Lesson 1 1 - Nouns & Gender Welcome to the first German Grammar lesson in this course. The first lesson will cover everything about German nouns and their gender.
Capital Letter for Nouns In German, all nouns must begin with a capital letter, regardless of their position within a sentence.
Wir sind 5 Leute im Haus, meine Eltern, meine Schwester und mein Bruder
In the above example, Leute (persons), Haus (house), Eltern (parents), Schwester (sister), and Bruder (brother) are all nouns; and thus must begin with a capital letter.
Gender of Nouns Unlike in English, each noun in German has its own gender; either masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das). Plural nouns are always considered feminine
(die).
That gender is not necessarily the actual gender of the corresponding real-life object; instead it is purely grammatical. As gender is quite unpredictable, the best thing is to simply learn each noun along with its definite article (der, die, or das).
Nouns and Gender
der Mann
the man
der Vogel
the bird
die Frau
the woman
die Blume
the flower
das Kind
the child
das Obst
the fruit
Masculine
Feminine
Neuter
Make sure to check the grammar table associated with this lesson for many clues and hints on determining the gender of a noun.
Compound Nouns The German language contains many nouns that are composed from two or more words connected together (which makes German famous for having very long words). The combined words themselves don't have to be nouns, they could be adjectives, verb stems, and prepositions. However, the last element of the compound noun must be a noun; as the gender of the compound noun and its plural are determined by that last noun.
Compound Nouns
Noun + Noun
der Vater das Vaterland
fatherland / native country
der Schnellzug
express train
das Land
Adjective + Noun
schnell
der Zug
Verb Stem + Noun
trinken das Trinkwasser
drinking water
das Wasser
Definite & Indefinite Articles Definite articles refer to specific objects, they are similar to the article ' the' in English. All the previous examples shown in this lesson used the definite articles,
which
are
' der ',',
'die',
and
' das'.
The corresponding indefinite articles, which refer to unspecific objects, and are similar to the English articles ' a' and ' an', are 'ein' and ' eine', shown below. Noting that as in the English l anguage, there is no indefinite article for plurals in German.
Definite & Indefinite Articles
Definite
Indefinite
Masculine
der
ein
Feminine
die
eine
Neuter
das
ein
Plural
die
-
This concludes the first lesson, make sure to check the grammar tables and the exerci ses for this lesson before proceeding to the next one.
Nouns & Gender - Grammar Table The
tables
below
show
many
hints
that
can
help
identify
the
gender
of
a
noun
in
German.
Note that these tables don't cover all German nouns, as there exists many nouns with different endings than the ones shown here, as well as many exceptions. Thus, it's always advisable when learning new nouns to study them along with their gender.
Hints for Masculine Nouns
Suffix
-el
der Vogel (bird)
-er
der Computer (computer)
-ig
der Käfig (cage)
-ismus
der Journalismus (journalism)
-ling
der Frühling (spring)
-or
der Professor (professor)
Rules
Male persons
der Sohn (son)
Days
der Sonntag (Sunday)
Months
der Januar (January)
Seasons
der Winter (winter)
Hints for Feminine Nouns
Suffix
-ei
die Partei (party)
-ie
die Batterie (battery)
-enz
die Konferenz (conference)
-heit
die Freiheit (freedom)
-keit
die Männlichkeit (manhood)
-ion
die Legion (legion)
-ik
die Akustik (acoustic)
-age
die Garage (garage)
-tät
die Universität (university)
-schaft
die Mannschaft (team/crew)
-ung
die Wohnung (flat)
-ur
die Karikatur (carucature)
Rules
Female persons
die Tochter (daughter)
Most trees
die Föhre (pine tree)
Most flowers
die Rose (rose)
Most fruits
die Banane (banana)
Hints for Neuter Nouns
Suffix
-chen
das Kätzchen (kitten)
-lein
das Fräulein (young lady)
-ma
das Drama (drama)
-ett
das Bett (bed)
-ment
das Experiment (experiment)
-o
das Foto (photo)
-um
das Kalzium (calcium)
Rules
Towns
das Frankfurt (Frankfurt)
Countries
das Ägypten (Egypt)
Colors
das Grün (Green)
Infinitives used as nouns
das Tanzen (dancing)
Nouns & Gender - Exercise 1 Identify the gender of the following nouns by supplying the missing definite article. Nouns & Gender - Exercise 1
1) der Hu Hund (masculine)
2) die S So onne (feminine)
3) das H Ha aus (neuter)
4) die E le lefanten (p (plural)
5) das K Krr an an ke ke nh nh au au s ( co co mp mp ou ou nd nd n ou ou n) n)
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Grammar Lessons
Unit 01 1.
Nouns & Gender a.
Grammar Table
b.
Exercise 1
c.
Exercise 2
2.
Plural of Nouns
3.
Subject Pronouns
4.
Verbs in the Present Tense
5.
Irregular Verbs
6.
To be & to have
7.
Separable Verbs
8.
Modal Verbs
9.
Imperatives
10.
Questions
Unit 02 1.
German Cases
2.
Nominative Case
3.
Accusative Case
4.
Dative Case
5.
Genitive Case
6.
Prepositions I
7.
Prepositions II
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Nouns & Gender - Exercise 2 Using the hints from the grammar table associated with this lesson, identify the gender of the foll owing nouns by supplying the missing definite article. Nouns & Gender - Exercise 2
1) der Te Tempel
2) die K Krrankheit
3) der Ho Honig
4) das S Scchwimmen
5) die Ü Üb bung
6) das B Biisschen
7) der Journalismus
8) die B Bllamage
9) der Fe Februar
10) das D Do okument
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Grammar Lessons
Unit 01 1.
Nouns & Gender
2.
Plural of Nouns a.
Exercise 1
3.
Subject Pronouns
4.
Verbs in the Present Tense
5.
Irregular Verbs
6.
To be & to have
7.
Separable Verbs
8.
Modal Verbs
9.
Imperatives
10.
Questions
Unit 02 1.
German Cases
2.
Nominative Case
3.
Accusative Case
4.
Dative Case
5.
Genitive Case
6.
Prepositions I
7.
Prepositions II
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Lesson 2 2 - Plural of Nouns Plural of nouns in the German language is much different than in English. In English, plurals are formed simply by adding ' -s' to the end of the noun. In German, it's not that simple however; as there are several different ways of forming them. Thus, it's always recommended to learn a new word along with its plural.
This lesson will provide some common patterns for typical endings of nouns' plural based on the gender of the noun. However, these patterns should only be considered as guidelines rather than rules; as irregularities may always exist.
Masculine Nouns
Add ing an '-e' Most of the German masculine nouns form their plurals by simply adding an ' -e' at their end.
Masculine plurals: -e
der Beruf
die Berufe
professions
der Schuh
die Schuhe
shoes
der Stift
die Stifte
pencils
der Hund
die Hunde
dogs
Add ing an umlaut and '-e' '-e' Sometimes when the stem of a masculine noun contains an ' a', 'o', or 'u', an umlaut is added to it, in addition to the ' -e' at the end.
Masculine plurals: ¨-e
der Zahn
die Zähne
teeth
der Kopf
die Köpfe
heads
der Zug
die Züge
trains
Nou ns end ing in '-e '-er', r', '-el', '-el', or '-en' Nouns ending in ' -er ',', '-el', or '-en' are either left unchanged, or have an umlaut added to their stem.
Masculine plurals: -er, -el, -en endings
der Dichter
die Dichter
poets
der Mantel
die Mäntel
coats
der Laden
die Läden
shops/stores
Feminine Nouns
Add ing a '-n' or an '-en' Most of the German feminine nouns form their plural by simply adding ' -n' or ' -en' at their end.
Feminine plurals: -n or -en
die Blume
die Blumen
flowers
die Stirn
die Stirnen
foreheads
die Nase
die Nasen
noses
die Wohnung
die Wohnungen
apartments
Add ing an umlaut and '-e' '-e' Sometimes when the stem of a feminine noun contains an ' a', 'o', or 'u', an umlaut is added to it, in addition to an ' -e' at the end.
Feminine plurals: ¨-e
die Wand
die Wände
walls
die Kuh
die Kühe
cows
die Hand
die Hände
hands
Neuter Nouns
Add ing an '-e' Most of the German neuter nouns form their plural by simply adding an ' -e' at their end.
Neuter plurals: -e
das Regal
die Regale
shelves
das Haar
die Haare
hair
das Schaf
die Schafe
sheep
Add ing an umlaut and '-er' '-er' Sometimes when the stem of a neuter noun contains an ' a', 'o', or ' u', an umlaut is added to it, in addition to an ' -er ' at the end.
Neuter plurals: ¨-er
das Buch
die Bücher
books
das Huhn
die Hühner
chicken
das Loch
die Löcher
holes
Nouns endin g in '-chen' '-chen' Neuter nouns ending in '-chen' are kept unchanged in their plural forms.
Neuter plurals: -chen ending
das Mädchen
die Mädchen
girls
das Zeichen
die Zeichen
characters
That ends the most common patterns found in all three genders. Remember though, that these are just guidelines, and not strict language rules; thus exceptions exist. To avoid any confusion, it's always recommended for new German language students to study each noun along with its gender and its plural. By time, you should develop a good sense of the language, and be able to form plurals without having to study them by heart.
Plural of Nouns Nouns - Exercise 1 Rewrite the following nouns as plural nouns.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.
Plural of Nouns - Exercise 1
1) der Gast → die Gäste
Gäste
Tische
2) der Tisch → die Tische
Spiegel
3) der Spiegel → die Spiegel
4) der Falter → die Falter
5) die Tasse → die Tassen
Falter
Tassen
6) die Zeitung → die Zeitungen
7) die Wurst → die Würste
8) das Bein → die Beine
9) das Wort → die Wörter
Zeitungen
Würste
Beine
Wörter
10) das Entchen → die Entchen
Entchen
Lesson 3 3 - Subject Pronouns Before discussing verb forms in the German language, you'll have to know a bit about 'subjects'. This lesson only discusses subject pronouns; pronouns as a whole will be discussed in detail in later lessons. The subject of a sentence is usually a noun that names a person or t hing that performs the action. A pronoun is a word that takes the place of that noun.
First-person & Second-person Pronouns In
German,
there
are
two
ways
of
addressing
people,
either
formal
or
informal.
The informal is usually used when addressing friends & children, while the formal method is used with people whom you may not know well or who are older than you.
First-person & Second-person Pronouns
Singular Pronoun
Plural Pronoun
ich
I
wir
we
du
you - informal
ihr
you - informal
Sie
you - formal
Sie
you - formal
Third-person Pronouns In German, the subject pronoun must follow the gender of the noun it replaces. Since some German masculine nouns are inanimate objects, the German masculine pronoun can mean 'it' when referring to something inanimate, or it can mean 'he' when referring to something male. The same thing occurs with female and neuter pronouns.
Third-person Pronouns
Masculine Noun
Masculine Pronoun
der Arzt
doctor
er
he
der Tisch
table
er
it
Feminine Noun
Feminine Pronoun
die Mutter
mother
sie
she
die Wand
wall
sie
it
Neuter Noun
Neuter Pronoun
das Kind
child
es
he/she
das Mädchen
girl
es
she
das Papier
es
paper
Plural Noun
it
Plural Pronoun
die Kinder
children
sie
they
die Blumen
flowers
sie
they
die Stühle
chairs
sie
they
The German 'sie/Sie' might be very confusing for the beginner German learners. Don't worry though, you s hould be able to easily differentiate between between their intended meanings in a sentence when you learn verb conjugation. Now that you know the German subject pronouns, you're ready to learn about verbs
Subject Pronouns Pronouns - Exercise 1 Give the pronoun that appropriately replaces the noun or phrase in bold. Subject Pronouns - Exercise 1
1) Die Wohnung ist ziemlich klein. sie
2) Wo ist das Kind? es
3) Der Himmel ist sehr hoch. er
4) Anna und Peter trinken trinken keinen Kaffee. sie pl.
5) Meine Schwester und ich spielen jetzt mit den Barbies. wir
6) Peter hat hat zwei Hunde. er
7) Meine Familie ist lustig. sie
Lesson 4 4 - Verbs in the Present Tense Now that you know the German subject pronouns, you're ready to learn about verbs. In German, the verb must agree with the subject pronoun preceding it (grammatically speaking, that is, in person and number), that is called '
conjugation'. Thus, German has more endings for verbs than in English.
Verb Conjugation To conjugate a verb, you simply take its stem and then add the required ending. The stem is the form of the i nfinitive without -en or -n.
Verb Conjugation
verb
kommen
hören
ich
komme
hör e
du
kommst
hör st st
er / sie / es
kommt
hör t
wir
kommen
hör en en
ihr
kommt
hör t
sie
kommen
hör en en
Sie
kommen
hör en en
In German, there is only one present tense, which corresponds both to the simple and to the continuous present:
- I drink water or I I am drinking water Ich trinke Wasser -
- She comes here or She She is coming here Sie kommt hier -
To end this lesson, here are a few examples:
Lesson 2 Examples
Example
Meaning
ich
ich lerne Deutsch
I am learning German
du
du spielst gut
You are playing good
er / sie / es
Sie kocht Spagetti
She is cooking spaghetti
wir
wir bleiben zwei Tage
We are staying two days
ihr
ihr singt ein Lied
You are singing a song
sie
sie trinken Bier
They are drinking beer
Sie
Sie wohnen in Berlin
You are living in Berlin
Verbs in the Present Tense Tense - Exercise 1 Depending on the subject pronoun given, select the correct verb ending. Verbs in the Present Tense - Exercise 1
1) Ich gehe j je etzt
2) Wir bleiben h hiier
3) Ihr trinkt K Ka affee
4) Du lernst D De eutsch
5) Er kommt a au us Ägypten
Way to go! You've answered them all correctly !
Lesson 5 5 - Irregular Verbs Unfortunately, not all the German verbs follow the regular pattern shown in the previous lesson; there are some verbs with slight variations in their stem. These verbs are called 'Irregular Verbs'.
1. Stem ending with 'd' or 't': As it would be difficult to pronoun pronounce ce the 'st' ending for 'du' and the 't' ending for 'er/sie/es' & 'ihr', an 'e' is placed before the ending of these verbs. The extra 'e' is added only to the 'du', 'er/sie/es', and 'ihr' verb forms, other verb forms aren't affected.
Stem ending with 'd' or 't'
finden
leiden
du
findest
leidest
er/sie/es
findet
leidet
ihr
findet
leidet
2. Stem ending with 's', 'ss', 'ß', 'x', 'z', or 'tz': If
the
verb
stem
ends
with
any
of
the
following
endings,
then
the
Only the ' du' verb form is affected.
Stem ending with 's', 'ss', 'ß', 'x', 'z', or 'tz'
du
genesen
küssen
heißen
sitzen
genest
küsst
heißt
sitzt
3. Verbs with a vowel change
'du'
verb
ending
becomes
a
't'
instead
of
'st'.
Some verbs have the vowel in their stem change with the ' du' and ' er/sie/es' form of the verb. These verbs are best learnt by heart. The three most common vowel change patterns are:
'a' to 'ä'
backen
fahren
schlafen
waschen
du
bäckst
f ährst
schläfst
wäschst
er/sie/es
bäckt
f ährt
schläft
wäscht
'e' to 'i'
essen
geben
sprechen
weben
du
isst
g ibst
spr ichst
wibst
er/sie/es
isst
g ibt
spr icht
wibt
'e' to 'ie'
befehlen
lesen
sehen
stehlen
du
bef ie iehlst
liest
siehst
stielst
er/sie/es
bef ie iehlt
liest
sieht
stielt
This
concludes
our
lesson,
quite
simple,
eh
Make sure to check the grammar table associated with this lesson, it contains most of the irregular verbs that appear within the German language.
Irregular Verbs Verbs - Exercise 1 Type the correct verb conjugations in the present tense.
All answers are case-sensitive. If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
?
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/past copy/paste e them into your answers whenever needed.
Irregular Verbs - Exercise 1
1) Du isst
isst
schläft
2) Er schläft
4) Ihr spendet
6) Du tanzt
7) Er liest
8) Du küsst
( sc sch la la fe fen ) dr ei ei St Stu nd nd en en
heißt
3) Du heißt
5) Er sieht
(essen) zu viel Käse
(heißen) Pe Peter
spendet
(spenden) 5 Euro
sieht
(sehen) einen Film
tanzt
(tanzen) allein
liest
(lesen) viel
küsst
(küssen) mich
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Lesson 6 6 - To be & to have As
in
English,
the
two
verbs
' to
be'
(sein)
and
' to
have'
(haben)
Both verbs are also irr egular, and don't follow any of the conjugation rules discussed in the previous lessons.
1. To be (sein): The verb ' sein' is completely irregular in all of its forms; and thus needs to be learned by heart.
Conjugation of 'sein'
ich
bin
du
bist
er / sie / es
ist
wir
sind
ihr
seid
sie
sind
Sie
sind
2. To have (haben):
are
quite
important
in
German.
The verb ' haben' is only irr egular in its 'du' and 'er/sie/es' forms; as the letter ' b' is removed from its stem.
Conjugation of 'haben'
ich
habe
du
hast
er / sie / es
hat
wir
haben
ihr
habt
sie
haben
Sie
haben
Just like in the English language, both verbs are used to form tenses; and t hus are very widely used within the German language. To end this lesson, here are a few examples of both verbs in use:
Lesson 4 examples
ich bin aus Ägypten
I'm from Egypt
du bist sehr Hübsch
You're very pretty
er hat eine Katze
He has a cat
wir haben keine Zeit
We have no time
ihr seid niemals allein
You are never alone
sie haben eine neue Wohnung
They have a new apartment
Sie sind Willkommen
You’re Welcome
To be & to have have - Exercise 1 Fill in the blanks using t he correct conjugation of the verb given between brackets.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.
To be & to have - Exercise 1
bist
1) Du bist
2) Er hat
hat
bin
3) Ich bin
6) Ihr seid
7) Ich habe
8) Es ist
9) Ihr habt
( ha hab en en ) ei ne ne Schwester
(sei n) n) ac achtzeh n Jahr e alt
haben
4) Wir haben
5) Du hast
(sein) sehr kurz
(haben) Hunger
hast
(haben) viel zu tun
seid
(sein) so leise
habe
ist
(haben) Du Durst
(sein) zu teuer
habt
(haben) eine Tochter
Lesson 7 7 - Separable Verbs A characteristic feature of German is its ability to create verbs with new meanings through the addition of prefixes to nouns, adjectives, or other verbs. For example:
aus + gehen = a u s g e h e n - to go out
ver + kaufen = verkaufen - to sell
German has two categories of prefixes: inseparable prefixes and separable prefixes. However, few prefixes exist that can be used in either catgory. Also, a verb could could have more than one prefix, each giving a new verb with a different different meaning than the the others. Take the the verb ' kommen' for example:
Same Verb with Different Prefixes
Verb
Meaning
kommen
to come
ankommen
to arrive
mitkommen
to come along
kommen weiter kommen
to get on
herein kommen
to come in
heraus kommen
to come out
nachkommen
to come later
zurück kommen
to come back
Inseparable Prefixes These prefixes are always attached to the front end of a verb and are never removed from it no matter the tense or form of the verb. When pronouncing a verb
with
an
inseparable
prefix,
the
stress
The table below shows these prefixes, along with some examples:
Inseparable Prefixes
Prefix
Example Verb
Meaning
bekommen
to get/receive
besuchen
to visit/attend
empfehlen
to recommend
empfinden
to feel
entlassen
to discharge/fire
entscheiden
to decide/determine
erfinden
to invent/make-up
erwarten
to expect/anticipate
gehorchen
to obey
gestatten
to permit/allow
missachtest
to disobey/disregard
misstrauen
to mistrust/suspect
vergessen
to forget
verstehen
to understand
zerstören
to destroy
zerkratzen
to scratch
be-
emp-
ent-
er-
ge-
miss-
ver-
zer-
is
always
on
the
stem
of
the
verb.
The inseparable prefix remains attached to the verb when its conjugated conjugated.. Notice the position of the inseparable prefix in the following examples:
Ich verstehe sehr sehr gut Deutsch - I understant very good German
Ich b e s u c h e meine meine Eltern jeden Tag - I visit my parents everyday
Separable Prefixes Separable prefixes are adverbs and prepositions that are detached from the verb when it is conjugated. It would be completely impractical to li st all of those prefixes; as there are many. When pronouncing a verb with a separable prefix, the stress is always on the separable prefix. The table below shows the most common ones along with some examples:
Separable Prefixes
Prefix
Example Verb
Meaning
ankommen
to arrive
anrufen
to phone somebody
aufstehen
to wake up
aufhören
to stop/cease
ausgehen
to go out
aussprechen
to pronounce
beibringen
to teach
beitragen
to add/contribute
einkaufen
to go shopping
einladen
to invite
fortfahren
to continue/proceed
fortgehen
to go away
mitgehen
to go along
mitarbeiten
to collaborate
nachahmen
to imitate/copy
nacharbeiten
to rework/revise
vorstellen
to present/introduce
an-
auf-
aus-
bei-
ein-
fort-
mit-
nach-
vor-
vorbereiten
to prepare/set up
wegfahren
to drive away
weglaufen
to run away
zuhören
to listen
zunehmen
to increase/grow
weg-
zu-
As already mentioned, mentioned, when a verb with a separable separable prefix is conjugated conjugated in the present tense, the the separable prefix is detached detached from it. The The prefix is moved to the end of its clause. Notice the position of the inseparable prefix in the following examples:
Herr Bauer r u f t seine seine Frau an - Mr Bauer is calling his wife
Ich g e h e mit mit meinen Freunden jeden Tag au s - I go out with my friends everyday
Sie k a u f t im im Supermarkt ei n - She is shopping in the supermarket
Prefixes that can be Separable or Inseparable A few prefixes exist that can be either separable or inseparable, depending depending on the way the verb is pronounced pronounced.. When the stress is on the prefix itself, the prefix is separable. But when the stress is on the stem of the verb, it's a strong signal that the prefix is an inseparable one. A few examples are shown in the next table:
Prefixes that can be Separable or Inseparable
Prefix
Separable Verb
Inseparable Verb
durch-
durchfallen
durchdringen
um-
umsteigen
umarmen
wieder-
geben wieder geben
holen wieder holen
Of course, the verb conjugation depends on whether the prefix is separable or inseparable, as shown in the next example:
Wir steigen in in Berlin u m ( u m s t e i g e n ) - We change (busses) in Berlin
Wir u m a r m e n uns ( u m a r m e n ) - We embrace ourselves uns
That brings us to t he end of this lesson. Make sure to solve the exercises associated with this lesson before proceeding to the next ones.
Lesson 8 8 - Modal Verbs Modal
verbs
are
verbs
used
to
modify
For example: You ca n eat, I m u s t stay stay .
Use of Modal Verbs with Another Verb
or
change
other
verbs
to
show
such
things
as
ability,
permission,
or
necessity.
In German, modal verbs are very similar to those in English; as they are generally used together with a main verb in its infinitive form. However, there is o ne main difference between both languages. languages. In English, the modal verb and the main verb stay together; whereas in German, the modal verb and the main verb are separated; as the main verb goes t o the end of t he sentence.
- We must decide today Wir müssen heute heute e n t s c h e i d e n -
German Modal Verbs There are six modal verbs in German, all having conjugation that is different than regular German verbs (discussed in an earlier lesson). The six German modal verbs are: dürfen, können, können, m ögen, m üssen, sollen, and w o l l e n .
Modal Verbs in Detail
Dürfen Dü rfen - m ay/ ay/to to b e allowed to Conjugation of dürfen
ich
darf
wir
dürfen
du
darfst
ihr
dürft
er/sie/es
darf
sie
dürfen
Sie
dürfen
Dürfen is used to express permission:
Ihr dürft hier rauchen - You are all owed to smoke here hier
When used with ' nicht', dürfen conveys the meaning of something one must not do.
Ihr dürft hier n i c h t rauchen hier rauchen - You must not smoke here
Könn Kö nn en - can/to be able to Conjugation of können
ich
kann
wir
können
du
kannst
ihr
könnt
er/sie/es
kann
sie
können
Sie
können
Können means 'can' or 'to be able to':
Ich k a n n den den Wecker nicht ausschalten - I can't turn off the alarm clock
It can also be used to express possibility:
Das k a n n nicht nicht sein - That can't be true
Müssen Mü ssen - m ust/to have to /nee /need d to Conjugation of müssen
ich
muss
wir
müssen
du
musst
ihr
müsst
er/sie/es
muss
sie
müssen
Sie
müssen
Müssen means 'to have to' or 'must' or 'need to':
Du m u s s t um um s ieben aufstehen - You must/have to wake up at seven.
When used with 'nicht', it doesn't convey the meaning of prohibition as in English, but means 'do not have to' (remember that dürfen + nicht is used to say 'must not').
Du m u s s t nicht nicht kommen - You don't have to come.
Sollen - to be suppo sed to/should/ough t to Conjugation of sollen
ich
soll
wir
sollen
du
sollst
ihr
sollt
er/sie/es
soll
sie
sollen
Sie
sollen
Sollen means 'to be supposed to' or 'should' or 'ought to':
Wir sollen mehr mehr arbeiten - We ought to work more
Du s o l l s t deine deine Freunde einladen - You should invite your friends
Wollen - to want Conjugation of wollen
ich
will
wir
wollen
du
willst
ihr
wollt
er/sie/es
will
sie
wollen
Sie
wollen
Wollen usually expresses an intention or desire, equivilant to the English 'to want to':
Ich will etwas etwas trinken - I want to dri nk something
Take note not to use the verb in the sense of the English verb 'will' to form t he future tense. This requires another another verb in German (' werden').
Mögen/mö Mö gen/möch ch ten - to li ke/wou ld lik e Conjugation of mögen/möchten
ich
mag/möchte
wir
mögen/möchten
du
magst/möchtest
ihr
mögt/möchtet
er/sie/es
mag/möchte
sie
mögen/möchten
Sie
mögen/möchten
The modal verb mögen means 'to like' and is often used with reference to people, people, food, or places.
Ich m ag Tennis - I like Tennis
However, the verb is most oftenly used in its subjunctive form, möchten, which means 'would like to'.
möcht cht e Er mö das Auto fahren - He would like to drive the car das
As with 'mögen', 'möchten' could also be used on its own, without a second verb.
Ich möchte ein Glas Wasser, bitte - I would like a glass of water, please ein
Modal and Separable Verbs When a modal verb is used with a separable one, the separable verb stays together and goes to the end of the sentance.
- I want to go out tomorrow Ich will Morgen Morgen a u s g e h e n -
- You should call your mother Du s o l l s t deine deine Mutter a n r u f e n -
Now you nearly know everything about German verbs in the present tense, only reflexive verbs are left for another lesson in a later unit. Using very little vocabulary, you should be able to form complete German sentances by now.
Modal Verbs Verbs - Exercise 1 Fill in the blanks using t he correct conjugation of the modal verbs given between brackets.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.
Modal Verbs - Exercise 1
kann
1) Ich kann
müssen
2) Sie müssen
darfst
3) Du darfst
4) Wir können
sollt
5) Ihr sollt
6) Ich möchte
7) Wir mögen
8) Er will
können
möchte
mögen
w ill ill
(kön (k önne nen) n) mor orge gen n lei leide derr nic nicht ht ko komm mmen en
( mü mü ss sse n) n) l an ang sa sa m fa hr hr en en
(d ür ür fe fen) zu zu Ha Hause bl bl ei ei be ben
(könn en en) es ni ch cht fi nd nde n
(sol (s olle len) n) de den n Wag Wagen en sc schn hnel elll rep repar arie iere ren n
( mö mö ch ch te te n) n) e in in en en Sa ftft, b ititt e
(mögen) die Musik
(wol (w olle len) n) ei eine ne re reic iche he Br Brau autt he heir irat aten en
Imperatives Imperatives - Exercise 1 Fill in the blanks using t he correct imperative form of the verbs given between brackets.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.
Imperatives - Exercise 1
1) Bring
Bring
2) Bitte, seien
3) Schlaf
4) Fahrt
seien
Schlaf
Fahrt
mi r e in in Bi Bi er er ! ( br bri ng ng en en - d u f or or m) m)
Sie ruhig. (sein)
g ut ut! (s (schla fe fe n - du du for m) m)
nich ni chtt nac nach h Ber Berlilin! n! (f (fah ahre ren n - ih ihrr for form m)
5) Gib
Gib Gib
e s mi r!r! ( ge geben - du form)
Gehen
6) Gehen
Bleibt
7) Bleibt
a n d er er Ec Eck e! e! (b (b le lei be be n - ih ih r fo rm rm)
Rufen
8) Rufen
Sie die Polizei an
Sprich
9) Sprich
10) Jungen, spielt
Sie na nach r ec echts. ( ge gehen )
an
. (anrufen)
De ut ut sc sch ! ( sp sp re re ch ch en en - d u fo rm rm)
spielt
nich ni chtt im im Ga Gart rten en!! (sp (spie iele len n - ih ihrr for form m)
Way to go! You've answered them all correctly !
Lesson 9 9 - Imperatives An imperative is a form of the verb used when giving giving orders or instructing people people to do things. In English, the the imperative works by using the infinitive form of the verb, for example: C o m e here!, here!, Speak loudly! loudly! . In German the imperative is a little more complicated though; as there exists three different imperative forms, depending on the number of persons being addressed, and whether addressed formally or informally.
'du' Form This
form
is
used
when
addressing
a
person
with
whom
you're
quite
familiar.
Also in this form, the ' du' pronoun is dropped from the sentance, and only the imperative form of the verb appears.
Regular Verbs For regular verbs, the imperative is formed by using the stem of the verb without an ending. Imperative of regular verbs
Verb
Imperative
Example
trinken
trink
Trink weniger!
kommen
komm
Komm jetzt!
bleiben
bleib
Bleib hier!
Irregular Verbs Irregular verbs retain their irregularities in their imperative form as well. Verbs with a stem ending with ' -d', ' -t', or 'consonant + m/n ', have an ' -e' added to their
stem.
While verbs haveing a stem vowel change have the same stem vowel c hange in their imperative form, except for verbs having a v owel change from ' a' to 'ä', these don't change. Imperative of irregular verbs
Stem ending with '-d', '-t', 'consonant + m/n'
Verb
Imperative
Example
warten
warte
Warte bis Morgen!
öffnen
öffne
Öffne die Tür!
atmen
atme
Atme schneller!
Stem with a vowel change
Verb
Imperative
Example
helfen
hilf
Hilf mir!
lesen
lies
Lies das Buch!
sprechen
sprich
Sprich leise!
Stem with 'a' to 'ä' vowel change
Verb
Imperative
Example
tragen
trag
Trag deine Uniform!
fahren
fahr
Fahr links!
haben & sein Both verbs behave exactly like regular verbs, just use the stem of the verb. Imperative Imperativ e of haben & sein
Verb
Imperative
Example
haben
hab
Hab Geduld!
sein
sei
Sei ruhig!
Separable Verbs The prefix of these verbs splits off, and is placed at the end of its clause. Imperative Imperativ e of separable verbs
Verb
Imperative
Example
zumachen
mach zu
Mach die Tür zu!
aufhören
hör auf
Hör aber endlich auf!
'ihr' Form
The
informal
plural
is
used
when
addressing
at
least
two
people
whom
you
are
familiar
with.
is
left.
This form is very similar to the ' du' imperative form The
'ihr'
For
regular
Irregular
pronoun verbs,
verbs
is
the
which
dropped
imperative take
is
an
from
formed
' -e'
the
by
using
ending
in
the
sentance, the ' du'
stem
only of
the
the
verb
imperative and
adding
verb ' -t'
a
ending
in
ending
form,
take
an
' -et'
the
dropped
from
the
sentance
when
forming
present-tense
' Sie'
form
' ihr '
to
it. form.
Separable verbs split off their prefix. Imperative of regular verbs
Verb
Imperative
Example
kommen
kommt
Kommt, bitte!
holen
holt
Holt es mir!
Imperative of irregular verbs
Verb
Imperative
Example
arbeiten
arbeitet
Arbeitet nicht so viel!
anworten
antwortet
Antwortet auf die Frage!
Imperative Imperativ e of separable verbs
Verb
Imperative
Example
ausziehen
zieht aus
Zieht den Pullover aus!
aufmachen
macht auf
Macht das Gepäck auf!
'Sie' Form The 'Sie' form is used when addressing one person or more in a formal manner. Unlike The
the
' du'
imperative
'ihr '
& of
regular
pronouns, &
irregular
the
' Sie'
verbs
is
pronoun
isn't
simple
formed
Separable verbs split off their prefix. Imperative of regular & irregular verbs
Verb
Imperative
Example
geben
geben
Geben Sie mir das Buch, bitte.
fragen
fragen
Fragen Sie den Mann da.
Imperative Imperativ e of separable verbs
Verb
Imperative
Example
by
using
the
imperatives. of
the
verb.
anfangen
fangen an
Fangen Sie bitte an.
umsteigen
steigen um
Steigen Sie hier um.
Verb in First Position All imperative forms in German have one feature in common: the verb verb is placed at the start of the sentance. This This structure is very similar to English. English.
Frequent Use The imperative is quite frequently used in the German language; as it's not considered impolite or rude to do so. Thus, be prepared to use them alot when using the language!
Imperatives Imperatives - Exercise 1 Fill in the blanks using t he correct imperative form of the verbs given between brackets.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.
Imperatives - Exercise 1
Bring
1) Bring
2) Bitte, seien
seien
Schlaf
3) Schlaf
Fahrt
4) Fahrt
5) Gib
mi r e in in Bi Bi er er ! ( br bri ng ng en en - d u f or or m) m)
7) Bleibt
8) Rufen
9) Sprich
e s mi r!r! ( ge geben - du form)
Gehen
Bleibt
Sie na nach r ec echts. ( ge gehen )
a n d er er Ec Eck e! e! (b (b le lei be be n - ih ih r fo rm rm)
Rufen
Sie die Polizei an
Sprich
10) Jungen, spielt
g ut ut! (s (schla fe fe n - du du for m) m)
nich ni chtt nac nach h Ber Berlilin! n! (f (fah ahre ren n - ih ihrr for form m)
Gib Gib
6) Gehen
Sie ruhig. (sein)
spielt
an
. (anrufen)
De ut ut sc sch ! ( sp sp re re ch ch en en - d u fo rm rm)
nich ni chtt im im Ga Gart rten en!! (sp (spie iele len n - ih ihrr for form m)
Lesson 10 10 - Questions Just as in English, there are two types of questions in the German language: 'yes' or 'no' questions, and interrogative questions.
1) 'Yes' or 'No' Questions These questions are formed by changing the normal word order of the sentence. This is done by swapping round the position of the verb with t he subject. As mentioned in an earli er lesson, the German present tense is used for both the continuous and the si mple present. Thus, a question like ' trinkst du Kaffee?" could either mean ' do you drink coffee? ' or ' 'are you drinking coffee? '.
Examples of 'yes' or 'no' questions:
B i s t d u hungrig? hungrig? - Are you hungry?
Spielen Sie mit mir? - Are you playing with me? mit
G e h t i h r ins ins Kino? - Are you
going to the cinema?
Questions w ith Modal & Sepera Seperable ble Verbs Verbs When used with a modal verb, the second verb's position is not affected, it remains at the end of the sentence. Same rule applies when using separable verbs,
the
prefix
remains
at
the
end
of
the
sentence.
This rule is also valid for interrogative questions.
Können Kö nnen Sie mich verstehen? - Can mich
you understand me?
G e h s t d u mit mit deinen Freunden au s ? - Are
you going out with your friends?
2) Interrogative Questions An interrogative question question is a question that begins with a question question word, such as 'who', 'where' and 'what'. Unlike the 'yes' or 'no' questions, questions, these questions could have a variety of answers. The table below shows some of the most common German question words.
Most common German question words
wie
how
was
what
wann
when
warum
why
welcher
which
wo
where
wer
who
Formin g Interrogative Interrogative Questions The rule used to form interrogative questions is very similar to the 'yes' or 'no' questions' rule. The verb precedes the subject of the sentence, and the interrogative word precedes the verb. Some examples of i nterrogative questions:
W a n n kommt kommt sie? - W hen is she coming?
Wo arbeitest du? - Where do you work?
Wa s lernen die Kinder? - What are the c hildren learning?
Wi e schwimmen schwimmen die Fische? - How does the fish swim?
Interrogative as Sentence Subject Certain interrogatives, such as ' wer ',', can be the subject of the sentence, in that case the i nterrogative word begins the sentence and is followed by the verb.
We r spielt spielt Schach? - Who plays chess?
Interrogative Comb inations Several new interrogatives are formed by combining certain words, prepositions, and adverbs with the i nterrogatives ' wie' and 'wo'. Some example combinations:
'Wie' combinations
wie alt
how old
wie viel
how much
wie groß
how big
wie lange
how long
wie oft
how often
wie spät
how late
'Wo' combinations
wohin
where to
woher
where from
wobei
at what
womit
with what
Some example questions:
Wie alt bist du? - How old are you? bist
Wie lange bleiben Sie in Berlin? - How long are you staying in Berlin? bleiben
W o h e r kommen kommen Sie? - Where do you come from?
Wohin fährt er am Wochenende? - Where is fährt
he travelling to this weekend?
Interrogatives Interrogative s Depending on th e Case Although the the four German cases cases haven't been been discussed yet, this topic is worth worth mentioning mentioning here for the sake sake of completeness. completeness. The German interrogatives ' wer ' and 'welcher ' have other forms depending on the case. The interrogative ' wer ' has only one form for each case, while 'welcher ' has different forms within each c ase, depending on gender and number. The table below shows the different forms of the interrogative ' wer '.'.
Forms of 'wer'
Nominative
wer
who
Accusative
wen
whom
Dative
wem
whom
Genitive
wessen
whose
This brings an end to t his lesson and the unit as a whole. Make sure you've understood all the lessons and concepts covered in this unit before proceeding to the next one!
Lesson 10 10 - Questions Just as in English, there are two types of questions in the German language: 'yes' or 'no' questions, and interrogative questions.
1) 'Yes' or 'No' Questions These questions are formed by changing the normal word order of the sentence. This is done by swapping round the position of the verb w ith the subject. As mentioned in an earli er lesson, the German present tense is used for both the continuous and the si mple present. T hus, a question like ' trinkst du Kaffee?" could either mean ' do you drink coffee? ' or ' 'are you drinking coffee? '.
Examples of 'yes' or 'no' questions:
B i s t d u hungrig? hungrig? - Are you hungry?
Spielen Sie mit mir? - Are you playing with me? mit
G e h t i h r ins ins Kino? - Are you
going to the cinema?
Questions w ith Modal & Seperable Verbs Verbs When used with a modal verb, the second verb's position is not affected, it remains at the end of the sentence. Same rule applies when using separable verbs,
the
prefix
remains
at
the
end
of
the
sentence.
This rule is also valid for interrogative questions.
Können Kö nnen Sie mich verstehen? - Can mich
you understand me?
G e h s t d u mit mit deinen Freunden au s ? - Are
you going out with your friends?
2) Interrogative Questions An interrogative question question is a question that begins with a question question word, such as 'who', 'where' and 'what'. Unlike the 'yes' or 'no' questions, questions, these questions could have a variety of answers. The table below shows some of the most common German question words.
Most common German question words
wie
how
was
what
wann
when
warum
why
welcher
which
wo
where
wer
who
Formin g Interrogative Interrogative Questions The rule used to form interrogative questions is very similar to the 'yes' or 'no' questions' rule. The verb precedes the subject of the sentence, and the interrogative word precedes the verb.
Some examples of i nterrogative questions:
W a n n kommt kommt sie? - W hen is she coming?
Wo arbeitest du? - Where do you work?
Wa s lernen die Kinder? - What are the c hildren learning?
Wi e schwimmen schwimmen die Fische? - How does the fish swim?
Interrogative as Sentence Subject Certain interrogatives, such as ' wer ',', can be the subject of the sentence, in that case the i nterrogative word begins the sentence and is followed by the verb.
We r spielt spielt Schach? - Who plays chess?
Interrogative Comb inations Several new interrogatives are formed by combining certain words, prepositions, and adverbs with the i nterrogatives ' wie' and 'wo'. Some example combinations:
'Wie' combinations
wie alt
how old
wie viel
how much
wie groß
how big
wie lange
how long
wie oft
how often
wie spät
how late
'Wo' combinations
wohin
where to
woher
where from
wobei
at what
womit
with what
Some example questions:
Wie alt bist du? - How old are you? bist
Wie lange bleiben Sie in Berlin? - How long are you staying in Berlin? bleiben
W o h e r kommen kommen Sie? - Where do you come from?
Wohin fährt er am Wochenende? - Where is fährt
he travelling to this weekend?
Interrogatives Interrogative s Depending on th e Case Although the the four German cases cases haven't been been discussed yet, this topic is worth mentioning here here for the sake of completeness. completeness. The German interrogatives ' wer ' and 'welcher ' have other forms depending on the case. The interrogative ' wer ' has only one form for each case, while 'welcher ' has different forms within each c ase, depending on gender and number. The table below shows the different forms of the interrogative ' wer '.'.
Forms of 'wer'
Nominative
wer
who
Accusative
wen
whom
Dative
wem
whom
Genitive
wessen
whose
This brings an end to t his lesson and the unit as a whole. Make sure you've understood all the lessons and concepts covered in this unit before proceeding to the next one!
Questions Questions - Exercise 1 Determine the correct interrogative according to the answer given to each questions. Questions - Exercise 1
1) Wann kommt Ihr? Wir kommen nächste Woche . We come next week .
2) Was machst du jetzt?
Ich lerne Deutsch . I am learning German .
3) Wer kann kann es machen? kann es machen. Peter kann c an make it. Peter ca
4) Wie oft besucht er uns? Er besucht uns dreimal die Woche . He visits us three times a week .
5) Wie ist er? Er ist krank . He is sick .
6) Wie lange bleibst du dort? Ich bleibe einen Monat dort. I am staying for a month t th here.
7) Wo sind Sie? Ich bin in der Küche. I am in the kitchen .
8) Wohin fahrt ihr?
Wir fahren nach Deutschland . We are travelling to Germany.
