Diphthongs in German

A diphthong (meaning “two sounds” in Greek), also known as a gliding vowel, is a

combination of two adjacent vowel sounds within the same syllable.
There are four diphthongs in the German alphabet: “EI“, “IE“, “AU“, and “EU“. By
learning to pronounce these four letters in German, you can speak more fluently and with
a better accent.

IE
When “i” and “e” join forces in German, they produce a sound reminiscent of the English
word “sheep”. Here are some examples:
🔊 viel much

🔊 sieben seven

🔊 Liebe love

🔊 wie how

Vienna
🔊 Wien

EI
The diphthong “ei” rolls off the tongue like the y in “my.” Check out these illustrative
words:
🔊 ein a

🔊 arbeiten to work

🔊 dein your

🔊 heiße be called

🔊 Wein Wine

AU
The “au” diphthong is harmoniously pronounced, echoing the “ow” in “now.” Some
examples include:
🔊 blau blue

🔊 Frau woman

🔊 bauen built

🔊 Bauer farmer

🔊 Auge eye

EU (ÄU)
The combination of the letters “e” and “u” or “ä” and “u” gives a sound like the “oy” in
the English word “boy“. Sample these words to get a feel:
 🔊 heute today

🔊 euere yours

🔊 neu new

🔊 freuen be happy

🔊 Euro euro

🔊 Fräulein young lady

Consonant Combinations in German

There are a few combinations of consonants that generate specific sounds in German.
These are “tsch“, “dsch“, “sch“, “ch“, “sp“, and “st“.

TSCH
Resembling the “ch” in “which”, the letters “tsch” give life to words like:
🔊 Deutsch German

🔊 Deutschland Germany

🔊 Dolmetscher interpreter
DSCH
A less common sound, but when it emerges, it’s reminiscent of the English ‘j’ in “jungle”,
as in:
🔊 Dschungel jungle
SCH
The comforting “sh” sound, like in “show”, can be heard in words such as:
🔊 Schule school

🔊 Tisch table

🔊 Türkisch Turkish

CHS
The combination of “chs” produces a sound similar to the letter “x”.
🔊 sechs six

🔊 Fuchs fox

🔊 Wachs wax

CH
A quintessential German sound, “ch” can be soft as in “ich” (I) or more guttural as in
“Nacht” (night). Other examples include:
🔊 ich I
 🔊 mich me

🔊 Nacht night

CK
This duo, akin to the English ‘ck’, finds its place in words like:
🔊 Stück piece

🔊 Sticker sticker

🔊 Picknick picnic
ST
A strong start to many words, the “st” combination sounds especially sharp in German,
featuring in words like:
🔊 start to start

🔊 Stadt city

🔊 Straße street

SP
The “sp” sound, while familiar, has its own German flair, gracing words such as:
🔊 Sport Sports

🔊 Spanien Spain

🔊 spielen to play

Fundamentals of Noun Gender in German

A noun is a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality.
Regarding the two essential points comparing German and English nouns:
 Capitalization: One distinguishing feature of German nouns is that they always start
with a capital letter, irrespective of their position in a sentence.
o 🇩🇪 Ich habe einen Tisch und einen Stuhl gekauft.
o 🇺🇸 I bought a table and a chair.
o 🇩🇪 Er liebt Bücher und liest jeden Tag.
o 🇺🇸 He loves books and reads every day.
o 🇩🇪 Sie trinkt gerne Kaffee am Morgen.
o 🇺🇸 She likes to drink coffee in the morning.
In the German examples, nouns (“Tisch,” “Stuhl,” “Bücher,” “Tag,” “Kaffee,” and
“Morgen”) are capitalized, regardless of their position in the sentence. In contrast, the
English examples only capitalize the first word of the sentence.
 Gender Categories: There are three distinct gender categories for German nouns:
o Masculine (männlich)
o Feminine (weiblich)
o Neuter (sächlich)
It’s crucial to remember that the grammatical gender might not always match up with
what you’d expect based on the meaning of the word. For example, while “Mann” (man)
is masculine and “Frau” (woman) is feminine, a “Mädchen” (girl) is neutral!
All German nouns belong to one of three grammatical genders: masculine (männlich),
feminine (weiblich), or neuter (sächlich). It’s important to distinguish between
grammatical gender and biological gender. In many cases, the gender of a German noun
doesn’t correspond to the biological sex of what it describes.
In German, the three definite articles are: der, die, and das. They correspond to the
English “the”, but also indicate the noun’s gender. “der” is for masculine nouns, “die” for
feminine nouns, and “das” for neuter nouns.
masculine der

feminine die

neuter das
Grammatical Gender in German
Determining the gender of German nouns can often feel like a guessing game. This
unpredictability makes it crucial to memorize each noun alongside its corresponding
definite article. Here are some examples to illustrate this:
 der Teppich – the carpet
 der Mann – the man
 die Zeit – the time
 die Frau – the woman
 das Bild – the picture
 das Mädchen – the girl
By associating nouns with their articles, you’ll have a better grasp of German gender rules
and enhance your language skills.
Deciphering Gender in German Dictionaries
When learning German nouns, always take note of their gender. This crucial detail
dictates their correct usage in sentences. In fact, most dictionaries provide gender
abbreviations right next to the noun for this very reason.
m or r for masculine (maskulin or männlich): represented by “der”
f or e for feminine (feminin or weiblich): represented by “die”
n or s for neuter (neutral or sächlich): represented by “das”
der m r

die f e

das n s

m= maskulin (männlich)
f= feminin (weiblich)
n= neutral (sächlich)
r= der, e= die, s= das
When studying German, it’s advisable always to learn nouns along with their
corresponding definite article.

Types of German Articles

 Definite Articles (Der bestimmte Artikel): They refer to specific items akin to “the”
in English.
o Masculine: der
o Feminine: die
o Neuter: das
 Indefinite Articles (Der unbestimmte Artikel): They refer to unspecific items,
similar to “a” or “an” in English.
o Masculine & Neuter: ein
o Feminine: eine

masculine ➡️der ➡️ein

feminine ➡️die ➡️eine

neuter ➡️das ➡️ein

❗ Note: German articles undergo changes (declension) based on the grammatical case,
number, and gender of the nouns they modify.
Declension of German Articles
While English articles remain consistent, German articles change form, especially in
different cases. Table 1.2 shows the declension of German articles:
Cases Masculine Feminine Neutral Plural

der die das die

Nominative
ein eine ein ✖️

den die das die

Accusative
einen eine ein ✖️

dem der dem den

Dative
einem einer einem ✖️

des der des der

Genitive
eines einer eines ✖️

❗ Remember: Plurals don’t use the indefinite article in German.

❗ The plural forms of the definite article are the same for all genders.
By recognizing certain clues, you can often deduce the gender of nouns and determine
the appropriate article to use.
Masculine Nouns (der)
Nouns with the following meanings are usually (There are also some
exceptions.) masculine.
⭐ Male persons and male animals
der Mann Man
der Löwe Lion
der Hahn Rooster

⭐ Days of the week

der Mittwoch Wednesday
der Sonnabend Saturday
der Dienstag Tuesday

⭐ Months of the year

der Mai May
der Juni June
der Februar February

⭐ Seasons
der Sommer Summer
der Winter Winter
der Herbst Autumn
der Frühling Spring

⭐ Points of the compass

der Süden South
der Norden North
der Westen West
der Osten East

⭐ Kinds of weather
der Wind Wind
der Taifun Typhoon
der Frost Frost
der Regen Rain
der Schnee Snow
der Sturm Storm
der Hagel Hail

⭐ Makes of car
der Audi Audi
der BMW BMW
der Polo Polo
der Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce

⭐ Plant-based drinks
der Kaffee Coffee
der Tee Tea
der Saft Juice

⭐ Most alcoholic drinks

der Cocktail Cocktail
der Wein Wine
der Wodka Wodka

⭐ Most monetary units

 der Cent Cent
der Dollar Dollar
der Euro Euro

⭐ Mountains and mountain ranges

der Himalaja Himalayan
der Ätna Etna
der Montblanc Mont Blanc

⭐ Nouns with the following endings are masculine:

-ant der Konsonant Consonant

-ast der Kontrast Contrast

-ich der Teppich Carpet

-ig der Essig Vinegar

-ling der Feigling Coward

-or der Motor Engine

-us der Rhythmus Rhythm

Feminine Nouns (die)
Nouns with the following meanings are usually (There are also some
exceptions.) feminine.
⭐ Female persons and animals
die Frau Woman
die Kuh Cow
die Tante Aunt

⭐ The names of aeroplanes, motorbikes and ships

die „Bismarck“
die „Bremen“

⭐ Native German names of rivers

die Donau
die Fulda
die Isar

⭐ Names of numerals
die Vier Vier
die Tausend Thousand
die Million Million

⭐ Most fruits
die Birne Pear
die Kirsche Cherry
die Erdbeere Strawberry

⭐ Nouns with the following endings are feminine:

 -a die Villa Villa

-anz die Eleganz Elegance

-ei die Bücherei Library

-enz die Existenz Existence

-heit die Gesundheit Health

-ie die Biologie Biology

-ik die Panik Panic

-in die Lehrerin (woman) Teacher

-keit die Heiterkeit Merriment

-schaft die Botschaft Message

-sion die Explosion Explosion

-sis die Basis Base

-tion die Revolution Revolution

-tät die Universität University

-ung die Bedeutung Meaning

Neutral Nouns (das)

Nouns with the following meanings are usually (There are also some exceptions.) neuter.
⭐ Young persons and animals
das Baby Baby
das Kind Child
das Lamm Lamb

⭐ Chemical elements
das Gold Gold
das Kobalt Cobalt
das Zinn Zinc

⭐ Scientific units
das Ampere Ampere
das Volt Volt
das Watt Watt

⭐ Letters of the alphabet

das A A
das B B
das Ypsilon Y

⭐ Names of hotels, cafés, restaurants and cinemas

das „Hilton“
 das „Roxy“
das „Kranzler“

⭐ Names of continents and countries

das alte Bayern
das gärende Afrika
das zerstörte Frankfurt

⭐ Nouns derived from verbs

das Essen Meal
das Hören Listening
das Bellen Barking

⭐ Nouns with the following endings are neutral:

-chen das Mädchen Girl

-icht das Dickicht Thicket

-il das Ventil Valve

-it das Dynamit Dynamite

-lein das Büchlein Booklet

-ma das Schema Scheme

-ment das Appartement Apartment

-tel das Viertel Quarter

-tum das Eigentum Property

-um das Album Album

What is the German Nominative Case?

The nominative case is used to identify the subject of a sentence. In simpler terms, it
points out who or what is performing the action. In English, the nominative case is also
known as the subjective case.
Table 1.1 shows the cases and their roles in German:
Case Role Description

Nominative subject takes action

Accusative direct object receives action

Dative indirect object to/for whom action is taken

Genitive possessive indicates the owner of someone or something

Table 1.1
In English, grammatical cases are far less distinct than in German. Essentially, English has
two overarching cases: the subjective (akin to the nominative in German) and the
objective (which encompasses functions similar to both the accusative and dative in
German).
The nominative case, or as it’s termed in English, the subjective case, represents the
basic form of a noun. It’s the form you’ll typically find when you look up a word in the
dictionary. This case is used for subjects in sentences — that is, the person, animal, or
thing carrying out the action of the verb.
For example: “She reads the book.” Here, “She” is the subject performing the action. In
contrast, in a sentence like “The book belongs to her,” the word “her” would be in the
objective case in English.
🇩🇪 Die Katze schläft.
🇺🇸 The cat is sleeping.
🇩🇪 Frau Müller fliegt nach London.
🇺🇸 Mrs Müller is flying to London.
🇩🇪 Das Kind spielt mit dem Hund.
🇺🇸 The child plays with the dog.
Nominative with Special Verbs
Apart from indicating the subject of a verb, there are a few verbs in German that take a
predicate in the nominative case. This means that both the subject and the object of
these verbs are nominative. Some of these verbs are shown in Table 1.2:
sein to be

werden to become

heißen to be named

scheinen to seem

bleiben to stay, remain

🇩🇪 Johann scheint ein großartiger Turner.

🇺🇸 Johann seems a great gymnast.
🇩🇪 Ich heiße Thomas.
🇺🇸 My name is Thomas.
🇩🇪 Thomas ist ein guter Lehrer.
🇺🇸 Thomas is a good teacher.
🇩🇪 Thomas bleibt ein Lehrer.
🇺🇸 Thomas remains a teacher.
🇩🇪 Mein Sohn wird ein Arzt.
🇺🇸 My son is becoming a doctor.
Articles in the Nominative Case
In German, articles change according to grammatical gender and case. In the
nominative case, the articles are shown in Table 1.3:
Masculune Feminine Neuter Plural

der die das die

ein eine ein ✖️

In summary, the nominative case in German is essential for identifying the subject of a
sentence or the predicate noun associated with certain verbs. As you advance, you’ll also
get to learn how the other cases function in the language.

Forming Plural Nouns in German

In English, forming plurals can often be as simple as tacking on an “-s” to the end of a
word. Think “dog” turning into “dogs” or “cat” into “cats”. There are, of course,
exceptions like “man” to “men” or “mouse” to “mice”. However, when it comes to
German, things aren’t quite as straightforward. Instead of one dominant pattern, the
language offers a variety of plural constructions. As a result, when learning a new German
noun, it’s a good idea to learn its plural form right alongside.
But here’s a silver lining: No matter the plural ending, all plural nouns in German adopt
the article “die”.
For a clearer picture, let’s examine some of the prevalent patterns for plural formation in
German, as presented in Table 1.1:
Formation Of Plural Singular Plural

der Lehrer die Lehrer

– (no ending)
teacher teachers

der Vogel die Vögel

.. (no ending, with Umlaut)
bird birds

der Arm die Arme

-e
arm arms

der Stuhl die Stühle

..e (add -e, with Umlaut)
chair chairs

das Kind die Kinder

-er
child children

das Tal die Täler

.. er (add -er, with Umlaut)
valley valleys

die Frau die Frauen

-en
woman women

-n die Wiese die Wiesen

 Formation Of Plural Singular Plural

meadow meadows

die Lehrerin die Lehrerinnen

-nen
(woman) teacher teachers

das Auto die Autos

-s
car cars
Plural in German (der Plural)
In German, the key to swiftly determining a noun’s plural form often lies in
its grammatical gender. Indeed, this gender provides valuable hints towards its
pluralization patterns, which we’ve detailed in Table 1.2:
% Masculune Feminine Masculine

-e -en
-e
Common ..e -n
–
– -nen

-en
-er
Less -n ..e
..er
..
Table 1.2
Key Takeaways from Table 1.2:
 A vast majority, 80% of masculine nouns prefer the ‘-e’ plural ending.
 Feminine nouns overwhelmingly, at 90%, adopt the ‘-(e)n’ plural.
 Dive deeper, and you’ll find 25% of single-syllable feminine nouns taking the ‘..e’ plural
twist.
 And not to be left behind, 75% of neuter nouns also favour the ‘-e’ plural.
Regardless of a noun’s gender, certain suffixes consistently dictate the plural form. For a
closer look at these unwavering endings, refer to Table 1.3.
SUFFIX Plural Form

-nis, -ling, -ig, -ich -e

-tum .. er

-chen, -lein –

-er, -el, -en –

-e (e)n

Masculine Noun Plurals

⭐ Most masculine nouns have a plural in “-e” or “Umlaut” + “-e”:
Words Singular Plural

arm der Arm die Arme

dog der Hund die Hunde

 Words Singular Plural

foot der Fuß die Füße

chair der Stuhl die Stühle

attempt der Versuch die Versuche

⭐ Most masculine nouns ending in “-el”, “-en”, and “-er” form their plural without
an ending or just Umlaut:
Words Singular Plural

uncle der Onkel die Onkel

baker der Bäcker die Bäcker

hook der Haken die Haken

computer der Computer die Computer

⭐ Some masculine nouns ending in “-el”, “-en” or “-er” form their plural solely by
umlauting the stressed vowel:
Words Singular Plural

apple der Apfel die Äpfel

bow der Bogen die Bögen

garden der Garten die Gärten

father der Vater die Väter

brother der Bruder die Brüder

bird der Vogel die Vögel

⭐ Some masculines have a plural in “-er” or “..er”.

Words Singular Plural

God der Gott die Götter

forest der Wald die Wälder

mouth der Mund die Münder

body der Leib die Leiber

man der Mann die Männer

worm der Wurm die Würmer

mistake der Irrtum die Irrtümer

⭐ Some masculine nouns have the plural “-en” or “-n”:

 Words Singular Plural

person der Mensch die Menschen

student der Student die Studenten

bear der Bär die Bären

monkey der Affe die Affen

Feminine Noun Plurals

⭐ Over 90% of all feminine nouns have the plural “-en” or “-n”:
Words Singular Plural

work die Arbeit die Arbeiten

load die Last die Lasten

meadow die Wiese die Wiesen

rule die Regel die Regeln

⭐ About a quarter of feminine monosyllables have a plural in “..e”:

Words Singular Plural

hand die Hand die Hände

night die Nacht die Nächte

mouse die Maus die Mäuse

cow die Kuh die Kühe

wall die Wand die Wände

city die Stadt die Städte

⭐ Feminine nouns with the ending “-nis” and “-sal” have the plural “-e”:
Words Singular Plural

knowledge die Kenntnis die Kenntnisse

hardship die Mühsal die Mühsale

❗ Just two feminine nouns have the plural “Umlaut”:

Words Singular Plural

mother die Mutter die Mütter

daughter die Tochter die Töchter

Neuter Noun Plurals

⭐ Roughly 75% of all neuter nouns have the plural “-e”:
 Words Singular Plural

leg das Bein die Beine

vessel das Gefäß die Gefäße

year das Jahr die Jahre

sheep das Schaf die Schafe

⭐ About 25% of neuter nouns have the plural “..er” or “-er”:

Words Singular PLURAL

sheet das Blatt die Blätter

village das Dorf die Dörfer

valley das Tal die Täler

child das Kind die Kinder

⭐ Neuter nouns ending in “-el”, “-en”, “-er”, and diminutives in “-chen” and “-lein” have
the plural –
Words Singular Plural

girl das Mädchen die Mädchen

booklet das Büchlein die Büchlein

Unusual Plural Forms in German

Several words, particularly those borrowed into German from other languages, have
retained unusual plural forms.
Singular Plural

der Genius die Genien

das Museum die Museen

das Aroma die Aromen

das Drama die Dramen

das Komma die Kommata

die Razzia die Razzien

die Villa die Villen

Nouns that exist only as plurals in German

Since some words in German do not have singular forms, they are only used in plural
form:
 Plural

die Eltern

die Flitterwochen

die Pocken

die Zinsen

die Geschwister

die Kosten

die Immobilien

die Memorien

die Lebensmittel

die Personalien

die Zutaten

die Möbel

Nouns without a plural form in German

Since some words in German do not have a plural form, they are only used in the singular.
Singular

das Eisen

das Essen

die Liebe

das Obst

der Hunger

der Sport

der Tod

das Glück

das Unglück

die Wärme

der Atem

Personal Pronouns in German

German personal pronouns differ according to number (singular or plural) and person
(first, second, or third). Additionally, they adjust to the gender of the noun they’re
replacing. Table 1.1 displays the German personal pronouns in their nominative case
forms:
Personal Pronouns Personalpronomen

I ich

you
du
(familiar)

he
er
it (masculine=der)

she
sie*
it (feminine=die)

it
es
(neuter=das)

we wir

you
ihr
(plural)

they sie*

you
Sie*
(polite)
Table 1.1 – Personal Pronouns in German
As illustrated in Table 1.1, German distinguishes between two categories for its second-
person pronouns.
⬇️➡️ Singular Plural

Familiar du (you) ihr (you)

Formal Sie (you) Sie (you)

Table 1.2 – Personal Pronouns in German
In German, the pronoun “you” varies between familiar and formal contexts.
 “du” is used for familiar or casual settings, like speaking to friends.
o 🇩🇪 “Hast du Zeit morgen?”
o 🇺🇸 “Do you have time tomorrow?” (Familiar)
 “Sie”, which is always capitalized, serves for formal contexts.
o 🇩🇪 “Haben Sie morgen Zeit?”
o 🇺🇸 “Do you have time tomorrow?” (Formal)
 In German, the pronoun “Sie” (always capitalized) is versatile. It can be used for formal
address, whether speaking to a single individual or to multiple people. Here are some
examples:
o 🇩🇪 “Hr. Einstein, was sind Sie von Beruf?” 👨🏻
o 🇺🇸 “Mr. Einstein, what is your profession?” (addressing a single individual)
o 🇩🇪 “Hr. und Fr. Einstein, was sind Sie von Beruf?” 👨🏻 👩🏻
o 🇺🇸 “Mr. and Mrs. Einstein, what is your profession?” (addressing multiple people)
In German, the definite articles (der, die, das) play a pivotal role in determining the
pronoun to be used. See the associations in Table 1.3:
 der ➡️ er ⬅️he

die ➡️ sie ⬅️she

das ➡️ es ⬅️it
Table 1.3
Table 1.3 illustrates the relationship between the grammatical gender of German nouns
and their corresponding pronouns, highlighting the distinctions from English usage.
In German, pronoun selection is directly influenced by the grammatical gender of nouns,
making it unique from English, in which gender-specific pronouns are usually tied to living
entities with known genders.
The German article “der” (often used for masculine nouns) aligns with the pronoun “er”,
which translates to “he” in English. Yet, in English, “he” is exclusively for male living
entities, while in German, it can be used for any noun with masculine gender, such as
“der Stuhl” (the chair).
Similarly, “die” in German (commonly used for feminine nouns) matches with the pronoun
“sie”, equivalent to “she” in English. In English, “she” is reserved for female living beings.
In contrast, German uses it for any noun with a feminine gender, like “die Blume” (the
flower).
Lastly, “das” (neutral gender in German) corresponds to “es”, or “it” in English. In this
case, both languages use the pronoun for non-living entities or when the gender is
unknown, but German also uses it for specific nouns with neutral gender, such as “das
Mädchen” (the girl), which might be counterintuitive to English speakers since it refers to
a living female entity.
der Stuhl ➡️ er (it) ⬅️the chair
der Mann ➡️ er (he) ⬅️the man

die Blume ➡️ sie (it) ⬅️the flower

die Frau ➡️ sie (she) ⬅️the woman

das Mädchen ➡️ es (she) ⬅️the girl

das Buch ➡️ es (it) ⬅️the book

Pronouns Across Different Cases

German “personalpronomen” (personal pronouns) are integral to mastering the language,
given their prevalent use in both written and spoken forms. These pronouns change
depending on the grammatical gender, number, and the person they are referring to.
German categorizes nouns using four specific cases: nominative, accusative, genitive,
and dative. To truly grasp the concept of personal pronouns, it’s pivotal to examine them
juxtaposed within the three predominant cases – nominative, accusative, and dative. This
comparison can be vividly seen in Table 1.5, which offers a comprehensive display of how
these pronouns function in each case.
 Nominative Accusative Genitive Dative

ich mich mein- mir

I me mine to/for me

du dich dein- dir

you you yours to/for you
(familiar) (singular) (singular) (singular)

er ihn sein- ihm

he/it him his to/for him

sie sie ihr- ihr

she/it her hers to/for her

es es sein- ihm
it it its to/for it

wie uns unser uns

we us ours to/for us

ihr euch euer euch

you you yours to/for you
(plural) (plural) (plural) (plural)

sie sie ihrer ihnen

they them theirs to/for them

Sie Sie Ihrer Ihnen

you you yours to/for you
(polite) (polite) (polite) (polite)
Table 1.5 – Personal Pronouns in German
German pronouns present unique challenges when compared to English. Not only are
there distinctions like “der Nominativ” for subject pronouns and “der Akkusativ” for object
pronouns, but the use of pronouns also diverges significantly. For example, while English
uses “me” or “him” as object pronouns, German employs two sets, such as “mich/mir” or
“ihn/ihm”, tailored for specific linguistic contexts. This nuance is often a source of
confusion for English speakers.
A few pivotal observations to aid in comprehension:
 Selecting the right pronoun requires knowledge of the noun’s person, case, and
gender.
 German pronouns can be especially complex. For instance, “sie” has multiple
interpretations, and there are three different terms for the English “you” (du/ihr/Sie).
In summary, German personal pronouns are multifaceted, varying based on number,
gender, and case. To master them, recognizing their patterns in the primary cases—
nominative, accusative, and dative—is crucial.
German Present Tense
While English has twelve tenses, German simplifies this with just six. Even more
conveniently, you only need to master two tenses to communicate effectively, and one of
these essential tenses is the “Präsens” i.e. “present tense”.
“Präsens” is incredibly versatile; it is used to describe actions that are currently
happening, actions that are habitually performed, or states that either exist at the
moment or generally.
1. Current Actions or Situations: Describes actions or situations happening now.
o 🇩🇪 Ich lese ein Buch.
o 🇺🇸 I am reading a book.
o 🇩🇪 Sie trinkt Kaffee.
o 🇺🇸 She is drinking coffee.
o 🇩🇪 Er spielt Fußball.
o 🇺🇸 He is playing football.
o 🇩🇪 Wir schauen einen Film.
o 🇺🇸 We are watching a movie.
o 🇩🇪 Sie arbeiten im Garten.
o 🇺🇸 They are working in the garden.
2. Habits: Describes actions that happen regularly.
o 🇩🇪 Ich gehe jeden Tag ins Fitnessstudio.
o 🇺🇸 I go to the gym every day.
o 🇩🇪 Sie kocht jeden Abend.
o 🇺🇸 She cooks every evening.
o 🇩🇪 Er liest jeden Morgen die Zeitung.
o 🇺🇸 He reads the newspaper every morning.
o 🇩🇪 Wir reisen jedes Jahr.
o 🇺🇸 We travel every year.
o 🇩🇪 Sie spielen jede Woche Tennis.
o 🇺🇸 They play tennis every week.
3. General Truths: Describes general facts or truths.
o 🇩🇪 Die Sonne geht im Osten auf.
o 🇺🇸 The sun rises in the east.
o 🇩🇪 Wasser kocht bei 100 Grad Celsius.
o 🇺🇸 Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
o 🇩🇪 Der Winter folgt dem Herbst.
o 🇺🇸 Winter follows autumn.
o 🇩🇪 Pflanzen benötigen Licht zum Wachsen.
o 🇺🇸 Plants need light to grow.
o 🇩🇪 Vögel fliegen südlich im Winter.
o 🇺🇸 Birds fly south in winter.
4. Fixed Plans: Describes actions planned for the near future.
o 🇩🇪 Ich fahre morgen nach Berlin.
o 🇺🇸 I am going to Berlin tomorrow.
o 🇩🇪 Sie besucht uns nächste Woche.
o 🇺🇸 She is visiting us next week.
o 🇩🇪 Er kommt heute Abend vorbei.
o 🇺🇸 He is coming over this evening.
o 🇩🇪 Wir fliegen im Sommer nach Spanien.
o 🇺🇸 We are flying to Spain in the summer.
o 🇩🇪 Sie ziehen nächsten Monat um.
o 🇺🇸 They are moving next month.
5. Describing Feelings or States: Describes feelings, thoughts, or physical states.
o 🇩🇪 Ich fühle mich heute gut.
o 🇺🇸 I feel good today.
o 🇩🇪 Sie denkt oft an ihre Kindheit.
o 🇺🇸 She often thinks about her childhood.
o 🇩🇪 Er hat Hunger.
o 🇺🇸 He is hungry.
o 🇩🇪 Wir sind müde.
 o 🇺🇸 We are tired.
o 🇩🇪 Sie haben Angst.
o 🇺🇸 They are scared.
Differences Between the English Present Tense and
the German Present Tense
The German Präsens covers a broader range of meanings and usages than the English
simple present tense. Let’s discuss the differences between the two.
❶ Range of Meanings: The most significant difference is the range of meanings and
usages. The German Präsens is used to express current actions, habitual actions, general
truths, fixed plans in the near future, and feelings or states. On the other hand, the simple
English present tense primarily expresses habits, general truths, and sometimes current
actions (in a more limited context compared to German).
❷ Expressing Future Actions: In German, it is common to use the Präsens to express
actions that will happen in the near future if it is clear from the context that the action is
in the future. For example, “Ich gehe morgen ins Kino” (I am going to the cinema
tomorrow). In English, while the simple present can be used to express future actions, it is
more common to use the present continuous tense or the ‘going to’ future tense for this
purpose.
❸ Expressing Current Actions: Both German Präsens and English simple present tense can
be used to express current actions. However, in English, it is more common to use the
present continuous tense to express actions that are happening at the moment of
speaking. For example, “I am reading a book” rather than “I read a book.”
❹ Usage with Time Expressions: In German, it is common to use time expressions with
the Präsens, for example, “Ich gehe jeden Tag ins Fitnessstudio” (I go to the gym every
day). In English, the simple present tense is also used with time expressions, but the
usage can be more restrictive. For example, “I go to the gym every day” is correct, but “I
am going to the gym every day” is not standard English.
❗ In German, if an action started in the past but is still ongoing in the present, the present
tense, i.e. Präsens, is used.
🇩🇪 Ich wohne seit fünf Jahren in Berlin.
🇺🇸 I have been living in Berlin for five years.
🇩🇪 Er arbeitet bei der Firma seit 2010.
🇺🇸 He has been working for the company since 2010.
🇩🇪 Wir lernen Deutsch seit zwei Monaten.
🇺🇸 We have been learning German for two months.
🇩🇪 Sie spielt Klavier seit ihrer Kindheit.
🇺🇸 She has been playing the piano since her childhood.
❗ Conversely, if the action is completed, the perfect tense, i.e. Perfekt, is used in
German.
🇩🇪 Ich habe gestern einen Film gesehen.
🇺🇸 I saw a movie yesterday.
🇩🇪 Sie haben das Buch gelesen.
🇺🇸 They have read the book.
In summary, while both German Präsens and English simple present tense share some
similarities, there are significant differences in their usage and range of meanings.
How to Conjugate the Present Tense in German
German verbs have two main parts: a stem and an ending (-en, -n). The stem is derived
from the verb’s infinitive form and can sometimes change. Every German verb belongs to
one of three categories or conjugations (Konjugation):
1. Weak verbs (regular)
2. Strong verbs (irregular)
3. Mixed verbs (a combination of both = irregular)
German Regular Verbs (Weak Verbs)
Regular verbs, also known as weak verbs in German, follow a certain pattern for
each personal pronoun in the present tense, as shown in Table 1.1.
Personal Pronoun Ending

ich -e

du -st

er/sie/es -t

wir -en

ihr -t

sie/Sie -en
Table 1.1
For example, the main part of “spielen” is “spiel-“. Let’s look at how “spielen” (to play)
changes with different pronouns in Table 1.2:
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich spiele I play

du spielst you play

er/sie/es spielt he/she/it plays

wir spielen we play

ihr spielt you all play

sie/Sie spielen they/You play

Table 1.2
In this table, the verb stem “spiel-” is combined with the endings from Table 1.1 for each
personal pronoun to form the present tense.
German Irregular Verbs (Strong Verbs)
German irregular (strong) verbs do not follow a fixed conjugation pattern like regular
verbs. The stem of a strong verb often changes in different ways, especially in the second
and third-person singular forms (du, er/sie/es).
Personal Pronoun Ending

ich -e

du ❓

er/sie/es ❓

wir -en

ihr -t

sie/Sie -en
Table 1.3
As you can see, strong verbs undergo vowel changes in the stem for the pronouns “du”
and “er/sie/es” in the present tense, which makes their conjugation less predictable.
For example, the verb “sehen” (to see) changes its stem from “seh-” to “sieh-” in the
“du” and “er/sie/es” forms in Table 1.4:
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich sehe I see

du siehst you see

er/sie/es sieht he/she/it sees

wir sehen we see

ihr seht you all see

sie/Sie sehen they/You see

Table 1.4
This table shows that the stem changes from “seh-” to “sieh-” in the “du” and “er/sie/es”
forms, characteristic of strong verbs.
❗ Although there are approximately 200 irregular verbs in German, the majority of
German verbs are regular. However, it’s important to note that many of those 200
irregular verbs are frequently used in everyday conversation, making it essential to
memorize them.
German Mixed Verbs (Weak Verbs)
Mixed verbs in German have characteristics of both regular (weak) and irregular (strong)
verbs. Like regular verbs, mixed verbs have a consistent ending in the present tense. For
example, the mixed verb “denken” (to think) has regular endings in the present tense:
 Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich denke I think

du denkst you think

er/sie/es denkt he/she/it thinks

wir denken we think

ihr denkt you all think

sie/Sie denken they/You think

Table 1.5
However, similar to irregular verbs, they change their vowels like irregular verbs in
the simple past tense (Präteritum):
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich dachte (denkte) I thought

du dachtest (denktest) you thought

er/sie/es dachte (denkte) he/she/it thought

wir dachten (denkten) we thought

ihr dachtet (denktet) you all thought

sie/Sie dachten (denkten) they/You thought

Table 1.6
So, mixed verbs are a combination of regular and irregular verbs: they have regular
conjugations in the present tense but change their vowel in the simple past tense. These
verbs are quite rare in German. Table 1.7 summarises the most frequently used ones:
Infinitive Präteritum Translation

brennen brannte to burn

bringen brachte to bring

denken dachte to think

kennen kannte to know

kommen kam to come

nennen nannte to name

rennen rannte to run

senden sandte, sendete to send

wenden wandte, wendete to turn

German Present Tense

While English has twelve tenses, German simplifies this with just six. Even more
conveniently, you only need to master two tenses to communicate effectively, and one of
these essential tenses is the “Präsens” i.e. “present tense”.
“Präsens” is incredibly versatile; it is used to describe actions that are currently
happening, actions that are habitually performed, or states that either exist at the
moment or generally.
1. Current Actions or Situations: Describes actions or situations happening now.
o 🇩🇪 Ich lese ein Buch.
o 🇺🇸 I am reading a book.
o 🇩🇪 Sie trinkt Kaffee.
o 🇺🇸 She is drinking coffee.
o 🇩🇪 Er spielt Fußball.
o 🇺🇸 He is playing football.
o 🇩🇪 Wir schauen einen Film.
o 🇺🇸 We are watching a movie.
o 🇩🇪 Sie arbeiten im Garten.
o 🇺🇸 They are working in the garden.
2. Habits: Describes actions that happen regularly.
o 🇩🇪 Ich gehe jeden Tag ins Fitnessstudio.
o 🇺🇸 I go to the gym every day.
o 🇩🇪 Sie kocht jeden Abend.
o 🇺🇸 She cooks every evening.
o 🇩🇪 Er liest jeden Morgen die Zeitung.
o 🇺🇸 He reads the newspaper every morning.
o 🇩🇪 Wir reisen jedes Jahr.
o 🇺🇸 We travel every year.
o 🇩🇪 Sie spielen jede Woche Tennis.
o 🇺🇸 They play tennis every week.
3. General Truths: Describes general facts or truths.
o 🇩🇪 Die Sonne geht im Osten auf.
o 🇺🇸 The sun rises in the east.
o 🇩🇪 Wasser kocht bei 100 Grad Celsius.
o 🇺🇸 Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
o 🇩🇪 Der Winter folgt dem Herbst.
o 🇺🇸 Winter follows autumn.
o 🇩🇪 Pflanzen benötigen Licht zum Wachsen.
o 🇺🇸 Plants need light to grow.
o 🇩🇪 Vögel fliegen südlich im Winter.
o 🇺🇸 Birds fly south in winter.
4. Fixed Plans: Describes actions planned for the near future.
o 🇩🇪 Ich fahre morgen nach Berlin.
o 🇺🇸 I am going to Berlin tomorrow.
o 🇩🇪 Sie besucht uns nächste Woche.
o 🇺🇸 She is visiting us next week.
o 🇩🇪 Er kommt heute Abend vorbei.
o 🇺🇸 He is coming over this evening.
o 🇩🇪 Wir fliegen im Sommer nach Spanien.
o 🇺🇸 We are flying to Spain in the summer.
o 🇩🇪 Sie ziehen nächsten Monat um.
o 🇺🇸 They are moving next month.
5. Describing Feelings or States: Describes feelings, thoughts, or physical states.
o 🇩🇪 Ich fühle mich heute gut.
o 🇺🇸 I feel good today.
 o 🇩🇪 Sie denkt oft an ihre Kindheit.
o 🇺🇸 She often thinks about her childhood.
o 🇩🇪 Er hat Hunger.
o 🇺🇸 He is hungry.
o 🇩🇪 Wir sind müde.
o 🇺🇸 We are tired.
o 🇩🇪 Sie haben Angst.
o 🇺🇸 They are scared.
Differences Between the English Present Tense and
the German Present Tense
The German Präsens covers a broader range of meanings and usages than the English
simple present tense. Let’s discuss the differences between the two.
❶ Range of Meanings: The most significant difference is the range of meanings and
usages. The German Präsens is used to express current actions, habitual actions, general
truths, fixed plans in the near future, and feelings or states. On the other hand, the simple
English present tense primarily expresses habits, general truths, and sometimes current
actions (in a more limited context compared to German).
❷ Expressing Future Actions: In German, it is common to use the Präsens to express
actions that will happen in the near future if it is clear from the context that the action is
in the future. For example, “Ich gehe morgen ins Kino” (I am going to the cinema
tomorrow). In English, while the simple present can be used to express future actions, it is
more common to use the present continuous tense or the ‘going to’ future tense for this
purpose.
❸ Expressing Current Actions: Both German Präsens and English simple present tense can
be used to express current actions. However, in English, it is more common to use the
present continuous tense to express actions that are happening at the moment of
speaking. For example, “I am reading a book” rather than “I read a book.”
❹ Usage with Time Expressions: In German, it is common to use time expressions with
the Präsens, for example, “Ich gehe jeden Tag ins Fitnessstudio” (I go to the gym every
day). In English, the simple present tense is also used with time expressions, but the
usage can be more restrictive. For example, “I go to the gym every day” is correct, but “I
am going to the gym every day” is not standard English.
❗ In German, if an action started in the past but is still ongoing in the present, the present
tense, i.e. Präsens, is used.
🇩🇪 Ich wohne seit fünf Jahren in Berlin.
🇺🇸 I have been living in Berlin for five years.
🇩🇪 Er arbeitet bei der Firma seit 2010.
🇺🇸 He has been working for the company since 2010.
🇩🇪 Wir lernen Deutsch seit zwei Monaten.
🇺🇸 We have been learning German for two months.
🇩🇪 Sie spielt Klavier seit ihrer Kindheit.
🇺🇸 She has been playing the piano since her childhood.
❗ Conversely, if the action is completed, the perfect tense, i.e. Perfekt, is used in
German.
🇩🇪 Ich habe gestern einen Film gesehen.
🇺🇸 I saw a movie yesterday.
🇩🇪 Sie haben das Buch gelesen.
🇺🇸 They have read the book.
In summary, while both German Präsens and English simple present tense share some
similarities, there are significant differences in their usage and range of meanings.
How to Conjugate the Present Tense in German
German verbs have two main parts: a stem and an ending (-en, -n). The stem is derived
from the verb’s infinitive form and can sometimes change. Every German verb belongs to
one of three categories or conjugations (Konjugation):
1. Weak verbs (regular)
2. Strong verbs (irregular)
3. Mixed verbs (a combination of both = irregular)
German Regular Verbs (Weak Verbs)
Regular verbs, also known as weak verbs in German, follow a certain pattern for
each personal pronoun in the present tense, as shown in Table 1.1.
Personal Pronoun Ending

ich -e

du -st

er/sie/es -t

wir -en

ihr -t

sie/Sie -en
Table 1.1
For example, the main part of “spielen” is “spiel-“. Let’s look at how “spielen” (to play)
changes with different pronouns in Table 1.2:
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich spiele I play

du spielst you play

er/sie/es spielt he/she/it plays

wir spielen we play

ihr spielt you all play

 Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

sie/Sie spielen they/You play

Table 1.2
In this table, the verb stem “spiel-” is combined with the endings from Table 1.1 for each
personal pronoun to form the present tense.
German Irregular Verbs (Strong Verbs)
German irregular (strong) verbs do not follow a fixed conjugation pattern like regular
verbs. The stem of a strong verb often changes in different ways, especially in the second
and third-person singular forms (du, er/sie/es).
Personal Pronoun Ending

ich -e

du ❓

er/sie/es ❓

wir -en

ihr -t

sie/Sie -en
Table 1.3
As you can see, strong verbs undergo vowel changes in the stem for the pronouns “du”
and “er/sie/es” in the present tense, which makes their conjugation less predictable.
For example, the verb “sehen” (to see) changes its stem from “seh-” to “sieh-” in the
“du” and “er/sie/es” forms in Table 1.4:
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich sehe I see

du siehst you see

er/sie/es sieht he/she/it sees

wir sehen we see

ihr seht you all see

sie/Sie sehen they/You see

Table 1.4
This table shows that the stem changes from “seh-” to “sieh-” in the “du” and “er/sie/es”
forms, characteristic of strong verbs.
❗ Although there are approximately 200 irregular verbs in German, the majority of
German verbs are regular. However, it’s important to note that many of those 200
irregular verbs are frequently used in everyday conversation, making it essential to
memorize them.
German Mixed Verbs (Weak Verbs)
Mixed verbs in German have characteristics of both regular (weak) and irregular (strong)
verbs. Like regular verbs, mixed verbs have a consistent ending in the present tense. For
example, the mixed verb “denken” (to think) has regular endings in the present tense:
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich denke I think

du denkst you think

er/sie/es denkt he/she/it thinks

wir denken we think

ihr denkt you all think

sie/Sie denken they/You think

Table 1.5
However, similar to irregular verbs, they change their vowels like irregular verbs in
the simple past tense (Präteritum):
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich dachte (denkte) I thought

du dachtest (denktest) you thought

er/sie/es dachte (denkte) he/she/it thought

wir dachten (denkten) we thought

ihr dachtet (denktet) you all thought

sie/Sie dachten (denkten) they/You thought

Table 1.6
So, mixed verbs are a combination of regular and irregular verbs: they have regular
conjugations in the present tense but change their vowel in the simple past tense. These
verbs are quite rare in German. Table 1.7 summarises the most frequently used ones:
Infinitive Präteritum Translation

brennen brannte to burn

bringen brachte to bring

denken dachte to think

kennen kannte to know

kommen kam to come

nennen nannte to name

rennen rannte to run

 Infinitive Präteritum Translation

senden sandte, sendete to send

wenden wandte, wendete to turn

Table 1.7
In summary, understanding the nuances of the German present tense, including the use
of regular, irregular, and mixed verbs, is crucial for mastering the language. By
recognizing the different contexts in which the Präsens is used and familiarizing yourself
with common irregular and mixed verbs, you can communicate more effectively and
naturally in German.
In summary, understanding the nuances of the German present tense, including the use
of regular, irregular, and mixed verbs, is crucial for mastering the language. By
recognizing the different contexts in which the Präsens is used and familiarizing yourself
with common irregular and mixed verbs, you can communicate more effectively and
naturally in German.
German Modal Verbs
Modal verbs, commonly known as “auxiliary” verbs, are designed to alter or refine the
meanings of other verbs, embodying notions such as necessity, possibility, capacity, or
even suggestion.
In the German language, there are six primary modal auxiliary verbs, and all of these
are strong irregular verbs. These six verbs are shown in Table 1.1:
Modalverben Modal Verbs

🔊 dürfen be allowed to, may

🔊 können be able to, can

🔊 mögen like, would like

🔊 müssen have to, must, need to

🔊 sollen should, ought to

🔊 wollen to want, to want to

Table 1.1 – Modal Verbs in German
In the German language, the conjugation of modal verbs distinguishes them from regular
verbs. You can see their present tense conjugations detailed in Table 1.2:
Pronouns Dürfen Können Mögen Müssen Sollen Wollen

ich darf kann mag muss soll will

du darfst kannst magst musst sollst willst

er/sie/es darf kann mag muss soll will

 Pronouns Dürfen Können Mögen Müssen Sollen Wollen

wir dürfen können mögen müssen sollen wollen

ihr dürft könnt mögt müsst sollt will

sie/Sie dürfen können mögen müssen sollen wollen

Table 1.2 – German Modal Verbs Conjugation
Dürfen
Pronouns Dürfen

ich darf

du darfst

er/sie/es darf

wir dürfen

ihr dürft

sie/Sie dürfen
Table 1.3
⭐ “Dürfen” primarily means “to be allowed to” or “may”:
🇩🇪 Darf ich hier rauchen?
🇺🇸 May I smoke here?
🇩🇪 Darfst du mit ins Kino kommen?
🇺🇸 Are you allowed to come to the cinema with us?
🇩🇪 Dürfen wir hier parken?
🇺🇸 Can we park here?
⭐ In the negative form, “dürfen” translates as “must not”:
🇩🇪 Ich darf kein Kaffee trinken.
🇺🇸 I mustn’t drink any coffee.
🇩🇪 Wir dürfen es uns nicht zu leicht machen.
🇺🇸 We mustn’t make it too easy for ourselves.
🇩🇪 Du darfst nicht schwimmen gehen.
🇺🇸 You must not go swimming.
⭐ “Dürfen” can also express politeness:
🇩🇪 Darf ich mein Beileid aussprechen?
🇺🇸 May I offer my condolences?
🇩🇪 Was darf es sein?
🇺🇸 How may I help you?
🇩🇪 Darf ich Ihnen einen Kaffee anbieten?
🇺🇸 May I offer you a coffee?
Können
Pronouns Können

ich kann

du kannst

er/sie/es kann

wir können

ihr könnt

sie/Sie können
Table 1.4
⭐ “Können” primarily denotes ability in German, akin to “can” or “be able to” in English.
🇩🇪 Brad kann gut Deutsch sprechen.
🇺🇸 Brad can speak German well.
🇩🇪 Sie kann nicht singen.
🇺🇸 She can’t sing.
🇩🇪 Er kann das Auto reparieren.
🇺🇸 He can repair the car.
⭐ In some contexts, “können” can mean “know,” especially regarding learned skills:
🇩🇪 Julia kann Spanisch.
🇺🇸 Julia knows Spanish.
🇩🇪 Mein Vater kann den Trick.
🇺🇸 My father knows that trick.
🇩🇪 Sie kann Klavier spielen.
🇺🇸 She knows how to play the piano.
⭐ “Können” can also indicate a possibility:
🇩🇪 Ich kann mich irren.
🇺🇸 I might be wrong.
🇩🇪 Thomas kann krank sein.
🇺🇸 Thomas might be ill.
🇩🇪 Es kann regnen.
🇺🇸 It might rain.
⭐ Used to express permission:
🇩🇪 Kann ich herein?
🇺🇸 Can I come in?
🇩🇪 Du kannst das Buch behalten.
🇺🇸 You can keep the book.
🇩🇪 Kann ich deinen Stift verwenden?
🇺🇸 Can I use your pen?
Mögen
The verb “mögen” is frequently used in its Konjunktiv II form as “möchte.” Due to this
common usage, some might mistakenly think that “möchten” is the infinitive form of a
separate verb. The conjugations of “mögen” can be seen in Table 1.5:
Mögen Möchten
Pronouns
(LIKE) (WOULD LIKE)

ich mag möchte

du magst möchtest

er/sie/es mag möchte

wir mögen möchten

ihr mögt möchtet

sie/Sie mögen möchten

Table 1.5
⭐ When used in the Präsens form, “mögen” often means “like” in the context of
preferences.
🇩🇪 Magst du Schokolade?
🇺🇸 Do you like chocolate?
🇩🇪 Anna mag es nicht.
🇺🇸 Anna doesn’t like it.
🇩🇪 Tom mag keinen Tee.
🇺🇸 Tom doesn’t like tea.
🇩🇪 Mag sie Hunde?
🇺🇸 Does she like dogs?
🇩🇪 Ich mag das Buch, das du mir gegeben hast.
🇺🇸 I like the book you gave me.
⭐ In its Konjunktiv II form, “möchte” translates to “would like” and is used for expressing
desires or making polite requests.
🇩🇪 Möchten Sie etwas trinken?
🇺🇸 Would you like something to drink?
🇩🇪 Ich möchte zwei Tickets nach Köln kaufen.
🇺🇸 I would like to buy two tickets to Köln.
🇩🇪 Möchtest du ins Kino gehen?
🇺🇸 Would you like to go to the cinema?
🇩🇪 Wir möchten einen Tisch für vier Personen reservieren.
🇺🇸 We would like to reserve a table for four people.
🇩🇪 Sie möchte das in Blau, bitte.
🇺🇸 She would like that in blue, please.
Müssen
Pronouns Müssen

ich muss

du musst

er/sie/es muss

wir müssen

ihr müsst

sie/Sie müssen
Table 1.6
⭐ “Müssen” is typically used to convey a sense of obligation, necessity, or compulsion. In
English, it often translates to “must” or “have to”.
🇩🇪 Thomas musste jeden Tag um sieben aufstehen.
🇺🇸 Thomas had to get up at seven o’clock every day.
🇩🇪 Thomas und Anna müssen jetzt abfahren.
🇺🇸 Thomas and Anna must leave now.
🇩🇪 Kinder müssen früh ins Bett gehen.
🇺🇸 Children have to go to bed early.
🇩🇪 Sie müssen morgen früh zur Arbeit.
🇺🇸 They must go to work early tomorrow.
❗ While negative “müssen” maintains its sense of necessity, in many contexts, you can
use a negative form of “brauchen” as an alternative to express “don’t have to” or “need
not”.
🇩🇪 Du musst nicht hier bleiben. 👍🏻
🇩🇪 Du brauchst nicht hier zu bleiben. 👌🏻
🇺🇸 You needn’t stay here.
⭐ Additionally, “müssen” can be employed for making logical deductions. Still, for
negative deductions, “nicht können” is more appropriate.
🇩🇪 Anna muss den Unfall gesehen haben.
🇺🇸 Anna must have seen the accident.
🇩🇪 Thomas muss heute in Frankfurt sein.
🇺🇸 Thomas must be in Frankfurt today.
🇩🇪 Bei diesem Lärm muss er wach sein.
🇺🇸 With that noise, he must be awake.
🇩🇪 Julia spielt heute Volleyball, also kann sie nicht krank sein.
🇺🇸 Julia is playing volleyball today, so she can’t be ill.
🇩🇪 Mit diesem Regen kann er nicht draußen sein.
🇺🇸 With this rain, he can’t be outside.
Sollen
Pronouns Sollen

ich soll

du sollst

er/sie/es soll

wir sollen

ihr sollt

sie/Sie sollen
Table 1.7
⭐ “Sollen” in German primarily denotes obligation or duty, corresponding to English’s “be
supposed to” or “be to.”
🇩🇪 Dein Vater soll nicht so viel rauchen.
🇺🇸 Your father isn’t supposed to smoke so much.
🇩🇪 Um wie viel Uhr soll ich kommen?
🇺🇸 What time am I supposed to come?
🇩🇪 Ihr solltet das Zimmer aufräumen.
🇺🇸 You are supposed to clean the room.
🇩🇪 Wir sollen die Regeln befolgen.
🇺🇸 We are to follow the rules.
⭐ “Sollen” can also convey the sense of “ought to” or “should,” suggesting advice or a
strong recommendation.
🇩🇪 Das sollten Sie sofort machen.
🇺🇸 You should do that right away.
🇩🇪 Er soll gesund essen.
🇺🇸 He ought to eat healthily.
🇩🇪 Sie sollten öfter Sport treiben.
🇺🇸 You should exercise more often.
🇩🇪 Du solltest weniger Zeit am Handy verbringen.
🇺🇸 You ought to spend less time on your phone.
⭐ At times, “sollen” carries the weight of a command or authoritative instruction:
🇩🇪 Man soll sofort den Saal verlassen.
🇺🇸 Everyone should leave the room immediately.
🇩🇪 Er soll sofort kommen.
🇺🇸 He should come immediately.
🇩🇪 Die Kinder sollen ihre Hausaufgaben machen.
🇺🇸 The children are to do their homework.
🇩🇪 Ihr sollt nicht reden!
🇺🇸 You are not to talk!
Wollen
Pronouns Wollen

ich will

du willst

er/sie/es will

wir wollen

ihr wolt

sie/Sie wollen
Table 1.8
⭐ “Wollen” in German predominantly denotes a desire or intention, much like the English
“to want” or “to want to.”
🇩🇪 Was wollen Sie von mir?
🇺🇸 What do you want from me?
🇩🇪 Anna will nächstes Jahr in Frankreich Urlaub machen.
🇺🇸 Anna wants to vacation in France next year.
🇩🇪 Ich will ein neues Handy kaufen.
🇺🇸 I want to buy a new phone.
🇩🇪 Die Kinder wollen ins Kino gehen.
🇺🇸 The kids want to go to the cinema.
⭐ At times, “wollen” is parallel to the English “will” or “would” when suggesting an offer or
polite request.
🇩🇪 Willst du mir helfen?
🇺🇸 Will you help me?
🇩🇪 Wollen Sie bitte die Frage wiederholen?
🇺🇸 Would you please repeat the question?
🇩🇪 Wollen wir morgen zusammen essen gehen?
🇺🇸 Shall we go out to eat together tomorrow?
🇩🇪 Sie wollen nicht verstehen.
🇺🇸 They don’t want to understand.
🇩🇪 Würdest du das für mich tun wollen?
🇺🇸 Would you want to do that for me?
Understanding German Verb Prefixes
A prefix is a linguistic element attached to the beginning of a word, transforming it into
another term. In the German language, many verbs come to life by merging a basic verb
with a specific prefix.
German verb prefixes predominantly fall into three categories:
 Inseparable Prefixes (Untrennbare Präfixe)
 Separable Prefixes (Trennbare Präfixe)
 Dual Prefixes
❗ It’s important to note that prefixes can be applied to strong, weak, and mixed
verbs alike.
Inseparable Prefixes in German Verbs
In German, certain prefixes are inseparable, meaning they always stay attached to the
verb. A characteristic of these inseparable prefixes is that they are unstressed, and when
forming the past participle of the verb, the prefix “ge-” is omitted.
Table 1.1 showcases the most frequently used inseparable prefixes:
be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, ver-, zer-
Table 1.1
Now, let’s delve deeper into how these prefixes modify the meanings of certain verbs.
Consider the list in Table 1.2:
stellen bestellen
be-
(to put) (to order)

fehlen empfehlen
emp
(to lack) (recommend)

gehen entgehen
ent
(to go) (to escape)

stehen erstehen
er
(to stand) (to purchase)

fallen gefallen
ge
(to fall) (to like)

bringen verbringen
ver
(to bring) (to spend)

reißen zerreißen
zer
(to tear) (to tear up)
Table 1.2
This transformation in meaning is evident when a prefix is added to a base verb.
For the most part, inseparable verbs are conjugated just like regular verbs. Table 1.3
provides a clear example, using the verb “stellen” (to put) and its inseparable variant
“bestellen” (to order):
 stellen bestellen
Pronouns
(to put) (to order)

ich stelle bestelle

du stellst bestellst

er/sie/es stellt bestellt

wir stellen bestellen

ihr stellt bestellt

sie/Sie stellen bestellen

Table 1.3
The verb “stellen” in German means “to put” or “to place” in English. For instance:
🇩🇪 Ich stelle das Buch ins Regal.
🇺🇸 I put the book on the shelf.
Now, when you add the prefix “be-” to “stellen,” you get “bestellen,” which means “to
order.” This suggests a different action, like:
🇩🇪 Ich bestelle das Buch online.
🇺🇸 I order the book online.
Notice how both verbs revolve around an item, in this case, a book. “Stellen” concerns
itself with where the book is placed, while “bestellen” pertains to how the book is
acquired. The prefix “be-” changes the action from physically placing an item to making a
purchase or request for that item.
🇩🇪 Ich verstehe die Aufgabe nicht.
🇺🇸 I don’t understand the task.
🇩🇪 Er beschreibt das Bild.
🇺🇸 He describes the picture.
🇩🇪 Sie entdeckt einen neuen Ort.
🇺🇸 She discovers a new place.
🇩🇪 Das Kind zerbricht die Vase.
🇺🇸 The child breaks the vase.
🇩🇪 Sie bestellt einen Kaffee.
🇺🇸 She orders a coffee.
Separable Prefix Verbs in German
In German, separable prefix verbs, as the name suggests, have the unique characteristic
of splitting up. Specifically, under certain conditions, their prefixes detach from the base
verb. These verbs hold a significant place in everyday German communication, and the
stress in their pronunciation always falls on the prefix.
There are numerous separable prefixes in German. Some of the most commonly used
ones are presented in Table 1.4:
 ab-, an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, los-, mit-, vor-, weg-, weiter-
Table 1.4
In the German language, there are numerous verbs that utilize separable prefixes. A
selection of these, showcasing their versatility and function, is presented in Table 1.5:
holen abholen
ab-
(to fetch , to get) to pick up

fangen anfangen
an-
to catch to begin

machen aufmachen
auf-
make to open

denken ausdenken
aus-
think to imagine

kaufen einkaufen
ein-
buy to shop

sehen fernsehen
fern-
to see to watch TV

kommen herkommen
her-
come to come here

sehen vorsehen
vor-
to see to provide

fahren wegfahren
weg-
drive to drive away

geben weitergeben
weiter-
give to pass on
Table 1.5
When conjugating separable verbs, there’s a specific pattern to follow:
 First, detach the prefix from the verb.
 Next, conjugate the root verb as you would with any standard verb.
 Finally, position the separated prefix at the close of the clause or sentence.
A demonstration of how these verbs conjugate can be seen in Table 1.6.
machen aufmachen
Pronouns
(to make) (to open)

ich mache mache … auf

du machst machst … auf

er/sie/es macht macht … auf

 wir machen machen … auf

ihr macht macht … auf

sie/Sie machen machen … auf

Table 1.6
🇩🇪 Was machen wir jetzt?
🇺🇸 What are we doing now?
🇩🇪 Ich mache das Fenster auf.
🇺🇸 I’m opening the window.
In the first instance, “machen” is used in a general context asking about an action without
a specific direction or object. On the other hand, in the second instance, the verb
“machen” combines with the separable prefix “auf” to specify the action of opening,
particularly referring to the window.
🇩🇪 Ich schalte das Licht aus.
🇺🇸 I turn off the light.
🇩🇪 Er ruft mich später an.
🇺🇸 He will call me later.
🇩🇪 Sie zieht ihren Mantel an.
🇺🇸 She puts on her coat.
🇩🇪 Er bringt das Buch zurück.
🇺🇸 He brings back the book.
🇩🇪 Wann kommt der Schulbus an?
🇺🇸 When does the school bus arrive?
🇩🇪 Ich wache um 05:00 Uhr auf.
🇺🇸 I wake up at 5:00 a.m.
German Present Tense
While English has twelve tenses, German simplifies this with just six. Even more
conveniently, you only need to master two tenses to communicate effectively, and one of
these essential tenses is the “Präsens” i.e. “present tense”.
“Präsens” is incredibly versatile; it is used to describe actions that are currently
happening, actions that are habitually performed, or states that either exist at the
moment or generally.

1. Current Actions or Situations: Describes actions or situations happening now.

o 🇩🇪 Ich lese ein Buch.
o 🇺🇸 I am reading a book.
o 🇩🇪 Sie trinkt Kaffee.
o 🇺🇸 She is drinking coffee.
o 🇩🇪 Er spielt Fußball.
o 🇺🇸 He is playing football.
o 🇩🇪 Wir schauen einen Film.
 o 🇺🇸 We are watching a movie.
o 🇩🇪 Sie arbeiten im Garten.
o 🇺🇸 They are working in the garden.
2. Habits: Describes actions that happen regularly.
o 🇩🇪 Ich gehe jeden Tag ins Fitnessstudio.
o 🇺🇸 I go to the gym every day.
o 🇩🇪 Sie kocht jeden Abend.
o 🇺🇸 She cooks every evening.
o 🇩🇪 Er liest jeden Morgen die Zeitung.
o 🇺🇸 He reads the newspaper every morning.
o 🇩🇪 Wir reisen jedes Jahr.
o 🇺🇸 We travel every year.
o 🇩🇪 Sie spielen jede Woche Tennis.
o 🇺🇸 They play tennis every week.
3. General Truths: Describes general facts or truths.
o 🇩🇪 Die Sonne geht im Osten auf.
o 🇺🇸 The sun rises in the east.
o 🇩🇪 Wasser kocht bei 100 Grad Celsius.
o 🇺🇸 Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
o 🇩🇪 Der Winter folgt dem Herbst.
o 🇺🇸 Winter follows autumn.
o 🇩🇪 Pflanzen benötigen Licht zum Wachsen.
o 🇺🇸 Plants need light to grow.
o 🇩🇪 Vögel fliegen südlich im Winter.
o 🇺🇸 Birds fly south in winter.
4. Fixed Plans: Describes actions planned for the near future.
o 🇩🇪 Ich fahre morgen nach Berlin.
o 🇺🇸 I am going to Berlin tomorrow.
o 🇩🇪 Sie besucht uns nächste Woche.
o 🇺🇸 She is visiting us next week.
o 🇩🇪 Er kommt heute Abend vorbei.
o 🇺🇸 He is coming over this evening.
o 🇩🇪 Wir fliegen im Sommer nach Spanien.
o 🇺🇸 We are flying to Spain in the summer.
o 🇩🇪 Sie ziehen nächsten Monat um.
o 🇺🇸 They are moving next month.
5. Describing Feelings or States: Describes feelings, thoughts, or physical states.
o 🇩🇪 Ich fühle mich heute gut.
o 🇺🇸 I feel good today.
o 🇩🇪 Sie denkt oft an ihre Kindheit.
o 🇺🇸 She often thinks about her childhood.
o 🇩🇪 Er hat Hunger.
o 🇺🇸 He is hungry.
o 🇩🇪 Wir sind müde.
o 🇺🇸 We are tired.
o 🇩🇪 Sie haben Angst.
o 🇺🇸 They are scared.
Differences Between the English Present Tense and
the German Present Tense
The German Präsens covers a broader range of meanings and usages than the English
simple present tense. Let’s discuss the differences between the two.
❶ Range of Meanings: The most significant difference is the range of meanings and
usages. The German Präsens is used to express current actions, habitual actions, general
truths, fixed plans in the near future, and feelings or states. On the other hand, the simple
English present tense primarily expresses habits, general truths, and sometimes current
actions (in a more limited context compared to German).
❷ Expressing Future Actions: In German, it is common to use the Präsens to express
actions that will happen in the near future if it is clear from the context that the action is
in the future. For example, “Ich gehe morgen ins Kino” (I am going to the cinema
tomorrow). In English, while the simple present can be used to express future actions, it is
more common to use the present continuous tense or the ‘going to’ future tense for this
purpose.
❸ Expressing Current Actions: Both German Präsens and English simple present tense can
be used to express current actions. However, in English, it is more common to use the
present continuous tense to express actions that are happening at the moment of
speaking. For example, “I am reading a book” rather than “I read a book.”
❹ Usage with Time Expressions: In German, it is common to use time expressions with
the Präsens, for example, “Ich gehe jeden Tag ins Fitnessstudio” (I go to the gym every
day). In English, the simple present tense is also used with time expressions, but the
usage can be more restrictive. For example, “I go to the gym every day” is correct, but “I
am going to the gym every day” is not standard English.
❗ In German, if an action started in the past but is still ongoing in the present, the present
tense, i.e. Präsens, is used.
🇩🇪 Ich wohne seit fünf Jahren in Berlin.
🇺🇸 I have been living in Berlin for five years.
🇩🇪 Er arbeitet bei der Firma seit 2010.
🇺🇸 He has been working for the company since 2010.
🇩🇪 Wir lernen Deutsch seit zwei Monaten.
🇺🇸 We have been learning German for two months.
🇩🇪 Sie spielt Klavier seit ihrer Kindheit.
🇺🇸 She has been playing the piano since her childhood.
❗ Conversely, if the action is completed, the perfect tense, i.e. Perfekt, is used in
German.
🇩🇪 Ich habe gestern einen Film gesehen.
🇺🇸 I saw a movie yesterday.
🇩🇪 Sie haben das Buch gelesen.
🇺🇸 They have read the book.
In summary, while both German Präsens and English simple present tense share some
similarities, there are significant differences in their usage and range of meanings.
How to Conjugate the Present Tense in German
German verbs have two main parts: a stem and an ending (-en, -n). The stem is derived
from the verb’s infinitive form and can sometimes change. Every German verb belongs to
one of three categories or conjugations (Konjugation):
1. Weak verbs (regular)
2. Strong verbs (irregular)
3. Mixed verbs (a combination of both = irregular)
German Regular Verbs (Weak Verbs)
Regular verbs, also known as weak verbs in German, follow a certain pattern for
each personal pronoun in the present tense, as shown in Table 1.1.
Personal Pronoun Ending

ich -e

du -st

er/sie/es -t

wir -en

ihr -t

sie/Sie -en
Table 1.1
For example, the main part of “spielen” is “spiel-“. Let’s look at how “spielen” (to play)
changes with different pronouns in Table 1.2:
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich spiele I play

du spielst you play

er/sie/es spielt he/she/it plays

wir spielen we play

ihr spielt you all play

sie/Sie spielen they/You play

Table 1.2
In this table, the verb stem “spiel-” is combined with the endings from Table 1.1 for each
personal pronoun to form the present tense.
German Irregular Verbs (Strong Verbs)
German irregular (strong) verbs do not follow a fixed conjugation pattern like regular
verbs. The stem of a strong verb often changes in different ways, especially in the second
and third-person singular forms (du, er/sie/es).
Personal Pronoun Ending

ich -e
 Personal Pronoun Ending

du ❓

er/sie/es ❓

wir -en

ihr -t

sie/Sie -en
Table 1.3
As you can see, strong verbs undergo vowel changes in the stem for the pronouns “du”
and “er/sie/es” in the present tense, which makes their conjugation less predictable.
For example, the verb “sehen” (to see) changes its stem from “seh-” to “sieh-” in the
“du” and “er/sie/es” forms in Table 1.4:
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich sehe I see

du siehst you see

er/sie/es sieht he/she/it sees

wir sehen we see

ihr seht you all see

sie/Sie sehen they/You see

Table 1.4
This table shows that the stem changes from “seh-” to “sieh-” in the “du” and “er/sie/es”
forms, characteristic of strong verbs.
❗ Although there are approximately 200 irregular verbs in German, the majority of
German verbs are regular. However, it’s important to note that many of those 200
irregular verbs are frequently used in everyday conversation, making it essential to
memorize them.
German Mixed Verbs (Weak Verbs)
Mixed verbs in German have characteristics of both regular (weak) and irregular (strong)
verbs. Like regular verbs, mixed verbs have a consistent ending in the present tense. For
example, the mixed verb “denken” (to think) has regular endings in the present tense:
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich denke I think

du denkst you think

er/sie/es denkt he/she/it thinks

wir denken we think

 Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ihr denkt you all think

sie/Sie denken they/You think

Table 1.5
However, similar to irregular verbs, they change their vowels like irregular verbs in
the simple past tense (Präteritum):
Personal Pronoun Conjugation Translation

ich dachte (denkte) I thought

du dachtest (denktest) you thought

er/sie/es dachte (denkte) he/she/it thought

wir dachten (denkten) we thought

ihr dachtet (denktet) you all thought

sie/Sie dachten (denkten) they/You thought

Table 1.6
So, mixed verbs are a combination of regular and irregular verbs: they have regular
conjugations in the present tense but change their vowel in the simple past tense. These
verbs are quite rare in German. Table 1.7 summarises the most frequently used ones:
Infinitive Präteritum Translation

brennen brannte to burn

bringen brachte to bring

denken dachte to think

kennen kannte to know

kommen kam to come

nennen nannte to name

rennen rannte to run

senden sandte, sendete to send

wenden wandte, wendete to turn

Table 1.7
In summary, understanding the nuances of the German present tense, including the use
of regular, irregular, and mixed verbs, is crucial for mastering the language. By
recognizing the different contexts in which the Präsens is used and familiarizing yourself
with common irregular and mixed verbs, you can communicate more effectively and
naturally in German.
Understanding German Accusative Case
The German language employs cases to determine the grammatical role of a noun or a
pronoun in a sentence. Let’s begin with a quick overview of the functions of German
cases, as illustrated in Table 1.1:
Cases Role Description

Nominative subject performs action

Accusative direct object affected by action

Dative indirect object recipient of action

Genitive possessive indicates ownership

Table 1.1
The German accusative case corresponds to the English direct object and indicates who
or what is impacted by an action.
🇩🇪 Der Mann (Nomiative case) hat einen Hund (Accusative case) .
🇺🇸 The man has a dog.
In this sentence, “Der Mann” is the subject performing the action and is, therefore, in
the nominative case. Subjects conjugate verbs, so here, “haben” is conjugated by “der
Mann”. “Einen Hund” is the direct object affected by the subject’s action, making
it accusative.
Article Declension in Accusative Case
Table 1.2 illustrates how German articles change in the accusative case:
Cases Masculine Feminine Neutral Plural

der die das die

Nominative
ein eine ein ✖️

den die das die

Accusative
einen eine ein ✖️

Table 1.2 – Articles in the accusative case

For example, consider the declensions of the words in Table 1.3:
Cases Singular Plural

Der Stuhl Die Stühle

Chair Chairs

Die Frau Die Frauen

Nominativ
Woman Women

Das Haus Die Häuser

Haus Hauses

Akkusativ Den Stuhl Die Stühle

Chair Chairs
 Cases Singular Plural

Die Frau Die Frauen

Woman Women

Das Haus Die Häuser

Haus Hauses

Table 1.3
❗ Generally, in German, only the nouns with the article “der” change in the accusative
case.
However, masculine nouns that are weakly declension, ending with an -e(n) in the plural,
and have the article “der” display a special declension in the accusative case. They take
the –e(n) ending in the singular as if they were plural. For example:
Cases Singular Plural

Der Soldat Die Soldaten

Nominativ
Soldier Soldiers

Den Soldaten Die Soldaten

Akkusativ
Soldier Soldiers

In Which Situations Is Accusative Case Used?

 To identify the direct object in German, locate the verb and ask, “wen (whom) or was
(what)”.
o 🇩🇪 Julia liebt ihren Mann. (Wen liebt Julia?)
o 🇺🇸 Julia loves her husband. (Whom does Julia love?)
o 🇩🇪 Ich habe einen Hund. (Was hast du?)
o 🇺🇸 I have a dog. (What do you have?)
 The primary function of the accusative case in German is to mark the direct object
(direktes Objekt = Akkusativobjekt) of transitive verbs.
o 🇩🇪 Er hat einen Hund
o 🇺🇸 He has a dog.
 Accusative is also employed with accusative prepositions.
o 🇩🇪 Ich habe einen Tasche für meinen Bruder.
o 🇺🇸 I have a bag for my brother.
 The accusative case is used with time expressions (mit Zeitangaben).
o 🇩🇪 Jeden Tag gehe ich joggen.
o 🇺🇸 Every day, I go jogging.
Some common time expressions are listed in Table 1.4:
jeden Tag every day

jeden Morgen every morning

 letzten Sommer last summer

diesen Winter this winter

den ganzen Abend the whole evening

Table 1.4
 Verbs requiring the accusative case (Verben mit Akkusativ) use the accusative.
o 🇩🇪 Ich habe einen Hund
o 🇺🇸 I have a dog.
o 🇩🇪 Ich möchte eine Cola
o 🇺🇸 I would like a cola
o 🇩🇪 Ich nehme einen Hamburger.
o 🇺🇸 I’ll have a hamburger.
Some common German accusative verbs are listed in Table 1.5:
suchen to search

finden to find

kaufen to buy

lesen to read

besuchen to visit

bestellen to order

trinken to drink

essen to eat

Table 1.5
 Objects in the accusative case can be a person (Person) or a thing (Sache), and they
can be singular or plural:
o 🇩🇪 Thomas sieht KoJo.
o 🇺🇸 Thomas sees KoJo.
o 🇩🇪 Thomas sieht einen Papagei.
o 🇺🇸 Thomas sees a parrot.
o 🇩🇪 Thomas sieht seinen Papagei.
o 🇺🇸 Thomas sees his parrot.
o 🇩🇪 Thomas sieht ihn.
o 🇺🇸 Thomas sees him.
Mastering the accusative case is essential for communicating effectively in German. With
practice, identifying and using the accusative case will become second nature, allowing
you to construct sentences with confidence and precision.
Key Concepts of Accusative Prepositions in
German
Prepositions are essential elements in many languages, acting as bridges between words.
They often indicate relationships concerning direction, location, time, or manner. By
connecting nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words in a sentence, they provide
context and cohesion.
In German, prepositions play a pivotal role in indicating case relationships. Some of these
prepositions exclusively govern the accusative case. When you use one of these
prepositions, you’ll have to ensure that the following noun or pronoun is in its appropriate
accusative form.
Below, Table 1.1 showcases frequently used accusative prepositions in German and their
English equivalents.
🔊 für for, to

🔊 um round, around

🔊 ohne without

🔊 gegen against, around

🔊 bis until

🔊 durch through
Table 1.1
In the German language, articles (the equivalent of “the” or “a” in English) undergo
changes based on the grammatical case they’re in. The accusative case, in particular,
affects mainly the masculine form of the articles. Understanding these changes is vital for
forming correct sentence structures in German, especially when using accusative
prepositions or direct objects.
Below, Table 1.2 provides a clear representation of how these articles change when in the
accusative case:
Cases Masculine Feminine Neutral Plural

der die das die

Nominative
ein eine ein ✖️

den die das die

Accusative
einen eine ein ✖️

Bis (Until)
Although the German preposition “bis” is technically accusative, it’s more frequently
combined with another preposition (like “bis zu”, “bis auf”) or without an article (like “bis
April”).
 When referring to a place, “bis” translates to “as far as” or “up to”:
o 🇩🇪 Ich gehe bis zum Markt.
 🇺🇸 I’ll walk up to the market.
o
🇩🇪 Ich fahre nur bis zur nächsten Haltestelle.
o
🇺🇸 I am only going as far as the next stop.
o
 In terms of time, “bis” translates to “until” or “by”:
o 🇩🇪 Das Projekt muss bis nächste Woche abgeschlossen sein.
o 🇺🇸 The project needs to be completed by next week.
o 🇩🇪 Ich werde bis zum Abendessen hier sein.
o 🇺🇸 I will be here until dinner.
Durch (Through)
 Meaning “through” concerning place:
o 🇩🇪 Wir gehen durch den Wald.
o 🇺🇸 We’re walking through the forest.
o 🇩🇪 Sie fährt durch die Stadt zum Bahnhof.
o 🇺🇸 She drives through the city to the train station.
Für (For)
 When translated, “für” means “for”:
o🇩🇪 Das Geschenk ist für dich.
o🇺🇸 The gift is for you.
o🇩🇪 Ich habe etwas für dich gekauft.
o🇺🇸 I bought something for you.
 It’s also used to indicate a period of time:
o 🇩🇪 Er bleibt für zwei Wochen.
o 🇺🇸 He’s staying for two weeks.
o 🇩🇪 Sie bleibt für das Wochenende.
o 🇺🇸 She is staying for the weekend.
Gegen (Against, Around)
 Referring to place or opposition, “gegen” means “against”:
🇩🇪 Er ist gegen die Idee.
o
🇺🇸 He’s against the idea.
o
🇩🇪 Sie hat gegen die Entscheidung protestiert.
o
🇺🇸 She protested against the decision.
o
 “Gegen” also indicates a rough timeframe:
o 🇩🇪 Ich komme gegen Mittag.
o 🇺🇸 I’ll arrive around noon.
o 🇩🇪 Wir treffen uns gegen 10 Uhr.
o 🇺🇸 We are meeting around 10 o’clock.
Ohne (Without)
 In most cases, “ohne” translates to “without”:
o 🇩🇪 Kaffee ohne Milch, bitte.
o 🇺🇸 Coffee without milk, please.
o 🇩🇪 Ich mag meinen Kaffee ohne Zucker.
o 🇺🇸 I like my coffee without sugar.
Um (Round, Around)
 For location, “um” means “around”:
o 🇩🇪 Das Haus ist um die Ecke.
o 🇺🇸 The house is around the corner.
o 🇩🇪 Die Kinder spielen um das Haus.
o 🇺🇸 The children are playing around the house.
 For time, “um” indicates a specific time:
o 🇩🇪 Das Treffen ist um 15 Uhr.
o 🇺🇸 The meeting is at 3 p.m.
o 🇩🇪 Sie ruft um 12 Uhr an.
o 🇺🇸 She will call at 12 o’clock.
Understanding Accusative Verbs in German
German, unlike English, has four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive.
Each case has a different role and function in a sentence, as shown in Table 1.1:
Cases Role Description

Nominative Subject Takes action

Accusative Direct object Receives action

Dative Indirect object To/for whom action is taken

Genitive Possessive Indicates the owner of someone or something

Table 1.1
❗Note: In English, there are just two cases: the subject (nominative) and the object
(accusative & dative combined into “the objective case”).
In German, the direct object, which is the person or thing receiving the action of the verb,
is usually expressed in the accusative case. However, certain verbs require the direct
object to be in the dative case. In this lesson, we will only be focusing on the verbs that
require the accusative case.
You can find the direct object in English by finding the verb and asking, “What or whom?”.
Similarly, in German, we find the accusative case by asking “was” or “wen” to the verb.
Person Thing

wen (whom) was (what)

 Subject + verb + direct object (Accusative)
o Step 1 ➡️Find the verb!
o Step 2 ➡️Ask, “What (was)” or “Whom (wen)”
 🇩🇪 Harry mäht das Gras. (was)
 🇺🇸 Harry mows the grass. (what)
 🇩🇪 Jane gießt die Blumen. (was)
 🇺🇸 Jane waters the flowers. (what)
 🇩🇪 Ich habe den Hund gefüttert. (was)
 🇺🇸 I fed the dog. (what)
 🇩🇪 John hat Sarah zu der Party eingeladen. (wen)
 🇺🇸 John invited Sarah to the party. (whom)
In German, certain verbs specifically require an “accusative object” (Akkusativobjekt).
This means that when you encounter these verbs in a sentence, you will know that they
will be accompanied by a direct object. The most common of these verbs are listed in
Table 1.3.
Verben Verbs

🔊 abschließen to close

🔊 anhalten to stop

🔊 anrufen to call
Verben Verbs

🔊 anschauen to look at

🔊 aufmachen to open

🔊 backen to bake

🔊 bekommen to receive

🔊 beraten to advise

🔊 besuchen to visit

🔊 bezahlen to pay

🔊 brauchen to need

🔊 einladen to invite

🔊 erfinden to invent

🔊 essen to eat

🔊 finden to find

🔊 fragen to ask

🔊 haben to have

🔊 heiraten to marry

🔊 holen to fetch

🔊 hören to hear

🔊 kennen to know

🔊 kaufen to buy

🔊 legen to lay

🔊 lernen to learn

🔊 lesen to read

🔊 machen to make

🔊 mögen to like

🔊 nehmen to take

🔊 sehen to see

🔊 sprechen to speak

🔊 suchen to look for

 Verben Verbs

🔊 trinken to drink

🔊 öffnen to open

🔊 verstehen to understand

🔊 wählen to choose
Table 1.3 – Accusative Verbs in German
1. Sehen (to see)
o 🇩🇪 Ich sehe den Hund.
o 🇺🇸 I see the dog.
2. Hören (to hear)
o 🇩🇪 Ich höre die Musik.
o 🇺🇸 I hear the music.
3. Finden (to find)
o 🇩🇪 Sie findet das Buch.
o 🇺🇸 She finds the book.
4. Essen (to eat)
o 🇩🇪 Er isst einen Apfel.
o 🇺🇸 He eats an apple.
5. Trinken (to drink)
o 🇩🇪 Wir trinken das Wasser.
o 🇺🇸 We drink the water.

Understanding Possessive Adjectives and

Pronouns in German
Before diving into the German possessive adjectives, it’s important to understand the
difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns.
⭐ Possessive Adjectives: These are used with a noun to show that one person or thing
belongs to another. They describe and modify the preceding noun, indicating ownership.
For example, in the sentence “Das ist mein Auto” (This is my car), “mein” is the
possessive adjective modifying “Auto” (car).
⭐ Possessive Pronouns: These replace a noun or a noun phrase to avoid repetition and
indicate ownership. For example, in the sentence “Das ist meins” (This is mine), “meins”
is the possessive pronoun replacing “das Auto” (the car).
 Possessive Adjectives
o Das ist mein Auto.
o This is my car.
 Possessive Pronouns
o Das ist meins. (das Auto)
o This is mine.
❗ Remember, possessive adjectives are used before a noun (e.g., my book),
while possessive pronouns replace nouns (e.g., the book is mine).
German Possessive Adjectives
German possessive adjectives change their form based on the case and gender of the
noun they modify. There are four cases in German: nominative, accusative, dative, and
genitive. Each case has a different set of endings for possessive adjectives. Let’s start by
examining the nominative case.
The base form of German possessive adjectives in the nominative case can be seen in
Table 1.1:
🇺🇸 Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural

my 🔊 mein 🔊 meine 🔊 mein 🔊 meine

your 🔊 dein 🔊 deine 🔊 dein 🔊 deine

his 🔊 sein 🔊 seine 🔊 sein 🔊 seine

her 🔊 ihr 🔊 ihre 🔊 ihr 🔊 ihre

its 🔊 sein 🔊 seine 🔊 sein 🔊 seine

our 🔊 unser 🔊 unsere 🔊 unser 🔊 unsere

your 🔊 euer 🔊 eure 🔊 euer 🔊 eure

their 🔊 ihr 🔊 ihre 🔊 ihr 🔊 ihre

Your 🔊 Ihr 🔊 Ihre 🔊 Ihr 🔊 Ihre

Table 1.1 – Possessive Adjectives in German
❗ Note: Always capitalize the formal ‘You/Your’ (Sie/Ihr) and change ‘euer’ to ‘eure’ before
a plural noun.
🇩🇪 Mein Vater ist Arzt.
🇺🇸 My father is a doctor.
🇩🇪 Dein Bruder spielt Fußball.
🇺🇸 Your brother plays football.
🇩🇪 Sein Haus ist groß.
🇺🇸 His house is big.
🇩🇪 Ihre Schwester ist schön.
🇺🇸 Her sister is beautiful.
🇩🇪 Unser Garten ist schön.
🇺🇸 Our garden is beautiful.
🇩🇪 Euer Hund ist laut.
🇺🇸 Your dog is loud.
🇩🇪 Ihr Buch ist interessant.
🇺🇸 Their book is interesting.
🇩🇪 Ihr Lehrer ist streng.
🇺🇸 Your (formal) teacher is strict.
German Possessive Adjectives in All Case
In German, the form of a possessive adjective changes according to the case
(nominative, accusative, dative, genitive) and gender (masculine, feminine, neuter)
of the noun it modifies. This is different from English, where possessive adjectives (my,
your, his, her, its, our, their) remain the same regardless of the case or gender of the
noun.
The table below (Table 1.2) shows the possessive adjectives in all four cases:
Cases 🇺🇸 Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural

my mein meine mein meine

your dein deine dein deine
his sein seine sein seine
her ihr ihre ihr ihre
Nominative its sein seine sein seine
our unser unsere unser unsere
your euer eure euer eure
their ihr ihre ihr ihre
Your Ihr Ihre Ihr Ihre

my meinen meine mein meine

your deinen deine dein deine
his seinen seine sein seine
her ihren ihre ihr ihre
Accusative its seinen seine sein seine
our unseren unsere unser unsere
your eueren eure euer eure
their ihren ihre ihr ihre
Your Ihren Ihre Ihr Ihre

my meinem meiner meinem meinen

your deinem deiner deinem deinen
his seinem seiner seinem seinen
her ihrem ihrer ihrem ihren
Dative its seinem seiner seinem seinen
our unserem unserer unserem unseren
your euerem eurer euerem euren
their ihrem ihrer ihrem ihren
Your Ihrem Ihrer Ihrem Ihren

my meines meiner meines meiner

your deines deiner deines deiner
his seines seiner seines seiner
her ihres ihrer ihres ihrer
Genitive its seines seiner seines seiner
our unseres unserer unseres unserer
your eueres eurer eures eurer
their ihres ihrer ihres ihrer
Your Ihres Ihrer Ihres Ihrer
Table 1.2
❗ Note that “euer” has a slightly irregular declension:
Understanding the Possessive Pronouns?
A possessive pronoun is used to express ownership or possession. For example, ‘mine’ is
a possessive pronoun in the sentence, ‘I noticed that John’s car was smaller than mine.’
The word ‘mine’ indicates that the car belongs to me, replacing the noun phrase ‘my car.’
It’s important to distinguish between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns.
Possessive adjectives describe and modify a preceding noun and indicate ownership,
whereas possessive pronouns replace a noun or a noun phrase. The main purpose of
using possessive pronouns is to avoid repetition. For example:
 Possessive Adjectives
o 🇩🇪 Das ist mein Auto.
o 🇺🇸 This is my car.
 Possessive Pronouns
o 🇩🇪 Das ist meins. (das Auto)
o 🇺🇸 This is mine.
Possessive pronouns in German replace the noun entirely, whereas possessive adjectives
precede the noun and act like adjectives.
German Possessive Pronouns in Nominative
Case
The form of German possessive pronouns is influenced by the case, number of the noun
(plurals) and gender of the noun they are modifying. There are four cases in German:
“nominative“, “accusative“, “dative“, and “genitive“, and each case comes with its
own set of endings for possessive adjectives. We will begin our exploration with
the nominative case.
Table 1.1 below displays the German possessive pronouns in their base form for the
nominative case:
English Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural

mine meiner meine meins meine

yours deiner deine deins deine

his seiner seine seins seine

hers ihrer ihre ihres ihre

its seiner seine seins seine

ours unserer unsere unseres unsere

yours eurer eure eures eure

theirs ihrer ihre ihres ihre

yours (formal) Ihrer Ihre Ihres Ihre

Table 1.1
❗Remember: Possessive adjectives are used in conjunction with a noun (e.g., my
book), whereas possessive pronouns are used in place of nouns (e.g., the book is mine).
Refer to Table 1.2 for more examples:
Word Adjective Pronoun

das Buch mein Buch meins

 Word Adjective Pronoun

the book my book mine

die Katze deine Katze deine

the cat your cat yours

der Hund sein Hund seiner

the dog his dog his
Table 1.2
🇩🇪 Unsere Wohnung ist heller als ihre.
🇺🇸 Our apartment is brighter than theirs.
🇩🇪 Mein Auto ist schneller als deins.
🇺🇸 My car is faster than yours.
🇩🇪 Ihr Buch ist interessanter als unseres.
🇺🇸 Your book is more interesting than ours.
🇩🇪 Mein Handy ist neuer als seins.
🇺🇸 My mobile phone is newer than his.
🇩🇪 Das ist nicht dein Stift, das ist meiner.
🇺🇸 That’s not your pen, it’s mine.
🇩🇪 Deine Ideen sind besser als unsere.
🇺🇸 Your ideas are better than ours.
🇩🇪 Das sind nicht ihre Schuhe, das sind meine.
🇺🇸 Those are not her shoes; they are mine.
German Possessive Pronouns in All Case
In German, the form of a possessive pronoun changes according to the case (nominative,
accusative, dative, genitive) and gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) of the noun it is
replacing. This is different from English, where possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his,
hers, its, ours, theirs) remain the same regardless of the case or gender of the noun.
The table below (Table 1.3) shows the possessive pronouns in all four cases:
Cases 🇺🇸 Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural

mine meiner meine meins meine

yours deiner deine deins deine
his seiner seine seins seine
hers ihrer ihre ihres ihre
Nominative its seiner seine seins seine
ours unserer unsere unseres unsere
yours eurer eure eures eure
theirs ihrer ihre ihres ihre
yours Ihrer Ihre Ihres Ihre

Accusative mine meinen meine meins meine

yours deinen deine deins deine
his seinen seine seins seine
hers ihren ihre ihres ihre
 Cases 🇺🇸 Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural

its seinen seine seins seine

ours unseren unsere unseres unsere
yours euren eure eures eure
theirs ihren ihre ihres ihre
yours Ihren Ihre Ihres Ihre

mine meinem meiner meinem meinen

yours deinem deiner deinem deinen
his seinem seiner seinem seinen
hers ihrem ihrer ihrem ihren
Dative its seinem seiner seinem seinen
ours unserem unserer unserem unseren
yours eurem eurer eurem euren
theirs ihrem ihrer ihrem ihren
yours Ihrem Ihrer Ihrem Ihren

mine meines meiner meines meiner

yours deines deiner deines deiner
his seines seiner seines seiner
hers ihres ihrer ihres ihrer
Genitive its seines seiner seines seiner
ours unseres unserer unseres unserer
yours eueres eurer eures eurer
theirs ihres ihrer ihres ihrer
yours Ihres Ihrer Ihres Ihrer
Table 1.3 – German Possessive Pronouns in All Case
❗ Please note that for the neuter and feminine gender in the nominative and accusative
case, as well as for the plural in all cases, the forms of the possessive pronouns are the
same as the possessive adjectives. Also, for masculine and neuter in genitive, it is “es” at
the end, not just “s”.

Forming a Question in German

Great, now that we have set the stage, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of forming questions
in German.
First things first, let’s understand the basic sentence structure in German. A typical
German sentence follows the Subject-Verb-Object order (SVO), much like in English.
For example, “Der Hund (the dog) spielt (plays) Ball (ball)” translates to “The dog plays
ball” in English.
 🇩🇪 “Der Hund (subject) spielt (verb) Ball (object)“
 🇺🇸 “The dog (subject) plays (verb) ball (object)“.
However, while both German and English typically use the SVO order, they form questions
differently. In English, we often use auxiliary verbs (do, does, did) to form questions, for
example, “Are you tired?”. In German, questions are formed by moving the verb to the
start of the sentence without the use of auxiliary verbs. For example, “Du bist müde” (You
are tired) becomes “Bist du müde?” (Are you tired?).
Yes-No Questions in German (Ja-Nein Fragen)
Now, let’s start with the simplest form of questions: yes-no questions i.e. “Ja-Nein
Fragen”. These are questions that expect an answer of either ‘yes’ (ja) or ‘no’ (nein).
To make a simple “yes or no” question in German, you use the following pattern:
Conjugated Verb + Subject + Object.
This means you just move the verb to the start of the sentence. So, “Du bist müde” (You
are tired) changes to “Bist du müde?” (Are you tired?).
Yes-No questions are the most common type of question, and these questions can usually
reply to this type of question with a simple “yes” (ja) or “no” (nein).
Ist der Mann krank? – Ja.
Is the man sick? – Yes.
Ist die Frau hier? – Nein.
Is the woman here? – No.
Naturally, if you’re aiming for a more dynamic and conversational tone, you can mirror
the question in your reply but revert to the standard word order, placing the verb after
the subject. For instance:
Ist der Mann krank? – Ja, der Mann ist krank.
Is the man sick? – Yes, the man is sick.
Ist die Frau hier? – Nein, die Frau ist nicht hier.
Is the woman here? – No, the woman is not here.
Wh-Questions in German (W-Fragen)
Wh-Questions are question words used to ask for information. In English, these words
usually start with “wh-“, hence the name “Wh-Questions”. Similarly, in German, these are
referred to as W-Fragen, and are very similar to their English counterparts but with a few
additional ones, like ‘woher’ (where from) and ‘wohin’ (where to).
A list of the most frequently used ‘W-Fragen’ or question words in German is given in
Table 1.1:
🔊 was what

🔊 warum why

🔊 wo where

🔊 woher where from

🔊 wohin where to

🔊 wie how, what like

🔊 wann when

🔊 welche which

🔊 wer who

🔊 wie viele how much

 🔊 wie viel how many
Table 1.1: W-Fragen in German
To ask a question using the “Wh-Questions” in German (i.e. W-Fragen), you typically use
the following pattern:
Question Word + Conjugated Verb + Subject + Object
For “W-Fragen”, the question word comes at the start of the sentence, followed by the
verb, subject, and then object.
So, if you have a statement like “Du siehst müde aus” (You look tired), the question form
would be: “Warum siehst du müde aus?” (Why do you look tired?).
Here, “Warum” (Why) is the question word, followed by the verb “siehst” (look), the
subject “du” (you), and then the object “müde” (tired).
Wo (Where)
This means ‘where’ in English. It is used to ask about locations or places.
🇩🇪 Wo ist das Badezimmer?
🇺🇸 Where is the bathroom?
🇩🇪 Wo hast du dein Handy gelassen?
🇺🇸 Where did you leave your phone?
🇩🇪 Wo arbeitest du?
🇺🇸 Where do you work?
🇩🇪 Wo wohnst du?
🇺🇸 Where do you live?
🇩🇪 Wo kann ich parken?
🇺🇸 Where can I park?
Woher (Where from)
This translates to ‘where from’ in English. It is used to ask about the origin of something
or someone.
🇩🇪 Woher kommst du?
🇺🇸 Where are you from?
🇩🇪 Woher hast du das?
🇺🇸 Where did you get that?
🇩🇪 Woher weißt du das?
🇺🇸 How do you know that?
🇩🇪 Woher hast du diese Idee?
🇺🇸 Where did you get that idea?
🇩🇪 Woher kommt dieser Lärm?
🇺🇸 Where is that noise coming from?
Wohin (Where to)
This means ‘where to’ in English. It is used to ask about destinations. Example: Wohin
gehst du?
🇩🇪 Wohin gehst du?
🇺🇸 Where are you going?
🇩🇪 Wohin möchtest du reisen?
🇺🇸 Where do you want to travel?
🇩🇪 Wohin sollen wir das stellen?
🇺🇸 Where should we put this?
🇩🇪 Wohin fährt dieser Bus?
🇺🇸 Where does this bus go?
🇩🇪 Wohin willst du zum Abendessen gehen?
🇺🇸 Where do you want to go for dinner?
Wie (How)
This translates to ‘how’ or ‘what like’ in English. It is used to ask about manner, quality, or
condition.
🇩🇪 Wie geht es dir?
🇺🇸 How are you?
🇩🇪 Wie alt bist du?
🇺🇸 How old are you?
🇩🇪 Wie heißen Sie?
🇺🇸 What is your name?
🇩🇪 Wie viel kostet das?
🇺🇸 How much does that cost?
🇩🇪 Wie lange dauert das?
🇺🇸 How long does it take?
Was (What)
This is the German word for ‘what’. It is used to ask about objects, things, or ideas.
🇩🇪 Was machst du?
🇺🇸 What are you doing?
🇩🇪 Was ist das?
🇺🇸 What is that?
🇩🇪 Was möchtest du trinken?
🇺🇸 What would you like to drink?
🇩🇪 Was hast du gesagt?
🇺🇸 What did you say?
🇩🇪 Was denkst du darüber?
🇺🇸 What do you think about that?
Wann (When)
This is the German word for ‘when’. It is used to ask about time.
🇩🇪 Wann kommst du zurück?
🇺🇸 When are you coming back?
🇩🇪 Wann fängt der Film an?
🇺🇸 When does the movie start?
🇩🇪 Wann hast du Geburtstag?
🇺🇸 When is your birthday?
🇩🇪 Wann sollen wir uns treffen?
🇺🇸 When should we meet?
🇩🇪 Wann ist das Geschäft geöffnet?
🇺🇸 When is the store open?
Wie viel (How much)
This translates to ‘how many’ in English. It is used to ask about the quantity of countable
nouns.
🇩🇪 Wie viel kostet das Buch?
🇺🇸 How much does the book cost?
🇩🇪 Wie viel Zeit hast du?
🇺🇸 How much time do you have?
🇩🇪 Wie viel Geld hast du dabei?
🇺🇸 How much money do you have with you?
🇩🇪 Wie viel Zucker möchtest du im Kaffee?
🇺🇸 How much sugar would you like in your coffee?
🇩🇪 Wie viel kostet ein Ticket?
🇺🇸 How much does a ticket cost?
Wie viele (How many)
This means ‘how much’ in English. It is used to ask about the quantity of uncountable
nouns.
🇩🇪 Wie viele Geschwister hast du?
🇺🇸 How many siblings do you have?
🇩🇪 Wie viele Äpfel möchtest du?
🇺🇸 How many apples would you like?
🇩🇪 Wie viele Personen kommen zur Party?
🇺🇸 How many people are coming to the party?
🇩🇪 Wie viele Stunden hast du geschlafen?
🇺🇸 How many hours did you sleep?
🇩🇪 Wie viele Bücher hast du gelesen?
🇺🇸 How many books have you read?
Warum (Why)
This translates to ‘why’ in English. It is used to ask for reasons or explanations.
🇩🇪 Warum bist du traurig?
🇺🇸 Why are you sad?
🇩🇪 Warum bist du zu spät?
🇺🇸 Why are you late?
🇩🇪 Warum hast du das gemacht?
🇺🇸 Why did you do that?
🇩🇪 Warum lernst du Deutsch?
🇺🇸 Why are you learning German?
🇩🇪 Warum hast du nicht angerufen?
🇺🇸 Why didn’t you call?
Welche (Which)
Some question words in German, like “welche” (which), need to be declined according to
the gender, number, and case (Nominative, accusative, dative, genitive) of the
noun they refer to.
Table 1.2 illustrates the various declensions of the German word “welche,” which
translates to “which” in English:
Cases Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural

Nominative welcher welche welches welche

Accusative welchen welche welches welche

Dative welchem welcher welchem welchen

Genitive welches welcher welches welcher

Table 1.2: Declension of welche
 Nominative case:
o 🇩🇪 Welcher Stift ist deiner?
o 🇺🇸 Which pen is yours?)
 Accusative case:
o 🇩🇪 Welchen Stift hast du gewählt?
o 🇺🇸 Which pen did you choose?
 Dative case:
o 🇩🇪 Mit welchem Stift schreibst du?
o 🇺🇸 With which pen are you writing?
 Genitive case:
o 🇩🇪 Die Farbe welches Stifts gefällt dir am besten?
o 🇺🇸 The color of which pen do you like the most?
Wer (Who)
In German, “welcher” is not the only question word that is declined. The word “wer” (who)
also changes according to the case, but it does not consider gender or number.
Table 1.3 illustrates the various declensions of the German word “wer,” which translates
to “who” in English:
Cases Singular

Nominative wer (who)

Accusative wen (who, whom)

Dative wem (to whom)

Genitive wessen (whose)

Table 1.3: Declension of wer
 Nominative case:
 o 🇩🇪 Wer ist das?
o 🇺🇸 Who is that?
 Accusative case:
o 🇩🇪 Wen siehst du?
o 🇺🇸 Who do you see?
 Dative case:
o 🇩🇪 Wem hast du das Buch gegeben?
o 🇺🇸 To whom did you give the book?
 Genitive case:
o 🇩🇪 Wessen Buch ist das?
o 🇺🇸 Whose book is this?

Understanding the German Imperative

The imperative mood in German, known as “Befehlsform” (command form), is used to
give commands, make requests or offer invitations. This mood is frequently used in
everyday conversation, making it an essential aspect of the German language to master.
1. Commands: This is the most common use of the imperative. It is used to give orders
or instructions to others.
o Öffne das Fenster!
o Open the window!
2. Requests: The imperative is also used to ask someone to do something in a more
polite way. Often, “bitte” (please) is added to the sentence to make it more courteous.
o Mach die Musik leiser, bitte.
o Turn down the music, please.
3. Invitations: The imperative can also be used to extend invitations to others.
o Komm herein!
o Come in!
❗ In German, using an exclamation mark with imperatives is very common, especially
when giving orders or instructions. However, using an exclamation mark is not always
necessary, especially in casual or informal situations. For example, when making a
request or extending an invitation, it might not be necessary to use an exclamation mark,
and it could even come off as too forceful or rude. In German, imperatives are not
typically used to replace phrases like “Can you…” or “Could you…”. Instead, Germans
would likely use a construction with “könntest du” or “könnten Sie” to make a polite
request. For example:
🇩🇪 Könntest du das Fenster öffnen, bitte?
🇺🇸 Could you open the window, please?
❗ The tone of voice and context are very important when using the imperative form. A
command can be perceived as harsh if not delivered properly. To soften the tone, it’s
common to add ‘bitte’ (please) to the sentence, e.g., ‘Kauft bitte Milch’ means ‘Please buy
milk.’
❗ In written German, including an exclamation mark at the end of an imperative sentence
is essential. This punctuation is a rule and a way to indicate the sentence’s tone.
How Do You Form the Imperative in German?
First, let’s look at the formation of the imperative in German. There are three forms of
the imperative that correspond to the three kinds of “you”: du (informal, singular), ihr
(informal, plural), and Sie (formal, singular and plural).
Understanding a verb’s conjugation in the present tense (Präsens) is key to forming
the imperative, especially for the ‘du’ and ‘ihr’ forms. Refer to Table 1.1 for example.
Pronouns Conjugation Imperative

ich mache ✖️

❗ du machst mach(e)!

er/sie/es macht ✖️

wir machen ✖️

❗ ihr macht macht!

sie machen ✖️

❗ Sie machen machen Sie!

Table 1.1
❶ The “du” form of the imperative is formed using the verb stem, which is the infinitive
minus the “-en” or “-n” ending. For example, the verb “machen” (to do/make) becomes
“mach” in the imperative. There are, however, some important irregularities in the “du”
form to be aware of, such as verbs ending in “-eln”, verbs with a stem vowel change, and
one-syllable verbs that take a vowel change and an “-e” ending in the du form.
Table 1.2 showcases examples of the “du” imperative form, including both regular and
irregular verbs:
Verb Conjugation Imperative Explanation

machen machst mach(e)! drop “-st”

handeln handelst handle! drop “-st”

arbeiten arbeitest arbeite! drop “-st”

lesen liest lies! drop “-st”

nehmen nimmst nimm! drop “-st”

fahren fährst fahr! Ignore Umlaut and drop “-st”

Table 1.2
❗ Although the “-e” ending is usually dropped in the ‘du’ form of the imperative, it is kept
when the verb stem ends in “chn-, fn-, tm-” to make it pronounceable. For example,
“öffnen” becomes “du öffnest” in the present tense, but the imperative form is “öffne!”,
not ‘öffn’.
❗ If there is a vowel change in the present tense of a strong verb, this change will also
occur in the “du” form of the imperative and the “-e” ending will not be added.
❗ Additionally, it’s important to remember: If a vowel change in the present tense involves
adding an umlaut (a, o, u ➡️ä, ö, ü), this umlaut is not added to the “du” form of the
imperative, as seen in the example of “fahren”.
❷ The “ihr” form of the imperative is the same as the regular “ihr” form of the verb,
including the “-t” ending.
Table 1.3 showcases examples of the “ihr” imperative form, which is identical to the
regular “ihr” form of the verb in the present tense:
Verb Conjugation Imperative Explanation

machen macht macht! Same as present tense “ihr” form

handeln handelt handelt! Same as present tense “ihr” form

arbeiten arbeitet arbeitet! Same as present tense “ihr” form

lesen lest lest! Same as present tense “ihr” form

nehmen nehmt nehmt! Same as present tense “ihr” form

fahren fahrt fahrt! Same as present tense “ihr” form

Table 1.3
❸ The “Sie” form of the imperative is the same as the regular “Sie” form of the verb, but
the subject pronoun “Sie” is placed at the end of the sentence. Additionally, there is a
“wir” form of the imperative, which is formed using the infinitive of the verb + “wir” at the
end of the sentence.
Table 1.4 showcases examples of the “Sie” imperative form, which is formed by adding
“Sie” at the end of the infinitive form of the verb:
Verb Infinitive Imperative Explanation

machen machen machen Sie! Add ‘Sie’ after the infinitive

handeln handeln handeln Sie! Add ‘Sie’ after the infinitive

arbeiten arbeiten arbeiten Sie! Add ‘Sie’ after the infinitive

lesen lesen lesen Sie! Add ‘Sie’ after the infinitive

nehmen nehmen nehmen Sie! Add ‘Sie’ after the infinitive

fahren fahren fahren Sie! Add ‘Sie’ after the infinitive

Table 1.4
❗ Typically, only in the “Sie” form is the pronoun included, while for “du” and “ihr”, the
pronoun is usually omitted, and only the verb is used.
Using Reflexive Verbs in the Imperative
Reflexive verbs reflect the action onto the subject, i.e., the subject and the object are the
same person. In German, reflexive verbs use reflexive pronouns, like “mich” (myself),
“dich” (yourself), etc.
When using reflexive verbs in the imperative:
1. The reflexive pronoun is placed immediately after the verb.
2. For the “du” form, use the accusative reflexive pronoun “dich.”
3. For the “ihr” form, use the accusative reflexive pronoun “euch.”
4. For the “Sie” form, use the accusative reflexive pronoun “sich.”
Form Sich Setzen (To Sit Down) Imperative Form

du dich setzen Setz dich!

ihr euch setzen Setzt euch!

Sie sich setzen Setzen Sie sich!

Table 1.5
The reflexive pronoun “sich” is used in its unchanged form only with the formal “Sie” form
of the imperative. For the “du” and “ihr” forms, it changes to “dich” and “euch,”
respectively.
Using Separable Verbs in the Imperative
Separable verbs (trennbare Verben) are common in German. They are composed of a
prefix and a base verb. The prefix is typically moved to the end of the sentence or phrase
when using separable verbs in the imperative form.
1. For the “du” form, the verb stem is used, followed by the prefix at the end.
2. For the “ihr” form, use the ihr conjugation of the verb followed by the prefix at the end.
3. For the “Sie” form, the base verb is used first, followed by the prefix at the end, and
then the word “Sie.”
Form Anfangen (To Begin) Imperative Form

du fang an Fang an!

ihr fangt an Fangt an!

Sie fangen Sie an Fangen Sie an!

Table 1.6
❗ In the “du” form of the imperative, the “-e” at the end of the verb stem is usually
dropped, except for verbs ending in “-d,” “-t,” “-ig,” or “-m,” and those with only one
syllable.
Differences in Imperative Use: German vs. English
The use of the imperative mood varies significantly between German and English due to structural and cultural

differences between the two languages:

1. Pronoun Usage: In English, the subject pronoun is usually omitted in the imperative. For example, “Open the
window”. However, in German, the imperative is formed for “du”, “ihr”, and “Sie”, and typically, the pronouns
for “du” and “ihr” are dropped, but for “Sie”, the pronoun is added at the end of the sentence. For example,
“Öffne das Fenster!” (Open the window!), “Öffnet das Fenster!” (Open the window!) and “Öffnen Sie das
Fenster!” (Open the window!).
2. Politeness: In German and English, adding “bitte” or “please” at the beginning or end of a command is
common to make it more polite. However, in German, it is almost essential to add “bitte” to soften the
command and make it sound more courteous, whereas in English, “please” is encouraged but not as strictly
adhered to. For example, in German, it would be common to say “Mach die Tür zu, bitte” (Close the door,
please), while in English, one might say “Close the door” without it necessarily being perceived as rude.
3. Tone and Punctuation: In German, it is common to use an exclamation mark (!) with imperatives, especially
when giving orders or instructions. In English, this is not as common, and the tone is usually determined by the
voice inflection.
These differences reflect the cultural and linguistic variations between English-speaking and German-speaking

regions. While English-speaking areas tend to use a more direct and concise imperative, German-speaking regions

typically express commands more politely and formally.

The German imperative is about giving orders, making requests, or extending invitations. But remember, it’s not

just what you say but how you say it! Adding “bitte”, using the right tone, and understanding the quirks of the

language, like reflexive and separable verbs, will help you navigate daily conversations in German more smoothly.

Practice, practice, practice!