Бесплатный фрагмент - German Unlocked

Chapter 1: Hallo! Introduction to German

Willkommen!

Welcome! Learning a new language can feel like a big adventure, and we’re so excited you’re embarking on this journey with us! German might seem a little intimidating at first, with its long words and different sounds, but don’t worry! This book is designed to make learning German fun and accessible, step-by-step. We’ll break down the basics, explore fascinating aspects of German culture, and equip you with the tools you need to start speaking confidently. So grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let’s begin!

Why Learn German?

German is spoken by over 100 million people worldwide, primarily in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of other European countries. It’s a major language in Europe and the world of business, science, and the arts. Here are just a few reasons why learning German can be a fantastic investment:

Career Opportunities: Germany has one of the world’s largest economies, and many international companies are actively seeking German speakers.

Academic Pursuits: Germany is renowned for its universities and research institutions, offering excellent opportunities for higher education.

Cultural Enrichment: Immerse yourself in the rich history, literature, music, and art of the German-speaking world.

Travel and Exploration: Discover the beauty of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and connect with locals on a deeper level.

Cognitive Benefits: Learning a new language enhances your memory, problem-solving skills, and overall cognitive function.

The German Language Family

German belongs to the Germanic language family, which also includes English, Dutch, Swedish, and Norwegian. This means that you’ll likely find some similarities between German and English, making the learning process a bit easier. However, there are also key differences that we’ll address throughout this book.

Let’s Get Started: Basic Greetings

One of the first things you’ll want to learn are some basic greetings. Here are a few essential phrases:

Hallo! (hah-loh) — Hello! (General greeting, can be used anytime)

Guten Morgen! (goo-ten mor-gen) — Good morning! (Used until about 11 am)

Guten Tag! (goo-ten tahk) — Good day! (Used from late morning to evening)

Guten Abend! (goo-ten ah-bent) — Good evening! (Used from evening until bedtime)

Gute Nacht! (goo-te nahht) — Good night! (Used when going to bed)

Asking How Someone Is

To be polite, it’s good to ask how someone is doing. Here are a couple of ways to ask, depending on whether you’re speaking formally or informally:

Wie geht es Ihnen? (vee gayt es ee-nen) — How are you? (Formal — Use with people you don’t know well, older people, or in professional settings)

Wie geht es dir? (vee gayt es deer) — How are you? (Informal — Use with friends, family, and people you know well)

Here are a few ways to respond:

Mir geht es gut. (meer gayt es goot) — I’m fine.

Nicht so gut. (niht zo goot) — Not so good.

Es geht. (es gayt) — It’s okay. (So-so)

Introducing Yourself

Here’s how to ask someone their name and introduce yourself:

Wie heißen Sie? (vee hai-sen zee) — What’s your name? (Formal)

Wie heißt du? (vee haist doo) — What’s your name? (Informal)

Ich heiße… (ihh hai-se…) — My name is…

And here’s how to express pleasure upon meeting someone:

Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen! (froit mihh, zee ke-nen-tsoo-ler-nen) — Pleased to meet you! (Formal)

Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen! (froit mihh, dihh ke-nen-tsoo-ler-nen) — Pleased to meet you! (Informal)

Saying Goodbye

Here are some ways to say goodbye:

Auf Wiedersehen! (auf vee-der-zay-en) — Goodbye! (Formal)

Tschüss! (chüs) — Bye! (Informal)

Bis bald! (bis bahlt) — See you soon!

Pronunciation Basics

German pronunciation can be tricky, but with practice, you’ll get the hang of it. Here are a few key points to keep in mind:

Vowels:

a: Similar to the «a» in «father»

e: Similar to the «e» in «bed»

i: Similar to the «ee» in «see»

o: Similar to the «o» in «go»

u: Similar to the «oo» in «moon»

ä: Similar to the «a» in «cat» (but a bit more open)

ö: A sound that doesn’t exist in English; try saying «ay» while rounding your lips.

ü: A sound that doesn’t exist in English; try saying «ee» while rounding your lips.

Consonants:

ch: Can be pronounced in two ways:

After «a,» «o,» «u,» or «au,» it sounds like the «ch» in «Bach» (a guttural sound).

After «i,» «e,» «ä,» «ö,» «ü,» or consonants, it sounds like the «h» in «hue.»

sch: Sounds like the «sh» in «shoe.»

ß: Sounds like a double «s» (ss).

r: Often pronounced in the back of the throat (similar to the French «r»).

Tips for Mastering Tricky Sounds

Listen carefully: Pay attention to how native speakers pronounce words. There are many resources online where you can hear German pronunciation.

Practice regularly: The more you practice, the easier it will become to pronounce German sounds correctly.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: Everyone makes mistakes when learning a new language. The important thing is to keep trying!

Cultural Note: Sie vs. du

One of the first things that might strike you about German is the distinction between formal and informal «you» (Sie vs. du). It’s important to use the correct form to avoid offending someone.

Sie (Formal): Use with people you don’t know well, older people, people in positions of authority (e.g., your boss, a doctor), and in formal settings.

du (Informal): Use with friends, family, people your own age, and people who have specifically told you to use «du.»

When in doubt, it’s always better to err on the side of formality and use «Sie.»

Word Bank

Hallo (hah-loh) — Hello

Guten Morgen (goo-ten mor-gen) — Good morning

Guten Tag (goo-ten tahk) — Good day

Guten Abend (goo-ten ah-bent) — Good evening

Gute Nacht (goo-te nahht) — Good night

Wie geht es Ihnen? (vee gayt es ee-nen) — How are you? (Formal)

Wie geht es dir? (vee gayt es deer) — How are you? (Informal)

Mir geht es gut (meer gayt es goot) — I’m fine

Nicht so gut (niht zo goot) — Not so good

Es geht (es gayt) — It’s okay

Wie heißen Sie? (vee hai-sen zee) — What’s your name? (Formal)

Wie heißt du? (vee haist doo) — What’s your name? (Informal)

Ich heiße… (ihh hai-se…) — My name is…

Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen! (froit mihh, zee ke-nen-tsoo-ler-nen) — Pleased to meet you! (Formal)

Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen! (froit mihh, dihh ke-nen-tsoo-ler-nen) — Pleased to meet you! (Informal)

Auf Wiedersehen! (auf vee-der-zay-en) — Goodbye! (Formal)

Tschüss! (chüs) — Bye! (Informal)

Bis bald! (bis bahlt) — See you soon!

Exercises

How would you greet a friend in the morning?

How would you greet your professor in the afternoon?

How would you ask someone their name in a formal situation?

Practice pronouncing the following words: Hallo, Guten Tag, Tschüss.

Imagine you are meeting a new colleague at work. Write a short dialogue where you greet them, ask how they are, and introduce yourself.

That’s the end of Chapter 1! We’ve covered some essential greetings and introductions, along with a basic overview of German pronunciation and the formal/informal.

Chapter 2: Numbers, Colors, and Days of the Week

In this chapter, we’ll learn how to count, identify colors, and talk about the days of the week and months of the year. These are essential building blocks for everyday conversations.

Counting from 1 to 20

Let’s start with the numbers 1—20. Learning these will make it easier to understand prices, tell the time, and more!

1 — eins (ains)

2 — zwei (tsvai)

3 — drei (drai)

4 — vier (feer)

5 — fünf (fünf)

6 — sechs (zeks)

7 — sieben (zee-ben)

8 — acht (ahht)

9 — neun (noin)

10 — zehn (tsayn)

11 — elf (elf)

12 — zwölf (tsvölf)

13 — dreizehn (drai-tsayn)

14 — vierzehn (feer-tsayn)

15 — fünfzehn (fünf-tsayn)

16 — sechzehn (zehks-tsayn)

17 — siebzehn (zee-b-tsayn)

18 — achtzehn (ahht-tsayn)

19 — neunzehn (noin-tsayn)

20 — zwanzig (tsvan-tsih)

Tips for Remembering Numbers:

Look for patterns: Notice how numbers 13—19 are formed by adding “-zehn» to the base number (with a few slight spelling changes).

Practice regularly: Recite the numbers aloud until you can say them easily.

Use them in context: Count objects around you, practice saying phone numbers, or play number-based games.

Counting by Tens to 100

Now let’s learn the multiples of ten:

20 — zwanzig (tsvan-tsih)

30 — dreißig (drai-sih)

40 — vierzig (feer-tsih)

50 — fünfzig (fünf-tsih)

60 — sechzig (zehks-tsih)

70 — siebzig (zee-b-tsih)

80 — achtzig (ahht-tsih)

90 — neunzig (noin-tsih)

100 — hundert (hoon-dert)

Forming Numbers Between Tens

To form numbers between the tens (e.g., 21, 32, 45), you combine the smaller number with the larger one, but with a twist: you say the ones digit before the tens digit, and you add «und» (and) in between.

For example:

21 — einundzwanzig (ain-oont-tsvan-tsih) — one and twenty

32 — zweiunddreißig (tsvai-oont-drai-sih) — two and thirty

45 — fünfundvierzig (fünf-oont-feer-tsih) — five and forty

Basic Colors (Farben)

Knowing the colors will help you describe things and express yourself more vividly.

Red — rot (roht)

Blue — blau (blau)

Green — grün (grün)

Yellow — gelb (gelp)

Black — schwarz (shvarts)

White — weiß (vais)

Orange — orange (o-ron-zhe)

Purple — lila (lee-la)

Pink — rosa (ro-za)

Brown — braun (braun)

Gray — grau (grau)

Asking About Color

To ask what color something is, you can say:

Welche Farbe ist das? (vel-he far-be ist das) — What color is that?

Days of the Week (Tage der Woche)

Knowing the days of the week is essential for making plans and scheduling appointments.

Monday — Montag (mon-tahk)

Tuesday — Dienstag (deens-tahk)

Wednesday — Mittwoch (mit-vohh)

Thursday — Donnerstag (don-ners-tahk)

Friday — Freitag (frai-tahk)

Saturday — Samstag (zahms-tahk) /Sonnabend (zon-ah-bent) — Note: In some parts of Germany, «Sonnabend» is used more commonly.

Sunday — Sonntag (zon-tahk)

Months of the Year (Monate)

Here are the months of the year in German:

January — Januar (yah-nu-ar)

February — Februar (fay-bru-ar)

March — März (merts)

April — April (ah-pril)

May — Mai (mai)

June — Juni (yoo-nee)

July — Juli (yoo-lee)

August — August (au-goost)

September — September (zep-tem-ber)

October — Oktober (ok-to-ber)

November — November (no-vem-ber)

December — Dezember (de-tsem-ber)

Seasons (Jahreszeiten)

Spring — Frühling (frü-ling)

Summer — Sommer (zo-mer)

Autumn/Fall — Herbst (herpst)

Winter — Winter (vin-ter)

Simple Exercises:

What color is the sky? (Der Himmel ist blau.)

What day is today? (Heute ist…)

What month is it? (Es ist…)

How many apples do you see? (Ich sehe… Äpfel.)

Word Bank

eins (ains) — one

zwei (tsvai) — two

drei (drai) — three

rot (roht) — red

blau (blau) — blue

grün (grün) — green

Montag (mon-tahk) — Monday

Dienstag (deens-tahk) — Tuesday

Januar (yah-nu-ar) — January

Februar (fay-bru-ar) — February

Frühling (frü-ling) — Spring

Sommer (zo-mer) — Summer

Exercises

Count from 1 to 20 out loud.

What color is your shirt/dress/pants?

What is your favorite day of the week and why?

What month is your birthday?

Practice saying the days of the week and months of the year.

Chapter 3: Basic Grammar — Nouns, Articles, and Pronouns

In this chapter, we’ll begin to explore the fundamental building blocks of German grammar: nouns, articles, and pronouns. Understanding these elements is crucial for forming sentences and expressing yourself clearly. German grammar can seem a little daunting at first, but we’ll take it step by step and focus on the essentials.

Nouns (Nomen)

Nouns are words that represent people, places, things, or ideas. In German, all nouns are capitalized. This makes them easy to spot in a sentence! For example:

Mann (man) — Man

Frau (frau) — Woman

Haus (haus) — House

Buch (buuh) — Book

Liebe (lee-be) — Love

Noun Gender: A Key Feature of German

One of the most distinctive features of German is that nouns have a grammatical gender. This means that every noun is either masculine, feminine, or neuter. The gender of a noun doesn’t necessarily correspond to the actual gender of the thing it represents (e.g., «girl» is neuter in German).

There are some patterns that can help you guess the gender of a noun, but often it’s best to simply memorize the gender along with the noun itself.

Definite Articles (Bestimmte Artikel)

The definite article is the word «the» in English. In German, the definite article changes depending on the gender of the noun:

Masculine: der (dare) — the

Feminine: die (dee) — the

Neuter: das (das) — the

Plural (for all genders): die (dee) — the

Examples:

der Mann (dare mahn) — the man

die Frau (dee frau) — the woman

das Haus (das haus) — the house

die Bücher (dee bü-her) — the books

Indefinite Articles (Unbestimmte Artikel)

The indefinite article is the word «a» or «an» in English. In German, the indefinite article also changes depending on the gender of the noun:

Masculine: ein (ain) — a

Feminine: eine (ai-ne) — a

Neuter: ein (ain) — a

Examples:

ein Mann (ain mahn) — a man

eine Frau (ai-ne frau) — a woman

ein Haus (ain haus) — a house

Important Note About Plural: There is no indefinite article in the plural in German. You simply use the plural noun.

Personal Pronouns (Personalpronomen)

Personal pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. Here are the basic personal pronouns in German:

ich (ihh) — I

du (doo) — you (informal, singular)

er (air) — he

sie (zee) — she

es (es) — it

wir (veer) — we

ihr (eer) — you (informal, plural)

sie (zee) — they

Sie (zee) — you (formal, singular or plural)

Simple Sentence Structure: Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)

The basic word order in German sentences is generally Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), just like in English.

Ich (Subject) sehe (Verb) den Mann (Object). — I see the man.

Sie (Subject) liest (Verb) das Buch (Object). — She reads the book.

Word Bank

Mann (mahn) — Man (masculine)

Frau (frau) — Woman (feminine)

Haus (haus) — House (neuter)

Buch (buuh) — Book (neuter)

der (dare) — the (masculine)

die (dee) — the (feminine/plural)

das (das) — the (neuter)

ein (ain) — a (masculine/neuter)

eine (ai-ne) — a (feminine)

ich (ihh) — I

du (doo) — you (informal, singular)

er (air) — he

sie (zee) — she/they/you (formal)

es (es) — it

wir (veer) — we

ihr (eer) — you (informal, plural)

Exercises

What is the gender of the following nouns: Tisch (table), Lampe (lamp), Fenster (window)? (You might need to look them up in a dictionary!)

Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, das):

______ Katze (cat)

______ Hund (dog)

______ Auto (car)

Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein, eine):

______ Apfel (apple)

______ Banane (banana)

______ Computer (computer)

Choose the correct personal pronoun to replace the noun:

Der Mann liest. ______ liest. (The man reads. He reads.)

Die Frau singt. ______ singt. (The woman sings. She sings.)

Das Kind spielt. ______ spielt. (The child plays. It plays.)

Translate the following sentences into German:

I see the house.

She reads a book.

We are learning German. (Use «Deutsch lernen» for «learn German.»)

That’s Chapter 3 done! You’ve learned about nouns, articles, pronouns, and basic sentence structure.

Chapter 4: Verbs — Present Tense

Verbs are the action words in a sentence. They tell us what the subject is doing. In this chapter, we’ll focus on conjugating verbs in the present tense, which is used to describe actions happening now or habitual actions.

Verb Conjugation: The Basics

Verb conjugation means changing the form of a verb to match the subject pronoun. In German, verbs are conjugated based on the person (ich, du, er/sie/es, etc.) and number (singular or plural).

Regular Verb Conjugation

Most German verbs are regular, meaning they follow a predictable pattern of conjugation. Here’s the general pattern:

Find the stem: Take the infinitive form of the verb (the form ending in “-en» or “-n») and remove the “-en» or “-n» ending. This leaves you with the verb stem.

Add the correct ending: Add the appropriate ending to the stem based on the subject pronoun.

Here’s an example using the verb «machen» (to make/do):

Infinitive: machen (mah-hen)

Stem: mach-

Now, let’s add the endings:

ich mache (ihh mah-he) — I make/do

du machst (doo mahhst) — you make/do (informal, singular)

er/sie/es macht (air/zee/es mahht) — he/she/it makes/does

wir machen (veer mah-hen) — we make/do

ihr macht (eer mahht) — you make/do (informal, plural)

sie/Sie machen (zee/zee mah-hen) — they make/do / you make/do (formal)

Common Regular Verbs

Here are a few more common regular verbs:

wohnen (vo-nen) — to live

spielen (shpee-len) — to play

lernen (ler-nen) — to learn

arbeiten (ar-bai-ten) — to work

Example Conjugations:

wohnen: ich wohne, du wohnst, er/sie/es wohnt, wir wohnen, ihr wohnt, sie/Sie wohnen

spielen: ich spiele, du spielst, er/sie/es spielt, wir spielen, ihr spielt, sie/Sie spielen

Irregular Verb Conjugation

Some German verbs are irregular, meaning they don’t follow the regular pattern. These verbs often change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms.

Common Irregular Verbs:

sein (zain) — to be

haben (hah-ben) — to have

essen (es-sen) — to eat

trinken (trin-ken) — to drink

sprechen (shpre-hen) — to speak

Conjugations of «sein» and «haben»

These are extremely important verbs, so memorize them!

sein (to be):

ich bin (ihh bin) — I am

du bist (doo bist) — you are (informal, singular)

er/sie/es ist (air/zee/es ist) — he/she/it is

wir sind (veer zint) — we are

ihr seid (eer zait) — you are (informal, plural)

sie/Sie sind (zee/zee zint) — they are / you are (formal)

haben (to have):

ich habe (ihh hah-be) — I have

du hast (doo hahst) — you have (informal, singular)

er/sie/es hat (air/zee/es haht) — he/she/it has

wir haben (veer hah-ben) — we have

ihr habt (eer hahpt) — you have (informal, plural)

sie/Sie haben (zee/zee hah-ben) — they have / you have (formal)

Conjugations of «essen», «trinken», «sprechen» As you can see, the du and er/sie/es forms of these verbs change their stem vowel

essen (to eat):

ich esse (ihh es-se) — I eat

du isst (doo isst) — you eat (informal, singular)

er/sie/es isst (air/zee/es isst) — he/she/it eats

wir essen (veer es-sen) — we eat

ihr esst (eer esst) — you eat (informal, plural)

sie/Sie essen (zee/zee es-sen) — they eat / you eat (formal)

trinken (to drink):

ich trinke (ihh trin-ke) — I drink

du trinkst (doo trinkst) — you drink (informal, singular)

er/sie/es trinkt (air/zee/es trinkt) — he/she/it drinks

wir trinken (veer trin-ken) — we drink

ihr trinkt (eer trinkt) — you drink (informal, plural)

sie/Sie trinken (zee/zee trin-ken) — they drink / you drink (formal)

sprechen (to speak):

ich spreche (ihh shpreh-he) — I speak

du sprichst (doo shprihst) — you speak (informal, singular)

er/sie/es spricht (air/zee/es shpriht) — he/she/it speaks

wir sprechen (veer shpreh-hen) — we speak

ihr sprecht (eer shpreht) — you speak (informal, plural)

sie/Sie sprechen (zee/zee shpreh-hen) — they speak / you speak (formal)

Using Verbs in Sentences

Here are some examples of using verbs in simple sentences:

Ich wohne in Berlin. (ihh vo-ne in ber-leen) — I live in Berlin.

Du spielst Fußball. (doo shpeelst foos-bal) — You play soccer.

Er arbeitet in einem Büro. (air ar-bai-tet in ai-nem bü-ro) — He works in an office.

Wir lernen Deutsch. (veer ler-nen doitch) — We are learning German.

Ich bin müde. (ihh bin mü-de) — I am tired.

Sie hat einen Hund. (zee haht ai-nen hoont) — She has a dog.

Word Bank

machen (mah-hen) — to make/do

wohnen (vo-nen) — to live

spielen (shpee-len) — to play

lernen (ler-nen) — to learn

arbeiten (ar-bai-ten) — to work

sein (zain) — to be

haben (hah-ben) — to have

essen (es-sen) — to eat

trinken (trin-ken) — to drink

sprechen (shpre-hen) — to speak

Exercises

Conjugate the following regular verbs in the present tense: kaufen (to buy), tanzen (to dance), hören (to hear).

Conjugate the verbs sein and haben in the present tense.

Fill in the correct form of the verb in the present tense:

Ich ______ (wohnen) in Köln.

Du ______ (spielen) Gitarre.

Er ______ (arbeiten) als Lehrer.

Wir ______ (lernen) Deutsch.

Sie ______ (sein) freundlich.

Ich ______ (haben) ein Auto.

Translate the following sentences into German:

I live in a house.

You speak English.

He works as a doctor.

We are learning German together.

She is happy.

They have a cat.

That completes Chapter 4! You now have a solid foundation in present tense verb conjugation. Next, we’ll tackle some essential phrases and questions!

Chapter 5: Basic Phrases and Questions

This chapter is all about equipping you with practical phrases and questions that you can use in everyday situations. Learning these will help you communicate your needs, ask for information, and start simple conversations.

Polite Phrases: The Essentials

It’s always important to be polite, so let’s start with some essential phrases:

Bitte (bi-te) — Please / You’re welcome

Note: «Bitte» is a versatile word that can mean «please» when asking for something, or «you’re welcome» in response to «Danke.»

Danke (dan-ke) — Thank you

Vielen Dank (fee-len dank) — Thank you very much

Entschuldigung (ent-shul-di-gung) — Excuse me / Sorry

Note: «Entschuldigung» can be used to apologize or to get someone’s attention.

Kein Problem (kain pro-blehm) — No problem

Gern geschehen (gern ge-she-hen) — You’re welcome (more formal than «Kein Problem»)

Asking Questions: Getting Information

Here are some useful questions you can use to get information:

Wie viel kostet das? (vee feel kos-tet das) — How much does that cost?

Wo ist…? (vo ist…) — Where is…?

Example: Wo ist die Toilette? (vo ist dee twah-le-te) — Where is the toilet?

Wie komme ich zu…? (vee ko-me ihh tsoo…) — How do I get to…?

Example: Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof? (vee ko-me ihh tsoom bahn-hof) — How do I get to the train station?

Sprechen Sie Englisch? (shpre-hen zee eng-lish) — Do you speak English? (Formal)

Sprichst du Englisch? (shprihst doo eng-lish) — Do you speak English? (Informal)

Was ist das? (vas ist das) — What is that?

Wie heißt das? (vee haist das) — What is that called?

Wie bitte? (vee bi-te) — Pardon me? / What did you say? (Use when you didn’t hear or understand something)

Können Sie das bitte wiederholen? (kö-nen zee das bi-te vee-der-ho-len) — Can you please repeat that? (Formal)

Kannst du das bitte wiederholen? (kanst doo das bi-te vee-der-ho-len) — Can you please repeat that? (Informal)

Common Phrases for Basic Needs

Ich brauche… (ihh brau-he…) — I need…

Example: Ich brauche Hilfe. (ihh brau-he hil-fe) — I need help.

Ich möchte… (ihh möh-te…) — I would like…

Example: Ich möchte einen Kaffee. (ihh möh-te ai-nen kah-fay) — I would like a coffee.

Ich verstehe nicht. (ihh fer-shtay-e niht) — I don’t understand.

Ich weiß nicht. (ihh vais niht) — I don’t know.

Hilfe! (hil-fe) — Help!

Simple Conversations: Putting It All Together

Let’s create a couple of short dialogues to see how these phrases and questions can be used:

Dialogue 1: Asking for Directions

You: Entschuldigung, wie komme ich zum Museum? (ent-shul-di-gung, vee ko-me ihh tsoom moo-zay-um) — Excuse me, how do I get to the museum?

Local: Gehen Sie geradeaus und dann links. (gay-en zee ge-rah-de-aus oont dan links) — Go straight ahead and then left.

You: Vielen Dank! (fee-len dank) — Thank you very much!

Local: Gern geschehen! (gern ge-she-hen) — You’re welcome!

Dialogue 2: Ordering a Coffee

You: Ich möchte einen Kaffee, bitte. (ihh möh-te ai-nen kah-fay, bi-te) — I would like a coffee, please.

Barista: Gerne. Was kostet der Kaffee? (ger-ne. vas kos-tet dare kah-fay) — Gladly. How much does the coffee cost?

Barista: Zwei Euro, bitte. (tsvai oi-ro, bi-te) — Two Euros, please.

You: Danke! (dan-ke) — Thank you!

Word Bank

Bitte (bi-te) — Please / You’re welcome

Danke (dan-ke) — Thank you

Vielen Dank (fee-len dank) — Thank you very much

Entschuldigung (ent-shul-di-gung) — Excuse me / Sorry

Kein Problem (kain pro-blehm) — No problem

Gern geschehen (gern ge-she-hen) — You’re welcome

Wie viel kostet das? (vee feel kos-tet das) — How much does that cost?

Wo ist…? (vo ist…) — Where is…?

Sprechen Sie Englisch? (shpre-hen zee eng-lish) — Do you speak English? (Formal)

Ich brauche… (ihh brau-he…) — I need…

Ich möchte… (ihh möh-te…) — I would like…

Ich verstehe nicht (ihh fer-shtay-e niht) — I don’t understand.

Hilfe! (hil-fe) — Help!

Exercises

How would you ask for the price of a book in a store?

How would you ask where the train station is?

How would you respond to someone who says «Danke»?

Practice saying the polite phrases and questions out loud.

Create your own short dialogues using the phrases and questions you’ve learned.

Congratulations! You’ve completed Chapter 5 and now have a toolkit of essential phrases and questions for basic communication. You’re ready to move on to Part 2 and start building your German!

Chapter 6: The Case System — Nominative, Accusative (Table-Free)

The case system is a crucial aspect of German grammar. It determines the function of a noun in a sentence and affects the form of articles, adjectives, and pronouns. This can seem complicated, but we’ll start with the two most important cases: the nominative and the accusative.

What is a «Case»?

A case indicates the grammatical role of a noun or pronoun in a sentence. Think of it as a label that tells you what the noun is doing in the sentence. German has four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive.

The Nominative Case (Nominativ): The Subject

The nominative case is used for the subject of the sentence. The subject is the person or thing performing the action of the verb. In a simple sentence, the subject is who or what is doing the verb.

Der Mann liest. (The man reads.) — «Der Mann» is the subject; he is doing the reading.

Die Frau singt. (The woman sings.) — «Die Frau» is the subject; she is doing the singing.

Das Kind spielt. (The child plays.) — «Das Kind» is the subject; it is doing the playing.

When a noun is in the nominative case, the article takes its basic, «dictionary» form. This means:

If the noun is masculine, the definite article (the) is «der.»

If the noun is feminine, the definite article (the) is «die.»

If the noun is neuter, the definite article (the) is «das.»

If the noun is plural, the definite article (the) is «die.»

The Accusative Case (Akkusativ): The Direct Object

The accusative case is primarily used for the direct object of the sentence. The direct object is the person or thing that receives the action of the verb. It’s what the subject is acting upon.

Der Mann liest das Buch. (The man reads the book.) — «Das Buch» is the direct object; it is being read.

Die Frau singt ein Lied. (The woman sings a song.) — «Ein Lied» is the direct object; it is being sung.

Das Kind isst den Apfel. (The child eats the apple.) — «Den Apfel» is the direct object; it is being eaten.

How the Accusative Changes Articles

The accusative case primarily affects the masculine articles. Here’s how the articles change:

Definite Articles (The): The masculine definite article «der» changes to «den» in the accusative. The feminine definite article «die,» the neuter definite article «das,» and the plural definite article «die» all remain the same in the accusative.

Indefinite Articles (A/An): The masculine indefinite article «ein» changes to «einen» in the accusative. The feminine indefinite article «eine» and the neuter indefinite article «ein» remain the same in the accusative. There is no plural indefinite article in German.

Pronouns in the Accusative

Personal pronouns also change in the accusative case. Here’s how each pronoun changes from the nominative to the accusative:

«ich» (I) becomes «mich» (me)

«du» (you — informal, singular) becomes «dich» (you — informal, singular)

«er» (he) becomes «ihn» (him)

«sie» (she) remains «sie» (her) — Note: The accusative and nominative forms are the same for «she.»

«es» (it) remains «es» (it) — Note: The accusative and nominative forms are the same for «it.»

«wir» (we) becomes «uns» (us)

«ihr» (you — informal, plural) becomes «euch» (you — informal, plural)

«sie» (they) remains «sie» (them) — Note: The accusative and nominative forms are the same for «they.»

«Sie» (you — formal) remains «Sie» (you — formal) — Note: The accusative and nominative forms are the same for formal «you.»

Examples with Accusative Pronouns:

Ich sehe ihn. (ihh zay-e ihn) — I see him.

Sie liebt mich. (zee leept mihh) — She loves me.

Wir helfen euch. (veer hel-fen oihh) — We help you (plural, informal).

How to Identify the Accusative Object

A simple trick to finding the direct object is to ask «Whom?» or «What?» after the verb.

The man reads what? The book. (Das Buch — accusative)

She loves whom? Me. (Mich — accusative)

Word Bank

Nominativ (no-mi-na-teef) — Nominative

Akkusativ (ak-ku-za-teef) — Accusative

Subjekt (zoop-yekt) — Subject

Objekt (ob-yekt) — Object

der (dare) — the (masculine, nominative)

den (den) — the (masculine, accusative)

ein (ain) — a (masculine/neuter, nominative)

einen (ai-nen) — a (masculine, accusative)

mich (mihh) — me (accusative)

dich (dihh) — you (accusative, informal)

ihn (een) — him (accusative)

Exercises

Identify the nominative subject and the accusative object in the following sentences:

Die Frau kauft einen Apfel. (The woman buys an apple.)

Der Mann sieht das Auto. (The man sees the car.)

Das Kind liest ein Buch. (The child reads a book.)

Change the articles to the correct form in the accusative case:

Ich esse ______ Apfel. (der Apfel)

Sie sieht ______ Frau. (die Frau)

Wir kaufen ______ Haus. (das Haus)

Fill in the blanks with the correct accusative pronoun:

Ich liebe ______. (du)

Sie sieht ______. (er)

Wir helfen ______. (ihr)

Translate the following sentences into German, paying attention to the accusative case:

I see the man.

She loves him.

We are buying a car.

He helps me.

Rewrite the sentences from exercise 1 using pronouns instead of nouns for both the subject and object, applying the accusative case correctly.

Chapter 7: Dative Case

Now that you understand the nominative and accusative cases, let’s introduce the dative case. The dative case is used to indicate the indirect object of a sentence. It’s also used with certain prepositions.

What is the Indirect Object?

The indirect object is the person or thing that benefits from or is affected by the action of the verb. It’s often the recipient of something.

Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch. (I give the man the book.) — «Dem Mann» is the indirect object; he is receiving the book.

Sie schenkt ihrer Freundin eine Blume. (She gives her friend a flower.) — «Ihrer Freundin» is the indirect object; she is receiving the flower.

Think of it this way: The direct object is what is being given, shown, or done, and the indirect object is to whom it’s being given, shown, or done.

How the Dative Changes Articles

The dative case changes all the definite and indefinite articles. Here’s how:

Masculine:

Definite article: der becomes dem

Indefinite article: ein becomes einem

Feminine:

Definite article: die becomes der

Indefinite article: eine becomes einer

Neuter:

Definite article: das becomes dem

Indefinite article: ein becomes einem

Plural:

Definite article: die becomes den (and the noun usually takes an -n ending, if it doesn’t already have one)

There is no indefinite article in the plural.

Notice that the masculine and neuter definite articles become the same (dem) in the dative, and the feminine definite article becomes the same as the masculine nominative article (der).

Pronouns in the Dative

Personal pronouns also change in the dative case. Here’s how:

ich (I) becomes mir (me)

du (you — informal, singular) becomes dir (you — informal, singular)

er (he) becomes ihm (him)

sie (she) becomes ihr (her)

es (it) becomes ihm (it)

wir (we) becomes uns (us)

ihr (you — informal, plural) becomes euch (you — informal, plural)

sie (they) becomes ihnen (them)

Sie (you — formal) becomes Ihnen (you — formal)

Examples with Dative Pronouns:

Ich helfe ihm. (ihh hel-fe eem) — I help him.

Sie dankt mir. (zee dankt meer) — She thanks me.

Wir geben euch das Buch. (veer gay-ben oihh das buuh) — We give you (plural, informal) the book.

Prepositions That Always Take the Dative

Certain prepositions always take the dative case, regardless of the verb in the sentence. Memorizing these prepositions is essential. Here are some of the most common:

mit (mit) — with

nach (nahh) — to (cities and countries), after

von (fon) — from, of

zu (tsoo) — to (people, buildings), at

aus (aus) — from, out of

bei (bai) — at, near

seit (zait) — since (time)

gegenüber (gay-gen-ü-ber) — opposite

Examples with Dative Prepositions:

Ich gehe mit dem Freund ins Kino. (ihh gay-e mit dem froint ins kee-no) — I go to the cinema with the friend. (dem Freund — dative because of «mit»)

Sie fährt nach Deutschland. (zee fairt nahh doitch-lant) — She is traveling to Germany. (nach Deutschland — dative because of «nach»)

Er kommt von der Arbeit. (air komt fon dare ar-bait) — He comes from work. (von der Arbeit — dative because of «von»)

Wir gehen zu dem Arzt. (veer gay-en tsoo dem artst) — We go to the doctor. (zu dem Arzt — dative because of «zu»)

Word Bank

Dativ (dah-teef) — Dative

indirektes Objekt (in-dee-rek-tes ob-yekt) — indirect object

dem (dehm) — the (masculine/neuter, dative)

der (dare) — the (feminine, dative)

den (dehn) — the (plural, dative)

einem (ai-nem) — a (masculine/neuter, dative)

einer (ai-ner) — a (feminine, dative)

mir (meer) — me (dative)

dir (deer) — you (dative, informal)

ihm (eem) — him/it (dative)

ihr (eer) — her (dative)

ihnen (ee-nen) — them (dative)

mit (mit) — with

nach (nahh) — to/after

von (fon) — from/of

zu (tsoo) — to/at

Exercises

Identify the dative object in the following sentences:

Ich zeige dem Kind das Bild. (I show the child the picture.)

Sie gibt der Mutter eine Blume. (She gives the mother a flower.)

Wir helfen den Studenten. (We help the students.)

Fill in the correct article in the dative case:

Ich gehe mit ______ Hund spazieren. (der Hund)

Sie fährt zu ______ Freundin. (die Freundin)

Er wohnt bei ______ Eltern. (die Eltern)

Fill in the blanks with the correct dative pronoun:

Ich danke ______. (du)

Sie hilft ______. (er)

Wir geben ______ das Buch. (ihr)

Translate the following sentences into German, paying attention to the dative case and prepositions:

I go to the cinema with my friend.

She is traveling to Austria.

He comes from work.

We are helping the children.

I give the book to her.

Rewrite the sentences in exercise 1, replacing the dative objects with the correct dative pronouns.

That’s Chapter 7 completed! You now understand the dative case and its usage with indirect objects and certain prepositions.

Chapter 8: Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used to show ownership or possession. They indicate who or what something belongs to. In this chapter, we’ll learn how to use possessive pronouns in German, paying attention to how they change based on the gender and case of the noun they modify.

Basic Possessive Pronouns

Here are the basic possessive pronouns in German, along with their English equivalents:

mein (main) — my

dein (dain) — your (informal, singular)

sein (zain) — his

ihr (eer) — her

sein (zain) — its

unser (oon-zer) — our

euer (oi-er) — your (informal, plural)

ihr (eer) — their

Ihr (eer) — your (formal)

Agreement with Gender and Case

Just like articles, possessive pronouns must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. This means they change their endings depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, neuter, or plural, and whether it’s in the nominative, accusative, or dative case.

Possessive Pronoun Endings

The endings of possessive pronouns are similar to the endings of indefinite articles. Here’s a general guide:

Masculine Nominative: mein Mann (my man) — no ending added

Feminine Nominative: meine Frau (my woman) — add “-e»

Neuter Nominative: mein Kind (my child) — no ending added

Plural Nominative: meine Kinder (my children) — add “-e»

Accusative Case Changes

Masculine Accusative: meinen Mann (my man) — add “-en»

Feminine Accusative: meine Frau (my woman) — add “-e» (same as nominative)

Neuter Accusative: mein Kind (my child) — no ending added (same as nominative)

Plural Accusative: meine Kinder (my children) — add “-e» (same as nominative)

Dative Case Changes

Masculine Dative: meinem Mann (to my man) — add “-em»

Feminine Dative: meiner Frau (to my woman) — add “-er»

Neuter Dative: meinem Kind (to my child) — add “-em»

Plural Dative: meinen Kindern (to my children) — add “-en» (the noun usually takes an -n ending, if it doesn’t already have one)

Examples in Sentences

Nominative:

Mein Bruder ist nett. (main broo-der ist net) — My brother is nice. (Masculine)

Meine Schwester ist klug. (mai-ne shves-ter ist kloog) — My sister is smart. (Feminine)

Mein Haus ist groß. (main haus ist grohs) — My house is big. (Neuter)

Meine Eltern sind freundlich. (mai-ne el-tern zint froint-lihh) — My parents are friendly. (Plural)

Accusative:

Ich sehe meinen Bruder. (ihh zay-e mai-nen broo-der) — I see my brother. (Masculine)

Ich sehe meine Schwester. (ihh zay-e mai-ne shves-ter) — I see my sister. (Feminine)

Ich sehe mein Haus. (ihh zay-e main haus) — I see my house. (Neuter)

Ich sehe meine Eltern. (ihh zay-e mai-ne el-tern) — I see my parents. (Plural)

Dative:

Ich helfe meinem Bruder. (ihh hel-fe mai-nem broo-der) — I help my brother. (Masculine)

Ich helfe meiner Schwester. (ihh hel-fe mai-ner shves-ter) — I help my sister. (Feminine)

Ich helfe meinem Kind. (ihh hel-fe mai-nem kint) — I help my child. (Neuter)

Ich helfe meinen Eltern. (ihh hel-fe mai-nen el-tern) — I help my parents. (Plural)

Using «euer» (your — informal, plural)

The possessive pronoun «euer» has a slight irregularity. Before adding the ending, the «e» is dropped:

Nominative Masculine: euer -> eur -> eurer Bruder (your brother)

Here are the common forms

Masculine: euer -> eurer

Feminine: euer -> eure

Neuter: euer -> eur

Plural: euer -> eure

Word Bank

Possessivpronomen (po-se-zeev-pro-no-men) — Possessive pronoun

mein (main) — my

dein (dain) — your (informal, singular)

sein (zain) — his / its

ihr (eer) — her / their / your (formal)

unser (oon-zer) — our

euer (oi-er) — your (informal, plural)

Bruder (broo-der) — brother

Schwester (shves-ter) — sister

Eltern (el-tern) — parents

Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the correct possessive pronoun and ending:

Das ist ______ (mein) Auto.

Wo ist ______ (dein) Mutter?

Er liebt ______ (ihr) Katze.

Wir besuchen ______ (unser) Großeltern.

Translate the following sentences into German, using possessive pronouns:

This is my book.

Where is your father? (informal, singular)

She loves his dog.

We visit our grandparents.

Is that your house? (formal)

Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the nouns with appropriate pronouns (both personal and possessive):

Der Mann liebt seine Frau. (The man loves his wife.)

Die Frau hilft ihrem Kind. (The woman helps her child.)

That completes Chapter 8! You’ve learned how to use possessive pronouns to show ownership and how they change based on gender, number, and case.

Chapter 9: Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary (helping) verbs that add meaning to the main verb in a sentence. They express possibility, necessity, permission, ability, and desire. They are essential for expressing nuances and complexities in German.

The Six Modal Verbs

There are six main modal verbs in German:

können (kö-nen) — can, to be able to

müssen (müs-sen) — must, to have to

wollen (vo-len) — to want to

dürfen (dür-fen) — may, to be allowed to

sollen (zo-len) — should, to be supposed to

mögen (mö-gen) — to like (usually used in the subjunctive form, «möchte» — would like)

Conjugation of Modal Verbs

Modal verbs have irregular conjugations, so it’s important to memorize them. Here are the present tense conjugations:

können (can/be able to):

ich kann (ihh kahn)

du kannst (doo kahnst)

er/sie/es kann (air/zee/es kahn)

wir können (veer kö-nen)

ihr könnt (eer könt)

sie/Sie können (zee/zee kö-nen)

müssen (must/have to):

ich muss (ihh moos)

du musst (doo moost)

er/sie/es muss (air/zee/es moos)

wir müssen (veer müs-sen)

ihr müsst (eer müst)

sie/Sie müssen (zee/zee müs-sen)

wollen (want to):

ich will (ihh vil)

du willst (doo vilst)

er/sie/es will (air/zee/es vil)

wir wollen (veer vo-len)

ihr wollt (eer volt)

sie/Sie wollen (zee/zee vo-len)

dürfen (may/be allowed to):

ich darf (ihh darf)

du darfst (doo darfst)

er/sie/es darf (air/zee/es darf)

wir dürfen (veer dür-fen)

ihr dürft (eer dürft)

sie/Sie dürfen (zee/zee dür-fen)

sollen (should/be supposed to):

ich soll (ihh zol)

du sollst (doo zolst)

er/sie/es soll (air/zee/es zol)

wir sollen (veer zo-len)

ihr sollt (eer zolt)

sie/Sie sollen (zee/zee zo-len)

mögen (to like): Note: «mögen» is rarely used in its present tense. The subjunctive form «möchte» is used to express «would like.» We will show the conjugation for context.

ich mag (ihh mahg)

du magst (doo mahgst)

er/sie/es mag (air/zee/es mahg)

wir mögen (veer mö-gen)

ihr mögt (eer mögt)

sie/Sie mögen (zee/zee mö-gen)

möchte (would like):

ich möchte (ihh möh-te)

du möchtest (doo möh-test)

er/sie/es möchte (air/zee/es möh-te)

wir möchten (veer möh-ten)

ihr möchtet (eer möh-tet)

sie/Sie möchten (zee/zee möh-ten)

Sentence Structure with Modal Verbs

The structure of sentences with modal verbs is different from simple sentences. The modal verb is conjugated and placed in the second position in the sentence (after the subject). The main verb is placed at the end of the sentence in its infinitive form (the “-en» form).

Subject + Modal Verb + (Other words) + Infinitive Verb

Examples

Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. (ihh kahn doitch shpreh-hen) — I can speak German.

Du musst deine Hausaufgaben machen. (doo moost dai-ne haus-auf-ga-ben mah-hen) — You must do your homework.

Er will ein Buch lesen. (air vil ain booh lay-zen) — He wants to read a book.

Wir dürfen hier nicht parken. (veer dür-fen heer niht par-ken) — We are not allowed to park here.

Sie sollen pünktlich sein. (zee zo-len pünkt-lihh zain) — They should be on time.

Ich möchte einen Kaffee trinken. (ihh möh-te ai-nen kah-fay trin-ken) — I would like to drink a coffee.

Meaning and Usage of Each Modal Verb

können (can/be able to): Expresses ability, possibility, or capability.

Ich kann schwimmen. (ihh kahn shvi-men) — I can swim.

Es kann regnen. (es kahn rayg-nen) — It can rain.

müssen (must/have to): Expresses necessity, obligation, or requirement.

Ich muss arbeiten. (ihh moos ar-bai-ten) — I must work.

Du musst pünktlich sein. (doo moost pünkt-lihh zain) — You must be on time.

wollen (want to): Expresses intention, desire, or a firm wish.

Ich will nach Deutschland reisen. (ihh vil nahh doitch-lant rai-zen) — I want to travel to Germany.

Sie will ein neues Auto kaufen. (zee vil ain noi-es au-to kau-fen) — She wants to buy a new car.

dürfen (may/be allowed to): Expresses permission, allowance, or possibility.

Dürfen wir hier sitzen? (dür-fen veer heer zi-tsen) — May we sit here?

Du darfst das nicht tun. (doo darfst das niht tun) — You are not allowed to do that.

sollen (should/be supposed to): Expresses obligation, advice, or a command from someone else. It often indicates what someone is supposed to do, perhaps by order or expectation.

Du sollst mehr lernen. (doo zolst mehr ler-nen) — You should learn more.

Wir sollen pünktlich sein. (veer zo-len pünkt-lihh zain) — We are supposed to be on time. (Perhaps our boss told us this)

möchten (would like): Expresses a polite wish or desire. It’s the subjunctive form of «mögen,» and it’s much more common to use «möchte» than «mögen» when expressing what you want.

Ich möchte einen Kaffee trinken. (ihh möh-te ai-nen kah-fay trin-ken) — I would like to drink a coffee.

Wir möchten ins Kino gehen. (veer möh-ten ins kee-no gay-en) — We would like to go to the cinema.

Important Notes

The modal verb is always conjugated.

The main verb always goes to the end in the infinitive form.

«möchten» is a special form derived from «mögen» and is used for polite requests.

Word Bank

Modalverb (mo-dahl-verp) — Modal verb

können (kö-nen) — can/be able to

müssen (müs-sen) — must/have to

wollen (vo-len) — want to

dürfen (dür-fen) — may/be allowed to

sollen (zo-len) — should/be supposed to

möchten (möh-ten) — would like

sprechen (shpreh-hen) — to speak

machen (mah-hen) — to do

lesen (lay-zen) — to read

parken (par-ken) — to park

sein (zain) — to be

trinken (trin-ken) — to drink

Exercises

Conjugate all six modal verbs in the present tense.

Fill in the blanks with the correct modal verb:

Ich ______ Deutsch lernen. (wollen)

Du ______ pünktlich sein. (sollen)

Wir ______ ins Kino gehen. (möchten)

Er ______ schwimmen. (können)

Sie ______ das nicht tun. (dürfen)

Ihr ______ jetzt gehen. (müssen)

Translate the following sentences into German, using modal verbs:

I want to travel to Germany.

You must do your homework.

We would like to drink coffee.

He can speak English.

They are not allowed to park here.

She should learn more.

That completes Chapter 9! You now understand how to use modal verbs to express a range of meanings.

Chapter 10: Past Tense — Perfekt

The Perfekt is one of the most common ways to express the past tense in German, especially in spoken language. It’s formed using a helping verb («haben» or «sein») and the past participle of the main verb. In this chapter, we’ll learn how to form the Perfekt and when to use it.

Formation of the Perfekt

The Perfekt tense is formed using the following structure:

Subject + haben/sein (conjugated in present tense) + (Other words) + Past Participle (at the end)

Choosing the Correct Helping Verb: «haben» or «sein»?

The most challenging part of forming the Perfekt is deciding whether to use «haben» or «sein» as the helping verb. Here are some general guidelines:

Most verbs use «haben». This includes transitive verbs (verbs that take a direct object) and most intransitive verbs (verbs that don’t take a direct object).

Verbs of motion (movement from one place to another) use «sein». Examples include: gehen (to go), fahren (to drive), kommen (to come), reisen (to travel), laufen (to run).

Verbs that describe a change of state use «sein». Examples include: einschlafen (to fall asleep), aufwachen (to wake up), sterben (to die), werden (to become).

The verbs «sein» (to be), «bleiben» (to stay), and «passieren» (to happen) always use «sein».

Forming the Past Participle

The past participle is usually formed by adding «ge-” to the beginning of the verb stem and “-t» to the end for regular verbs. Irregular verbs have irregular past participles.

Regular Verbs:

kaufen (to buy) -> gekauft (ge-kauft)

spielen (to play) -> gespielt (ge-spielt)

lernen (to learn) -> gelernt (ge-lernt)

machen (to do) -> gemacht (ge-macht)

Irregular Verbs: Irregular verbs have irregular past participles that you’ll need to memorize. Here are a few examples:

essen (to eat) -> gegessen (ge-ges-sen)

trinken (to drink) -> getrunken (ge-trun-ken)

sprechen (to speak) -> gesprochen (ge-shpro-hen)

sehen (to see) -> gesehen (ge-zay-en)

sein (to be) -> gewesen (ge-vay-zen)

haben (to have) -> gehabt (ge-hapht)

Verbs with Inseparable Prefixes: Verbs with inseparable prefixes (be-, ge-, emp-, ent-, er-, ver-, zer-) do not add «ge-” to the past participle. Examples:

besuchen (to visit) -> besucht (be-zooht)

verkaufen (to sell) -> verkauft (fer-kauft)

Verbs Ending in -ieren: Verbs ending in -ieren also do not add «ge-” to the past participle. Examples:

studieren (to study) -> studiert (shtoo-deert)

fotografieren (to photograph) -> fotografiert (fo-to-gra-feert)

Examples of Perfekt Sentences

With «haben»:

Ich habe das Buch gekauft. (ihh hah-be das booh ge-kauft) — I bought the book.

Du hast Deutsch gelernt. (doo hast doitch ge-lernt) — You learned German.

Er hat Fußball gespielt. (air hat foos-bahl ge-shpeelt) — He played soccer.

Wir haben gegessen. (veer hah-ben ge-ges-sen) — We ate.

Sie haben das Haus besucht. (zee hah-ben das haus be-zooht) — They visited the house.

With «sein»:

Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren. (ihh bin nahh ber-leen ge-fah-ren) — I traveled to Berlin.

Du bist zu spät gekommen. (doo bist tsoo shpate ge-ko-men) — You came too late.

Er ist eingeschlafen. (air ist ain-ge-shla-fen) — He fell asleep.

Wir sind zu Hause geblieben. (veer zint tsoo hau-ze ge-blee-ben) — We stayed at home.

Was ist passiert? (vas ist pa-seert) — What happened?

Word Order in Perfekt Sentences

As mentioned before, the helping verb («haben» or «sein») is conjugated and placed in the second position in the sentence. The past participle is always placed at the very end of the sentence.

When to Use the Perfekt

The Perfekt is most commonly used in spoken German to talk about completed actions in the past. It’s generally preferred over the Präteritum (simple past) in everyday conversation, especially in Southern Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Word Bank

Perfekt (per-fekt) — Perfect Tense

haben (hah-ben) — to have

sein (zain) — to be

Partizip Perfekt (par-tee-tseep per-fekt) — Past Participle

kaufen (kau-fen) — to buy

spielen (shpee-len) — to play

lernen (ler-nen) — to learn

essen (es-sen) — to eat

trinken (trin-ken) — to drink

fahren (fah-ren) — to drive

kommen (ko-men) — to come

bleiben (blai-ben) — to stay

passieren (pa-seer-en) — to happen

besuchen (be-zoo-hen) — to visit

Exercises

Form the past participle of the following verbs: machen, reisen, essen, besuchen, bleiben.

Choose the correct helping verb («haben» or «sein») for the following verbs: spielen, fahren, lernen, sein, passieren.

Translate the following sentences into German using the Perfekt tense:

I bought a car.

You traveled to Italy.

He ate an apple.

We visited our grandparents.

They stayed at home.

What happened?

Rewrite the sentences in exercise 3 in the present tense.

Create five original sentences in the Perfekt tense, using a variety of verbs and helping verbs.

That completes Chapter 10! You now know how to form and use the Perfekt tense, a key tool for expressing yourself in the past in German. Next, we’ll discuss the Simple Past, or Präteritum, tense.

Chapter 11: Past Tense — Simple Past (Präteritum)

While the Perfekt is the most common way to express the past tense in spoken German, the Präteritum (also known as the Imperfekt or Simple Past) is frequently used in written German, especially in formal contexts, literature, and news articles. It’s also used for certain common verbs in spoken German.

Formation of the Präteritum

The Präteritum is formed by changing the stem of the verb and adding specific endings. Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern, while irregular verbs have irregular stem changes.

Regular Verb Conjugation in the Präteritum

To conjugate a regular verb in the Präteritum, follow these steps:

Find the verb stem: Take the infinitive form of the verb (the form ending in “-en») and remove the “-en» ending.

Add “-te-” to the stem.

Add the appropriate endings to the stem based on the subject pronoun.

Here’s an example using the verb «machen» (to make/do):

Infinitive: machen (mah-hen)

Stem: mach-

Präteritum Stem: mach-te-

Now, let’s add the endings:

ich machte (ihh mahh-te) — I made/did

du machtest (doo mahh-test) — you made/did (informal, singular)

er/sie/es machte (air/zee/es mahh-te) — he/she/it made/did

wir machten (veer mahh-ten) — we made/did

ihr machtet (eer mahh-tet) — you made/did (informal, plural)

sie/Sie machten (zee/zee mahh-ten) — they made/did / you made/did (formal)

Notice that the first-person singular (ich) and the third-person singular (er/sie/es) forms have the same ending in the Präteritum (-te).

Common Regular Verbs in the Präteritum

spielen (to play) -> ich spielte, du spieltest, er spielte, wir spielten, ihr spieltet, sie spielten

lernen (to learn) -> ich lernte, du lerntest, er lernte, wir lernten, ihr lerntet, sie lernten

arbeiten (to work) -> ich arbeitete, du arbeitetest, er arbeitete, wir arbeiteten, ihr arbeitetet, sie arbeiteten

kaufen (to buy) -> ich kaufte, du kauftest, er kaufte, wir kauften, ihr kauftet, sie kauften

Irregular Verb Conjugation in the Präteritum

Irregular verbs have irregular stem changes in the Präteritum and often different endings compared to regular verbs. These verbs need to be memorized.

Important Irregular Verbs in the Präteritum: «sein» and «haben»

The verbs «sein» (to be) and «haben» (to have) are frequently used in the Präteritum, so it’s essential to know their forms:

sein (to be):

ich war (ihh var) — I was

du warst (doo varst) — you were (informal, singular)

er/sie/es war (air/zee/es var) — he/she/it was

wir waren (veer vah-ren) — we were

ihr wart (eer vart) — you were (informal, plural)

sie/Sie waren (zee/zee vah-ren) — they were / you were (formal)

haben (to have):

ich hatte (ihh hah-te) — I had

du hattest (doo hah-test) — you had (informal, singular)

er/sie/es hatte (air/zee/es hah-te) — he/she/it had

wir hatten (veer hah-ten) — we had

ihr hattet (eer hah-tet) — you had (informal, plural)

sie/Sie hatten (zee/zee hah-ten) — they had / you had (formal)

Other Common Irregular Verbs in the Präteritum

Here are a few more common irregular verbs and their Präteritum forms:

gehen (to go) -> ich ging, du gingst, er ging, wir gingen, ihr gingt, sie gingen

kommen (to come) -> ich kam, du kamst, er kam, wir kamen, ihr kamt, sie kamen

finden (to find) -> ich fand, du fandest, er fand, wir fanden, ihr fandet, sie fanden

essen (to eat) -> ich aß, du aßest, er aß, wir aßen, ihr aßt, sie aßen

trinken (to drink) -> ich trank, du trankst, er trank, wir tranken, ihr trankt, sie tranken

Modal Verbs in the Präteritum

Modal verbs also have specific Präteritum forms, which are commonly used:

können -> ich konnte, du konntest, er konnte, wir konnten, ihr konntet, sie konnten

müssen -> ich musste, du musstest, er musste, wir mussten, ihr musstet, sie mussten

wollen -> ich wollte, du wolltest, er wollte, wir wollten, ihr wolltet, sie wollten

dürfen -> ich durfte, du durftest, er durfte, wir durften, ihr durftet, sie durften

sollen -> ich sollte, du solltest, er sollte, wir sollten, ihr solltet, sie sollten

mögen -> ich mochte, du mochtest, er mochte, wir mochten, ihr mochtet, sie mochten

Examples of Präteritum Sentences

Ich war in Berlin. (ihh var in ber-leen) — I was in Berlin.

Er hatte ein Auto. (air hah-te ain au-to) — He had a car.

Sie ging ins Kino. (zee ging ins kee-no) — She went to the cinema.

Wir lernten Deutsch. (veer lernten doitch) — We learned German.

Ich wollte einen Kaffee trinken. (ihh vol-te ai-nen kah-fay trin-ken) — I wanted to drink a coffee.

When to Use the Präteritum

Formal Writing: The Präteritum is commonly used in formal written German, such as news articles, reports, essays, and stories.

Certain Verbs in Spoken German: The Präteritum is frequently used in spoken German for the verbs sein, haben, and modal verbs, even though the Perfekt is generally preferred for other verbs.

Regional Preferences: In Northern Germany, the Präteritum is sometimes more common in spoken language than in Southern Germany or Austria.

Word Bank

Präteritum (pray-tay-ree-toom) — Simple Past (also called Imperfekt)

sein (zain) — to be

haben (hah-ben) — to have

gehen (gay-en) — to go

kommen (ko-men) — to come

finden (fin-den) — to find

essen (es-sen) — to eat

trinken (trin-ken) — to drink

Exercises

Conjugate the following regular verbs in the Präteritum: spielen, kaufen, arbeiten.

Conjugate the verbs sein and haben in the Präteritum.

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in the Präteritum:

Ich ______ (sein) in Berlin.

Er ______ (haben) ein neues Auto.

Sie ______ (gehen) ins Kino.

Wir ______ (lernen) Deutsch.

Du ______ (wollen) einen Kaffee trinken.

Translate the following sentences into German using the Präteritum:

I was at home.

He had a cat.

She went to the store.

We learned German last year.

You wanted to travel to Italy.

Rewrite the sentences from Exercise 4 using the Perfekt tense.

That completes Chapter 11! You now know how to form and use the Präteritum. You understand that some verbs tend to be in the Präteritum more than others and when it is appropriate to use them.

Chapter 12: Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives and adverbs are descriptive words that add detail and color to your language. Adjectives describe nouns, while adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. In this chapter, we’ll learn how to use adjectives and adverbs effectively in German.

Adjectives (Adjektive)

Adjectives describe nouns, providing information about their qualities, characteristics, or attributes. In German, adjectives usually come before the noun they modify.

Adjective Agreement

One of the key features of German adjectives is that they must agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. This means the adjective endings change depending on the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular, plural), and case (nominative, accusative, dative, genitive) of the noun.

Adjective Endings: A Simplified Overview

Adjective endings depend on whether a definite article (der, die, das) or an indefinite article (ein, eine) precedes the noun. If there is no article, a strong declension is used.

With Definite Articles (Der-Words): If a definite article (der, die, das, or their case-modified forms like den, dem, des) precedes the noun, the adjective takes «weak» endings. Generally, these endings are “-e» or “-en.»

With Indefinite Articles (Ein-Words): If an indefinite article (ein, eine, or their case-modified forms like einen, einem) precedes the noun, the adjective takes «mixed» endings, which are a combination of strong and weak endings.

Without Articles (Strong Declension): If there is no article before the noun, the adjective takes «strong» endings. In this case, the adjective endings indicate the gender, number and case of the noun.

Because it is complex, we will focus on adjective endings after definite articles in the Nominative, Accusative, and Dative cases in this chapter.

Adjective Endings After Definite Articles (Nominative)

Masculine: -e (Der kleine Mann — The small man)

Feminine: -e (Die kleine Frau — The small woman)

Neuter: -e (Das kleine Kind — The small child)

Plural: -en (Die kleinen Kinder — The small children)

Adjective Endings After Definite Articles (Accusative)

Masculine: -en (Ich sehe den kleinen Mann — I see the small man)

Feminine: -e (Ich sehe die kleine Frau — I see the small woman)

Neuter: -e (Ich sehe das kleine Kind — I see the small child)

Plural: -en (Ich sehe die kleinen Kinder — I see the small children)

Adjective Endings After Definite Articles (Dative)

Masculine: -en (Ich helfe dem kleinen Mann — I help the small man)

Feminine: -en (Ich helfe der kleinen Frau — I help the small woman)

Neuter: -en (Ich helfe dem kleinen Kind — I help the small child)

Plural: -en (Ich helfe den kleinen Kindern — I help the small children)

Common Adjectives

Here are some common German adjectives:

gut (goot) — good

schön (shön) — beautiful

groß (grohs) — big

klein (klain) — small

alt (ahlt) — old

neu (noi) — new

jung (yoong) — young

freundlich (froint-lihh) — friendly

interessant (in-te-res-sant) — interesting

wichtig (vihh-tihh) — important

billig (billig) — cheap

teuer (toi-er) — expensive

Examples Using Adjectives

Der kleine Hund ist süß. (dare klai-ne hoont ist züss) — The small dog is cute. (Nominative)

Ich sehe den kleinen Hund. (ihh zay-e den klai-nen hoont) — I see the small dog. (Accusative)

Ich gebe dem kleinen Kind einen Apfel. (ihh gay-be dem klai-nen kint ai-nen ahp-fel) — I give the small child an apple. (Dative)

Das ist ein schönes Bild. (das ist ain shö-nes bilt) — That is a beautiful picture. (Note: Here we used an indefinite article. This creates slightly different endings that will be covered in future lessons.)

Comparative and Superlative Forms of Adjectives

Adjectives can be used to compare things. The comparative form compares two things, while the superlative form compares three or more things or indicates the highest degree of a quality.

Comparative: To form the comparative, add “-er» to the adjective stem. Sometimes, if a vowel is present it will become an umlaut.

schnell (fast) -> schneller (faster)

alt (old) -> älter (older)

groß (big) -> größer (bigger)

«als» (as/than) is used to compare the two items: Mein Auto ist schneller als dein Auto. (My car is faster than your car)

Superlative: To form the superlative, add “-ste» to the adjective stem, and use the form am… -sten if used before a noun. Often, there will be an umlaut if a vowel is present.

schnell (fast) -> am schnellsten (the fastest)

alt (old) -> am ältesten (the oldest)

groß (big) -> am größten (the biggest)

Mein Auto ist am schnellsten. (My car is the fastest.)

Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms

Some adjectives have irregular comparative and superlative forms. Here are some of the most common:

gut (good) -> besser (better) -> am besten (the best)

viel (much/many) -> mehr (more) -> am meisten (the most)

gern (gladly) -> lieber (more gladly) -> am liebsten (most gladly)

Adverbs (Adverbien)

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide information about how, when, where, or to what extent something is done. Many adverbs are formed by taking the adjective and dropping the adjective ending.

Common Adverbs

Here are some common German adverbs:

sehr (zair) — very

schnell (shnel) — quickly, fast

langsam (lang-zahm) — slowly

oft (oft) — often

selten (zel-ten) — rarely

immer (im-mer) — always

nie (nee) — never

gern (gern) — gladly

hier (heer) — here

dort (dort) — there

Examples Using Adverbs

Er fährt sehr schnell. (air fairt zair shnel) — He drives very fast.

Sie spricht langsam. (zee shpriht lang-zahm) — She speaks slowly.

Ich gehe oft ins Kino. (ihh gay-e oft ins kee-no) — I often go to the cinema.

Wir lernen gern Deutsch. (veer ler-nen gern doitch) — We learn German gladly.

Das Haus ist dort. (das haus ist dort) — The house is there.

Word Order with Adverbs

Adverbs can often be placed in different positions in a sentence, depending on the emphasis you want to convey. However, adverbs of time often come before adverbs of place.

Word Bank

Adjektiv (at-yek-teef) — Adjective

Adverb (at-verp) — Adverb

gut (goot) — good

schön (shön) — beautiful

groß (grohs) — big

klein (klain) — small

schnell (shnel) — fast/quickly

langsam (lang-zahm) — slowly

sehr (zair) — very

Comparative (kom-pa-ra-teef) — Comparative

Superlative (zoo-per-la-teef) — Superlative

Exercises

Provide the comparative and superlative forms of the following adjectives: jung, interessant, teuer.

Fill in the blanks with the correct adjective ending (after the definite article) in the nominative case:

Der ______ (alt) Mann liest.

Die ______ (schön) Frau singt.

Das ______ (klein) Kind spielt.

Translate the following sentences into German, using adjectives and adverbs:

The big house is very expensive.

She speaks German well. (gut)

The old man walks slowly.

He is the fastest runner.

Rewrite the sentences in exercise 3 using the comparative form of the adjectives or adverbs, making a new comparative sentence.

Ex: «My house is bigger than yours»

Create five original sentences in German, using a variety of adjectives and adverbs, paying attention to adjective endings.

That completes Chapter 12! You now have a solid understanding of adjectives, their agreement with nouns, how to use them in comparative and superlative forms, and how to use adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

Chapter 13: Separable and Inseparable Verbs

Many German verbs consist of a prefix attached to a base verb. These verbs can be categorized as either separable or inseparable, and this distinction affects how they are used in sentences, especially in the present and past tenses. Understanding separable and inseparable verbs is essential for correct sentence structure.

Separable Verbs (Trennbare Verben)

Separable verbs have a prefix that separates from the base verb in main clauses in the present and past tenses. The prefix moves to the end of the clause.

Common Separable Prefixes:

Here are some of the most common separable prefixes:

ab- (off, away)

an- (on, at)

auf- (up, open)

aus- (out, from)

bei- (at, near)

ein- (in, into)

mit- (with, along)

nach- (after, to)

vor- (before, in front of)

zu- (to, closed)

zurück- (back)

Examples of Separable Verbs:

abfahren (to depart): ab- + fahren

ankommen (to arrive): an- + kommen

aufmachen (to open): auf- + machen

ausgehen (to go out): aus- + gehen

einkaufen (to shop): ein- + kaufen

mitkommen (to come along): mit- + kommen

vorbereiten (to prepare): vor- + bereiten

zumachen (to close): zu- + machen

zurückkommen (to come back): zurück- + kommen

Sentence Structure with Separable Verbs

In the present and simple past (Präteritum) tenses, the prefix separates from the verb and moves to the end of the main clause. The base verb is conjugated according to the subject.

Ich kaufe heute ein. (ihh kau-fe hoi-te ain) — I am shopping today. (einkaufen — to shop)

Er kommt morgen an. (air komt mor-gen ahn) — He is arriving tomorrow. (ankommen — to arrive)

Wir machen das Fenster auf. (veer mah-hen das fen-ster auf) — We are opening the window. (aufmachen — to open)

Sie rief mich gestern an. (zee reef mihh ges-tern ahn) — She called me yesterday. (anrufen — to call (on the phone))

Separable Verbs in the Perfekt Tense

In the Perfekt tense, the «ge-” prefix of the past participle is inserted between the separable prefix and the verb stem.

Ich habe eingekauft. (ihh hah-be ain-ge-kauft) — I have shopped. (einkaufen)

Er ist angekommen. (air ist ahn-ge-ko-men) — He has arrived. (ankommen)

Wir haben aufgemacht. (veer hah-ben auf-ge-mahht) — We have opened. (aufmachen)

Inseparable Verbs (Untrennbare Verben)

Inseparable verbs have prefixes that do not separate from the base verb. The verb acts as a single unit in all tenses.

Common Inseparable Prefixes

Here are some of the most common inseparable prefixes:

be-

ge-

emp-

ent-

er-

ver-

zer-

miss-

Examples of Inseparable Verbs

besuchen (to visit): be- + suchen

gefallen (to please): ge- + fallen

empfehlen (to recommend): emp- + fehlen

enthalten (to contain): ent- + halten

erklären (to explain): er- + klären

verkaufen (to sell): ver- + kaufen

zerstören (to destroy): zer- + stören

missverstehen (to misunderstand): miss- + verstehen

Sentence Structure with Inseparable Verbs

In the present, past, and Perfekt tenses, the inseparable verb stays together as a single unit.

Ich besuche meine Freunde. (ihh be-zoo-he mai-ne froin-de) — I visit my friends.

Er erklärte die Situation. (air air-klayr-te dee zee-too-a-tsee-ohn) — He explained the situation.

Wir haben das Haus verkauft. (veer hah-ben das haus fer-kauft) — We have sold the house.

Sie missversteht mich oft. (zee mis-fer-shtate mihh oft) — She often misunderstands me.

Inseparable Verbs in the Perfekt Tense

Because the «ge-” prefix is not added to the past participle of inseparable verbs, you simply use the base verb with its inseparable prefix.

Ich habe meine Freunde besucht. (ihh hah-be mai-ne froin-de be-zooht) — I have visited my friends.

Er hat die Situation erklärt. (air hat dee zee-too-a-tsee-ohn air-klayrt) — He has explained the situation.

Distinguishing Separable and Inseparable Verbs

Unfortunately, there is no simple rule to determine whether a verb is separable or inseparable. You generally have to memorize them. However, there are a few helpful hints:

Prefixes that can also function as prepositions (like an, auf, aus, ein, mit, nach, vor, zu) are often (but not always) separable.

Prefixes that are never prepositions (like be, ge, emp, ent, er, ver, zer, miss) are always inseparable.

The stress pattern can provide a clue: Separable verbs are usually stressed on the prefix, while inseparable verbs are stressed on the verb stem. For example:

AN-kommen (to arrive) — Separable

be-SU-chen (to visit) — Inseparable

Word Bank

trennbar (tren-bar) — separable

untrennbar (oon-tren-bar) — inseparable

abfahren (ahp-fah-ren) — to depart

ankommen (ahn-ko-men) — to arrive

aufmachen (auf-mah-hen) — to open

ausgehen (aus-gay-en) — to go out

einkaufen (ain-kau-fen) — to shop

besuchen (be-zoo-hen) — to visit

erklären (air-klay-ren) — to explain

verkaufen (fer-kau-fen) — to sell

Exercises

Identify whether the following verbs are separable or inseparable: abholen, gefallen, erklären, mitnehmen, besuchen, anfangen, verkaufen, entnehmen.

Conjugate the following separable verbs in the present tense: ankommen, aufmachen, einkaufen.

Conjugate the following inseparable verbs in the present tense: besuchen, erklären, verkaufen.

Translate the following sentences into German, paying attention to separable and inseparable verbs:

I am opening the window.

He explains the situation.

We have visited our friends.

She is shopping today.

They are selling the house.

He is arriving tomorrow.

Rewrite the sentences from Exercise 4 in the Perfekt tense.

That completes Chapter 13! You now have a solid understanding of separable and inseparable verbs, how they function in sentences, and how to identify them. Keep in mind that practice and memorization are key when it comes to mastering these verbs!

Chapter 14: Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are subordinate clauses that provide additional information about a noun in the main clause. They function like adjectives, adding detail and specificity. In this chapter, we’ll learn how to form and use relative clauses in German.

What is a Relative Clause?

A relative clause is a clause that modifies a noun in the main clause. It starts with a relative pronoun (der, die, das, welcher, welche, welches) or a relative adverb (wo, wann, warum).

Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns connect the relative clause to the main clause and act as the subject, direct object, or indirect object within the relative clause. The relative pronoun must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies (its antecedent) in the main clause. The case of the relative pronoun depends on its function within the relative clause itself.

The most common relative pronouns are derived from the definite articles der, die, das. The case of the relative pronoun depends on what role it plays within the relative clause. Here’s how the form changes:

For masculine nouns:

In the nominative case (when the relative pronoun is the subject of the relative clause), use der.

In the accusative case (when the relative pronoun is the direct object of the relative clause), use den.

In the dative case (when the relative pronoun is the indirect object of the relative clause), use dem.

In the genitive case (when the relative pronoun shows possession), use dessen.

For feminine nouns:

In the nominative case, use die.

In the accusative case, use die.

In the dative case, use der.

In the genitive case, use deren.

For neuter nouns:

In the nominative case, use das.

In the accusative case, use das.

In the dative case, use dem.

In the genitive case, use dessen.

For plural nouns:

In the nominative case, use die.

In the accusative case, use die.

In the dative case, use denen.

In the genitive case, use deren.

Word Order in Relative Clauses

The word order in relative clauses is different from that in main clauses. The conjugated verb always comes at the end of the clause. If there is a helping verb (like in the Perfekt tense) or a modal verb, both verbs are at the end, with the conjugated helping verb or modal verb coming last.

Examples of Relative Clauses

Let’s break down some examples:

Nominative Relative Pronoun (Subject in Relative Clause):

Der Mann, der dort steht, ist mein Vater. (dare mahn, dare dort shtate, ist main fah-ter) — The man who is standing there is my father.

(The noun being described is «der Mann», so we use «der» as the relative pronoun in nominative case because the man is the subject within the relative clause.)

Die Frau, die singt, ist meine Schwester. (dee frau, dee zingt, ist mai-ne shves-ter) — The woman who is singing is my sister.

(The noun being described is «die Frau», so we use «die» as the relative pronoun in nominative case because the woman is the subject within the relative clause.)

Accusative Relative Pronoun (Direct Object in Relative Clause):

Das Buch, das ich lese, ist sehr interessant. (das booh, das ihh lay-ze, ist zair in-te-res-sant) — The book that I am reading is very interesting.

(The noun being described is «das Buch», so we use «das» as the relative pronoun in accusative case because the book is the direct object within the relative clause that «ich» am acting upon.)

Der Mann, den ich gesehen habe, ist mein Nachbar. (dare man, den ihh ge-zay-en hah-be, ist main nahh-bar) — The man whom I saw is my neighbor.

(The noun being described is «der Mann», so we would use «der» but the man is the direct object of my seeing, so we change it to the accusative den.)

Dative Relative Pronoun (Indirect Object in Relative Clause):

Der Mann, dem ich helfe, ist krank. (dare mahn, dame ihh hel-fe, ist krank) — The man whom I am helping is sick.

(Helping is always in the dative case. Here, the man is the receiver of my help, thus he is in dative case and so the pronoun becomes dem.)

Die Frau, der ich das Buch gegeben habe, ist meine Lehrerin. (dee frau, dare ihh das buuh ge-gay-ben hah-be, ist mai-ne lay-re-rin) — The woman, to whom I gave the book, is my teacher.

(The noun being described is «die Frau». Giving is always in the dative, thus the pronoun becomes «der». )

Genitive Relative Pronoun (Possession in Relative Clause):

Der Mann, dessen Auto hier steht, ist mein Chef. (dare mahn, de-sen au-to heer shtate, ist main shef) — The man, whose car is standing here, is my boss.

(dessen is used to show that the car belongs to the man)

Die Frau, deren Kind krank ist, ist sehr besorgt. (dee frau, day-ren kint krank ist, ist zair be-zorgt) — The woman, whose child is sick, is very worried.

(deren is used to show that the child belongs to the woman)

Using «welcher, welche, welches» as Relative Pronouns

«welcher,» «welche,» and «welches» are alternative relative pronouns that are often used, especially in more formal writing. They function similarly to «der,» «die,» and «das,» but they are often considered more elegant. They are declined similarly to «der, die, das» in the accusative, dative, and genitive cases.

Der Mann, welcher dort steht, ist mein Vater.

Das Buch, welches ich lese, ist sehr interessant.

Die Frau, welcher ich helfe, ist meine Nachbarin.

Relative Adverbs

Relative adverbs introduce relative clauses that provide information about time, place, or reason.

wo (where): Indicates location.

Das Haus, wo ich wohne, ist sehr alt. (das haus, vo ihh vo-ne, ist zair ahlt) — The house where I live is very old.

wann (when): Indicates time.

Der Tag, wann ich Geburtstag habe, ist im Juni. (dare tahk, van ihh ge-boots-tahk hah-be, ist im yoo-nee) — The day when I have my birthday is in June.

warum (why): Indicates reason. (Often avoided. Use «weshalb» or rephrase the sentence)

Using Prepositions in Relative Clauses

When a relative clause requires a preposition, the preposition comes before the relative pronoun. The case of the relative pronoun is determined by the preposition.

Der Tisch, auf dem das Buch liegt, ist alt. (dare tish, auf dame das booh leekt, ist ahlt) — The table, on which the book is lying, is old.

(auf + dem = auf dem)

Die Person, mit der ich spreche, ist meine Lehrerin. (dee per-zoon, mit dare ihh shpreh-he, ist mai-ne lay-re-rin) — The person, with whom I am speaking, is my teacher.

(mit + der = mit der)

Contractions with «wo»

In spoken and informal written German, «wo» often contracts with prepositions:

wo + in = worin (in which)

wo + an = woran (on which)

wo + auf = worauf (on which)

wo + mit = womit (with which)

wo + von = wovon (of which/about which)

Examples with Contractions

Das ist das Buch, worin ich gelesen habe. — That’s the book in which I was reading.

Ich weiß nicht, wovon du sprichst. — I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Punctuation

Relative clauses are always separated from the main clause by commas.

Word Bank

Relativsatz (re-la-teef-zats) — Relative Clause

Relativpronomen (re-la-teef-pro-no-men) — Relative Pronoun

der, die, das — who, which, that

wo — where

wann — when

Exercises

Combine the following pairs of sentences into one sentence using a relative clause:

Der Mann ist mein Vater. Er steht dort.

Das Buch ist sehr interessant. Ich lese es.

Die Frau ist meine Lehrerin. Ich helfe ihr.

Fill in the blanks with the correct relative pronoun (der, die, das, den, dem, dessen, deren):

Der Film, ______ ich gestern gesehen habe, war toll.

Die Frau, ______ Mann Arzt ist, arbeitet hier.

Das Haus, ______ im Garten steht, ist sehr alt.

Die Kinder, ______ spielen, sind meine Nachbarn.

Translate the following sentences into German, using relative clauses:

The man who is standing there is my father.

The book that I am reading is very interesting.

The woman to whom I gave the book is my teacher.

The house where I live is very old.

I don’t know what you are talking about.

Rewrite 3 sentences using «welcher, welche, welches» instead of «der, die, das»

This concludes Chapter 14! You now have a good understanding of how to form and use relative clauses in German. They add detail and complexity to your writing and speech.

Chapter 15: The Subjunctive Mood (Konjunktiv)

The subjunctive mood (Konjunktiv) is used to express hypothetical situations, indirect speech, wishes, and polite requests. It’s an essential aspect of German grammar for conveying nuance and formality. There are two main forms of the subjunctive: Konjunktiv I and Konjunktiv II. In this chapter, we will focus on Konjunktiv II, as it is the more commonly used of the two.

What is the Subjunctive Mood?

The subjunctive mood allows you to express things that are not factual or certain. It can convey:

Hypothetical situations: «If I were rich…»

Indirect speech: «He said that he was tired…»

Polite requests: «Would you mind…»

Wishes: «If only I knew…»

Konjunktiv II Formation

Konjunktiv II is formed in two main ways:

From the Präteritum Stem of Weak Verbs (Regular Verbs): For weak (regular) verbs, Konjunktiv II is formed by adding “-e» to the Präteritum stem, along with the appropriate personal endings. However, this form is rarely used, as it is the same as the Präteritum form. As such, most speakers prefer to use the «würde» form (see below) for weak verbs.

Example: machen (to do)

Präteritum stem: machte-

Konjunktiv II: ich machte, du machtest, er/sie/es machte, wir machten, ihr machtet, sie/Sie machten (identical to Präteritum)

From the Präteritum Stem of Strong Verbs (Irregular Verbs): For strong (irregular) verbs, Konjunktiv II is formed by adding “-e» to the Präteritum stem, adding an umlaut to the stem vowel if possible, and using the appropriate personal endings.

Example: sein (to be)

Präteritum stem: war-

Konjunktiv II: ich wäre, du wärest, er/sie/es wäre, wir wären, ihr wäret, sie/Sie wären

Konjunktiv II Endings

The personal endings for Konjunktiv II are similar to those used in the Präteritum, but typically, they are preceded by an “-e-»:

ich -e

du -est

er/sie/es -e

wir -en

ihr -et

sie/Sie -en

Konjunktiv II of Common Verbs

Here are the Konjunktiv II forms of some important verbs:

sein (to be): ich wäre, du wärest, er/sie/es wäre, wir wären, ihr wäret, sie/Sie wären

haben (to have): ich hätte, du hättest, er/sie/es hätte, wir hätten, ihr hättet, sie/Sie hätten

werden (to become): ich würde, du würdest, er/sie/es würde, wir würden, ihr würdet, sie/Sie würden

können (can): ich könnte, du könntest, er/sie/es könnte, wir könnten, ihr könntet, sie/Sie könnten

müssen (must): ich müsste, du müsstest, er/sie/es müsste, wir müssten, ihr müsstet, sie/Sie müssten

dürfen (may): ich dürfte, du dürftest, er/sie/es dürfte, wir dürften, ihr dürftet, sie/Sie dürften

sollen (should): ich sollte, du solltest, er/sie/es sollte, wir sollten, ihr solltet, sie/Sie sollten

wollen (want): ich wollte, du wolltest, er/sie/es wollte, wir wollten, ihr wolltet, sie/Sie wollten

The «würde» Construction

Because the Konjunktiv II form of weak verbs is identical to the Präteritum, the «würde + infinitive» construction is often used instead. This involves using the Konjunktiv II form of «werden» (würde) as a helping verb, followed by the infinitive form of the main verb. This construction is also used for strong verbs to avoid confusion or to simplify the sentence.

Ich würde machen — I would do (instead of «ich machte»)

Sie würde kommen — She would come (instead of «sie käme»)

Using Konjunktiv II

Here are the main uses of Konjunktiv II:

Hypothetical Situations (Conditional Sentences): Konjunktiv II is used to express what would happen if something were true. These sentences often use «wenn» (if).

Wenn ich reich wäre, würde ich ein Haus kaufen. (ven ihh raihh vay-re, würde ihh ain haus kau-fen) — If I were rich, I would buy a house.

Wenn ich Zeit hätte, würde ich dich besuchen. (ven ihh tsait het-te, würde ihh dihh be-zoo-hen) — If I had time, I would visit you.

Indirect Speech (Indirekte Rede): Konjunktiv II is used to report what someone else said, without necessarily claiming it is true.

Er sagte, er sei krank. (air zahk-te, air zai krank) — He said that he was sick. (Konjunktiv I is preferred here, but Konjunktiv II is acceptable if the Konjunktiv I form is identical to the indicative form)

Er sagte, er hätte keine Zeit. (air zahk-te, air het-te kai-ne tsait) — He said that he had no time.

Polite Requests and Suggestions: Konjunktiv II can make requests and suggestions sound more polite and less direct.

Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen? (könn-ten zee meer bit-te hel-fen) — Could you please help me?

Hätten Sie vielleicht Zeit für mich? (het-ten zee fi-laiht tsait für mihh) — Would you perhaps have time for me?

Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee. (ihh het-te gern ai-nen kah-fay) — I would like a coffee. (A more formal way to say «Ich möchte einen Kaffee.»)

Expressing Wishes: Konjunktiv II is used to express wishes, often with the word «wenn» (if only).

Wenn ich nur fliegen könnte! (ven ihh noor flee-gen könn-te) — If only I could fly!

Wenn ich das nur gewusst hätte! (ven ihh das noor ge-voost het-te) — If only I had known that!

Konjunktiv II with Modal Verbs

Modal verbs in Konjunktiv II often express a softer, more polite, or hypothetical version of their usual meaning.

Ich könnte dir helfen. (ihh könn-te deer hel-fen) — I could help you. (More polite than «Ich kann dir helfen.»)

Du solltest mehr lernen. (doo zol-test mehr ler-nen) — You should learn more. (Advice)

Word Bank

Konjunktiv (kon-yoonk-teef) — Subjunctive Mood

Konjunktiv II (kon-yoonk-teef tsVai) — Subjunctive II

würde (wür-de) — would

wenn (ven) — if

wäre (vay-re) — were (Konjunktiv II of «sein»)

hätte (het-te) — had (Konjunktiv II of «haben»)

Exercises

Conjugate the following verbs in Konjunktiv II: haben, werden, können, müssen.

Rewrite the following sentences using the «würde» construction:

Ich kam.

Sie ging.

Wir spielten.

Translate the following sentences into German using Konjunktiv II:

If I were you, I would study more.

He said that he had no money.

Could you please close the window?

If only I knew the answer!

I would like a cup of tea.

Rewrite sentences using «sei» and «habe» with Konjunktiv I and Konjunktiv II

That concludes Chapter 15! You now have a solid understanding of Konjunktiv II and its various uses. It’s a complex but important aspect of German grammar that will add depth and nuance to your communication. Next, we’ll explore Chapter 16, which will delve into Prepositions with Two-Way Cases (Wechselpräpositionen).

Chapter 16: Prepositions with Two-Way Cases (Wechselpräpositionen)

German prepositions can be tricky because some prepositions govern different cases depending on the context. Prepositions that take either the accusative or dative case are called «Wechselpräpositionen» (two-way prepositions). Understanding these prepositions is crucial for constructing grammatically correct sentences and accurately conveying your meaning.

The Two Cases: Accusative and Dative

Accusative (Akkusativ): Used to indicate direction or movement to a place. It answers the question «Wo-hin?» (Where to?). Think of it as motion toward something.

Dative (Dativ): Used to indicate location or position at or in a place. It answers the question «Wo?» (Where?). Think of it as something existing or remaining in or on something.

The Two-Way Prepositions

There are nine prepositions that take either the accusative or the dative case:

an (ahn) — on, at (vertical surfaces, bodies of water)

auf (auf) — on, on top of (horizontal surfaces)

hinter (hin-ter) — behind

in (in) — in, into

neben (nay-ben) — next to, beside

über (ü-ber) — over, above

unter (oon-ter) — under, below

vor (for) — in front of, before

zwischen (tsvi-shen) — between

Accusative: Direction, Movement

When these prepositions are used to indicate direction or movement to a place, they take the accusative case. This usually signifies an action of going, putting, placing, etc.

an:

Ich hänge das Bild an die Wand. (ihh hen-ge das bilt an dee vant) — I hang the picture on the wall. (Wo-hin? — to the wall)

auf:

Ich lege das Buch auf den Tisch. (ihh lay-ge das booh auf den tish) — I put the book on the table. (Wo-hin? — onto the table)

hinter:

Er stellt sich hinter das Haus. (air shtelt zihh hin-ter das haus) — He stands behind the house. (Wo-hin? — behind the house)

in:

Ich gehe in die Stadt. (ihh gay-e in dee shtat) — I go into the city. (Wo-hin? — into the city)

neben:

Sie setzt sich neben mich. (zee zetst zihh nay-ben mihh) — She sits down next to me. (Wo-hin? — next to me)

über:

Der Vogel fliegt über den Baum. (dare fo-gel fleegt ü-ber den baum) — The bird flies over the tree. (Wo-hin? — over the tree)

unter:

Ich stelle den Stuhl unter den Tisch. (ihh shtel-le den shtool oon-ter den tish) — I put the chair under the table. (Wo-hin? — under the table)

vor:

Wir stellen uns vor das Kino. (veer shtel-len oons for das kee-no) — We stand in front of the cinema. (Wo-hin? — to in front of the cinema)

zwischen:

Ich lege das Geld zwischen die Bücher. (ihh lay-ge das gelt tsvi-shen dee bü-her) — I put the money between the books. (Wo-hin? — between the books)

Dative: Location, Position

When these prepositions are used to indicate location or position at a place, they take the dative case. This signifies something existing or remaining in a particular spot.

an:

Das Bild hängt an der Wand. (das bilt henkt an dare vant) — The picture is hanging on the wall. (Wo? — on the wall)

auf:

Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. (das booh leekt auf dem tish) — The book is lying on the table. (Wo? — on the table)

hinter:

Er steht hinter dem Haus. (air shtate hin-ter dem haus) — He is standing behind the house. (Wo? — behind the house)

in:

Ich bin in der Stadt. (ihh bin in dare shtat) — I am in the city. (Wo? — in the city)

neben:

Sie sitzt neben mir. (zee zitst nay-ben meer) — She is sitting next to me. (Wo? — next to me)

über:

Der Vogel fliegt über dem Baum. (dare fo-gel fleegt ü-ber dem baum) — The bird is flying over the tree. (Wo? — over the tree)

unter:

Der Stuhl steht unter dem Tisch. (dare shtool shtate oon-ter dem tish) — The chair is standing under the table. (Wo? — under the table)

vor:

Wir stehen vor dem Kino. (veer shtay-en for dem kee-no) — We are standing in front of the cinema. (Wo? — in front of the cinema)

zwischen:

Das Geld liegt zwischen den Büchern. (das gelt leekt tsvi-shen den bü-hern) — The money is lying between the books. (Wo? — between the books)

Important Note:

Remember to change the articles (der, die, das) and possessive pronouns (mein, dein, etc.) according to the case (accusative or dative).

Examples Illustrating the Difference

Accusative (Movement):

Ich gehe in das Haus. (ihh gay-e in das haus) — I go into the house. (Wo-hin? — to the house)

Dative (Location):

Ich bin in dem Haus. (ihh bin in dem haus) — I am in the house. (Wo? — in the house)

Accusative (Movement):

Ich stelle das Buch auf den Tisch. — I put the book on the table. (Wo-hin? — onto the table)

Dative (Location):

Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. — The book is lying on the table. (Wo? — on the table)

Word Bank

Wechselpräpositionen (veks-el-pre-po-zee-tsee-o-nen) — Two-way prepositions

an (ahn) — on, at

auf (auf) — on, on top of

hinter (hin-ter) — behind

in (in) — in, into

neben (nay-ben) — next to, beside

über (ü-ber) — over, above

unter (oon-ter) — under, below

vor (for) — in front of, before

zwischen (tsvi-shen) — between

Wo-hin? (vo-hin) — Where to? (accusative)

Wo? (vo) — Where? (dative)

Exercises

Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition and case (accusative or dative):

Ich lege das Buch ______ (auf) den Tisch. (I put the book ______ the table.)

Der Hund sitzt ______ (unter) dem Stuhl. (The dog sits ______ the chair.)

Sie geht ______ (in) die Schule. (She goes ______ school.)

Das Bild hängt ______ (an) der Wand. (The picture hangs ______ the wall.)

Wir stellen uns ______ (vor) das Haus. (We stand ______ the house.)

Translate the following sentences into German, paying attention to the correct prepositions and cases:

The cat is sitting on the bed.

I put the keys on the table.

He goes into the room.

The car is parked behind the house.

She is standing between her parents.

Create five original sentences in German, using different two-way prepositions and varying between the accusative and dative cases.

Using the sentences from Exercise 2, make one sentence for each that uses the opposite case from the original, making a new sentence. (e.g., if the original was dative, make it accusative.)

This completes Chapter 16! You now understand how to use prepositions that take two-way cases to indicate movement or location accurately. Practice these prepositions regularly to solidify your understanding.

Chapter 17: The Genitive Case

The genitive case is used to show possession or relationship. While less common in modern spoken German (often replaced by the dative case with «von»), it’s still important in formal writing and certain expressions. In this chapter, we’ll explore the formation and uses of the genitive case.

What the Genitive Case Indicates

The genitive case answers the question «Wessen?» (Whose?) and is used primarily to show:

Possession: Whose thing is it?

Relationship: The relationship of something to something else.

With Certain Prepositions: Certain prepositions always require the genitive case.

With Certain Verbs: Some verbs historically required it but this is now very rare.

Forming the Genitive

The genitive case affects articles, nouns, and adjectives.

Masculine and Neuter Nouns:

The article changes to:

des (for definite articles: the)

eines (for indefinite articles: a/an)

Most masculine and neuter nouns add an “-s» or “-es» ending in the genitive case (especially monosyllabic nouns). If the noun already ends in “-s,» “-ß,» “-x,» “-z,» or “-tz,» only add an apostrophe.

Feminine and Plural Nouns:

The article changes to:

der (for definite articles: the)

no indefinite article exists in the plural

Feminine and plural nouns do not change their form in the genitive case.

Examples of Genitive Forms

Case Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural

Nominative der Mann (the man) die Frau (the woman) das Kind (the child) die Kinder (the children)

Genitive des Mannes der Frau des Kindes der Kinder

Using the Genitive

Here’s how the genitive is used in sentences:

Showing Possession: The genitive typically comes before the noun it modifies.

Das Auto des Mannes ist teuer. (das au-to des man-nes ist toi-er) — The car of the man is expensive. (The man’s car is expensive.)

Die Farbe des Himmels ist blau. (dee far-be des him-mels ist blau) — The color of the sky is blue. (The sky’s color is blue.)

Die Kinder der Frau sind nett. (dee kin-der dare frau zint net) — The children of the woman are nice. (The woman’s children are nice.)

With Certain Prepositions: Some prepositions always take the genitive case. However, in modern German, these prepositions are often used with the dative case, especially in spoken language. The most common genitive prepositions are:

während (vay-rent) — during

trotz (trots) — despite

wegen (vay-gen) — because of

statt/anstatt (shtat/ahn-shtat) — instead of

außerhalb (au-ser-halb) — outside of

innerhalb (in-ner-halb) — inside of

Wegen, während, and trotz can sometimes be used with the dative case in spoken language.

Wegen des Regens bleiben wir zu Hause. (vay-gen des ray-gens blai-ben veer tsoo hau-ze) — Because of the rain, we are staying at home.

Während des Konzerts war es sehr laut. (vay-rent des kon-tserts var es zair laut) — During the concert, it was very loud.

Trotz des schlechten Wetters gehen wir spazieren. (trots des shlehh-ten ve-ters gay-en veer shpa-tseer-en) — Despite the bad weather, we are going for a walk.

With Certain Verbs (Rare in Modern German): Some verbs historically required the genitive case, but this is now very rare, and alternative constructions are preferred.

Alternatives to the Genitive

Because the genitive case is becoming less common, there are alternative ways to express possession or relationship:

Using «von + Dative»: This is the most common substitute for the genitive in spoken German.

Das Auto von dem Mann ist teuer. (das au-to fon dame man ist toi-er) — The car of the man is expensive.

Die Farbe von dem Himmel ist blau. (dee far-be fon dame him-mel ist blau) — The color of the sky is blue.

Using Possessive Adjectives:

Das ist sein Auto (that is his car) (instead of «Das ist das Auto des Mannes»).

Das ist ihr Kind (that is her child) (instead of «Das ist das Kind der Frau»).

Word Bank

Genitiv (gay-nee-teef) — Genitive case

Wessen? (ves-sen) — Whose?

des (des) — of the (masculine/neuter genitive article)

der (dare) — of the (feminine/plural genitive article)

während (vay-rent) — during

trotz (trots) — despite

wegen (vay-gen) — because of

Exercises

Change the articles and nouns in the following phrases to the genitive case:

der Mann

die Frau

das Kind

die Kinder

Translate the following sentences into German using the genitive case (where appropriate):

The car of the man is expensive.

The color of the sky is blue.

Despite the rain, we went outside.

Because of the traffic, we were late.

Rewrite the sentences from Exercise 2 using «von + Dative» instead of the genitive.

Create five original sentences using genitive prepositions.

Where appropriate, convert the sentences into alternative constructions with either «von» + the dative or the possessive adjective.

That completes Chapter 17! You now have a solid understanding of the genitive case, its formation, and its uses, as well as common alternatives. While it’s less frequently used in modern spoken German, understanding the genitive is essential for reading formal texts and recognizing grammatical structures.

Chapter 18: Compound Nouns (Zusammengesetzte Nomen)

German is famous for its ability to create long and descriptive words by combining nouns. These compound nouns, or Zusammengesetzte Nomen, are a fundamental part of the language and often offer a very efficient way to express complex ideas. Understanding how to form and interpret compound nouns will greatly enhance your vocabulary and comprehension skills.

What is a Compound Noun?

A compound noun is a word made up of two or more words (usually nouns, but sometimes other parts of speech) joined together to create a single noun with a new, specific meaning.

Formation of Compound Nouns

German compound nouns are typically formed by placing the constituent words directly next to each other, without spaces. The last noun in the compound (the «head noun») determines the gender and case of the entire compound noun.

Examples of Compound Nouns:

das Buch (the book) + der Laden (the shop) = der Buchladen (the bookstore) (masculine, because «Laden» is masculine)

die Tür (the door) + der Schlüssel (the key) = der Türschlüssel (the door key) (masculine, because «Schlüssel» is masculine)

das Zimmer (the room) + die Nummer (the number) = die Zimmernummer (the room number) (feminine, because «Nummer» is feminine)

Order of Words in Compound Nouns

The order of words in a compound noun is usually from the most specific to the most general, with the head noun (the most general) coming last.

der Tee (the tea) + die Tasse (the cup) = die Teetasse (the tea cup)

das Haus (the house) + die Tür (the door) = die Haustür (the front door)

Connecting Elements

Sometimes, connecting elements are added between the constituent words to make pronunciation easier or to clarify the meaning. Common connecting elements include “-s-», “-es-», “-n-», “-en-», “-er-” and “-e-».

die Liebe (the love) + das Lied (the song) = das Liebeslied (the love song) (connecting element: -s-)

die Sonne (the sun) + der Schein (the shine) = der Sonnenschein (the sunshine) (connecting element: -n-)

das Kind (the child) + der Garten (the garden) = der Kindergarten (the kindergarten) (connecting element: -er-)

Gender of Compound Nouns

As mentioned earlier, the gender of the last noun (the head noun) in the compound determines the gender of the entire compound noun. This is very important for using the correct articles and adjective endings.

der Tisch (the table) + die Lampe (the lamp) = die Tischlampe (the table lamp) (feminine, because «Lampe» is feminine)

das Auto (the car) + der Fahrer (the driver) = der Autofahrer (the car driver) (masculine, because «Fahrer» is masculine)

Examples of Compound Nouns in Sentences

Der Buchladen ist geöffnet. (dare booh-lah-den ist ge-öf-net) — The bookstore is open.

Ich habe den Türschlüssel verloren. (ihh hah-be den tüür-shlüs-sel fer-lo-ren) — I have lost the door key.

Die Zimmernummer ist 123. (dee tsim-mer-noo-mer ist ain-hun-dert tsvai-oon-dreißig) — The room number is 123.

Der Sonnenschein ist herrlich. (dare zon-nen-shine ist her-lihh) — The sunshine is wonderful.

Common Types of Compound Nouns

Noun + Noun: Buchladen (bookstore), Haustür (front door), Teetasse (teacup)

Adjective + Noun: Hochhaus (high-rise building), Großvater (grandfather), Schwarzbrot (black bread)

Verb + Noun: Fahrkarte (train ticket), Schlafzimmer (bedroom), Lesesaal (reading room)

Benefits of Compound Nouns

Conciseness: They allow you to express complex ideas in a single word.

Precision: They can be very specific and descriptive.

Vocabulary Expansion: Learning how to form and recognize compound nouns significantly expands your vocabulary.

Word Bank

Zusammengesetztes Nomen (tsoo-zah-men-ge-zehts-tes no-men) — Compound Noun

das Buch (das booh) — the book

der Laden (dare lah-den) — the shop

die Tür (dee tüür) — the door

der Schlüssel (dare shlüs-sel) — the key

das Zimmer (das tsim-mer) — the room

die Nummer (dee noo-mer) — the number

die Liebe (dee lee-be) — the love

das Lied (das leet) — the song

die Sonne (dee zo-ne) — the sun

der Schein (dare shine) — the shine

das Kind (das kint) — the child

der Garten (dare gar-ten) — the garden

Exercises

Combine the following words to create compound nouns:

die Schule (the school) + der Hof (the yard)

das Wohnen (living) + das Zimmer (the room)

der Berg (the mountain) + die Spitze (the top)

Determine the gender of the compound nouns you created in Exercise 1.

Translate the following phrases into German using compound nouns:

The schoolyard is big.

The living room is comfortable.

The mountain top is covered in snow.

The train station is crowded. (der Bahnhof — train station)

Break down the following compound nouns into their constituent parts and translate each part:

das Feuerzeug (the lighter)

die Geburtstagskarte (the birthday card)

das Schwimmbad (the swimming pool)

Create five original sentences in German using compound nouns.

Congratulations! This concludes our 18-chapter journey through German grammar. You now have a foundational understanding of the key concepts, including noun cases, verb conjugations, adjective agreements, prepositions, relative clauses, the subjunctive mood, and compound nouns.

Remember that consistent practice and immersion are essential for continued progress. Keep practicing, keep exploring, and keep enjoying the process of learning German! Viel Erfolg weiterhin! (Much success going forward!)

Chapter 19: Common German Idioms (Redewendungen)

Idioms are phrases or expressions whose meanings cannot be understood from the literal meanings of the individual words. They add color and personality to a language, but they can also be confusing for learners. This chapter will introduce you to some common German idioms, along with their meanings and examples of how to use them.

What are Idioms?

Idioms are fixed expressions that have a figurative meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the words they contain. They are often culture-specific and can provide insight into a language’s history and way of thinking.

Why Learn Idioms?

Improved Comprehension: Recognizing idioms will help you understand spoken and written German more accurately.

More Natural Speech: Using idioms in your own speech will make you sound more fluent and natural.

Cultural Understanding: Idioms reflect cultural values and attitudes.

Enrichment of Language: Idioms add richness and expressiveness to your vocabulary.

Common German Idioms

Here are some common German idioms, with their meanings and examples:

Da steppt der Bär! (dah shtepht dare bair) — «The bear is dancing there!»

Meaning: There’s a real party going on; it’s a lively and exciting event.

Example: Auf der Party steppte der Bär! (auf dare par-tee shtep-te dare bair) — The party was really rocking!

Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen (dayn nah-gel auf dayn kopf tref-fen) — «To hit the nail on the head.»

Meaning: To be exactly right; to identify the core of a problem or issue.

Example: Du hast den Nagel auf den Kopf getroffen! (doo hast dayn nah-gel auf dayn kopf ge-trof-fen) — You hit the nail on the head!

Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei. (ah-les hat ain en-de, noor dee voorst hat tsvai) — «Everything has an end, only the sausage has two.»

Meaning: Everything comes to an end; even good things don’t last forever.

Example: Wir müssen jetzt gehen. Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei. (veer mü-ssen yetst gay-en. ah-les hat ain en-de, noor dee voorst hat tsvai) — We have to go now. Everything has an end, only the sausage has two.

Jemandem die Daumen drücken (yay-man-dem dee dau-men drü-ken) — «To press one’s thumbs for someone.»

Meaning: To wish someone good luck; to keep one’s fingers crossed for someone.

Example: Ich drücke dir die Daumen für deine Prüfung! (ihh drü-ke deer dee dau-men für dai-ne prü-fung) — I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your exam!

Das ist nicht mein Bier! (das ist niht main beer) — «That’s not my beer!»

Meaning: That’s not my problem; that’s not my concern.

Example: Ich kenne mich damit nicht aus, das ist nicht mein Bier. (ihh ke-ne mihh da-mit niht aus, das ist niht main beer) — I don’t know anything about that, it’s not my problem.

Ich habe die Nase voll! (ihh hah-be dee nah-ze fol) — «I have the nose full!»

Meaning: I’m fed up; I’m tired of it.

Example: Ich habe die Nase voll von deiner ewigen Beschwerde! (ihh hah-be dee nah-ze fol fon dai-ner ay-vi-gen be-shvayr-de) — I’m fed up with your constant complaining!

In den sauren Apfel beißen (in dayn zau-ren ahp-fel bai-sen) — «To bite into the sour apple.»

Meaning: To face an unpleasant task or situation; to bite the bullet.

Example: Ich muss in den sauren Apfel beißen und die Arbeit beenden. (ihh moos in dayn zau-ren ahp-fel bai-sen unt dee ar-bait be-en-den) — I have to bite the bullet and finish the work.

Die Katze im Sack kaufen (dee kat-se im zak kau-fen) — «To buy a cat in a sack.»

Meaning: To buy something sight unseen; to take a risk without knowing the details.

Example: Du solltest das Auto nicht die Katze im Sack kaufen. (doo zol-test das au-to niht dee kat-se im zak kau-fen) — You shouldn’t buy the car sight unseen.

Aus dem Schneider sein (aus dame shnai-der zain) — «To be out of the tailor.»

Meaning: To be out of trouble; to be in the clear.

Example: Nachdem ich die Prüfung bestanden habe, bin ich aus dem Schneider. (nahh-dem ihh dee prü-fung be-shtan-den hah-be, bin ihh aus dem shnai-der) — After passing the exam, I’m in the clear.

Leben wie Gott in Frankreich (lay-ben vee got in frank-raihh) — «To live like God in France.»

Meaning: To live a life of luxury and ease; to live the high life.

Example: Er lebt wie Gott in Frankreich mit seinem neuen Job. (air laypt vee got in frank-raihh mit zai-nem noi-en yop) — He’s living the high life with his new job.

Word Bank

die Redewendung (dee ray-de-ven-dung) — idiom

der Bär (dare bair) — the bear

der Nagel (dare nah-gel) — the nail

der Kopf (dare kopf) — the head

die Wurst (dee voorst) — the sausage

die Daumen (dee dau-men) — the thumbs

das Bier (das beer) — the beer

die Nase (dee nah-ze) — the nose

der Apfel (dare ahp-fel) — the apple

die Katze (dee kat-se) — the cat

der Sack (dare zak) — the sack

der Schneider (dare shnai-der) — the tailor

Gott (got) — God

Frankreich (frank-raihh) — France

Tips for Learning Idioms

Context is Key: Pay attention to the context in which the idiom is used to understand its meaning.

Don’t Translate Literally: Idioms rarely translate directly; focus on the figurative meaning.

Use Flashcards: Create flashcards with the idiom on one side and the meaning and example sentence on the other.

Listen and Read: Pay attention to how native speakers use idioms in conversations and written texts.

Practice: Use the idioms in your own speech and writing to solidify your understanding.

Exercises

Match the German idioms from the list with their English equivalents:

Da steppt der Bär!

Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen

Das ist nicht mein Bier!

Ich habe die Nase voll!

a) That’s not my problem!

b) I’m fed up!

c) Hit the nail on the head

d) The party’s rocking!

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate idiom:

Ich kann dir leider nicht helfen, das ist __________.

Du hast genau das Problem erkannt, du hast __________.

Nach der langen Reise war ich total erschöpft, aber jetzt bin ich __________.

Translate the following sentences into German, using idioms:

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for your interview!

You have to bite the bullet and tell him the truth.

He’s living the high life in his new apartment.

Create five original sentences in German, using different idioms from this chapter.

Research other German idioms.

That completes Chapter 19 on common German idioms! I hope you enjoyed learning these colorful expressions and that they will add a new dimension to your German language skills. Remember to practice using them in your own speech and writing to truly master them.

Chapter 20: Ordering Food and Drink in German

Being able to confidently order food and drinks in German is essential for navigating restaurants, cafes, and bars. This chapter will equip you with the vocabulary, phrases, and cultural tips you need to have a positive dining experience.

Basic Phrases

Guten Tag! (goo-ten tahk) — Good day! (Formal greeting upon entering)

Hallo! (hah-lo) — Hello! (Informal greeting)

Einen Tisch für… bitte. (ai-nen tish für… bit-te) — A table for… please.

…eine Person (ai-ne per-zon) — …one person

…zwei Personen (tsvai per-zo-nen) — …two people

…drei Personen (drai per-zo-nen) — …three people

Haben Sie einen Tisch frei? (hah-ben zee ai-nen tish frai) — Do you have a free table?

Die Speisekarte, bitte. (dee shpai-ze-kar-te, bit-te) — The menu, please.

Ich möchte bestellen. (ihh möh-te be-shte-len) — I would like to order.

Was empfehlen Sie? (vas emp-fay-len zee) — What do you recommend?

Ich nehme… (ihh nay-me) — I’ll take…/I’ll have…

Für mich… (für mihh) — For me…

Als Vorspeise nehme ich… (als for-shpai-ze nay-me ihh) — For a starter I’ll have…

Als Hauptspeise nehme ich… (als haupt-shpai-ze nay-me ihh) — For the main course I’ll have…

Zum Trinken hätte ich gern… (tsoom trin-ken het-te ihh gern) — To drink, I’d like…

Schmeckt es Ihnen? (shmekht es ee-nen) — Does it taste good? (Asking someone else)

Es schmeckt sehr gut! (es shmekht zair goot) — It tastes very good! (Answering positively)

Die Rechnung, bitte! (dee rehh-nung, bit-te) — The bill, please!

Zusammen oder getrennt? (tsoo-zah-men o-der ge-trent) — Together or separately?

Zusammen, bitte. (tsoo-zah-men, bit-te) — Together, please.

Getrennt, bitte. (ge-trent, bit-te) — Separately, please.

Stimmt so! (shtimt zo) — Keep the change!

Auf Wiedersehen! (auf vee-der-zay-en) — Goodbye!

Food Vocabulary

das Brot (das broht) — bread

die Butter (dee bu-ter) — butter

das Salz (das zalts) — salt

der Pfeffer (dare pfeh-fer) — pepper

das Öl (das öhl) — oil

der Essig (dare e-ssihh) — vinegar

die Suppe (dee zoo-pe) — soup

der Salat (dare za-laht) — salad

das Fleisch (das flaish) — meat

das Rindfleisch (das rint-flaish) — beef

das Schweinefleisch (das shvai-ne-flaish) — pork

das Hähnchen (das hain-hhen) — chicken

der Fisch (dare fish) — fish

die Wurst (dee voorst) — sausage

das Gemüse (das ge-mü-ze) — vegetables

die Kartoffeln (dee kar-to-feln) — potatoes

der Reis (dare rais) — rice

die Nudeln (dee noo-deln) — noodles, pasta

das Dessert (das de-sair) — dessert

der Kuchen (dare koo-hen) — cake

das Eis (das ais) — ice cream

Drink Vocabulary

das Wasser (das va-ser) — water

mit Kohlensäure (mit ko-len-zoi-re) — sparkling water

ohne Kohlensäure (o-ne ko-len-zoi-re) — still water

der Saft (dare zahft) — juice

der Apfelsaft (dare ahp-fel-zahft) — apple juice

der Orangensaft (dare o-ran-zhen-zahft) — orange juice

die Limonade (dee lee-mo-nah-de) — lemonade, soda

das Bier (das beer) — beer

das Wein (das vain) — wine

der Rotwein (dare roht-vain) — red wine

der Weißwein (dare vais-vain) — white wine

der Kaffee (dare kah-fay) — coffee

der Tee (dare tay) — tea

mit Milch (mit milhh) — with milk

mit Zucker (mit tsoo-ker) — with sugar

Example Dialogue

Waiter: Guten Tag! Haben Sie reserviert? (Good day! Do you have a reservation?) You: Guten Tag! Nein, wir haben nicht reserviert. Einen Tisch für zwei Personen, bitte. (Good day! No, we don’t have a reservation. A table for two people, please.) Waiter: Bitte, folgen Sie mir. (Please, follow me.) (After being seated) Waiter: Hier ist die Speisekarte. (Here is the menu.)

(Later) You: Ich möchte bestellen, bitte. (I would like to order, please.) Waiter: Gern. Was darf ich Ihnen bringen? (Certainly. What can I get you?) You: Für mich, als Vorspeise eine Tomatensuppe und als Hauptspeise das Schnitzel mit Pommes, bitte. (For me, a tomato soup for a starter and the schnitzel with fries for the main course, please.) Zum Trinken hätte ich gern ein Bier. (To drink, I’d like a beer.) Und für meine Frau einen Salat und ein Wasser ohne Kohlensäure. (And for my wife, a salad and a still water.) Waiter: Sehr gern. Kommt sofort. (Very gladly. Coming right up.)

(After eating) You: Die Rechnung, bitte! (The bill, please!) Waiter: Zusammen oder getrennt? (Together or separately?) You: Zusammen, bitte. (Together, please.) (Waiter brings the bill) You: Stimmt so! Auf Wiedersehen! (Keep the change! Goodbye!) Waiter: Danke schön! Auf Wiedersehen! (Thank you! Goodbye!)

Cultural Tips

Eye Contact: Make eye contact with the waiter to get their attention.

«Bitte» and «Danke»: Use «bitte» (please) and «danke» (thank you) generously.

Tipping: It’s customary to tip around 5—10% of the bill. You can tell the waiter the total amount you want to pay (including the tip) when you pay. For example, if the bill is 26.50€ and you want to tip 3.50€, say «30, bitte» (30, please).

Water: You will likely need to specifically request tap water («Leitungswasser»). Otherwise, you will be brought bottled water.

Reservations: It’s a good idea to make reservations, especially for popular restaurants and during peak hours.

Exercises

Translate the following phrases into German:

A table for four people, please.

I would like to order now.

What do you recommend?

I’ll have the soup and the fish.

The bill, please!

Keep the change!

Create a short dialogue between you and a waiter in a German restaurant. Include greetings, ordering food and drinks, asking for the bill, and tipping.

Research some traditional German dishes and describe them in German.

Practice ordering food and drinks in German out loud.

How would you say «I am allergic to peanuts.»?

This completes Chapter 20! You are now well-equipped to order food and drinks confidently and politely in German-speaking countries. Guten Appetit! (Enjoy your meal!)

Chapter 21: Asking for and Giving Directions in German

Navigating unfamiliar places can be challenging, but knowing how to ask for and understand directions in German will make your travels much smoother. This chapter will provide you with the essential vocabulary and phrases for finding your way around.

Asking for Directions

Entschuldigung, können Sie mir helfen? (ent-shool-di-gung, kön-nen zee meer hel-fen) — Excuse me, can you help me?