German Lessons

GERMAN LESSONS
Question word Conjugated verb Subject
Wie heißt du?
Wie heißen Sie?
Woher kommst du?
Woher kommen Sie?
Wo wohnst du?
Wo wohnen Sie?
Prepositions of place: aus
Woher kommst du? – Ich komme aus …
There are various ways to answer the question: Where do you come from? You usually state your home country or town. The
preposition aus comes before the country or town.:
Ich komme aus Spanien. (home country)
Ich komme aus Sevilla. (home town)

When you are saying which town you come from, you say:
Ich komme aus + name of the town.
It is slightly more complicated with the names of countries. Usually you say:
Ich komme aus + name of the country.
But there are some exceptions. When the name of the country is masculine, feminine, or plural you usually need to use the
article.
You do not need to know all the exceptions, but perhaps your home country is one of the following:
Ich komme aus dem Irak.*
…
aus dem Iran.*
aus dem Jemen.
aus dem Kongo.
aus dem Kosovo.
aus dem Libanon.
aus dem Niger.
aus
dem Oman.
aus dem Senegal.
aus dem Sudan.
aus dem Tschad.
*Masculine country names are sometimes also used without the article, particularly Irak and Iran.
Ich komme … aus der Demokratischen Republik Kongo.
aus der Dominikanischen Republik.
aus der Elfenbeinküste.
aus der Mongolei.
aus der Schweiz.
aus der Slowakei.
aus der Türkei.
aus der Ukraine.
aus der Zentralafrikanischen Republik.
Ich komme … aus den Bahamas.*
aus den Kapverdischen Inseln.*
aus den Komoren.*

aus den Malediven.*
aus den Niederlanden.
aus den Philippinen.*
aus den Salomonen.*
aus den Seychellen.*
aus den USA/aus den Vereinigten Staaten.
aus den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten.
*If you come from a group of islands you can also say:
Ich komme von den Bahamas / den Kapverdischen Inseln / den Komoren / den Malediven / den Philippinen / den Salomonen /
den Seychellen.
Prepositions of place: in, an
Wo wohnst du? – Ich wohne in …
If somebody asks you where you live you can, for example, say the name of the town or street. The preposition in comes before
the town or street name:
Ich wohne in Berlin.
Ich wohne in der Adalbert-Stifter-Straße.
When you are saying what town you live in you say:
Ich wohne in + name of the town.
With street names you usually say:
Ich wohne in der + name of the street.
Some street names do not end with the word -straße. Then you need to pay attention to the end of the name.
Ich wohne in der Adalbert-Stifter-Straße.
Ich wohne in der Adalbert-Stifter-Gasse.
Ich wohne in der Adalbert-Stifter-Allee.
Ich wohne im Adalbert-Stifter-Weg.
Ich wohne am Adalbert-Stifter-Platz.
warum
why
Wer ist da?
Who is it?; Who's there?
Numbers over 100
Once you know the cardinal numbers up to 100, the larger numbers are easy to form.
The hundreds are formed using the single digit + hundert:
10 (ein)hundert*
0
20 zweihundert
30 dreihundert
40 vierhundert
50 fünfhundert
60 sechshundert
70 siebenhundert
80 achthundert
0
90 neunhundert
*With 100 and 1000 the number ein(s) is often left out. Germans often simply say hundert or tausend.
With numbers over 100 the last two digits are formed like the normal cardinal numbers below one hundred. The hundreds
come first:
201: zweihunderteins
212: zweihundertzwölf
215: zweihundertfünfzehn
231: zweihunderteinunddreißig
Wie heißt die Straße?
What is the name of the street?
Wo bist du?
Where are you? (informal)
Wo ist die Polizei?
Where is the police (station)?
Numbers over one thousand are formed using the same principle as those over one hundred:
100 (ein)tausend
200 zweitausend
300 dreitausend
400 viertausend
500 fünftausend
600 sechstausend
700 siebentausend
800 achttausend
900 neuntausend
0
With large numbers, the thousands come first, then the hundreds, and then the numbers below a hundred. You can write a
point after the thousands.
Wie heißen Sie?

Woher kommen Sie?
Wo wohnen Sie?
Wie alt sind Sie?
 Instead of dein/e use Ihr/e:

Wie ist Ihr Name?
Wie ist Ihre Adresse?
Wie ist Ihre Passnummer?Wie ist Ihre Telefonnummer?
 warum
 why
 Welche Nummer haben Sie?
 What is your number? (formal)
 Welche Nummer hast du?
 What is your number? (informal)
 Wie ist deine Adresse?
 What is your address? (informal)
 Wie ist Ihre Adresse?
 What is your address? (formal)
Did you know? At work, people do not use "du" right away. One person needs to suggests that you use "du" with each other,
for example by asking "Wollen wir uns nicht duzen?". To accept, you can say "Ja, gern".
Was machst du hier?

What are you doing here? (informal)
Wer ist denn das?
Who is that?
Wollen wir uns nicht duzen?
Let's use the "du" (informal) form of address with each other.
Careful! Pay attention to how the words are stressed. The letter combination "ie" is pronounced like a long "i". In words with
multiple syllables, the stress is usually on the first syllable.: das bier
German nouns have a grammatical gender. They are masculine, feminine or neuter. The article before the noun shows its
gender:
masculine: der Kaffee, der Tee, der Saft
feminine: die Milch, die Limo, die Cola
neuter: das Wasser, das Bier
Unfortunately there are very few general rules as to which nouns have which articles. This means you have to learn each noun
together with its article.
You will find the gender of a noun in the dictionary. It will either give the definite article or m. (= masculine), f. (=
feminine), n. (= neuter).
When asking about people you use the question word wer.
When not asking about people, you use the question word was.
jemanden/etwas kennen
kennt, kannte, hat gekannt
to know someone
lieber
rather; to prefer
etwas nehmen
nimmt, nahm, hat genommen
to take something; to have something
ohne
without
etwas posten
postet, postete, hat gepostet, aus dem Englischen
to post something
viel
mehr, am meisten
a lot (of)
wenig
weniger, am wenigsten
a litte; a bit; few
Info: When you have decided what you want to eat, you can say: "Ich nehme eine Pizza.", "Ich esse eine Pizza." or "Ich möchte
eine Pizza."
Careful! Do not confuse "er isst" with "er ist" (sein).
Tip: The verb is always in the 2nd position in a declarative sentence.
"Sonst noch etwas?" means "Anything else?"
Careful! The vowels i, e, ä, ö, ü are followed by the "ich" sound. The vowels a, o, u are followed by the "ach" sound.
Vowel change: e to i
Verbs with a vowel change from e to i
With some irregular verbs, the root vowel e changes. It becomes i in the second- and third-person singular. The other verb
forms remain regular.
Ich esse gern Pizza mit Salami. Und was isst du gern, Nina? – Ich esse gern Pizza Hawaii ohne Schinken.
Singular
1st person ich esse
2nd person du isst
3rd person er/sie/es isst
Plural
1st person wir essen
2nd person ihr esst
3rd person sie essen
Formal (singular and Sie essen
plural)
The verb nehmen
The verb nehmen also belongs to this group. It has another irregularity:
In the second- and third-person singular, it not only changes the vowel, but also the following letter.
Ich nehme eine Pizza mit Thunfisch. Und was nimmst du, Nico? – Ich nehme eine Pizza mit Salami.
Singular
1st person ich nehme
2nd person du nimmst

3rd person er/sie/es nimmt
Plural
1st person wir nehmen
2nd person ihr nehmt
3rd person sie nehmen
Formal (singular and Sie nehmen
plural)
Was gibt es denn?
What do you have?; What is there?
bar
in cash
(etwas) bezahlen
bezahlt, bezahlte, hat bezahlt

to pay something
Das macht …
That will be ...
Das macht zusammen …
That will be ... in total.
Das stimmt so.
Kurzform: Stimmt so.
Keep the change.; That's fine.
Du bist eingeladen!
It's my treat.; It's on me.
getrennt
separate; separately
etwas sagen
sagt, sagte, hat gesagt
to say sth.; to tell so. sth.
Was kostet …?
How much does ... cost?
wie viel
how much
Wie viel Euro macht das?
How many euros does that cost?; How many euro is that in total?
Wie viel kostet ...?
How much is ...?; How much does ... cost?
zahlen
zahlt, zahlte, hat gezahlt
to pay
Zahlen Sie bar oder mit Karte?
Will you be paying in cash or by card? (formal)
Zahlen Sie zusammen oder getrennt?
Will you be paying together or separately? (formal)
zusammen
together
Info: When we're talking about cities and countries without articles, we respond to questions beginning with "Wo …", with the
preposition "in". In response to the question "Wohin …", we use "nach". In response to the question "Woher …", we use "aus".
Info: With "Ich war schon mal in …" you can say that you were already at a certain location. With "Ich war noch nie in …" you
can say the opposite.
Did you notice anything? Here, the verb "sein" is in the "Präteritum": "er/sie/es war". The "Präteritum" is a form for talking
about the past in German. Ja, ich war schon mal in München. / Nein, ich war noch nie in München.
Simple past: sein

The simple past (also called preterite) is a grammatical tense used to express something in the past. It is mostly used in written
language, e.g. in newspaper articles and literature.
The verbs sein and haben, however, are often used in spoken language in the simple past tense too.
Present tense:
Simple past:
Here is a review of the present tense:
Singular
1st person ich bin
2nd person du bist
3rd person er/sie/es ist

Plural
1st person wir sind
2nd person ihr seid
3rd person sie sind
Formal (singular and plural) Sie sind
The simple past is formed as follows:
Singular
1st person ich war
2nd person du warst
3rd person er/sie/es war

Plural
1st person wir waren
2nd person ihr wart
3rd person sie waren
Formal (singular and plural) Sie waren
Grammatical terms in German:
das Präsens: The present is a verb tense. It is used when speaking about events, activities or situations that occur in the
present or are ongoing.
das Präteritum: The simple past is a verb tense. It is used in written language to describe events, activities or situations
that happened in the past. The simple past of certain verbs, e.g. sein, is often also used in spoken language.
Prepositions of place: in, nach
Wo ist die Semperoper? – Die Semperoper ist in Dresden.
When someone asks for the name of a town using the question Wo …? the answer is given with the preposition of place in +
the name of the town.

Wohin möchte Chi fahren? – Chi möchte nach Dresden fahren.
When someone asks for the name of a town using the question Wohin …? the answer is given with the location
preposition nach + the name of the town.
die Sehenswürdigkeit, die Sehenswürdigkeiten
place of interest; tourist attraction
das Spiel, die Spiele
game
toll
toller, am tollsten
great, wonderful
Was ist das?
What is that?
welche
which
wohin
where; to where; where to
Careful! All compass directions are masculine: der Norden, der Süden, der Westen, der Osten.
Did you notice anything? "Schweiz" has the article "die"; but in combination with "von" and "aus" it changes to "der" since the
dative follows here.
If you want to say exactly where something is, you can combine two directions with each other: "Norden" + "Osten" =
"Nordosten" or "Süden" + "Westen" = "Südwesten". "Nord" or "Süd" is always the first word.
Woher kommst du? – Ich komme aus Spanien.
Kommst du aus Italien? – Nein, ich komme aus Spanien.
W-questions
W-questions are asked when specific information is requested. These questions cannot be answered with a simple "yes" or
"no". The W-questions are so-called because the first word in the question usually begins with the letter W, e.g., Woher …? Wo
…? Wie …? This is followed by the conjugated verb and the subject.
Statements
In a simple statement, the conjugated verb is always in second position. The subject is often in first position.
Yes-no questions
These are so-called because they can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no". Here the conjugated verb comes first. It is
followed by the subject.

This means that a yes-no question can be formed by switching the positions of the subject and the conjugated verb in a
statement.
das Subjekt: The subject is the person or thing that is active or central in the sentence. The subject is also known as "der
Satzgegenstand". It is usually a noun or pronoun.
die W-Frage: W-questions are open questions that cannot be answered with "yes" or "no". At the beginning of a W-
question, there is a question word that usually begins with the letter W.
der Aussagesatz: In a statement, a fact is declared. The statement may give information or describe a situation.
die Satzfrage: This is a question that can be answered with "yes" or "no".
in der Mitte (von)
in the middle (of)

in der Nähe (von)
near
In German we use "man " when an indeterminate number of people do something on a regular basis. One uses "man" when
there's no particular subject, but rather when we're making a general statement. So what happens to the verb?
With "man" the verb is always in the third-person singular. This is the same verb form as with "er" or "sie" (singular).
Frau: Woher kommst du?

Mann: Ich komme aus Deutschland.
Frau: Und was isst und trinkt man dort?
Mann: In Deutschland isst man viel Brot und man trinkt gern Kaffee. Und woher kommst du?
Frau: Aus Italien. Bei uns isst man gern Pizza und Pasta.
The indefinite pronoun man is often used when making general statements. It indicates that a statement does not apply to a
particular person but to someone indefinite, to a whole group or even to everyone. Even if man represents a whole group, it is
used in the singular. The verb form is the same as with er/sie/es.
Nico isst gern Gazpacho.
Er isst gern Gazpacho.
Man isst in Spanien gern Gazpacho.
man and Mann
Note the difference between the impersonal pronoun man and the noun Mann. The word man with one n stands for people in
general, both male and female. Mann with nn refers to one male person.
das Indefinitpronomen: Indefinite pronouns refer to people or things that are indeterminate. They are used when one does not
know, or does not wish to say exactly who, or how many, are doing something.
Sentence construction: Statements
In a simple statement the conjugated verb has a fixed position. It is always in second position. The position of the subject is
freer. It often comes at the beginning of the sentence, before the conjugated verb.
However, other parts of the sentence can also come at the beginning, in order to stress them. These are often details about
time or place. Then the subject comes after the conjugated verb, i.e. in third position.
Example: Time detail: jetzt
Example: Place detail: in Frankreich*
*In this case the place detail consists of two words. Since these two words belong together they stand together in first position.
The verb comes in second position here too.
Sometimes other sentence parts also come in first position.

Bei uns ...
among us; here at our; here in our...
das Lieblingsessen, die Lieblingsessen
favorite food
man
one (impersonal pronoun)
etwas mögen
mag, mochte, hat gemocht
to like something
nächstes Jahr
next year
verschieden
verschiedener, am verschiedensten
different
Welche Sprachen sprichst du, Lisa? – Ich spreche Deutsch, Englisch und Italienisch.
Like essen and nehmen, the verb sprechen belongs to the verbs with a vowel change from e to i in the second- and third-person
singular.
Singular
1st person ich spreche
2nd person du sprichst
3rd person er/sie/es spricht
Plural
1st person wir sprechen
2nd person ihr sprecht
3rd person sie sprechen
Formal (singular and plural) Sie sprechen
die Aufenthaltserlaubnis, die Aufenthaltserlaubnisse
residence permit
bleiben
bleibt, blieb, ist geblieben

to stay
schlecht
schlechter, am schlechtesten
badly; bad
schnell
schneller, am schnellsten
fast
Welche Sprachen sprichst du?
Which languages do you speak? (informal)
Articles: definite
The three definite articles: der, die, das
In German a distinction is made between masculine, feminine and neuter nouns. The grammatical gender of a noun can be seen
in its accompanying article. Since in most cases there are no rules as to which gender a noun has, it is necessary to learn the
nouns together with their articles. The article comes before the noun.
Masculine nouns have the definite article der.
Wo ist der Stift? – Der Stift ist hier.
Feminine nouns have the definite article die.
Wo ist die Brille? – Die Brille ist hier.
Neuter nouns have the definite article das.

Wo ist das Buch? – Das Buch ist hier.
In the plural all nouns have the definite article die.
Wo sind die Stifte? – Die Stifte sind hier.
Wo sind die Brillen? – Die Brillen sind hier.
Wo sind die Bücher? – Die Bücher sind hier.
Singular Plural
masculin der Stift die Stifte
feminine die Brille die Brillen
neuter das Buch die Bücher
The definite article is used in particular when talking about an object or person that is already known to the other person.
Lisa says: Wo ist die Brille?
The listener understands that she is not looking for just any pair of glasses. She is looking for a particular pair, namely her own.
Wie heißt das auf Deutsch?
What does that mean in German?
In German there are different names for people who study. Participants in the German course are "Kursteilnehmer". Those at
school are "Schüler". At university they are "Studenten".
You use the indefinite article (ein/eine) when you do not have any more exact information about an object or a person.
You only use the word in the plural – without any article. There is no indefinite plural article.
We use the indefinite article (ein /eine ) when we are talking about a type of object or entity.
We use the definite article (der/die/das) when we have more precise knowledge about the object or entity.
Articles: indefinite
The indefinite articles: ein, eine
When we are not talking about a particular object or a particular person, the indefinite article is used.
Was ist das? – Das ist ein Stift.
It does not matter which pen it is, to whom it belongs, or whether it is blue, black, big or small. The sentence could refer to any
pen. That is why the indefinite article ein is used, and not the definite article der.
definite indefinite
masculine der Stift ein Stift
feminine die Brille eine Brill
e
neuter das Buch ein Buch
In the plural, there are no indefinite articles. If an indefinite noun is used in the plural, there is no article in front of it.
definite indefinite
plura die Stifte Stifte
plura die Brillen Brillen
plura die Bücher Bücher
Indefinite or definite?
Das ist eine Tasche.
The indefinite article is used …
 when we are talking about the type of object or person being referred to in
general.
 when the object or person is not yet known and has not been mentioned
before.
Das ist die Tasche von Jenny.
The definite article is used …
 when talking about a particular object or person that is already known to the
speaker or listener.
 when further information is known about a person or an object, e.g. to whom it
belongs.
der bestimmte Artikel: The articles der, die, das are definite articles.
der unbestimmte Artikel: The articles ein, eine are indefinite articles.
Nouns: plural
When we are talking about two or more people or objects of the same type, we use the plural form.
Singular: Das ist ein Stift. Der Stift kostet 1,50 Euro.
Plural: Das sind fünf Stifte. Die Stifte kosten 7,50 Euro.
In German there are different ways to form the plural. It is hard to find general rules that are valid in all cases and to say which
nouns have which plural endings – and it is even harder to remember these rules and apply them. The best thing is to learn
each noun with the definite article and the plural. You can find this information in a dictionary. Usually the plural is not given as
a whole word, just as an ending.
The plural of Stift is formed with the ending -e, becoming: die Stifte.
The plural of Buch is formed with an umlaut (the symbol for this is a dash with two dots above it, as you see in the picture
above) and the ending -er, becoming: die Bücher.
There are five different plural endings:
Endin Example
-n die Brille, die Brillen
-en die Zahl, die Zahlen
-e der Stift, die Stifte
-er das Kind, die Kinder
-s das Foto, die Fotos
Some nouns have no different ending.

Example:
der Lehrer, die Lehrer
Some nouns also gain an umlaut on one of the vowels in the word in the plural.
Examples:
der Notizblock, die Notizblöcke
das Buch, die Bücher
der Flughafen, die Flughäfen
Some words have two possible plural forms.
Example: die Pizza, die Pizzen/die Pizzas.
Both plural forms are right and have the same meaning.
der Singular: The singular is used when we are referring to a single person or object.
der Plural: The plural is used when we are referring to several people or objects.
Conjugation: lesen
Liest du gern? – Ja, ich lese gern.

As with other verbs, in the conjugation of the verb lesen, the root vowel changes in the second- and third-person singular. The
vowel e becomes ie. The ie is spoken as a long i.
Singular
1st person ich lese
2nd person du liest
3rd person er/sie/es liest
Plural
1st person wir lesen
2nd person ihr lest
3rd person sie lesen
Formal Sie lesen
etwas wiederholen
wiederholt, wiederholte, hat wiederholt

to repeat/revise/review something
Careful! Nouns that end with "-ung" are always feminine.
This form of the article, that you already know, is called the "Nominativ":
masculine: der/ein/kein
feminine: die/eine/keine
neuter: das/ein/kein
plural: die/ - /keine
The subject of a sentence is in the "Nominativ". The subject ("Subjekt") is the person or the thing that is active in the sentence
or the focus of interest.
Examples:
Die Frau isst einen Hamburger.
"Die Frau" is the subject in the nominative.
Der Hamburger ist gut.
"Der Hamburger" is the subject in the nominative.
The verb "sein" always takes the nominative.
The accusative
Now read the grammar explanation about the accusative. Which fits where? Choose.
With the verb "haben", you use the following articles:
masculine: den/einen/keinen
feminine: die/eine/keine
neuter: das/ein/kein
plural: die/ - /keine
We call this form "Akkusativ". You use the "Akkusativ", when you want to describe what is happening to a person or a
thing. This person or thing is the grammatical object.
Example:
Die Frau isst einen Hamburger.
"einen Hamburger" is the object ("Objekt").

Careful! Just like with the indefinite articles, most definite articles are the same in the nominative and accusative. Only the
masculine article is different.
Info: With "um + number", you indicate the time. That means Marvin is coming at nine o'clock today.
Sentence construction: subject
Most German statements contain at least one conjugated verb and a subject. The subject performs the action expressed by the
verb. The subject is active in the sentence or is central to the interest. A subject is generally a noun, a group of nouns or a
personal pronoun.
When the subject is a noun with an article, the article takes one of the following forms:
masculine der/ein
feminine die/eine
neuter das/ein
plural die/-
This form is called the nominative.

The subject answers the question "Wer?" or "Was?" (wer for people and was for non-persons, for example animals or objects)
and determines the form of the conjugated verb.
das Subjekt: The subject is the person or thing that is active in the sentence or is central to the interest. It is generally a
noun or pronoun.
A noun can have different functions in a sentence. For example, it can be a subject or an object. Depending on what
function the noun has, its form can change. However, this change can best be seen in the form of the article. In German
there are four different forms or categories (cases), known as Fälle or Kasus.
One of these cases is the nominative.
der Nominativ: The subject is always in the nominative. The articles are: der/ein, die/eine, das/ein, die/-
Sentence construction: accusative object
Apart from the subject, many verbs have other complements. Some need these complements in order to form sentences that
make sense. These complements are called objects. They can be people or things.
In German, many verbs require an object in the accusative. If the accusative object has an article, this is formed as follows:
masculine den/einen
feminine die/eine
neuter das/ein
plural die/-
The accusative object answers the question "Wen?" or "Was?" (wen for people and was for things).
Some verbs that require an accusative object are: essen, trinken, nehmen, suchen, kennen, machen, lieben, anrufen, besuchen,
besichtigen, …
das Objekt: The object refers to a person or thing that is the aim of an action or event. The object is also known as the
complement. It is usually a noun or pronoun.
A noun can have different functions in a sentence. For example, it can be subject or object. Depending on what function
the noun has, its form can change. However, this change can best be seen in the form of the article. In German, there
are four different distinguishing forms or categories (cases) of noun, known as Fälle or Kasus .
One of these cases is the accusative.

der Akkusativ: Most objects are in the accusative . The articles are then: den/einen, die/eine, das/ein, die/-.
Article: negation
When we use the word kein, a noun with an indefinite article, or no article, becomes negative.
Singular
The endings of kein are identical to the endings of the indefinite article ein in the singular.
The same applies to the accusative:

Plural
A noun that is used in the plural without an article is made negative using keine.
Nominative Accusative
masculin ein einen
e kein keinen
(der)
feminine eine eine
(die) keine keine
neuter ein ein
(das) kein kein
plural - -
(die) keine keine
Singular without article
In addition, nouns that are used in the singular without an article are made negative using the corresponding form of kein.
Isst Nina Schinken? – Nein, Nina isst keinen Schinken.
Trinkst du Cola? – Nein, ich trinke keine Cola.
Möchtest du Bier? – Nein, ich möchte kein Bier.
Adjectives following "sein"
Ich bin groß. – Emma ist klein.
Adjectives describe a person or thing. They are very often used with the verb sein. The adjective usually comes after the
conjugated form of the verb sein.
subject sein (conjugated) adjective
Das Haus ist alt.
Many adjectives have a word that means the opposite, e.g.:
Nico ist groß. – Emma ist klein.
Das Auto ist alt. – Das Fahrrad ist neu.

Die Wohnung ist billig. – Das Haus ist teuer.
It is often a good idea to learn adjectives in pairs. Adjectives are written in lower case.
das Adjektiv: Adjectives are used to describe people or things.
After the verb "haben", the accusative form is used. However, it is only for masculine nouns that the accusative article differs
from the nominative one.
After the verb "lieben", the accusative form is used.
The article for plural nouns is always "die".
Articles
Summary: articles in the nominative and accusative
Ist das ein Fahrrad?
Nein, das ist kein Fahrrad. Das ist ein Auto. Das ist das Auto von Lisa.
You use the definite article (e.g. das) when you have information about a particular person or thing.
Das ist das Auto von Lisa.
You use the indefinite article (e.g. ein) when you have no specific information about a person or thing.
Das ist ein Auto.

You use the negative article (e.g. kein) when you wish to express a noun in the negative without an article or with the indefinite
article.
Das ist kein Fahrrad.
Nominative Accusative*
masculin der den
ein einen
kein keinen
feminine die die
eine eine
keine keine
neuter das das

ein ein
kein kein
plural die die
- -
keine keine
*After the verbs essen, trinken, nehmen, suchen, kennen, machen, lieben, anrufen, besuchen, besichtigen and many others, the
object is expressed in the accusative.
der Bekannte, die Bekannten
mit unbestimmtem Artikel: ein Bekannter, Bekannte
acquaintance (male)
die Bekannte, die Bekannten
mit unbestimmtem Artikel: eine Bekannte, Bekannte
acquaintance (female)
besser
better
etwas hoffen
hofft, hoffte, hat gehofft
to hope something
die Jugendherberge, die Jugendherbergen
youth hostel
leben
lebt, lebte, hat gelebt
to live; to be alive
meist
Kurzform von: meistens
most of the time; usually
die Miete, die Mieten
rent
der Mitbewohner, die Mitbewohner
roommate; housemate; flatmate (male)
die Mitbewohnerin, die Mitbewohnerinnen
roommate; housemate; flatmate (female)
nett
netter, am nettesten
nice; friendly
oft
öfter, am öftesten
often
schnell
schneller, am schnellsten
fast
sich etwas teilen
teilt, teilte, hat geteilt
to share
um|ziehen
zieht um, zog um, ist umgezogen
to move (house, cities, etc.)
der Umzug, die Umzüge
move; relocation
der Urlaub, die Urlaube
vacation; holiday
etwas/jemanden verstehen
versteht, verstand, hat verstanden
to understand something/someone
viele
many
vielleicht
perhaps; maybe
Next
2ZKB: zwei Zimmer, Küche und Bad: The apartment has two rooms, a separate kitchen and a separate bath.
34 m² Wfl.: Wohnfläche: The apartment is 34 square meters in size.
MKM: Monatskaltmiete: This is the basic monthly rent for the space. Utilities will be added.
NK, BK: Nebenkosten, Betriebskosten: Utilities or operating costs in addition to the rent. You must pay a sum for heating, trash
collection, water and maintenance costs.
WM: Warmmiete: "Warm rent", or rent costs plus heating, trash collection, water and maintenance. You have to pay electricity
costs yourself.
EG: Erdgeschoss: The apartment is on the ground floor.
DG: Dachgeschoss: The apartment is located on the attic floor.
1. OG: erstes Obergeschoss: The apartment is located on the floor above the ground floor.
EBK: Einbauküche: The kitchen is built-in, which means there are cabinets, a stove, dishwasher, etc.
TLB: Tageslichtbad: The bathroom has a window (daylight). Many apartments have bathrooms without windows.
WB: Wannenbad: There is a bathtub in the bathroom.
DB: Duschbad: The bathroom has only a shower, but no bathtub.
When you use "nicht" to negate an adjective, "nicht" comes immediately before the adjective.
Can you recall how to use the personal pronouns? "der Flur" (masculine) = "er", "das Wohnzimmer" (neuter) = "es", "die Küche"
(feminine) = "sie"
Negatives: nicht
Adjectives are made negative with nicht.
Das Zimmer ist klein.
Das Zimmer ist nicht groß.
Das Zimmer ist dunkel.
Das Zimmer ist nicht hell.
Es gibt …
there are (literally: it gives, it exists)
Freut mich.
Pleased to meet you.
gemütlich
gemütlicher, am gemütlichsten
cozy; comfortable
hell
heller, am hellsten
light; bright
hoch
höher, am höchsten
expensive
kurz
kürzer, am kürzesten
short
lang
länger, am längsten
long
laut
lauter, am lautesten
loud/loudly
ruhiger, am ruhigsten
quiet; calm
etwas/jemanden sehen
sieht, sah, hat gesehen
to see something/somebody
ungemütlich
ungemütlicher, am ungemütlichsten
uncomfortable; unpleasant; awkward
Ein Bücherregal ist ein Regal .
"Bücherregal" is a compound word.
"Regal" is the root word.
The root word determines the article of the compound word: The word at the end of the compound determines:
1. gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter
2. number: singular or plural
By using zu + adjective you can indicate that you find the amount, the size or the intensity of something not good or not right.
That means that you consider something unsuitable or unacceptable.
Das Haus ist zu teuer.

This can mean:
1. The price of the house is unreasonably high.
2. The price is reasonable, but I do not have enough money to buy the house.
Word formation: compounds
Compounds
In German you can combine two or more nouns to make a new word with a different meaning. You can find many such
"composites" that have become part of German vocabulary.
A compound noun consists of one base noun that always comes at the end of the combination and one or more further
determining words that help to explain the base noun in more detail. The article of the base noun is also the article of the
compound noun.
Look at a few compounds that can be formed from the basic word Schrank, together with different modifiers:
der Spiegel + der Schrank:
der Spiegelschrank
(a cupboard with mirrored doors)
die Küche + der Schrank:
der Küchenschrank*
(a cupboard that stands in the kitchen)
das Schlafzimmer + der Schrank:
der Schlafzimmerschrank
(a cupboard that stands in the bedroom)
die Bücher + der Schrank:
der Bücherschrank
(a cupboard used to keep books)

*When a word is made up of two or more nouns, a sound may be added between the defining word and the base word. After -
e (e.g. Küche) this is often an -n. In many cases an –s is used, sometimes also -es, -ens or -er. Since you usually do not form
compound nouns yourself, but learn them like other words, you do not need to learn the rules for this.
The defining word is often a noun, although it can also be a verb or an adjective, e.g.:
schlafen + das Zimmer:
das Schlafzimmer
tanken + die Stelle:
die Tankstelle
hoch + das Haus:
das Hochhaus
bequem
bequemer, am bequemsten
comfortable
stehen
steht, stand, hat gestanden
to stand; to be
unbequem
unbequemer, am unbequemsten
uncomfortable
When something belongs to a woman, the possessive determiner is ihr/e.
When something belongs to a man, the possessive determiner is sein/e.
The ending "-e" on the indefinite article shows you that the form of the noun is feminine. This is also the case for the possessive
determiners: ein-e Küche / mein-e, dein-e, sein-e, ihr-e Küche.
Possessive determiners for feminine and plural nouns take the ending "-e". Before masculine and neutral nouns, possessive
determiners take no ending.
Possessive determiners (1)
Ulla: Nawin, ist das deine Unterhose?
Sebastian: Nein, das ist nicht seine Unterhose. Das ist meine Unterhose.
In order to express ownership or belonging, the possessive determiner is used instead of the definite or indefinite article.
When used before a feminine noun or a noun in the plural, the possessive determiner ends in -e in the nominative case:
masculine
(der Föhn) Das ist mein Föhn.
feminine
(die Unterhose) Das
ist meine Unterhose.
neuter
(das Zimmer) Das ist mein Zimmer.

plural
(die Bücher) Das sind meine Bücher.
Person Possessive determiner
Singular ich mein(e)
du dein(e)
er/es sein(e)*
sie ihr(e)*
Plural wir unser(e)
ihr euer/eure
sie ihr(e)
Formal Sie Ihr(e)
*Note the difference between sein and ihr:
Sebastian is a man:
Lisa is a woman:
der Possessivartikel: The possessive determiner is an article word that expresses ownership or belonging.
bald
soon
daneben
next to it/that
doch
On the contrary!
dreckig
dreckiger, am dreckigsten
dirty
euer/eure
your/yours
immer
always
Komm rein!
come in
Kommt drauf an.
That depends.
(etwas) putzen
putzt, putzte, hat geputzt
to clean (something)
sauber
sauberer, am saubersten
clean
Lisa and the others speak casually together. The phrases "um neun" or "von zehn bis zwölf" are not formal times.
When you ask a question using "Wann ...?", you are asking about time. If the answer refers to a point in time, you use the
preposition "um". When you are referring to a period between two points in time, you use the prepositions "von" and "bis".
"Von" refers to the beginning of the period and "bis" refers to the end. In formal speech, you add the word "Uhr" (hour) to the
end of a time. For example: "Um neun Uhr." / "Von neun Uhr bis zwölf Uhr."
When speaking informally, you can just use the numbers 1 to 12 to express time. When speaking formally, you continue with
numbers after noon: 13 Uhr, 14 Uhr, 15 Uhr, 16 Uhr, 17 Uhr, 18 Uhr, …
With "Wann …?" you ask about a point in time or a period of time. You can also ask about the length of time like this: "Von
wann bis wann arbeitest du?"
For "9:30 Uhr" you say "halb zehn". Formally you would say "neun Uhr dreißig". Remember: "halb …" cannot be combined with
"Uhr".
halb"+ the next full hour. That is: "8:30" = "halb" + the next full hour after 8 = "halb 9".
In response to the question "Wie spät ist es?", you answer: "Es ist sieben." Formally, you say: "Es ist sieben Uhr." Remember:
None of the prepositions you have learned in this lesson are necessary.
Instead of "Wie spät ist es?", you can also ask: "Wie viel Uhr ist es?" The answer does not change.
"Tut mir leid. Das weiß ich leider nicht." is what you say when you do not know the answer. The phrase means "I am sorry.
Unfortunately, I do not know."
"Wissen Sie, wie spät es ist?" means "Do you know what time it is?". This is more polite than the other questions.
Time: 12-hour clock (1)
In German there are two ways of telling the time: the 12-hour clock and the 24-hour clock. In normal daily situations, the 12-
hour clock is almost always used.
Full hours:
 Just use the numbers from one to 12.

 You can use the word Uhr, but you can also leave it out:
To make it clear that you are talking about, for example, eight o'clock in the morning or evening, you can use an additional
adverb. In this case, always use the word Uhr.
8:00 Uhr Es ist acht Uhr morgens.
10:00 Uhr Es ist zehn Uhr vormittags.
12:00 Uhr Es ist zwölf Uhr mittags.
15:00 Uhr Es ist drei Uhr nachmittags.
20:00 Uhr Es ist acht Uhr abends.
00:00 Uhr Es ist zwölf Uhr nachts.
Half hours:
 When you are speaking about half hours, give the next full hour minus half an
hour.
 Do not use the word Uhr.
Examples:
7:30 Uhr Es ist halb acht.
14:30 Es ist halb drei.
Uhr
Prepositions of time: um, von – bis
Times are often requested with the question word wann:
Wann beginnt der Kurs?
Wann arbeitest du?
To answer with a time …
 use um, if you are talking about a specific time:

Der Kurs beginnt um neun.
 use von … bis …, if you are talking about a period of time:
Ich arbeite von acht bis fünf.
die Präposition: Prepositions are usually short words that connect words or groups of words together. They describe
the relationship between people or things.
die Lösung, die Lösungen

solution
von
from
wann
when
Wie spät ist es?
How late is it?/What time is it?
Wie viel Uhr ist es?
What time is it?
You can use "am" with "Morgen", "Vormittag", "Mittag", "Nachmittag" and "Abend".
Some verbs are called separable verbs. These are verbs that have a separable prefix. In the glossary pages of this course you will
find a line written where the verb is separated: "auf|stehen", This line should help you to learn these verbs. This line is not
written in normal texts.
For example: auf|stehen (infinitive)
In a sentence: Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf.
In a declarative sentence, the conjugated verb form is always in position 2. The prefix comes at the end.
You can tell from the prefix whether a verb is separable. Separable prefixes are, for example, "auf", "aus", "mit", "ein".
There are even more separable prefixes. You will learn these during the course.
Words like "und", "oder" and "aber" do not count when determining word positions. Therefore the verb is also in position two.
In the case of "sehen", the vowel changes in the second and third person singular: "e" becomes "ie".
"nach dem Spielen" means "after playing".
Here you can see that the separable prefix is always found at the very end of the sentence, no matter how many words there
are between the finite verb and prefix.
In the case of separable verbs, the stress in the infinitive is on the first syllable. In a sentence, however, this does not mean that
the separated prefix is also stressed.
In German it is possible to add a prefix to a simple verb, thus forming a verb with a new meaning.
prefix + verb = new verb
fern + sehen = fernsehen
ein + kaufen = einkaufen
Many of these new verbs are separable. So, for a simple statement in the present, the original simple verb is conjugated and
comes in second position in the sentence. The prefix comes at the end of the sentence.
Lisa kauft ein.
Lisa kauft im Supermarkt ein.
Lisa kauft immer im Supermarkt ein.
You can often tell if a verb is separable by its prefix.
 Verbs with certain prefixes, for example: ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, nach-, weg-, zu- are always separable.
 In contrast, verbs with certain prefixes, for example: be-, ent-, er-, ver-, zer- are not separable.
 Verbs with prefixes like durch-, über-, um-, unter- can be separable or inseparable.
You can also recognize separable verbs by their pronunciation. With separable verbs, the prefix is always stressed.
einkaufen: separable
verkaufen: not separable
When you wish to say how often you do something, you can use certain Adverbs of Time (e.g. immer, nie).
Emma macht immer die Hausaufgaben. (every time)
Lotte macht nie die Hausaufgaben. (never)
These adverbs are usually placed directly after the conjugated verb.
das Adverb: An adverb describes when, where or how something happens. It refers to another word in the sentence
(e.g. a verb or adjective) or to the whole sentence.
jemanden an|rufen
ruft an, rief an, hat angerufen
to call someone
etwas auf|räumen
räumt auf, räumte auf, hat aufgeräumt

to clean up something; to tidy up something
steht auf, stand auf, ist aufgestanden
to get up
aus|gehen
geht aus, ging aus, ist ausgegangen
to go out
etwas ein|kaufen
kauft ein, kaufte ein, hat eingekauft
to buy/shop for something
fast immer
almost always
fern|sehen
sieht fern, sah fern, hat ferngesehen
to watch television
jeden Tag
every day
manchmal
sometimes
meistens
most of the time

nach
after
nie
never
normalerweise
normally
oft
öfter, am öftesten
often
der Vormittag, die Vormittage
morning; before noon
wichtig
wichtiger, am wichtigsten
important
wissen
weiß, wusste, hat gewusst
to know
Zähne putzen
putzt, putzte, hat geputzt
to brush one's teeth
If you want to say that something will happen on Saturday morning, you say "Samstagvormittag". That is also how it works with
other times of the day, e.g. "Mittwochmorgen", "Donnerstagnachmittag".
If you would like to say that something will happen on a certain weekday, you would use the preposition "am".
"am Samstag" does not necessarily have to be at the beginning of the sentence.
You can use "von" and "bis" in cases other than the time of day.
Prepositions of time: an
Wann sieht Emma fern? – Am Freitag.
When you say on which day you do something, you use the preposition an together with the article dem. The two words merge
to form am.
The position of adverbs in the sentence is relatively free. When am is used to express time, it is often placed in first position in
the sentence or immediately after the subject and the conjugated verb.
Am Freitag sieht Emma fern.
Emma sieht am Freitag fern.
Manchmal sieht Emma am Freitag fern.
an|fangen
fängt an, fing an, hat angefangen
to start
auf|hören
hört auf, hörte auf, hat aufgehört
to finish; to stop
fertig
finished
gestern
yesterday
glauben
glaubt, glaubte, hat geglaubt
to believe; to think
kochen
kocht, kochte, hat gekocht
to cook
lange
long; for a long time
(mit jemandem) mit|kommen
kommt mit, kam mit, ist mitgekommen
to come along with someone
etwas mit|schreiben
schreibt mit, schrieb mit, hat mitgeschrieben
to take notes
spät
später, am spätesten
late
die Übung, die Übungen
exercise
der Unterricht
nur Singular
lesson
etwas vor|bereiten
bereitet vor, bereitete vor, hat vorbereitet
to prepare something
jemandem etwas vor|lesen
liest vor, las vor, hat vorgelesen
to read something to somebody
Instead of "dann", you can also say "danach" or vice versa. There is no difference in meaning. Dann = then. Danach = after that.
Zuerst = first
If someone "spielt" (plays) an instrument or a type of sport with a ball, the instrument and the type of sport do not take an
article: "Gitarre spielen" (play guitar), "Ball spielen" (play ball).
With some verbs there's a vowel change from "a" to "ä". These verbs have an "a" in the infinitive. In the second-person singular
and third-person singular they have an "ä".
Examples of verbs with a vowel change from "a" to "ä": waschen, anfangen, fahren, schlafen, ausschlafen.
draußen - outside
drinnen -inside
Adverbs: sequence
When you are talking about a sequence of events, you can use adverbs of time, like zuerst, dann and danach.
Zuerst sehen Nico und Emma fern.
Dann/Danach essen Nico und Emma Eis.*
Dann/Danach spielen sie zusammen.*

*The words dann and danach have the same meaning. It does not matter whether you use dann or danach.
The adverbs of time zuerst, dann and danach often come at the beginning of the sentence, before the conjugated verb.
Vowel change: a to ä
You already know verbs with the vowel change e to i. Another group of irregular verbs has a vowel change from a to ä. Again,
these irregularities only affect the second- and third-person singular present.
Ich fahre nach Berlin. Und wohin fährst du, Lisa? – Ich fahre nach München.
Singular:
1st person ich fahre
2nd du fährst
person
3rd person er/sie/es fährt
Plural:
1st person wir fahren
2nd ihr fahrt
person
3rd person sie fahren
Formal: Sie fahren
The verbs schlafen, waschen and anfangen also have a vowel change from a to ä.
The verb anfangen is a separable verb:
Wann fängt der Film an? – Der Film fängt um 15:00 Uhr an. Die Kinderfilme fangen immer um 15:00 Uhr an.
jemanden/etwas besuchen
besucht, besuchte, hat besucht
to visit someone/something
früh
früher, am frühesten/frühsten
early
gehen
geht, ging, ist gegangen
to go; to walk
ins Bett gehen
to go to bed
ins Kino gehen

to go to the movies
Mir ist schlecht.
I don't feel well.
nach draußen gehen
to go outside
die Schokoladencreme, die Schokoladencremes
chocolate spread
Zeit haben
hat, hatte, hat gehabt
to have time
The vowel in "helfen" shifts. In the second- and third-person singular, "e" becomes "i".
The combination "von … bis ..." stands for the start and end of a time span. The preposition "ab" is used loosely and only in
connection to the start of a time period. The end point remains open.
Info: You can also say: Am Sonntag hat das Museum von ... bis ... Uhr geöffnet.
Instead of "null Uhr" you can also say "vierundzwanzig Uhr" when you want to state the end of a span of time. However, you
never say "vierundzwanzig Uhr acht."
On the phone you do not say "Auf Wiedersehen", but "Auf Wiederhören", when saying goodbye formally.
People in eastern and southwestern Germany also say "viertel eins" for 12:15 or "drei viertel eins" for 12:45.
Info: When the number of minutes is not divisible by 5, you say the number + "Minute(n)", e.g. "Es ist sieben Minuten nach
neun."
A quarter (Viertel) of 60 minutes is 15 minutes. So when telling the time, "Viertel" means 15 minutes. Note: "Viertel
nach/Viertel vor/zehn nach" cannot be used when we are telling the time beginning with the hour, e.g., "neun Uhr fünfzehn".
You say "kurz nach" or "kurz vor" if it's a matter of a couple of minutes past or before a specific time.
Minuten“ means minutes. You can always say this when the time is formulated with „vor“ or „nach“ – except when dealing with
times containing „Viertel“ or „halb“.
Here you can also say: "Sie kommt in einer Dreiviertelstunde." "Dreiviertelstunde" literally means three fourths of an hour, or
45 minutes.
Er kommt in einer halben Stunde." "Halbe Stunde" means half an hour.
Here you can also say: "Nina kommt in einer Viertelstunde." "Viertelstunde" means quarter of an hour.
Here you can also say: "Er kommt in einer Stunde." "Stunde" means hour.
Beispiel:
Wann bist du da?
Ich bin in zehn Minuten da.
Time specification: 24-hour clock
Es ist siebzehn Uhr vierzig.
or:
Es ist siebzehn Uhr und vierzig Minuten.
In the media and for official appointments the time is usually given using the 24-hour clock.
 All the 24 hours are counted.
 At midnight you can say: Es ist null Uhr or: Es ist vierundzwanzig Uhr.
 First you say the hour and then the minutes.
Time: 12-hour clock (2)
Es ist zwanzig vor sechs (morgens/nachmittags).
or:
Es ist zwanzig Minuten vor sechs.
In daily life the time is usually given in this way.
 You use the twelve-hour clock.

 If necessary you can
add morgens, vormittags, mittags, nachmittags, abends or nachts, in order to
make the time of day clear.
 First say the minutes and then the hours.
 By using the prepositions vor and nach you can state the interval to- or from-
the full hour (plus or minus twenty minutes) and to the half-hour (when it is
less than ten minutes).
 When the period before or after the full hour is 15 minutes, instead of stating
the number of minutes you use the word Viertel:
17:45 Uhr: Es ist Viertel vor sechs.
18:15 Uhr: Es ist Viertel nach sechs.
 With half hours, instead of stating the number of minutes, you say:
Es ist halb + the number of the next full hour:
17:30 Uhr: Es ist halb sechs.
Overview:
12:00 Es ist zwölf Uhr.
Uhr
12:05 Es ist fünf (Minuten) nach zwölf.
Uhr
12:10 Es ist zehn (Minuten) nach zwölf.
Uhr
12:15 Es ist Viertel nach zwölf.*
Uhr
12:20 Es ist zwanzig (Minuten) nach zwölf.
Uhr
12:25 Es ist fünf (Minuten) vor halb eins.
Uhr
12:30 Es ist halb eins.
Uhr
12:35 Es ist fünf (Minuten) nach halb eins.
Uhr
12:40 Es ist zwanzig (Minuten) vor eins.
Uhr
12:45 Es ist Viertel vor eins.*
Uhr
12:50 Es ist zehn (Minuten) vor eins.
Uhr
12:55 Es ist fünf (Minuten) vor eins.
Uhr
13:00 Es ist ein Uhr.**
Uhr
* In some parts of Germany you also hear:
12:15 Uhr: Es ist viertel eins.
12:45 Uhr: Es ist drei viertel eins.
** When stating the full hour, the word Uhr is often used. With the number one, note that when the word Uhr is used, you
say: ein. If you do not use the word Uhr you say: eins.
Prepositions of time
Time with prepositions
Use the question word Wann …? when asking about time. Answer using the prepositions um, am (= an + dem), im (= in +
dem) or in.
um + time:
Wann stehst du auf?
Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf.
am + day of the week:
Wann gehst du ins Kino?
Ich gehe am Freitag ins Kino.
im + month or season:
Wann ist die Party?
Die Party ist im August.
Wann hast du Geburtstag?
Ich habe im Sommer Geburtstag.
in + a later point in time (in … Minuten, Tagen, Wochen, Monaten, Jahren):
Wann beginnt der Kurs?
Der Kurs beginnt in 20 Minuten.

There are different ways to ask about periods of time.
If you want to know when something starts and ends you ask: Von wann … bis wann …? You answer with:
von … bis …+ time or day of the week:
Von wann bis wann arbeitest du?
Ich arbeite von Montag bis Freitag von acht Uhr bis fünf Uhr.
If you only want to know when something begins, you ask: Ab wann …? You answer with:
ab + time or day of the week
Ab wann hat das Restaurant geöffnet?
Das Restaurant hat ab neun Uhr geöffnet.
ab
from
ab wann
from when (on)
allein
umgangssprachlich auch: alleine
alone
am
on
Auf Wiederhören!
Goodbye! (on the telephone)
die Dreiviertelstunde, die Dreiviertelstunden
Plural selten
three-quarters of an hour; 45 minutes
geöffnet haben
to be open (as in: a store, business, etc.)
geschlossen haben
to be closed (as in: a store, business, etc.)
halbe Stunde
half an hour
in
in
kurz nach
shortly after
kurz vor
shortly before
leider
unfortunately
das Mittagsangebot, die Mittagsangebote
lunch dish; lunch menu
nach
after
die Öffnungszeit, die Öffnungszeiten
opening hours; business hours
die Stunde, die Stunden
hour
die Viertelstunde, die Viertelstunden
Plural selten
quarter of an hour
Viertel nach
quarter past
Viertel vor
quarter to
vor
before
(auf jemanden/etwas) warten
wartet, wartete, hat gewartet

to wait (for so./sth.)
Info: When the number of minutes is not divisible by 5, you say the number + "Minute(n)", e.g. "Es ist sieben Minuten nach
neun."
You say "kurz nach" or "kurz vor" if it's a matter of a couple of minutes past or before a specific time.
Ordinal numbers from 1 to 19
Ordinal numbers are used when saying the date in German. Look at the numbers. Which three ordinal numbers have irregular
forms?
Ordnungszahlen 1 bis 19
1. der Erste
2. der Zweite
3. der Dritte
4. der Vierte
5. der Fünfte
6. der Sechste
7. der Siebte
8. der Achte
9. der Neunte
10. der Zehnte
11. der Elfte
12. der Zwölfte
13. der Dreizehnte
14. der Vierzehnte
15. der Fünfzehnte
16. der Sechzehnte
17. der Siebzehnte
18. der Achtzehnte
19. der Neunzehnte
When you write an ordinal number in digits in German, you use a period. For example: "Heute ist der 1. November."
The ordinal numbers on their own like "der Erste" etc. are written with an uppercase letter. However, if the ordinal number is
followed by a noun, then it's written all in lowercase: "der erste Mann".
If you say: "Heute ist der ... ", the ordinal numbers from 1 to 19 end with: -te. Ordinal numbers from 20 onwards end with: -
ste.
Note! "vorgestern", "gestern" etc. are only written with the first letter in uppercase when they come at the beginning
of a sentence.
The day after "übermorgen" is called "überübermorgen." What do you think the day before "vorgestern" is called? That’s right:
"vorvorgestern."
When you would like to know what the date tomorrow is, you ask, "Der Wievielte ist morgen?" or "Welches Datum haben wir
morgen?"
"der 7." = "der Siebte".
"der 3." = "der Dritte".
When you do not say the exact date, but would only like to mention that something will happen in a specific month, you say
"im", then state the name of the month.
When you mention a date, use the preposition "am". For a span of time with two dates, use "vom … bis zum …".: am
fünfzehnten Dezember
Instead of the name of the month, you can also say: "Vom dritten bis zum fünften Ersten… " January is the first month of the
year. February is the second month, and so on.
When you reserve a table at a restaurant, say how many people are coming: "Ich möchte einen Tisch für zwei Personen
reservieren."
Instead of "vormittags, nachmittags ...", you can also say "am Vormittag, am Nachmittag ...".
Ordinal numbers
Heute ist der siebzehnte Januar.
Ordinal numbers can be used to determine a sequence. They give the position of an element in a succession of elements. For
example, the days of the month form a sequence in which one day occupies a certain position:
der siebzehnte Januar = the seventeenth day in the month of January

The ordinal number is written with a point after it.:
der 17. Januar
Formation of ordinal numbers
For numbers one to 19 in the singular, add the ending -te to the cardinal number.
The ordinal numbers for one, three and seven have an irregular form.
eins der erste Januar
zwei der zweite Januar
drei der dritte Januar
vier der vierte Januar
fünf der fünfte Januar
sechs der sechste Januar

sieben der siebte Januar
acht der achte Januar
neun der neunte Januar
zehn der zehnte Januar
elf der elfte Januar
zwölf der zwölfte Januar
dreizeh der dreizehnte Januar
vierzehn der vierzehnte Januar
From 20 onwards, the forms are regular. Always add the ending -ste to the cardinal number:
zwanzig der zwanzigste Januar
einundzwanzig der einundzwanzigste Januar
zweiundzwanzig der zweiundzwanzigste Januar
dreiundzwanzig der dreiundzwanzigste Januar
vierundzwanzig der vierundzwanzigste Januar
dreißig der dreißigste Januar
einunddreißig der einunddreißigste Januar
Dates
The months of the year are also in a set sequence. When giving a date, you can say the name of the month or give the month in
the form of another ordinal number.

or:
Heute ist der siebzehnte Erste.
After prepositions of time, the ending of the ordinal number changes from
-(s)te to -(s)ten:
but:
Am siebzehnten Januar fahre ich nach Berlin.
When a date is given, some prepositions that come before the ordinal number also change:
von -> vom (= von + dem)
bis -> bis zum
Vom siebzehnten bis zum fünfundzwanzigsten Januar habe ich Urlaub.
Das passt gut.
That works/That's fine.
das Datum, die Daten
date
Der Wievielte ist heute?

the date (today)
mittags
at noon; at midday
morgens
in the mornings; every morning
nachmittags
in the afternoon; in the afternoons
übermorgen
the day after tomorrow
vorgestern
the day before yesterday
vormittags
mornings; in the morning (regularly)
"dies-" or "nächst-" ("this" or "next") are not just used in connection with weeks, but also individual days of the week, months
or years.
You can also use "dies-"and "nächst-" with "das Wochenende": dieses Wochenende/nächstes Wochenende.
Diesen Monat arbeite ich. Nächsten Monat habe ich Urlaub. Diese Woche… ” When dealing with the week after this coming
week, you can say: “übernächsten Sonntag” or “übernächste Woche”.
Here, "können" has the meaning "Zeit haben." However, it is mostly used as an auxiliary verb with another verb: "Ich kann
kochen." (I can cook.)
With "können" there's a vowel change in the first-, second-, and third-person singular. "ö" changes to "a": können – ich kann.
Note the verb endings too:

In the first-person singular there is no "-e" at the end of the word: ich kann.
In the third-person singular there is no "-t" at the end of the word: er/sie/es kann.
So, the verb endings in the first- and third-person singular are identical.
When you ask where you are going, you say "ins Kino" and when you ask where you will meet, you say "im Kino".
Tip: "treffen" undergoes a vowel change in second and third-person singular: "ich treffe, du triffst, er trifft." Write a list of other
verbs that also have a shift from "e" to "i".
Here you use "viel" if you want to say that someone is very early or very late to a meeting.
Conjugation: können
Kannst du am Montag? – Nein, am Montag kann ich nicht.
The verb können belongs to the special group of verbs known as "modal verbs". These verbs are conjugated differently
from the verbs that you already know.:
 Modal verbs often have a different vowel in the singular than in the plural.
 The form of the first- and third-person singular is the same: the verb has no
ending.
Singular
1st person ich kann
2nd du kannst
person
3rd person er/sie/es kann

Plural
1st person wir können
2nd ihr könnt
person
3rd person sie können
Formal Sie können
Time: dies-/nächst-
Kannst du diese Woche? – Nein, aber nächste Woche habe ich Zeit.
In addition to the time phrases that you already know, you can also give time details using the words dies- und nächst-. You can
combine these with a noun, e.g. Monat, Woche or Jahr. The times are often in the accusative, so pay attention to the endings.
Accusative
masculine diesen Monat
(der) nächsten Monat

feminine (die) diese Woche
nächste Woche
neuter (das) dieses Jahr
nächstes Jahr
etwas/jemanden brauchen
braucht, brauchte, hat gebraucht
to need something/somebody
Das geht.
That works./That's OK.
den ganzen Tag
the entire day
dieser, diese, dieses
this
erst
just; only
Ich habe Lust.
I feel like.../I would enjoy...
Ich habe keine Lust.
I don't feel like it.

können
kann, konnte
to be able to; can
Lust (auf etwas) haben
to feel like something; to have a desire for something
nächster, nächste, nächstes
next
noch
still (i.e., still raining, still asleep)
nur
only; just
schon
already
(jemanden) treffen
trifft, traf, hat getroffen
to meet (someone)
wann
when
"hatte" means had.

In Germany there is a timetable for buses, streetcars and trains. Nevertheless, buses and trains sometimes do come late. ("Der
Bus hat Verspätung.")
If one of your friends is delayed and you want to say that they should not worry, you can say, e.g.,: "Kein Problem" or "Das ist
schon okay."
"Das habe ich total vergessen" means that you completely forgot something (in this case an appointment).
The past tense is a grammatical tense for the past used in German. The verb forms in past tense and in present tense do not
have the same endings.
Conjugation:
ich hatte
du hattest
er/sie/es hatte
wir hatten
ihr hattet
sie (Lisa und Nina) hatten
Sie hatten
Careful! "(Das) tut mir sehr leid" intensifies "(Das) tut mir leid". "Oh Mann!" is a colloquial interjection used when you are upset
about something – even about yourself.
: With "Du bist immer zu spät" and "Schon wieder?" you can express your irritation about someone always being late.
Simple past: haben
A verb in the simple past indicates that the action took place in the past. You already know the simple past of the verb sein. The
verb haben is also often used in the simple past, e.g. when explaining why you arrived late:
Tut mir leid, mein Auto hatte eine Panne.
Tut mir leid, der Bus hatte Verspätung.
Below is another overview of the present:
Mein Auto hat (jetzt) eine Panne.

Singular
1st person ich habe
2nd du hast
person
3rd person er/sie/es hat
Plural
1st person wir haben
2nd ihr habt
person
3rd person sie haben
Formal Sie haben
The simple past is formed like this:

Mein Auto hatte (gestern) eine Panne.
Singular
1st person ich hatte
2nd du hattest
person
3rd person er/sie/es hatte
Plural
1st person wir hatten
2nd ihr hattet
person
3rd person sie hatten
Formal Sie hatten

das Präsens: The present is a verb tense. It is used when we are talking about events, activities or situations that take
place in the present or are ongoing.
das Präteritum: The simple past is a verb tense. It is used mainly in written language to describe events, activities or
situations that took place in the past. Certain verbs, e.g. haben are also used in the simple past in spoken language.
etwas ab|sagen
sagt ab, sagte ab, hat abgesagt
to cancel something
Das macht nichts.
That doesn't matter.
jemandem etwas geben
gibt, gab, hat gegeben
to give something to someone
glauben
glaubt, glaubte, hat geglaubt
to believe; to think
Ist schon gut.
It's all good./That's fine.
die Langeweile
nur Singular
boredom
langsam
langsamer, am langsamsten
slow
Spaß haben
to have fun
später
later
der Stau, die Staus
alternativer Plural: Staue
traffic jam
das Treffen, die Treffen
meeting
unpünktlich
unpünktlicher, am unpünktlichsten
tardy
die Verspätung, die Verspätungen
delay; late arrival
Viele Grüße
best regards
voll
full; filled
wie
as
When asked what you do professionally, you can answer like this: "Ich arbeite als Lehrerin." / "Ich bin Lehrerin (von
Beruf)."
Feminine names of professions often have the ending "-in":
der Pilot – die Pilotin
Some feminine names of professions also have an "Umlaut":
der Arzt – die Ärztin
An exception is, for example:
der Bankkaufmann – die Bankkauffrau
You make the plural of feminine words that end with "-in" like this: die Pilotin – die Pilotinnen / die Freundin – die Freundinnen.
The possessive determiner in the accusative:
With feminine and neuter nouns as well as plural nouns, the ending of the preceding possessive determiner is the same in the
accusative and nominative cases. With masculine nouns in the accusative, the preceding pronoun always ends in "-en".
Word formation: professions
In German the words for job titles are different, depending on whether you are talking about a man or a woman.
The feminine form is usually created by adding -in to the masculine form. Unlike masculine job titles, feminine ones ending in -
in have a regular plural:
masculine feminine
Singular der Lehrer die Lehrerin

Plural die Lehrer die Lehrerinnen
masculine feminine
Singular der Ingenieur die Ingenieurin
Plural die Ingenieure die Ingenieurinnen
masculine feminine
Singular der Pilot die Pilotin
Plural die Piloten die Pilotinnen
masculine feminine
Singular der Computerexperte* die Computerexpertin*

Plural die Computerexperten die Computerexpertinnen
*When the masculine job title ends with -e, this is replaced by -in in the feminine.
Sometimes the feminine form also gets an umlaut.
masculine feminine
Singular der Arzt die Ärztin
Plural die Ärzte die Ärztinnen
masculine feminine
Singular der Koch die Köchin

Plural die Köche die
Köchinnen
masculine feminine
Singular der Anwalt die Anwältin
Plural die Anwälte die Anwältinnen
There are also some feminine job titles that are formed completely differently:
masculine feminine
Singular der Bankkaufmann die Bankkauffrau
Plural die die Bankkauffrauen
Bankkaufmänner
masculine feminine
Singular der Krankenpfleger die Krankenschwester
Plural die Krankenpfleger die Krankenschwestern
When we are talking about a professional group that includes men and women, the masculine plural is often used. Because this
may be considered discriminatory, today both forms are often used together, or a neutral plural is used.
Viele Ärzte und Ärztinnen arbeiten auch nachts.
Bankkaufleute arbeiten in einer Bank.
Possessive determiners (2)
Possessive determiners in the accusative
To express ownership or belonging, the possessive determiner is used instead of the indefinite article. The noun with the
possessive determiner is in the accusative after many verbs, e.g. mögen (ich mag), lieben, brauchen, lesen, anrufen, aufräumen.
In the singular, the endings are the same as the indefinite article.
masculine (der Job):
Ich habe einen Job.
Ich mag meinen Job.
feminine (die Arbeit):
Ich habe eine Arbeit.
Ich mag meine Arbeit.

neuter (das Büro):
Ich habe ein Büro.
Ich mag mein Büro.
In the accusative plural, the possessive determiner ends in -e.
Plural (die Kollegen):
Ich habe Kollegen.
Ich mag meine Kollegen.
The possessive determiners can therefore take the following forms in the accusative:
Perso Possessive determiners
ich meinen/meine/mein
(+ Singular)
meine (+ Plural)
du deinen/deine/dein
(+ Singular)
deine (+ Plural)
er/es seinen/seine/sein
(+ Singular)
seine (+ Plural)
sie ihren/ihre/ihr
(+ Singular)
ihre (+ Plural)
wir unseren/unsere/unser
(+ Singular)
unsere (+ Plural)
ihr euren/eure/euer
(+ Singular)
eure (+ Plural)
sie ihren/ihre/ihr
(+ Singular)
ihre (+ Plural)
Sie Ihren/Ihre/Ihr
(+ Singular)
Ihre (+ Plural)
von Beruf
by profession; by trade
beruflich
for work; professionally
fest
here: fixed; permanent; steady
etwas leiten
leitet, leitete, hat geleitet
to manage; to head something
etwas mögen
mag, mochte, hat gemocht
to like something
Stimmt.
That's right.
Viel Erfolg.
Good luck!
In the declarative sentence with the modal verb "müssen", the conjugated modal verb is in the second position, and the main
verb in the infinitive is at the end of the sentence:
Ein Bankkaufmann muss Kunden beraten.
Careful! The modal verb is in position two in the main clause as the conjunction "aber" is not counted when determining the
position.
Nico mochte Musik horen, aber er muss Vokabeln lernen.
Did you notice anything? The sentence structure is the same as with the modal verb "müssen": The conjugated modal verb
"können" is in the second position in a declarative sentence, and the infinitive is at the end of the sentence.
Nico kann Teller in die Kuche bringen.
Modal verbs
Modal verbs: können and müssen
The verbs können and müssen are modal verbs. They usually occur in a sentence with a second verb. The modal verb describes
the relationship of the subject to the action, which is then expressed by the second verb.
Factual description of an action:
Ich stehe auf.
Modal verb können: Description of a possibility or ability:
Ich kann aufstehen. (I am not seriously ill or injured. I am in a position to get up.)
Modal verb müssen: Description of a necessity:
Ich muss aufstehen. (I have an appointment or have to go to work. I am compelled to get up.)
Conjugation of modal verbs
Modal verbs are conjugated differently from "normal" verbs:
 Modal verbs often have a different vowel in the singular than in the plural.
 The form of the first- and third-person singular is the same. The verb has no
ending.
Example: müssen
Singular
1st person ich muss
2nd person du musst
3rd person er/sie/es muss
Plural
1st person wir müssen
2nd person ihr müsst
3rd person sie müssen
Formal (singular and Sie müssen
plural)
Modal verbs in a sentence
 In a simple statement in the present, the modal verb comes in second position
in its conjugated form.
 The second verb comes at the end of the sentence in the infinitive, i.e., this
verb is not conjugated.
Subject and modal verb 2nd verb (infinitive)
Ich muss morgen arbeiten.
Du musst morgen arbeiten.
Er muss morgen arbeiten.
Wir müssen morgen arbeiten.
Ihr müsst morgen arbeiten.
Sie müssen morgen arbeiten.
The sentence parts can be placed in a different order. However, the position of the modal verb and infinitive does not
change: Morgen muss ich arbeiten.
das Modalverb: Modal verbs are verbs that usually relate to a second verb, defining it more precisely. They make clear,
for example, whether something is possible or necessary. In a sentence in the present tense, the modal verb is
conjugated, while the second verb is used in the infinitive.
der Infinitiv: The infinitive is the basic form of the verb that is not conjugated. This is the form of the verb that you
usually find in vocabulary lists or in the dictionary. German verbs usually end in -(e)n in the infinitive.
Multi-part predicates
When a statement has more than one verb or several verb parts, the following rules apply:
 A verb or verb part comes in second position and is conjugated.

 The other verbs or verb parts come at the end of the sentence. Their form is
not adapted to the subject, but always stays the same.
Examples of this sentence structure are sentences with modal verbs and sentences with separable verbs.
Ich muss morge arbeiten.
Du musst morge arbeiten.
Ich stehe jetzt auf.
Er steht jetzt auf.
Ich muss jetzt aufstehen.
Ihr müsst jetzt aufstehen.
The position of sentence parts can of course be changed. However, the position of the conjugated verb and other verbs does
not change:
Morgen muss ich arbeiten.
Jetzt stehe ich auf.
Jetzt muss ich aufstehen.
das Arbeitstreffen, die Arbeitstreffen
work meeting
jemanden beraten
berät, beriet, hat beraten
to advise someone
jemandem etwas bringen
bringt, brachte, hat gebracht
to bring something to someone
etwas buchen
bucht, buchte, hat gebucht
to book something
überprüft, überprüfte, hat überprüft
to review one's finances
jeder, jede, jedes
every; each
lecker
leckerer, am leckersten
delicious
der Traumberuf, die Traumberufe

dream job
etwas unterschreiben
unterschreibt, unterschrieb, hat unterschrieben
to sign something
der Vertrag, die Verträge
contract; agreement; treaty
die Vokabel, die Vokabeln
vocabulary word
(etwas) zählen
zählt, zählte, hat gezählt
to count something
"Schild" means sign, "Notausgang" means emergency exit and "Tür" means door.
We usually answer the question "wo?" with one of the nine two-case prepositions:
"in , auf , unter , über , vor , hinter , neben , an , zwischen ". These prepositions can take either the dative or the accusative
case, hence the name "two-case preposition." When we use "wo", we're asking about a place, not a direction. This two-case
preposition is then followed by the dative.
The dative form of the article for masculine and neuter nouns is "dem" or "einem". The dative form for feminine nouns is "der"
or "einer". The dative form of the definite article for plural nouns is "den".
The dative
Entschuldigung, wo kann ich einen Kaffee trinken? – In der Cafeteria.
Und wo ist die Cafeteria? – Die Cafeteria ist in der dritten Etage.
The dative
You already know two cases that a noun can take: nominative and accusative. The third case is dative, in which all the articles
change.
Dative
masculine
(der Flur) dem Flur
einem Flur
feminine
(die Cafeteria) der Cafeteria
einer Cafeteria
neuter
(das Büro) dem Büro
einem Büro
plural
(die Konferenzräume) den
Konferenzräumen*
Konferenzräumen*
*In the dative it is not just the article that changes. Most nouns have the ending -n in the plural. Exceptions: nouns that end in -
n or -s do not get an additional -n.
Two-case prepositions (1)
When describing where someone or something is, a preposition + dative is often used.
Look at the examples with in + dative:
Wo warten Nico und Max? – Im Flur. (im = in dem)
Wo kann ich Kaffee trinken? – In der Cafeteria.
Wo ist Herr Müller? – Im Büro. (im = in dem)
Wo finden die Bewerbungsgespräche statt? – In den Konferenzräumen.

Some prepositions, e.g. in, can be used with the dative as well as with the accusative. Prepositions of place with the dative are
always used in answer to the question Wo …? These prepositions are known as two-case prepositions.
There are nine two-case prepositions:
in, an, unter, über, auf, vor, hinter, neben and zwischen.
Nico und Max warten im Flur.
Das Schild ist an der Tür.
Das Schild ist unter dem Fenster.
Das Schild ist über der Tür.

Emma sitzt auf dem Stuhl.
Emma sitzt vor dem Stuhl.
Emma steht hinter dem Stuhl.
Emma steht neben dem Stuhl.
Emma steht zwischen den Stühlen.

Sometimes a short form can be made out of a preposition and an article:
in + dem = im
an + dem = am
der Dativ: In German there are four different forms or categories (cases) of noun, known as Fälle or Kasus. As well as
nominative and accusative, there is also dative. Nouns take this case when, for example, they come after certain
prepositions or are the object of a verb that takes the dative. The articles have the forms: dem/einem, der/einer,
dem/einem, den/-. In the plural an -n is often added to the noun.
In simple statements using modal verbs, the second verb takes the infinitive form and comes at the end of the sentence.
In this instance, "etwas werden" means to be, as in to learn a profession or begin a career.
Modal verbs: wollen
Willst du studieren? – Nein, ich will nicht studieren!
The verb wollen also belongs to the group of modal verbs. It expresses a will or intention.
As with most of the modal verbs, the vowel changes in the singular.
Singular:
1st person ich will
2nd person du willst

3rd person er/sie/es/man will
Plural:
1st person wir wollen
2nd person ihr wollt
3rd person sie wollen
Formal (singular and plural): Sie wollen
Modal verbs: the meaning
So far you know three modal verbs: können, müssen and wollen:
The modal verb können expresses an ability or possibility:
Nico kann studieren. (He has the mental ability and the financial means to study.)
In the singular, the vowel ö changes to a.
The modal verb müssen expresses a necessity or compulsion:
Nico muss studieren. (His parents are putting pressure on him. If he does not study this will have negative consequences for
him.)
In the singular the vowel ü changes to u.
The modal verb wollen expresses a desire or intention:
Nico will studieren. (He wishes or plans to study.)
In the singular the vowel o changes to i.
There is one more modal verb that is used to express wishes, möchten (mögen):
Nico möchte studieren.
The modal verbs wollen and möchten are similar in meaning. Both describe something that one would like to have or do, but
with a different emphasis.
 Ich möchte … describes a wish and sounds more polite.

 Ich will … is stronger and more definite.
The verb möchten is conjugated differently from the other modal verbs. This is because möchten is a special form of the
verb mögen. But here too, the first- and third-person singular are identical.
Singular:
1st person ich möchte
2nd person du möchtest
3rd person er/sie/es möchte
Plural:
1st person wir möchten

2nd person ihr möchtet
3rd person sie möchten
Formal (singular and plural): Sie möchten
still
stiller, am stillsten
quiet
weg
away
etwas werden
wird, wurde, ist geworden
to become something
wollen
will, wollte, hat gewollt
to want
New words: "neben" is used when something is right next to something else. "in der Nähe" can mean many things: nearby, but
also relatively far away. Two towns can also be "in der Nähe" when they are 20 km apart.
Did you notice anything? The preposition "bei" is often used with company names: bei Siemens, bei Bosch, bei BMW, bei VW,
bei Lidl, bei Aldi.
Did you notice anything? Here, we say "bei der Post" because it is "die Post". The preposition "bei" is followed by the dative.
Prepositions: bei, von

Wo arbeiten Sie? – Ich arbeite bei …
When you say which company you work for, you use the preposition bei + the company name.
Ich arbeite bei Siemens / bei Aldi / bei Auto Müller / …
If the company name has an article, this is in the dative case.
Ich arbeite beim Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge. (beim = bei + dem)
Ich arbeite bei der Post.
Wo ist Potsdam? – Potsdam ist in der Nähe von …
When explaining where an unknown place is, you often name a place nearby that is larger and better-known. Then you use the
expression in der Nähe von.
Potsdam ist in der Nähe von Berlin.
When the place has an article, this is in the dative case.
Das Kino ist in der Nähe vom Bahnhof. (vom = von + dem)
Das Museum ist in der Nähe von der Touristeninformation.
Prepositions of place: in, an
Revision: giving the street/square
When you want to explain what street someone or something is in, you use the two-case preposition in + dative. Pay attention
to the article of the street name:

(die Straße) Frau Kohlhaas wohnt in der Kälberstraße 4.
(die Allee) Jürgen Brunner wohnt in der Lindenallee 19.
(die Gasse) Die WG ist in der Wagnergasse 136.
(der Weg) Selma wohnt im Wiesenweg 8. (im = in + dem)
When we are not talking about a street, but about a square, we use am (= an + dem).
(der Platz) Das Restaurant von Max und Tarek ist am Friedensplatz 22.
etwas behalten
behält, behielt, hat behalten
to keep; to maintain
bei
here: at
etwas
something
jemandem etwas schenken
schenkt, schenkte, hat geschenkt
to give someone something (a present)
etwas zurück|geben
gibt zurück, gab zurück, hat zurückgegeben
to give something back; to return something
Next
Careful! When explaining how to get somewhere with a car, you use "fahren".
New words: When you say "bis zu …" it means the following: You keep on going until you reach the location specified. It is
usually followed by a change in direction.
New words: "über die Kreuzung, eine Straße oder einen Platz gehen" means "die Kreuzung, eine Straße oder einen Platz
überqueren".
New words: "abbiegen" means to go around a corner in this situation. You can also use the verb "fahren" if you are referring to
driving a car.
Do you notice anything? For directions, as in when showing someone the way, the conjugated verb comes at the beginning of
the sentence.
New words: You say "auf der linken Seite" when a building is located on the left side of a street. You say "auf der rechten
Seite" for the right side.
In formal imperative sentences, the verb (e.g. "gehen") is in the first position. "Sie" follows in the second position.
Example:
Gehen Sie hier links.
Prepositions of place (1)
When you are using prepositions of place, you need to pay attention to two things:
 Does your sentence answer the question Wo …? (location) or the

question Wohin …? (direction)?
 Is the preposition followed by the accusative or the dative?
Here is another overview of the articles in the accusative and the dative:
Accusative Dative
Masculine:
(der) den/einen dem/einem
Feminine:
(die) die/eine der/einer
Neuter:
(das) das/ein dem/einem
Plural:
(die) die/ - den/ -
Two-case prepositions
Two-case prepositions are so named, because the case of the following noun can change:
a) Location: Wo …?
Two-case prepositions in / an / unter / über / auf / vor / hinter / neben / zwischen + dative
(das Zentrum:) Der Bahnhof ist im Zentrum. (im = in + dem)
(die Universität:) Die Oper ist neben der Universität.
b) Direction: Wohin …?
Two-case prepositions in / an / unter / über / auf / vor / hinter / neben / zwischen + accusative
(die Goethestraße:) Ihr geht in die Goethestraße.
(der Marktplatz:) Ihr geht über den Marktplatz.

Fixed-case prepositions
All other prepositions or prepositional phrases have a fixed case, i.e. they are followed by one case only, usually the dative or
accusative. For example, with these prepositions the dative can also be used to answer the question Wohin …?. Here are some
examples:
a) zu + dative
(der Bahnhof:) Ihr geht zum Bahnhof. (zum = zu dem)
(die Touristeninformation:) Ihr geht zur Touristeninformation. (zur = zu der)
(das Schloss:) Ihr geht zum Schloss. (zum = zu dem)
(die Parkplätze:) Ihr geht zu den Parkplätzen.
When you want to stress the end of a route, you use bis zu:
Ihr geht geradeaus bis zum Bahnhof. Dann geht ihr links in die Hauptstraße.
b) an + dative + vorbei
(der Supermarkt:) Ihr geht am Supermarkt vorbei. (am = an + dem)
(die Sprachschule:) Ihr geht an der Sprachschule vorbei.'
(das Theater:) Ihr geht am Theater vorbei. (am = an + dem)
(die Hochhäuser:) Ihr geht an den Hochhäusern vorbei.
c) durch + accusative
(der Park:) Ihr geht durch den Park.
(die Fußgängerzone:) Ihr geht durch die Fußgängerzone.
(das Tor:) Ihr geht durch das Tor.
(die Straßen): Ihr geht durch die Straßen.
The formal imperative
The imperative is used to express a wish, request or order. This form is used, for example, to explain to someone how to get to
a particular place. If you address the person with Sie, you use the formal imperative.
The formal imperative is created by putting the conjugated verb in first position, before the personal pronoun.
Statement:
Si gehen geradeaus.
Si überqueren den Schillerplatz.
Imperative sentence:
Gehen Sie geradeaus.
Überquere Sie den Schillerplatz.
The verb sein is irregular in the imperative:
Statement: Sie sind pünktlich.
Imperative sentence: Seien Sie pünktlich.

der Imperativ: The imperative is a special form of the verb. It is used to express a wish, a request or an order.
auf der linken Seite
on the left side; on the left-hand side
auf der rechten Seite
on the right side
bis zu
(up) to
dorthin
(to) there (implies motion towards)
durch
through
die Ecke, die Ecken
corner
das Ende, die Enden
end; ending
entlang|gehen
geht entlang, ging entlang, ist entlanggegangen

to walk down; to walk along
geradeaus
straight ahead
die Kreuzung, die Kreuzungen
intersection
der Laden, die Läden
shop
nah
näher, am nächsten
close; nearby
der Park, die Parks
park
biegen
biegt, bog, hat gebogen
to turn left/right on to a street
überqueren
überquert, überquerte, hat überquert
to cross
vorbei|gehen
geht vorbei, ging vorbei, ist vorbeigegangen
to pass (by)
weit
weiter, am weitesten
far; long
zu
on; at
zu Fuß gehen
to go by foot
New words: Instead of "Fährst du mit dem Bus zur Arbeit?", you can also ask: "Nimmst du den Bus zur Arbeit?". Here, you
do not need the preposition "mit". Do you recognize the verb? The infinitive is "nehmen".
Did you know? Here, "U" stands for "Untergrund" (underground) – even if the U-Bahn does not always run underground.
Did you notice anything? "mit" is always followed by the dative.
New words: "ankommen" is a separable verb. It means that you arrive at a particular destination.
Careful! The pronunciation of the word "Linie" is an exception. Usually, the combination "ie" is pronounced as a long "i",
and the "e" is silent. In "Linie", however, both sounds are pronounced.
Info: Do you live in Germany? Have you noticed that people shorten their statements? Instead of "Die Fahrkarte kostet 4
Euro.", they may say "4 Euro". However, you should answer in complete sentences for now.
Prepositions: mit
Wie kommst du zur Arbeit? – Ich fahre mit dem Fahrrad.
The preposition mit is often used to identify the means or the manner. It is also used with means of transport. The
preposition mit always takes the dative case.
Masculine: der Bus, der Zug
Ich fahre mit dem Bus.
Ich fahre mit dem Zug.
Feminine: die U-Bahn, die Buslinie
Ich fahre mit der U-Bahn.
Ich fahre mit der Buslinie 11.
Neuter: das Auto, das Fahrrad
Ich fahre mit dem Auto.
Ich fahre mit dem Fahrrad.
Plural: die Buslinien
Ich fahre mit den Buslinien 9 und 16.
dauern
dauert, dauerte, hat gedauert
to last
der Fahrplan, die Fahrpläne
timetable; schedule
die Fahrt, die Fahrten
journey
hin und zurück
there and back; to and from (often used to imply roundtrip travel)
hoffentlich
hopefully
mit
by
um|steigen
steigt um, stieg um, ist umgestiegen
to change (trains, buses etc.)
wie lange
how long
New words: A sign hangs on the door: "Vorübergehend geschlossen." This means that the store is temporarily closed
despite what the opening hours say.
New words: A ring binder can "stehen", when it is standing on a shelf. It can "liegen", when it is lying flat.
New words: "hängen" is used when an object is hanging on the wall.
Careful! "Mit" is only said before "einem Bildschirm" here. You can also repeat "mit" in front of the other nouns but this is
not necessary. It is obvious that "mit" also refers to them.
there are two different ways to pronounce the "r" sound: "r" as in "rechts" and "r" as in "zur". Listen and repeat out loud.
Info: Have you noticed that "r" is pronounced more like the German "a" at the end of a syllable?
The prepositions "neben", "hinter", "unter", "über", "in", "an", "auf", "vor" and "zwischen" take the dative after the
question "Wo?".
The combination of "in + dem" often becomes "im". The combination of "an + dem" often becomes "am".
New words: "Endlich!", indicates that Nico is glad Lisa is finally there, and that he has waited a long time. Instead of
"stimmt", you can say "richtig". Do you remember? When giving a tip, you say "Stimmt so".
New words: With "Das kann nicht sein", Nina indicates that she thinks it is impossible that the cell phone has been lost. You
can say "Schönen Tag noch" to wish someone a good day.
Two-case prepositions (2)
Two-case prepositions are so-called because they can change the case of the following noun, sometimes to the dative and
sometimes to the accusative.
a) Location: Wo …?
Two-case prepositions in / an / unter / über / auf / vor / hinter / neben / zwischen + dative
(der Schrank:) Das Papier ist im Schrank. (im = in + dem)
(die Tastatur:) Die Stifte sind neben der Tastatur.
b) Direction: Wohin …?
Two-case prepositions in / an / unter / über / auf / vor / hinter / neben / zwischen + accusative
(der Tisch:) Ich lege den Zettel auf den Tisch.
(das Regal:) Ich lege das Buch ins Regal. (ins = in das)
Here is another overview of the articles in the accusative and the dative:
Accusative Dative
Masculine
(der) den/einen dem/einem
Feminine
(die) die/eine der/einer
Neuter
(das) das/ein dem/einem
Plural
(die) die/ - den/ -
Das kann nicht sein.
That cannot be.
Ich muss los.
I have to go.
liegen
liegt, lag, hat gelegen
to lie, to be in a horizontal position

Schönen Tag noch!
umgangssprachlich
Have a good rest of the day!
schrecklich
schrecklicher, am schrecklichsten
awful
der Verkehr
nur Singular
traffic
Careful! Not all German nouns have a plural form – "Milch", "Butter" and "Quark" are examples of nouns without a plural.
Quark is a dairy product, similar to a thick, unflavored yogurt and means "curd".
Read the text and fill in the blanks with "kein", "keine" or "nicht". When do you use the nominative and when the accusative?
The word "nicht" negates a word or group of words. Then "nicht" directly preceeds the words to be negated. It can also be used
to negate a sentence. In this case, the word "nicht" goes towards the end of the sentence.
Beispiele:
Ist das Brot frisch? – Nein, das Brot ist nicht frisch.
Isst Emma die Birnen? – Nein, Emma isst die Birnen nicht.
The word "kein" is used to negate words with indefinite articles and generally nouns without articles. The form of the word
"kein" will change. In the singular, it will change as indefinite articles do.
Beispiele:
Ist das ein Apfel? – Nein, das ist kein Apfel. Das ist eine Birne.
Kauft Inge Birnen? – Nein, Inge kauft keine Birnen.
Negation: nicht/kein
Negation with nicht
The word nicht can be used to negate an entire sentence or a word or group of words.
If the word nicht is used to negate a word or group of words, then the word nicht is placed directly before the word it is
negating.
Examples:
Nouns with a direct article:
Sind das die Birnen von Klara? – Nein, das sind nicht die Birnen von Klara.
Adjectives:
Sind die Birnen frisch? – Nein, die Birnen sind nicht frisch.
Adverbs:
Isst Inge gerne Birnen? – Nein, Inge isst nicht gerne Birnen.
If an entire sentence is being negated, then nicht comes at or near the end of the sentence.
Isst Inge die Birnen? – Nein, Inge isst die Birnen nicht.
Möchte Inge die Birnen essen? – Nein, sie möchte die Birnen nicht essen.
Negation with kein
With kein, we negate nouns with indefinite articles and most nouns with no article.
Nouns with an indefinite article:
Ist das ein Apfel? – Nein, das ist kein Apfel. Das ist eine Birne.
Most nouns with no article:
Isst Inge Birnen? – Nein, Inge isst keine Birnen.
The word kein changes form. In the singular, it takes the form of the indefinite article.
Nominative and accusative
Summary: Nominative and accusative within a sentence
Nominative
The subject of a sentence is always in the nominative case.
Der Mann sucht seinen Schlüssel.
Occasionally, there is a second noun in the nominative in a sentence, for example with the verb sein:
Der Mann ist mein Freund.
Accusative
Many verbs need an object for the sentence to make sense. The object is usually in the accusative case.
Der Mann sucht seinen Schlüssel.
Nico öffnet die Tür.
Inge bereitet das Mittagessen vor.
You already know many verbs that take an accusative object:
haben, lernen, brauchen, anrufen, essen, trinken, nehmen, suchen, kennen, machen, lieben, hassen, besuchen, besichtigen,
bestellen, bekommen, mögen, putzen, kontrollieren, vorbereiten, waschen, öffnen, schließen, reparieren …
Overview: articles in the nominative and accusative
In the accusative case, only the masculine article changes. The other articles and nouns stay the same.
Masculine der den
ein einen
kein keinen
Feminine die die
eine eine
keine keine
Neuter das das
ein ein
kein kein
Plural die die
- -
keine keine
das Subjekt: The subject is a person or thing that is active in the sentence or is the focus of interest; it is also called
"Satzgegenstand", and is usually a noun or a pronoun.
das Objekt: The object of the sentence describes a person or thing that is the target of an action or event. It is also
called "Satzergänzung", and is usually a noun or a pronoun.
A noun can have different functions within a sentence. It can, for example, be either a subject or an object. Depending
on what function the noun has, its form can change. This is most noticeable by its article. In German, there are four
different forms or categories (cases), called Fälle or Kasus.
Two of these cases are the nominative and the accusative.
der Nominativ: The subject is always in the nominative case. The articles take the form: der/ein, die/eine, das/ein, die/-.
der Akkusativ: Most objects are in the accusative case. The articles take the form: den/einen, die/eine, das/ein, die/-.
die Beilage, die Beilagen
side dish
beliebt
beliebter, am beliebtesten
popular
der Besuch, die Besuche
visit
das Brot, die Brote
bread
das Brötchen, die Brötchen
bread roll
das Brot, die Brote
bread
das Brötchen, die Brötchen
bread roll
Lieblings-
favorite (prefix in compound words i.e. favorite food, favorite color etc.)
der Müll
nur Singular
garbage; trash
oben
above; up; on top
(etwas) öffnen
öffnet, öffnete, hat geöffnet
to open (something)
der Quark
nur Singular
curd
New words: You can say "gerne" or "gern". Both words mean the same thing. The word "lieber" means "rather" and
"am liebsten" means "preferably".
The comparative forms of “gern”, “viel” and “gut” are: “lieber”, “mehr”, and “besser”. To form the comparative, you intensify
the adjective or adverb. Do you want to intensify the comparative? If so, you use the superlative:
gern (positive) / lieber (comparative) / am liebsten (superlative)
viel (positive) / mehr (comparative) / am meisten (superlative)
gut (positive) / besser (comparative) / am besten (superlative)
The superlative cannot be further intensified!
New words: "welches" means "which".
The verb "mögen"
You have now used the verb "mögen" many times. It can be used with the adverb "gern" and the comparison forms "lieber",
"am liebsten". The conjugation is irregular. Do you remember the conjugations?
A "-g" at the end is pronounced like a "k".
The ending of "welch -" follows the declension of the definite article.
In the nominative, the masculine singular receives the ending "-er", the neuter singular the ending "-es", and the feminine
singular the ending "-e".
The plural ending is always "-e".
In the accusative masculine singular, the ending is "-en". For feminine and neuter nouns, there is no difference between the
nominative and accusative.
Question word "welch-" (nominative and accusative)
Some verbs only require a subject in the nominative. Among others, the verb "sein". Many other verbs require an additional
object in the accusative. These include "finden", "haben", or "kaufen".
Info: The nominative is used with the verb "sein" (to be). For many other verbs (finden, möchten, kaufen, haben, …), the
accusative is used.
Comparative (1)
Emma, isst du gern Tomatensuppe?
Ja, ich esse gern Tomatensuppe.
Aber ich esse lieber Nudeln.
Und am liebsten esse ich Pizza.
Adjectives and some adverbs can take different forms to express a higher level or the highest level of a quality or characteristic.
In this way, two or more people or things can be compared. There are three levels of comparison:
The positive is the basic form and describes a feature.
Der Kaffee in der Cafeteria schmeckt gut.
The comparative form uses this feature to rank or compare two people or things. It makes clear that one is considered superior
in respect of this quality.
Aber im Café „Zum Glück“ schmeckt der Kaffee besser.
The superlative expresses the belief that something or someone has achieved the highest level of a particular quality.
Im Restaurant von Max und Tarek schmeckt der Kaffee am besten.
The comparative forms of the following words are irregular: gern, gut and viel
Positive + gern
Comparative ++ lieber
Superlative +++ am liebsten
Positive + gut
Comparative ++ besser
Superlative +++ am besten
Positive + viel
Comparative ++ mehr
Superlative +++ am meisten

der Positiv: The positive is the basic form of the adjective. It is used to describe a feature of a person or thing, e.g. gut.
der Komparativ: The comparative form of the adjective is used to show a ranking, e.g. besser.
der Superlativ: The superlative is the highest form of comparison and ranking of an adjective. This form expresses that a
person or thing possesses the highest level of a quality, e.g. am besten.
Conjugation: mögen
Magst du Kohlrabi? – Nein, ich mag keinen Kohlrabi.
The verb mögen belongs to the group of modal verbs. Unlike other verbs, it is not generally combined with a second verb in the
infinitive, but rather takes an accusative object.
Just as with the modal verbs können, müssen and wollen, the root vowel changes in the singular.
Singular
1st person ich mag
2nd person du magst
3rd person er/sie/es mag

Plural
1st person wir mögen
2nd person ihr mögt
3rd person sie mögen
Formal Sie mögen
Question words: welch-
Welcher Salat ist am besten? – Der Salat „Fantasia“ schmeckt sehr gut.
Welchen Salat möchten Sie? – Den Salat „Fantasia“ bitte.
The question word welch-, is used to ask about a particular person or thing or to select one thing from a larger number of items.
The question word welch- appears before a noun and takes the same ending as that which a definite article would take.
Masculine (der welcher welchen
)
Feminine (die) welche welche
Neuter (das) welches welches
Plural (die) welche welche
alles
everything
als
than
also
so; therefore
am liebsten
best; preferably
fast
almost
das Gericht, die Gerichte
meal; dish
gesund
gesünder, am gesündesten (alternativ: gesunder, am gesundesten)

healthy
lieber
rather; to prefer
pro
per
die Sache, die Sachen
thing; item
(jemandem) schmecken
schmeckt, schmeckte, hat geschmeckt
to taste
welcher, welche, welches
which
wieder|kommen
kommt wieder, kam wieder, ist wiedergekommen
to come back; to return
New words: "kehren" is a verb you will mainly come across in southern Germany. In northern Germany, people tend to use the
word "fegen" instead.
Tip: The verbs "abwaschen" and "abtrocknen" have the same separable prefix. When listing multiple verbs with the same
prefix, it is enough to use "ab" just once, as in: Er wäscht und trocknet ab.
Careful! The verb "waschen" has an irregular conjugation: Er wäscht die Wäsche. This also applies to the separable verb
"abwaschen", as in: Er wäscht das Geschirr ab.
Info: The adverbs of frequency "selten", "nie", "oft", etc. can either be in the first position or in third position, after the verb.
Info: The sentence "Er räumt die Spülmaschine ein und er räumt die Spülmaschine aus", can be shortened to: "Er räumt die
Spülmaschine ein und aus".
Do you remember? When you use separable verbs in a declarative sentence or in a question, the prefix always comes at the
end of the sentence.
Adverbs of indefinite frequency are used to describe how often something happens. There are several synonyms: nie
= niemals ; oft = häufig ; immer = ständig . "Selten" has almost the same meaning as "manchmal". The position of the adverb is
flexible. For example:
Regelmäßig kaufe ich im Supermarkt ein.
Ich kaufe regelmäßig im Supermarkt ein.
New words: the word "genauso" means "just like" or "equally". On the next page you will learn more.
Two persons do the same thing. One person can do something better or likes something more. For these comparisons, use the
comparative and the word "als".
Beispiel:
Nina kocht gut. Nico kocht nicht so gut. Nina kocht besser als Nico.
Two persons like to do something just as much as each other, do something equally often or seldom. For such comparisons, use
the adverb or adjective and the words "genauso wie".
Beispiel:
Max macht gern Hausarbeit. Tarek macht auch gern Hausarbeit. Max macht Hausarbeit genauso gern wie Tarek.
Beispiel:
Kochst du besser als dein bester Freund/deine beste Freundin?
Ich koche besser als mein bester Freund/meine beste Freundin.

Mein bester Freund/meine beste Freundin kocht besser als ich.
Ich koche genauso gut wie mein bester Freund/meine beste Freundin.
Comparison: wie/als
Expressing equality:
so + adjective (basic/positive) + wie
When we want to compare two people or things that are the same in a particular respect, we use (genau)so + the basic form of
the adjective + wie:

Sebastian kocht so gut wie Lisa.
Max arbeitet genauso viel wie Tarek.
Expressing difference:
Adjective (comparative) + als
If two people or things are different in a particular respect, then we use the comparative + als:
Tarek kocht besser als Sebastian.
Max putzt mehr als Inge.
We can also express a dissimilarity with nicht:
Lisa schläft nicht so viel wie Emma.
Separable verbs (2)
Nico, möchtest du die Wäsche aufhängen? Oder möchtest du lieber abwaschen? – Ich wasche lieber ab.
Verbs with prefixes like ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, nach-, weg- and zu- are separable. In a sentence without an additional
verb, the prefix comes at the end:
Ich wasche lieber ab.
In combination with a modal verb, the separable verb comes at the end of the sentence in its infinitive form. The prefix is not
separated.
Ich möchte lieber abwaschen.

das trennbare Verb: Separable verbs have a prefix that is split from the verb and comes at the end of the sentence.
Adverbs: frequency (2)
Adverbs that refer to frequency
The following adverbs of time are used to describe how often someone does something:
These adverbs are usually found after the conjugated verb. To give them special emphasis, we can also put them at the
beginning of the sentence.
Du räumst nie dein Zimmer auf.
Nie räumst du dein Zimmer auf!
Ich muss immer dein dreckiges Geschirr spülen.
Immer muss ich dein dreckiges Geschirr spülen!

etwas ab|trocknen
trocknet ab, trocknete ab, hat abgetrocknet
to dry something (off)
etwas ab|waschen
wäscht ab, wusch ab, hat abgewaschen
to wash
etwas auf|hängen
hängt auf, hängte auf, hat aufgehängt
to hang up something
etwas aus|räumen
räumt aus, räumte aus, hat ausgeräumt
to empty
etwas ein|räumen
räumt ein, räumte ein, hat eingeräumt
to put something away; to load (a dishwasher)
genauso
just as
gleich
just as; (the) same; equally
häufig
häufiger, am häufigsten
often; frequently
kehren
kehrt, kehrte, hat gekehrt
to sweep
(jemandem) etwas mit|bringen
bringt mit, brachte mit, mitgebracht
bring (someone) something
niemals
never (ever)
nie mehr
never again
ordentlich
ordentlicher, am ordentlichsten
tidy; neat; proper
regelmäßig
regelmäßiger, am regelmäßigsten
regular/regularly
saugen
saugt, saugte, hat gesaugt; Kurzform von: staubsaugen
to vacuum
spülen
spült, spülte, hat gespült
to wash
nie mehr
never again
ordentlich
ordentlicher, am ordentlichsten
tidy; neat; proper
regelmäßig
regelmäßiger, am regelmäßigsten
regular/regularly
saugen
saugt, saugte, hat gesaugt; Kurzform von: staubsaugen
to vacuum
spülen
spült, spülte, hat gespült
to wash
ständig
constantly
staubsaugen
staubsaugt, staubsaugte, hat gestaubsaugt; Kurzform: saugen
to vacuum
unordentlich
unordentlicher, am unordentlichsten
messy; untidy
die Wäsche
nur Singular
washing; laundry
wie
as
Info: The verb "gehen" is often used with a second verb, e.g. "angeln gehen" / "einkaufen gehen" / "spazieren gehen". Here,
"gehen" is in the second position in the statement and the other verb is an infinitive at the end.
When pronouncing long vowels, close your lips tighter than when pronouncing short vowels. This is why long vowels are also
called "close vowels" and short vowels are "open vowels" in German.
When is a vowel long, and when short?
Read the text and answer the questions.
Yoga, Kino, Bad, Musik:
They are only followed by one consonant, hence the vowel is long.
spielen, nie:
Here too, the vowels marked are long and close. The sound "ie" is like a long "i". The "e" is silent here.
fahren, gehen, Frühstück:
The "h" is silent. It only shows that the preceding vowel is long.
Tee, Zoo:
The marked vowels are usually spoken as a single sound, and are long and close, when the vowel is doubled.
Ball, schwimmen, treffen, joggen:
A vowel is usually short and open when it precedes a double consonant.
anstrengend, interessant, manchmal, angeln, wandern:
A vowel is usually also short and open when it precedes multiple consonants.
Careful! Naturally there are exceptions, but not many. In "das Obst", the "o" is a long vowel even though it is followed by three
consonants.
gehen + infinitive
Gehst du gerne schwimmen? – Ja, ich gehe gerne schwimmen.
If we want to express that we are leaving one place in order to do something in another place, then the word gehen is
sometimes combined with a second verb. There are some established verb combinations that follow this pattern:
arbeiten gehen
einkaufen gehen
spazieren gehen
angeln gehen
schwimmen gehen
schlafen gehen
In these expressions, the word gehen is conjugated. The second verb comes at the end of the sentence in the infinitive.
Ich gehe morgen arbeiten.
Inge geht im
Park spazieren.
Wir gehen gerne angeln.
Yes-no questions and W-questions
Revision: yes-no questions
Yes-no questions are those that can be answered with "yes" or "no". In these questions, the conjugated verb is in first position,
followed by the subject.
Spielst du gern Fußball?
Machen Sie regelmäßig Yoga?
Revision: W-questions
W-questions are open-ended questions that cannot be answered with "yes" or "no". In W-questions, the conjugated verb
follows a question word, for example, wie, wo, woher, wer or was. The subject comes in third position.
Was machst du in deiner Freizeit?
Wo angeln Max und Tarek am liebsten?
die W-Frage: W-questions are open questions that cannot be answered with "yes" or "no". At the beginning of a W-
question there is a question word, which often begins with the letter W.
Die Satzfrage: This is a question that can be answered with "yes" or "no".
einmal
Kurzform: mal
once
entspannend
entspannender, am entspannendsten
relaxing
die Freizeit
nur Singular
freetime
langweilig
langweiliger, am langweiligsten
boring
laufen
läuft, lief, ist gelaufen
to run; to jog
müde
müder, am müdsten/am müdesten
tired
(jemandem) Spaß machen
macht, machte, hat gemacht
is fun; to enjoy
spazieren gehen
geht spazieren, ging spazieren, ist spazieren gegangen
to go for a walk
Sport treiben
treibt, trieb, hat getrieben
do sports; work out
wandern
wandert, wanderte, ist gewandert
to hike
nfo: In recipes and on signs in the supermarket you often see abbreviations of quantity-measures: e.g., 500 g stands for 500
Gramm, 1 kg stands for 1 Kilo(gramm), 1 l stands for 1 Liter and 1 St. stands for 1 Stück.
Prepositions of place: in, auf
Wo kauft Inge ein?
The question Wo …? can often be answered with a two-case preposition + dative.
Inge kauft im Supermarkt ein.
auf dem Markt
Inge kauft in der Metzgerei ein.
in der Bäckerei
Inge kauft im Obstgeschäft ein.
etwas bekommen
bekommt, bekam, hat bekommen

to receive something; to get something
die Flasche, die Flaschen
bottle
das Kilo, die Kilos (nach Zahl: Kilo)
Kurzform von: Kilogramm
kilogram
der Kuchen, die Kuchen
cake
das Lebensmittel, die Lebensmittel
meist im Plural
food; groceries
die Menge, die Mengen
quantity; amount
das Pfund, die Pfunde (nach Zahl: Pfund)
pound
der Preis, die Preise
price
(über jemanden/etwas) reden
redet, redete, hat geredet

to talk about someone/something
die Tafel, die Tafeln
bar
umsonst
free; for nothing
am Stück
in one piece
Darf es sonst noch was sein?
Would you like anything else?
Haben Sie sonst noch einen Wunsch?
Is there something else you'd like?
Ich hätte gerne …
I would like...
etwas schneiden
schneidet, schnitt, hat geschnitten
to cut something
(sich) sicher sein
ist, war, ist gewesen
to be certain
etwas/jemanden vergessen
vergisst, vergaß, hat vergessen
to forget something/someone
Was darf es sein?
What would you like?
Was hätten Sie gern?
What would you like to have? (formal)
Was kann ich für Sie tun?
What can I do for you?
etwas zurück|bekommen
bekommt zurück, bekam zurück, hat zurückbekommen
to get something back
Did you know: The questions "Wie teuer ist …?“, "Wie viel kostet …?" and "Was kostet …?" have the same meaning.
Question words: wie viel
Wie viel kosten die Gurken? = Was kosten die Gurken? = Wie teuer sind die Gurken?
In W-questions, the question word is in first position. The conjugated verb is in second position.
Instead of a single question word, we can use an interrogative adverb (usually: wie ...) in two parts; in most cases, a question
word plus adjective.
Question-word/ Verb
Interrogative adverb
Was kostet das Fleisch?
Wie viel kostet das Fleisch?
Wie teuer ist das Fleisch?
In W-questions, be careful with the subject. It comes after the verb, but you must still be careful to choose the correct verb
form:
günstig
günstiger, am günstigsten
inexpensive
im Angebot sein
ist, war, ist gewesen
on special; on sale
Sie wünschen?
Can I help you?; What can I do for you?

süß
süßer, am süßesten
sweet
Wie teuer sind die Tomaten?
How expensive are the tomatoes?
There are several ways to give instructions. One common way is to use the imperative.
Formal imperative
When addressing a person using the formal Sie, we use the formal imperative. We make the formal imperative by putting the
conjugated verb in first position, before the personal pronoun.
Schneiden Sie den Käse in Würfel.
Legen Sie den Käse auf die Pizza.
Schieben Sie die Pizza in den Ofen.
Infinitive
In written instructions, e.g. recipes or operating instructions, the infinitive is sometimes used. In this case, we leave out the
subject. The verb in the infinitive comes at the end of the sentence.
Den Käse in Würfel schneiden.
Den Käse auf die Pizza legen.
Die Pizza in den Ofen schieben.
der Infinitiv: The infinitive is the basic form of the verb that is not conjugated. This is the form of the verb that normally
appears in vocabulary lists or the dictionary. German verbs in the infinitive usually end in -(e)n.
gießen
gießt, goss, hat gegossen
to pour; to water
leicht
leichter, am leichtesten
easy
etwas schälen
schält, schälte, hat geschält
to peel something
etwas klein schneiden
schneidet, schnitt, hat geschnitten
to cut something into small pieces; to dice something
schwer
schwerer, am schwersten
difficult
etwas servieren
serviert, servierte, hat serviert
to serve something
stehen
steht, stand, hat gestanden
to say (referencing something printed)
etwas verrühren
verrührt, verrührte, hat verrührt
to stir something
(etwas) würzen
würzt, würzte, hat gewürzt
to season (something)
zum Schluss
at the end

German Lessons

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GERMAN LESSONS

Question word Conjugated verb Subject

Wie heißt du?

Wie heißen Sie?

Woher kommst du?

Woher kommen Sie?

Prepositions of place: aus

Woher kommst du? – Ich komme aus …

preposition aus comes before the country or town.:

Ich komme aus Spanien. (home country)

Ich komme aus Sevilla. (home town)

Ich komme aus + name of the town.

Ich komme aus + name of the country.

Ich komme aus dem Irak.*

aus dem Jemen.

aus dem Kongo.

aus dem Kosovo.

aus dem Libanon.

aus dem Niger.

aus dem Sudan.

aus dem Tschad.

Ich komme … aus der Demokratischen Republik Kongo.

aus der Dominikanischen Republik.

aus der Elfenbeinküste.

aus der Mongolei.

aus der Schweiz.

aus der Slowakei.

aus der Türkei.

aus der Ukraine.

aus der Zentralafrikanischen Republik.

Ich komme … aus den Bahamas.*

aus den Kapverdischen Inseln.*

aus den Komoren.*

aus den Niederlanden.

aus den Philippinen.*

aus den Salomonen.*

aus den Seychellen.*

aus den USA/aus den Vereinigten Staaten.

aus den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten.

Prepositions of place: in, an

Wo wohnst du? – Ich wohne in …

the town or street name:

Ich wohne in Berlin.

Ich wohne in der Adalbert-Stifter-Straße.

With street names you usually say:

Ich wohne in der + name of the street.

Ich wohne in der Adalbert-Stifter-Straße.

Ich wohne in der Adalbert-Stifter-Gasse.

Ich wohne in der Adalbert-Stifter-Allee.

Ich wohne im Adalbert-Stifter-Weg.

Ich wohne am Adalbert-Stifter-Platz.

Wer ist da?

Who is it?; Who's there?

Numbers over 100

The hundreds are formed using the single digit + hundert:

Wie heißt die Straße?

What is the name of the street?

Where are you? (informal)

Wo ist die Polizei?

Where is the police (station)?

point after the thousands.

Wie heißen Sie?

 Instead of dein/e use Ihr/e:

 Welche Nummer haben Sie?