Pretty good

  So lala                     OK
  
 Es geht so                  Going ok
  
Nicht gut                   Not well

Schlecht Bad

Sehr schlecht Very bad

Miserabel Miserable

Und Ihnen? And you (formal)?

Auf Wiedersehen!            Good bye!

Wiedersehen! Bye!

Tschüss! See you!

Ciao! Ciao! (Italian for 'see you')

Bis später!                 Later! (until later)

Bis dann! Later! (until whenever)

Wiederhören                 (hear) again (used over the phone)

Note: How are you? is not a typical query in German greeting etiquette as it is in English, where the standard answer is I'm Fine. A German speaker will consider this to be an earnest question, and you may receive an honest answer that is longer than you expected.

Note: Wiedersehen directly translates as "to see again".

Gespräche (conversations)

Danke (sehr)!              Thanks, thank you
Danke schön!               Thanks a lot!
Bitte?                     Please?
Bitte (sehr)!              You're welcome! (comes after danke)
Entschuldigung!            Excuse me!
Vielen Dank                Much thanks
Gern geschehen             You are welcome

Verstehen (understanding)

1. Sprechen Sie bitte etwas langsamer. Please, speak somewhat slower.

2. Bitte sprechen Sie langsamer. Please speak more slowly.

3. Können Sie mich verstehen? Can you understand me?

4. Ich verstehe Sie nicht. I don't understand you.

5. Ich weiß nicht/ Ich kennst nicht. I don't know.

6. Was haben Sie gesagt? What was that? What have you said?

7. Können Sie das bitte wiederholen? Can you say that again, please!

8. Ich spreche kein deutsch. I don't speak German (literally: I speak no German.)

9. Ich spreche nur ein bisschen Deutsch. I speak only a little German

10. Ich spreche nur wenig deutsch.

I speak a little German

11. Ich spreche nur ein paar Wörter auf deutsch. I only speak a few words of German.

12. Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Do you speak German?

13. Sprechen Sie Englisch? Do you speak English?

Positionen (Locations)

Wo ist die Apotheke?                    Where is the drug store?
Wo ist das Geschäft?                    Where is the shop?
Wissen Sie, wo der Flughafen ist?       Do you know where the airport is? 
Wie gelangt man zur Bowlingbahn?        How do you get to the bowling alley?

More commonly used is: (few people say "gelangt")

Wie kommt man zur…                      How does one get to…? (for feminine words)
Wie kommt man zur Apotheke?             How does one get to the chemist / pharmacy?

Wie kommt man zum…                      How does one get to…? (for neuter or masculine words)
Wie kommt man zum Flughafen?            How does one get to the airport?

Gehen Sie nach links.                   Go left
Gehen Sie nach rechts.                  Go right

Common phrases

Translation	Phrase	IPA	Pronunciation	Sound
German	Deutsch	/dɔɪ̯ʧ/	(doytsh)	(listen)
hello	Hallo	/ˈhaloː/	(HAH-loh)	(listen)
good-bye	auf Wiedersehen	/aʊ̯f ˈviːdɐzeːn/	(owf VEE-der-zayn)	(listen)
please	bitte	/ˈbɪtə/	(BIT-tuh)	(listen)
you’re welcome	bitte schön	/ˈbɪtə ʃøːn/	(BIT-tuh shurn)
thank you	danke	/ˈdaŋkə/	(DAHNG-kuh)	(listen)
that one	das da	/das da/	(duss dah)	(listen)
how much?	wie viel?	/vi fiːl/	(vee feel)	(listen)
English	Englisch	/ˈʔɛŋlɪʃ/	(ANG-lish)	(listen)
yes	ja	/jaː/	(yah)	(listen)
no	nein	/naɪ̯n/	(nine)	(listen)
I need help	Ich brauche Hilfe	/ʔiç ˈbʁaʊ̯χə ˈhɪlfə/	(ish BROW-khuh HEEL-fuh)
excuse me	Entschuldigen Sie	/ʔɛntˈʃʊldɪgən ziː/	(ent-SHOOL-dee-gen zee)
pardon me	verzeihen Sie	/fɐˈʦaɪ̯ən ziː/	(fair-TSEYE-en zee)
I am sick	ich bin krank	/ʔɪç bɪn kʁaŋk/	(ish bin krunk)
where’s the bathroom?	Wo ist die Toilette?	/voː ʔɪst diː toːˈlɛtə/	(vo ist dee toe-LET-tuh)	(listen)
generic toast	prosit prost	/ˈpʁoziːt/ /pʁoːst/	(PRO-zeet) (proast)	(listen) (listen)
Do you speak English?	Sprechen Sie Englisch?	/ˈʃpʁɛçən ziː ˈʔɛŋlɪʃ/	(SHPRE-shen zee ANG-lish)	(listen)
I don’t speak German	Ich spreche kein Deutsch	/ʔɪç ˈʃprɛçə kaɪ̯n dɔɪ̯ʧ/	(ish SHPRE-shuh kine doytsh)
I don’t understand	Ich verstehe nicht.	/ʔɪç fɐˈʃteːə nɪçt/	(ish fair-SHTAY-uh nisht)	(listen)
Sorry	Entschuldigung	/ʔɛntˈʃʊldɪgʊŋ/	(ent-SHOOL-dee-gung)	(listen)
I don’t know	Ich weiß nicht	/ʔɪç vaɪ̯s nɪçt/	(ish vice nisht)
Happy birthday	Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag	/ˈhɛɐ̯ʦlɪçən ˈglʏkvʊnʃ ʦʊm gəˈbʊɐ̯ʦtaːk/	(HAIRTS-lee-shen GLUKE-voonsh tsoom ge-BOORTS-tahk)	(listen)

A.03 - Grammar Reference Table I

Beginning German | Basic German | Intermediate German

Der-word Case for German Nouns

Gender	Nominativ	Genitiv	Dativ	Akkusativ
	Case
masculine	der	des	dem	den
feminine	die	der	der	die
neuter	das	des	dem	das
plural*	die	der	den	die

* The same regardless of singular noun gender

Personal Pronoun Tables: nominative, genitive, dative & accusative cases

Nominative case personal pronouns

The nominative case is used as the subject of a verb.

	Singular		Plural
1st person	ich	I	wir	we
2nd person	du (Sie*)	you	ihr (Sie*)	you
3rd person	er, sie, es	he, she, it	sie	they

*Polite form.

Genitive case personal pronouns

The genitive case corresponds to the possessive case in English or to the English objective case preceded by 'of' and denoting possession. The use of genitive personal pronouns is very rare in German and many Germans are unable to use them correctly.

	Singular		Plural
1st person	meiner	my	unser	our
2nd person	deiner (Ihrer*)	your	eurer (Ihrer*)	your
3rd person	seiner, ihrer, seiner	his, her, its	ihrer	their

*Polite form.

Examples:

Ich erbarme mich eurer. ~ I take pity on you(rs).

meiner unbedeutenden Meinung nach. ~ in my humble opinion (IMHO)

Dative case personal pronouns

The personal pronouns in the dative case are used as indirect objects of verbs and after the prepositions aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu.

	Singular		Plural
1st person	mir	me	uns	us
2nd person	dir (Ihnen*)	you	euch (Ihnen*)	you
3rd person	ihm, ihr, ihm	him, her, it	ihnen	them

*Polite form.

Accusative case personal pronouns

The personal pronouns in the accusative case are used as direct objects of transitve verbs and after the prepositions durch, für, gegen, ohne, um.

	Singular		Plural
1st person	mich	me	uns	us
2nd person	dich (Sie*)	you	euch (Sie*)	you
3rd person	ihn, sie, es	him, her, it	sie	them

* Polite form.

A.04 - Grammar Reference Table II

<< Beginning German | Basic German | Intermediate German

Conjugating 'to be'

Ich bin groß.              I am tall.
Du bist sehr groß.         You are very tall.
Sie ist klein.             She is short.
Sie sind groß.             They are tall.

In these cases, we use the correct form of sein for each situation. Please notice the final two sentences both use 'Sie', and we must look at the verb to determine the difference between 'she' and 'they'.

In German, the English infinitive 'to be' is translated as sein.

This is the table of the forms of 'sein', with rough English translations. Note that in English, there are only three forms (am, is, are) while German has five (bin, bist, ist, sind, seid).

Also, the verb conjugation of the two you-formals are always the exact same.

German

sein

Person	Singular Pronoun	Verb Form	Plural Pronoun	Verb Form
1st	ich	bin	wir	sind
2nd	du	bist	ihr	seid
3rd	er / sie / es	ist	sie	sind
Fml.	Sie	sind	Sie	sind

English

to be

1st	I	am	we	are
2nd	you	are	y'all	are
3rd	he / she / it	is	they	are
Fml.	you (formal)	are	y'all (formal)	are

Conjugating Normal Verbs

Er spielt Volleyball.      He plays volleyball.
Ich mache Hausaufgaben.    I do my homework.
Wir kommen aus München.    We come from Munich.
Was machst du?             What are you doing?

In these sentences, different verbs and endings are used. Note that the verb is always in second position.

When conjugating normal verbs, use the endings shown below (a memory hook is the "best ten" endings). Note that in normal verbs, such as spielen and machen, ihr-form and er/sie/es-form are the same and the wir-form, sie (pl)-form and the formal are all the same as the infinitive.

-en

1st	ich	-e	wir	-en
2nd	du	-st	ihr	-t
3rd	er / sie / es	-t	sie	-en
Fml.	Sie	-en	Sie	-en

spielen - to play

1st	ich	spiele	wir	spielen
2nd	du	spielst	ihr	spielt
3rd	er / sie / es	spielt	sie	spielen
Fml.	Sie	spielen	Sie	spielen

machen - to make/do

1st	ich	mache	wir	machen
2nd	du	machst	ihr	macht
3rd	er / sie / es	macht	sie	machen
Fml.	Sie	machen	Sie	machen

Conjugating Irregular Verbs

Ich habe keine Zeit.       I have no time.
Gib mir das Buch!          Give me the book.
Sie wandert gern.          She likes to hike.
Er liest einen Roman.      He is reading a novel.

In each of these sentences, we use an irregular verb. Irregularity occurs in the ich-form or the du-form and er/sie/es-forms. There are three types of irregularity.

E in the first syllable

One form of irregularity occurs sometimes when the verb contains an 'e' in the first syllable. The change is simple: the du-form and er/sie/es forms both change the 'e' to an 'i.e.' or an 'i'. Two common examples are shown. Note that the er/sie/es-form and ihr-form are no longer the same.

sehen - to see

1st	ich	sehe	wir	sehen
2nd	du	siehst	ihr	seht
3rd	er / sie / es	sieht	sie	sehen
Fml.	Sie	sehen	Sie	sehen

geben - to give

1st	ich	gebe	wir	geben
2nd	du	gibst	ihr	gebt
3rd	er / sie / es	gibt	sie	geben
Fml.	Sie	geben	Sie	geben

Haben

A similar, yet different, change occurs in the verb "haben". As in the irregularity above, the du-form and er/sie/es-form change.

haben - to have

1st	ich	habe	wir	haben
2nd	du	hast	ihr	habt
3rd	er / sie / es	hat	sie	haben
Fml.	Sie	haben	Sie	haben

Verbs ending in Consonant-N

Some verbs change the ich-form for obvious reasons. "Wandern" and "basteln" are two examples. Both drop the first e in the ich-form. wandern - to hike

1st	ich	wandre	wir	wandern
2nd	du	wanderst	ihr	wandert
3rd	er / sie / es	wandert	sie	wandern
Fml.	Sie	wanderen	Sie	wanderen

basteln - to build

1st	ich	bastle	wir	basteln
2nd	du	bastelst	ihr	bastelt
3rd	er / sie / es	bastelt	sie	basteln
Fml.	Sie	basteln	Sie	basteln

Conjugating Modals

Ich will ins Kino gehen.   I want to go to the movies.
Dürfen wir hier essen?     May we eat here?
Was kann ich für dich tun? What can I do for you?
Er mag Romane lesen.       He likes to read books.

Modals are a new kind of verb. They are the equivalent to helping verbs in English. There are seven basic modals: können (can), mögen (like), dürfen (may), wollen (want), sollen (should), müssen (must), and möchten (would like). Möchten isn't technically a modal, but it acts like one in most aspects.

Modals are conjugated very differently. The ich-form and er/sie/es-form are always alike and singular has a different verb in the first syllable (except in sollen and möchten). Below are the conjugations of the six basic modals and möchten.

können - can

1st	ich	kann	wir	können
2nd	du	kannst	ihr	könnt
3rd	er / sie / es	kann	sie	können
Fml.	Sie	können	Sie	können

mögen - like

1st	ich	mag	wir	mögen
2nd	du	magst	ihr	mögt
3rd	er / sie / es	mag	sie	mögen
Fml.	Sie	mögen	Sie	mögen

dürfen - may

1st	ich	darf	wir	dürfen
2nd	du	darfst	ihr	dürft
3rd	er / sie / es	darf	sie	dürfen
Fml.	Sie	dürfen	Sie	dürfen

wollen - want

1st	ich	will	wir	wollen
2nd	du	willst	ihr	wollt
3rd	er / sie / es	will	sie	wollen
Fml.	Sie	wollen	Sie	wollen

sollen - should

1st	ich	soll	wir	sollen
2nd	du	sollst	ihr	sollt
3rd	er / sie / es	soll	sie	sollen
Fml.	Sie	sollen	Sie	sollen

müssen - must

1st	ich	muss	wir	müssen
2nd	du	musst	ihr	müsst
3rd	er / sie / es	muss	sie	müssen
Fml.	Sie	müssen	Sie	müssen

möchten - would like

1st	ich	möchte	wir	möchten
2nd	du	möchtest	ihr	möchtet
3rd	er / sie / es	möchte	sie	möchten
Fml.	Sie	möchten	Sie	möchten

Separable Verbs

Du siehst schön aus!       You look good!
Ich muss mein Zimmer aufräumen.
                           I have to clean my room.
Komm mit!                  Come with!
Probier diese Jeans an!    Try these jeans on.

Some verbs in German are separable: they have a prefix that can be separated from the base. When the verb is used with a modal, it regains the prefix at the end of the sentence. When it is the main verb of the sentence, the prefix is moved to the end of the sentence.

An "example" in English would be the word "intake". When it is used as a verb, it becomes "take ... in". When it is used as an adjective or a noun, it becomes "intake" again.

Two easy examples of separable verbs are aussehen and mitkommen. Note that aussehen is also irregular.

aussehen - to appear

1st	ich	sehe aus	wir	sehen aus
2nd	du	siehst aus	ihr	seht aus
3rd	er / sie / es	sieht aus	sie	sehen aus
Fml.	Sie	sehen aus	Sie	sehen aus

mitkommen - to come along/with

1st	ich	komme mit	wir	kommen mit
2nd	du	kommst mit	ihr	kommt mit
3rd	er / sie / es	kommt mit	sie	kommen mit
Fml.	Sie	kommen mit	Sie	kommen mit

A.05 - Webseiten and other resources

Appendix 3 ~ Online Resources for German Language Students

Lists and directories to online resources

bab.la - Language Portal | Online Quizzes | Learn Languages
German Flashcards - Flashcards with audiofiles and dictionary
www.deutschlern.net - E-learning platform for beginning, intermediate and advanced students and teachers of German. Exercises based on authentic texts train reading comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar. Monitor function for teachers. Free of charge, requires free login.
Learn German Online - Free German lessons online.
Learn German for free - Free German language lessons.
Deutsch als Fremdsprache - Useful links for German language learners. Site in German.
German Language and Culture Resources - Materials and resources for learning the German language and about German-speaking culture.
Free Online German Tutorial - at ielanguages.com
Free resources for language students - Practice speaking German with audio forums.
Learn-German - Learn German quickly with our German tips, advice, and links.
Mango - Mango Languages has free German Lessons for English speakers.
lernsoware.de Wiki German lessons online

Über die deutsche Sprache - about German

Online Wörterbücher - Dictionary

Free Online Dictionary - Languages of the world

Deutsch-Englisch (German-English)

Wiktionary - English
Wiktionary - German
bab.la German-English - Translations, synonyms, grammar, voice output, regional and colloquial expressions.
LEO - with audiofiles of most of the words and vocabulary trainer.
Dict.cc
BEOLINGUS
Langenscheidt
Pons - Dictionary with vocabulary trainer.
Ding - Ding is a Dictionary lookup program for the X window system (Linux, Unix - not for Mac or MS Windows). It comes with a German-English Dictionary with approximately 180,000 entries.r.

Nur Deutsch - German only

Duden
Deutscher Wortschatz
DWDS- Das digitale Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache - German only dictionary for advanced learners.
Wissen.de - Orthography and foreign words
Redensartenindex - German idioms and proverbs with explanations

Slideshows with pictures and pronunciations

Language courses German at the time of insertion there is only one file about fruit - I will try to add new ones every week-end.

Deutsche Grammatik und Rechtschreibung- German Grammar and Spelling

Canoo - extensive database about inflection and word formation
German Grammar Resource - Free German grammar lessons
Free online German course - new orthography, grammar, exercises, tests, example sentences, jokes, learning tips

Aussprache - Pronunciation

A Guide to German Pronunciation - Pronunciation course for beginners.

Blogs

Deutschlernblog Tips for learning German. Site entirely in German.
DaF-Blog On German language and how to learn it. Parts of the Site are in English, but most of it in German.
Deutsch-Happen small, bite-sized snaps of German language for the advancing learner

Podcasts

from learners

Speaken Sie Deutsch?: Podcast from Canadian Hugh Gordon (Rss-Feed).

for learners

Guter Umgang: German language learning blog about colloquial German (RSS-Feed).
Let's speak German: Jokes, poems, tonguetwisters and more in German (RSS-Feed).
Podcasts of Deutsche Welle: Nachrichten, Top-Thema, Stichwort, Sprachbar and Alltagsdeutsch are specifically made for language learners. Most of the texts can be found on the pages Deutsch im Fokus (Sprachbar, Stichwort and Alltagsdeutsch) and Didaktuelles (Nachrichten and Top-Thema).
- DW: Slowly spoken news - suitable for B2, C1
Slow German: Podcast in slowly spoken German across a variety of topics, ranging from absolute beginner to intermediate.

Tandem

Tandem by E-Mail

The Mixxer Tandem via Skype

A.07 - Namen

Names

This is a list of common, modern German names. Please add to it.

First Names

German names have undergone a drastic change in the last 60 years. Older, "typical" German names like Hans, Fritz, Heinrich, Karl or Wilhelm are now uncommon in contemporary Germany. Today many parents give their children names like (ten most popular names 2005):

Boys

Alexander
Maximilian
Leon
Lukas/Lucas
Luca
Paul
Jonas
Felix
Tim
David

Girls

Marie
Sophie/Sofie
Maria
Anna, Anne
Leonie
Lena
Emily
Lea/Leah
Julia
Laura

(Source: Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache)

Boys' Names

Typical for young people

Boy's names	pet names
Alexander	Alex
André, Andreas	Andi
Axel	-
Christian, Christoph	Chris
David
Dennis, Denis
Edvin	Eddy
Fabian	Fabi
Felix
Finn, Fynn
Florian	Flo, Flori
Jan
Jonas
Julian, Julius	Juli, Jule
Kevin
Lars
Leo, Leon
Luka, Luca, Lucas, Lukas	Luki
Manuel	Manu, Mani
Matthias	Matt, Matti, Mats
Max, Maximilian	Max, Maxi
Michael	Micha, Michi
Moritz	Mo
Niko, Nick, Nikolas, Niklas, Nicolas	Nik, Niko
Noah
Patrick	Pat
Paul
Philipp	Phil
Robin
Sebastian	Sebi, Seb, Sebbe, Basti
Simon	Simi
Stefan, Stephan, Steffen	Steff
Sven	Svenni
Tim	Timmi
Tobias	Tobi
Tom	Tommi
Yannick, Yannik

older names:

Alfi, Alfred
Adolf (Historically a common name in aristocratic circles; rarely given to newborn boys today due to negative associations with Nazi figures such as Hitler and Eichmann.)
Albert, Bert, Kunibert
Anton
Achim, Joachim
Adam
Aaron
Armin
Björn
Bernard
Bennedikt
Bruno
Bodo
Boris
Berthold
Benjamin
Clemens
Carlo, Karlo, Karl
Carsten
Dieter, Dietrich
Daniel
Domian, Damian
Detlev
Dirk
Erik
Erwin
Emil
Eberhard
Eckart
Edmund
Ernst
Ewald
Franz, Frank
Fritz
Fridolin
Fred, Frederik
Friedrich, Friedhelm
Falko
Gustav
Gerhardt
Gert
Günther
Gregor
Gunnar
Hans, Hans-Jürgen, Hannes
Harald
Heinz
Heinrich, Heiner
Hugo
Hektor
Helge
Heiko
Hartmut
Herbert
Holger
Ingo, Ingolf
Jürgen, Jörg
Jens
Janosch
Jakob
Johann
Karl
Klaus
Knut
Kurt
Konrad
Kaspar
Ludwig
Leif
Manfred
Malte
Norbert
Nils
Olaf
Oliver
Otto, Ottfried
Paul
Peter
Rudi, Rüdiger, Rudolph
Roman
Robert
Rex
Reinhard, Rainer, Reiner
Sören
Siegfried
Sönke
Thomas
Till
Torsten
Ulf
Ulli
Uwe
Udo
Viktor
Werner
Wolfgang, Wolf, Welf
Wilhelm, Willi

Girls' Names

young ones:

Anna, Anne, Annika
Amelie
Angelina
Bianca
Christina, Christine
Daniela
Elea
Eva
Elisa
Emma
Emely, Emily
Franziska
Finja
Hannah, Hanna
Isabell, Isabelle
Julia, Jule, Juliane
Jana
Janine, Janina
Johanna
Jasmin
Klara
Katharina
Kim
Kira
Lena
Lara
Luise, Luisa
Lea
Lina
Larissa
Lisa
Lina
Leonie
Liv
Maike, Meike, Mareike
Melissa
Merle
Mercedes
Marie
Maja
Marlene, Marleen
Martina
Nina
Nicole
Nora
Petra
Paula
Pia
Ronja
Svenja
Sarah
Sofie, Sophie, Sophia
Samantha
Stella
Susie
Tabea
Tamara
Vivien
Vanessa

older ones:

Angela
Anita
Andschana
Antonia
Birgit
Brigitte
Berta
Christa, Christel
Doris
Diana
Fanny
Frieda
Gerta
Gisela
Gutrun
Hannelore
Helga
Heidi, Heide
Inga, Inge
Iris
Ilse
Ingrid
Josephine
Karin, Karen
Linda
Lydia
Marta
Monika
Nadja
Olivia
Roswitha
Renate
Susanne
Sabine
Sissi
Simone
Silke
Tina, Tine
Ursula
Ulla
Vera
Veronika
Winnifried
Wanda
Wilhelma

Last Names

The 51. most popular last names in Germany:

Müller
Schmidt
Schneider
Fischer
Meyer
Weber
Wagner
Becker
Schulz
Hoffmann
Schäfer
Koch
Bauer
Richter
Klein
Wolf
Schröder
Neumann
Schwarz
Zimmermann
Braun
Krüger
Hofmann
Hartmann
Lange
Schmitt
Werner
Schmitz
Krause
Meier
Lehmann
Schmid
Schulze
Maier
Köhler
Herrmann
König
Walter
Mayer
Huber
Kaiser
Fuchs
Peters
Lang
Scholz
Möller
Weiß
Jung
Hahn
Schubert
Zächer

A.08 - False Friends

There are some words which are spelled the same in English and in German, but have completely different meanings. Even though the words are spelled the same, they are usually pronounced completely differently. It can sometimes be dangerous to use these words (for both native English speakers and native German speakers.) Think of that, next time someone wants to give you a " Gift" or opens a door and says " After you!"

Note: This list contains some items of etymological interest. For example, the transformation of the consonant 't' in German to 'd' in English in word pairs like Bart->Beard, Bett->Bed, Gut->Good, Hart->Hard, Rot->Red, and Not->Need.

Word

German meaning (in English)
Englische Bedeutung (auf Deutsch)

After

Anus

Später, Nachher

also

thus

auch

Angel

Fishing Rod

Engel

Apart

Striking

Abgesondert, Abseits

Arm

Poor

Arm

Art

Kind, sort, species

Kunst, Künstlichkeit

Ass

Ace

Esel, Dumpfbacke, Knallkopf, Arsch (vulg.)

Bad

Bath

Schlecht, Schlimm

Bagger

Excavator

Angesteller im Supermarkt der die Einkäufe in Tüten packt

bald

Soon

Unbehaart, Kahlköpfig

bang

Afraid

Knall, Krach, Schall

bar

in Cash, Pure

Stab (see also: Stab), Kneipe

Bart

Beard

Name eines Mannes

bat

asked politely, requested (past tense)

Fledermaus

Beet

Flower bed

Zuckerrübe, rote Rübe

bitten

to ask politely, request

gebissen

blank

Shiny, Shining

Unbeschriftet, Unausgefüllt

Blech

Sheet metal

Ausdruck des Ekels

bog

to Twist, Form, Bend (past tense)

Sumpf, Torfmoor

Brand

Fire

Markenprodukt

Brilliant, brillant

Diamond, prächtig, herrlich

Blendend, Geistvoll

Bug

Front of a boat or plane

Laus, Insekt, Störung

Danke

Thanks

Feucht

dick

Thick

Schnüffler, Schwanz, der steife Penis

Elf

Eleven, (coll. soccer team)

Elfe, Kobold

falls

If, in case

Wasserfälle

Fang, fang

Catch, to catch, to capture (imperative)

Reißzahn

fatal

Unfortunate

Verhängnisvoll, Unheilvoll, Tödlich

fast

Almost, Nearly

Schnell

fasten

Fast

Befestigen

Fee

Fairy

Preise, Gebühr

Fell

Coat (animal)

fällen

fern

Far away, Distant

Farnkraut

First

Ridge

Zuerst

flog

Flew

Peitschen, Auspeitschen

fort

Away, Off, Gone

Festung, Kastell

Funk

Radio

Drückeberger, Musik von 1970's

Gang

Walk, Gait, Way

Gruppe, Bande, Trupp

Gift

Poison

Gabe, Geschenk

Grab

Grave

Aufgreifen, Ergreifen

Grad

Degree (temperature)

einen akademischen Grad erlangen

grub

dug (past tense)

Futter

gut

Good

Darm (Schnecke und Kette)

Hack

ground meal, hash

Heib, Kerbe, Zerhacken

half

Helped (past tense)

Halb

Handy

Cell Phone

Praktisch, Passend, Handlich

Hang

Slope, Inclination

Hängen, Henken

Happen

Bit, Morsel

Zufällig Geschehen, Vorkommen, Passieren

hart

Hard

Hirsch

Heck

Back of a car, boat or plane

Was zum Teufel? (What the Heck?)

Held

Hero

Gehalten

hell

Bright

Hölle

Herd

Cooker, Oven, Range

Herde

Hose

Pants

Schlauch

Hub, hub

Throw, Lob, Swing (see also: Lob), (past tense of) to lift

Wickelkern, Nabe

Hummer

Lobster

Jemand der summt

Hut

Hat

Hütte

Kind

child

Art, Sorte

Labor

Laboratory

Arbeit

Lack

Varnish

Knappheit, Mangel

lag

Lay

zurueckbleiben, zoegern

Last

Load, Burden, Weight

Zuletzt

Lied

Song

Gelogen

links

Left

Verknüpfung, Verbindungen

List

Cunning

Schlagseite

Lob

Praise

Werf, Hub (see also: Hub)

log

Lied

Block, Klotz

Lot

Plumb (line)

Pazille, die Menge, die Masse

Lust

To feel like doing something, desire (this can have the English meaning, depending on the situation)

Sinnliche Begierde

Made

Maggot

Hergestellt, Gemacht

Maul

Mouth (animal)

der Schlegel, Beschädigen, Durchprügeln

Mist

Manure, Trash

leichter Nebel

Not

distress, need

Nicht

Note

Grade (in school), musical note

bemerken, aufschreiben, kleiner Brief

nun

Now

die Schwester (im Kloster), Nonne

Pest

Plague

Nervensäge

Rang

Rank

Geklingelt, Geklungen

Rad

Wheel

Ausdruck der Bewunderung (wie Geil)

Rat

Advice

die Ratte

Regal

Shelves

Majestätisch, Königlich, Hoheitsvoll

Rind

Beef, Cattle

Schwarte, Schale

Rock

Skirt

Stein, Fels

Roman

Novel

der Römer

Rot

Red

Verrotten, Verwesung

Sage

History, Myth

Weise, Klug, Gescheit

See

Lake

Siehe

Sense

Scythe

Wahrnehmung, Bedeutung, Verstand, Sinn

Silvester

New Year's Eve

Name eines Mannes

Speck

Bacon

Fleck

Spur

Trace, Tracks, Lane

Schiffsschnabel, Sporn, Ansporn (see also: Spore)

Stab

Rod, Pole, Baton, Bar (see also: Bar)

Erstechen

Stare

Starlings

anstarren

stark

Strong

Völlig, Gänzlich

Stern

Star

Ernst, das Heck

Tag

Day

Markierstelle, Kennzeichnung

Tang

Seaweed

Amerikanisches Orangengetränk

Taste

Key (as in keyboard)

Kostprobe, Geschmackssinn

toll

Great! Super!

Zollabgabe, Straßenbenutzungsgebühr

Tod

Death, Dead

Name eines Mannes

Ton

Clay, a Sound

die Tonne

Tot

Dead

kleines Kind, kleiner Knirps

Wade

calf (of the leg)

waten

Wand

Wall

der Zauberstab

war

Was (see also: Was)

Krieg

was

What?

wurde/war (see also: War)

Welt

World

Quaddel, Beule

Wetter

Weather

Nasser

wider

Against, Contrary to

Weiter, Breiter

will

Wants

Wille

Although not spelled identically in both languages, beginners are often confused by the similarity of the German "bekommen" and English "to become".

bekommen => to receive, to get

werden => to become

A.09 - Level I Vocabulary

<< Beginning German | Basic German | Intermediate German

Appendix 9 ~ Vocabulary for Level One

Wie heißt du?

Subject Pronouns in color

I             Ich
We            Wir
You           Du
              Sie (formal) 
You All       Ihr
              Sie (formal)
He            Er
She           Sie
It            Es
They          Sie

Verbs

To Have

Have          Habe (1st Person, Singular)
              Hast (2nd Person, Singular)
              Haben (1st & 3rd Person, Plural)
              Habt (2nd Person, Plural)
Has           Hat

To Be

Am            Bin
Are           Bist (1st Person, Singular)
              Sind (1st & 3rd Person, Plural)
              Seid (2nd Person, Plural)
Is            Ist

Greeting & Goodbyes

Hello!        Hallo!
              Servus! (used in Bavaria and Austria)
              Moin! or Moin Moin! (used in northern Germany)                    
              Grüezi! (used in Switzerland)
Good morning! Guten Morgen! or Morgen!
Good day!     Guten Tag! or Tag!
Good evening! Guten Abend! or N'Abend!
              Grüß Gott! (used in southern Germany, Austria and South Tyrol)
Goodbye!      Auf Wiedersehen! or Wiedersehen 
Bye!          Tschüss! or Tschau!
              Servus! (used in Bavaria, Austria)
Later!        Bis später! or Bis dann!
Good night!   Gute Nacht!

How You Are

Good          Gut
Super!        Spitze!
Great!        Prima!
Very good!    Sehr gut!
Bad           Schlecht
Miserable     Miserabel

Interrogative Adverbs

Who           Wer
What          Was
Where         Wo
When          Wann
Why           Warum
How           Wie

Genders

Boy           Der Junge
Girl          Das Mädchen
Man           Der Herr
Woman         Die Frau
Boys          Die Jungen
Girls         Die Mädchen
Men           Die Männer
Women         Die Frauen

Freizeit

Sports & Activities

Sport(s)      Sport
Interests     Hobbys/Interessant
Soccer        Fußball
USA Football  Amerikan Football
Volleyball    Volleyball
Basketball    Basketball
Tennis        Tennis
Baseball      Baseball
9-pin Bowling Kegeln
Chess         Schach
Board Game    Das Brettspiel
Game          Das Spiel
Homework      Hausaufgaben
Television    Fernsehen
Movie         Der Film, Filme

Conjunctions

And           Und
But           Aber
Or            Oder

Verbs

To Have       haben
To Be         sein
To Be Called  heißen
To Play       spielen
To Do/Make    machen
To Read       lesen
To Watch      schauen
To See        sehen
To Work       arbeiten
To Write      schreiben
To Swim       schwimmen

Numbers

One           Eins
Two           Zwei
Three         Drei
Four          Vier
Five          Fünf
Six           Sechs
Seven         Sieben
Eight         Acht 
Nine          Neun
Ten           Zehn
Eleven        Elf
Twelve        Zwölf
Thirteen      Dreizehn
Fourteen      Vierzehn
Fifteen       Fünfzehn
Sixteen       Sechzehn
Seventeen     Siebzehn
Eighteen      Achtzehn
Nineteen      Neunzehn
Twenty        Zwanzig
Thirty        Dreißig
Forty         Vierzig
Fifty         Fünfzig
Sixty         Sechzig
Seventy       Siebzig
Eighty        Achtzig
Ninety        Neunzig
Hundred       Hundert
Thousand      Tausend

How to Read Time

After         Nach
Till          Vor
Quarter       Viertel
Half Before   Halb

Times in the Day

Day           Tag
Today         Heute
Tomorrow      Morgen
Yesterday     Gestern
Early Morning Morgen (use morgen früh for tomorrow morning)
Morning       Vormittag
Afternoon     Nachmittag
Evening       Abend
Night         Nacht
Noon          Mittag
Midnight      Mitternacht

Days

Monday        Montag
Tuesday       Dienstag
Wednesday     Mittwoch
Thursday      Donnerstag
Friday        Freitag
Saturday      Samstag or Sonnabend
Sunday        Sonntag

Months

January       Januar 
             Jänner (used in Austria)
February      Februar
March         März
April         April
May           Mai
June          Juni 
             Juno (in spoken word only)
July          Juli 
             Julei (in spoken word only)
August        August
September     September
October       Oktober
November      November
December      Dezember

Seasons

Spring        Frühling
Summer        Sommer
Autumn        Herbst
Winter        Winter

Time

Time          Die Zeit
Free Time     Die Freizeit
Always        Immer
Often         Oft
Sometimes     Manchmal
Seldom        Selten
Never         Nie
Only          Nur

Essen

Subject Pronouns in the Accusative Case

Me            Mich
Us            Uns
You           Dich
You All       Euch
Him           Ihn
Her           Sie
It            Es
Them          Sie

Food

Appetizers    Vorspeisen
Salad         Der Salat
Bread         Das Brot
Breadstick    Die Scheibe Brot
Main Dishes   Hauptgerichte
Sausage       Die Wurst
Sausages      Die Würste
Bratwurst     Die Bratwurst
Hot Dog       Das Hot Dog
Pizza         Die Pizza
Pizzas        Die Pizzen
Hamburger     Der Hamburger
Hamburgers    Die Hamburger
With          Mit (ignore article)
Without       Ohne (ignore article)
Tomatoes      Tomaten
Lettuce       Der Salat
Cheese        Der Käse
Pickles       Die Gewürzgurken
Onions        Die Zwiebeln
Ketchup       Der Ketchup
Mustard       Der Senf
Chicken       Das Hähnchen
Chickens      Die Hähnchen
Seafood       Die Meeresfrüchte (plural)
Fish          Der Fisch 
Sides         Die Beilage (singular), die Beilagen (plural)
Soup          Die Suppe
Soups         Die Suppen
Noodle Soup   Die Nudelsuppe
French Fries  Die Pommes frites (plural)
Fries         Die Fritten (Informal and plural)
Pasta         Die Pasta or Die Nudeln
Potato        Die Kartoffel
Potatoes      Die Kartoffeln
Corn          Mais
Bean          Die Bohne
Beans         Die Bohnen
Desserts      Nachspeisen
Gâteau        Die (Sahne-)Torte
Strudel       Der Strudel
Apple strudel Apfelstrudel
Cake          Der Kuchen
Piece of Cake Das Stück Kuchen
Pie           Die Pastete
Piece of Pie  Das Stück Pastete
Apple Pie     Die Apfelpastete
Ice Cream     Das Eis
Pudding       Der Pudding
Cookie        Der Keks
Cookies       Die Kekse
Fruit         Das Obst
The Meal      Das Essen
Lunch         Mittagessen
Dinner        Abendessen
Hunger        Der Hunger 
Thirst        Der Durst

Verbs

To Eat        Essen
To Drink      Trinken
To Receive    Bekommen
To Want       Wollen
Would Like    Möchten

Polite Conversation

Danke         Thank you
Bitte         Please & You're Welcome
Dankeschön    Thank you very much
Danke sehr    Thanks a lot
Kein Problem! No problem

Regional Foods

Chinese Food  Chinesisch Essen
Japanese Food Japanisch Essen
American Food Amerikanisch Essen
Mexican Food  Mexikanisch Essen
Arabic Food   Arabisch Essen
Italian Food  Italienisch Essen
Indian Food   Indisch Essen
French Food   Französich Essen
Greek Food    Griechisch Essen

Prepositions in the Accusative Case

Durch         Through
Für           For
Gegen         Against
Ohne          Without
Um            At, Around

Tastes

Delicious     Lecker
Tasty         Schmackhaft
Juicy         Saftig
Crunchy       Knackig
Crispy        Knusprig
Spicy         Würzig
Stale         Fade 
              Fad (used in Austria)
Salty         Salzig
Sweet         Süß
Bitter        Bitter
Sour          Sauer
Creamy        Cremig     
Hot           Heiß
Burnt         Angebrannt
Cold          Kalt
Disgusting    Schrecklich

Paying at a Restaurant

To Pay        Zahlen
The Bill      Die Rechnung
Waiter        Der Ober

Kleidung

Shopping

Babywear 	                  Die Babyartikel (plural)    
Children's Wear 	     Die Kinderbekleidung 
Clearance Sale 	             Der Räumungsverkauf 
Closed 	                     Geschlossen
Clothing 	             Die Kleidung
Computer Section 	     Der Computershop 
Cosmetics 	             Die Kosmetik
Customer 	             Der Kunde
Customer Service 	     Der Kundendienst 
Electrical Appliance 	     Das Elektrogerät
Escalator 	             Die Rolltreppe   
Fashion 	             Die Mode 
Furniture 	             Das Möbel (no plural)
Gift 	                     Der Geschenkartikel 
Good Value (Adj.) 	     Preiswert
Groceries 	             Die Lebensmittel (plural)
Jewellery 	             Damenschuhe (plural) 
Leather Goods 	             Die Lederwaren (plural) 
Open 	                     Geöffnet 
Opening Hours 	             Die Öffnungszeiten (plural) 
Present 	             Das Geschenk
Reduced 	             Reduziert
Sales Receipt 	             Der Kassenbon 
Souvenir 	             Das Andenken 
Special Offer 	             Das Sonderangebot 
Sports Goods 	             Sportartikel (plural)
Stationery 	             Schreibwaren (plural)
Summer Sale 	             Der Sommerschlussverkauf (abbr. SSV)  
Video Store 	             Die Videothek 
Winter Sale 	             Der Winterschlussverkauf (abbr. WSV)

Shopping 2

Department Store             Warenhaus
Retail Store                 Einzelhandelsgeschäft
The Mall                     Einkaufszentrum
Boutique                     Boutique
Store                        Geschäft
Manager                      Manager
Employee                     Angestellter
Sales Clerk                  Verkäufer               
Cashier                      Kassierer
Dressing Room                Umkleidekabine
Men's Section                Männerabteilung
Women's Section              Frauenabteilung
First Floor                  Erstes Stockwerk
Menswear                     Männerkleidung
Second Floor                 Zweiter Stock
Womenswear                   Frauenkleidung
Third Floor                  Dritte Stock
Kids Section                 Kinderabteilung
Fourth Floor                 Vierter Stock
Electronics                  Elektronik
Kitchenware                  Küchenbedarf
Fifth Floor                  Fünfter Stock
Lighting                     Beleuchtung           
Bedding                      Bettwäsche
Toys                         Spielwaren
Six Floor                    Sechster Stock
Food                         Lebensmittel

Items to Buy

Electronics                  Elektronik           
Television                   Fernsehen
Digital Camera               Digitalkamera
Telephone                    Telefon
Cell phone                   Mobiltelefon, Handy
Computer                     Computer, Rechner
Speakers                     Lautsprecher
DVDs                         DVD
CDs                          CD
DVD Player                   DVD-Player
CD Player                    CD-Player
Bedding                      Bettwäsche
Blankets                     Decken
Pillow                       Kopfkissen
Pillow Case                  Kopfkissenbezug
Sheets                       Blätter
Bed Skirt                    Bett-Rock

Money

Price                        Preis
Note                         Der Schein
Coin                         Die Münze
1 Euro Coin                  Das Eurostück
2 Euro Coin                  Das Zweieurostück
5 Euro Note                  Der Fünfeuroschein
10 Euro Note                 Der Zehneuroschein
100 Euro Note                Der Hunderteuroschein
1 Cent Coin                  Das Centstück
2 Cent Coin                  Das Zweicentstück
5 Cent Coin                  Das Fünfcentstück
10 Cent Coin                 Das Zehncentstück
20 Cent Coin                 Das Zwanzigcentstück
50 Cent Coin                 Das Fünfcentstück

Clothes

Skirt                        Der Rock
Pullover                     Der Pullover
Scarf                        Das Tuch
Coat                         Der Mantel
Shirt                        Das Hemd
Sweater                      Der Pullover
Necktie                      Der Schlips
Jacket                       Die Jacke
Pants                        Die Hose
Hat                          Der Hut
Shoe                         Der Schuh
Sock                         Die Socke
Glove                        Der Handschuh
Blouse                       Die Bluse

Sizes

Size                         Die Größe
Color                        Die Farbe
Cotton                       Die Baumwolle
Leather                      Das Leder
Rayon                        Die Kuntseide
Small                        Klein
Medium                       Mittel
Large                        Groß
Extra-Large                  Extragroß

Words That Describe

Cheap                        Billig                               
Expensive                    Teuer
Pretty                       Schön
Ugly                         Hässlich
Soft                         Weich
New                          Neu
Broad                        Breit 
Wide                         Weit 
Tight                        Eng
Comfortable                  Bequem

Colors

Red                          Rot     
Blue                         Blau
Green                        Grün  
Orange                       Orange
Violet                       Veilchen
Yellow                       Gelb
Brown                        Braun
Indigo                       Indigo
Gray                         Grau
Black                        Schwarz
White                        Weiß

Verbs

To Look                      Aussehen
To Try On                    Anprobieren
To Put On                    Anziehen
To Take                      Nehmen
To Buy                       Kaufen
To Have On/Wear              Anhaben or Tragen

Volk und Familie

Family

Sohn                         Son
Tochter                      Daughter
Vater                        Father
Mutter                       Mother
Großvater                    Grandfather
Großmutter                   Grandmother
Opa                          Grandpa  
Oma                          Grandma
Schwester                    Sister
Bruder                       Brother
Geschwister                  Brothers & Sisters
Enkel                        Grandson
Enkelin                      Granddaughter  
Frau                         Wife
Mann                         Husband
Schwiegervater               Father-in-Law
Schwiegertochter             Daughter-in-Law
Schwager                     Brother-in-Law
Schwägerin                   Sister-in-Law
Schwiegermutter              Mother-in-Law
Schwiegersohn                Son-in-Law
Onkel                        Uncle
Tante                        Aunt
Geschenk                     Present

Schule

Verbs

Nimmt                        To Take Away
Lesen                        To Read
Schreiben                    To Write
Studieren                    To Study
Lernen                       To Learn
Zeichnen                     To Paint

Classes

Deutsch                      German
Englisch                     English
Russisch                     Russian
Französisch                  French
Latein                       Latin
Mathematik                   Mathematics
Sport                        PE or Gym
Kunst or Zeichnen            Arts
Musik                        Music
Geschichte                   History
Biologie                     Biology
Geografie                    Geography
Religion                     RE or Religion
Chemie                       Chemistry
Physik                       Physics
Informatik                   Computer Science

School Supplies and Ect.

der Radiergummi              Eraser/Rubber
der Bleistift                Pencil
der Kuli/Kugelschreiber      Pen
das Fach                     Subject
die Klasse                   Class
der Lehrer                   Teacher (male)
die Lehrerin                 Teacher (female)
die Schule                   School
der Schüler                  Student (High/Secondary School and Lower)
der Student                  Student (College/University)
die Stunde/Schulstunde       Lesson
die Pause                    Break
die Schultasche              Backpack

Die Fete

Gifts

das Spiel                   Game
das Videospiel              Video Game

Parties

der Spaß                    Fun
die Feier                   PartyFormal
die Party                   Party
die Musik                   Music
die Torte                   Cake
das Fass                    Keg
das Bier                    Beer
der Schnaps                 Hard Liquor
der Wein                    Wine
der Weißwein                White Wine
der Rotwein                 Red Wine
Feiern                      To Party
Trinken                     Drinking
Saufen                      To Get Drunk
sich Erbrechen              To Throw Up
Kotzen                      To Puke (slang)
Tanzen                      To Dance
der Geburtstag              Birthday
Weihnachten                 Christmas
Ostern                      Easter
das Jubiläum                Anniversary

Privileg und Verantwortung

Careers

Work                        Arbeit
Doctor                      Arzt
Buniness Man                Geschäftsmann
Buniness Woman              Geschäftsfrau
Teacher                     Lehrer
Police Officer              Polizeibeamte
Fireman                     Feuerwehrmann
Actor  	                    Schauspieler  	 
Artist  	            Künstler  	
Author  	            Schriftsteller  	
Bank Clerk  	            Bankangestellter  	 
Car Mechanic  	            Automechaniker  	 
Chemist  	            Chemiker  	 
Civil Servant  	            Beamter  	  	 
Engineer  	            Ingenieur  	
Farmer  	            Landwirt  	 
Hairdresser  	            Friseur  	 
Journalist  	            Journalist  	 
Lawyer  	            Rechtsanwalt  	 
Lecturer  	            Dozent  	 
Nurse  	                    Krankenpfleger  	 
Pensioner  	            Rentner  	 
Photographer  	            Fotograf  	 
Politician  	            Politiker  	 
Postman  	            Briefträger  	 
Professor  	            Professor  	 
Salesperson  	            Verkäufer  	 
Secretary  	            Sekretär  	 
Student  	            Student  	 
Taxi Driver  	            Taxifahrer  	  
Waiter  	            Kellner

Tasks

Cleaning                   Reinigung
Cooking                    Kochen
Homework                   Hausaufgaben 
Tasks                      Aufgaben

Locations

Germany                 Deutschland
Hamburg                    Hamburg
Berlin                     Berlin
Frankfurt                  Frankfurt
Colonge                    Köln
Munich                     München

Wetter

Weather

Weather               Wetter
Rain                  Regen
Snow                  Schnee
Snow Showers          Schneesch
Showers               Schauer
Thunder               Donner
Storm                 Sturm
Thunderstorm          Gewitter
Cloudy                Bewölkt
Overcast              Bedeckt
Hail                  Hagel
Drizzle               Nieseln
Thaw                  Tauen
Frost                 Frost

Transportion

Car               Auto
Train             Zug
Trainstation      Bahnhof
Airplane          Flugzeug
Boat              Boot
Highway           Landstraße
Road              Straße

CONTRIBUTORS

German/Contributors