Articles
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Cases in German: Nominative, Genitive, Dativ, Akkusativ – table with examples and explanation
I must admit that when I first learned what cases are in German, I was a bit discouraged about learning them. They seemed too confusing and incomprehensible to me. Unfortunately,…
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Funktionsverbgefüge, or noun-verb phrases in German
Do you have to live in Germany to learn to speak like a real German? Of course it’s a great way, but you don’t have to go to such drastic…
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Genitiv usage and examples in German: Prepositions that require the use of the Genitiv
Genitive answers the question ‘wessen?’ (whose) and is used to express ownership or belonging. Expressing ownership We use the genitive to indicate the owner or author of an object, decision…
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How to form Konjunktiv I in German
We use the Konjunktiv I for dependent speech to distance ourselves from another person’s speech and to emphasize that we are only conveying their words, not our own opinion. Konjunktiv…
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How to use separable verbs in German: German grammar for beginners
Once, while in Germany, I invited a boy whom I liked very much for coffee. As we approached the table I wanted to suggest to him that he make himself…
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Konjunktiv I, or reported speech, in German: “Habe” and “sei” – explanation and online exercises
I remember well the first time I encountered dependent speech in German. It was during my first stay in Germany, during which I worked intensively to improve my language skills….
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Modal verbs in Konjunktiv II. Speculation and probability
In the “Was Wäre Wenn” song, sung by Cluedo, we have a perfect example of Konjunktiv II: “… und kämen wir nie zusammen, müssten wir uns niemals trennen.” – (…and…
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Past tenses in German – Perfekt, Präteritum and Plusquamperfekt: Explanation and examples
The first evening of my first student exchange in Germany was dedicated to integration. Students from the German university prepared a welcome bonfire for us. I remember that at first…
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Verbs with Akkusativ in German
Akkusativ answers the questions: Some verbs are always followed by an Akkusativ. Examples are: lieben (to love), fragen (to ask), essen (to eat), kaufen (to buy), kennenlernen (to get to…
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Verbs with Dativ in German
Dativ answers the following questions: It refers to the further complement, which is usually the person who bears the consequences of an action. The further complement helps us understand to…
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“Weil” and “dass”, or conjunctions in German – a simple explanation
I remember well the feeling of excitement when I went to Germany to visit my aunt for the first time. I thought my knowledge of German was already pretty good,…
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How to form Konjunktiv II in German
Konjunctiv II is the form of the German verb that you use to form the suppositional mode. As in English, you use it to express: Depending on whether you are…
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Konjunktiv II, or conjectural mode, in German: Würde, wäre and hätte
“If only German grammar wasn’t so difficult!” Isn’t this a thought that occurs to everyone who learns German? If you’ve just encountered Konjunktiv II for the first time and it…
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Using Konjunktiv II in German: conditional sentences, wishes, advice, and polite sentences
Conjunctiv II is the form of the verb that you use to create the suppositional mode in English. As in Polish, you use it to express: Conditional sentences We most…
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How to form plural nouns in German
The plural in German is a tricky subject. There is no exact consensus on how many different ways it can be formed. In order to write this guide for you,…
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Prepositions with Genitiv in German: Table and lots of examples
Genitiv is the rarest case in German, but you need it to express ownership or belonging. It answers the question “wessen?” (whose). Prepositions combining with the complement (Genitiv) are: anhand,…
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Types of German language certificates
“Why take language certificates?” This is a question I have heard many times from friends and students. The answer is not simple, because there are different types of German language…
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What are the levels of German language proficiency? What exams determine the level of German?
The beginning of learning German was very exciting for me. Progress was visible day by day and it motivated me tremendously. Unfortunately, at a slightly later stage, I felt that…
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German prepositions with Akkusativ or Dativ (Wechselpräpositionen): List with lots of examples
Some place-determining prepositions in German are not faithful to a single case. These are so-called variable prepositions, or Wechselpräpositionen. Depending on the context, they combine with the accusative (Akkusativ) or…
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How to conjugate possessive pronouns in German
Possessive pronouns in German are pronouns that indicate possession or belonging. They usually come before a noun, for example mein Kind (my child). These types of pronouns vary depending on…
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Possessivpronomen: What are possessive pronouns in German? Theory and examples
I was sitting together with my friend Sylvia in a coffee shop. We had agreed to work together that day. I was getting down to writing this article, and she…
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Prepositions in German: German prepositions that require the use of Dativ, Akkusativ, and Genitiv
Prepositions in German is a topic that I unfortunately always skipped in my early days of learning German. Everything changed during one of my trips to Germany. When I got…
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Prepositions with Akkusativ in German: Table and lots of examples
The prepositions combining with the accusative (Akkusativ) are: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, entlang. It’s best to learn them by heart in exactly this order, to the point where you…
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Prepositions with Dativ in German: Table and lots of examples
The Dativ in German answers the questions: Prepositions combining with the predicate (Dativ) are: aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, gegenüber. In this case, too, it’s best to cram…
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Fruits and vegetables in German (Obst und Gemüse)
When I was still living in Germany, every weekend I would see the opening of the vegetable and fruit market through my window. It attracted quite a large number of…
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Months and seasons in German (Monate und Jahreszeiten)
A few years ago, when I was still living in Germany, I went with friends to Oktoberfest. They told me that it was the biggest festival of the year and…
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Traveling in German: holiday vocabulary in German that will come in handy on your trip
As a student of German philology, I spent every vacation in Germany. I wanted to brush up on my language skills, and I always believed that staying in a foreign…
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Best German films: Top list of popular movies
In this article, I’ll introduce you to the best German movies and show you by my own example that watching movies is one of the best ways to learn a…
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Conjugation of German irregular verbs in the present tense
Mastering the conjugation of German irregular verbs is very important for communication, since they occur very often in the language and describe important actions and states. An interesting fact is…
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How do you build sentences with modal verbs in German?
Modal verbs (die Modalverben) change the meaning of other verbs in a sentence – that’s where their name comes from, i.e. they modulate other verbs. They include können, wollen, müssen,…
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Irregular verbs in German – a table with conjugation
Anyone who studied the language at school knows very well what irregular verbs are in German. I still remember my first lesson, where I was given a photocopied sheet with…
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Irregular verbs in the past tense in German: Three forms of the verb
In German we distinguish between two past tenses: Präteritum and Perfekt. The difference in meaning between these tenses is very small. In some cases, they can be used interchangeably (especially…
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Meaning and conjugation of modal verbs in German (können, wollen, müssen, dürfen, sollen, mögen and möchten)
Modal verbs (die Modalverben) have the ability to modify the meaning of other verbs in a sentence. That’s where their name comes from – they modulate other verbs. This group…
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Probability in German using modal verbs (müssen, dürften, können, mögen, wollen, sollen)
Modal verbs (die Modalverben) modify (or modulate) the meaning of other verbs in a sentence, which is where their name comes from. They require a different verb to be at…
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What are modal verbs in German?
Some time ago, I met for coffee with my colleague from Germany, whom I met on a student exchange. We are both interested in learning languages and our conversation turned…
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Conjugation of the most common German verbs: The 30 most frequently used verbs
Learn the most important verbs presented in an attractive format to facilitate effective German language learning. This list is compiled on the basis of the Taalhammer team’s many years of…
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Names of occupations in German
Names of professions in German is one of the first topics I cover when tutoring my students. I find it very interesting because not only do we use it to…
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Conjugation of German verbs
All verbs in German consist of two parts: the stem and the ending. The stem is the invariable part of the verb, while the ending changes according to person and…
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German verbs with conjugation: List of the most commonly used verbs
If you are learning German then, like me, you probably learned the conjugation of the verbs sein (to be) and haben (to have) in your very first lesson. Verbs are…
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The most common pets and wild animals in German: vocabulary with translation
Domestic and wild animals in German language are some of the most interesting topics that appeal to both children and adults. I am a tutor, and there have been many…
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When to use the article “das” in German: Neuter nouns
In this article, I’ll show you how to easily recognize when to use the article “das” in German. There are no secrets here; there are several endings and rules that…
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German alphabet – all letters with phonetic notation
Two years ago, I went on a much-anticipated city break to Berlin full of optimism, feeling that this was the moment when I could finally show off my German language…
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Learning German step by step: Where to start, what courses to choose
If you’re taking your first steps in German and are wondering where you should start, you’ve come to the right place. I am a student of English philology with German,…
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Der, die or das? – a proven way to learn the articles in German
Here I will share with you my way of “guessing” what kind of article, der, die or das, you should use in German with a given noun. It relies on…
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Masculine nouns in German: When to use the article “der”
Articles in German are considered to be a difficult aspect of learning for English speakers. However, not many people know that there are regularities that can help you recognize which…
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When to use the article “die” in German: Feminine nouns
For many learners of German, the articles are a real nightmare, mainly because they convey a different message than in English. However, there are some simple rules that will allow…
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Why should you learn German? Practical reasons to start your adventure with the German language
Kasia była jedną z moich uczennic, którą przygotowywałam do matury z języka niemieckiego. Bardzo dobrze pamiętam naszą pierwszę lekcję. Powiedziała mi wtedy wprost, że to mama zapisała ją na korepetycje…
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Articles in German: definite, indefinite and zero article
German articles were a problematic issue for me for a long time. In middle school, I always got angry when I got lower grades for various written works because I…
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Days of the week in German – die Wochentage
The first time I went to Germany was during the summer right after highschool graduation. I wanted to go to college to study philology and decided that I needed to…