Pronouns and Possessive Articles

Nominative Accusative Dative Possessive

Article

ich [=I] mich mir [=(for) mein [=my]

[=me] me]

du [=you, singular, dich dir dein

informal]

er [=he; it (for ihn ihm sein

masculine nouns)]

sie [=she; it (for sie ihr ihr

feminine nouns)]

es [=it] es ihm sein

wir [=we] uns uns unser

ihr [=”you all,” i.e. euch euch euer

you, plural,
informal]
sie/Sie [sie = they; sie/Sie ihnen/Ihnen ihr/Ihr
Sie = you, singular
or plural, formal]

Der- and ein-words

der/die/das… the, which, that

ein/eine/ein… a

dieser this

jeder every

jener that one (fairly

formal)

alle (Pl.) all, every

solche (Pl.); solch such; such a

ein

manche (Pl.) some

Modal and Auxiliary Verbs

können to be able to

dürfen to be allowed to

mögen (==>ich to like (==> I

möchte etc.) would like etc.)

müssen to have to

sollen to be supposed to

wollen to want to

haben to have

sein to be
werden to become

Numbers and Ordinal Numbers

eins erster 1

zwei zweiter 2

drei dritter 3

vier vierter 4

fünf fünfter 5

sechs sechster 6

sieben siebter 7

acht achter 8
neun neunter 9

zehn zehnter 10

elf … 11

zwölf 12

dreizehn 13

vierzehn 14

fünfzehn 15

sechzehn 16

siebzehn 17

achtzehn 18
neunzehn 19

zwanzig 20

dreißig 30

vierzig 40

fünfzig 50

sechzig 60

siebzig 70

achtzig 80

neunzig 90

hundert 100

Prepositions
These can have a range of meanings; only the most common are given here:

bis Akkusativ until, up to

durch Akkusativ through; by

für Akkusativ for

gegen Akkusativ against

ohne Akkusativ without

um (…herum) Akkusativ at (time); around (especially

with “…herum”); roughly

wider Akkusativ against, contrary to

aus Dativ out of

außer Dativ except for

bei Dativ at
entgegen Dativ contrary to (expectations etc.)

entlang Dativ along (a street, shoreline etc.)

gegenüber Dativ across from

gemäß Dativ according to

mit Dativ with

nach Dativ after (time); to (city, country);

according to

seit Dativ since

von Dativ of; by (author)

zu Dativ to

an Akkusativ (Motion) at, to (vertical or horizontal

oder Dativ (Location) boundaries; specific points)
auf Akkusativ (Motion) on (occasionally means “at” or
oder Dativ (Location) “to”)

hinter Akkusativ (Motion) behind

oder Dativ (Location)

in Akkusativ (Motion) in
oder Dativ (Location)

neben Akkusativ (Motion) beside; besides

oder Dativ (Location)

über Akkusativ (Motion) above; about (a topic); via

oder Dativ (Location)

unter Akkusativ (Motion) under; among

oder Dativ (Location)

vor Akkusativ (Motion) in front of; ago

oder Dativ (Location)

zwischen Akkusativ (Motion) between

oder Dativ (Location)
außerhalb Genitive outside of

bezüglich Genitive concerning, as to, with

reference to

entsprechend Genitive corresponding

infolge Genitive as a result of

innerhalb Genitive within, inside of

längs Genitive along (a river, streetfront etc.)

mittels Genitive by means of

seitens Genitive on the part of

statt, anstatt Genitive instead of

trotz Genitive despite

während Genitive during

wegen Genitive because of

Common Contractions

am an dem

beim bei dem

im in dem

ins in das

vom von dem

zum zu dem

zur zu der

Fragewörter [only the most common question

words appear here]
wann when

warum why

was what

welcher [a der-word] which

wer who

wie how

wo where

Coordinating Conjunctions (Verb in position 2)

aber but, however

denn since (in the sense of “because”) (also used as a

“flavoring particle” in questions, e.g. to indicate
that one is curious about the answer)
entweder … either … or
oder

nicht nur … not only … but also

sondern auch

oder or

sondern but rather

sowohl … als both … and

auch

und and

weder … noch neither … nor

Subordinating Conjunctions (Verb in final

position)

als when (also means “than” in comparatives, and can

mean “as” e.g. in “Sie arbeitet als Lehrerin”)
bevor before

bis until

da as (in the sense of “because”) (also means “there” as

in: “Da ist mein Haus!”)

damit so that (also means “with that,” “with it”)

daß that

ehe before (more formal than “bevor”)

falls in case

indem by (+verb; e.g. by learning these words, you become

a better person)

nachdem after

ob whether
obgleich although

obwohl although

seit since

sobald as soon as

so daß so that

während while

weil because

wenn if; when

wie how

Verbs
arbeiten to work

bleiben, blieb, ist to stay

geblieben

bringen, brachte, to bring

hat gebracht

denken, dachte, to think

hat gedacht

fahren, er/sie/es to drive; to go (somewhere, but not on

fährt, fuhr, ist foot or by plane)
gefahren

finden, fand, hat to find

gefunden

fragen to ask

führen to lead
geben, er/sie/es to give
gibt, gab, hat
gegeben

gehen, ging, ist to go

gegangen

gelten, er/sie/es to be valid (click here for more

gilt, galt, hat information on how to use this verb)
gegolten

glauben to believe

halten, er/sie/es to stop [for vehicles stopping]; to hold

hält, hielt, hat
gehalten

heißen, hieß, hat to be called

gehießen

kennen, kannte, to know (as in: to be familiar/acquainted

hat gekannt with)

kommen, kam, ist to come

gekommen
lassen to let (someone do something); to leave
(something somewhere); to have
something done

sich lassen + verb can be “verb-ed” (e.g. “This can be done”)

leben to live

liegen, lag, hat to lie (as in a person or object’s physical

gelegen position)

machen to do; to make

meinen to think (as in: have an opinion) (often

used as a synonym for “sagen”: “Er
meinte, dass…” = “He said/expressed the
opinion that…”)

nehmen, er/sie/es to take

nimmt, nahm, hat
genommen

nennen, nannte, to call (for naming someone or something)

hat genannt
sagen to say

sehen, er/sie/es to see

sieht, sah, hat
gesehen

spielen to play (games/music/roles)

sprechen, to speak
er/sie/es spricht,
sprach, hat
gesprochen

stehen, stand, hat to stand

gestanden

stellen to put (for “standing” something with a

firm base somewhere, e.g. “Stell die Gläser
auf den Tisch!”)

tun, tat, hat getan to do

wissen, er/sie/es to know (a fact)

weiß, wusste, hat
gewusst
zeigen to show

Miscellaneous Frequent Words

ab as of; departing at; used when something is

being removed

allein alone; however

also thus, so

alt old

(ein) ander__ other (another)

anders differently

auch also

beide both
(zum) Beispiel (for) example

bereits already

besonder__ particular, unusual

besonders especially

in/mit Bezug auf regarding

bisher until now, as yet

dabei and yet; while doing that; near that/it

dann then

doch however, yet (also used to contradict a

negative statement, e.g. “Sprechen Sie kein
Deutsch?”–“Doch!” and as a flavoring particle
to convey meanings such as “go ahead and” or
“surely”)
dort over there, there

drittens thirdly

eigentlich real(ly), actual(ly) (click here for more

information on this basic but easily misused
word, which is also frequently used as a
“flavoring particle”)

einige some, a few

einmal once, once upon a time

erst (at) first; only (in the sense of “not until”)

erstens firstly

es gibt there is, there are

etwa roughly

etwas something
fast almost, nearly

ganz whole, entire, all (as in “all day”, “all my money,”

but not e.g. “all the people”)

gerade straight; just (as in “I just did this”)

gestern yesterday

groß big, tall, large

gut good, well

heute today

hier here

immer always

ja yes (can also be used as a “flavoring particle”–

click here for more info!)
das Jahr, -e year

je ever; per

je…je/desto/umso the (more)…the (more)

jedoch however, nonetheless

jetzt now, at the moment

kaum hardly, scarcely

kein(__) none, no, no one…

klein little, small

lang long

letzte(__) last
mal; das Mal time(s) [as in “zum ersten Mal,” “drei mal” etc.]

man one

mehr more

morgen tomorrow

nein no

neu new

nicht not

nichts nothing

noch still (as in “It’s still alive”); even (as in “even

more”); “noch ein” = “another”

nun now; can be used to mean “Well,…”

nur only

oben above, up there

ohne…zu without (doing X)

ein paar a few

plötzlich sudden(ly)

quer durch right (straight) across

schlecht bad

schließlich finally; after all

schon already (can also be used as a “flavoring

particle,” e.g. when conceding something: “Das
stimmt schon, aber…”

schön nice, pretty

schnell quick(ly), fast

sehr very

sei es…sei es be it…be it, whether…or

selbst, selber myself, yourself etc. (e.g. “Ich mache das

selbst.”) “selbst” can also mean “even” as in
“Selbst SPAM schmeckt gut [=tastes good],
wenn man Hunger hat.”

sich oneself, himself, herself, itself, themselves etc.

(reflexive pronoun)

so so, in this manner

sonst otherwise, or else

später later

(an)statt…zu instead of (doing X)

trotzdem nevertheless, despite that

um…zu in order to (do X)

viel a lot, many

vielleicht perhaps

was what; which

wenig(__) few, little (in the sense of “few”)

wie how; like (as in “similar(ly)”), as (in comparisons)

wieder again

worauf, womit on which, with which etc.

etc.

würde would
die Zeit time

zurück back (as in “come back”)

zusammen together