INDIAN
INSTITUTE
OF
TECHNOLOGY
MADRAS
2007
GERMAN GRAMMAR
AND USAGE
BASICS OF GERMAN GRAMMAR
kripal singh
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING (BTECH AND MTECH) ,IIT MADRAS
K R I P A L
S I N G H ,
D E P A R T M E N T
O F
C H E M I C A L
E N G I N E E R I N G
,
G A N G A
H O S T E L
, I I T
M A D R A S , C H E N N A I - 3 6 , I N D I A
GERMAN GRAMMAR LEARNING COURSE
--- COMPILED BY : KRIPAL SINGH
DEPARTMENT : CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
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Grammar of German
A. Nouns and noun modifiers B. Pronouns
C. Verbs, Present tense D. Word order
E. Prepositions
F. Adjectives and adverbs G. Conjunctions
H. Verbs, Other tenses I. Verbs, Subjunctive mood J. Verbs, Passive voice
Reference
Home | Grammar
Nouns and noun modifiers A. Gender B. Case 1. Nominative case 2. Accusative case 3. Dative case 4. Genitive case C. Der-word noun modifiers D. Ein-word noun modifiers E. Plurals of nouns
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Gender :
The grammatical gender of a German noun, together with its case, determines the article, and the endings on the modifiers and adjectives preceding the noun. German has three
Masculine Feminine Neuter People Objects Possessives Adjectives der Sohn der Stuhl mein Sohn
mein junger Sohn
die Tochter die Tür meine Tochter meine junge Tochter
das Kind das Buch mein Kind
mein junges Kind Summaries
Definite and indefinite articles
der-word noun modifier
endings
ein-word noun modifier
endings
Case:
The function of a noun in a German sentence determines its case, which together with its gender determines the article, and the endings on modifiers and adjectives preceding the noun (or on the noun itself).
Nominative Accusative
Dative
Genitive
Der junge Mann sitzt hier. Kennen Sie den jungen Mann? Ich gebe es dem jungen Mann.
Wie ist der Name des jungen Mannes?
The young man is sitting here. Do you know the young man? I give it to the young man. What is the young man's name? Summaries
Definite and indefinite articles
der-word noun modifier
endings
ein-word noun modifier
endings
Home | Grammar | Submenu Previous | Next | More... Practice Nominative Case - Functions
Nouns and pronouns use the nominative case: 1. when they are the subject of the verb
2. when they are a predicate nominative, i.e., complete a linking verb (e.g., sein or werden)
1) Der Mann bleibt hier. 2) Das ist eine Bank.
The man is staying here. That is a bank.
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The definite and indefinite articles in the nominative case are:
Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural
Definite Indefinite der Mann ein Mann die Frau eine Frau das Kind ein Kind die Leute keine Leute Other noun modifiers follow the same pattern:
Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural
der-words ein-words dieser Mann mein Mann welche Frau seine Frau jedes Kind ihr Kind manche Leute deine Leute
Home | Grammar | Submenu Previous | Next | More... Practice Accusative Case - Functions
Nouns and pronouns use the accusative case: 1. when they are the direct object of a verb
2. when they are the object of an accusative preposition 3. when they are the object of an accusative/dative preposition 4. when they are used in an expression of definite time
5. when they are used in conjunction with certain special expressions. 1) Ich sehe den Mann.
2) Wir gehen durch das Haus. 3) Sie geht in einen Laden. 4) Er macht das jeden Abend. 5) Wir sind ihn endlich los!
I see the man.
We go through the house. She goes into a store. He does that every evening. We finally are rid of him!
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Accusative Case - Forms
The definite and indefinite articles in the accusative case are:
Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural
Definite Indefinite den Mann einen Mann die Frau eine Frau das Kind ein Kind die Leute keine Leute Other noun modifiers follow the same pattern:
der-words ein-words diesen Mann meinen Mann welche Frau seine Frau jedes Kind ihr Kind manche Leute deine Leute
Note that these articles differ from the nominative case articles only for masculine nouns. Some masculine nouns, primarily those which denote a male person, add an -(e)n ending to the noun itself in the accusative case. These are called masculine N-nouns. They are listed in the dictionary as with an extra -en ending before the plural ending, e.g., der Mensch, -en, -en.
Home | Grammar | Submenu Previous | Next | More... Practice Dative Case - Functions
Nouns and pronouns use the dative case:
1. when they are the indirect object of a verb 2. when they are the object of a dative preposition
3. when they are the object of an accusative/dative preposition 4. when they are the object of a verb which requires the dative
5. when they are used in conjunction with certain special expressions. 1) Er gibt ihr zehn Mark.
2) Was hören Sie von ihm? 3) Das liegt auf dem Stuhl. 4) Ich danke Ihnen sehr. 5) Sei mir nicht böse!
He gives her ten marks. What do you hear from him? That is lying on the chair. I thank you very much. Don't be angry with me!
Der-word noun modifiers
The following noun modifiers use the same endings as the definite article. (das= -es, die= -e ):
dieser (with singular and plural nouns) = this, these
mancher (primarily with plural nouns) = many
jeder (only with singular nouns) = every, each
solcher (primarily with plural nouns) = such
welcher (with singular and plural nouns) = which? Mit welcher Gruppe fährt er?
Sie kennt diesen Mann. Ich habe jeden Film gesehen. Solche Leute machen mich irre.
With which group is he travelling? She knows this man.
I have seen every film. Such people drive me crazy.
Summary of der-word noun modifier endings
The endings on der-word noun modifiers for all genders and cases are as follows:
Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive dieser diesen diesem dieses diese diese dieser dieser dieses dieses diesem dieses diese diese diesen dieser
Ein-word noun modifiers
The following noun modifiers use the same endings as the indefinite article: Possessive adjectives
mein = my
dein = your (from du) sein = his, its
ihr = her, its
uns(e)r = our
eu(e)r = your (from ihr) ihr = their
Ihr = your (from Sie)
and
kein = no, not any
Suchst du deine Handtasche? Ja, ich brauche meinen Lippenstift.
Are you looking for your purse?
Haben eure Eltern kein Auto? Er hat seine Wäsche gewaschen.
Yes, I need my lipstick. Don't your parents have a
car?
He washed his laundry.
Summary of ein-word noun modifier endings
The endings on ein-word noun modifiers for all genders and cases are as follows:
Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive mein meinen meinem meines meine meine meiner meiner mein mein meinem meines meine meine meinen meiner
These are the same endings as those on der-word noun modifiers, except for the three forms with no ending.
Plurals of nouns
German noun plurals follow one of the following patterns: - no ending (stem vowel may change to Umlaut form): das Fenster, die Fenster
der Garten, die Gärten
-e ending (stem vowel may change to Umlaut form):
der Tisch, die Tische der Stuhl, die Stühle
-er ending (a , o , u , and au stem vowels change to Umlaut form):
das Kind, die Kinder das Buch, die Bücher
-en , -n , or -nen ending (stem vowel does not change):
die Frau, die Frauen
die Studentin, die Studentinnen
-s ending (stem vowel does not change):
das Auto, die Autos das Radio, die Radios
While some rules may help you predict how a specific noun forms its plural, you must generally memorize the plural form with the noun and its gender.
Pronouns
A. Personal pronouns 1. du and ihr vs. Sie
2. Possible meanings of sie 3. Gender agreement
4. The non-specific pronoun man B. Interrogative pronouns
C. Demonstrative pronouns D. Relative pronouns E. Reflexive pronouns
Personal pronouns - nominative case
The personal pronouns in the nominative case are:
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich = I wir = we
du = you (informal) ihr = you (informal plural) Sie = you (formal) er = he, it (masculine)
sie = she, it (feminine) es = it (neuter)
sie = they
du and ihr vs. Sie
The proper German pronoun for "you" depends upon your closeness to the person you are addressing:
Sie and its related forms are used when addressing one or several persons whom you would normally call by the last name.
Du and its related forms are used when addressing one person (ihr more than one person) whom you normally would call by the first name.
Herr Schmidt, kennen Sie meine Frau? Robert, hast du meinen Hut?
Kinder, ihr seid zu laut!
Mr. Schmidt, are you acquainted with my wife? Robert, do you have my hat?
Children, you are too loud!
Depending upon its context, the pronoun sie can have various meanings.
1. When it is capitalized and does not begin a sentence, it always means "you" (formal - singular or plural).
2. When it is not capitalized and appears as the subject of a singular verb, it means "she" ("it" if it refers to an object of feminine grammatical gender).
3. When it is not capitalized and appears as the subject of a plural verb, it means "they". 4. When it is used as the direct object of a verb, it can mean "her" ("it" if it refers to an object
of feminine grammatical gender), or "them". 1) Was meinen Sie dazu?
2) Was meint sie dazu?
3) Ich fahre sie durch die Stadt.
What do you think of that? What does she think of that?
I drive her (or them) through the town.
Gender agreement
In English, only pronouns referring to people show gender differentiation (the woman - she/her, the man - he/him). In German, pronouns referring to objects also show gender differentiation. Thus er / ihn / ihm are used to refer to masculine nouns, sie / sie / ihr to refer to feminine nouns, and es / es / ihm to refer to neuter nouns. All translate into English as "it."
Ich möchte diese Jacke,
aber ich kann sie mir nicht leisten. Er braucht einen Wagen,
aber er kann ihn sich nicht leisten.
I would like this jacket, but I can't afford it. He needs a car, but he can't afford it.
The non-specific pronoun man
The pronoun man can be translated as "one, they, you (in an unspecified reference), people, someone," etc. It is used for generalized assertions or questions, and in substitutes for passive voice expressions. It only appears as the subject of a singular verb. The corresponding
accusative and dative forms are einen and einem. Man lernt viel durch Lesen.
Man sagt, es soll heiss werden. Man hat das schon erklärt.
One learns a lot through reading. They say it's supposed to get hot. Someone already explained that.
Man tut, was einem gefällt. People do whatever pleases them.
Interrogative pronouns
Interrogative pronouns introduce questions. In the various cases, their forms are as follows: For persons For things
Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive wer = who wen = whom wem = whom wessen = whose was = what
was (or wo-compound) = what was (or wo-compound) = what
Wer hat das gesagt? Was hast du gesagt? Wem hast du das gesagt?
Who said that? What did you say?
To whom did you say that?
Demonstrative pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns emphasize the thing or person being referred to. In German, they have the same form as the definite articles, except for the dative plural and genitive singular and plural and plural forms.
Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural
Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive der den dem dessen die die der deren das das dem dessen die die denen deren Welchen Bleistift möchtest du?
Ich möchte den.
Mit welchem Auto fährst du am liebsten? Ich fahre am liebsten mit dem.
Which pencil would you like? I would like that one.
In which car do you like best to ride? I like best to ride in that one.
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses, which specify a fact about an object or a person. The gender of the relative pronoun is determined by the gender of the word to which it refers, and its case is determined by its function in the relative clause. Relative clauses use
dependent word order.
Der Mann, den wir heute getroffen haben, arbeitet in Berlin.
Ich kenne seine Frau, die oft mit ihm reist.
The man whom we met today works in Berlin.
I know his wife, who often travels with him.
Reflexive pronouns - function
Reflexive pronouns refer back to the subject of the sentence. They are used most frequently with reflexive verbs in either the accusative or dative case, depending upon the meaning of the verb.
Ich ziehe mich schnell an. Ich ziehe mir schnell Schuhe an. Sie wäscht sich.
Sie wäscht sich die Haare.
I get (myself) dressed quickly. I put my shoes on quickly. She washes (herself). She washes her hair.
Verbs, present tense A. Regular verbs
B. Verbs with stem vowel change C. Present tense verb form - meanings D. The verb sein (to be)
E. The verb haben (to have)
F. The verb werden (to become, get) G. The verb lassen (to let, have done) H. Verbs with separable prefixes I. Modal auxiliary verbs
J. Command forms K. Reflexive verbs
L. Verbs with special objects
M. The verb expressions for "like, not like, would like" N. es gibt (there is, are)
Regular verbs
The regular verbs in the present tense follow the pattern: infinitive stem + personal ending Personal pronouns
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich gehe wir gehen
du gehst ihr geht Sie gehen er geht
sie geht es geht
sie gehen
Verbs with stem vowel change
A number of verbs change their stem vowel in the du and er / sie / es forms of the present tense. The stem vowel changes are a > ä, e > ie, and e > i.
Personal pronouns
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich sehe wir sehen
du siehst ihr seht Sie sehen er sieht
sie sieht es sieht
sie sehen
Present tense verb form - meanings
The one-word present tense form in German can correspond to one- or multi-word present tense verb forms in English.
Hast du meinen Bleistift? Warum fragt sie ihn nicht? Sie glauben das, nicht?
Do you have my pencil? Why doesn't she ask him? You do believe that, don't you?
The verb sein (to be)
The present tense forms of the verb sein are:
Personal pronouns
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich bin wir sind
du bist ihr seid Sie sind er ist
sie ist es ist
sie sind
The verb haben (to have)
The present tense forms of the verb haben are:
Personal pronouns
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich habe wir haben
du hast ihr habt Sie haben er hat
sie hat es hat
sie haben
The present tense forms of the verb werden are:
Personal pronouns
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich werde wir werden
du wirst ihr werdet Sie werden er wird
sie wird es wird
sie werden
The verb lassen (to let, have done)
The present tense forms of the verb lassen are:
Personal pronouns
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich lasse wir lassen
du lässt ihr lasst Sie lassen er lässt
sie lässt es lässt
sie lassen
Verbs with separable prefixes
Many German verbs have a prefix in their infinitive form, which separates from the verb in certain sentence structures and appears at the end of the phrase. If the sentence structure requires that the whole verb appear at the end of the phrase (e.g., in dependent clauses), the two parts are unified; if not, they are separated.
List of separable prefix verbs Erich macht das Fenster auf.
Eric hat das Fenster aufgemacht. Eric, mach das Fenster auf! Eric will das Fenster aufmachen.
Erich sagt, dass er das Fenster aufmacht.
Eric is opening the window. Eric has opened the window. Eric, open the window!
Eric wants to open the window.
Erich says that he is opening the window.
Modal auxiliary verbs - function
Modal auxiliary verbs express relations (such as permission, obligation, ability, etc.) between the doers of actions and the actions themselves. The singular forms of German modal
auxiliary verbs use special stems.
Infinitive Singular stem Meaning dürfen können mögen müssen sollen wollen darf kann mag muss soll will
to be permitted to, may to be able to, can to like to
to have to, must
to be supposed to, should to want to
Modal auxiliary verbs - forms
The present tense forms of the modal auxiliary verbs use the special stem in the singular and the infinitive stem in the plural. The ich- and er / sie / es-forms take no personal ending.
Personal pronouns
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich kann wir können
du kannst ihr könnt Sie können er kann
sie kann
es kann Command forms
The form of a command depends upon the speaker's relationship to the person(s) being addressed. Three forms are possible:
1. the du form, for one person whom one calls by the first name, 2. the ihr form, for several people whom one calls by the first name, 3. the Sie form, for one or several people whom one calls by the last name.
1) Franz, komm herein!
2) Jens und Petra, kommt herein! 3) Herr Braun, kommen Sie herein!
Herr und Frau Schmidt, kommen Sie herein!
Come in!
The du command form
Commands to persons whom the speaker addresses with du use the verb stem associated with du in statements and questions, but with no ending or with an optional -e ending. This means that verbs with 1) an e > i or 2) an e > ie vowel change use the changed vowel in the
command form. Verbs with 3) an a > ä or au > äu vowel change, however, use the original vowel in the command form. 4) Some irregular forms occur.
1) Gib uns etwas Geld! 2) Lies diesen Artikel! 3) Laufe nicht so schnell! 4) Werde nicht böse auf mich!
Give us some money! Read this article! Don't run so fast! Don't get angry at me!
The ihr command form
Commands to a group of persons whom the speaker addresses individually with du use the same verb form as that associated with ihr in statements and questions.
Freunde, helft mir! Kinder, seid ruhig, bitte! Macht das noch einmal!
Friends, help me!
Children, be quiet, please! Do that once more!
The Sie command form
Commands to a person or group of persons whom the speaker addresses with Sie use the same verb form as that associated with Sie in statements and questions. The pronoun Sie is included in the command. The command form for sein (to be) uses an irregular form.
Bleiben Sie etwas länger! Fahren Sie mit uns! Seien Sie vorsichtig!
Stay a little longer! Ride with us! Be careful!
Reflexive verbs
A reflexive verb requires a reflexive pronoun when it refers to an action affecting the subject of the sentence. Generally, the same verb can also be used non-reflexively, if it refers to an action affecting someone or something other than the subject. The reflexive pronoun can be either in the accusative or dative case, depending upon its function in the sentence.
List of reflexive verbs Ich wasche mich schnell.
Ich wasche mir schnell das Gesicht. Ich wasche schnell das Auto.
I wash (myself) quickly. I wash my face quickly. I wash the car quickly.
Verbs with special objects
Some verbs take dative, rather than accusative objects. Even though they translate into direct object expressions in English, they can often be interpreted as a giving of something to somebody, and this implies that the object is really an indirect object.
Other German verbs take genitive objects. They belong more to a literary than a conversational style, and usually translate into English expressions containing "of".
Ich entsinne mich dessen nicht. I don't remember (have no recollection of) that.
Expressions meaning "to like"
"To like doing something" is expressed by: 1. gern + verb
2. gefallen + zu + verb infinitive 1) Wir spielen gern Tennis.
2) Es gefällt uns, Tennis zu spielen.
We like to play tennis. We like playing tennis. "To like somebody or something" is expressed by:
1. gern haben + object
2. subject + gefallen + dative object.
1) Wir haben Tennis gern. 2) Tennis gefällt uns.
We like tennis. We like tennis.
Expressions meaning "to not like"
"To not like doing something" is expressed by: 1. nicht gern + verb
2. nicht gefallen + zu + verb infinitive 1. Er spielt nicht gern Tennis.
2. Es gefällt ihm nicht, Tennis zu spielen.
He doesn't like to play tennis. He doesn't like to play tennis. "To not like somebody or something" is expressed by:
1. nicht gern haben + object
2. subject + nicht gefallen + dative object 3. nicht mögen + object
1. Er hat Tennis nicht gern. 2. Tennis gefällt ihm nicht. 3. Er mag Tennis nicht.
He doesn't like tennis. He doesn't like tennis. He doesn't like tennis.
Expressions meaning "would like"
"Would like to do something" is expressed by: möchten + verb Ich möchte Tennis spielen.
Sie möchte Wein bestellen.
I would like to play tennis. She would like to order wine. "Would like something" is expressed by:
1. möchten + object 2. hätten gern + object
Ich möchte ein Glas Wein. Ich hätte gern ein Glas Wein.
I would like a glass of wine. I would like a glass of wine.
Es gibt (there is, are)
To make a general statement or question about the existence of something, German uses the expression es gibt. Since the thing referred to is the direct object of the verb geben, it appears in the accusative case. The verb is always singular, because its subject is always es.
Es gibt viele Autos in den USA. Gibt es eine Bäckerei in der Nähe?
Hier gibt es keinen Spielplatz für die Kinder.
There are lots of cars in the U.S. Is there a bakery in the vicinity?
There is no playground here for the children.
Word order
A. Statements B. Questions
C. Commands
D. Negation with nicht E. Negation with kein F. Dependent clauses
G. Direct and indirect objects of verbs H. Time, manner and place expressions I. Infinitive phrases with zu
Statements
In statements, the conjugated verb always constitutes the second component of the sentence. 1. The subject may precede it, as in English, or
2. some other component which normally follows the verb may precede it, in which case the subject immediately follows the conjugated verb.
1) Das Wetter ist heute kalt. 2) Heute ist das Wetter kalt.
The weather is cold today. Today the weather is cold.
Questions
In questions which ask for a specific piece of information, the word order follows the pattern: Question word(QW) - verb(V) - subject(S) - predicate components(PC)
Was(QW) machen(V) Sie(S) heute abend(PC)? What are you doing this evening? In questions which ask for a yes or no response, the word order follows the pattern:
Verb(V) - subject(S) - predicate components(PC)
Gehen(V) Sie(S) in die Stadt(PC)? Are you going into the city?
Commands
1. In the Sie command form, it is followed by the subject pronoun. 2. The du and ihr command forms omit the subject pronoun. 1) Bleiben Sie noch ein paar Minuten, Frau Petersen!
2) Lass mich in Ruhe, Markus! Macht eure Hausaufgaben, Kinder!
Stay a few minutes more, Mrs. Petersen! Leave me in peace, Markus!
Do your homework, children!
Negation with nicht
Nicht negates 1) verbs, 2) adjectives, 3) adverbs, 4) prepositional phrases, and 5) nouns preceded by a definite article or 6) a possessive.
1) Die Sonne scheint nicht. 2) Der Winter war nicht kalt. 3) Wir fahren nicht schnell. 4) Ich gehe nicht ins Büro. 5) Er ist nicht der Chef. 6) Sie ist nicht meine Frau.
The sun is not shining. The winter was not cold. We're not driving fast. I'm not going to the office. He is not the boss.
She is not my wife.
Position of nicht
The position of nicht in a negative sentence varies, but generally follows these rules: Nicht follows 1) the verb in second position in a declarative statement, 2) the subject in a question, 3) objects of the verb (especially pronoun objects), and 4) adverbs of specific time.
1) Ich kann nicht gehen. 2) Wollen Sie nicht gehen? 3) Sie gibt ihm das Buch nicht. 4) Wir fahren heute abend nicht.
I can't go.
Don't you want to go?
She won't give him the book. We're not travelling this evening.
Nicht precedes 1) predicate adjectives (i.e., those which complete the meaning of a linking verb, such as sein or bleiben), 2) predicate nouns (same definition as for predicate adjectives), 3) adverbs (except for those denoting specific time), 4) prepositional phrases.
1) Es bleibt nicht warm. 2) Ich bin nicht Herr Grün.
It won't stay warm. I'm not Mr. Grün.
3) Er fährt nicht zu schnell. 4) Wir gehen nicht nach Hause.
He isn't driving too fast. We won't go home.
Since there is considerable flexibility in the position of nicht, one should simply place it where it sounds right after some practice.
Negation with kein
Kein negates nouns preceded by 1) an indefinite article, or 2) no article. 1) Kaufst du eine Batterie?
Nein, ich kaufe keine Batterie. 2) Hat das Geschäft Aspirin? Nein, es hat kein Aspirin.
Are you buying a battery? No, I am not buying a battery. Does the store have aspirin? No, it has no aspirin.
The endings added to kein are determined by the gender and case of the noun following it.
Dependent clauses
Dependent clauses are sentence parts which contain the components of a complete sentence (subject - verb - predicate), but require another (independent) clause to complete their meaning. They can be introduced in a number of ways:
1. by a subordinating conjunction 2. by a relative pronoun.
1) Wir bleiben zu Hause, weil es regnet. 2) Der Mann, der dort sitzt, ist Amerikaner.
We are staying at home, because it is raining. The man who is sitting there is an American.
Dependent clauses - word order
In a dependent clause, the conjugated verb appears at the end of the clause. All other elements of the clause remain in their normal position.
Ich weiss nicht, ob er schon zu Hause ist. Das Auto, das vor der Bank steht, gehört meinem Vater.
I don't know if he is already at home. The car that is standing in front of the bank belongs to my father.
Dependent, independent clauses - word order
When a dependent clause precedes an independent clause, the conjugated verbs are the last component of the first clause and the first component of the second clause. Thus the two verbs always appear on either side of the comma which separates the clauses.
Wenn ich ihn sehe, grüsse ich ihn von Ihnen. Dass sie das gesagt hat, überrascht mich.
When I see him, I'll give him your greetings. That she said that, surprises me.
Direct and indirect objects of verbs
When a verb has a direct and an indirect object, the direct object is 1. the second of the two if it is a noun,
2. the first of the two if it is a pronoun. 1) Wir geben dem Mann das Buch. 2) Wir geben es dem Mann.
We give the man the book. We give it to the man.
In sentences containing expressions relating to the time(T), manner(M), or place(P) of an action, these expressions generally appear in that order. Also, more general time
expressions(GT) usually precede more specific ones(ST). Any of these expressions can be emphasized by placing it first in a sentence.
Sie fährt heute(T) mit dem Bus(M) in die Stadt(P). Sie fährt morgen(GT) um zwei Uhr(ST) mit dem Zug(M) nach Frankfurt(P).
She is travelling by bus to the city today. She is travelling by train to Frankfurt tomorrow at two o'clock.
Infinitive phrases with zu
Many German expressions require an infinitive phrase with zu to complete them. The zu + infinitive construction appears at the end of its phrase, rather than at the beginning.
Wir versuchen, das Auto zu reparieren. Es gelingt uns aber nicht, das zu tun.
We are trying to repair the car.
But we are not successful in doing so. Prepositions A. Introduction to prepositions B. Accusative prepositions C. Dative prepositions D. Accusative/dative prepositions E. Genitive prepositions
F. Da- and wo-compounds G. Introduction to prepositions
H. A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition, an object of the preposition (either a noun or pronoun), and other words (such as articles and adjectives). German
prepositions may be classified according to the case of their object, Some take accusative objects, some dative objects, some accusative or dative objects, and some genitive objects. The following screens show which prepositions use which kinds of objects.
J.
Accusative prepositions
The accusative prepositions and their most common meanings are:
durch - through, by (with passive verb)
für - for gegen - against ohne - without
um - around, at (in time expressions)
Sie kommen ohne die Kinder. Er ist gegen den Plan.
Wir machen das für dich. Ich fahre um die Stadt.
They are coming without the children. He is against the plan.
We are doing that for you. I drive around the city.
Dative prepositions
The dative prepositions and their most common meanings are:
aus - from, out of ausser - besides
bei - near, at the home of mit - with
nach - after (time), to (space) seit - since (time)
von - from, of, by (with passive verb)
Er kommt aus dem Haus. Sie wohnt bei ihrer Schwester. Ich spreche morgen mit ihm. Gehen Sie zu Ihrem Professor!
He is coming out of the house. She is living at her sister's. I'll talk with him tomorrow. Go to your professor!
Accusative/dative prepositions
The accusative / dative prepositions and their most common meanings are: an - to, close by (something vertical)
auf - onto, on top of (something horizontal) hinter - behind
in - into, inside of neben - next to über - over, above unter - below, under vor - in front of zwischen - between
Sein Bleistift liegt auf dem Tisch. Wir gehen in den Laden.
Du stehst hinter ihnen.
Meine Mutter wohnt neben uns.
His pencil is lying on the table. We are going into the store. You are standing behind them. My mother lives next to us.
Accusative/dative prepositions (cont.)
These prepositions use the accusative case to indicate: 1) Motion in a specific direction.
They use the dative case to indicate: 2) Position at a location
1) Die Frau geht an die Tür. 2) Ein Mann steht vor ihr.
3) Sie bummeln in der Stadt herum.
The woman goes to the door. A man is standing in front of her. They stroll around in the city.
Genitive prepositions
The most common genitive prepositions are: statt, anstatt - instead of
trotz - in spite of
während - during, in the course of wegen - because of
Er kommt statt seines Bruders. Wir spielen trotz des Wetters. Ich arbeite während der Woche. Sie schreiben wegen der Probleme.
He comes instead of his brother. We play in spite of the weather. I work during the week.
They write because of the problems.
Da- and wo-compounds
When a preposition has a pronoun object, and the pronoun does not refer to a person, the prepositional phrase often takes the form of a da-compound (in statements) or a
wo-compound (in questions). Prepositions beginning with a vowel require an -r- in the middle of the compound. Some prepositions do not form such compounds.
Worüber sprechen Sie? Ich denke nicht daran. Womit schreibt er?
Ich kann ohne sie nicht leben.
What are you talking about? I don't think about it.
With what is he writing? I can't live without her.
Adjectives and adverbs
A. Form of Adjectives and Adverbs B. Endings on adjectives
2. Non-significant (weak) endings C. Special adjective and adverb expressions D. Comparison of adjectives and adverbs
Form of Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives and adverbs have the same form in German. The context in which they are used indicates how to interpret them.
Dieser Käsekuchen ist sehr gut. Sie bäckt den Kuchen sehr gut. Ich fahre gern schnelle Autos Ich fahre gern schnell.
This cheesecake is very good. She bakes the cake very well. I like to drive fast cars. I like to drive fast.
Endings on adjectives
When an adjective precedes the noun it modifies, it takes an ending. The form of the ending depends upon several factors: the gender and case of the noun, and the type of word which precedes the adjective-noun combination.
Sie sehen das schöne Haus an. Sie wollen ein schönes Haus haben. Sie bauen schöne Häuser.
They look at the beautiful house. They want to have a beautiful house. They build beautiful houses.
Predicate adjectives do not take an ending.
Significant (strong) endings
Significant or "strong" adjective endings correspond to those of the der-word noun modifiers. These endings indicate the gender and case of the noun the adjective modifies.
Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural
Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive -er -en -em -en -e -e -er -er -es -es -em -en -e -e -en -er
For the genitive masculine and neuter, the adjective ending is -en rather than -es, because the noun carries a "strong" ending.
Significant (strong) endings (cont.)
These endings are used when the word preceding the adjective carries no ending, or the adjective is unpreceded.
Sie trinken deutschen Wein. Wir bauen ein neues Haus. Mein kleiner Junge sitzt da.
Der Geruch gebratener Bratwurst war überall.
They are drinking German wine. We are building a new house. My little boy is sitting there.
The smell of grilled sausage was everywhere. They are also used after the words viele, mehrere and einige.
Wir sahen viele junge Leute. Ich kaufte einige gute Bücher.
We saw many young people. I bought some good books.
Non-significant (weak) endings
Non-significant, or "weak" endings are either -e or -en. They indicate nothing about the gender or case of the noun the adjective modifies.
Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive -e -en -en -en -e -e -en -en -e -e -en -en -en -en -en -e
Non-significant (weak) endings (cont.)
These endings are used when the word preceding the adjective carries a significant ending. Kaufen Sie dieses interessante Buch?
Es gibt keine grossen Kaufhäuser hier. Welcher bekannte Mann hat das gesagt? Mit solchen schlechten Mitarbeitern kann man nichts erreichen.
Are you buying this interesting book? There are no large department stores here. What famous man said that?
With such bad colleagues, you can't accomplish anything.
Special adjective and adverb expressions
Adjectives and adverbs often appear in conjunction with special 1) accusative, 2) dative or 3) genitive expressions.
1) Ich bin solches Wetter nicht gewohnt. 2) Das ist mir bekannt.
3) Es war nicht der Mühe wert.
I am not accustomed to such weather. That is familiar to me.
It wasn't worth the effort.
Comparison of adjectives and adverbs
Adjectives and adverbs can express three levels of comparison: 1) Positive
2) Comparative 3) Superlative
Although German and English are somewhat similar in the way they form adjective and adverb comparisons, there are a number of significant differences. For example, the German forms add adjective endings where required.
1) Ich habe ein schnelles Auto. 2) Martin hat ein schnelleres Auto. 3) Beate hat das schnellste Auto.
I have a fast car. Martin has a faster car. Beate has the fastest car.
Positive forms of adjectives and adverbs
Positive comparisons in German use the expression so...wie (as...as), or genauso...wie (just as...as) with the adjective or adverb.
Dieses Buch kostet genauso viel wie jenes. Heute ist es nicht so warm wie gestern.
Ich habe einen genauso schönen Mantel wie du.
This book costs just as much as that one. Today it is not as warm as yesterday. I have just as pretty a coat as you.
Comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs
In German, all adjectives and adverbs form their comparative by adding an -er to the positive form. None use the equivalent of "more," as for multi-syllable English adjectives and
adverbs. Most one-syllable German adjectives and adverbs with stem vowel a, o, or u change that vowel to its Umlaut equivalent.
Das Wetter wird immer heisser. Die Menschen leben länger. Er will ein neueres Auto haben.
Beate ist intelligenter als ich.
The weather is getting hotter and hotter. People are living longer.
He wants to have a newer car. Beate is more intelligent than I.
As the last example shows, German uses als as the connecting word for comparisons ("than" in English).
A number of irregular forms exist.
Superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs
German adjectives and adverbs form their superlative with -(e)st + adjective ending. The -e- is used after a t, d, or an s sound.
The one-syllable adjectives and adverbs with stem vowel a, o, or u which change that vowel to its Umlaut equivalent in the comparative do so in the superlative as well.
Adjectives preceding the nouns they modify use the form definite article + adjective +(e)st + adjective ending. Adverbs and predicate adjectives use the form am + adjective +(e)st + adjective ending.
Hans ist der intelligenteste Junge in der Klasse. Wie heisst der längste Fluss der Welt?
Ich finde diese Frage am schwierigsten.
Hans is the most intelligent boy in the class. What is the name of the longest river in the world? I find this question to be the most difficult.
A number of irregular forms exist.
Verbs, other tenses A. Simple past tense B. Compound past tense C. Past perfect tense D. Principal parts of verbs E. Future tense
F. Future perfect tense
Simple past tense
The simple past tense, sometimes called the narrative past, is used to relate a sequence of events. It appears primarily in written German, e.g., in newspapers, novels, etc.
Ich kam, ich sah, ich siegte.
Der Morgen war schön, aber es regnete am Nachmittag.
Der Politiker versprach viel, und machte wenig.
I came, I saw, I conquered.
The morning was beautiful, but it rained in the afternoon.
The politician promised a lot, but did little.
Simple past tense - regular verbs
Regular verbs form the simple past by inserting an -(e)t- tense marker between the verb stem and the personal ending.
Personal pronouns kaufen = to buy
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich kaufte wir kauften
du kauftest ihr kauftet Sie kauften er kaufte
sie kaufte es kaufte
sie kauften
Verbs whose stem ends in -d, -t, or a consonant combination such as -gn use the -e- as part of the tense marker. Example: ich arbeitete.
Simple past tense - regular verbs with altered stem
Some regular verbs form the simple past by inserting the -(e)t- tense marker between an altered verb stem and the personal ending.
Personal pronouns denken = to think
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich dachte wir dachten
du dachtest ihr dachtet Sie dachten er dachte
sie dachte es dachte
sie dachten
The simple past forms for the regular verbs with altered stem may be found in the list of principal parts of verbs.
Simple past tense - modal auxiliary verbs
The modal auxiliary verbs form their past tense by inserting the -t- tense marker between a stem without an Umlaut and the personal ending.
Infinitive Simple past Meaning dürfen können mögen müssen sollen wollen durfte konnte mochte musste sollte wollte was permitted to was able to, could liked to
had to
was supposed to wanted to
Irregular verbs form the simple past by using a verb stem unique to each verb. The personal endings differ slightly from those of the regular verbs in the simple past.
Personal pronouns singen = to sing
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich sang wir sangen
du sangst ihr sangt Sie sangen er sang
sie sang es sang
sie sangen
The simple past forms for specific irregular verbs may be found in the list of principal parts of verbs.
Compound past tense
The compound past tense, sometimes called the conversational past, is used to refer to unconnected events, and is the most common past tense form in conversational German. It is formed with a helping verb (haben or sein) and the past participle of the main verb.
Ich habe ihn nicht gesehen. Wir sind nach Berlin gefahren. Haben Sie das Buch gekauft? Das Wetter ist warm geworden.
I haven't seen him. We travelled to Berlin. Did you buy the book?
The weather has become warm.
Notice from the translations that this tense can correspond either to the simple or the compound past in English.
Compound past tense - sein as helping verb
Sein appears as the helping verb for any verb whose meaning designates a change of location, 1) if it does not have a direct object.
2) The same verb with a direct object uses haben as its helping verb. 1) Wir sind nach Frankfurt gefahren.
2) Wir haben das Auto nach Frankfurt gefahren.
We drove to Frankfurt.
We drove the car to Frankfurt.
Sein also appears as the helping verb
1) for any verb whose meaning designates a process or development, 2) for two other verbs which fit neither category - sein and bleiben.
1) Wann ist das Wetter kalt geworden? 2) Er ist zu Hause geblieben.
When did the weather turn cold? He stayed at home.
The verbs which use sein as a helping verb may be found in the list of principal parts of verbs.
Past participle - regular verbs
Regular verbs form their past participle according to the following pattern: ge + stem + (e)t.
Ich habe das nicht gesagt. Haben Sie viel gearbeitet?
I didn't say that. Did you work a lot? If the verb begins with an unaccented syllable the ge- prefix is not used.
Sie hat das schon erklärt. She has already explained that.
Past participle - regular verbs with altered stem
Some verbs form their past participles like a regular verb, but use the same altered stem as for the simple past:
Er hat das schon gewusst. Ich habe sie lange gekannt. Hast du Wein gebracht?
He knew that already.
I have been acquainted with her for a long time. Did you bring wine?
If the verb begins with an unaccented syllable the ge- prefix is not used. Wir haben euch nicht erkannt. We didn't recognize you.
The past participle forms for the regular verbs with altered stem may be found in the list of principal parts of verbs.
Past participle - modal auxiliary verbs
Modal auxiliary verbs form their past participle using the same stem as for the simple past:
ge + stem without Umlaut + t.
Unsere Kinder haben das nie gedurft. Our children were never permitted (to do) that.
This form of the past participle appears only when the modal auxiliary is used alone, which is infrequent.
More often, the modal is used in conjunction with another verb, and the past participle becomes part of a double infinitive construction.
Unsere Kinder haben nie fernsehen dürfen. Our children were never permitted to watch television.
Past participle - irregular verbs
Irregular verbs form their past participles by using a verb stem unique to each verb, according to the following pattern:
Wir haben den Film nicht gesehen. Du bist sehr schnell gelaufen.
We haven't seen the film. You ran very fast.
If the verb begins with an unaccented syllable the ge- prefix is not used.
Kurt hat gestern einen Brief bekommen. Kurt received a letter yesterday.
The past participle forms for specific irregular verbs may be found in the list of principal parts of verbs.
Past perfect tense
The past perfect tense refers to a past event which occurred before another past event. It consists of the simple past form of the helping verb (haben or sein) and the past participle of the main verb.
Sie hatten uns schon gesehen. Wir waren bis acht geblieben.
They had seen us already. We had stayed until eight.
Principal parts of verbs
The principal parts of a verb are its infinitive form, present tense er / sie / es-form, simple past form, and past participle with helping verb. For irregular verbs, these must be learned individually.
Future tense
The future tense is formed with the helping verb werden and the infinitive of the main verb. Wir werden bald abfahren.
Wird er seine Kinder mitbringen? Ich werde an Sie schreiben.
We will leave soon.
Will he bring along his children? I will write to you.
If it is clear from the context (for example, through an adverb or prepositional phrase) that the future is intended, German tends to use the present rather than the future tense.
Wir kommen morgen an.
Wir kommen in einer Stunde an.
We will arrive tomorrow. We will arrive in an hour.
Future perfect tense - function
The future perfect tense is used to refer to an event that will have happened before another future event.
Bis Ende dieser Woche wird er sein Examen bestanden haben.
By the end of this week, he will have passed his exam.
With the adverbs wohl or schon, it refers to a probable event in the past.
Er wird sein Examen schon bestanden haben. He probably has already passed his exam.
Future perfect tense - form
The future perfect tense is formed with the future tense helping verb werden and the perfect infinitive (past participle + infinitive of its compound past helping verb) of the main verb.
Du wirst das wohl gehört haben.
Bis morgen werde ich alles gelernt haben. Bis nächste Woche werden wir nach Italien gefahren sein.
You have probably heard that. By tomorrow, I will have learned everything.
By next week, we will have travelled to Italy.
Verbs, subjunctive mood
A. The general subjunctive 1. Present time 2. Past time
B. The conditional with würde C. The special subjunctive
The general subjunctive
The general subjunctive is used:
1) to make a conjecture or hypothetical statement, 2) to express a wish that is not likely to be fulfilled, 3) to make polite requests,
4) to quote indirectly what another person has said. 1) Sie sähen diesen Film gern.
2) Wenn ich nur mehr Zeit hätte! 3) Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen? 4) Er sagte, er käme morgen.
You would like to see this movie. If only I had more time!
Could you please help me?
He said he was coming tomorrow.
Present time subjunctive - regular verbs
The present time subjunctive of a regular verb has exactly the same form as the simple past tense of that verb (1). Thus the conditional with würde is generally used instead (2).
1) Ich lebte gern in München. I liked living in Munich. or
2) Ich würde gern in München leben.
I would like to live in Munich. I would like to live in Munich.
Present time subjunctive - regular verbs with altered stem
The present time subjunctive of a regular verb with altered stem uses the simple past tense form of the verb, but with an Umlaut over the stem vowel. However, the verbs kennen, nennen, and rennen use e rather than ä as their stem vowel.
Wenn er nur daran dächte!
Wenn wir uns besser kennten, würden wir mehr Spass haben.
If only he would think of it!
If we knew each other better, we would have more fun.
Present time subjunctive - modal auxiliary verbs
The present time subjunctive of a modal auxiliary verb uses the simple past tense form of the verb, with an Umlaut over the stem vowel, except for sollen and wollen. Subjunctive modal auxiliary verbs are especially important for making polite requests.
Ich möchte zwei Glas Bier. Dürfte ich eine Frage stellen? Sollten wir sie einladen? Könntest du mir helfen?
I would like two glasses of beer. Might I ask a question?
Shouldn't we invite them? Could you help me?
Present time subjunctive - irregular verbs
The present time subjunctive of an irregular verb uses as its base the simple past tense verb stem, but with an Umlaut over the stem vowel, if it is a, o, or u. The subjunctive also uses different endings from the simple past for most forms. Thus even verbs with an i, e, or ie stem vowel in the simple past, which can carry no Umlaut, are nevertheless nearly always recognizable as subjunctive forms.
Ich führe lieber nach Spanien. Wenn sie nur schneller liefe!
Wenn wir flögen, würden wir früher ankommen.
I would rather travel to Spain. If only she would run faster. If we flew, we would arrive earlier.
Present time subjunctive - irregular verbs (cont.)
The pattern for the present time subjunctive of irregular verbs is: subjunctive stem + subjunctive ending
Personal pronouns
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich sänge wir sängen
du sängest ihr sänget Sie sängen er sänge
sie sänge es sänge
Past time subjunctive
The past time subjunctive consists of the subjunctive form of haben or sein as the helping verb, and the past participle of the main verb.
Ich hätte Ihnen geholfen. Wären Sie mitgekommen? Wir hätten euch besucht.
Sie wäre gern nach Deutschland gereist.
I would have helped you. Would you have come along? We would have visited you.
She would like to have travelled to Germany.
Past time subjunctive with modal auxiliaries
When a sentence contains a modal auxiliary verb in combination with a main verb, the past time subjunctive consists of the subjunctive form of haben, and the modal auxiliary and main verbs as a "double infinitive" at the end of the clause.
Ihr hättet mich anrufen sollen. Ich hätte ihm alles erklären können. Wir hätten in London umsteigen müssen.
You should have called me.
I could have explained everything to him. We would have had to transfer in London.
The conditional with würde
The subjunctive form of werden, in combination with the infinitive of the main verb, is often used instead of the present time subjunctive of the main verb, particularly when the
subjunctive of the main verb looks the same as its simple past tense. This würde construction is also generally used in the "then" clause of an "if...then" statement.
bedeutet?
Wenn ich Sie wäre, würde ich das rote Kleid kaufen.
means?
If I were you, I would buy the red dress.
The special subjunctive - function
The special subjunctive is used primarily in written and oral news reports for indirect quotes (1). It also appears in directives or expressions of good will (2).
1) Der Politiker sagte, er sei nicht mit dem Gesetz zufrieden, aber er habe doch dafür gestimmt.
2) Lang lebe der König!
The politician said he wasn't satisfied with the law, but he had voted for it anyway. Long live the king!
The special subjunctive - form
The special subjunctive uses the infinitive stem of the verb for all of its forms, with the same personal endings as those of the general subjunctive. Often it looks exactly the same as the present tense, in which case the general subjunctive is used instead. Its er / sie / es form is always distinctive, however, and thus appears most frequently.
Personal pronouns
Singular Plural Singular & Plural ich spreche wir sprechen
er spreche sie spreche es spreche
sie sprechen
The verb sein does not use an -e ending on the ich and er / sie / es forms. Singular Plural Singular & Plural
ich sei wir seien
du seiest ihr seiet Sie seien er sei
sie sei es sei
sie seien
Verbs, passive voice
A. Function of the passive voice B. Present tense
C. Other tenses
D. The impersonal passive E. Substitutes for the passive
1. The man construction 2. Reflexive constructions 3. The sich lassen construction 4. The sein...zu + infinitive constru
Function of the passive voice
In the passive voice, the subject of the sentence is the receiver rather than the doer of the action expressed by the verb. In German, the passive voice is used primarily to describe situations where the activity or process is emphasized, rather than the doer or cause of the
activity. If mentioned at all, the doer appears as the object of von (by), and the cause as the object of durch (by means of).
Nur Deutsch wird von den Studenten gesprochen. Das Haus wurde durch Feuer völlig zerstört.
Only German is being spoken by the students. The house was completely destroyed by fire.
Passive voice, present tense
The present tense passive uses the present tense of the verb werden as a helping verb, with the past participle of the main verb.
Heute wird alles ausgeräumt. Die Milch wird langsam gekocht.
Diese Probleme werden nicht leicht gelöst.
Today everything is being cleared out. The milk is boiled slowly.
These problems are not easily solved.
Passive voice, other tenses
The other tenses in the passive voice use the tense forms of the helping verb werden, together with the past participle of the main verb. The past participle form of werden in the passive voice is worden, rather than geworden.
Simple past
Das Problem wurde schnell gelöst. The problem was quickly solved. Compound past
Das Problem ist schnell gelöst worden. The problem has been quickly solved. Past perfect
Das Problem war schnell gelöst worden. The problem had been quickly solved. Future
Passive modal auxiliary forms
Passive constructions with modal auxiliary verbs take the following form: modal auxiliary + past participle of main verb + infinitive of werden Das Badezimmer muss noch geputzt werden.
Diese Tatsache soll in Betracht gezogen werden.
The bathroom must still be cleaned. This fact should be taken into account.
The modal auxiliary verb itself changes tense to form the other tenses of these constructions. Das Badezimmer musste noch geputzt werden.
Das Badezimmer wird noch geputzt werden müssen.
The bathroom still had to be cleaned. The bathroom will still have to be cleaned.
The impersonal passive
In German, the passive voice can appear without any subject of the verb, or with an impersonal subject es. This grammatical structure places emphasis upon the action itself, rather than upon the doer or receiver of the action. It is frequently used in official directives.
Hier wird nicht geparkt. Im Gang wird nicht geraucht.
Es wurde viel getanzt und gesungen.
No parking here.
No smoking in the corridor.
Substitutes for the passive
In conversational German, the passive voice is not used as frequently as in English. Instead, a number of substitute structures can be used:
1) man as a non-specific subject of an active verb 2) a reflexive verb construction
3) sich lassen + infinitive of the main verb 4) sein + zu + infinitive of the main verb.
1) Man lernt Deutsch leicht. 2) Deutsch lernt sich leicht. 3) Deutsch lässt sich leicht lernen. 4) Deutsch ist leicht zu lernen.
German is easily learned. German is easily learned. German can be easily learned. German can be easily learned.
The man construction
An active voice man construction can be used as a substitute for almost any passive verb structure, with or without a modal auxiliary, in any tense.
Diese Themen werden oft diskutiert.
Man diskutiert diese Themen oft. These topics are often discussed. Die Arbeit muss gemacht werden.
Man muss die Arbeit machen. The work must be done. Der Bericht ist schon geschrieben worden.
Man hat den Bericht schon geschrieben. The report has already been written.
Reflexive constructions
Many normally non-reflexive verbs can be used reflexively as a substitute for a passive construction.
Diese Sache wird bald erklärt.
Diese Sache erklärt sich bald. This matter will be cleared up soon. Die Tore wurden geöffnet.
Die Tore öffneten sich. The gates were being opened. Das wird schwer verstanden werden.
Das wird sich schwer verstehen. That will be hard to understand.
Reflexive constructions
Many normally non-reflexive verbs can be used reflexively as a substitute for a passive construction.
Diese Sache wird bald erklärt.
Diese Sache erklärt sich bald. This matter will be cleared up soon. Die Tore wurden geöffnet.
Die Tore öffneten sich. The gates were being opened. Das wird schwer verstanden werden.
Das wird sich schwer verstehen. That will be hard to understand.
The sein...zu + infinitive construction
sein (to be), used in conjunction with zu + the infinitive of a verb, translates literally as "is to be" (done, understood, seen, etc.). Thus it can serve as a substitute for a passive construction with können (can be), sollen (should be), or müssen (must be).
Das muss bis morgen gemacht werden.
Dieses Buch kann schnell gelesen werden.
Dieses Buch ist schnell zu lesen. This book can be read quickly.
Reference
List of masculine N-nouns
Summary of definite and indefinite articles Summary of pronouns
Present tense verb forms
o Some common verbs with stem vowel change a > ä
o Some common verbs with stem vowel change e > ie
o Some common verbs with stem vowel change e > i List of verbs with separable prefixes
List of reflexive verbs
List of verbs with dative objects List of verbs with genitive objects Adjectives and adverbs
o Comparative and superlative adjectives/adverbs with Umlaut vowel
o Irregular comparative and superlative adjectives/adverbs
o Accusative adjective and adverb expressions
o Dative adjective and adverb expressions
o Genitive adjective and adverb expressions Verbs - other tenses
o Principal parts of irregular verbs
List of masculine N-nouns
Affe -n, -n Agent, -en, -en Akrobat, -en, -en Alchimist, -en, -en Analphabet, -en, -en Anarchist, -en, -en Architekt, -en, -en Aristokrat, -en, -en Asiat, -en, -en Asket, -en, -en Assistent, -en, -en Astronaut, -en, -en Astronom, -en, -en Atheist, -en, -en Athlet, -en, -en Automat, -en, -en Bär, -en, -en Barbar, -en, -en Beamte,- n, -n * Böhme, -n, -n Bote, -n, -n Brite, -n, -n Bube, -n, -n Buchstabe, -n, -n @
Bulle, -n, -n Bürge, -n, -n Bursche, -n, -n Cellist, -en, -en Chinese, -n, -n Chirurg, -en, -en Christ, -en, -en Demagoge, -n, -n Despot, -en, -en Dilettant, -en, -en Diplomat, -en, -en Drache, -n, -n Egoist, -en, -en Ehegatte, -en, -en Eidgenosse, -n, -n Eilbote, -n, -n Elefant, -en, -en Enthusiast, -en, -en Erbe, -n, -n
Evangelist, -en, -en Fabrikant, -en, -en Faschist, -en, -en Fels, -en, -en Franzose, -n, -n Fürst, -en, -en Gatte, -en, -en Geck, -en, -en Gefährte, -n, -n Gehilfe, -en, -en Geograph, -en, -en Germane, -n, -n Geselle, -n, -n Gespiele, -n, -n Girant, -en, -en Girat, -en, -en Götze, -n, -n Graf. -en, -en Grieche, -n, -n Hase, -n, -n Heide, -n, -n Held, -en, -en
Herr, -n, -en Hirt, -en, -en Hirte, -n, -n Humanist, -en, -en Humorist, -en, -en Hydrant, -en, -en Idiot, -en, -en Industrielle, -n, -n Infanterist, -en, -en Inserent, -en, -en Internist, -en, -en Invalide, -n, -n Ire, -n, -n
Isolationist, -en, -en Israelit, -en, -en Jesuit, -en, -en Journalist, -en, -en Jude, -n, -n
Jugoslawe, -n, -n Junge, -n, -n Junggeselle, -n, -n Jurist, -en, -en Kadett, -en, -en Kamerad, -en, -en Kandidat, -en, -en Kannibale, -n, -n Katholik, -en, -en
Klassenkamerad, -en, -en Klient, -en, -en
Knabe, -n, -n Kollege, -n, -n Komet, -en, -en Kommandant, -en, -en Kommunikat, -en, -en Kommunist, -en, -en Komödiant, -en, -en Komplize, -n, -n Komponist, -en, -en Konkurrent, -en, -en Konsonant, -en, -en Konsument, -en, -en
Kontorist, -en, -en Korrespondent, -en, -en Kronprinz, -en, -en Kunde, -n, -n Laie, -n, -n Leopard, -en, -en Lieferant, -en, -en Linguist, -en, -en Lotse, -en, -en Löwe, -n, -n Luftpirat, -en, -en Lump, -en, -en Magnat, -en, -en Magnet, -en, -en # Maschinist, -en, -en Matrose, -n, -n Maure, -n, -n Mensch, -en, -en Mitmensch, -en, -en Mohr, -en, -en Monarch, -en, -en Moralist, -en, -en Musikant, -en, -en Nachbar, (-n), -n Nachkomme, -n, -n Narr. -en, -en Naturalist, -en, -en Neffe, -n, -n Nomade, -n, -n Ochse, -n, -n Ökonom, -en, -en Page, -n, -n Papagei, -en, -en Paragraph, -en, -en Parteigenosse, -n, -n Partisan, -en, -en % Passant, -en, -en Pate, n, -n Patient, -en, -en Patriot, -en, -en Pazifist, -en, -en
Pedant, -en, -en Philosoph, -en, -en Photograph, -en, -en Pianist, -en, -en Pilot, -en, -en Planet, -en, -en Plutokrat, -en, -en Poet, -en, -en Pole, -n, -n
Polizeipräsident, -en, -en Polizist, -en, -en
Portugiese, -n, -n Postbote, -n, -n Präsident, -en, -en Preuße, -n, -n Prinz, -en, -en Produzent, -en, -en Prokurist, -en, -en Prophet, -en, -en Protestant, -en, -en Psychologe, -n, -n Rabauke, n, -n Rabe, -n, -n Realist, -en, -en Rekrut, -en, -en Repräsentant, -en, -en Riese, -n, -n
Satellit, -en, -en Schimpanse, -n, -n Schotte, -n, -n Schurke, -n, -n Schütze, -n, -n Schwede, -n, -n Sekundant, -en, -en Semit, -en, -en Siamese, -n, -n Sklave, -n, -n Slawe, - n, -n Slowake, -n, -n Soldat, -en, -en Sozialist, -en, -en
Spatz, -en, -en Spezialist, -en, -en Spielgefährte, -n, -n Statist, -en, -en Student, -en, -en Telegraph, -en, -en Theologe, -n, -n Tor, -en, -en Tourist, -en, -en Trabant, -en, -en Transvestit, -en, -en Tschechoslawake, -n, -n Türke, -n, -n
Tyrann, -en, -en Übermensch, -en, -en Ungar, -n, -n
Unmensch, -en, -en Vagabund, -en, -en Violinist, -en, -en Virtuose, -n, -n Volksgenosse, -n, -n Vorfahr, -en, -en Zar, -en, -en Zeuge, -n, -n Zivilist, -en, -en
Masculine N-nouns with
-ens ending in genitive case
Friede Gedanke Wille Funke Glaube Name Note also:
das Herz, das Herz, dem Herzen, des Herzens and pl die Herzen
Summary of definite and indefinite articles
The endings of definite and indefinite articles are the same, except for those indicated by , where the indefinite article takes no ending. The indefinite article examples for the plural use the ein-word kein, since ein appears only with singular nouns.
Definite articles
Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural
Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive der den dem des die die der der das das dem des die die den der Indefinite articles
Masculine Feminine Neuter Plural
Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive ein einen einem eines eine eine einer einer ein ein einem eines keine keine keinen keiner
Summary of personal pronouns
Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive
(rarely used) I, me you (informal) he, him, it she, her, it it we, us you (informal) ich du er sie es wir ihr mich dich ihn sie es uns euch mir dir ihm ihr ihm uns euch meiner deiner seiner ihrer seiner unsrer eurer
they, them you (formal) sie Sie sie Sie ihnen Ihnen ihrer Ihrer
Some common verbs with stem vowel change a > ä du er/sie/es
anfangen fängst an fängt an to begin backen bäckst bäckt to bake einladen lädst ein lädt ein to invite fahren fährst fährt to travel, drive gefallen gefällst gefällt to please halten hältst hält to stop, hold lassen lässt lässt to let, leave laufen läufst läuft to walk, run schlafen schläfst schläft to sleep tragen trägst trägt to wear, carry wachsen wächst wächst to grow waschen wäschst wäscht to wash
Some common verbs with stem vowel change e > ie du er/sie/es lesen liest liest to read sehen siehst sieht to see
Some common verbs with stem vowel change e > i du er/sie/es
brechen brichst bricht to break essen isst isst to eat geben gibst gibt to give helfen hilfst hilft to help
