Simple, clear explanations for 20 grammar topics
Personalpronomen
German has personal pronouns for different persons and formality levels: SINGULAR: • ich (I) -...
Das Verb "sein"
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Das Verb "haben"
The verb "haben" (to have) is also irregular: PRESENT TENSE: • ich habe - I have • du hast ...
Regelmäßige Verben
Regular German verbs follow a pattern in the present tense. Take the stem (infinitive minus -en) and...
Artikel: der, die, das
German has three genders. Every noun has a grammatical gender: DEFINITE ARTICLES (the): • der ...
Nominativ
The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence - the person or thing doing the action. ...
Akkusativ
The accusative case is used for the direct object - the person or thing receiving the action. ART...
Wortstellung
German has a V2 (verb-second) rule in main clauses: The conjugated verb is ALWAYS in the SECOND p...
Verneinung
German uses "nicht" (not) and "kein" (no/not a) for negation: NICHT - negates verbs, adjectives, ...
Fragewörter
German question words (W-words): • Wer? - Who? • Was? - What? • Wo? - Where? • Wann? -...
Dativ
The dative case is used for the indirect object - who receives something. ARTICLES IN DATIVE: Ma...
Trennbare Verben
Many German verbs have separable prefixes that go to the end in main clauses: Common separable pr...
Modalverben
Modal verbs express ability, permission, obligation: • können - can, to be able to • müsse...
Perfekt
The perfect tense describes past actions. Structure: haben/sein (conjugated) + past participle (a...
Wechselpräpositionen
Some prepositions change case based on meaning: ACCUSATIVE (Wohin? - motion/direction): Ich gehe...
Genitiv
The genitive case shows possession: ARTICLES IN GENITIVE: Masculine: des (-s/-es) / eines Femin...
Relativsätze
Relative clauses describe nouns using relative pronouns: RELATIVE PRONOUNS: Nominative: der/die/...
Konjunktiv II
Konjunktiv II expresses wishes, polite requests, unreal conditions: Most common form: wĂĽrde + in...
Passiv
The passive voice focuses on the action, not who does it: Present Passive: werden + past particip...
Nebensätze
Subordinate clauses are introduced by conjunctions. The verb goes to the END: Common conjunctions...