Lesson 1 - Nouns & Gender

Welcome to the first German Grammar lesson in this course. The first lesson will cover everything about German nouns and their gender.
Capital Letter for Nouns
In German, all nouns must begin with a capital letter, regardless of their position within a sentence.
Wir sind 5 Leute im Haus, meine Eltern, meine Schwester und mein Bruder
In the above example, Leute (persons), Haus (house), Eltern (parents), Schwester (sister), and Bruder (brother) are all nouns; and thus must begin with a
capital letter.
Gender of Nouns
Unlike in English, each noun in German has its own gender; either masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das). Plural nouns are always considered
feminine (die).
That gender is not necessarily the actual gender of the corresponding real-life object; instead it is purely grammatical. As gender is quite unpredictable, the
best thing is to simply learn each noun along with its definite article (der, die, or das).
Nouns and Gender
Masculine
der Mann
der Vogel
the man
the bird
Feminine
die Frau
die Blume
the woman
the flower
Neuter
das Kind
das Obst
the child
the fruit
Make sure to check the grammar table associated with this lesson for many clues and hints on determining the gender of a noun.
Compound Nouns
The German language contains many nouns that are composed from two or more words connected together (which makes German famous for having very
long words). The combined words themselves don't have to be nouns, they could be adjectives, verb stems, and prepositions. However, the last element of
the compound noun must be a noun; as the gender of the compound noun and its plural are determined by that last noun.
Compound Nouns
Noun + Noun
der Vater
das Land
das Vaterland fatherland / native country
Adjective + Noun
schnell
der Schnellzug express train
der Zug
Verb Stem + Noun
trinken
das Wasser
das Trinkwasser drinking water
Definite & Indefinite Articles
Definite articles refer to specific objects, they are similar to the article 'the' in English. All the previous examples shown in this lesson used the definite
articles, which are 'der', 'die', and 'das'.
The corresponding indefinite articles, which refer to unspecific objects, and are similar to the English articles 'a' and 'an', are 'ein' and 'eine', shown below.
Noting that as in the English language, there is no indefinite article for plurals in German.
Definite & Indefinite Articles

Definite Indefinite
Masculine der ein
Feminine die eine
Neuter das ein
Plural die -
This concludes the first lesson, make sure to check the grammar tables and the exercises for this lesson before proceeding to the next one.

Nouns & Gender - Grammar Table
The tables below show many hints that can help identify the gender of a noun in German.
Note that these tables don't cover all German nouns, as there exists many nouns with different endings than the ones shown here, as well as many
exceptions. Thus, it's always advisable when learning new nouns to study them along with their gender.
Hints for Masculine Nouns

Suffix
-el
-er
-ig
-ismus
-ling
-or
der Vogel (bird)
der Computer (computer)
der Kfig (cage)
der Journalismus (journalism)
der Frhling (spring)
der Professor (professor)
Rules
Male persons
Days
Months
Seasons
der Sohn (son)
der Sonntag (Sunday)
der Januar (January)
der Winter (winter)
Hints for Feminine Nouns

Suffix
-ei
-ie
-enz
-heit
-keit
-ion
-ik
-age
-tt
-schaft
-ung
-ur
die Partei (party)
die Batterie (battery)
die Konferenz (conference)
die Freiheit (freedom)
die Mnnlichkeit (manhood)
die Legion (legion)
die Akustik (acoustic)
die Garage (garage)
die Universitt (university)
die Mannschaft (team/crew)
die Wohnung (flat)
die Karikatur (carucature)
Rules
Female persons
Most trees
Most flowers
Most fruits
die Tochter (daughter)
die Fhre (pine tree)
die Rose (rose)
die Banane (banana)
Hints for Neuter Nouns

Suffix
-chen
-lein
-ma
-ett
das Ktzchen (kitten)
das Frulein (young lady)
das Drama (drama)
das Bett (bed)
-ment
-o
-um
das Experiment (experiment)
das Foto (photo)
das Kalzium (calcium)
Rules
Towns
Countries
Colors
Infinitives used as nouns
das Frankfurt (Frankfurt)
das gypten (Egypt)
das Grn (Green)
das Tanzen (dancing)


Nouns & Gender - Exercise 1
Identify the gender of the following nouns by supplying the missing definite article.
Nouns & Gender - Exercise 1
1) der Hund (masculine)
2) die Sonne (feminine)
3) das Haus (neuter)
4) die Elefanten (plural)
5) das Krankenhaus (compound noun)



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Grammar Lessons
Unit 01
1. Nouns & Gender
a. Grammar Table
b. Exercise 1
c. Exercise 2
2. Plural of Nouns
3. Subject Pronouns
4. Verbs in the Present Tense
5. Irregular Verbs
6. To be & to have
7. Separable Verbs
8. Modal Verbs
9. Imperatives
10. Questions
Unit 02
1. German Cases
2. Nominative Case
3. Accusative Case
4. Dative Case
5. Genitive Case
6. Prepositions I
7. Prepositions II

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Nouns & Gender - Exercise 2
Using the hints from the grammar table associated with this lesson, identify the gender of the following nouns by supplying the missing definite article.
Nouns & Gender - Exercise 2
1) der Tempel
2) die Krankheit
3) der Honig
4) das Schwimmen
5) die bung
6) das Bisschen
7) der Journalismus
8) die Blamage
9) der Februar
10) das Dokument

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Grammar Lessons
Unit 01
1. Nouns & Gender
2. Plural of Nouns
a. Exercise 1
3. Subject Pronouns
4. Verbs in the Present Tense
5. Irregular Verbs
6. To be & to have
7. Separable Verbs
8. Modal Verbs
9. Imperatives
10. Questions
Unit 02
1. German Cases
2. Nominative Case
3. Accusative Case
4. Dative Case
5. Genitive Case
6. Prepositions I
7. Prepositions II

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Lesson 2 - Plural of Nouns
Plural of nouns in the German language is much different than in English. In English, plurals are formed simply by adding '-s' to the end of the noun. In
German, it's not that simple however; as there are several different ways of forming them. Thus, it's always recommended to learn a new word along with its
plural.
This lesson will provide some common patterns for typical endings of nouns' plural based on the gender of the noun. However, these patterns should only be
considered as guidelines rather than rules; as irregularities may always exist.
Masculine Nouns
Adding an '-e'
Most of the German masculine nouns form their plurals by simply adding an '-e' at their end.
Masculine plurals: -e
der Beruf die Berufe professions
der Schuh die Schuhe shoes
der Stift die Stifte pencils
der Hund die Hunde dogs
Adding an umlaut and '-e'
Sometimes when the stem of a masculine noun contains an 'a', 'o', or 'u', an umlaut is added to it, in addition to the '-e' at the end.
Masculine plurals: -e
der Zahn die Zhne teeth
der Kopf die Kpfe heads
der Zug die Zge trains
Nouns ending in '-er', '-el', or '-en'
Nouns ending in '-er', '-el', or '-en' are either left unchanged, or have an umlaut added to their stem.
Masculine plurals: -er, -el, -en endings
der Dichter die Dichter poets
der Mantel die Mntel coats
der Laden die Lden shops/stores
Feminine Nouns
Adding a '-n' or an '-en'
Most of the German feminine nouns form their plural by simply adding '-n' or '-en' at their end.
Feminine plurals: -n or -en
die Blume die Blumen flowers
die Stirn die Stirnen foreheads
die Nase die Nasen noses
die Wohnung die Wohnungen apartments
Adding an umlaut and '-e'
Sometimes when the stem of a feminine noun contains an 'a', 'o', or 'u', an umlaut is added to it, in addition to an '-e' at the end.
Feminine plurals: -e
die Wand die Wnde walls
die Kuh die Khe cows
die Hand die Hnde hands
Neuter Nouns
Adding an '-e'
Most of the German neuter nouns form their plural by simply adding an '-e' at their end.
Neuter plurals: -e
das Regal die Regale shelves
das Haar die Haare hair
das Schaf die Schafe sheep
Adding an umlaut and '-er'
Sometimes when the stem of a neuter noun contains an 'a', 'o', or 'u', an umlaut is added to it, in addition to an '-er' at the end.
Neuter plurals: -er
das Buch die Bcher books
das Huhn die Hhner chicken
das Loch die Lcher holes
Nouns ending in '-chen'
Neuter nouns ending in '-chen' are kept unchanged in their plural forms.

Neuter plurals: -chen ending
das Mdchen die Mdchen girls
das Zeichen die Zeichen characters
That ends the most common patterns found in all three genders. Remember though, that these are just guidelines, and not strict language rules; thus
exceptions exist.
To avoid any confusion, it's always recommended for new German language students to study each noun along with its gender and its plural. By time, you
should develop a good sense of the language, and be able to form plurals without having to study them by heart.

Plural of Nouns - Exercise 1
Rewrite the following nouns as plural nouns.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.
Plural of Nouns - Exercise 1
1) der Gast die Gste
Gste

2) der Tisch die Tische
Tische

3) der Spiegel die Spiegel
Spiegel

4) der Falter die Falter
Falter

5) die Tasse die Tassen
Tassen

6) die Zeitung die Zeitungen
Zeitungen

7) die Wurst die Wrste
Wrste

8) das Bein die Beine
Beine

9) das Wort die Wrter
Wrter

10) das Entchen die Entchen
Entchen



Lesson 3 - Subject Pronouns
Before discussing verb forms in the German language, you'll have to know a bit about 'subjects'.
This lesson only discusses subject pronouns; pronouns as a whole will be discussed in detail in later lessons. The subject of a sentence is usually a noun
that names a person or thing that performs the action. A pronoun is a word that takes the place of that noun.
First-person & Second-person Pronouns
In German, there are two ways of addressing people, either formal or informal.
The informal is usually used when addressing friends & children, while the formal method is used with people whom you may not know well or who are older
than you.
First-person & Second-person Pronouns
Singular Pronoun Plural Pronoun
ich I wir we
du you - informal ihr you - informal
Sie you - formal Sie you - formal
Third-person Pronouns
In German, the subject pronoun must follow the gender of the noun it replaces. Since some German masculine nouns are inanimate objects, the German
masculine pronoun can mean 'it' when referring to something inanimate, or it can mean 'he' when referring to something male. The same thing occurs with
female and neuter pronouns.
Third-person Pronouns
Masculine Noun Masculine Pronoun
der Arzt doctor er he
der Tisch table er it
Feminine Noun Feminine Pronoun
die Mutter mother sie she
die Wand wall sie it
Neuter Noun Neuter Pronoun
das Kind child es he/she
das Mdchen girl es she
das Papier paper es it
Plural Noun Plural Pronoun
die Kinder children sie they
die Blumen flowers sie they
die Sthle chairs sie they
The German 'sie/Sie' might be very confusing for the beginner German learners. Don't worry though, you should be able to easily differentiate between their
intended meanings in a sentence when you learn verb conjugation.
Now that you know the German subject pronouns, you're ready to learn about verbs

Subject Pronouns - Exercise 1
Give the pronoun that appropriately replaces the noun or phrase in bold.
Subject Pronouns - Exercise 1
1) Die Wohnung ist ziemlich klein. sie
2) Wo ist das Kind? es
3) Der Himmel ist sehr hoch. er
4) Anna und Peter trinken keinen Kaffee. sie pl.
5) Meine Schwester und ich spielen jetzt mit den Barbies. wir
6) Peter hat zwei Hunde. er
7) Meine Familie ist lustig. sie

Lesson 4 - Verbs in the Present Tense
Now that you know the German subject pronouns, you're ready to learn about verbs.
In German, the verb must agree with the subject pronoun preceding it (grammatically speaking, that is, in person and number), that is called 'verb
conjugation'. Thus, German has more endings for verbs than in English.
Verb Conjugation
To conjugate a verb, you simply take its stem and then add the required ending. The stem is the form of the infinitive without -en or -n.
Verb Conjugation

kommen hren
ich komme hre
du kommst hrst
er / sie / es kommt hrt
wir kommen hren
ihr kommt hrt
sie kommen hren
Sie kommen hren
In German, there is only one present tense, which corresponds both to the simple and to the continuous present:
Ich trinke Wasser - I drink water or I am drinking water
Sie kommt hier - She comes here or She is coming here
To end this lesson, here are a few examples:
Lesson 2 Examples

Example Meaning
ich ich lerne Deutsch I am learning German
du du spielst gut You are playing good
er / sie / es Sie kocht Spagetti She is cooking spaghetti
wir wir bleiben zwei Tage We are staying two days
ihr ihr singt ein Lied You are singing a song
sie sie trinken Bier They are drinking beer
Sie Sie wohnen in Berlin You are living in Berlin









Verbs in the Present Tense - Exercise 1
Depending on the subject pronoun given, select the correct verb ending.
Verbs in the Present Tense - Exercise 1
1) Ich gehe jetzt
2) Wir bleiben hier
3) Ihr trinkt Kaffee
4) Du lernst Deutsch
5) Er kommt aus gypten
Way to go! You've answered them all correctly !
Lesson 5 - Irregular Verbs
Unfortunately, not all the German verbs follow the regular pattern shown in the previous lesson; there are some verbs with slight variations in their stem.
These verbs are called 'Irregular Verbs'.
1. Stem ending with 'd' or 't':
As it would be difficult to pronounce the 'st' ending for 'du' and the 't' ending for 'er/sie/es' & 'ihr', an 'e' is placed before the ending of these verbs.
The extra 'e' is added only to the 'du', 'er/sie/es', and 'ihr' verb forms, other verb forms aren't affected.
Stem ending with 'd' or 't'

finden leiden
du findest leidest
er/sie/es findet leidet
ihr findet leidet
2. Stem ending with 's', 'ss', '', 'x', 'z', or 'tz':
If the verb stem ends with any of the following endings, then the 'du' verb ending becomes a 't' instead of 'st'.
Only the 'du' verb form is affected.
Stem ending with 's', 'ss', '', 'x', 'z', or 'tz'

genesen kssen heien sitzen
du genest ksst heit sitzt
3. Verbs with a vowel change
Some verbs have the vowel in their stem change with the 'du' and 'er/sie/es' form of the verb. These verbs are best learnt by heart.
The three most common vowel change patterns are:
'a' to ''

backen fahren schlafen waschen
du bckst fhrst schlfst wschst
er/sie/es bckt fhrt schlft wscht
'e' to 'i'

essen geben sprechen weben
du isst gibst sprichst wibst
er/sie/es isst gibt spricht wibt
'e' to 'ie'

befehlen lesen sehen stehlen
du befiehlst liest siehst stielst
er/sie/es befiehlt liest sieht stielt
This concludes our lesson, quite simple, eh ?
Make sure to check the grammar table associated with this lesson, it contains most of the irregular verbs that appear within the German language.












Irregular Verbs - Exercise 1
Type the correct verb conjugations in the present tense.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.
Irregular Verbs - Exercise 1
1) Du isst
isst
(essen) zu viel Kse
2) Er schlft
schlft
(schlafen) drei Stunden
3) Du heit
heit
(heien) Peter
4) Ihr spendet
spendet
(spenden) 5 Euro
5) Er sieht
sieht
(sehen) einen Film
6) Du tanzt
tanzt
(tanzen) allein
7) Er liest
liest
(lesen) viel
8) Du ksst
ksst
(kssen) mich

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Lesson 6 - To be & to have
As in English, the two verbs 'to be' (sein) and 'to have' (haben) are quite important in German.
Both verbs are also irregular, and don't follow any of the conjugation rules discussed in the previous lessons.
1. To be (sein):
The verb 'sein' is completely irregular in all of its forms; and thus needs to be learned by heart.
Conjugation of 'sein'
ich bin
du bist
er / sie / es ist
wir sind
ihr seid
sie sind
Sie sind
2. To have (haben):
The verb 'haben' is only irregular in its 'du' and 'er/sie/es' forms; as the letter 'b' is removed from its stem.
Conjugation of 'haben'
ich habe
du hast
er / sie / es hat
wir haben
ihr habt
sie haben
Sie haben
Just like in the English language, both verbs are used to form tenses; and thus are very widely used within the German language.
To end this lesson, here are a few examples of both verbs in use:
Lesson 4 examples
ich bin aus gypten I'm from Egypt
du bist sehr Hbsch You're very pretty
er hat eine Katze He has a cat
wir haben keine Zeit We have no time
ihr seid niemals allein You are never alone
sie haben eine neue Wohnung They have a new apartment
Sie sind Willkommen Youre Welcome

To be & to have - Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks using the correct conjugation of the verb given between brackets.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.



To be & to have - Exercise 1
1) Du bist
bist
(sein) sehr kurz
2) Er hat
hat
(haben) eine Schwester
3) Ich bin
bin
(sein) achtzehn Jahre alt
4) Wir haben
haben
(haben) Hunger
5) Du hast
hast
(haben) viel zu tun
6) Ihr seid
seid
(sein) so leise
7) Ich habe
habe
(haben) Durst
8) Es ist
ist
(sein) zu teuer
9) Ihr habt
habt
(haben) eine Tochter

Lesson 7 - Separable Verbs
A characteristic feature of German is its ability to create verbs with new meanings through the addition of prefixes to nouns, adjectives, or other verbs.
For example:
aus + gehen = ausgehen - to go out
ver + kaufen = verkaufen - to sell
German has two categories of prefixes: inseparable prefixes and separable prefixes. However, few prefixes exist that can be used in either catgory.
Also, a verb could have more than one prefix, each giving a new verb with a different meaning than the others. Take the verb 'kommen' for example:
Same Verb with Different Prefixes
Verb Meaning
kommen to come
ankommen to arrive
mitkommen to come along
weiterkommen to get on
hereinkommen to come in
herauskommen to come out
nachkommen to come later
zurckkommen to come back
Inseparable Prefixes
These prefixes are always attached to the front end of a verb and are never removed from it no matter the tense or form of the verb. When pronouncing a
verb with an inseparable prefix, the stress is always on the stem of the verb.
The table below shows these prefixes, along with some examples:
Inseparable Prefixes
Prefix Example Verb Meaning
be-
bekommen to get/receive
besuchen to visit/attend
emp-
empfehlen to recommend
empfinden to feel
ent-
entlassen to discharge/fire
entscheiden to decide/determine
er-
erfinden to invent/make-up
erwarten to expect/anticipate
ge-
gehorchen to obey
gestatten to permit/allow
miss-
missachtest to disobey/disregard
misstrauen to mistrust/suspect
ver-
vergessen to forget
verstehen to understand
zer-
zerstren to destroy
zerkratzen to scratch
The inseparable prefix remains attached to the verb when its conjugated. Notice the position of the inseparable prefix in the following examples:
Ich verstehe sehr gut Deutsch - I understant very good German
Ich besuche meine Eltern jeden Tag - I visit my parents everyday
Separable Prefixes
Separable prefixes are adverbs and prepositions that are detached from the verb when it is conjugated. It would be completely impractical to list all of those
prefixes; as there are many. When pronouncing a verb with a separable prefix, the stress is always on the separable prefix.
The table below shows the most common ones along with some examples:
Separable Prefixes
Prefix Example Verb Meaning
an-
ankommen to arrive
anrufen to phone somebody
auf-
aufstehen to wake up
aufhren to stop/cease
aus-
ausgehen to go out
aussprechen to pronounce
bei-
beibringen to teach
beitragen to add/contribute
ein-
einkaufen to go shopping
einladen to invite
fort-
fortfahren to continue/proceed
fortgehen to go away
mit-
mitgehen to go along
mitarbeiten to collaborate
nach-
nachahmen to imitate/copy
nacharbeiten to rework/revise
vor- vorstellen to present/introduce
vorbereiten to prepare/set up
weg-
wegfahren to drive away
weglaufen to run away
zu-
zuhren to listen
zunehmen to increase/grow
As already mentioned, when a verb with a separable prefix is conjugated in the present tense, the separable prefix is detached from it. The prefix is moved to
the end of its clause. Notice the position of the inseparable prefix in the following examples:
Herr Bauer ruft seine Frau an - Mr Bauer is calling his wife
Ich gehe mit meinen Freunden jeden Tag aus - I go out with my friends everyday
Sie kauft im Supermarkt ein - She is shopping in the supermarket
Prefixes that can be Separable or Inseparable
A few prefixes exist that can be either separable or inseparable, depending on the way the verb is pronounced. When the stress is on the prefix itself, the
prefix is separable. But when the stress is on the stem of the verb, it's a strong signal that the prefix is an inseparable one.
A few examples are shown in the next table:
Prefixes that can be Separable or Inseparable
Prefix Separable Verb Inseparable Verb
durch- durchfallen durchdringen
um- umsteigen umarmen
wieder- wiedergeben wiederholen
Of course, the verb conjugation depends on whether the prefix is separable or inseparable, as shown in the next example:
Wir steigen in Berlin um (umsteigen) - We change (busses) in Berlin
Wir umarmen uns (umarmen) - We embrace ourselves
That brings us to the end of this lesson. Make sure to solve the exercises associated with this lesson before proceeding to the next ones.
Lesson 8 - Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are verbs used to modify or change other verbs to show such things as ability, permission, or necessity.
For example: You can eat, I must stay.
Use of Modal Verbs with Another Verb
In German, modal verbs are very similar to those in English; as they are generally used together with a main verb in its infi nitive form. However, there is one
main difference between both languages. In English, the modal verb and the main verb stay together; whereas in German, the modal verb and the main verb
are separated; as the main verb goes to the end of the sentence.
Wir mssen heute entscheiden - We must decide today
German Modal Verbs
There are six modal verbs in German, all having conjugation that is different than regular German verbs (discussed in an earl ier lesson).
The six German modal verbs are: drfen, knnen, mgen, mssen, sollen, and wollen.
Modal Verbs in Detail
Drfen - may/to be allowed to
Conjugation of drfen
ich darf wir drfen
du darfst ihr drft
er/sie/es darf sie drfen
Sie drfen
Drfen is used to express permission:
Ihr drft hier rauchen - You are allowed to smoke here
When used with 'nicht', drfen conveys the meaning of something one must not do.
Ihr drft hier nicht rauchen - You must not smoke here
Knnen - can/to be able to
Conjugation of knnen
ich kann wir knnen
du kannst ihr knnt
er/sie/es kann sie knnen
Sie knnen
Knnen means 'can' or 'to be able to':
Ich kann den Wecker nicht ausschalten - I can't turn off the alarm clock
It can also be used to express possibility:
Das kann nicht sein - That can't be true
Mssen - must/to have to/need to
Conjugation of mssen
ich muss wir mssen
du musst ihr msst
er/sie/es muss sie mssen
Sie mssen
Mssen means 'to have to' or 'must' or 'need to':
Du musst um sieben aufstehen - You must/have to wake up at seven.
When used with 'nicht', it doesn't convey the meaning of prohibition as in English, but means 'do not have to' (remember that drfen + nicht is used to say
'must not').
Du musst nicht kommen - You don't have to come.
Sollen - to be supposed to/should/ought to
Conjugation of sollen
ich soll wir sollen
du sollst ihr sollt
er/sie/es soll sie sollen
Sie sollen
Sollen means 'to be supposed to' or 'should' or 'ought to':
Wir sollen mehr arbeiten - We ought to work more
Du sollst deine Freunde einladen - You should invite your friends
Wollen - to want
Conjugation of wollen
ich will wir wollen
du willst ihr wollt
er/sie/es will sie wollen
Sie wollen
Wollen usually expresses an intention or desire, equivilant to the English 'to want to':
Ich will etwas trinken - I want to drink something
Take note not to use the verb in the sense of the English verb 'will' to form the future tense. This requires another verb in German ('werden').

Mgen/mchten - to like/would like
Conjugation of mgen/mchten
ich mag/mchte wir mgen/mchten
du magst/mchtest ihr mgt/mchtet
er/sie/es mag/mchte sie mgen/mchten
Sie mgen/mchten
The modal verb mgen means 'to like' and is often used with reference to people, food, or places.
Ich mag Tennis - I like Tennis
However, the verb is most oftenly used in its subjunctive form, mchten, which means 'would like to'.
Er mchte das Auto fahren - He would like to drive the car
As with 'mgen', 'mchten' could also be used on its own, without a second verb.
Ich mchte ein Glas Wasser, bitte - I would like a glass of water, please
Modal and Separable Verbs
When a modal verb is used with a separable one, the separable verb stays together and goes to the end of the sentance.
Ich will Morgen ausgehen - I want to go out tomorrow
Du sollst deine Mutter anrufen - You should call your mother
Now you nearly know everything about German verbs in the present tense, only reflexive verbs are left for another lesson in a later unit.
Using very little vocabulary, you should be able to form complete German sentances by now.

Modal Verbs - Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks using the correct conjugation of the modal verbs given between brackets.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.


Modal Verbs - Exercise 1
1) Ich kann
kann
(knnen) morgen leider nicht kommen
2) Sie mssen
mssen
(mssen) langsam fahren
3) Du darfst
darfst
(drfen) zu Hause bleiben
4) Wir knnen
knnen
(knnen) es nicht finden
5) Ihr sollt
sollt
(sollen) den Wagen schnell reparieren
6) Ich mchte
mchte
(mchten) einen Saft, bitte
7) Wir mgen
mgen
(mgen) die Musik
8) Er will
will
(wollen) eine reiche Braut heiraten



Imperatives - Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks using the correct imperative form of the verbs given between brackets.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.
Imperatives - Exercise 1
1) Bring
Bring
mir ein Bier! (bringen - du form)
2) Bitte, seien
seien
Sie ruhig. (sein)
3) Schlaf
Schlaf
gut! (schlafen - du form)
4) Fahrt
Fahrt
nicht nach Berlin! (fahren - ihr form)
5) Gib
Gib
es mir! (geben - du form)
6) Gehen
Gehen
Sie nach rechts. (gehen)
7) Bleibt
Bleibt
an der Ecke! (bleiben - ihr form)
8) Rufen
Rufen
Sie die Polizei an
an
. (anrufen)
9) Sprich
Sprich
Deutsch! (sprechen - du form)
10) Jungen, spielt
spielt
nicht im Garten! (spielen - ihr form)
Way to go! You've answered them all correctly !
Lesson 9 - Imperatives
An imperative is a form of the verb used when giving orders or instructing people to do things. In English, the imperative works by using the infinitive form of
the verb, for example: Come here!, Speak loudly!.
In German the imperative is a little more complicated though; as there exists three different imperative forms, depending on the number of persons being
addressed, and whether addressed formally or informally.
'du' Form
This form is used when addressing a person with whom you're quite familiar.
Also in this form, the 'du' pronoun is dropped from the sentance, and only the imperative form of the verb appears.
Regular Verbs
For regular verbs, the imperative is formed by using the stem of the verb without an ending.
Imperative of regular verbs
Verb Imperative Example
trinken trink Trink weniger!
kommen komm Komm jetzt!
bleiben bleib Bleib hier!
Irregular Verbs
Irregular verbs retain their irregularities in their imperative form as well. Verbs with a stem ending with '-d', '-t', or 'consonant + m/n', have an '-e' added to
their stem.
While verbs haveing a stem vowel change have the same stem vowel change in their imperative form, except for verbs having a vowel change from 'a' to '',
these don't change.
Imperative of irregular verbs
Stem ending with '-d', '-t', 'consonant + m/n'
Verb Imperative Example
warten warte Warte bis Morgen!
ffnen ffne ffne die Tr!
atmen atme Atme schneller!
Stem with a vowel change
Verb Imperative Example
helfen hilf Hilf mir!
lesen lies Lies das Buch!
sprechen sprich Sprich leise!
Stem with 'a' to '' vowel change
Verb Imperative Example
tragen trag Trag deine Uniform!
fahren fahr Fahr links!
haben & sein
Both verbs behave exactly like regular verbs, just use the stem of the verb.
Imperative of haben & sein
Verb Imperative Example
haben hab Hab Geduld!
sein sei Sei ruhig!
Separable Verbs
The prefix of these verbs splits off, and is placed at the end of its clause.
Imperative of separable verbs
Verb Imperative Example
zumachen mach zu Mach die Tr zu!
aufhren hr auf Hr aber endlich auf!
'ihr' Form
The informal plural is used when addressing at least two people whom you are familiar with.
This form is very similar to the 'du' imperative form
The 'ihr' pronoun is dropped from the sentance, only the imperative verb is left.
For regular verbs, the imperative is formed by using the stem of the verb and adding a '-t' ending to it.
Irregular verbs which take an '-e' ending in the 'du' form, take an '-et' ending in the 'ihr' form.
Separable verbs split off their prefix.
Imperative of regular verbs
Verb Imperative Example
kommen kommt Kommt, bitte!
holen holt Holt es mir!
Imperative of irregular verbs
Verb Imperative Example
arbeiten arbeitet Arbeitet nicht so viel!
anworten antwortet Antwortet auf die Frage!
Imperative of separable verbs
Verb Imperative Example
ausziehen zieht aus Zieht den Pullover aus!
aufmachen macht auf Macht das Gepck auf!
'Sie' Form
The 'Sie' form is used when addressing one person or more in a formal manner.
Unlike the 'du' & 'ihr' pronouns, the 'Sie' pronoun isn't dropped from the sentance when forming imperatives.
The imperative of regular & irregular verbs is simple formed by using the present-tense 'Sie' form of the verb.
Separable verbs split off their prefix.
Imperative of regular & irregular verbs
Verb Imperative Example
geben geben Geben Sie mir das Buch, bitte.
fragen fragen Fragen Sie den Mann da.
Imperative of separable verbs
Verb Imperative Example
anfangen fangen an Fangen Sie bitte an.
umsteigen steigen um Steigen Sie hier um.
Verb in First Position
All imperative forms in German have one feature in common: the verb is placed at the start of the sentance. This structure is very similar to English.
Frequent Use
The imperative is quite frequently used in the German language; as it's not considered impolite or rude to do so. Thus, be prepared to use them alot when
using the language!

Imperatives - Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks using the correct imperative form of the verbs given between brackets.
All answers are case-sensitive.
If you can't figure out the answer of a certain question, press on the 'hint' button next to it.
German characters are found on the first row of the table, copy/paste them into your answers whenever needed.
Imperatives - Exercise 1
1) Bring
Bring
mir ein Bier! (bringen - du form)
2) Bitte, seien
seien
Sie ruhig. (sein)
3) Schlaf
Schlaf
gut! (schlafen - du form)
4) Fahrt
Fahrt
nicht nach Berlin! (fahren - ihr form)
5) Gib
Gib
es mir! (geben - du form)
6) Gehen
Gehen
Sie nach rechts. (gehen)
7) Bleibt
Bleibt
an der Ecke! (bleiben - ihr form)
8) Rufen
Rufen
Sie die Polizei an
an
. (anrufen)
9) Sprich
Sprich
Deutsch! (sprechen - du form)
10) Jungen, spielt
spielt
nicht im Garten! (spielen - ihr form)


Lesson 10 - Questions
Just as in English, there are two types of questions in the German language: 'yes' or 'no' questions, and interrogative questions.
1) 'Yes' or 'No' Questions
These questions are formed by changing the normal word order of the sentence. This is done by swapping round the position of the verb with the subject.
As mentioned in an earlier lesson, the German present tense is used for both the continuous and the simple present. Thus, a question like 'trinkst du
Kaffee?" could either mean 'do you drink coffee?' or 'are you drinking coffee?'.
Examples of 'yes' or 'no' questions:
Bist du hungrig? - Are you hungry?
Spielen Sie mit mir? - Are you playing with me?
Geht ihr ins Kino? - Are you going to the cinema?
Questions with Modal & Seperable Verbs
When used with a modal verb, the second verb's position is not affected, it remains at the end of the sentence. Same rule applies when using separable
verbs, the prefix remains at the end of the sentence.
This rule is also valid for interrogative questions.
Knnen Sie mich verstehen? - Can you understand me?
Gehst du mit deinen Freunden aus? - Are you going out with your friends?
2) Interrogative Questions
An interrogative question is a question that begins with a question word, such as 'who', 'where' and 'what'. Unlike the 'yes' or 'no' questions, these questions
could have a variety of answers. The table below shows some of the most common German question words.
Most common German question words
wie how was what
wann when warum why
welcher which wo where
wer who
Forming Interrogative Questions
The rule used to form interrogative questions is very similar to the 'yes' or 'no' questions' rule. The verb precedes the subject of the sentence, and the
interrogative word precedes the verb.
Some examples of interrogative questions:
Wann kommt sie? - When is she coming?
Wo arbeitest du? - Where do you work?
Was lernen die Kinder? - What are the children learning?
Wie schwimmen die Fische? - How does the fish swim?
Interrogative as Sentence Subject
Certain interrogatives, such as 'wer', can be the subject of the sentence, in that case the interrogative word begins the sentence and is followed by the verb.
Wer spielt Schach? - Who plays chess?
Interrogative Combinations
Several new interrogatives are formed by combining certain words, prepositions, and adverbs with the interrogatives 'wie' and 'wo'.
Some example combinations:
'Wie' combinations
wie alt how old wie viel how much
wie gro how big wie lange how long
wie oft how often wie spt how late
'Wo' combinations
wohin where to woher where from
wobei at what womit with what
Some example questions:
Wie alt bist du? - How old are you?
Wie lange bleiben Sie in Berlin? - How long are you staying in Berlin?
Woher kommen Sie? - Where do you come from?
Wohin fhrt er am Wochenende? - Where is he travelling to this weekend?
Interrogatives Depending on the Case
Although the four German cases haven't been discussed yet, this topic is worth mentioning here for the sake of completeness.
The German interrogatives 'wer' and 'welcher' have other forms depending on the case. The interrogative 'wer' has only one form for each case, while
'welcher' has different forms within each case, depending on gender and number. The table below shows the different forms of the interrogative 'wer'.
Forms of 'wer'
Nominative wer who
Accusative wen whom
Dative wem whom
Genitive wessen whose
This brings an end to this lesson and the unit as a whole. Make sure you've understood all the lessons and concepts covered in this unit before proceeding
to the next one!

Lesson 10 - Questions
Just as in English, there are two types of questions in the German language: 'yes' or 'no' questions, and interrogative questions.
1) 'Yes' or 'No' Questions
These questions are formed by changing the normal word order of the sentence. This is done by swapping round the position of the verb with the subject.
As mentioned in an earlier lesson, the German present tense is used for both the continuous and the simple present. Thus, a question like 'trinkst du
Kaffee?" could either mean 'do you drink coffee?' or 'are you drinking coffee?'.
Examples of 'yes' or 'no' questions:
Bist du hungrig? - Are you hungry?
Spielen Sie mit mir? - Are you playing with me?
Geht ihr ins Kino? - Are you going to the cinema?
Questions with Modal & Seperable Verbs
When used with a modal verb, the second verb's position is not affected, it remains at the end of the sentence. Same rule applies when using separable
verbs, the prefix remains at the end of the sentence.
This rule is also valid for interrogative questions.
Knnen Sie mich verstehen? - Can you understand me?
Gehst du mit deinen Freunden aus? - Are you going out with your friends?
2) Interrogative Questions
An interrogative question is a question that begins with a question word, such as 'who', 'where' and 'what'. Unlike the 'yes' or 'no' questions, these questions
could have a variety of answers. The table below shows some of the most common German question words.
Most common German question words
wie how was what
wann when warum why
welcher which wo where
wer who
Forming Interrogative Questions
The rule used to form interrogative questions is very similar to the 'yes' or 'no' questions' rule. The verb precedes the subject of the sentence, and the
interrogative word precedes the verb.
Some examples of interrogative questions:
Wann kommt sie? - When is she coming?
Wo arbeitest du? - Where do you work?
Was lernen die Kinder? - What are the children learning?
Wie schwimmen die Fische? - How does the fish swim?
Interrogative as Sentence Subject
Certain interrogatives, such as 'wer', can be the subject of the sentence, in that case the interrogative word begins the sentence and is followed by the verb.
Wer spielt Schach? - Who plays chess?
Interrogative Combinations
Several new interrogatives are formed by combining certain words, prepositions, and adverbs with the interrogatives 'wie' and 'wo'.
Some example combinations:
'Wie' combinations
wie alt how old wie viel how much
wie gro how big wie lange how long
wie oft how often wie spt how late
'Wo' combinations
wohin where to woher where from
wobei at what womit with what
Some example questions:
Wie alt bist du? - How old are you?
Wie lange bleiben Sie in Berlin? - How long are you staying in Berlin?
Woher kommen Sie? - Where do you come from?
Wohin fhrt er am Wochenende? - Where is he travelling to this weekend?
Interrogatives Depending on the Case
Although the four German cases haven't been discussed yet, this topic is worth mentioning here for the sake of completeness.
The German interrogatives 'wer' and 'welcher' have other forms depending on the case. The interrogative 'wer' has only one form for each case, while
'welcher' has different forms within each case, depending on gender and number. The table below shows the different forms of the interrogative 'wer'.
Forms of 'wer'
Nominative wer who
Accusative wen whom
Dative wem whom
Genitive wessen whose
This brings an end to this lesson and the unit as a whole. Make sure you've understood all the lessons and concepts covered in this unit before proceeding
to the next one!
Questions - Exercise 1
Determine the correct interrogative according to the answer given to each questions.
Questions - Exercise 1
1) Wann kommt Ihr?
Wir kommen nchste Woche.
We come next week.
2) Was machst du jetzt?
Ich lerne Deutsch.
I am learning German.
3) Wer kann es machen?
Peter kann es machen.
Peter can make it.
4) Wie oft besucht er uns?
Er besucht uns dreimal die Woche.
He visits us three times a week.
5) Wie ist er?
Er ist krank.
He is sick.
6) Wie lange bleibst du dort?
Ich bleibe einen Monat dort.
I am staying for a month there.
7) Wo sind Sie?
Ich bin in der Kche.
I am in the kitchen.
8) Wohin fahrt ihr?
Wir fahren nach Deutschland.
We are travelling to Germany.