There are a few German consonants that do not exist in English, and some consonant combinations that are not common in English. Notice that the pronunciation of the German r changes according to the location in the countries that speak German, i.e. [R] in northern Germany and [r] in southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
In addition, the sounds [b], [d], and [g] lose their voicing at the end of a syllable, so they are pronounced as their voiceless counterparts [p], [t], and [k], respectively. However, the spelling does not reflect the pronunciation.
Stress generally falls on the first syllable of the word, except in words borrowed from other languages, where the stress falls on the last syllable (especially with French words.)
All nouns have a gender in German, either masculine, feminine or neuter. There really isn't a lot of logic to which nouns are which gender, so you must memorize the gender of each noun.
1. Male persons or animals, the seasons, months, and days are all masculine, as are nouns ending in -ant, -ast, -ich, -ig, -ismus, -ling, -or and -us.
2. Female persons or animals, and numerals are all feminine, as are nouns ending in -a, -anz, -ei, -enz, -heit, -ie, -ik, -in, -keit, -schaft, -sion, -sis, -tät, -tion, -ung and -ur.
3. Young persons or animals, metals, chemical elements, letters of the alphabet, hotels, restaurants, cinemas, continents, countries and provinces are all neuter, as are nouns that end in -chen, -icht, -il, -it, -lein, -ma, -ment, -tel, -tum, and -um. Nouns referring to things that end in -al, -an, -ar, -ät, -ent, -ett, -ier, -iv, -o and -on, as well as most words with the prefix ge- and most nouns ending in -nis and -sal are also neuter.
All nouns in German are capitalized in writing.
All nouns (as well as pronouns and adjectives) have a case depending on what function they serve in the sentence. These may seem strange, but remember that English uses cases also; however, we would say direct object instead of accusative, or indirect object instead of dative. Although these cases may make learning new words difficult, they actually help with word order because the position of words in a sentence is not as fixed in German as it is in English. And the reason for that is because words can occur in these four cases:
The nouns you look up in a dictionary will be in the nominative case.
Plural nouns in German are unpredictable, so it's best to memorize the plural form with the singular. However, here are some rules that can help:
4. Nouns that end in a vowel other than an unstressed -e and nouns of foreign origin add -s.
21. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
| Masc. | Fem. | Neu. | Pl. |
Nom. | mein | meine | mein | meine |
Acc. | meinen | meine | mein | meine |
Dat. | meinem | meiner | meinem | meinen |
Gen. | meines | meiner | meines | meiner |
Other words that are formed like mein (my) are: ein - a/an, dein-your (du form), sein-his/its, ihr-her, unser-our,euer-your (ihr form), ihr-their, Ihr-your (Sie form), and kein-no/not any.
22. ACCUSATIVE CASE
The accusative case corresponds to direct objects. Here are the accusative forms of the definite and indefinite articles. Note that only the masculine changes in this case.
Definite and Indefinite Articles
| Masc. | Fem. | Neuter | Plural |
Definite | den | die | das | die |
Indefinite | einen | eine | ein | keine |
Some masculine nouns add an -(e)n to the accusative form, such as international nouns ending in -t (Dirigent, Komponist, Patient, Polizist, Soldat, Student, Tourist, Journalist); nouns ending in -e denoting male persons or animals (Drache, Junge, Kunde, Löwe, Neffe, Riese, Vorfahre, Zeuge); and the following nouns: Elefant, Herr, Mensch, Nachbar. And wen (whom) is the accusative of wer (who).
Personal Pronouns - Nominative & Accusative
ich | I | mich | me | wir | we | uns | us |
du | you | dich | you | ihr | you | euch | you |
er | he | ihn | him | sie | they | sie | them |
sie | she | sie | her | Sie | you | Sie | you |
es | it | es | it | | | | |
German uses the case system to show the function of a word in a sentence, whereas English relies mainly on word order. Take, for example, the following sentences: Ich esse den Apfel translates into I eat the apple. In German, you can switch the word order around without affecting the meaning. Den Apfel esse ich is also I eat the apple, but in English, if you were to change word order, you would have to say the apple eats me. English does not accommodate for the direct object to be placed before the subject and verb like German does. Usually, word order reflects (subjective) focus: the noun having the speakers focus is usually put as much as possible towards the beginning of a sentence.
23. DATIVE CASE
The dative case corresponds to indirect objects. Usually in English, we use the words to or for to indicate an indirect object. But German relies on the endings of the dative case. Here are the dative forms of the definite and indefinite articles.
Definite and Indefinite Articles
| Masc. | Fem. | Neuter | Plural |
Definite | dem | der | dem | den |
Indefinite | einem | einer | einem | keinen |
Those same masculine nouns that added an -(e)n in the accusative form also add an -(e)n in the dative form. Andall plural nouns add an -(e)n in the dative plural, unless they already end in an -n or -s. And wem (to/for whom) is the dative of wer (who).
Personal Pronouns
mir | me | uns | us |
dir | you | euch | you |
ihm | him | ihnen | they |
ihr | her | Ihnen | you |
ihm | it | | |
In sentences with both a direct and indirect object, the noun in the dative case precedes the accusative noun, unless the accusative case is a pronoun.
Ich schenke meinem Bruder eine Krawatte. I give (to) my brother a tie.
Ich schenke sie meinem Bruder. I give it to my brother.
24. GENITIVE CASE
The genitive case is used to show possession, more often in writing than in speech. When speaking, most people use von (of) plus the dative case to show possession. For proper nouns, German only adds an -s to the noun, whereas English would add an apostrophe and an -s. Feminine and Plural nouns do not change in the Genitive case. Masculine and Neuter nouns add an -s if the word is more than one syllable, or an -es if the word is one syllable. Except the weak masculine nouns that added -(e)n in the accusative and dative; they also add -(e)n in the genitive. There are some irregular nouns that add -s after -en in the genitive case as well, for example der Name becomes des Namens and das Herz becomes des Herzens.
die Farbe des Vogels - the color of the bird
die Grösse des Hauses - the size of the house
die Tasche meiner Mutter - my mother's purse [the purse of my mother]
der Bleistift des Studenten - the student's pencil [the pencil of the student]
Definite and Indefinite Articles
| Masc. | Fem. | Neu. | Plural |
Definite | des | der | des | der |
Indefinite | eines | einer | eines | keiner |
25. TO DO OR MAKE
machen - to do or make |
mache | mock-uh | machen | mock-en |
machst | mockst | macht | mockt |
macht | mockt | machen | mock-en |
26. WORK AND SCHOOL
| masculine | feminine |
actor | Schauspieler | Schauspielerin |
architect | Architekt (en) | Architektin |
artist | Künstler | Künstlerin |
author | Schriftsteller | Schriftstellerin |
bank clerk | Bankangestellter | Bankangestellte |
businessman/woman | Geschäftsmann | Geschäftsfrau |
cashier | Kassierer | Kassiererin |
civil servant | Beamter | Beamtin |
conductor | Dirigent | Dirigentin |
cook | Koch (ö, e) | Köchin |
custodian | Hausmeister | Hausmeisterin |
dentist | Zahnarzt (ä, e) | Zahnärztin |
doctor | Arzt (e) | Ärztin |
engineer | Ingenieur | Ingenieurin |
farmer | Landwirt | Landwirtin |
flight attendant | Flugbegleiter | Flugbegleiterin |
hairdresser | Friseur | Friseurin |
journalist | Journalist | Journalistin |
judge | Richter | Richterin |
lawyer | Anwalt (ä, e) | Anwältin |
lecturer | Dozent | Dozentin |
librarian | Bibliothekar | Bibliothekarin |
mechanic | Automechaniker | Automechanikerin |
nurse | Krankenpfleger | Krankenpflegerin |
pensioner (retired) | Rentner | Rentnerin |
pharmacist | Drogist | Drogistin |
photographer | Fotograf | Fotografin |
pilot | Pilot (en) | Pilotin |
police officer | Polizist (en) | Polizistin |
politician | Politiker | Politikerin |
postal worker | Postangestellter | Postangestellte |
president | Präsident (en) | Präsidentin |
priest | Priester | Priesterin |
professor | Professor | Professorin |
salesperson | Verkäufer | Verkäuferin |
secretary | Sekretär | Sekretärin |
student | Student | Studentin |
taxi driver | Taxifahrer | Taxifahrerin |
teacher | Lehrer | Lehrerin |
TV reporter | Fernsehreporter | Fernsehreporterin |
waiter | Kellner | Kellnerin |
worker | Arbeiter | Arbeiterin |
writer | Schriftsteller | Schriftstellerin |
Besides the plural forms shown above, the rest of the male professions are the same (they do not add anything) in the plural, while all the feminine add -nen in the plural. Also, German does not use articles before professions. You would only say Ich bin Kellner if you mean I am a waiter.
Was sind Sie von Beruf? What do you do for a living?
Ich bin Arzt. I'm a doctor (male).
School | die Schule (n) | Elementary School | die Grundschule (n) |
University | die Universität (en) | Secondary School | das Gymnasium |
College / University | die Hochschule (n) | High School | die Oberschule (n) |
Subject | das Fach (ä, er) | Foreign languages | Fremdsprachen |
Literature | Literatur | Linguistics | Linguistik |
Social Studies | Sozialkunde | History | Geschichte |
Biology | Biologie | Natural Science | Naturwissenschaft |
Philosophy | Philosophie | Psychology | Psychologie |
Earth science | Erdkunde | Sociology | Soziologie |
Math | Mathematik | Geography | Geographie |
Geometry | Geometrie | Computer science | Informatik |
Mechanical Engineering | Maschinenbau | Economics | Wirtschaft |
Management | Betriebswirtschaft | Chemistry | Chemie |
Marketing | Marketing | Media Studies | Medienwissenschaft |
Physics | Physik | Political Science | Politik |
Music | Musik | Art | Kunst |
Drawing | Zeichnen | Band | Musikkapelle |
Test | die Prüfung (en) | Class | die Klasse (n) |
Lunchtime | die Mittagspause | Lunch | das Mittagessen |
Cafeteria | die Mensa | School Supplies | die Schulsachen |
Dictionary | das Wörterbuch (ü, er) | Stapler | die Heftmaschine (n) |
Scissors | die Schere (n) | Ruler | das Lineal (e) |
Eraser | das Radiergummi (s) | Chalk | die Kreide |
Book | das Buch (ü, er) | Notebook | das Heft (e) |
Pencil | der Bleistift (e) | Sheet of Paper | das Blatt Papier |
Schoolbag | die Schultasche (n) | Calculator | der Taschenrechner (-) |
Pen | der Kugelschreiber / der Kuli | Homework | die Hausaufgaben |
Girl | das Mädchen (-) | Boy | der Junge (n) |
Friend (m) | der Freund (e) | Friend (f) | die Freundin (nen) |
Pupil/Student (m) | der Schüler (-) | Pupil/Student (f) | die Schülerin (nen) |
Student (m) | der Student (en) | Student (f) | die Studentin (nen) |
Teacher (m) | der Lehrer (-) | Teacher (f) | die Lehrerin (nen) |
Professor (m) | der Professor | Professor (f) | die Professorin (nen) |
Grades | die Noten | hard | schwer |
Course | der Kurs (e) | easy | leicht |
Semester | das Semester (-) | Vacation | die Ferien (pl.) |
Schedule | der Stundenplan (ä, e) | Assignment | die Aufgabe (n) |
In Germany, students must pass das Abitur in order to graduate from high school. In Austria, this final exam is called die Matura. Notice that there are two words for student: Schüler is used for students in primary and secondary schools, while Student is only used for university students.
The verb studieren is used for university study or to state your major. The verb lernen should be used for studying in general, and especially for learning a language.
Er studiert in Freiburg. He studies (goes to university) in Freiburg.
Ich studiere Französisch. I study French (in college). / French is my major.
Ich lerne Spanisch und Italienisch. I'm studying/learning Spanish and Italian.
27. PREPOSITIONS
Prepositions that take the Accusative case |
durch | through |
gegen | against |
um | around / at |
für | for |
ohne | without |
bis | until |
Preps. that take the Dative case |
aus | out (of), from (country, town or place) |
mit | with, by means of (transportation) |
von | from (person, open space, or direction), by |
seit | since, for |
bei | near, at, at home of or place of business |
nach | after, to (cities and countries) |
zu | to (mostly people and specifically named buildings) |
gegenüber | across from |
außer | except for, besides |
Preps. that take the Genitive case |
während | during |
trotz | in spite of |
(an)statt | instead of |
wegen | because of |
außerhalb | outside of |
innerhalb | inside of |
Preps. that may take Acc. or Dat. (two-way) |
an | at, to, on (vertical surfaces, denotes border or limiting area) |
auf | onto, on (horizontal surfaces), to (some public buildings) |
hinter | behind |
in | in, into, to (building, enclosed space, feminine or plural countries) |
neben | beside, next to |
über | over, above, across, about |
unter | under, below, among, beneath |
vor | in front of, before |
zwischen | between |
For the two-way prepositions: The accusative form indicates direction and movement and answers the question where to? The dative form indicates position and location and answers the question where? For example: In die Schule means to school and uses the accusative form because it is a direction. In der Schule means in schooland uses the dative form because it is a location. But one exception is zu Hause - at home (dat.) and nach Hause - (to) home (acc.) Ich bin zu Hause is I am at home, and Ich gehe nach Hause is I am going home.
Accusative: movement & direction
|
Dative: location & position
|
Er hängt das Bild über das Sofa. He hangs the picture over the sofa. | Das Bild hängt über dem Sofa. The picture hangs over the sofa. |
Stell es unter den Tisch. Put it under the table. | Es ist unter dem Tisch. It is under the table. |
Fahren Sie den Wagen hinter das Haus. Drive the car behind the house. | Der Wagen steht hinter dem Haus. The car is behind the house. |
Stellen Sie die Flaschen vor die Tür. Put the bottles in front of the door. | Die Flaschen stehen vor der Tür. The bottles are in front of the door. |
Stell es auf den Tisch. Put it on the table. | Es liegt auf dem Tisch. It's lying on the table. |
Schreib es an die Tafel. Write it on the board. | Es steht an der Tafel. It is on the board. |
Er geht in die Küche. He goes into the kitchen. | Er ist in der Küche. He is in the kitchen. |
Stellen Sie es neben das Haus. Put it beside the house. | Es ist neben dem Haus. It is beside the house. |
Stell die Lampe zwischen das Sofa und den Tisch. Put the lamp between the sofa and the table. | Die Lampe steht zwischen dem Sofa und dem Tisch. The lamp is between the sofa and the table. |
Stellen, legen and setzen use the accusative case, while stehen, liegen and sitzen use the dative case.
28. PREPOSITIONAL CONTRACTIONS
Contractions in Writing | Contractions in Informal Speech |
an dem | am | an den | an'n |
auf das | aufs | auf den | auf'n |
für das | fürs | auf dem | auf'm |
in das | ins | aus den | aus'n |
zu dem | zum | für den | für'n |
an das | ans | gegen das | gegen's |
bei dem | beim | in den | in'n |
in dem | im | nach dem | nach'm |
von dem | vom | | |
zu der | zur | | |
durch das | durchs | | |
um das | ums | | |
29. COUNTRIES AND NATIONALITIES
Africa | Afrika | Ireland | Irland |
African | Afrikaner/in | Irishman | Ire/Irin |
Albania | Albanien | Israel | Israel |
Albanian | Albaner/in | Israeli | Israeli |
America | Amerika | Hebrew | Hebräisch |
American | Amerikaner/in | Italy | Italien |
Argentina | Argentinien | Italian | Italiener/in |
Argentine | Argentinier/in | Japan | Japan |
Asia | Asien | Japanese | Japaner/in |
Asian | Asiat/in | Latvia | Lettland |
Australia | Australien | Latvian | Lette/Lettin |
Australian | Australier/in | Lithuania | Litauen |
Austria | Österreich | Lithuanian | Litauer/in |
Austrian | Österreicher/in | Luxembourg | Luxemburg |
Belgium | Belgien | Luxembourger | Luxemburger/in |
Belgian | Belgier/in | Macedonia | Mazedonien |
Bosnia | Bosnien | Macedonian | Mazedonier/in |
Bosnian | Bosnier/in | Malta | Malta |
Brazil | Brasilien | Maltese | Malteser/in |
Brazilian | Brasilianer/in | Mexico | Mexiko |
Bulgaria | Bulgarien | Mexican | Mexikaner/in |
Bulgarian | Bulgare/Bulgarin | Netherlands | die Niederlande |
Canada | Kanada | Dutch | Holländer/in |
Canadian | Kanadier/in | New Zealand | Neuseeland |
China | China | New Zealander | Neuseeländer/in |
Chinese | Chinese/Chinesin | Norway | Norwegen |
Croatia | Kroatien | Norwegian | Norweger/in |
Croatian | Kroate/Kroatin | Poland | Polen |
Cyprus | Zypern | Polish | Pole/Polin |
Cypriot | Zypriot/in | Portugal | Portugal |
Czech Republic | die Tschechische Republik | Portuguese | Portugiese/Portugiesin |
Czech | Tscheche/Tschechin | Romania | Rumänien |
Denmark | Dänemark | Romanian | Rumäne/Rumänin |
Danish | Däne/Dänin | Russia | Russland |
Egypt | Ägypten | Russian | Russe/Russin |
Egyptian | Ägypter/in | Scotland | Schottland |
England | England | Scottish | Schotte/Schottin |
English | Engländer/in | Serbia | Serbien |
Estonia | Estland | Serbian | Serbe/Serbin |
Estonian | Este/Estin | Slovakia | die Slowakei |
Europe | Europa | Slovak | Slowake/Slowakin |
European | Europäer/in | Slovenia | Slowenien |
Finland | Finnland | Slovene | Slowene/Slowenin |
Finnish | Finne/Finnin | South Africa | Südafrika |
France | Frankreich | South African | Südafrikaner/in |
French | Franzose/Französin | Spain | Spanien |
Germany | Deutschland | Spanish | Spanier/in |
German | Deutscher/Deutsche | Sweden | Schweden |
Great Britain | Großbritannien | Swedish | Schwede/in |
British | Brite/Britin | Switzerland | die Schweiz |
Greece | Griechenland | Swiss | Schweizer/in |
Greek | Grieche/Griechin | Turkey | die Türkei |
Hungary | Ungarn | Turk | Türke/Türkin |
Hungarian | Ungar/in | Ukraine | die Ukraine |
Iceland | Island | Ukrainian | Ukrainer/in |
Icelandic | Isländer/in | United Kingdom | Vereinigtes Königreich |
India | Indien | United States | die Vereinigten Staaten |
Indian | Inder/in | Wales | Wales |
Indonesia | Indonesien | Welsh | Waliser/in |
Indonesian | Indonesier/in | | |
Female nationalities add -in to the masculine nationality but some need to delete the final -e before adding -in. A few nationalities are slightly irregular or have spelling changes: Deutscher (German man), Deutsche (German woman), Franzose (Frenchman), Französin (Frenchwoman)
To form the adjective, use the masculine nationality stem and add -isch: amerikanisch, belgisch, griechisch, polnisch, schwedisch, etc. Some are slightly irregular: deutsch, englisch, französisch
The adjectives can also refer to the language, but then the word must be capitalized, i.e. deutsch is the adjective that is usually followed by a noun, whereas Deutsch is the German language.
30. NEGATIVE SENTENCES
Nicht and kein are forms of negation, but nicht means not and kein means no, not a, or not any. Kein is used to negate nouns that either have no articles or are preceded by the indefinite article. Kein precedes the nouns in sentences. It is declined as an ein-word.
Ist das eine Katze? | Is that a cat? |
Nein, das ist keine Katze. | No, that's not a cat. |
Nicht negates nouns preceded by a definite article or a possessive adjective; or it could negate any part (verb, noun, adjective) or all of a sentence. Nicht always follows the verb, but usually precedes the part of the sentence to be negated. It you want to negate an entire sentence, nicht comes last. Nicht also follows expressions of time.
Das ist meine Frau. | That's my wife. |
Das ist nicht meine Frau. | That's not my wife. |
Heute ist es kalt. | It is cold today. |
Heute ist es nicht kalt. | It is not cold today. |
31. TO AND FROM COUNTRIES AND CITIES
In also means to when it is used before a country that has a definite article (feminine and plural countries.)
Ich fliege in die Schweiz. I'm flying to Switzerland.
Ich fliege nach Deutschland. I'm flying to Germany.
And when aus is used with feminine or plural countries, the definite article must also be used.
Ich bin aus den USA . I am from the US.
Ich bin aus Frankreich . I am from France.
32. TO COME AND TO GO
kommen - to come |
komme | koh-muh | kommen | koh-men |
kommst | kohmst | kommt | kohmt |
kommt | kohmt | kommen | koh-men |
gehen - to go |
gehe | geh-uh | gehen | geh-in |
gehst | gehst | geht | gate |
geht | gate | gehen | geh-in |
33. MODAL VERBS
German has six modal verbs that you should memorize. They express an attitude about an action or condition described by the main verb. The modal auxiliary is conjugated and placed in the second position of the sentence. The main verb is in the infinitive form and placed at the end of the clause or sentence.
Ich kann eine Fahrkarte kaufen. (I can buy a ticket.) Kann is the conjugated auxiliary verb and kaufen is the main verb in infinitive form.
können - to be able to, can |
ich kann | wir können |
du kannst | ihr könnt |
er/sie/es kann | sie/Sie können |
müssen - to have to, must |
ich muß | wir müssen |
du mußt | ihr müsst |
er/sie/es muß | sie/Sie müssen |
dürfen - to be allowed/permitted to |
ich darf | wir dürfen |
du darfst | ihr dürft |
er/sie/es darf | sie/Sie dürfen |
Nicht müssen translates to do not have to or do not need to. Nicht dürfen translates to must not. Du mußt es nicht machen is you don't have to do it. Du darfst es nicht machen is you must not (or are not allowed) to do it.
sollen - to be supposed to |
ich soll | wir sollen |
du sollst | ihr sollt |
er/sie/es soll | sie/Sie sollen |
wollen - to want (to) |
ich will | wir wollen |
du willst | ihr wollt |
er/sie/es will | sie/Sie wollen |
mögen - to like |
ich mag | wir mögen |
du magst | ihr mögt |
er/sie/es mag | sie/Sie mögen |
Subjunctive of mögen - would like
ich möchte | wir möchten |
du möchtest | ihr möchtet |
er/sie/es möchte | sie/Sie möchten |
This subjunctive of mögen expresses would like to and is used more often than the indicative of mögen. Ich möchte eine Fahrkarte kaufen means I would like to buy a ticket.
Sometimes the infinitive is not required with modal verbs, if the meaning is clear enough without them. For example, you can often omit sprechen and tun after können and you can omit verbs of motion if there is an adverb of place.
Ich kann Spanisch. I can/know how to speak Spanish.
Er will nach Hause. He wants to go home.
34. CONJUGATING REGULAR VERBS IN THE PRESENT TENSE
To conjugate means to give the different forms of a verb depending on the subject. English only has two regular conjugations in the present tense, no ending and -s ending (I, you, we, they run vs. he/she/it runs). To form regular verbs in German, remove the -en ending and add these endings:
Regular Verbs in the Present Tense
antworten | to answer | machen | to make |
arbeiten | to work | passieren | to happen |
beginnen | to begin | rauchen | to smoke |
bekommen | to get | reisen | to travel |
benutzen | to use | rennen | to run |
besuchen | to visit | rufen | to call |
bezahlen | to pay for | sagen | to say |
bleiben | to remain/stay | schlafen | to sleep |
brauchen | to need | schreiben | to write |
dauern | to last | schwimmen | to swim |
denken | to think | sehen | to see |
entdecken | to discover | singen | to sing |
erfinden | to invent | sitzen | to sit |
ergänzen | to complete | sparen | to save (money) |
erlauben | to permit | stecken | to put |
erzählen | to tell | stehen | to stand |
essen | to eat | studieren | to study |
finden | to find | suchen | to look for |
fischen | to fish | tanzen | to dance |
fliegen | to fly | treffen | to meet |
fragen | to ask | trennen | to separate |
gehen | to go | trinken | to drink |
gewinnen | to win | verdienen | to earn (money) |
glauben | to believe/think | vergessen | to forget |
helfen | to help | verlieren | to lose |
kaufen | to buy | versprechen | to promise |
kennen | to know (people) | verstehen | to understand |
kommen | to come | warten | to wait |
laufen | to run | waschen | to wash |
lehren | to teach | winken | to wave |
lernen | to learn | wischen | to wipe |
lieben | to love | wünschen | to wish/desire |
liegen | to lay | ziehen | to move |
English has three ways of expressing the present tense, such as I run, I am running, I do run. All three of these tenses are translated as one tense in German (ich laufe.) However, you can add gerade after the verb to indicate the progressive form. Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben can be translated as I do my homework or I'm doing my homework. Ich mache gerade meine Hausaufgaben is translated as I'm doing my homework.
35. REFLEXIVE VERBS
Reflexive verbs express an action that reciprocates back to the subject. In other words, whoever is speaking is doing an action to himself. Examples in English would be: I wash myself, he hurts himself, we hate ourselves. Usually the -self words are a clue in English; however, there are more reflexive verbs in German than in English.
Reflexive Pronouns
Accusative | Dative |
mich | uns | mir | uns |
dich | euch | dir | euch |
sich | sich | sich | sich |
The reflexive pronoun follows the verb and agrees with the subject. When a clause contains another object besides the reflexive pronoun, then the reflexive pronoun is in the dative case since the other object is in the accusative case. This is when you use the dative reflexive pronouns instead of the accusative ones.
Accusative: Ich fühle mich nicht wohl - I don't feel well.
Dative: Ich ziehe mir den Mantel aus - I'm taking off my coat.
Also note that parts of the body and articles of clothing use the definite article, not a possessive.
Reflexive Verbs
sich ärgern | to get angry | sich aufregen | to get agitated |
sich ausruhen | to rest | sich erkälten | to catch a cold |
sich freuen | to be happy | sich (wohl) fühlen | to feel (well) |
sich hinlegen | to lie down | sich anziehen | to get dressed |
sich verletzen | to get hurt | sich ausziehen | to get undressed |
sich beeilen | to hurry | sich setzen | to sit down |
sich erholen | to relax | sich vorstellen | to imagine |
Reflexive Verbs + Accusative: |
sich ärgern über | to get annoyed about |
sich erinnern an | to remember |
sich freuen über | to be happy about |
sich freuen auf | to look forward to |
sich gewöhnen an | to get used to |
sich kümmern um | to take care of |
sich bewerben um | to apply for |
sich interessieren für | to be interested in |
sich konzentrieren auf | to concentrate on |
sich vorbereiten auf | to prepare for |
sich entscheiden für | to decide on |
sich verlieben in | to fall in love with |
Reflexive Verbs + Dative: |
sich trennen von | to break up with |
sich erkundigen nach | to ask about |
sich fürchten vor | to be afraid of |
36. EXCEPTIONS: IRREGULARITIES IN REGULAR VERBS
1) Some verbs require an umlaut over the a in the 2nd and 3rd person singular.
Fahren-to travel
fahre | fahren |
fährst | fahrt |
fährt | fahren |
Examples: fallen-to fall, schlafen-to sleep, tragen-to carry, waschen-to wash, laufen-to run
2) Some verbs change the e to ie in the 2nd and 3rd person singular.
Sehen-to see
sehe | sehen |
siehst | seht |
sieht | sehen |
Examples: lesen- to read, befehlen-to command, empfehlen-to recommend, geschehen-to happen, stehlen-to steal
3) Some verbs change the e to an i in the 2nd and 3rd person singular.
Geben-to give
gebe | geben |
gibst | gebt |
gibt | geben |
Examples: brechen-to break, essen-to eat, helfen-to help, sprechen-to speak, sterben-to die, treffen-to meet, werfen-to throw
*nehmen has another irregularity: it doubles the m and drops the h*
nehme | nehmen |
nimmst | nehmt |
nimmt | nehmen |
4) Verb stems ending -d or -t, add an e before three endings.
Reden-to speak
rede | reden |
redest | redet |
redet | reden |
5) Verb stems ending in an s or z sound, have -t for du form ending instead of -st.
Sitzen-to sit
sitze | sitzen |
sitzt | sitzt |
sitzt | sitzen |
6) Infinitives ending in -n (not -en) only have -n ending for wir and sie forms. Infinitive stems ending in -el or -er can drop the e in the ich form.
Tun-to do / Segeln-to sail
tue | tun | segle | segeln |
tust | tut | segelst | segelt |
tut | tun | segelt | segeln |
37. VERBS WITH PREPOSITIONS
ACCUSATIVE | DATIVE |
denken an | to think about | arbeiten an | to work on |
glauben an | to believe in | erkennen an | to recognize something by |
kommen an | to come to | sterben an | to die of |
schreiben an | to write to | teilnehmen an | to participate in |
achten auf | to pay attention to | helfen bei | to help with |
ankommen auf | to come down to/be a question of | anfangen mit | to begin with |
antworten auf | to answer | fahren mit | to go/travel (by means of) |
böse sein auf | to be angry at | rechnen mit | to count on, expect |
gespannt sein auf | to be excited about | sprechen mit | to talk to |
hoffen auf | to hope for | fragen nach | to ask about |
warten auf | to wait for | riechen nach | to smell of/like |
danken für | to thank for | abhängen von | to depend on |
sorgen für | to care for | erzählen von | to tell about |
lachen über | to laugh about | halten von | to think/feel about |
lesen über | to read about | handeln von | to deal with/be about |
nachdenken über | to think about | sprechen von | to talk about |
reden über | to talk about | träumen von | to dream about |
schreiben über | to write about | verstehen von | to know about/understand |
sprechen über | to talk about | wissen von | to know of |
bitten um | to ask for/request | Angst haben vor | to be afraid of |
kämpfen um | to fight for | retten vor | to save from |
Fahren mit cannot be used with all forms of transportation, such as on foot or by plane.
38. SEPARABLE PREFIXES
ab- | auf- | bei- | los- | mit- | vor- | weg- | zurück- |
an- | aus- | ein- | fern- | nach- | vorbei- | zu- | zusammen- |
These prefixes are added to the infinitive and change the meaning of the verb. Kommen is to come, butankommen is to arrive. When conjugated, the prefix goes to the end of the sentence. Er kommt um fünf Uhr anmeans "he is arriving at 5." But Er kommt um drei Uhr means "he is coming at 3." With modals, the infinitive goes to the end of the sentence as usual, but the prefix remains attached. Ich will jetzt ausgehen means "I want to go out now."
Verbs with Separable Prefixes
abholen | to pick up | ausmachen | to turn off |
abräumen | to clear (the table) | aussehen | to look like, appear |
abtrocknen | to dry (dishes) | austragen | to deliver |
abwischen | to wipe clean | auswandern | to emigrate |
anfangen | to begin | ausziehen | to take off clothes |
ankommen | to arrive | einkaufen | to shop |
anmachen | to turn on | einladen | to invite |
anrufen | to call up | einpacken | to pack up |
anschauen | to look at | einschlafen | to fall asleep |
ansehen | to look at, watch | einsteigen | to board |
anziehen | to put on clothes | fernsehen | to watch TV |
anzünden | to light (candles) | mitkommen | to come with |
aufhören | to stop | mitnehmen | to take with |
aufmachen | to open | vorbeikommen | to come by |
aufräumen | to tidy up (clothes) | vorschlagen | to suggest |
aufstehen | to get up | vorstellen | to introduce |
aufwachen | to wake up | weggehen | to go away |
aufwischen | to mop up | wegstellen | to put away |
ausfüllen | to fill in (the blanks) | zuhören | to listen to |
ausgeben | to spend | zumachen | to close |
ausgehen | to go out | zurückkommen | to come back |
ausleeren | to empty | zusehen | to observe |
Ausgehen can also mean to be on good/bad terms with someone.
39. INSEPARABLE PREFIXES
be- | ent- | ge- | ver- |
emp- | er- | miss- | zer- |
These prefixes always remain attached to their infinitives. The inseparable prefixes are unstressed syllables, as compared to the separable prefixes which can stand alone as different words. Some examples of verbs with inseparable prefixes are besuchen - to visit, erzählen - to tell, gewinnen - to win, and versprechen - to promise.
Unter and über can function as separable prefixes, but they are much more commonly used as inseparable prefixes. When prefixes are stressed, they are separable; when they are not stressed, they are inseparable. The stress on the following verbs in not on the prefix, so they are all inseparable: unterhalten - to entertain,unternehmen - to undertake, überholen - to overtake, and übersetzen - to translate.
The German National Anthem:
Deutschland-Liedby Heinrich Hoffman von Fallersleben
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit für das deutsche Vaterland!
Danach lasst uns alle streben brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit sind des Glückes Unterpfand
Blüh im Glanze dieses Glückes blühe deutsches Vaterland!
Unity and right and freedom for the German fatherland;
Let us all pursue this purpose brotherly, with heart and hands.
Unity and right and freedom are the pawns of happiness.
Flourish in this blessing's glory, flourish, German fatherland.
The Austrian National Anthem: Österreichische Bundeshymneby Paula von Preradovic
Land der Berge, Land am Strome,
Land der Äcker, Land der Dome,
Land der Hämmer, zukunftsreich!
Heimat bist du großer Söhne,
Volk, begnadet für das Schöne,
Vielgerühmtes Österreich.
Heiß umfehdet, wild umstritten
leigst dem Erdteil du inmitten
einem starken Herzen gleich.
Hast seit frühen Ahnentagen
Hoher Sendung Last getragen
Vielgeprüftes Österreich.
Mutig in die neuen Zeiten,
Frei und gläubig sich uns schreiten,
Arbeitsfroh und hoffnungsreich.
Einig laß in Brüderchören,
Vaterland, dir Treue schwören,
Vielgeliebtes Österreich.
Land of mountains, land of streams,
Land of fields, land of spires,
Land of hammers, with a rich future.
You are the home of great sons,
A nation blessed by its sense of beauty,
Highly praised Austria.
Strongly fought for, fiercely contested,
You are in the centre of the Continent
Like a strong heart.
You have borne since the earliest days.
The burden of a high mission,
Much tried Austria.
Watch us striding free and believing,
With courage, into new eras,
Working cheerfully and full of hope.
In fraternal chorus let us take in unity
The oath of allegiance to you, our country,
Our much beloved Austria.
The Swiss National Anthem:
Schweizerpsalm
by Leonhard Widmer
Trittst im Morgenrot daher,
Seh' ich dich im Strahlenmeer,
Dich, du Hocherhabener, Herrlicher!
Wenn der Alpenfirn sich rötet,
Betet, freie Schweizer, betet!
Eure fromme Seele ahnt
Gott im hehren Vaterland,
Gott, den Herrn, im hehren Vaterland.
Kommst im Abendglühn daher,
Find' ich dich im Sternenheer,
Dich, du Menschenfreundlicher, Liebender!
In des Himmels lichten Räumen
Kann ich froh und selig träumen!
Denn die fromme Seele ahnt
Gott im hehren Vaterland,
Gott, den Herrn, im hehren Vaterland.
Ziehst im Nebelflor daher,
Such' ich dich im Wolkenmeer,
Dich, du Unergründlicher, Ewiger!
Aus dem grauen Luftgebilde
Tritt die Sonne klar und milde,
Und die fromme Seele ahnt
Gott im hehren Vaterland,
Gott, den Herrn, im hehren Vaterland.
Fährst im wilden Sturm daher,
Bist Du selbst uns Hort und Wehr,
Du, allmächtig Waltender, Rettender!
In Gewitternacht und Grauen
Lasst uns kindlich ihm vertrauen!
Ja, die fromme Seele ahnt,
Ja, die fromme Seele ahnt
Gott im hehren Vaterland,
Gott, den Herrn, im hehren Vaterland !
40. PRESENT PERFECT OR PAST INDEFINITE TENSE
This tense is used more often than the simple past, especially in conversation, and is equivalent to I have doneor I did. Regular verbs use a form of haben or sein and a past participle. Past participles are made by adding ge-to the beginning of the verb stem and -t (or -et, if stem ends in -t or -d) to the end.
Fragen is to ask, and -frag- is the stem; therefore gefragt is the past participle.
Arbeiten is to work, and -arbeit- is the stem; therefore gearbeitet is the past participle.
Machen is to do/make, and -mach- is the stem; therefore gemacht is the past participle.
Verbs ending in -ieren only add the -t ending. Studieren is to study and studier- is the stem, so studiert is the past participle.
The form of haben or sein is placed where the verb should be, and the past participle goes to the end of the sentence. Ex: Ich habe meinen Bruder gefragt - I asked my brother.
Haben or Sein
Most verbs use haben, but a few use sein, if and only if, both of these conditions are met:
1. The verb expresses motion or change of condition.
2. The verb is intransitive (i.e. cannot take a direct object.)
Double Infinitive: When modals are used in the present perfect tense with a dependent infinitive, the past participle is not used. The infinitive of the modal acts as the past participle. Logically, I had to go home would be translated as ich habe nach Hause gehen gemußt. However, it is actually Ich habe nach Hause gehen müssen. When there is no other infinitive in the sentence, then the past participles of the modals are used. I had to would be translated as Ich habe gemußt.
→ All modals, as well as reflexive verbs, use haben in the present perfect tense. The reflexive pronouns follow the auxiliary verb as in Ich habe mir den Arm gebrochen. I broke my arm.
→ With separable prefixes, the prefix comes before the ge- in a past participle, such as angekommen andaufgestanden. From the participle of the base verb, and then add the prefix to the beginning. But note that the prefix does change the entire meaning of the verb, and it may take a different auxiliary verb than its base verb. For example, stehen takes haben, but aufstehen takes sein.
→ With inseparable prefixes, whether the verb is regular or irregular, there is no ge- prefix when forming the past participle, such as besucht and verloren.
→ To express something that has been going on or happening for a period of time, German using the present tense (rather than the past) and the word schon. "I have been studying German for two years" translates to Ich studiere Deutsch schon zwei Jahre.
41. IRREGULAR PAST PARTICIPLES WITH HABEN
These irregular past participles end with -en, and some have vowel changes in the stem. All of the following irregular past participles use haben as the auxiliary verb.
anfangen | begin | angefangen | raten | advise | geraten |
aufstehen | get up | aufgestanden | reißen | tear | gerissen |
befehlen | order, command | befohlen | riechen | smell | gerochen |
beginnen | begin | begonnen | rufen | call | gerufen |
beißen | bite | gebissen | scheinen | shine | geschienen |
bekommen | get, receive | bekommen | schieben | push | geschoben |
bewerben | apply | beworben | schlafen | sleep | geschlafen |
binden | tie | gebunden | schließen | shut | geschlossen |
bitten | ask | gebeten | schneiden | cut | geschnitten |
brechen | break | gebrochen | schreiben | write | geschrieben |
einladen | invite | eingeladen | schreien | yell | geschrieen |
empfehlen | recommend | empfohlen | schweigen | be silent | geschwiegen |
essen | eat | gegessen | schwingen | swing | geschwungen |
finden | find | gefunden | sehen | see | gesehen |
fressen | eat (of animals) | gefressen | singen | sing | gesungen |
frieren | freeze | gefroren | sitzen | sit | gesessen |
geben | give | gegeben | sprechen | speak | gesprochen |
gewinnen | win | gewonnen | stehen | stand | gestanden |
gießen | pour, water | gegossen | stehlen | steal | gestohlen |
greifen | reach | gegriffen | streiten | quarrel | gestritten |
halten | hold | gehalten | tragen | wear | getragen |
hängen | hang, suspend | gehangen | treffen | meet | getroffen |
heben | lift | gehoben | trinken | drink | getrunken |
heißen | be called | geheißen | tun | do | getan |
helfen | help | geholfen | verbieten | forbid | verboten |
klingen | sound | geklungen | vergessen | forget | vergessen |
lassen | let, allow | gelassen | verlassen | leave | verlassen |
leiden | suffer | gelitten | verlieren | lose | verloren |
leihen | lend | geliehen | versprechen | promise | versprochen |
lesen | read | gelesen | verstehen | understand | verstanden |
liegen | recline | gelegen | verzeihen | forgive | verziehen |
lügen | lie, fib | gelogen | waschen | wash | gewaschen |
nehmen | take | genommen | werfen | throw | geworfen |
pfeifen | whistle | gepfiffen | ziehen | pull | gezogen |
Some verbs change their stems, like all irregular verbs; but take the endings for regular verbs instead of irregular verbs. They form their past participles like regular verbs. (Ge-stem-t)
Infinitive | Irregular Stem | Past Participle |
brennen-to burn | brann- | gebrannt |
bringen-to bring | brach- | gebracht |
denken-to think | dach- | gedacht |
kennen-to know (people) | kann- | gekannt |
nennen-to call, name | nann- | genannt |
rennen-to run | rann- | gerannt |
wenden-to turn | wand- | gewandt |
wissen-to know (facts) | wuß- | gewußt |
42. SEIN VERBS AND PAST PARTICIPLES
The following verbs use sein as the auxiliary verb, and many have irregular past participles.
aufwachen | wake up | aufgewacht | laufen | run | gelaufen |
bleiben | remain | geblieben | passieren | happen | passiert |
erscheinen | appear | erschienen | reisen | travel | gereist |
ertrinken | drown | ertrunken | reiten | ride (horseback) | geritten |
fahren | drive, go, travel | gefahren | rennen | run | gerannt |
fallen | fall | gefallen | schwimmen | swim | geschwommen |
fliegen | fly | geflogen | sein | be | gewesen |
folgen | follow | gefolgt | sinken | sink | gesunken |
gebren | be born | geboren | springen | jump | gesprungen |
gehen | go | gegangen | steigen | climb | gestiegen |
gelingen | succeed | gelungen | sterben | die | gestorben |
geschehen | happen | geschehen | treten | step | getreten |
joggen | jog | gejoggt | wachsen | grow | gewachsen |
klettern | climb | geklettert | wandern | hike | gewandert |
kommen | come | gekommen | werden | become | geworden |
kriechen | creep | gekrochen | | | |
breakfast | das Frühstück | bread | das Brot (e) |
lunch | das Mittagessen | pepper | der Pfeffer |
dinner | das Abendessen | salt | das Salz |
glass | das Glas (ä, er) | ice | das Eis |
fork | die Gabel (n) | vinegar | der Essig |
spoon | der Löffel (-) | oil | das Öl |
knife | das Messer (-) | sugar | der Zucker |
napkin | die Serviette (n) | butter | die Butter |
plate | der Teller (-) | table | der Tisch (e) |
silverware | das Besteck | dishes | das Geschirr |
tea | der Tee | juice | der Saft (ä, e) |
steak | das Steak | water | das Wasser |
cake | der Kuchen | wine | der Wein |
chicken | das Huhn | beer | das Bier |
coffee | der Kaffee | soft drink | die Limonade |
fish | der Fisch | milk | die Milch |
ham | der Schinken | egg | das Ei (er) |
ice cream | das Eis | honey | der Honig |
jam | die Marmelade | snack | der Imbiss |
rice | der Reis | cheese | der Käse |
salad | der Salat | mustard | der Senf |
soup | die Suppe | pie | die Torte (n) |
44. FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND MEATS
fruit | das Obst | pumpkin | der Kürbis (e) |
pineapple | die Ananas (-) | olive | die Olive (n) |
apple | der Apfel (ä) | raddish | der Rettich (e) |
apricot | die Aprikose (n) | lettuce | der Salat |
banana | die Banane (n) | tomato | die Tomate (n) |
pear | die Birne (n) | onion | die Zwiebel (n) |
strawberry | die Erdbeere (n) | green beans | die grünen Bohnen |
raspberry | die Himbeere (n) | corn | der Mais |
cherry | die Kirsche (n) | meat | das Fleisch |
lime | die Limone (n) | roast | der Braten (-) |
lemon | die Zitrone (n) | veal | das Kalbfleisch |
orange | die Orange (n) | lamb | das Lammfleisch |
peach | der Pfirsisch (e) | beef | das Rindfleisch |
grape | die Traube (n) | pork | das Schweinefleisch |
vegetable | das Gemüse | bacon | der Speck |
cauliflower | der Blumenkohl | sausage | die Wurst (ü, e) |
bean | die Bohne (n) | poultry | das Geflügel |
pea | die Erbse (n) | duck | die Ente (n) |
cucumber | die Gurke (n) | goose | die Gans (ä, e) |
carrot | die Karotte (n) | chicken | das Huhn (ü, er) |
potato | die Kartoffel (n) | turkey | der Truthahn (ä, e) |
cabbage | der Kohl | fish | der Fisch (e) |
In Austria, der Karfiol is cauliflower, die Fisolen is green beans, and der Kukuruz is corn.
The genitive partitive is mostly used when talking about quantities of food. Both words are in the nominative case in German, and of is not needed.
a glass of water - ein Glas Wasser
a piece of cake - ein Stück Kuchen
a slice of pizza - ein Stück Pizza
| | Gehen-to go |
du form | conjugated form, minus -(s)t | Geh! |
ihr form | conjugated form | Geht! |
wir form | conjugated form with wir following | Gehen wir! |
Sie form | conjugated form with Sie following | Gehen Sie! |
Verbs that take an umlaut in conjugations leave it off in commands. Verbs that change their stem vowel from e to iuse the changed stem in the du form. All commands require an exclamation point. The wir forms translate as Let's + verb in English.
Imperative of Sein
du form | Sei! |
ihr form | Seid! |
Sie form | Seien Sie! |
47. SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
Subordinating conjunctions are used to connect an independent and dependent clause together, and they doaffect word order. An independent (or main) clause contains a subject and verb and can stand alone as its own sentence. A dependent (or subordinate) clause also contains a subject and verb, but is introduced with a subordinating conjunction and cannot stand alone as its own sentence.
There are also other conjunctions (called coordinating) that do not affect word order. The easiest way to tell the two types of conjunctions apart is to memorize the coordinating ones. Und, aber, denn - for/because, sondern - but (on the contrary) and oder are the coordinating conjunctions. The rest of the conjunctions act as subordinating, and interrogative words can also act as subordinating conjunctions. Some examples are als-when,bevor-before, bis-until, damit-so that, dass-that, wenn-if/when, ob-whether, obwohl-although, nachdem-after,da-since, während-while, weil-because, and wie-how.
1. In clauses introduced by subordinating conjunctions, the conjugated verb is forced to the end of the clause (not sentence) and a comma is placed before the conjunction.
Ich bleibe zu Hause. Ich bin krank. I'm staying home. I am sick.
Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. I'm staying home because I am sick.
(weil is the subordinating conjunction, and bin must go to the end.)
Sie kommt nach zu dir. Sie hat gegessen. She's coming to your place. She has eaten.
Sie kommt nach zu dir, nachdem sie gegessen hat. She's coming to your place after she has eaten.
(nachdem is the sub. conjunction, and hat must go to the end.)
→ However, when a double infinitive construction is involved, the conjugated verb form precedes the two infinitives. The double infinitive always goes to the end of the clause or sentence.
Ich weiß nicht, ob er hat mitkommen wollen. I don't know if he wanted to come along.
2. When a sentence begins with a subordinating conjunction, the main clause begins with the conjugated verb in keeping with the normal word order of German that states verbs are always in the second position. The subordinate clause becomes the first position, so the verb of the main clause must occupy the second position.
Hans telefoniert mit Ihnen, während Sie in Berlin sind. Hans will call you while you're in Berlin.
Während Sie in Berlin sind, telefoniert Hans mit Ihnen. While you are in Berlin, Hans will call you.
(während is a subordinating conjunction, and the subordinating clause occupies the first position of the sentence, so the second position must be occupied by the verb of the main clause, telefoniert.)
3. If there is a separable prefix verb in a dependent clause, the prefix remains attached to the verb, and the entire verb goes to the end of the clause, whereas normally the prefix would go to the end.
Er ist immer müde, wenn er früh aufsteht. He is always tired when he gets up early.
4. When there are two verbs in a dependent clause (such as a modal and an infinitive), the modal goes last, following the infinitive.
Er ist müde, wenn er früh aufstehen muss. He is tired when he must get up early.
Frohe Weihnachten! | Merry Christmas! |
Frohe Ostern! | Happy Easter! |
Glückliches Neues Jahr! | Happy New Year! |
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag! Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! | Happy Birthday! |
das Silvester | New Year's Eve |
das Neujahr | New Year's Day |
der Valentinstag | Valentine's Day |
der Fasching (S. Germany) / der Karneval(Rhineland) | Mardi Gras |
das Ostern | Easter |
das Weihnachten | Christmas |
der Geburtstag | birthday |
die Hochzeit | wedding |
49. HELFEN, LASSEN AND THE SENSES
Helfen, lassen and verbs indicating the senses (such as sehen and hören) function like modal auxiliaries. Like the modals, these verbs require a double infinitive construction when forming the present perfect tense if there is a dependent infinitive involved. After verbs of this type, English often uses a present participle, but German uses a dependent infinitive.
Ich sehe ihn kommen. I see him coming.
Ich habe ihn kommen hören. I heard him coming.
Lassen can have different meanings depending on how it is used in the sentence. Usually, lassen means to let or allow, as in Laß den Jungen spielen! Let the boy play! (Notice that lassen takes an accusative object) But it can also mean to have something done or to have someone do something.
Wir lassen uns ein Haus bauen. We're having a house built./We're building a house.
Ich lasse meinen Sohn die Post abholen. I'm having my son pick up the mail.
street | die Straße (n) | strass-uh | pharmacy | die Apotheke (n) | ah-poh-tek-uh |
bank | die Bank (en) | bahnk | drugstore | die Drogerie (n) | droh-ger-ee |
hotel | das Hotel (s) | hoh-tel | factory | die Fabrik (en) | fah-breek |
restaurant | das Restaurant (s) | res-toh-rahn | butcher shop | die Metzgerei (en) | mets-geh-rie |
theater | das Theater (-) | tay-ah-ter | dry cleaner's | die Reinigung (en) | rien-ee-gunk |
store | das Geschäft / der Laden (ä) | lah-den | bookstore | der Buchladen (ä) | booch-lah-den |
museum | das Museum (Museen) | moo-zay-um | airport | der Flughafen (ä) | flook-hahf-en |
church | die Kirche (n) | keer-kuh | garage | die Garage (n) | gah-rah-zhuh |
square | der Platz (ä, e) | plahtz | town hall | das Rathaus (ä) | raht-house |
monument | das Denkmal (ä, er) | denk-mall | castle | das Schloss (ö, er) | shlohss |
building | das Gebäude (-) | guh-boy-duh | school | die Schule (n) | shoo-luh |
house | das Haus (ä, er) | house | city | die Stadt (ä, e) | shtaht |
grocery store | das Lebensmittel- geschäft (e) | lay-buns-mit- tel-geh-sheft | bar | die Kneipe (n) | knigh-puh |
library | die Bibliothek (en) | beeb-lee-oh-tek | cathedral | der Dom (e) | dome |
hospital | das Krankenhaus (ä, er) | krahnk-en-house | village | das Dorf (ö, er) | dorf |
stadium | das Stadion (Stadien) | shtah-dee-on | cemetery | der Friedhof (ö, e) | freed-hoff |
movie theater | das Kino (s) | kee-noh | backery | die Bäckerei (en) | beck-er-ie |
hardware store | das Eisenwaren- geschäft (e) | ise-en-war-en- geh-sheft | shoe store | das Schuh- geschäft (e) | shoo-geh-sheft |
stationery store | das Schreibwaren- geschäft (e) | shribe-var-en- geh-scheft | | | |
In Austria and Southern Germany, die Buchhandlung is used for bookstore.
bus | der Bus (se) | boos |
trolleybus | der Obus | oh-boos |
subway | die U-Bahn | oo-bahn |
train | der Zug (ü, e) | tsook |
airplane | das Flugzeug (e) | flook-tsoyk |
ship | das Schiff (e) | shiff |
boat | das Boot (e) | boat |
motorcycle | das Motorrad (ä, er) | moh-toh-raht |
automobile | das Auto (s) | ow-toh |
streetcar | die Straßenbahn (en) | shtrass-en-bahn |
moped | das Moped (s) | mo-ped |
bike | das Fahrrad (ä, er) | fah-raht |
car | der Wagen (-) | vah-gen |
on foot | zu Fuss | foos |
Die U-Bahn is short for die Untergrundbahn and der Obus is short for der Oberleitungsbus. To say by bus, train, etc., use mit dem + the noun for masculine and neuter nouns; and mit der + the noun for feminine nouns.
52. SIMPLE PAST / IMPERFECT TENSE
In English, this tense corresponds to I did, you saw, he cried, etc. and is used less often in spoken German than the present perfect tense. It is used more often in writing to tell a sequence of past events. Nevertheless, even in conversational German, sein, haben, werden, wissen and the modal verbs are preferred in the simple past tense than in the present perfect tense. In addition, the simple past tense is commonly used in clauses that begin with als (when).
All regular verbs add these endings to their original stems:
-te | -ten |
-test | -tet |
-te | -ten |
Verb stems ending in -d or -t, add an -e before all endings for ease of pronunciation.
Simple Past of sein, haben & werden
| sein | haben | werden |
ich | war | hatte | wurde |
du | warst | hattest | wurdest |
er, sie, es | war | hatte | wurde |
wir | waren | hatten | wurden |
ihr | wart | hattet | wurdet |
sie | waren | hatten | wurden |
For the modal verbs, drop the umlaut found in the infinitive before adding the endings. Mögen changes the g to ch as well.
Simple Past of Modals
| können | müssen | dürfen | sollen | wollen | mögen |
ich | konnte | mußte | durfte | sollte | wollte | mochte |
du | konntest | mußtest | durftest | solltest | wolltest | mochtest |
er, sie, es | konnte | mußte | durfte | sollte | wollte | mochte |
wir | konnten | mußten | durften | sollten | wollten | mochten |
ihr | konntet | mußtet | durftet | solltet | wolltet | mochtet |
sie | konnten | mußten | durften | sollten | wollten | mochten |
The following verbs are called mixed verbs because although they have an irregular stem, they still use the imperfect endings for regular verbs. These are the same stems that are used in the present perfect tense as well.
Simple Past of Mixed Verbs
| wissen | bringen | denken | kennen | brennen | nennen | rennen | wenden |
ich | wußte | brachte | dachte | kannte | brannte | nannte | rannte | wandte |
du | wußtest | brachtest | dachtest | kanntest | branntest | nanntest | ranntest | wandtest |
er, sie, es | wußte | brachte | dachte | kannte | brannte | nannte | rannte | wandte |
wir | wußten | brachten | dachten | kannten | brannten | nannten | rannten | wandten |
ihr | wußtet | brachtet | dachtet | kanntet | branntet | nanntet | ranntet | wandtet |
sie | wußten | brachten | dachten | kannten | brannten | nannten | rannten | wandten |
53. IRREGULAR STEMS IN SIMPLE PAST / IMPERFECT TENSE
Irregular verbs have a different stem for the past tense and add different endings than those of the regular verbs. You will have to memorize these stems, as they can be unpredictable (and unlike the past participles). Remember the simple past forms given below are just the stems; you must add different irregular endings depending on the subject.
Infinitive | Simple Past | Past Participle | Translation |
anfangen | fing ... an | angefangen | begin |
aufstehen | stand ... auf | aufgestanden | get up |
befehlen | befahl | befohlen | order, command |
beginnen | begann | begonnen | begin |
beissen | biss | gebissen | bite |
begreifen | begriff | begriffen | comprehend |
bekommen | bekam | bekommen | get, receive |
bewerben | bewarb | beworben | apply |
binden | band | gebunden | tie |
biegen | bog | gebogen | turn, bend |
bieten | bot | geboten | offer |
bitten | bat | gebeten | ask |
blasen | blies | geblasen | blow |
bleiben | blieb | ist geblieben | remain |
brechen | brach | gebrochen | break |
einladen | lud ... ein | eingeladen | invite |
entscheiden | entschied | entschieden | decide |
empfehlen | empfahl | empfohlen | recommend |
erscheinen | erschien | ist erschienen | appear |
ertrinken | ertrank | ist ertrunken | drown |
essen | aß | gegessen | eat |
fahren | fuhr | ist gefahren | drive, go, travel |
fallen | fiel | ist gefallen | fall |
fangen | fing | gefangen | catch |
finden | fand | gefunden | find |
fliegen | flog | ist geflogen | fly |
fressen | fraß | gefressen | eat (of animals) |
frieren | fror | gefroren | freeze |
geben | gab | gegeben | give |
gebören | gebar | ist geboren | be born |
gehen | ging | ist gegangen | go |
gelingen | gelang | ist gelungen | succeed |
geschehen | geschah | ist geschehen | happen |
gewinnen | gewann | gewonnen | win |
gießen | goss | gegossen | pour, water |
greifen | griff | gegriffen | reach |
halten | hielt | gehalten | hold |
hngen | hing | gehangen | hang, suspend |
heben | hob | gehoben | lift |
heißen | hieß | geheißen | be called |
helfen | half | geholfen | help |
klingen | klang | geklungen | sound |
kommen | kam | ist gekommen | come |
kriechen | kroch | ist gekrochen | creep |
lassen | liess | gelassen | let, allow |
laufen | lief | ist gelaufen | run |
leiden | litt | gelitten | suffer |
leihen | lieh | geliehen | lend |
lesen | las | gelesen | read |
liegen | lag | gelegen | recline |
lügen | log | gelogen | lie, fib |
nehmen | nahm | genommen | take |
pfeifen | pfiff | gepfiffen | whistle |
raten | riet | geraten | advise |
reissen | riss | gerissen | tear |
reiten | ritt | ist geritten | ride (horseback) |
riechen | roch | gerochen | smell |
rufen | rief | gerufen | call |
scheinen | schien | geschienen | shine |
schieben | schob | geschoben | push |
schiessen | schoss | geschossen | shoot |
schlafen | schlief | geschlafen | sleep |
schlagen | schlug | geschlagen | hit |
schließen | schloss | geschlossen | shut |
schneiden | schnitt | geschnitten | cut |
schreiben | schrieb | geschrieben | write |
schreien | schrie | geschrieen | cry |
schweigen | schwieg | geschwiegen | be silent |
schwimmen | schwamm | ist geschwommen | swim |
schwingen | schwang | geschwungen | swing |
sehen | sah | gesehen | see |
sein | war | ist gewesen | be |
singen | sang | gesungen | sing |
sinken | sank | ist gesunken | sink |
sitzen | saß | gesessen | sit |
spinnen | span | gesponnen | spin |
sprechen | sprach | gesprochen | speak |
springen | sprang | ist gesprungen | jump |
stehen | stand | gestanden | stand |
stehlen | stahl | gestohlen | steal |
steigen | stieg | ist gestiegen | climb |
sterben | starb | ist gestorben | die |
streiten | stritt | gestritten | quarrel |
tragen | trug | getragen | wear |
treffen | traf | getroffen | meet |
treiben | trieb | getrieben | play sports |
treten | trat | ist getreten | step |
trinken | trank | getrunken | drink |
tun | tat | getan | do |
verbieten | verbot | verboten | forbid |
vergessen | vergaß | vergessen | forget |
vergleichen | verglich | verglichen | compare |
verlassen | verliess | verlassen | leave |
verlieren | verlor | verloren | lose |
versprechen | versprach | versprochen | promise |
verstehen | verstand | verstanden | understand |
verzeihen | verzieh | verziehen | forgive |
vorschlagen | schlug ... vor | vorgeschlagen | suggest |
wachsen | wuchs | ist gewachsen | grow |
waschen | wusch | gewaschen | wash |
werfen | warf | geworfen | throw |
ziehen | zog | gezogen | pull |
Irregular Endings
- | -en |
-st | -t |
- | -en |
There are no endings for the 1st and 3rd person singular. If the verb stem ends in an s sound (such as aß-), the du form ending becomes -est (du aßest.) If the verb stem ends in -t or -d, the ihr form ending becomes -et while the du form ending sometimes becomes -est. Most verb stems do add -est in the du form, but some do not. For example, finden is conjugated without the -e- (du fandst) while sich befinden is conjugated with the -e- (du befandest dich.) Similarly, stehen is conjugated without the -e- (du standst) while verstehen is conjugated withthe -e- (du verstandest.) The other main verbs that are conjugated without the -e- are braten (brietst; to roast),erfinden (erfandst, to invent), laden (ludst, to invite), leiden (littst, to suffer), and schneiden (schnittst, to cut).
54. HOUSE AND FURNITURE
window | das Fenster (-) | ground floor | das Erdgeschoss |
curtain | der Vorhang (ä, e) | 1st floor/storey | der erste Stock |
clock | die Uhr (en) | floor/ground | der Boden (ö) |
bookcase | das Bücherregal (e) | roof | das Dach (ä, er) |
lamp | die Lampe (n) | shower | die Dusche (n) |
table | der Tisch (e) | bathtub | die Badewanne (n) |
sofa | das Sofa (s) | stairs/steps | die Treppen |
chair | der Stuhl (ü, e) | stove | der Herd (e) |
armchair | der Sessel (-) | oven | der Backofen (ö) |
mirror | der Spiegel (-) | refrigerator | der Kühlschrank (e) |
towel | das Handtuch (ü, er) | dishwasher | die Geschirrspülmaschine (n) |
toilet | die Toilette (n) | faucet | der Wasserhahn (ä, e) |
wastebasket | der Papierkorb (ö, e) | pot, pan | der Topf (ö, e) |
bathroom sink | das Waschbecken (-) | drawer | die Schublade (n) |
(clothes) closet | der (Kleider)schrank (ä, e) | silverware | das Besteck |
picture | das Bild (er) | dishes | das Geschirr |
nightstand | der Nachttisch (e) | kitchen sink | das Spülbecken (-) |
vase | die Vase (n) | desk | der Schreibtisch (e) |
dresser | die Kommode (n) | alarm clock | der Wecker (-) |
bed | das Bett (en) | shelf | das Regal (e) |
rug | der Teppich (e) | television | der Fernseher (-) |
room | das Zimmer (-) | telephone | das Telefon (e) |
bathroom | das Badezimmer (-) | VCR | der Videorekorder (-) |
bedroom | das Schlafzimmer (-) | CD Player | der CD-Spieler (-) |
living room | das Wohnzimmer (-) | computer | der Computer (-) |
kitchen | die Küche (n) | radio | das Radio (s) |
hallway/corridor | der Flur (e) | pillow | das Kopfkissen (-) |
balcony | der Balkon (e) | cupboard | der Schrank (ä, e) |
furniture | die Möbel | blanket, ceiling | die Decke (n) |
wall | die Wand (ä, e) | door | die Tür (en) |
lawn | der Rasen | garden, yard | der Garten (ä) |
Remember that in Europe, buildings always start with the ground floor, and then the next floor up is the first floor. Many Americans would refer to these floors as the first floor and second floor, respectively, and not even use ground floor.
55. LOCATION VS. DIRECTION
Location: the prepositions in, an, auf and bei (followed by the dative case) are used with fixed locations, whileaus and von (also followed by the dative case) are used to signify origin.
in | enclosed spaces | Ich bin in der Kirche. Wir sind in der Schule. | I'm at church. We are at school. |
an | denotes border or limiting area | Er ist am See. Das Bild ist an der Wand. | He is at the lake. The picture is on the wall. |
auf | on surfaces, or at public buildings | Es ist auf dem Tisch. Sie sind auf der Bank. | It's on the table. They are at the bank. |
bei | before name of place or business where someone lives or works | Ich arbeite bei McDonald's. Ich wohne bei meiner Tante. | I work at McDonald's. I live at my Aunt's (house). |
aus | comes from enclosed or defined space, such as country, town or building | Sie kommt aus dem Zimmer. Ich komme aus den USA. | She comes from the bedroom. I come from the USA. |
von | comes from open space, particular direction or person | Das Auto kommt von rechts. Ich weiß es von ihm. | The car comes from the right. I know it from him. |
Direction: the prepositions in and auf (followed by the accusative case) or zu and nach (followed by the dative case) are used.
in | building or enclosed space; countries and cities that have definite articles* | Ich gehe in die Kirche. Ich fliege in die USA. | I'm going to church. I'm flying to the USA. |
auf | open spaces or public buildings | Er geht auf den Markt. | He's going to the market. |
zu | specifically named buildings or places, and people | Sie geht zum Strand. Sie gehen zu McDonald's. Ich gehe zur Bank. | She's going to the beach. They're going to McDonald's I'm going to the bank. |
nach | countries and cities that have no articles | Ich fliege nach Österreich. Ich fliege nach Paris. | I'm flying to Austria. I'm flying to Paris. |
Only a few countries include the articles, such as der Iran (m.), die Niederlande (pl.), die Schweiz (f.), die Türkei (f.), and die USA (pl.), because they are not neuter.
Remember the two idioms with Haus: zu Hause is a location and means at home, while nach Hause is a direction and means (to) home.
jacket | die Jacke (n) | ring | der Ring (e) |
dress | das Kleid (er) | necklace | die Halskette (n) |
blouse | die Bluse (n) | bracelet | das Armband (ä, er) |
shirt | das Hemd (en) | earring | der Ohrring (e) |
T-shirt | das T-Shirt (s) | glove | der Handschuh (e) |
skirt | der Rock (ö, e) | jeans | die Jeans |
sweater | der Pullover (-) | watch | die Armbanduhr (en) |
pullover | der Pulli (s) | glasses | die Brille |
tie | die Krawatte (n) | man's suit | der Anzug (ü, e) |
sock | die Socke (n) | woman's suit | das Kostüm (e) |
shoe | der Schuh (e) | sports jacket | das Sakko (s) |
boot | der Stiefel (-) | bag, pocket | die Tasche (n) |
sandal | die Sandale (n) | underwear | die Unterwäsche |
purse | die Handtasche (n) | pants | die Hose (n) |
belt | der Gürtel (-) | raincoat | der Regenmantel (ä) |
scarf | der Schal (s) | coat | der Mantel (ä) |
swimsuit | der Badeanzug (ü, e) | hat | der Hut (ü, e) |
A few words to describe patterns are: kariert - plaid, gepunktet - polka-dotted, gestreift - striped, geblümt - flowered, gemustert - patterned.
A few verbs that require dative objects can be used with clothing: gefallen - to like, passen - to fit, stehen - to look (good/bad)
Gefällt dir dieses Hemd? Do you like this shirt?
Die Farbe steht mir nicht. The color doesn't look good on me.
Größe 48 paßt ihr bestimmt. Size 48 fits her well.
The future tense is simple to form in German. Just use the present tense forms of werden and put the infinitive to the end of the sentence. However, German usually relies on the present tense to indicate the future (implied future) and uses time expressions, such as tonight, tomorrow, etc. so the actual future tense is not quite as common in German as it is in English. Wir gehen morgen nach Deutschland is translated as We are going to Germany tomorrow, and implies a future action, yet it uses the present tense, in both German and English. To express present or future probability, use wohl (probably) with the future tense.
Present tense of werden
werde | werden |
wirst | werdet |
wird | werden |
I will fly to Germany. Ich werde nach Deutschland fliegen.
You will help me! Du wirst mir helfen!
We will learn Latin. Wir werden Latein lernen.
My friend should be home now. Mein Freund wird jetzt wohl zu Hause sein. (Expresses probability)
1. Simply add a question mark
2. Invert the verb and subject
3. Use a question word + verb + subject
4. Add nicht wahr? to the end of the statement
59. DECLENSIONS OF ADJECTIVES
There are three types of declensions for adjectives: adjectives used with der words, adjectives used with ein words, and independent adjectives. Predicate adjectives (Das brot ist frisch. The bread is fresh.) are not declined and usually follow a form of sein.
Adjectives used after der words (Weak Endings)
| Masc. | Fem. | Neu. | Plural |
Nom. | der gute Wein | die gute Milch | das gute Brot | die guten Freunde |
Acc. | den guten Wein | die gute Milch | das gute Brot | die guten Freunde |
Dat. | dem guten Wein | der guten Milch | dem guten Brot | den guten Freunden |
Gen. | des guten Weines | der guten Milch | des guten Brotes | der guten Freunde |
Adjectives used after ein words (Weak Endings)
| Masc. | Fem. | Neu. | Plural |
Nom. | kein guter Wein | keine gute Milch | kein gutes Brot | keine guten Freunde |
Acc. | keinen guten Wein | keine gute Milch | kein gutes Brot | keine guten Freunde |
Dat. | keinem guten Wein | keiner guten Milch | keinem guten Brot | keinen guten Freunden |
Gen. | keines guten Weines | keiner guten Milch | keines guten Brotes | keiner guten Freunde |
The only difference between the adjectives used after der words and the adjectives used after ein words are the masculine and neuter nominative, and neuter accusative. The rest of the endings are the same. These types of attributive adjectives are the weak endings. The strong endings (below) are used on adjectives that have no preceding article. They are the same as the endings for the der words (with the exception of the masculine and neuter genitive.)
Independent Adjectives (Strong Endings)
| Masc. | Fem. | Neu. | Plural |
Nom. | guter Wein | gute Milch | gutes Brot | gute Freunde |
Acc. | guten Wein | gute Milch | gutes Brot | gute Freunde |
Dat. | gutem Wein | guter Milch | gutem Brot | guten Freunden |
Gen. | guten Weines | guter Milch | guten Brotes | guter Freunde |
Viele (many), wenige (few), andere (other), einige (some), and mehrere (several) are all plural expressions that do not act as limiting words. Adjectives that follow them take strong endings. In the singular, mancher (many a) and solcher (such) also use strong endings (when used with another adjective in the singular, they turn into manch ein and so ein), but in the plural they function as normal limiting words.
short | kurz | high, tall | hoch | light | hell |
long | lang | wide | breit | dark | dunkel |
loud | laut | fat, thick | dick | terrible | furchtbar |
quiet | ruhig | thin | dünn | sweet | süß |
cute | niedlich | narrow | eng | in love | verliebt |
perfect | perfekt | weak | schwach | serious | ernsthaft |
sad | traurig | strong | stark | clean | sauber |
happy | glücklich | deep | tief | dirty | schmutzig |
dear | lieb | lazy | faul | shy | schüchtern |
famous | berühmt | cheap | billig | nervous | nervös |
different | unterschiedlich | dumb | dumm | comfortable | bequem |
easy | leicht | early | früh | worried | besorgt |
difficult | schwierig | near | nah | right | richtig |
pretty | hübsch | nice | nett | wrong | falsch |
ugly | häßlich | inexpensive | preiswert | jealous | eifersüchtig |
small | klein | expensive | teuer | drunk | betrunken |
large | groß | crazy | verrückt | popular | beliebt |
good | gut | far | weit | excellent | ausgezeichnet |
bad | schlecht | beautiful | schön | valuable | wertvoll |
new | neu | curious | neugierig | alone | allein |
tired | müde | old | alt | important | wichtig |
angry | wütend | young | jung | busy | beschäftigt |
annoying | ärgerlich | interesting | interessant | sick | krank |
wonderful | wunderbar | fantastic | fantastisch | ready | fertig |
61. COMPARATIVE & SUPERLATIVE
For comparisons of equality, use the construction so + adjective or adverb + wie to mean as + adjective or adverb + as. You can also add nicht in front of the so for a comparison of inequality.
Die Küche ist so gross wie das Wohnzimmer. The kitchen is as big as the living room.
Eine Waschmaschine ist nicht so schwer wie ein Kühlschrank. A washing machine is not as heavy as arefrigerator.
Comparative
1. For comparisons of superiority and inferiority, add -er to the adjective or adverb, followed by als (than). German always uses the -er ending, although English sometimes uses the word more before the adjective instead of the ending.
Ein radio is billiger als ein Fernseher. A radio is cheaper than a TV.
Jens läuft schneller als Ernst. Jens runs faster than Ernst.
Lydia ist intelligenter als ihr Bruder. Lydia is more intelligent than her brother.
2. Adjectives that end in -el, -en or -er, drop the -e in the comparative form. Teuer becomes teurer instead of teuerer, and dunkel becomes dunkler instead of dunkeler. Some one-syllable adjectives and adverbs whose stem vowel is a, o, or u add an umlaut in the comparative, such as alt, arm, dumm, grob, groß, hart, jung, kalt, klug, krank, kurz, lang, oft, scharf, schwach, stark, warm. Adjectives that never add an umlaut are flach, froh, klar, rasch, roh, schlank, stolz, toll, voll and zart.
Superlative
1. To form the superlative, add -(e)st to the adjective. The ending -est is used when the word ends in -d, -t, or an s sound. The adjectives that end in -el, -en, or -er retain the -s in the superlative form. The same adjectives that took an umlaut in the comparative take an umlaut in the superlative as well.
2. The superlative also has an alternative form: am + adjective or adverb + sten. When the adjective or adverb ends in a d, t or s sound, an e is inserted between the stem and ending (am grössten is an exception.) This is the only form of the superlative of adverbs, but either forms of the superlative can be used for adjectives.
Hans is am jüngsten. Hans is the youngest.
Sie ist am intelligentesten. She is the most intelligent.
Irregular Forms
Adj. / Adv. | Comparative | Superlative |
gern | lieber | am liebsten |
gut | besser | am besten |
hoch | höher | am höchsten |
nah | näher | am nächsten |
viel | mehr | am meisten |
Common forms of the comparative
Je mehr, desto besser. The more, the better.
Je mehr Geld er hat, desto glücklicher ist er. The more money he has, the happier he is.
Die preise werden immer höher. The prices are getting higher and higher.
Julia wird immer hübscher. Julia is getting prettier and prettier.
Keep in mind that the comparative and superlative forms take normal adjective endings when they precede a noun. And the adjective form of the superlative must always take an adjective ending because it is preceded by the definite article.
Haben Sie billigere Anzüge? Do you have less expensive suits?
Diese Anzüge sind die billigsten. These suits are the least expensive.
to do sports | Sport treiben | hang-gliding | Drachen fliegen |
golf | Golf spielen | windsurfing | Windsurfing gehen |
soccer | Fußball spielen | water-skiing | Wasserski fahren |
volleyball | Volleyball spielen | fishing | angeln |
football | Football spielen | aerobics | Aerobic machen |
basketball | Basketball spielen | bungee-jumping | Bungee-jumping gehen |
baseball | Baseball spielen | gymnastics | turnen |
hockey | Eishockey spielen | mountaineering | bergsteigen gehen |
tennis | Tennis spielen | climbing | klettern |
table tennis | Tischtennis spielen | judo | Judo machen |
bowling | kegeln | weight training | Body-building machen |
sailing | segeln | wrestling | ringen |
horseback riding | reiten | diving | tauchen |
boxing | boxen | to tinker, build things | basteln |
roller-skating | Rollschuh laufen | to listen to music | Musik hören |
ice-skating | Schlittschuh laufen | to play cards | Karten spielen |
skiing | Ski fahren | to collect coins/stamps | Münzen/Briefmarken sammeln |
bicycling | Radfahren | to play video games | Videospiele spielen |
swimming | Schwimmen gehen | photography | fotografieren |
jogging | joggen | to do ceramics | töpfern |
hiking | wandern | to draw | zeichnen |
camping | Camping gehen | to play chess | Schach spielen |
gardening | im Garten arbeiten | to knit | stricken |
go out with friends | mit Freunden ausgehen | to watch TV | fernsehen |
to lie around, be lazy | faulenzen | go to the movies | ins Kino gehen |
A lot of sports/hobbies exist as nouns and as verbs, so just as in English, you can say either I like to fish or I like to go fishing. If it's capitalized, it's a noun and if it's not capitalized, it's a verb.
kegeln - to bowl
das Kegeln - bowling
barn | die Scheune (n) | stream | der Bach (ä, e) |
bridge | die Brücke (n) | sky | der Himmel |
hill | der Hügel (-) | island | der Insel (n) |
mountain | der Berg (e) | air | die Luft |
beach | der Strand (ä, e) | meadow | die Wiese (n) |
lake | der See (n) | desert | die Wüste (n) |
river | die Fluss (ü, e) | pond | der Teich (e) |
street | die Straße (n) | grass | das Gras |
farm | der Bauernhof (ö, e) | leaf | das Blatt (ä, er) |
field | das Feld (er) | flower | die Blume (n) |
forest | der Wald (ä, er) | ocean | der Ozean (e) |
plant | die Pflanze (n) | tree | der Baum (ä, e) |
city | die Stadt (ä, e) | country | das Land (ä, er) |
sea | die See / das Meer (e) | valley | das Tal (ä, er) |
bay | die Bucht (en) | coast | die Küste (n) |
mountain range | das Gebirge | jungle | der Dschungel (-) |
Subject (Nom.) | Direct Objects (Acc.) | Indirect Objects (Dat.) |
ich | I | mich | me | mir | (to) me |
du | you (fam.) | dich | you | dir | (to) you |
er | he | ihn | him | ihm | (to) him |
sie | she | sie | her | ihr | (to) her |
es | it | es | it | ihm | (to) it |
wir | we | uns | us | uns | (to) us |
ihr | you (pl.) | euch | you | euch | (to) you |
sie | they | sie | them | ihnen | (to) them |
Sie | you (pol.) | Sie | you | Ihnen | (to) you |
If there are two nouns in a sentence, one accusative and one dative, then the dative noun will be first. However, if there are two pronouns, one accusative and one dative, then the accusative pronoun will be first. In sentences with one noun and one pronoun (regardless of which is accusative or dative), the pronoun will be first.
Some verbs always take indirect objects, even if they take direct objects in English. For verbs that can take two objects, the direct object will usually be a thing, and the indirect object will usually refer to a person.
antworten | to answer (a person) | The following four need an object as a subject: |
schenken | to give | schaden | to be harmful to |
bringen | to bring | schmecken | to taste good to |
danken | to thank | stehen | to suit |
zuhören | to listen to | passen | to fit |
gehören | to belong to | The following two need the subject and object inverted from the original English construction: |
glauben | to believe |
helfen | to help |
gratulieren | to congratulate | fehlen | to be missing to |
begegnen | to meet | gefallen | to be pleasing to |
vertrauen | to trust | | |
empfehlen | to recommend | | |
geben | to give | | |
kaufen | to buy | | |
leihen | to lend, borrow | | |
sagen | to tell, say | | |
schicken | to give as a gift | | |
schreiben | to write | | |
wünschen | to wish | | |
zeigen | to show | | |
body | der Körper (-) | chin | das Kinn (e) |
arm | der Arm (e) | knee | das Knie (-) |
eye | das Auge (n) | bone | der Knochen (-) |
cheek | die Backe (n) | head | der Kopf (ö, e) |
belly | der Bauch (ä, e) | lip | die Lippe (n) |
leg | das Bein (e) | stomach | der Magen (ä) |
chest | die Brust (ü, e) | nail | der Nagel (ä) |
finger | der Finger | mouth | der Mund (ü, er) |
foot | der Fuss (ü, e) | nose | die Nase (n) |
ankle | das Fussgelenk (e) | ear | das Ohr (en) |
brain | das Gehirn | back | der Rücken (-) |
hair | das Haar (e) | shoulder | die Schulter (n) |
neck | der Hals (ä, e) | forehead | die Stirn (en) |
hand | die Hand (ä, e) | tooth | der Zahn (ä, e) |
wrist | das Handgelenk (e) | toe | die Zehe (n) |
skin | die Haut (ä, e) | tongue | die Zunge (n) |
heart | das Herz (en) | face | das Gesicht (er) |
jaw | der Kiefer (-) | cheek | die Wange (n) |
Ich fühle mich nicht wohl. I don't feel well.
Mir ist schlecht. I feel sick.
Mir ist kalt/warm. I'm cold/hot.
Was fehlt dir? What's the matter?
Der Hals tut mir weh. My throat hurts.
The separable verb wehtun is used to say that something hurts. Remember when the noun is plural, the verb needs to be plural as well and that parts of the body do not use possessive articles.
Die Füße tun ihm weh. His feet hurt. (The feet are hurting to him.)
Other health expressions:
Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. | I have a headache. |
Ich habe Halsschmerzen. | I have a sore throat. |
Ich habe Rückenschmerzen. | I have a backache. |
Ich habe Bauchschmerzen. | I have a stomachache. |
Ich habe eine Erkältung. | I have a cold. |
Ich habe Fieber. | I have a fever. |
Ich habe die Grippe. | I have the flu. |
Ich habe Husten. | I have a cough. |
Ich habe Schnupfen. | I have a head cold. |
Ich habe zu viel gegessen. | I ate too much. |
Gute Besserung! | Get well soon! |
Relative clauses begin with relative pronouns - words that correspond to who, whom, that and which in English. These may be omitted in English, but must be included in German. A comma always precedes the relative pronoun, which is put into the correct gender depending on the noun it refers to, and the correct case depending on its function in the clause. (In the following example, the relative pronoun is in the masculine accusative case because Mantel is masculine, and is a direct object of the verb "to buy", therefore, it is accusative.) The conjugated verb goes to the end of the sentence as well.
That's the coat (that) I bought yesterday.
Das is der Mantel, den ich gestern gekauft habe.
Relative pronouns have the same gender and number as the nouns they refer to, and the forms closely resemble those of the definite articles:
| Masc. | Fem. | Neu. | Plural |
Nom. | der | die | das | die |
Acc. | den | die | das | die |
Dat. | dem | der | dem | denen |
Gen. | dessen | deren | dessen | deren |
Examples
Nominative | Der Fluss, der durch Wien fliesst, heißt Donau. |
The river, that through Vienna flows, is called the Danube. |
The river that flows through Vienna is called the Danube. |
| |
Accusative | Der Hund, den ich letzte Woche gesehen habe, war Julias. |
The dog, that I last week seen have, was Julia's. |
The dog that I saw last week was Julia's. |
| |
Dative | Mein Vater ist der einzige Mensch, dem ich nichts davon erzählt habe. |
My father is the only person, to whom I nothing about it told have. |
My father is the only person (to) whom I have told nothing about it. |
When a relative pronoun follows a preposition, the preposition determines the case, while the gender and number are determined by the noun. The preposition and pronoun always stay together as one unit as well.
Wer war die Frau, mit der ich dich gesehen habe?
Who was the woman, with whom I you seen have?
Who was the woman (whom) I saw you with?
67. DA- AND WO- COMPOUNDS
Personal pronouns are used after prepositions when referring to people. However, when you need to refer to a thing, a compound using da- (or dar- if the preposition begins with a vowel) plus the preposition is used.
auf dem Tisch (on the table) becomes darauf (on it)
in der Tasche (in the pocket) becomes darin (in it)
vor der Schule (in front of the school) becomes davor (in front of it)
hinter den Häusern (behind the houses) becomes dahinter (behind them)
zwischen dem Haus und der Schule (between the house and the school) becomes dazwischen (between them)
Da(r) Compounds
daraus | out of it/them | dagegen | against it/them | darüber | over it/them |
damit | with it/them | darin | in it/them | darunter | underneath it/them |
davon | from it/them | daran | in it/them | daneben | next to it/them |
dazu | to it/them | darauf | on top of it/them | dazwischen | between it/them |
dadurch | through it/them | dahinter | behind it/them | dabei | on me/you |
dafür | for it/them | davor | in front of it/them | darum | that's why |
Dahin is commonly used with verbs of motion to show location, regardless of the preposition used. The English translation is usually there. Dahin can be shortened to hin in everyday speech, and sometimes da is placed at the beginning of the sentence and hin is placed at the end.
Ich muß heute zur Bank. I have to go to the bank.
Ich muß auch dahin. I have to go there too.
Dabei and darum are idioms. Hast du Geld dabei? Do you have any money on you? Darum hast du kein Glück. That's why you have no luck.
Not all prepositions + pronouns can be replaced by the da(r) compounds. Ohne, ausser, and seit can never form a da(r) compound, and here are others that cannot:
ohnedies | without it | stattdessen | instead |
bis dahin | until then | trotzdem | nevertheless |
ausserdem | besides | währenddessen | in the meanwhile |
seit dem | since | deswegen | for that reason |
There are also corresponding questions word that use wo(r)- as the prefix. Wo(r) can be substituted in all of the above da(r) compounds. When asking about people, use a preposition and wen/wem, and use a preposition and the corresponding personal pronoun to answer.
Worüber sprechen Sie? | Ich spreche darüber. |
What are you talking about? | I'm talking about it. |
Woran denkst du? | Ich denke daran. |
What are you thinking about? | I'm thinking about it. |
Mit wem gehst du ins Theater? | Mit ihr! |
Who are you going to the Theater with? | With her! |
Wo- compounds can also be used as shortcuts for the relative pronouns because you do not need to the know the gender or case to form the relative pronoun. This shortcut can only be used with things and not people.
Die Uhr, mit der er reist, hat viel gekostet. = Die Uhr, womit er reist, hat viel gekostet.
The watch, with which he travels, cost a lot.
Die Stadt, in der wir wohnen, hat ein großes Konzerthaus. = Die Stadt, worin wir wohnen, hat ein großes Konzerthaus.
The city, in which we live, has a large concert hall.
animal | das Tier (e) | bull | der Stier (e) |
bear | der Bär (en) | wolf | der Wolf (ö, e) |
squirrel | das Eichhörnchen (-) | worm | der Wurm (ü, er) |
fox | der Fuchs (ü, e) | bird | der Vogel (ö) |
hare | die Hase (n) | rooster | der Hahn (ä, e) |
dog | der Hund (e) | hen | die Henne (n) |
calf | das Kalb (ä, er) | eagle | der Adler (-) |
rabbit | das Kaninchen (-) | chick | das Küken (-) |
cat | die Katze (n) | ant | die Ameise (n) |
kitten | das Kätzchen (-) | bee | die Biene (n) |
cow | die Kuh (ü, e) | fly | die Fliege (n) |
lion | der Löwe (n) | grasshopper | die Heuschrecke (n) |
mouse | die Maus (ä, e) | moth | die Motte(n) |
horse | das Pferd (e) | mosquito | die Mücke (n) |
rat | die Ratte (n) | butterfly | der Schmetterling (e) |
turtle | die Schildkröte (n) | spider | die Spinne (n) |
snake | die Schlange (n) | chicken | das Huhn |
Use the words gern, nicht gern, lieber, and am liebsten after a verb to express preferences.
Ich spiele gern Fussball. | I like to play soccer. |
Ich spiele lieber Hockey | I prefer to play hockey. |
Ich spiele am liebsten Tennis. | I like to play tennis most of all. |
Ich spiele nicht gern Basketball. | I don't like to play Basketball. |
Or just use haben with any of the four phrases for general likes/dislikes.
Ich habe Fussball gern. | I like soccer. |
Ich habe Julia am liebsten. | I like Julia most of all. |
Ich habe das Restaurant nicht gern. | I don't like the restaurant. |
Gefallen is another verb used for expressing likes. It literally means to please. To use it correctly, you must switch the object in English with the subject in German. Das Zimmer is the object in English, but it becomes the subject in German. And the object in German (mir) would become the subject in English (I). It is always in the dative case in German.
German sentence | Literally | Translated |
Das Zimmer gefällt mir. | The room pleases me. | I like the room. |
You could always just use the verb mögen to express likes and dislikes, but another common way of saying that you like (doing) something is macht spaß.
Was macht dir spaß? What do you like (to do)?
Fußball macht mir spaß. I like soccer.
The Past Perfect Tense or Pluperfect corresponds to the English had + past participle and refers to something that had already happened when something else happened. It consists of the imperfect of haben or sein and a past participle and is comparable to the present perfect tense.
Present perfect: Ich habe in Wiesbaden gewohnt. I (have) lived in Wiesbaden.
Past perfect: Ich hatte in Wiesbaden gewohnt. I had lived in Wiesbaden.
Present perfect: Was ist passiert? What (has) happened?
Past perfect: Was war passiert? What had happened?
All three words correspond to when and act as subordinating conjunctions (therefore, the conjugated verb goes to the end of the sentence.) Als is used in past time contexts for a single event, wenn is used to mean whenever orif, as well as in future time, and wann is an adverb of time or a question word and can be used in declarative sentences.
Als ich ihn fand... | When I found him.. (followed by simple past tense) |
Wenn er kommt... | Whenever he comes... If he comes... When he comes... (followed by future tense) |
Ich weiß nicht, wann er kommt. | I don't know when (or at what time) he's coming. |
1. In most sentences, the order is subject - verb - time - manner - place.
Ich gehe morgen mit dem Bus in die Schule. I'm going to school tomorrow by bus.
2. Sometimes another element begins a sentence instead of a subject. Then the verb is still in the second position, but the subject follows it.
Morgen gehe ich mit dem Bus in die Schule. Tomorrow I'm going to school by bus.
3. In sentences with more than one verb or with past participles, the conjugated verb remains in the normal position and the infinitive or past participle goes to the end of the sentence.
Ich will nach Hause gehen. I want to go home.
Ich habe dir geglaubt. I believed you.
4. When asking questions, you can usually just invert the subject and verb.
Kann ich jetzt gehen? Can I go now?
5. In sentences with dependent clauses (phrases that have a subject and verb but cannot stand alone as sentences), the verb in the dependent clause is last. Dependent clauses are introduced with a comma and certain conjunctions, such as als-when, bevor-before, bis-until, damit-so that, dass-that, wenn-if/when, ob-whether,obwohl-although, nachdem-after, da-since, während-while, weil-because, and wie-how. However, these conjunctions use normal word order: und-and, oder-or, aber-but, denn-for/because.
Ich bleibe im Bett, wenn ich krank bin. I stay in bed when I am sick.
6. If there is a separable prefix verb in a dependent clause, the prefix remains attached to the verb, and the entire verb goes to the end of the sentence, whereas normally the prefix would go to the end.
Er ist immer müde, wenn er früh aufsteht. He is always tired when he gets up early.
7. When there are two verbs in a dependent clause (such as a modal and an infinitive), the modal goes last, following the infinitive.
Er ist müde, wenn er früh aufstehen muss. He is tired when he must get up early.
8. And when a dependent clause begins a sentence, it acts as an element, therefore the subject and verb in the following clause are inverted.
Wenn ich krank bin, bleibe ich im Bett. When I am sick, I stay in bed.
9. If you have both direct and indirect pronouns in your sentence, remember that if the direct object is a noun it is placed after the indirect object. If the direct object is a pronoun, it goes before the indirect object. So basically the only time the accusative is placed before the dative is when the accusative is a pronoun.
Ich schenke meinem Bruder eine Krawatte. I give my brother a tie.
Ich schenke sie meinem Bruder. I give it to my brother.
German has many words that cannot be translated literally into English. These words are mostly for emphasis.
doch | yes, of course | counteracts negative statement, used for persuasion, or implies something is obvious |
ja | really | emphasis |
aber | is it ever | emphasis |
denn | well then | indicates impatience, or adds emphasis to question |
gerade | right now | immediacy |
nur, bloß | only, just | |
mal | sometime, someday | used in suggestions, or softens commands |
74. COLLOQUIAL EXPRESSIONS AND IDIOMS
In informal speech and writing, es is commonly contracted with the preceding word by 's. Geht es = geht's
Es is also used as an impersonal pronoun (es regnet, it's raining), but it can also be used as an introductory word for emphasis or stylistic reasons. Es begins the sentence, and the true subject follows the verb.
Es ist niemand zu Hause. No one is at home.
Es kommen heute drei Kinder. Three children are coming today.
Es can also be used to anticipate a dependent clause or infinitive phrase. This is almost like in English when we say I hate it when that happens instead of I hate when that happens. "It" has no real meaning in the first sentence, but it is not incorrect to say it.
Ich kann es nicht glauben, daß er sich vor nichts fürchtet. I can't believe that he's not afraid of anything.
Er haßt es, nichts davon zu wissen. He hates not knowing anything about it.
Other idioms:
Sie ist mit ihrem Urteil immer sehr schnell bei der Hand. She makes her judgments rather quickly. (Literally: She is quick at hand with her judgments.)
Alles ist in Butter. Everything is fine. (Literally: Everything is in butter.)
Er geht mit dem Kopf durch die Wand. He does as he pleases. (Literally: He goes with his head through the wall.)
Noun compoundsGerman uses compounds more often than English and they are formed by simply putting the two words together (sometimes adding an -n or -s in between), and using the gender of the last word. Die Woche (week) + der Tag(day) = der Wochentag (Days of the week)
The prefix un-
As in English, the prefix un- gives a word a negative or opposite meaning. klar (clear) - unklar (unclear)
The suffix -los
This suffix is often the equivalent of the English suffix -less, and is used to form adjectives and adverbs from nouns. das Ende (the end) - endlos (endless)
The suffix -haft
The suffix -haft is used to form adjectives from nouns so as to designate related qualities. das Kind (the child) -kindhaft (childlike)
The suffix -ung
This suffix may be added to the stem of a verb to form a noun. All nouns ending in -ung are feminine. wandern(to hike) - die Wanderung (the hike)
The suffix -er
This suffix designates a person is from a certain place. Frankfurt (a city) - Frankfurter (a person from Frankfurt)
The suffix -in
This suffix designates a female person and is added to the male counterpart. Architekt (male architect) -Architektin (female architect)
When referring to people, adjectives can sometimes be used as nouns. The definite article precedes the adjective, which is now capitalized because it is functioning as a noun. The adjectival nouns take the regular adjective endings for adjectives preceded by a der word as well.
der Alte - the old man
die Alte - the old woman
das Alte - everything that is old
die Alten - the old people
To form the ordinal numbers, just add -te to the cardinal numbers for 1-19, and -ste for 20 and up. The exceptions are erste, dritte, siebte, and achte.
first | erste | eleventh | elfte |
second | zweite | twelfth | zwölfte |
third | dritte | thirteenth | dreizehnte |
fourth | vierte | fourteenth | vierzehnte |
fifth | fünfte | fifteenth | fünfzehnte |
sixth | sechste | sixteenth | sechzehnte |
seventh | siebte | seventeenth | siebzehnte |
eighth | achte | eighteenth | achtzehnte |
ninth | neunte | nineteenth | neunzehnte |
tenth | zehnte | twentieth | zwanzigste |
In writing dates, German uses the number followed by a period. On February 2nd would be am 2. Februar. However, when saying this out loud, you would say am zweiten Februar. You must use the construction am + -en to answer a question beginning with Wann? But you use the construction der + -e to answer the questionWelches Datum?
Wann sind Sie geboren? When were you born?
Am achzehnten Mai. On May 18th.
Welches Datum is heute? What is today's date?
Heute ist der neunte Oktober. Today is October ninth.
To change a sentence from the active to the passive, change three things:
1. accusative object of active sentence to nominative subject of passive sentence
2. active verb to a tense of werden (same tense!) plus the past participle of verb in active sentence
3. subject to von + dative object in the passive sentence, if agent is mentioned
Present Tense
Viele Studenten lesen diesen Roman. = Dieser Roman wird von vielen Studenten gelesen.
Many students read this novel. = This novel is read by many students.
Imperfect Tense
Viele Studenten lasen diesen Roman. = Dieser Roman wurde von vielen Studenten gelesen.
Many students read this novel. = This novel was read by many students.
Future Tense
Viele Studenten werden diesen Roman lesen. = Dieser Roman wird von vielen Studenten gelesen werden.
Many students will read this novel. = This novel will be read by many students.
Present Perfect Tense
Viele Studenten haben diesen Roman gelesen. = Dieser Roman ist von vielen Studenten gelesen worden.
Many students have read this novel. = This novel has been read by many students.
Past Perfect Tense
Viele Studenten hatten diesen Roman gelesen. = Dieser Roman war von vielen Studenten gelesen worden.
Many students had read this novel. = This novel had been read by many students.
*Notice that in the passive voice, the past participle of werden is worden and not geworden.
Durch can replace von when the agent is an impersonal force (fire, wind, etc.); but it cannot be used if preceded by a limiting word (such as an article or adjective.)
Passive with modals
Shifts in tense will only affect the modal part of the sentence. The infinitive forms of the past participles are used with modals in the passive voice as well. And where you might expect something like Das Haus hat werden müssen verkauft, the actual construction is Das Haus hat verkauft werden müssen because of the double infinitive construction. Double infinitives always go to the end of the sentence, but you only need to worry about these in the present perfect and past perfect tenses.
Passive Infinitives
To be + past participle in English is translated as the past participle + werden in German. With a passive infinitive, usually only the present or simple past of modals is used.
Die Tiere konnten gerettet werden. The animals were able to be saved.
79. PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSIVE
False Passive
Grammatically, the false passive is the same as sein + an adjective. This construction describes a condition rather than an action. Das Haus ist verkauft is the false passive, while das Haus wird verkauft is the true passive. The false passive sentence indicates that the house is already sold (condition), while the true passive indicates the house is in the process of being sold (action).
Passive with Absentee Subjects
Passive forms may have a definite or indefinite subject, or no apparent subject at all. The accusative object of an active sentence becomes the nominative subject of the passive sentence. But sometimes there is no accusative object. Since a verb cannot be in the first position of sentence without turning the sentence into a question, es is used as the subject.
Man antwortet ihnen nicht is an active sentence, but if it were turned into the passive, there would be no accusative object. The passive would have to be es wird ihnen nicht geantwortet. (Here werden agrees with the apparent subject, es.)
But if another element, such as a dative object or time expression, can be put in the first position, then es is omitted. Ihnen wird nicht geantwortet can also be used as the passive. There is no apparent subject, only an implied es, so the form of werden remains wird to agree with es.
1. The construction man + an active verb can be used instead of the passive voice. Man translates to one, you, we, they, people and constitutes the subject.
Diese Bluse wird gereinigt. This blouse is being dry-cleaned
Man reinigt diese Bluse. They are dry-cleaning this blouse.
Der Dieb wurde gefunden. The thief was caught
Man fand den Dieb. They caught the thief.
2. Man + modal + an infinitive is frequently used with müssen or können.
Der Flecken kann nicht entfernt werden. The stain cannot be removed.
Den Flecken kann man nicht entfernen. We can't remove the stain.
3. Sein + zu + an infinitive can be used with können or müssen to express the possibility or necessity of an action.
Das kann schnell gemacht werden. That can be done quickly.
Das ist schnell zu machen. That is quickly done.
4. Sich lassen + an infinitive can replace können and a passive infinitive.
Das kann gemacht werden. That can be done.
Das läßt sich machen. That can be done.
DIE LORELEI
by Heinrich Heine
Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten | I know not, what it is portending |
Daß ich so traurig bin; | that I am so depressed; |
Ein Märchen aus alten Zeiten | a legend from olden days past |
Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn. | will not leave my mind alone. |
| |
Die Luft ist kühl und es dunkelt, | The breeze is cool and it darkens, |
Und ruhig fließt der Rhein; | and peaceful flows the Rhine; |
Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt | the peak of the mountain sparkles |
Im Abendsonnenschein. | with evening's setting sun. |
| |
Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet | The fairest maiden sits perched |
Dort oben wunderbar, | right up there wondrously, |
Ihr gold'nes Geschmeide blitzet | her golden jewelry flashes |
Sie kämmt ihr gold'nes Haar. | she combs her golden hair. |
| |
Sie kämmt es mit gold'nem Kamme | She combs with a comb all golden |
Und singt ein Lied dabei; | and thus she sings a song; |
Das hat eine wundersame | that has a mysteriously |
Gewaltige Melodei. | tyrannical melody. |
| |
Den Schiffer im kleinen Schiffe | The sailor in tiny vessel |
ergreift es mit wildem Weh, | is seized with a savage woe, |
Er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe, | he sees not the rocky reef edge, |
Er schaut nur hinauf in die Höh'. | he looks only up toward the height. |
| |
Ich glaube, die Wellen verschlingen | I think that the waves have devoured |
Am Ende Schiffer und Kahn; | at last the sailor and boat; |
Und das hat mit ihrem Singen | and that's the deed, by her singing |
Die Lorelei getan. | the Lorelei has done. |
81. SHOWING PURPOSE
Weil (because) + a dependent clause shows the reason for an action; however, damit and um…zu (so that, in order to) show the goal of an action. Damit is also followed by a dependent clause, whereas um…zu introduces an infinitive.
Sie macht das Fenster zu, damit sie nicht friert. = Sie macht das Fenster zu, um nicht zu frieren.
She closes the window, so that she won't freeze . = She closes the window, in order to not freeze.
Commonly, you use damit when the subject of the main clause is different from the subject of the dependent clause, and um…zu when the understood subject of the infinitive is the same as the subject of the main clause.
box | die Schachtel |
VCR | der Videorecorder |
camera | die Kamera |
video camera | die Videokamera |
film | der Film |
wristwatch | die Armbanduhr |
handkerchief | das Taschentuch |
perfume | das Parfüm |
wallet | der Geldbeutel, die Geldbörse |
radio | das Radio |
razor | das Rasiermesser |
size | die Größe |
department (in store) | die Abteilung |
greeting card | die Glückwunschkarte |
letter | der Brief | teller | der Kassierer (in) |
postcard | die Postkarte | bill | der Schein |
stamp | die Briefmarke | check | der Scheck |
phone booth | die Telefonzelle | checkbook | das Scheckbuch |
mailbox | der Briefkasten | ATM | der Geldautomat |
mail slot | der Briefeinwurf | key | die Schlüssel |
address | die Adresse | lock | das Schloß |
sender/return address | der Absender | filing cabinet | der Aktenschrank |
label | das Etikett | safety deposit box | das Bankschließfach |
packing tape | das Paketklebeband | notepad | der Notizblock |
package | das Paket | credit card | die Kreditkarte |
postmark | der Poststempel | security camera | die Überwachungsanlage |
rubber band | das Gummiband | security guard | die Wache |
ink pad | das Stempelkissen | drive-thru window | der Autoschalter |
string | die Schnur | safe | der Tresor |
Infinitives are usually preceded by zu (except when modals are used) when they act as complements of verbs, adjectives or nouns. Zu + infinitive is always the last element in a sentence. If a separable prefix is used in the infinitive, the zu is inserted between the prefix and the stem.
Hast du Lust, den Dom zu besichtigen? Do you feel like visiting the cathedral?
Es dauert lange, durch die Stadt zu fahren. It takes a long time to drive through the city.
Es ist zu früh um aufzustehen. It is too early to get up.
Um, ohne and anstatt can be used with zu as well. They introduce infinitival clauses. Um.. zu is used to indicate purpose, while ohne...zu and anstatt...zu are used with infinitives, and translated as present participles in English. (Um...zu must be used instead of just zu when the English equivalent "in order to" can be used sensibly.)
Er kam, um das Buch abzuholen. He came in order to pick up the book.
Sie sagte es, ohne mich anzusehen. She said it, without looking at me.
Statt hier zu sitzen, sollten wir ihn suchen. Instead of sitting here, we should look for him.
Sein + zu + an infinitive is used the same way in English and German, but the construction is far more common in German.
Das ist nicht zu machen. That can't be done.
Das ist in jedem Laden zu finden. That can be found in any store.
The verbs brauchen (to need) and scheinen (to seem, appear) are often used with zu + an infinitive. Brauchen in the negative is usually translated as to not have to, and is the opposite of müssen.
Es scheint kaputt zu sein. It seems to be broken.
Ich brauche heute nicht zu arbeiten. I don't have to work today.
85. OFFICE & SCHOOL SUPPLIES
compact disc | die Compact Disc | calculator | der Taschenrechner |
floppy disk | die Diskette | eraser | der Radiergummi |
document | das Dokument | notebook | das Heft |
computer | der Computer | folder | das Prospekt |
monitor | der Monitor | colored pencil | der Buntstift |
keyboard | die Tastatur | ruler | das Lineal |
mouse | die Maus | pencil sharpener | der Anspitzer (or Spitzer) |
printer | der Drucker | pencil | der Bleistift |
memo | die Mitteilung | pen | der Kuli |
paper | das Papier | scissors | die Schere |
photocopier | das Fotokopierer | glue | der Klebstoff |
typewriter | die Schreibmaschine | binder | der Ordner |
software | die Software | chalk | die Kreide |
file / computer file | die Akten / die Datei | chalkboard | die Tafel |
cabinet | der Schrank | backpack | der Rucksack |
briefcase | die Aktentasche | stapler | die Heftmaschine |
The accusative case is used to indicate definite time when no preposition is used.
Letzten Sonntag blieb ich zu Hause. Last Sunday I stayed home.
Sie fährt nächste Woche nach Deutschland. She's going to Germany next week.
Er hat uns voriges Jahr besucht. He visited us last year.
Time expressions with the prepositions an, in and vor are in the dative case.
Wir müssen am Sonntag zurück. We must return on Sunday.
In der Nacht wird es kalt. It gets cold at night.
Vor drei Jahren war es hier genau so kalt. Three years ago it was just as cold here.
The genitive case is used to express indefinite time, and may refer to the future or past.
Eines Tages war er krank. One day he was sick.
Eines Morgens wird er zu spät kommen. One morning he'll be late.
Customs Office | das Zollamt |
Airline Office | das Büro der Fluglinie |
Travel Agency | das Reisebüro |
Information Office | das Auskunftsbüro |
Train Station | der Bahnhof (ö, e) |
departure | die Abfahrt (en) |
arrival | die Ankunft (ü, e) |
flight tickets | die Flugkarten |
baggage | das Gepäck |
bag | die Tasche (-n) |
suitcase | der Koffer (-) |
passport | der Pass (ä, e) |
left | links |
right | rechts |
next (to) | neben |
near | bei |
straight ahead | geradeaus |
along the (noun) | (acc. noun +) entlang |
over the (noun) | über (+ acc. noun) |
past the (noun) | an (noun) vorbei |
up to, as far as the (noun) | bis zu (noun) |
across from the (noun) | gegenüber von (noun) |
Ein(e) ander- and noch ein- both mean another, but they cannot be used interchangeably. Ein(e) ander- means a different one, and ander- takes the adjective endings for adjectives preceded by ein words. Noch ein means one more.
Sollen wir ein anderes Mal wiederkommen? Should we come again at another (a different) time?
Möchtest du noch einen Raum anschauen? Would you like to look at another (one more) room?
89. COSMETICS & TOILETRIES
toothbrush | die Zahnbürste | hair spray | der Haarfestiger |
toothpaste | die Zahnpasta | hair dryer | der Fön |
dental floss | die Zahnseide | nail polish | der Nagellack |
hair brush | die Bürste | mascara | die Wimperntusche |
comb | der Kamm | lipstick | der Lippenstift |
shampoo | das Shampoo | powder | der Puder |
curling iron | der Lockenstab | soap | die Seife |
shaving cream | die Rasiercreme | makeup | die Schminke |
razor | das Rasiermesser | perfume | das Parfüm |
mousse | der Schaum | cologne | das Kölnisch Wasser |
90. SUBJUNCTIVE II OR GENERAL SUBJUNCTIVE (CONDITIONAL)
This subjunctive mood is used to make statements that are contrary to fact, instead of factual statements that are made in the indicative mood. There are two forms of the German subjunctive: Subjunctive II and Subjunctive I. Subjunctive II or the general subjunctive is used with if...then (wenn... dann) statements and conditional sentences. Subjunctive I or special subjunctive is a less common mood that is used with indirect discourse. (If you study other languages with a subjunctive mood, please don't confuse it with the German subjunctive. They are not the same!)
The present tense of Subjunctive II is derived from the simple past / imperfect tense of the indicative. For weak (regular) verbs, the subjunctive II is the same as the simple past tense. For strong (irregular) verbs, the present tense of the subjunctive II uses the stem of the simple past, adds an umlaut where possible, and then adds the following endings:
Strong verbs in the subjunctive II
gehen | fahren | fliegen |
ginge gingest ginge | gingen ginget gingen | führe führest führe | führen führet führen | flöge flögest flöge | flögen flöget flögen |
Sein, haben and werden in the subjunctive II
sein | haben | werden |
wäre wärest wäre | wären wäret wären | hätte hättest hätte | hätten hättet hätten | würde würdest würde | würden würdet würden |
Some exceptions include the mixed verbs, modals and wissen which use the same endings as the simple past:
Imperfekt | Subjunctive II |
brachte dachte durfte konnte mochte sollte wollte mußte wußte | brächte dächte dürfte könnte möchte sollte wollte müßte wüßte |
The past tense of Subjunctive II is simply the subjunctive II of sein or haben (whichever auxiliary the verb takes in the indicative) and a past participle. The future tense of Subjunctive II is the subjunctive II of werden and an infinitive.
Conditional sentences
These sentences are based on an if... then (wenn... dann) pattern in both English and German. Dann can be omitted in these sentences also. Remember that wenn is a subordinating conjunction, and forces the conjugated verb to the end of the clause.
Present Subj. II: Wenn ich Zeit hätte, (dann) ginge ich ins Kino. If I had time, (then) I would go to the movies.
Past Subj. II: Wenn ich Zeit gehabt hätte, dann wäre ich ins Kino gegangen. If I had had time, (then) I would have gone to the movies.
Wenn clauses may be introduced by a verb, and in this case, wenn disappears and dann may be replaced by so:
Kommt er heute nicht, (so) kommt er morgen. If he's not coming today, then he'll come tomorrow.
A conditional sentence may begin with the dann clause as well; but in this case, dann is not actually used and the clause uses normal word order:
Wir trinken den Kaffee nicht, wenn er zu heiß ist. We don't drink coffee if it is too hot.
Forms of würden + an infinitive
Würde and an infinitive translates to would + infinitive and is more common than the one word form in the dann clause. Wenn clauses tend to avoid the würde construction, except with these eight verbs: helfen, stehen, sterben, werfen, brennen, kennen, nennen, and rennen. These eight verbs use the würde construction in thewenn clause because the one word forms are archaic. Moreover, conversational German tends to replace many subjunctive II forms of strong verbs with the würde construction. However, this construction is generally not used with the modal auxiliaries, wissen, haben or sein.
Wenn ich Zeit hätte, | dann ginge ich ins Kino. dann würde ich ins Kino gehen. | If I had time, I would go to the movies. |
Wenn ich Geld hätte, | dann flöge ich nach Deutschland. dann würde ich nach Deutschland fliegen. | If I had money, I would fly to Germany. |
91. OTHER USES OF SUBJUNCTIVE II
1. Being Polite
To be more polite, use the subjunctive II form of the modals.
Subjunctive II forms of modals
| können | müssen | dürfen | sollen | wollen | mögen |
ich | könnte | müsste | dürfte | sollte | wollte | möchte |
du | könntest | müsstest | dürftest | solltest | wolltest | möchtest |
er, sie, es | könnte | müsste | dürfte | sollte | wollte | möchte |
wir | könnten | müssten | dürften | sollten | wollten | möchten |
ihr | könntet | müsstet | dürftet | solltet | wolltet | möchtet |
sie | könnten | müssten | dürften | sollten | wollten | möchten |
Könnten sie mir bitte helfen? Could you please help me?
Dürfte ich Ihr Telefon benutzen? Could I use your phone?
In modern German, the subjunctive forms of mögen has become almost a synonym of wollen. Was willst du? = What do you want? Was möchtest du? = What would you like?
Hätte gern is also becoming common as a synonym for "would like" especially when ordering food. Wir hätten gern zwei Colas, bitte. = We would like two colas, please.
Note that these polite forms are only limited to the modal verbs, sein, haben and werden. For this reason, you may hear Würden Sie mir helfen? but never Hülfen Sie mir?
2. Expressing Wishes
The subjunctive II is also used to express wishes. These phrases generally begin with "I wish" or "If only" in English. Wenn (if) can be omitted from these statements, but then you must move the conjugated verb in the subjunctive II to the place of wenn at the beginning of the phrase. When expressing wishes, the present and past tenses of the subjunctive II can be used.
Wenn ich nur noch jung wäre! = Wäre ich nur noch jung! I wish I were still young! / If only I were still young!
Wenn er nur früher gekommen wäre! = Wäre er nur früher gekommen! If only he had come earlier!
Wenn sie doch mehr Zeit gehabt hätten! = Hätten sie doch mehr Zeit gehabt! If only they had had more time!
Ich wünschte and ich wollte (I wish) are fixed expressions followed by the subjunctive II or würde + infinitive. Another expression always followed by the subjunctive is an deiner Stelle (in your place / If I were you) when giving advice.
92. SUBJUNCTIVE I OR SPECIAL SUBJUNCTIVE (INDIRECT DISCOURSE)
The Subjunctive I form is used with indirect discourse when reporting what someone says in a formal, impartial way. The indicative can also be used to imply a statement of fact, while the subjunctive II can be used to imply the statement is open to question (since subjunctive II is used with contrary to fact statements.) These three distinctions are quite subtle, although they are important. In everyday conversation, the tendency is to avoid the subjunctive I and to choose instead between the indicative and subjunctive II.
The present tense of Subjunctive I is derived from the present tense of the indicative and formed by adding the following endings to the stem of the verb. Note that the subjunctive I forms never have the stem vowel change found in their present indicative counterparts (a does not become ä, e does not become ie, etc.)
Haben, werden and wissen in the subjunctive I
haben | werden | wissen |
habe habest habe | haben habet haben | werde werdest werde |
werden werdet werden
| wisse wissest wisse | wissen wisset wissen |
Notice that sein has no endings in the ich and er forms:
sei seiest sei | seien seiet seien |
The past tense of Subjunctive I is derived from the present perfect tense of the indicative. It is composed of the subjunctive I form of haben or sein and a past participle. The future tense of Subjunctive I is simply the subjunctive I form of werden and an infinitive.
Tenses
The tense used in an indirect quotation is dependent upon the tense used in the direct quotation that underlies it. If the direct quotation is in the present tense of the indicative, then the indirect quotation must be in the present tense of the subjunctive I. If the direct quotation is in any tense referring to past time in the indicative (simple past, present perfect, or past perfect), then the indirect quotation is in the past tense of the subjunctive I. Subjunctive I only has one tense when referring to past time, as compared to the three tenses of the indicative. If the direct quotation is in the future tense, then the future tense of subjunctive I is used. If the original quotation is in subjunctive II, then the indirect quotation will also be in subjunctive II.
Tense in direct quotation | Tense in indirect quotation |
present indicative | present subjunctive I |
simple past, present perfect, past perfect indicative | past subjunctive I |
future indicative | future subjunctive I |
subjunctive II | subjunctive II |
In certain cases, the subjunctive I forms and the indicative forms are identical, so the subjunctive II forms must be used instead. Overall, you can use subjunctive I solely for the third person singular form, and use subjunctive II forms for all other persons.
brake | die Bremse (n) | wheel | das Rad (ä, er) |
horn | die Hupe (n) | car | der Wagen (-) / der PKW |
hood | die Motorhaube (n) | traffic light | die Ampel (n) |
flat tire | die Reifenpanne (n) | highway | die Autobahn (en) |
gear | der Gang (ä, e) | intersection | die Kreuzung (en) |
trunk | der Kofferraum (ä, e) | (one-way) street | die (Einbahn)straße (n) |
tire | der Reifen (-) | pedestrian | der Fussgänger (-) |
windshield wiper | der Scheibenwischer (-) | sidewalk | der Fussgängerweg (e) |
seat belt | der Sicherheitsgurt (e) | traffic jam | der Stau (s) |
seat | der Sitz (e) | ticket | der Strafzettel (-) |
steering wheel | das Lenkrad (ä, er) | (traffic) sign | das (Verkehrs)schild (er) |
parking space | die Parklücke (n) | license plate | das Nummernschild (er) |
Der PKW is short for der Personenkraftwagen. Der LKW is also commonly used to mean truck. It is short for der Lastkraftwagen.
To form the present participle, simply add -d to the infinitive. It usually functions as an adjective and takes the normal adjective endings. It can also function as an adverb, but then of course, it does not add any endings.
kochendes Wasser - boiling water
die führenden Kritiker - the leading critics
im kommenden Sommer - in the coming summer
Sie spricht fließend Deutsch. She speaks German fluently.
scuba diver
wet suit
flipper
oxygen tank
snorkel
mask
starfish
jellyfish
sea urchin
sea horse
seaweed
fishing line
fish hook
|
der Taucher
der Wasseranzug
die Schwimmflosse
der Lufttank
der Schnorchel
die Tauchermaske (or Tauchmask)
der Seestern
die Qualle
der Seeigel
das Seepferdchen
der Seetang
die Angelschnur
der Angelhaken
|
shipwreck
helm
anchor
treasure chest
barnacle
coral
seashell
wave
sand
bubble
clam
crab
|
der Schiffbruch
der Helm
der Anker
die Schatzkiste
die Entenmuschel
die Koralle
die Muschel
die Welle
der Sand
die Blase
die Muschel
die Krabbe
|
The conjunctions als wenn and als ob are interchangeable; they both mean "as if" or "as though." Both introduce a dependent clause, so the conjugated verb must go to the end. In addition, both require the subjunctive II.
Als ob ich das nicht wüßte! As if I didn't know that!
Er tut, als wenn er nichts Besseres zu tun hätte. He acts as though he had nothing better to do.
astronaut
space shuttle
control panel
satellite
spaceship
alien
asteroid
space suit
lunar rover
landing capsule
space station
solar panel
meteor shower
constellation
solar system
|
der Astronaut
die Raumfähre
die Kontrolltafel
der Satellit
das Raumschiff
der Ausserirdische
der Asteroid
der Raumanzug
das Mondfahrzeug
das Landungsgerät
die Raumstation
die Sonnenzellen
der Meteorschwarm
das Sternbild
das Sonnensystem
|
beaker
test tube
galaxy
Earth
moon
sun
planet
rings
crater
stars
comet
rocket
robot
nebula
laboratory
|
das Becherglas
das Reagenzglas
die Milchstraße
die Erde
der Mond
die Sonne
der Planet
die Höfe
der Krater
die Sterne
der Komet
die Rakete
der Roboter
der Nebelfleck
das Labor
|
The future perfect tense is comparable to the other perfect tenses. It is formed with the future of haben or sein, and the past participle. The future perfect deals with the future as if it were already past time (he will have done it), or it is used to imply probability (that was probably him.) The latter case commonly uses the past tense in English though.
Er wird gegangen sein. He will have gone.
Ich werde es genommen haben. I will have taken it.
Es wird dunkel geworden sein. It will have become dark.
Das wird Rudi gewesen sein. That will have been Rudi. / That was probably Rudi.
When using modals, the future perfect tense can create the double infinitive construction, so make sure to put the double infinitive at the very end.
Die Uhr wird sehr viel gekostet haben müssen.
99. FANTASY & MAKE-BELIEVE
dragon
fairy
elf
giant
tower
knight
squire
court jester
minstrel
armor
dungeon
moat
castle
|
der Drache
die Fee
der Elf / die Elfe
der Riese
der Turm
der Ritter
der Edelknabe
der Hofnarr
der Minnesänger
die Rüstung
der Kerker
der Burggraben
das Schloß
|
unicorn
shield
sword
lance
ax
drawbridge
crown
king
queen
princess
prince
throne
|
das Einhorn
der Schild
das Schwert
die Lanze
die Axt
die Zugbrücke
die Krone
der König
die Königin
die Prinzessin
der Prinz
der Thron
|
Recently, there has been a spelling reform of the German language. The following are a few points that have changed:
1. Write ss after a short vowel, and ß after a long vowel or diphthong. Please note that ß is not used in Switzerland or Liechtenstein and a lot of people don't pay attention to this rule anyway. Also, there is no capital letter that corresponds to the lower case ß, so it must be written as SS.
2. Words that are now capitalized: (auf) Deutsch, Mittag, Abend, Morgen, Recht haben, Leid tun…
3. The forms of Du (familiar you) are no longer capitalized in letters.
4. A comma is not necessary when two independent clauses are joined by und.
REVIEW OF DECLENSIONS OF NOUNS
1) Feminine Singular nouns remain unchanged in all Singular cases.
Singular: | Typewriter | Street |
Nom. | die Schreibmaschine | die Straße |
Acc. | die Schreibmaschine | die Straße |
Dat. | der Schreibmaschine | der Straße |
Gen. | der Schreibmaschine | der Straße |
2) All Neuter and most Masculine Singular add -s or -es (if one syllable) to Genitive Singular.
Singular: | Shoe | Shirt |
Nom. | der Schuh | das Hemd |
Acc. | den Schuh | das Hemd |
Dat. | dem Schuh | dem Hemd |
Gen. | des Schuhes | des Hemdes |
Note: The genitive singular of shoe is generally written des Schuhs in colloquial German.
3) Masculine nouns that end in -e in Nom. Sing. and designate living things add -n to form both Singular and Plural for all cases.
Lion(s)
| Singular | Plural |
Nom. | der Löwe | die Löwen |
Acc. | den Löwen | die Löwen |
Dat. | dem Löwen | den Löwen |
Gen. | des Löwen | der Löwen |
4) All Dative Plural either adds -n or -en.
| Man | Woman | Child |
Nom. Sing. | der Mann | die Frau | das Kind |
Dat. Pl. | den Männern | den Frauen | den Kindern |
5) In Plurals of all declensions of all genders, the Nominative, Genitive, and Accusative Plural are the same.
| Forest | Pear |
Nom. Sing. | der Wald | die Birne |
Nom. Pl. | die Wälder | die Birnen |
Acc. Pl. | die Wälder | die Birnen |
Dat. Pl. | den Wäldern | den Birnen |
Gen. Pl. | der Wälder | der Birnen |
To form the Dative Plural, add -n or -en to the Nominative Plural, unless it already ends in -s or -n, then add nothing.
Most singular declensions can be formed from the first three rules above, but plural nouns are more complex and irregular. Some may add -n, -en, -r, -er, -e, or an umlaut over the stem vowel with a final -e, and some nouns do not change from singular to plural.
Group 1
-Singular follows rules
-Plural adds umlaut to stem vowel and -n to all datives
Father(s) (masc.)
| Sing. | Plural |
Nom. | der Vater | die Väter |
Acc. | den Vater | die Väter |
Dat. | dem Vater | den Vätern |
Gen. | des Vaters | der Väter |
Nouns belonging to this group: Most nouns whose Nom. Sing. end in -el, -en, -er; and neuter nouns that begin with Ge- and end with -e
Group 2
-Singular follows rules
-Plural sometimes adds umlaut to stem vowel and -e to Nominative, Genitive, and Accusative; -en to Dative
Fruit (fem.)
| Sing. | Plural |
Nom. | die Frucht | die Früchte |
Acc. | die Frucht | die Früchte |
Dat. | der Frucht | den Früchten |
Gen. | der Frucht | der Früchte |
Nouns belonging to this group: Masculine that are one syllable; half of feminine and neuter that are one syllable
Group 3
-Singular follow rules
-Plural adds umlaut to stem vowel and -er to Nominative, Genitive, and Accusative; -ern to Dative
Man/men (masc.)
| Sing. | Plural |
Nom. | der Mann | die Männer |
Acc. | den Mann | die Männer |
Dat. | dem Mann | den Männern |
Gen. | des Mannes | der Männer |
Nouns belonging to this group: Many neuter that are one syllable; no feminine nouns
Group 4
-Singular adds -en to all Masculine Dative, Accusative, and Genitive; Feminine follows rule
-Plural adds -n or -en to all forms
| Student (s) | | Woman/Women |
| Sing. | Plural | | Sing. | Plural |
Nom. | der Student | die Studenten | | die Frau | die Frauen |
Acc. | den Studenten | die Studenten | | die Frau | die Frauen |
Dat. | dem Studenten | den Studenten | | der Frau | den Frauen |
Gen. | des Studenten | der Studenten | | der Frau | der Frauen |
Nouns belonging to this group: Most feminine that are more than one syllable, most masculine that denote living things; no neuter nouns
Group 5
-Add -s to Genitive Singular
-Add -s to all plural forms
Auto(s) (neu.)
| Sing. | Plural |
Nom. | das Auto | die Autos |
Acc. | das Auto | die Autos |
Dat. | dem Auto | den Autos |
Gen. | des Autos | der Autos |
Nouns belonging to this group: Foreign origin words, such as das Radio, das Restaurant, and das Hotel.
Group 6 - Irregular
-Add -ns or -ens to Genitive Singular
-Add -en to Dative Singular, may add -en to Accusative Singular
-All plural add -en
| Heart(s) | Name(s) |
| Sing. | Plural | Sing. | Plural |
Nom. | das Herz | die Herzen | der Name | die Namen |
Acc. | das Herz | die Herzen | den Namen | die Namen |
Dat. | dem Herzen | den Herzen | dem Namen | den Namen |
Gen. | des Herzens | der Herzen | des Namens | der Namen |
Group 7 - Mixed
-Add -s or -es for Genitive Singular
-Add -n or -en for all plural
Bed(s) (neu.)
| Sing. | Plural |
Nom. | das Bett | die Betten |
Acc. | das Bett | die Betten |
Dat. | dem Bett | den Betten |
Gen. | des Bettes | der Betten |
GERMAN STATES / BUNDESLANDER
German States | English Translation |
Baden-Württemberg | Baden-Württemberg |
Berlin | Berlin |
Brandenburg | Brandenburg |
Bremen | Bremen |
Hamburg | Hamburg |
Bayern | Bavaria |
Sachsen | Saxony |
Thüringen | Thuringia |
Hessen | Hesse |
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania |
Niedersachsen | Lower Saxony |
Nordrhein-Westfalen | North Rhine-Westphalia |
Rheinland-Pfalz | Rhineland-Palatinate |
Saarland | Saarland |
Sachsen-Anhalt | Saxony-Anhalt |
Schleswig-Holstein | Schleswig-Holstein |
Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg are cities as well as states.
AUSTRIAN STATES / BUNDESLANDER
Austrian States | English Translation |
Burgenland | Burgenland |
Kämten | Carinthia |
Niederösterreich | Lower Austria |
Oberösterreich | Upper Austria |
Salzburg | Salzburg |
Steiermark | Styria |
Tirol | Tyrol |
Vorarlberg | Vorarlberg |
Wien | Vienna |