The German Alphabet

LetterPronunciationGerman example with English translation

AahArm (arm)

BbehBaby (baby)

CsayCelsius (celsius)

DdayDebatte (debate)

EayEskimo (eskimo)

FeffFamilie (family)

GgayGold (gold

HhaaHaus (house)

IeehIdee (idea

JyottJanuar (January)

KkahKaffee (coffee)

LellLampe (lamp)

MemMutter (mother)

NenNase (nose)

OohOzean (ocean)

PpayPause (pause)

QkooQuiz (quiz)

RerrRegen (rain)

SessSalami (salami)

TtayTelefon (telephone)

Uoo

Uhr (clock)

VfowVater (father)

WvayWillkommen (welcome)

XeksX-Beine (knock-knees)

YepseelohnYoga (yoga)

ZzettZombie (zombie)

Talking About People

Just one (singular)

Ich

du

you ( casual to one person)

er(he)\

sie(she)

es(it)

Sie you (formal to one person)

More than one (plural)

Wir(we)

Ihr(you (casual to a group))

Sie(they)

Sie(you (formal to a group))

Which "you" is you?You will notice that pronouns in the singular and plural forms (as described above) both have a you, (duand Sie in German). Back in the days of Shakespeare, people used the words thou and thee to address their friends or loved ones (royals were addressed with the more formal you and ye). These polite forms of you have fallen out of use in modern-day English, but German has maintained a distinction between familiar and polite forms of you which are used in the following ways: •The sie form of you is used in a global way when you are addressing several other people, not including yourself. But beware, sie also means she. •The Sie form of you is used when you wish to be polite or show respect to an individual or a group. You might use it with strangers, the elderly, teachers or authority figures. In German, addressing someone with Sie always creates a respectful distance which can be very useful to emphasize a point. Sie is spelled with a capital S when used in a formal way. •The du form of you is used to speak to children, friends, family members, pets and loved ones in a casual, relaxed and familiar way. •The ihr form of you is used when you are addressing several other people, not including yourself in a casual way, like you guys.If you are in doubt, just use the polite form Sie. A relationship often begins with the more formal Sie and progresses to the more casual du.

Action Replay •Talking about people in a global or collective sense = sie •Addressing individuals or groups in a formal respectful way = Sie •Addressing someone in a casual sense = du •Addressing a group in a casual way = ihr

Example

Brauchst du Hilfe?

Do you need help? (casual)

Haben Sie ein Zimmer frei?

Do you have a room available? (formal)

Du hast Glück!

You are lucky! (casual)

Sie sind in der Stadt.

They are in town. (collective sense)

Sie wollen Schuhe für Marie kaufen.

They want to buy shoes for Marie. (collective sense)

Möchten Sie rein kommen?

Would you like to come in? (formal)

Ihr dürft nicht auf der Straße spielen.

You are not allowed to play on the road. (casual)

Du schummelst!

You are cheating! (casual)

Geben Sie mir bitte ein Stück Salami.

Give me a piece of the salami, please. (formal)

Möchten Sie sonst noch etwas?

Would you like anything else? (formal)

More Examples

Habt ihr Lust ins Kino zu gehen?

Would you like to go to the movies? (casual)

Du bist zu spät!

You are too late! (casual)

Wisst ihr wo das Museum ist?

Do you know where the museum is? (casual)

Können Sie mir bitte helfen?

Could you please help me? (formal)

Sie wollen Ski fahren gehen.

They want to go skiing. (collective sense)

Wie alt bist du?

How old are you? (casual)

Wann fahrt ihr in den Urlaub?

When are you going on vacation? (casual)

Sie haben kein Zimmer mehr frei.

They don't have a room available. (collective sense)

Sprechen Sie Englisch?

Do you speak English?

Woher kommst du?

Where are you from?

Test your German Skills!Translate the following pronouns! The first one is done for you.

I ________ich________

1. You (casual) __________________

2. You (formal) _________________

3. He __________________

4. She __________________

5. We __________________

6. You (to a familiar group) __________________

7. You (to a formal group) __________________

8. They __________________

Show Answers

Which one would you use? Sie or du?

For example:

What would you like to order? ________Sie________

(a waiter asking an elderly couple)

9. Are you having fun? __________________

(a brother asking his sister)

10. You are invited! __________________

(a friend telling his buddy)

11. Do you need help? __________________

(a stranger asking a tourist)

12. How old are you? __________________

(a teacher asking a child)

13. What's your name? __________________

(a receptionist asking a guest)

14. What’s your name? __________________

(a boy asking a girl )

15. Could you help me, please? __________________

(a mother asking her child)

16. You are beautiful. __________________

(a gentleman telling a lady)

17. Could you tell me the time, please? __________________

(a man asking a child)

The Answers!

For example:

What would you like to order? ________Sie________

(a waiter asking an elderly couple)

9. Are you having fun? ________du_________

(a brother asking his sister)

10. You are invited! ________du_________

(a friend telling his buddy)

11. Do you need help? ________Sie________

(a stranger asking a tourist)

12. How old are you? ________du_________

(a teacher asking a child)

13. What's your name? ________Sie_________

(a receptionist asking a guest)

14. What’s your name? ________du_________

(a boy asking a girl )

15. Could you help me, please? ________du_________

(a mother asking her child)

16. You are beautiful. ________Sie_________

(a gentleman telling a lady)

17. Could you tell me the time, please? ________du__________

(a man asking a child)

Talking About Action

Just One (singular)

ich bin

I am

du bist

you are ( casual to one person)

er ist

he is

sie ist

she is

es ist

it is

Sie sind

you are (formal to one person)

More Than One (plural)

wir sind

we are

ihr seid

you are (casual to a group)

sie sind

they are

Sie sind

you are (formal to a group)

Action Replay Action words, like walking or laughing are called verbs. The neutral form of a verb, like to be or to walk is called the infinitive. A verb changes its form when used with a pronoun, for example to be in

connection with I changes into I am. These changes are called conjugations. The singular form is used when talking about a single person, for example she

is or you are. The plural form is used when talking about more than one person, for

example we are or they are.

Examples

Wir sind in Italien.

We are in Italy.

Ich bin hungrig.

I’m hungry.

Er ist sehr freundlich.

He is very friendly.

Sie sind im Urlaub.

They are on vacation.

Sie ist schon da.

She is already there.

Seid ihr am Bahnhof?

Are you at the train station?

Bist du sein Bruder?

Are you his brother?

Ich bin müde.

I'm tired.

Wir sind die besten Freunde.

We are the best friends.

Er ist ein guter Spieler.

He is a good player.

More examples

Es ist sehr heiß.

It is very hot.

Ich bin klein.

I am small.

Du bist schön.

You are pretty.

Wir sind spät dran.

We are running late.

Sind Sie mit dem Hotel zufrieden?

Are you satisfied with the hotel?

Ihr seid zum Abendessen eingeladen.

You are invited for dinner.

Sie sind der Gewinner des Spieles.

You are the winner of the game.

Es ist ein großes Problem.

It is a big problem.

Bist du auf dem Weg zum Hotel?

Are you on the way to the hotel?

Sie ist eine berühmte Schriftstellerin.

She is a famous writer.

Er ist sehr hungrig.

He is very hungry.

Test your German Skills!Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb sein. You can print this out and complete or say them out loud. Check your answers below.

Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb sein.

1. Es ______ sehr kalt.

It is very cold. 

2. Ich ______ groß.I am tall.

3. Er ______ nicht schön.He is not pretty.

4. Wir ______ zu früh. We are too early.

5. ______ Sie mit dem Essen zufrieden? Are you satisfied with the meal?

6. Ihr _______ zum Mittagessen eingeladen.You are invited to lunch.

7. Sie ______ die Verlierer des SpielesYou are the loser of the game.

8. Es ______ kein großes Problem.It is not a big problem.

9. ______ du auf dem Weg zum Strand? Are you on the way to the beach?

10. Sie _____ keine gute Schriftstellerin. She is not a good writer.

11. Sie ______ nicht hungrig. She is not hungry.

12. Wir _______ in Frankreich.We are in France.

13. Ich _____ nicht hungrig.I’m not hungry.

14. Er _____ sehr unhöflich.He is very impolite.

15. Sie _____ zu Hause. They are at home.

16. Sie _____ noch nicht da.She is not there yet.

17. _____ ihr am Flughafen?Are you at the airport?

18. ______ du seine Schwester?Are you his sister?

19. Ich ______ sehr müde.I’m very tired.

20. Wir ______ nicht befreundet. We are not friends.

21. Du ____ verrücktYou are crazy!

Here the Answers:

1. Es ist sehr kalt. It is very cold.

2. Ich bin groß. I am tall.

3. Er ist nicht schön. He is not pretty.

4. Wir sind zu früh. We are too early

5. Sind Sie mit dem Essen zufrieden? Are you satisfied with the meal?

6. Ihr seid zum Mittagessen eingeladen.You are invited to lunch.

7. Sie sind die Verlierer des Spieles. You are the loser of the game.

8. Es ist kein großes Problem. It is not a big problem.

9. Bist du auf dem Weg zum Strand? Are you on the way to the beach?

10. Sie ist keine gute Schriftstellerin.She is not a good writer.

11. Sie ist nicht hungrig. She is not hungry.

12. Wir sind in Frankreich.We are in France.

13. Ich bin nicht hungrig.I’m not hungry.

14. Er ist sehr unhöflich. He is very impolite.

15. Sie sind zu Hause. They are at home.

16. Sie ist noch nicht da. She is not there yet.

17. Seid ihr am Flughafen?Are you at the airport?

18. Bist du seine Schwester? Are you his sister?

19. Ich bin sehr müde.I’m very tired.

20. Wir sind nicht befreundet. We are not friends.

21. Du bist verrückt. You are crazy!

 Learning German

German

PaulSprechen Sie Deutsch?NikJa, ein bisschen.PaulKönnen Sie mich verstehen?NikJa, aber... Können Sie langsamer sprechen?PaulJa, natürlich. Ist das besser?NikJa, danke.PaulSprechen Sie auch Französisch?NikIch weiß nicht. Was ist das?Paul

[ha-ha-ha-ha...]

English

PaulDo you speak German?NikYes, a little bit.PaulCan you understand me?NikYes, but... could you speak more slowly?PaulOf course. Is that better?NikYes, thanks.PaulDo you also speak French?NikI don't know. What is it?Paul[ha-ha-ha-ha...]

Talking About Gender - Part 1

Talking About GenderNouns are words used to name or identify a person, animal, place, thing, or idea. Examples include: girl, hat, dog, weather, picture, coffee and hotel. In German, it’s easy to spot the noun in a sentence, because it always starts with a capital letter. Just as in English, German nouns can either be singular, such as “cat” or Katze, or plural (i.e., more than one), like cats or Katzen. The first thing that you must learn about German, however, is that all nouns also have a gender. In other words, all objects and living things are grouped as either;

masculine (male) words, or feminine (female) words or neuter ( neuter) words.

Is a vacuum cleaner masculine?The concept of gender can feel confusing for new students of the German language. Having a gender does not mean that nouns actually refer to male, female or neuter things, although, in most circumstances, the nouns that refer to males (such as a male doctor or a male animal) are masculine, while nouns that refer to females are generally feminine (such as a female doctor or female animal).

In most cases the choice of gender seems random, which it basically is! For example, how would anyone know whether the word for hotel or room is masculine, feminine or neuter? (Hotel and Zimmer are both neuter.)

In German the sun (Sonne) is feminine, whereas the moon (Mond) is masculine. In French and Spanish for example it is exactly the opposite.

Is There a Clue?The short words before a noun (like the, a or an in English) will give you an idea of what gender the noun has in German. We’ll have a closer look at that next lesson. Luckily there are some more clues to the gender of a noun in case there is no word for the, a or an.

Have a look at the endings of the nouns, because they can also help you to determine the gender. However there are some exceptions, so take it as a rule of thumb.

Most nouns ending in –e are feminine, for example Blume (flower). Nouns that refer to a profession and end in -in are feminine, like Ärztin (doctor), Lehrerin (teacher) or Anwältin (lawyer). The feminine gender is also indicated by the endings -keit and -heit, for example Wirklichkeit (reality) and Sicherheit (security).

The endings -er and -ling are generally found on masculine nouns, like Drucker (printer), Staubsauger (vacuum cleaner) and Säugling (infant).

Neuter nouns generally end in -lein and -chen, like Kindlein (little child) or Schätzchen (darling).

Action Replay Nouns are words used to name or identify a person, animal, place, thing, or

idea. Nouns can either be singular (just one) or plural (more than one).

All nouns have a gender and are either masculine, feminine or neuter. Some noun endings can give you a clue to what gender the noun has. The days of the week, months and seasons are all masculine.

Examples

Masculine Endings (-er and –ling)

Computer

computer

Schmetterling

butterfly

Kalender

calendar

Bauer

farmer

Feminine Endings (-heit, -e, -keit and –in)

Schönheit

beauty

Blume

flower

Freundin

girlfriend

Freundlichkeit

friendliness

Neuter Endings (-chen and -lein)

Mädchen

girl

Häuslein

little house

Bäumchen

little tree

Tischlein

little table

More Examples

Have a look at the examples below.

Mein Computer ist langsam.

My computer is slow. (der Computer=masculine)

Was für ein schöner Schmetterling.

What a beautiful butterfly. (der Schmetterling=masculine)

Meine Freundin ist die beste!

My girlfriend is the best! (die Freundin=feminine)

Der Mülleimer ist voll.

The rubbish bin is full. (der Mülleimer=masculine)

Sie ist ein lustiges Mädchen.

She is a funny girl. (das Mädchen=neuter)

Wir wohnen in einem kleinen Häuslein.

We live in a little house. (das Häuslein=neuter)

Frühling ist meine liebste Jahreszeit.

Spring is my favourite time of the year. (der Frühling =masculine)

Wo ist mein Kugelschreiber?

Where is my pen? (der Kugelschreibe=masculine)

Lisa ist Ärztin.

Lisa is a doctor. (die Ärztin=feminine)

Test your German skills!

Masculine, Feminine or Neuter?In the space provided, write whether the word is a masculine (M), feminine (F) or neuter (N) noun. The endings will give you a clue. The first one is done for you!

German noun Gender English translation

1. Bauer _____M_____ farmer

2. Sonne ___________ sun

3. Computer ___________ computer

4. Mädchen ___________ girl

5. Frühling ___________ spring

6. Katze ___________ cat

7. Bäumchen ___________ little tree

8. Tischlein ___________ little table

9. Freude ___________ joy

10. Staubsauger ___________vacuum cleaner

11. Ärztin ___________female doctor

12. Fahrer ___________ male driver

13. Freundlichkeit ___________ friendliness

14. Drucker ___________ printer

15. Kindlein ___________ little child

16. Flasche ___________ bottle

17. Büchlein ___________ little book

18. Mülleimer ___________ rubbish bin

19. Designer ___________male designer

20. Gardine ___________ curtain

21. Lehrer ___________male teacher

22. Kalender ___________ calendar

23. Kanne ___________ jug

24. Kännchen ___________ little jug

25. Freundin ___________ girlfriend

26. Tante ___________ aunty

27. Keller ___________ basement

28. Laune ___________ mood

29. Süßigkeit ___________ candy

30. Hündin ___________ female dog

31. Kassette ___________ cassette

32. Schule ___________ school

33. Feigling ___________ coward

34. Schätzchen ___________little darling

35. Zeichen ___________ sign

36. Krankheit ___________ disease

37. Säugling ___________ little baby

38. Geschwindigkeit ___________ speed

39 Sicherheit ___________ security

40. Kellner ___________ waiter

41. Nickerchen ___________ snooze

42. Kugelschreiber ___________ pen

The Answers!

 

German noun

 

 

Gender

 

 

English translation

2. Sonne _____F_____ sun

3. Computer _____M_____ computer

4. Mädchen _____N_____ girl

5. Frühling _____M_____ spring

6. Katze _____F_____ cat

7. Bäumchen _____N_____ little tree

8. Tischlein _____N_____little table

9. Freude _____F_____ joy

10. Staubsauger _____M_____vacuum cleaner

11. Ärztin _____F_____female doctor

12. Fahrer _____M_____male driver

13. Freundlichkeit _____F_____friendliness

14. Drucker _____M_____ printer

15. Kindlein _____N_____ little child

16. Flasche _____F_____ bottle

17. Büchlein _____N_____ little book

18. Mülleimer _____M_____rubbish bin

19. Designer _____M_____male designer

20. Gardine _____F_____ curtain

21. Lehrer _____M_____male teacher

22. Kalender _____M_____ calendar

23. Kanne _____F_____ jug

24. Kännchen _____N_____ little jug

25. Freundin _____F_____ girlfriend

26. Tante _____F_____ aunty

27. Keller _____M_____ basement

28. Laune _____F_____ mood

29. Süßigkeit _____F_____ candy

30. Hündin _____F_____female dog

31. Kassette _____F_____ cassette

32. Schule _____F_____ school

33. Feigling _____M_____ coward

34. Schätzchen _____N_____little darling

35. Zeichen _____N_____ sign

36. Krankheit _____F_____ disease

37. Säugling _____M_____little baby

38. Geschwindigkeit _____F_____ speed

39. Sicherheit _____F_____ security

40. Kellner _____M_____ waiter

41. Nickerchen _____N_____ snooze

42. Kugelschreiber _____M_____ pen

Talking About Gender - Part 2ds a or an or some are indefinite articles and point to a general group of items, things, people or places.

Let's get it straight!

The definite articles singular in German are

der = masculine article, the, e.g. der Tisch (the table) die = feminine article, the, e.g. die Tasse (the cup) das = neuter article, the, e.g. das Kind (the child)

The indefinite articles singular in German are ein = masculine article, the, e.g. ein Tisch (a table) eine = feminine article, the, e.g. eine Tasse (a cup) ein = neuter article, the, e.g. ein Kind (a child) As mentioned previously, the article (the) before a noun in German is not only

an integral part of the word, but is also a major clue to the gender of the word. In other words, as you learn new words, you should always be learning them with either a der in front, as in der Tisch (the table), a die in front, as in die Tasse (the cup), or a das in front, as in das Kind (the child).This will help you to understand the concept of gender as you build up your vocabulary. Articles can be singular or plural. We will have a look at the plural articles further down the track. Let’s focus on the singular articles in the meantime.

Action Replay Nouns in German are either masculine, feminine or neuter and refer to a

person, animal, thing or concept. The short word in front of a noun (the, a, or an) is called an article. Definite articles point to something specific, like the book. Indefinite articles point to something more general, like a book. The definite articles are der, die and das. The indefinite articles are ein, eine, ein.

Examples

der Junge

the boy

das Mädchen

the girl

die Frau

the woman

das Baby

the baby

der Baum

the tree

das Buch

the book

die Bürste

the brush

der Apfel

the apple

das Spiel

the game

die Banane

the banana

das Wasser

the water

More Examples

ein Glas

a glass

ein Junge

a boy

ein Schal

a scarf

eine Mütze

a hat

ein Mädchen

a girl

ein Teddybär

a teddy bear

eine Frau

a woman

eine Schürze

an apron

eine Tüte

a bag

ein Kind

a child

Test your German Skills!Look at the missing words below. You need to decide whether the noun should have der, die or das in front of it. The first one is done for you!

der__ Mann -the man (masculine)

1. _____ Frau - the woman (feminine)2. _____ Sonne - the sun (feminine)3. _____ See - the lake (masculine)4. _____ Restaurant - the restaurant (neuter)5. _____ Freund - the friend (masculine)6. _____ Museum - the museum (neuter)7. _____ Flughafen - the airport (masculine)8. _____ Feier - the party (feminine)9. _____ Garten - the garden (masculine)10. _____ Arbeit - the work (feminine)11. _____ Mietauto - the rental car (neuter)12. _____ Bahnhof - the train station (masculine)13. _____ Fahrrad - the bike (neuter)14. _____ Tasse - the cup (feminine)15. _____ Tag - the day (masculine)16. _____ Wetter - the weather (neuter)

17. _____ Telefon - the telephone (neuter)

The Answers!

1. die Frau - the woman (feminine)2. die Sonne - the sun (feminine)3. der See - the lake (masculine)4. das Restaurant - the restaurant (neuter)5. der Freund - the friend (masculine)6. das Museum - the museum (neuter)7. der Flughafen - the airport (masculine)8. die Feier - the party (feminine)9. der Garten - the garden (masculine)10. die Arbeit - the work (feminine)11. das Mietauto - the rental car (neuter)12. der Bahnhof - the train station (masculine)13. das Fahrrad - the bike (neuter)14. die Tasse - the cup (feminine)15. der Tag - the day (masculine)16. das Wetter - the weather (neuter)17. das Telefon - the telephone (neuter)

Should the following nouns have ein, eine or ein in front of it.

ein__ Stuhl - a chair (masculine)

1. _____ Frau - a woman (feminine)2. _____ Buch - a book (neuter)3. _____ Baum - a tree (masculine)4. _____ Konzert - a concert (neuter)5. _____ Glas - a glass (neuter)6. _____ Banane - a banana (feminine)7. _____ Kind - a child (neuter)8. _____ Junge - a boy (masculine)9. _____ Mädchen - a girl (neuter)10. _____ Gemälde - a painting (neuter)11. _____ Koffer - a suitcase (masculine)12. _____ Kaffee - a coffee (masculine)13. _____ Tasse - a cup (feminine)14. _____ Haus - a house (neuter)15. _____ Hose - a pair of pants (feminine)16. _____ Apfel - an apple (masculine)17. _____ Woche - a week (feminine)

18. _____ Computer - a computer (masculine)19. _____ Blume - a flower (feminine)

The Answers!

1. eine Frau - a woman (feminine)2. ein Buch - a book (neuter)3. ein Baum - a tree (masculine)4. ein Konzert - a concert (neuter)5. ein Glas - a glass (neuter)6. eine Banane - a banana (feminine)7. ein Kind - a child (neuter)8. ein Junge - a boy (masculine)9. ein Mädchen - a girl (neuter)10. ein Gemälde - a painting (neuter)11. ein Koffer - a suitcase (masculine)12. ein Kaffee - a coffee (masculine)13. eine Tasse - a cup (feminine)14. ein Haus - a house (neuter)15. eine Hose - a pair of pants (feminine)16. ein Apfel - an apple (masculine)17. eine Woche - a week (feminine)18. ein Computer - a computer (masculine)19. eine Blume - a flower (feminine)