German 101

German 101

REBECCA LINAM
German 101 by Rebecca Linam is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License, except where otherwise noted.
Contents

About German 101 vii

Table of Contents ix

Part I. Main Body

1. Section 1-1 1
2. Section 1-2 19
3. Section 1-3 42
4. Section 1-4 61
5. Section 1-5 78
6. Section 1-6 83
7. Section 1-7 98
8. Section 1-8 108
9. Section 1-9 115
10. Section 1-10 127
11. Section 1-11 132
12. Section 1-12 158
13. Section 1-13 172
14. Section 1-14 180
15. Chapter 1 - Glossary 181
16. Section 2-1 184
17. Section 2-2 193
18. Section 2-3 215
19. Section 2-4 236
20. Section 2-5 308
21. Section 2-6 325
22. Section 2-7 331
23. Section 2-8 344
24. Chapter 2 - Glossary 346
25. Section 3-1 351
26. Section 3-2 384
27. Section 3-3 390
28. Section 3-4 405
29. Section 3-5 410
30. Section 3-6 441
31. Section 3-7 448
32. Chapter 3 - Glossary 450

Chapter 1 - Extra Practice 453

Chapter 2 - Extra Practice 455

Dictionary 456
About German 101
Features of German 101:

• Short articles and dialogues in each chapter.

• Extra practice for each grammar concept.
• Links to an interactive video series that reviews grammar and
vocabulary.
• Comic strips to promote interest, reading, and provide
additional visual examples.
• Exercises for both in-class and out of class.
• Links to German music with grammar concepts. A range of
songs from the 1980s to the present day is included to help
introduce the music culture.
• Links to videos that reteach each grammar concept and
pronounce new words.
• Oral Proficiency Interview practice at the end of each chapter
with helpful tips.
• Quick upgrades as necessary. As feedback is received, more
practice and videos will be added.

New words are introduced gradually in colored text boxes next to

each concept. Sections can be combined or rearranged to make
the desired chapter length. For example, if you wish to cover the
alphabet on day one, simply do that section first. I’ve placed it in
the middle of chapter one because I prefer to gradually introduce
it along with pronunciation as I go so that students begin to speak
quickly and don’t grow disinterested. Every effort has been made to
compare similarities and differences between English and German.
Students whose native language is English can use that as a helpful
resource to make learning German easier. English speakers,
especially, tend to have trouble with the concept of cases.
Therefore, I’ve taken the approach of focusing on the nominative

About German 101 | vii

case and present tense verb conjugations in chapter 1 with the
accusative case in chapter 2. Chapter 3 reviews both cases and
reinforces the old verbs with the imperative. The dative case will
not be presented until German 102, to help prevent the mixing of
these cases.
As for homework, I assign some activities from this textbook and
put others on Canvas to be graded automatically. This textbook
has links to many online sites with automatically graded exercises,
such as www.germanzone.org. Deutsche Welle’s video series, Nicos
Weg, also has interactive online exercises whose scores can be saved
online for homework grades. I also purchased Klett’s 66
Wechselspiele and Treffpunkt Dialog as additional practice to
promote speaking in the classroom.

viii | About German 101

Table of Contents
Kapitel 1
1.1 Greetings, Introductions, and Farewells
1.2 Definite Articles; Possession
1.3 Numbers and Pronunciation
1.4 Adjectives and Negation
1.5 Pronouns in the Nominative Case
1.6 The Verb “sein”
1.7 The Verb “haben”
1.8 Plurals
1.9 Indefinite Articles (Ein/eine) and “Kein/Keine
1.10 The Alphabet
1.11 Present Tense—Regular Verbs
1.12 Nominative Case and Word Order
1.13 Possessive Adjectives

Kapitel 2
2.1 Telling Time
2.2 Food, Drink, and Family Members
2.3 The Accusative Case
2.4 Stem-changing Verbs
2.5 Accusative Prepositions
2.6 Accusative Personal Pronouns
2.7 Future Tense

Kapitel 3
3.1 Imperative
3.2 Twenty-four-hour clock
3.3 Der-words vs. ein-words
3.4 Adjectives of indefinite number (WAVEM words)
3.5 Modal verbs
3.6 Wissen vs. kennen

Table of Contents | ix
 3.7 Oral Proficiency Interview Practice

x | Table of Contents
1. Section 1-1
1-1: Greetings, Introductions, and Farewells

Formal Informal

Morgen!
Guten Morgen! (Until 11 am)
Tag!
Guten Tag! (During the day)
Abend!
Guten Abend! (After 6 pm)
Hallo! (anytime)

Watch Germanpod101.com’s video to hear these greetings being

pronounced.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=482#oembed-1

Section 1-1 | 1
 Wie heißen Sie? What’s your name? How do you call
yourself?

Ich heiße ______. My name is _______. I am called

_________.

Freut mich! Nice to meet you!

Watch Anja’s video to hear “Ich heiße _______“ and “Wie heißen
Sie?” being pronounced and to see her reteaching this lesson.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

2 | Section 1-1
 from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=482#oembed-2

Woher kommen Sie? Where do you come from?

Ich komme aus _______. I come from __________.

Watch Anja’s video to see her reteaching “Woher kommen Sie?” and
“Ich komme aus _________.”

Section 1-1 | 3
 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=482#oembed-3

Watch Coffeebreak German’s video to hear interviews with native

German speakers answering the question “Woher kommen Sie?”

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=482#oembed-4

Wo wohnen Sie? Where do you live?

Ich wohne in ______. I

live in _________.

Watch Anja’s video to see her

pronouncing „Wo wohnen Sie?“ and
“Ich wohne in _________.” After 2:06, she jumps into some more
advanced stuff that you won’t learn until next chapter. Feel free to
stop at that point, if you want to stick with just what we’re learning
for now.

4 | Section 1-1
 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=482#oembed-5

Tschüss! Bye!

Auf Wiedersehen! Good-bye!

Bis später! Until later!

Bis bald! Until soon!

Ex. A: Alles über Sie! Write a very brief paragraph introducing

yourself to someone else. Don’t forget to say hello and goodbye.

Du vs. Sie
In the examples above, you see the word Sie, which means “you.”
German has two words for “you”—Sie and du. The chart and the
comic strip list some instances when to use du or Sie.

Section 1-1 | 5
 Sie du

Friends and family

People you don’t know
Children and pets
People you wish to treat with
God
respect
People your own age or
People who are older than you
younger

It may seem strange at first that there are two words for “you”
in German. However, we actually have two ways to say “you” in
English: thou and you. Thou is the English equivalent of German
du. Nowadays, it has become old-fashioned, but we still see it in
Shakespeare’s works and the King James Version of the Bible.
Whenever you see the word “thou,” it is implied that the people are
very close to one another or know each other very well.

6 | Section 1-1
 For a more in-depth discussion on “du vs. Sie,” feel free to watch
Easy German’s video–DU oder SIE?

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=482#oembed-6

Ex. B: Sie vs. du. Decide whether you should use Sie or du to address
the following people.

1. your best friend

Section 1-1 | 7
2. the mailman
3. a stranger in the park
4. your aunt
5. your mother
6. your teacher
7. the teller at the bank
8. God
9. your pet
10. a child

Wie geht’s?

To ask how someone is doing, use the following phrases:

• Wie geht’s? How are you? (Lit. How goes it?)

You can use this phrase with anyone, whether formal or

informal. You may be wondering why there is an
apostrophe in the word geht’s. This is a short form of “geht
es.” We use the apostrophe to show that the letter “e” has
been left out.

• Wie geht es dir? How are you? (Informal)

Use this phrase when speaking to someone with whom you

would use “du.”

• Wie geht es Ihnen? How are you? (Formal)

8 | Section 1-1
 Use this one when speaking to someone with whom you
would use “Sie.”
Here are a few ways to answer this question.

Positive Neutral Negative

Gut!
Nicht gut.
Ganz gut!
Es geht. Nicht so gut.
Sehr gut!
Nicht sehr gut.
Super!

BEWARE! You may be tempted to answer with “Ich

bin gut,” but in German it would mean that you are a
good person, not that you are doing well. If you want to
answer in a complete sentence, use, “Mir geht es gut!”
(You will learn the grammar behind this phrase in a later
chapter, but it can be memorized for now.)

Ex. C: Wie geht’s? Ask your classmates how they are?

A: Wie geht’s? (Alternative: Wie geht es dir?/Wie geht es
Ihnen?)
B: (Use one of the answers above or come up with your own!)

Ex. D: Video: Nicos Weg. Folge 1: “Hallo!” Watch the video and do the
online activities associated with it.

Section 1-1 | 9
 • https://learngerman.dw.com/en/hallo/l-37250531

Pronouns
You have already learned the pronouns Sie, du, and ich in German.
Here are two more pronouns:
er→he
sie→she(Easy way to remember; sie rhymes with “she.”)
Notice that the word for “she” and “you” are the same, EXCEPT
that it is capitalized when it means “you.”
Er heißt Kevin. He is called Kevin.
Sie heißt Jana. She is called Jana.

Notice the endings:

• ich heiße
• er/sie heißt
• Sie heißen

German changes the ending of verbs according to the

subject, i.e. ich, er/sie, Sie, etc. You will learn more
about this later on in this chapter.

Ex. E: Wie heißt er? Wie heißt sie? Below are pictures of several

10 | Section 1-1
well-known personalities. Wie heißen diese Menschen? Answer
using a complete sentence.

1.
4.

Section 1-1 | 11
12 | Section 1-1
2.
5.

Section 1-1 | 13
14 | Section 1-1
3.
6.

Section 1-1 | 15
We can take it one step further to use “er” and “sie” with the verbs
“kommen” and “wohnen.”
Er kommt aus Kanada. He comes from Canada.
Sie kommt aus Deutschland. She comes from Germany.
Er wohnt in Berlin. He lives in Berlin.
Sie wohnt in Zürich. She lives in Zürich.

Ex. F: Woher kommen diese Leute? Wo wohnen sie? Using the

cues below, write sentences describing where these people come
from and where they now live.
Beispiel: Daniel, Australien, Japan.
Daniel kommt aus Australien, aber er wohnt in Japan.
(Daniel comes from Australia, but he lives in Japan.)

1. Jutta, Deutschland, Belgien

2. Marco, Argentinien, Finnland
3. Sophie, Frankreich, Italien

16 | Section 1-1
4. Katja, Luxemburg, Spanien
5. Peter, Deutschland, Irland
6. Erika, Österreich, Amerika
7. Konstantin, Russland, Polen
8. Eduardo, Mexiko, Guatemala

Ex. G: Dialogue. Read the following dialogue aloud. Then answer the
questions about them in complete sentences.

Frau: Guten Tag!

Mann: Guten Tag!
Frau: Ich bin Rita. Und Sie? Wie heißen Sie?
Mann: Ich heiße Frank.
Frau: Freut mich! Ich bin neu hier. Ich komme aus München,
aber jetzt wohne ich in Stuttgart.
Mann: Echt? Ich komme auch aus München, aber ich wohne
schon zwanzig Jahre hier.

1. Wie heißt die Frau?

2. Wie heißt der Mann?
3. Woher kommt die Frau?
4. Woher kommt der Mann?
5. Wo wohnt die Frau jetzt?
6. Wo wohnt der Mann?

EXTRA PRACTICE with greetings, names, countries, verbs

“heißen/kommen/sein,“ asking how someone is, and du vs. Sie.

• https://a1.vhs-lernportal.de/wws/9.php#/wws/home.php.

Section 1-1 | 17
You will need to set up an account (free!), and click on the A1
course. Click on the tab to change the site interface to English if you
wish…or try it in German. Each lesson includes written, listening,
and speaking exercises with fill-in-the-blank or multiple-choice
questions.

18 | Section 1-1
2. Section 1-2
1-2: Definite Articles; Possession
Here are several objects that you might find in your classroom.
Notice that they all begin with the definite article–der, die, or das. All
of these mean the in English. Like many foreign languages, German
nouns have a particular grammatical gender. It is best to learn new
words together with the definite article.

Nouns in German are always capitalized! The definite article (der/

die/das) is always lowercase unless it is at the beginning of a
sentence. Always capitalize the first word of each sentence.
What’s a noun? A noun is a word that refers to a person, place,
thing, or idea.

Section 1-2 | 19
20 | Section 1-2
Section 1-2 | 21
22 | Section 1-2
Section 1-2 | 23
 1 2 3 4
5 6

24 | Section 1-2
7 8 9 10 11 12

Section 1-2 | 25
26 | Section 1-2
Section 1-2 | 27
28 | Section 1-2
Section 1-2 | 29
 13 14 15 16 17

30 | Section 1-2
Section 1-2 | 31
32 | Section 1-2
Section 1-2 | 33
34 | Section 1-2
 18 19 20 21 22

Ex. A: Was ist das? Ask each other about the items in your
classroom. Don’t forget to include the definite article (der/die/das)!

Section 1-2 | 35
 A: Was ist das? (What is that?)
B: Das ist die Tasche.

Ex. B: Der, die oder das? List the definite article (der/die/das) for
each classroom item listed below. If you can’t remember, look back
at the pictures.
1. _______ Professorin 8. _________ Wand
2. ________Tafel 9. _________ Stuhl
3. ________ Fenster 10. _________ Tür
4. ________ Tasche 11. _________ Student
5. ________ Buch 12. ________ Kuli
6. ________ Wand 13. ________ Lehrer
7. _________ Stuhl 14. ________ Computer

EXTRA PRACTICE:
Click the link on Germanzone.org’s website to do more online
practice with definite articles and classroom objects. The site will
give you feedback on your mistakes.

• https://www.germanzone.org/noun-genders-1-classroom-
objects/.

Ex. C: Maskulin, weiblich oder Neutrum?

36 | Section 1-2
 Video: How To Know a Word’s Gender: Super Easy German (70)

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=484#oembed-1

1. a. _______% of all words are feminine.

b. _______% of all words are masculine.

c. _______% of all words are neuter.

2. Organize the following endings as masculine, feminine, or neuter.

Maskulin Feminin Neutrum

3. Using what you learned, categorize the following nouns as

masculine, feminine, or neuter.
1. _____ Endung
2. _____ Mädchen
3. _____ Häuslein

Section 1-2 | 37
 4. _____ Aktivität
5. _____ Testament
6. _____ Freundschaft
7. _____ Polizei
8. _____ Toleranz
9. _____ Rassismus
10. _____ Freiheit
11. _____ Universum
12. _____ Komma
13. _____ Migrant
14. _____ Student
15. _____ Teppich
16. _____ Musik
EXTRA PRACTICE:
Need more practice with predicting patterns of a word’s gender?
Click the link to Germanzone.org’s online quiz that will give you
feedback: https://www.germanzone.org/noun-genders-3/.

Possessive of proper names:

To show possession with proper names in German, add an -s to
the end of the person’s name. If the name already ends in an -s or an
“s” sound, such as -z or -ß, we add a comma to the end.
Ist das Melanies Buch?
Ritas Handy ist neu.
Reiners Computer ist
kaputt.
Thomas‘ Rucksack ist zu
groß.

38 | Section 1-2
 Ex. D: Dialog: Read the following dialogue between two young
children and answer the questions about it in complete sentences.
Heidi: Hallo, Walter!
Walter: Tag, Heidi.
Heidi: Wessen Kuli ist das?
Walter: Hmm. Ich denke, das
ist Hans‘ Kuli.
Heidi: Ach, ja! Das stimmt!
Und der Bleistift?
Walter: Das ist Inges Bleistift.
Heidi: Und der Filzstift? Wessen Filzstift ist das?
Walter: Aber Heidi! Das ist doch dein Filzstift!

1. Wessen Kuli ist das?

2. Wessen Bleistift ist das?
3. Wessen Filzstift ist das?

Farben (colors)
Below are several colors that will help you describe objects with
the definite articles you have already learned.

Section 1-2 | 39
To express different shades of these, use dunkel– or hell– affixed to
the color. Do not add a space between the words.
dunkel + rot = dunkelrot
hell + blau = hellblau
Beispiel:

• Der Bleistift ist gelb.

• Die Uhr ist schwarz und
weiß.
• Das Heft ist dunkelgrau.
• Das Buch ist hellgrün.

Die deutsche Fahne ist

schwarz, rot und gold.

“German flag” by fdecomite is marked

with CC BY 2.0.
Ex. E: Welche Farbe hat das?
Ask each other about the colors
of the items in your classroom.
A: Welche Farbe hat das
Poster?
B: Das Poster ist hellblau,
gelb und rosa.

40 | Section 1-2
 Video. Need more examples? Watch Benjamin–der
Deutschleher’s video to hear the colors pronounced with lots of
examples:

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=484#oembed-2

EXTRA PRACTICE: Go to Germanzone.org’s website and do the

online activities to describe the colors of each item you see.
Although you may not recognize every word in the exercise, most of
them are very much like English. When in doubt, use a dictionary to
look it up.

• https://www.germanzone.org/german-colors-1/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/german-colors-2/.

Watch this Youtube video with examples of the colors rot and grün:

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=484#oembed-3

Section 1-2 | 41
3. Section 1-3
1-3: Numbers and Pronunciation

You will see several of the

major vowel combinations in
the German language in these
numbers.
ei → pronounced like English
“i”.
ie → pronounced like English
“e”.
Why? Because when these two vowels go a’walking, the
second does the talking.
Click the link to do some online listening practice with
“ei” and “ie.”
https://www.germanzone.org/sounds-german-ei-ie/.

• eu → pronounced like the “oy” in the English word “toy.”

• ö → pronounced like the “ur” in the English word “turn” but
without the r-sound.
• ü → pronounced like the “ew” in the English word “few” but
with lips rounded and less of the w-sound.

There are also several consonants in these numbers that

have different sounds from those in English.

• z → pronounced like the “ts” sound at the end of the English

word “cats.”
• s → pronounced like an English “z” at the beginning of a word.
• v → pronounced like an English “f”.
• w → pronounced like an English “v”.

42 | Section 1-3
 Ex. A: Aussprache. Practice each sound by saying the following
words out loud. Refer to the pronunciation guide if you forget how
they sound.

1. ei → eins, zwei, drei, heißen, Bleistift, Kugelschreiber, Einstein

2. ie → vier, sieben, Papier, Radiergummi
3. eu → neun, Euro, Feuer, teuer
4. ö → zwölf, Töchter, könnte
5. ü → fünf, Stück, München
6. z → zehn, zwölf, zwanzig
7. s → sechs, sieben, Rucksack, singen
8. v → vier, viel, von
9. w → was, wie, wo, wohin, zwölf

Watch YourGermanTeacher’s video to hear the numbers 1-10 being

pronounced.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=486#oembed-1

Deutsche Musik! Want to practice numbers 1-10 with Mo-Do’s

German hit song from the 90s? The lyrics are inside the video.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=486#oembed-2

Numbers past 12 are similar to English. In English, we add –teen to

Section 1-3 | 43
the end of numbers 1-9. In German, we add –zehn to the end. Note
a few minor spelling changes in the chart below.
13: drei + zehn = dreizehn
14: vier + zehn = vierzehn

ONLINE PRACTICE: If you want to practice your numbers online,

click on the links. The program will grade your answers.

• https://german.net/vocabulary/lists/numbers/ (Click on
“start test”).
• https://www.deutschakademie.de/online-deutschkurs/
english/quiz/Ub7hZsD9tp4Q jkKM#1.

For two-digit numbers above nineteen, most German numbers add

–zig, which is equivalent to the English suffix –ty with numbers.
Note a few minor spelling changes in the chart below.
80: acht + zig = achtzig
90: neun + zig = neunzig

44 | Section 1-3
 German compound numbers are constructed much like English
numbers were hundreds of years ago.

Section 1-3 | 45
 21 → einundzwanzig (one and twenty)
22 → zweiundzwanzig (two and twenty)
23 → dreiundzwanzig (three and twenty)
…etc.

46 | Section 1-3
 31 → einunddreißig (one and thirty)
32 → zweiunddreißig (two and thirty)
…etc.
Note that German does NOT have a space between the individual
numbers. Write them all together as one long word.
To hear numbers 11-100 being pronounced, watch
YourGermanTeacher’s video:

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=486#oembed-3

Ex. B: Wir üben! Write out the following numbers.

1. 39 5. 22
2. 42 6. 93
3. 87 7. 35
4. 65 8. 84

If you want more practice with double-digit numbers, click the

link below and then on “Start Test.” The program will grade your
answers: https://german.net/vocabulary/lists/numbers-to-100/
To say how old you are, use the phrase Ich bin ______ plus your
age.

Section 1-3 | 47
 Watch Coffeebreak German’s video to see some examples of
people saying how old they are.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=486#oembed-4

Ex. C: Wie alt sind Sie? How old are you? Ask your classmates.
A: Wie alt sind Sie?
B: Ich bin
___________.
(Variation: Ich bin
_____ Jahre alt.)
Video. Watch Easy German’s
video to hear numbers 1-100
spoken aloud with examples.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=486#oembed-5

Hundreds and thousands are expressed in German much like in

English. Once again, do not leave a space between individual
numbers. Put them all together to make one long word.
300: drei + hundert = dreihundert
4000: vier + tausend = viertausend

48 | Section 1-3
 If you have a particularly long number, take it in steps.
Beispiel: 7529
Step 1: siebentausend
Step 2: fünfhundert
Step 3: neunundzwanzig
Now put it together: siebentausendfünfhundertneunundzwanzig
Like many German words, numbers are compound words without
any spaces in between.
→ sieben|tausend|fünf|hundert|neun|und|zwanzig
Ex. D: Lange Zahlen. Write out the following numbers.

1. 835
2. 399
3. 628
4. 339
5. 521
6. 1953
7. 4388
8. 9644
9. 7523

Watch Graf Zahl (the Count) from German Sesamstrasse counting

his money at the bank:

Section 1-3 | 49
 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=486#oembed-6

Ex. E: Hörverständnis—Zahlen: Click on the link to

Germanzone.org’s website to do the listening activity. Choose the
number you hear read aloud: https://www.germanzone.org/
horverstandnis-zahlen/.
Ex. F: Hörverständnis—Einmaleins: Click the link to do
Germanzone.org’s online listening activity. You will hear several
simple multiplication problems read aloud. Choose the answer that
best corresponds to the answer: https://www.germanzone.org/
horverstandnis-einmaleins/.
Beispiel: drei mal neun
→ 3 x 9 = 27 (siebenundzwanzig)
Ex. G: Deutsche Zahlen. Click the link to do Germanzone.org’s
matching activity with numbers: https://www.germanzone.org/
german-numbers-2/
Ex. H: Wie viel Euro macht das? Click the link to do
Germanzone.org’s activity using Euros:
https://www.germanzone.org/german-numbers-1-wie-viel-euro/.
If you wish to make higher numbers, follow the pattern you see in
English.
forty thousand→vierzigtausend
eighty-three thousand→dreiundachtzigtausend

50 | Section 1-3
 Deutschland hat über 83
Millionen Einwohner.

EXTRA PRACTICE: Click the

link to practice large numbers.
The computer will grade your
“File:Deutschland politisch 2010.png” answers as you go:
by C. Busch, Hamburg is marked with
CC BY-SA 3.0.

https://www.deutschakademie.de/online-deutschkurs/english/
quiz/b8b0vF8PFfcs4G40#1.
Listen to Max Giesinger’s song, 80 Millionen, to practice numbers.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=486#oembed-7

In Germany, the comma and decimal point are switched.

Section 1-3 | 51
 Amerika Deutschland

49,000 49.000

$36.99 €36,99

$4,999.99 €4.999,99

Reading out prices works a lot like in English:

$4.65→four dollars sixty-five cents OR four sixty-five.
€4,65→vier Euro fünfundsechzig (Cent) OR vier
fünfundsechzig.

Ex. I: Wieviel kostet das? Using the items below and the prices,
write a complete sentence to describe how much each item costs.
Beispiel: (picture of computer), €8.300.
→Der Computer kostet achttausenddreihundert Euro.

52 | Section 1-3
1.
€17,99 5.

Section 1-3 | 53
 €44,99

54 | Section 1-3
2.
€5,50 6.

Section 1-3 | 55
 €25

3.
€4,75 7.

56 | Section 1-3
€800,59

Section 1-3 | 57
4.
€158 8.

58 | Section 1-3
 €1,77

To see a brief review on how to say how much something costs,

watch Anja’s video.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=486#oembed-8

Ex. J: Auf Deutsch! Translate the following sentences into German.

1. How old is Rainer?

2. He is twenty-three.

Section 1-3 | 59
3. Whose pen is that?
4. That’s Marina’s pen.
5. The cell phone costs nine hundred fifty Euros.
6. How much does the book cost?

Ex. K: Dialog. Read the dialog that takes place in a store and answer
the questions.

• A: Guten Tag.
• B: Guten Tag.
• A: Kann ich Ihnen helfen? (Can I help you?)
• B: Ja. Wieviel kostet der Stuhl?
• A: Der Stuhl? Achtzig Euro fünfzig.
• B: Und der Tisch? Wieviel kostet er?
• A: Der Tisch kostet zweihundert.
• B: Das ist aber teuer!

1. Wieviel kostet der Stuhl?

2. Wieviel kostet der Tisch?
3. Wieviel kosten 4 Stühle?
4. Wieviel kosten 2 Tische?

60 | Section 1-3
4. Section 1-4
1-4: Adjectives and Negation
Many German adjectives that you might use to describe yourself
are similar to English. The left-hand column lists several of these
that you should easily be able to recognize without a dictionary.
The right-hand column lists some that might not be as easy to
understand at first glance.

Section 1-4 | 61
 Ich bin optimistisch, exzentrisch und fleißig.
English negates adjectives by placing the word “not” in front of

62 | Section 1-4
them. Similarly, German does this as well with the word nicht. Place
nicht in front of an adjective to negate it.
Ich bin nicht faul. I am not lazy.

Video: Negation of Adjectives. Click to watch me reteaching this.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=488#oembed-1

Ex. A: Beschreiben Sie sich! (Describe yourself!) Describe yourself

using the adjectives above.
Ich bin ___________, ___________ und
__________.
Ich bin nicht ____________.

To make simple yes/no questions, German puts the verb first, just
like in English.
Sind Sie sarkastisch? Are you sarcastic?
Ist der Computer neu? Is the computer new?
Video: Making yes/no questions in German. Click the link to watch
me reteaching this concept.

Section 1-4 | 63
 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=488#oembed-2

Ex. B: Now ask your classmates about themselves using the

adjectives above.
A: Bist du ____(adjective)_______?
B: Ja, ich bin __________.
ODER
B: Nein, ich bin nicht
_________.

Listen to Jasmin Wagner’s song, Du bist nicht allein, (2021), to hear

an example of nicht + adjective.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=488#oembed-3

64 | Section 1-4
https://www.lyrics.com/lyric-lf/5520527/Jasmin+Wagner/
Du+bist+nicht+allein
You can use these adjectives to describe other people as well.
Beispiel:

• Martin ist pessimistisch. (Martin is

pessimistic.)
• Sabine ist müde. (Sabine is tired.)
• Er ist komisch. (He is strange/odd.)
• Sie ist sehr kritisch. (She is very critical.)

Ex. C: Beschreiben Sie diese Menschen! Using the adjectives

above, describe these people using complete sentences.

Section 1-4 | 65
 1.
6.

66 | Section 1-4
Section 1-4 | 67
2.
7.

68 | Section 1-4
Section 1-4 | 69
3.
8.

70 | Section 1-4
Section 1-4 | 71
4.
9.

72 | Section 1-4
Section 1-4 | 73
5.
10.

74 | Section 1-4
Want more adjectives? Click the links below for a lo-o-o-ng list of
adjectives. Many of them are like English.

• https://german.net/vocabulary/lists/character/
• https://german.net/vocabulary/lists/adjectives/

Section 1-4 | 75
Listen to Glasperlenspiel’s song, Ich bin ich, (2011), to hear lots of
examples of adjectives.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=488#oembed-4

Songtext: https://www.lyrix.at/t/glasperlenspiel-ich-bin-ich-11d
Ex. D: Auf Deutsch! Give the German equivalent of the following
sentences.

1. Her name is Gerda.

2. She is from Germany, but she lives in England.
3. Gerda’s cell phone is broken.
4. The chair is very small.
5. The computer comes from Japan.
6. Thomas is twenty-two years old.
7. Thomas’s backpack is from China.
8. Good morning! What’s your name?
9. The map is black, white, green, and orange.

Ex. E: Lesen wir! Read the following paragraph and answer the
questions about it in complete sentences.
Hannelore ist neunzehn Jahre alt. Sie kommt aus Österreich, aber
sie wohnt in Deutschland. Sie wohnt schon drei Jahre in Deutschland.
Hannelore denkt, die Deutschen sind sehr freundlich. Hannelore ist
kreativ und fleißig. Sie ist auch sehr modern; ihr (her) Handy ist
neu. Hannelores Freund heißt Carlos. Carlos ist einundzwanzig und
kommt aus Spanien. Er wohnt schon vier Jahre in Deutschland. Er
denkt, die Deutschen sind zu kritisch. Er ist auch intelligent aber
manchmal (sometimes) faul. Carlos‘ Handy ist sehr alt und kaputt.

76 | Section 1-4
 1. Wie alt ist Hannelore?
2. Woher kommt Hannelore?
3. Wo wohnt Hannelore?
4. Wie lange wohnt sie in Deutschland?
5. Wie findet* Hannelore die Deutschen? *finds/thinks of
6. Beschreiben* Sie Hannelore! *Describe
7. Beschreiben Sie Hannelores Handy!
8. Wie heißt Hannelores Freund?
9. Wie alt ist er?
10. Woher kommt er?
11. Wo wohnt er?
12. Wie lange wohnt er in Deutschland?
13. Wie findet Carlos die Deutschen?
14. Beschreiben Sie Carlos!
15. Beschreiben Sie Carlos‘ Handy!

German Games. If you like learning German through games, try this
link to find many vocabulary-themed games:
https://www.german-games.net/

Section 1-4 | 77
5. Section 1-5
1-5: Pronouns in the Nominative Case

You have already learned the pronouns ich, du, and Sie. Here are the
rest of the nominative case pronouns.
The nominative case refers to subject pronouns—those pronouns
that refer to the person or thing doing the action of the sentence.
They usually come at the beginning of a sentence (but not always!!!).
In future chapters, you will learn other cases, but for now, know that
“nominative” refers to the subject of the sentence.

Singular Plural

ich—I wir—we

du—you (familiar) ihr—you (plural, familiar); y’all

er—he
sie—they
sie—she
Sie—you (formal)
es—it

Notes on capitalization:
The word “ich” is never capitalized, as it is in English,
unless it is at the beginning of a sentence.

• Du und ich kommen aus Nordamerika.

• Ich wohne in Aachen.

Listen to Franzi Harmsen’s song Nein to hear examples of the

pronouns ich and du as well as a few numbers you learned in Section
1-3.

78 | Section 1-5
 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=490#oembed-1

The formal way of saying “you,” Sie, is ALWAYS capitalized, no matter

where it is in the sentence because it shows respect.
Watch Learn German’s video to see a detailed explanation of
German pronouns in the nominative case.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=490#oembed-2

What is a pronoun? A pronoun is a word that is substituted in for a

noun.
We often substitute nouns for pronouns in everyday speech.
A: Is the pencil new? B: Yes, it is new.
In the above example, we substituted in “it” for “the pencil.” In
German, however, we must look at the grammatical gender of the
word to pick the correct pronoun.
A: Ist der Bleistift neu? B: Ja, er ist neu.

• der Tisch→er (rhymes with „der“)

• die Tafel→sie (rhymes with „die“)
• das Fenster→es (shares an “s” at the end of both words)

The easiest way to do this is to look at the definite article (der/die/

das). It will tell you which pronoun to use. It may seem strange to

Section 1-5 | 79
refer to der Kuli, a pen, for example, as “he,” but in German, it sounds
normal.
Video. Replacing Nouns with Pronouns. Watch the video to see me
reteaching this.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=490#oembed-3

Ex. A: Er, sie, oder es? Practice substituting pronouns in for the
nouns below.
Beispiel: der Wischer→er

1. die Wand 6. der Bleistift

2. die Tür 7. die Tafel
3. der Tisch 8. das Fenster
4. der Rucksack 9. die Uhr
5. das Papier 10. der Schüler

Ex. B: Ja oder nein? Using the items and adjectives below, ask
your partner several questions. Your partner must substitute with
a pronoun to answer. (If you can’t remember the definite article for
each noun, look back to section 1-3.)
Beispiel: Uhr, schwarz
A: Ist die Uhr schwarz?

80 | Section 1-5
 B: Nein, sie ist nicht schwarz. Sie ist grau.
A: Ist der Professor groß?
B: Ja, er ist groß.

1. Tisch, braun
2. Heft, rot
3. Wand, weiß
4. Poster, groß
5. Buch, langweilig
6. Kuli, alt
7. Landkarte, bunt
8. Computer, neu
9. Student, interessant

Ex. C: Er, sie, es? Substitute in with the pronoun that should take
the place of each underlined noun in each conversation below.
Beispiel:

A: „Ist die Wand grau?“

B: „Ja, ______ ist grau.“

“Ja, sie ist grau.“

• A: Wo ist der Stuhl?

• B: ______ ist draußen.
• A: Wie ist das Buch?
• B: ______ ist nicht sehr interessant.
• A: Ist die Landkarte sehr bunt?
• B: Nein, ________ ist nicht sehr bunt.
• A: Wohnt der Professor in New York?
• B: Nein, _______ wohnt nicht in New York. Er wohnt in
München.
• A: Kommt der Computer aus Japan?
• B: Nein, _______ kommt nicht aus Japan. Er kommt aus
China.

Section 1-5 | 81
 • A: Heißt der Student Dieter?
• B: Ja, _______ heißt Dieter.
• A: Ist die Uhr modern?
• B: Nein, ______ ist sehr alt.
• A: Kommt der Rucksack aus Amerika?
• B: Nein, ______ kommt aus Finnland.
• A: Wohnt die Studentin in Deutschland?
• B: Ja, ______ wohnt in Deutschland.
• A: Ist das Deutschbuch alt oder neu?
• B: _______ ist neu.

EXTRA PRACTICE: The following activities will give you more

practice and instant feedback using personal pronouns.

• https://www.germanzone.org/personal-pronouns-er-sie-es-
sie/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/personal-pronouns-sie-du-
ihr/.

82 | Section 1-5
6. Section 1-6
1–6: The Verb “sein”
So far, you have been using
the German verb “sein” to
describe people and things.
sein = to be
Sein is one of the two most
important verbs in the German
language. You will use it in
future chapters to make compound verb tenses. For now, you will
learn it in the present tense.
In German, sein is an irregular verb, which means you must
memorize its conjugation.
sein—to be

ich bin—I am wir sind—we are

du bist—you are (informal) ihr seid—you (plural) are; y’all are

er/sie/es ist—he/she/it is sie/Sie sind—they are; you (polite)

Beispiele: The verb form of „sein“ is highlighted below. Notice that

the subject, i.e. the person or thing doing the action, is the word that
determines which form of “sein” you will use. The subject is in italics,
and the verb is bold-faced.

• Ich bin nicht pünktlich. (I am not punctual.)

• Du bist sehr freundlich. (You are very friendly.)
• Er ist Professor. (He is a professor.)
• Sie ist Lehrerin. (She is a teacher.)
• Es ist kalt. (It is cold.)
• Wir sind nicht sehr groß. (We are not very tall.)

Section 1-6 | 83
 • Ihr seid progressiv. (You guys/y’all are
progressive.)
• Sie sind athletisch. (They are athletic.)

Video. Conjugation of the verb “sein.” Watch the video to see me

reteaching this.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=492#oembed-1

Ex. A: Conjugating “sein”

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb sein. You will
need to look at the subject of the sentence to decide which form of
sein is best.

1. Heute_____nicht Donnerstag.

84 | Section 1-6
2. Wir______sehr modern.
3. Mein T-shirt______blau.
4. Ihr_____Studenten aus Amerika.
5. Der Tisch_____braun.
6. Frau Braun,_____Sie sehr pessimistisch?
7. Der Professor und der Student_____in Biologie.
8. Du_____sehr kreativ!
9. Ich_____nicht sehr athletisch.
10. Maria und ich_____müde.

Ex. B: Sein! In the sentences below, the verb “sein” has already
been conjugated. Fill in with a subject pronoun that will correctly
complete the sentence. Hint: Look at the verb, then compare it with
the conjugated chart of “sein.” Some answers may vary.
Beispiel: _______ bist sehr
sarksstisch!
→Du bist sehr sarkastisch!

Section 1-6 | 85
 1. _______ ist kompetent.
2. _______ bist müde.
3. _______ sind sehr fleißig.
4. _______ bin wieder krank.
5. _______ seid exzentrisch aber cool.

Video. Easy German: Sein. For more examples with the verb „sein,“
watch the video below. It includes more than we will learn in
chapter 1. The first 1:40 of the video covers what we have done in
class so far. If you’re feeling brave, you can watch the whole video!

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=492#oembed-2

Das Wetter
You can also use the verb sein to describe the weather.

A: Wie ist das Wetter im Winter in Berlin?

86 | Section 1-6
 B: Es ist meistens kalt.

Ex. C: Wie ist das Wetter? Using the cues provided, describe the
weather using complete sentences.

Section 1-6 | 87
 Beispiel:

→Es ist heiß und wolkig.

88 | Section 1-6
1.
6.

Section 1-6 | 89
90 | Section 1-6
2.
7.

Section 1-6 | 91
3.
8.

92 | Section 1-6
4.
9.

Section 1-6 | 93
5.
10.

Ex. D: Video. Easy German. The Weather

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

94 | Section 1-6
 from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=492#oembed-3

Watch the video and answer the following questions about the
weather around the world. Some questions have more than one
correct answer.

1. Wie ist das Wetter in Berlin? a. warm b. kalt

c. neblig
2. Wie ist das Wetter in Lima? a. kühl b. sonnig
c. neblig
3. Wie ist das Wetter in Kapstadt im Sommer? a. heiß b. kalt c.
windig
4. Wie ist das Wetter in Kapstadt im Winter? a. heiß b. kalt c.
windig
5. (2:13) Wie ist das Wetter in Berlin? a. wolkig b.
sonnig c. warm
6. (2:29) Wie ist das Wetter in Berlin? a. wolkig b.
sonnig c. warm.

Ex. E: Wie ist das Wetter? Click Germanzone.org’s online links to

complete the questions about the weather. (Do both exercises).

• https://www.germanzone.org/weather-wie-ist-das-

Section 1-6 | 95
 wetter-1/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/horverstandnis-das-wetter-
europa/.

Ex. F: Bist du gut in Mathe? Now ask your classmates how well they
do in the following subject areas.
A: Bist du gut in Mathe? (Are you good in/at math?)
B: Ja, ich bin gut in Mathe. (Yes, I am good in/at math.)
B: Bist du gut in Physik?
A: Nein, ich bin nicht so gut in Physik.

• Mathe
• Physik
• Chemie
• Biologie
• Musik
• Sport
• Literatur
• Spanisch
• Deutsch
• Italienisch
• Englisch
• Psychologie
• Geschichte

EXTRA PRACTICE: Need more practice with sein? Click the links
below for some online practice that will check your answers
automatically. There may be some words in the sentences that you
don’t understand, but don’t worry about those for now. All you need
to do is to look for the subject of the sentence and conjugate the
verb for that.

• https://german.net/exercises/verbs/sein/
• https://www.germanzone.org/verb-sein-present-tense-1/.

96 | Section 1-6
 • https://www.germanzone.org/verb-sein-present-tense-2/.

Ex. G: Wiederholung!
So far, you have learned how to introduce yourself, say where you
live, and describe yourself as well as others. In the space below,
write a brief description of yourself and two of your friends. If you
can’t think of what to write, here are a few suggestions: name, where
you come from, where you live, how the weather is in your area,
your age, a few adjectives to describe yourself, etc.

1. (yourself)

2. (friend 1)

3. (friend 2)

Now go back and reread what you wrote. Did you remember to
put “aus” after “kommen?” (i.e. come from?) Did you remember to
put “in” after “wohnen”? (i.e. live in?)

Section 1-6 | 97
7. Section 1-7
1–7: The Verb haben—to have
You have already learned how to conjugate the verb sein, to be.
The next verb you will learn is haben, to have. Both haben and sein
are the two most important verbs in the German language. Not only
are they very common in everyday speech, but they will also be used
in future chapters to form the past tense.
Here is the verb haben conjugated for all forms. It is slightly
irregular in the du and er/sie/es, so you will need to memorize their
conjugations.

ich habe wir haben

du hast ihr habt

er/sie/es hat sie/Sie haben

• Ich habe im September Geburtstag.

• Du hast das Buch.
• Er hat morgen Biologie.
• Sie hat das Papier.
• Wir haben Psychologie am Montag.
• Ihr habt eine Katze.
• Sie haben im März Geburtstag.

98 | Section 1-7
 Video. Conjugate “haben.” Watch the video to see me reteaching
this.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=494#oembed-1

In the box below is a list of classes that you may have right now.
Most of them are very similar to English.

Ex. A: Kurse. Talk with a partner about your schedule for today
(heute) and tomorrow (morgen).

A: Welche Kurse hast du heute?

B: Ich habe heute __________ und ___________.
A: Welche Kurse hast du morgen?
B: Ich habe morgen __________ und ___________.

Section 1-7 | 99
 Days of the Week
You can also use the days of the week with the verb haben to
describe your schedule.

Notice that the days of the week have certain patterns.

• All but Mittwoch end in the

word Tag, day.
• Mittwoch literally means
“midweek.”
• Where we see the letters
“t” or “th” in English, there
is often a “d” in German.
→Dienstag (Tuesday);
Donnerstag (Thursday)

100 | Section 1-7

 To say that you do something on a certain day, use the preposition
am before the day.
am Mittwoch→on Wednesday
am Samstag→on Saturday
am Dienstag→on Tuesday

Ex. B: Wann hat Philipp Chemie? Answer the questions about

Philipp’s schedule in complete sentences, using the verb haben and
the days of the week.

Montag Dienstag Mittwoch Donnerstag Freitag

Deutsch Deutsch
Biologie Biologie
Chemie Biologie Chemie
Musik Deutsch
Deutsch Musik

Beispiel: Wann hat Philipp Spanisch?

→Philipp hat am Samstag Spanisch.

1. Wann hat Philipp Biologie?

2. Wann hat er Chemie?
3. Wann hat er Deutsch?
4. Wann hat er Spanisch?
5. Wann hat er Musik?
6. Wann hat er frei?
7. Was hat Philipp am Montag?
8. Was hat Philipp am Dienstag?
9. Was hat Philipp am Mittwoch?
10. Was hat Philipp am Donnerstag?
11. Was hat Philipp am Freitag?
12. Was hat Philipp am Samstag?
13. Was hat Philipp am Sonntag?

Section 1-7 | 101

 Ex. C: Now answer the questions about your own schedule in
complete sentences. If you don’t have anything on a certain day, you
can always say, “Ich habe frei.”

1. Was haben Sie am Montag?

2. Was haben Sie am Dienstag?
3. Was haben Sie am Mittwoch?
4. Was haben Sie am Donnerstag?
5. Was haben Sie am Freitag?
6. Was haben Sie am Samstag?
7. Was haben Sie am Sonntag?
8. Wann haben Sie Deutsch?

Ex. D: Ask a partner the questions from the exercise above. Now
write a brief paragraph about his/her schedule in third person.

Ex. E: Haben. Go to Germanzone.org’s website to practice

conjugating the verb “haben.” Don’t worry about all the words you
may not know for now; just look at the subject to conjugate the verb.

• https://www.germanzone.org/verb-haben-present-tense-1/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/verb-haben-present-tense-2/.

102 | Section 1-7

 Deutsche Musik! Want to practice the days of the week through
music? Click on the video to hear the song “Jeden Tag” by Nena. In
the chorus, she repeats the days of the week beginning with Montag.
(The week begins on Monday in Germany.)

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=494#oembed-2

Songtext: https://genius.com/Nena-jeden-tag-lyrics

Ex. F: Video. Easy German: Days of the Week.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=494#oembed-3

The video shows interviews with Germans talking about their

weekly schedules. Using what you learn in the video through
subtitles, try to figure out what the following new words mean.

1. arbeiten
2. Bergfest
3. Sport
4. Flohmarkt
5. Wasser
6. Kino
7. Frühstück

The months of the year are very similar in German.

Section 1-7 | 103

 Note a few differences in pronunciation:

• The letter “j” in German is pronounced like a “y” in English.

• The letter “ä” in German is pronounced like the first “e” in the
word “ever.”
nd
• In the word “August,” the 2 syllable is stressed: au-GUST

Watch out!

So far, you have seen two very similar words in

German that both mean “in”: in and im. For now, ONLY
use im with months and seasons. In a later chapter, you
will learn the difference between these two words.

To say that you do something in a certain month, use the word im in

front of the month.

• im Januar—in January
• im Oktober—in October
• im Juli—in July

Wann hat Ingrid Geburtstag? When does Ingrid have a

birthday?
Sie hat im September Geburtstag. She has a birthday in
September.

104 | Section 1-7

 Karneval ist im Februar oder
im März.

“Aachener Rosenmontagszug 2013” by Video: Watch

Neuwieser is marked with CC BY-SA YourGermanTeacher’s video to
2.0.
hear the days of the week and
the months of the year being pronounced.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=494#oembed-4

Ex. G: Geburtstag. Ask your classmates when they have birthdays.

A: Wann hast du Geburtstag?
B: Ich habe im ____________ Geburtstag.

Ex. H: Using the cues below and the verb haben, form complete
sentences to tell when the following people have birthdays. Don’t
forget to change the verb so that it agrees with the subject.
Beispiel: Peter/Dezember
→Peter hat im Dezember Geburtstag.

Section 1-7 | 105

 1. Michael/Mai
2. Veronika/September
3. du und ich/Oktober
4. ihr/Februar
5. er/Januar
6. sie (singular)/April
7. Fabian und Katja/November
8. Jana/März

Ex. I: Haben! As a review, fill in the blanks with the correct

conjugation for the verb haben.

1. Wir ________zwei
Kulis.
2. Ich ___________ ein Haus in Berlin.
3. Maria und Tobias _____________ viele Freunde in
Deutschland.
4. Frau Schmidt, _____________ Sie im Dezember
Geburtstag?
5. Ihr ____________ ein Buch auf Deutsch.
6. Du und ich ____________ am Montag Chemie und Mathe.
7. Sie (singular) __________ morgen frei.
8. Der Professor ____________ heute frei.
9. Das Kind __________ drei Computer.

EXTRA PRACTICE with days, months, and seasons.

• https://www.germanzone.org/time-days-months-seasons-1/.

Video. Easy German: Haben. Watch the video to see lots of

examples with the verb “haben” in real life.

106 | Section 1-7

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=494#oembed-5

EXTRA PRACTICE: Need more practice with haben? Click the link
below for some online practice that will check your answers
automatically. There may be some words in the sentences that you
don’t understand, but don’t worry about those for now. All you need
to do is to look for the subject of the sentence and conjugate the
verb for that.

• https://german.net/exercises/verbs/haben/

CHALLENGING PRACTICE: For those who wish to go beyond what

we have learned, these exercises will provide you with a challenge.
You will be conjugating both sein and haben. Additionally, you will
have to choose which of the verbs is more appropriate in each
sentence. As always, the site will grade your answers and give you
feedback.

• https://www.germanzone.org/verbs-haben-sein-present-
tense-2/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/verbs-haben-sein-1-present-
tense/.

Section 1-7 | 107

8. Section 1-8
1–8: Plurals

So far, you have learned that German nouns have a grammatical

gender (der, die or das). Now you will learn how to make them plural.
In English, we usually add an –s or –es to the end of the word:

• book→books
• computer→computers
• hobby→hobbies

In German, however, there are several different endings to form

plurals. You will need to learn the plural form when you learn new
words. The dictionary form of German nouns will show letters that
come after the noun. These should be added to the word to form
the plural.
75-90% of masculine and neuter nouns add -e

• der Tisch, -e→die Tische

• das Papier, -e→die Papiere
• das Heft, -e→die Hefte
• der Filzstift, -e→die Filzstifte

Occasionally, these words will add an umlaut in addition to –e.

• der Stuhl, –¨e→die Stühle

• der Rucksack, -¨e→ die Rucksäcke

75-90% of feminine nouns add –n or –en.

• die Tafel, -n→die Tafeln

• die Uhr, -en→die Uhren
• die Landkarte, –n→die Landkarten

108 | Section 1-8

 • die Tür→die Türen
• die Tasche→die Taschen

Occasionally, these words will add an umlaut in addition to –n or

–en.

• die Maus, -¨e→die Mäuse

• die Wand, -¨e→die Wände

Feminine words ending in –in that denote people also add –en or
–n but add an extra –n- between the noun and the plural ending.

• die Professorin, -nen→die Professorinnen

• die Studentin, –nen→die Studentinnen
• die Lehrerin, –nen→die Lehrerinnen

Shortened forms and borrowed words tend to add an –s.

• das Handy→die Handys

• der Kuli→die Kulis
• der Laptop→die Laptops
• der Gummi→die Gummis
• das Hobby→die Hobbys
• das Auto→die Autos

Masculine and neuter words that end in –er often do not add
anything to form the plural, especially words denoting people.

• der Lehrer, — →die Lehrer

• der Wischer, — →die Wischer
• der Kugelschreiber, — →die Kugelschreiber
• das Poster, — →die Poster
• der Computer, — →die Computer

A smaller percentage will simply have to be memorized. As always,

the dictionary entry will show how to make the plural.

Section 1-8 | 109

 • der Professor, –en→die Professoren
• der Student, –en→die Studenten
• das Buch, –¨er→die Bücher

Note that the definite article of every German plural automatically

becomes die, whether it is masculine, feminine, or neuter.

• der Tisch BUT die Tische

History of the English language:

You may be thinking that it is unnatural to add anything besides
an –s or –es to plurals, as we do in English. However, English has
plenty of irregular plurals…and this used to be the rule instead of
the exception. Here are a few that we still use today that have
Germanic roots.
English adds an “umlaut.” An umlaut is as a change in the vowel
sound. German adds two dots above the vowel to show this. English
does not; English writes the change as a different vowel.

• mouse→mice
• foot→feet
• goose→geese
• louse→lice
• man→men
• woman→women

English adds no ending.

• moose→moose
• deer→deer
• sheep→sheep

English adds –en.

• ox→oxen
• child→children

110 | Section 1-8

English changes final –f to –v + es.

• wife→wives
• roof→rooves

Watch YourGermanTeacher’s video to learn some tips and tricks on

how to remember plural forms:
https://youtu.be/3Aqc5WDKO9A

Ex. A: Wie viele haben wir? Make a tally of how many of the
following things you see in the room. Then form a complete
sentence using the verb haben, the number, and the plural form of
the item. If you have none of the items, write the word “keine” in
front of the noun plural, i.e. “no items.”
Beispiel: der Bleistift
→Wir haben fünfzehn Bleistifte.
der Laptop
→Wir haben keine Laptops.

1. der Stuhl
2. der Tisch
3. das Fenster
4. die Uhr
5. das Buch
6. das Heft
7. die Wand
8. die Tafel
9. der Student
10. das Heft
11. der Kuli
12. der Bleistift
13. der Computer

Ex. B: Wir üben! Give both the singular and plural forms of the
words below, including the definite articles.

Section 1-8 | 111

 Beispiel: board

→die Tafel, die Tafeln

1. table
2. door
3. paper
4. cell phone
5. chair
6. pencil
7. pen
8. notebook
9. backpack
10. book
11. board
12. window
13. clock
14. computer
15. laptop
16. mouse
17. eraser (on a pencil)
18. poster
19. map
20. professor (male)
21. professor (female)
22. student (male)
23. student (female)
24. wall
25. whiteboard eraser
26. purse/bag

EXTRA PRACTICE: Need more practice with noun plurals and

classroom objects? Click on Germanzone.org’s website to do more.
As always, it will grade your answers.

• https://www.germanzone.org/noun-plurals-1-classroom-

112 | Section 1-8

 objects/.

Ex. C: Die Familie. Here are some words denoting family members
and their plurals. Practice making plurals with them.

• die Mutter, —¨ (mother)

• die Schwester, –n (sister)
• der Vater, —¨ (father)
• der Bruder, —¨ (brother)
• die Tochter, —¨ (daughter)
• der Sohn, —¨e (son)
• der Onkel, — (uncle)
• die Tante, — n (aunt)

Compound nouns
Like English, German frequently uses compound nouns.
Wasser + Fall = Wasserfall Hand + Schuh = Handschuh
(Water) + (Fall) = (Waterfall) (hand)+(shoe)= glove
In English, sometimes these compound nouns are written all as
one word, but other times they are written with a space in between.
football BUT swimming pool
(no space) (space between words)
In German, compound nouns are never written with a space.
Fußball Schwimmbad
This is why German often gets the reputation of having long
words. Many long German words are nothing more than smaller
words put together as compound nouns. Several words denoting
family members follow this pattern.

• die Großmutter
• der Großvater
• die Urgroßmutter
• der Urgroßvater
• die Halbschwester
• der Halbbruder

Section 1-8 | 113

 • die Stiefmutter
• der Stiefvater
• die Stiefschwester
• der Stief bruder

The definite article (der/die/

das) will be the same as the
LAST word in the compound
noun. For example, “die
Halbschwester” is still feminine because the last word in the
compound, “Schwester,” is feminine. No matter how many words
make up a compound word, the gender is ALWAYS determined by
the last word.

Video. Easy German. Compound Words. Click to see more

examples of how to make compound words in German.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=496#oembed-1

Ex. D: Video: Nicos Weg. Folge 2: “Kein Problem!” Watch episode 2

and do the online activities.

• https://learngerman.dw.com/en/kein-problem/l-37251054

114 | Section 1-8

9. Section 1-9
1–9: Indefinite Articles (Ein/eine) and “Kein/Keine”
You have already learned the definite article (der/die/das) of each
word in this chapter so far. Now we’re going to add indefinite
articles.
An indefinite article in English is the word “a” or “an.” In German,
you will use “ein” or “eine,” depending on the gender of the noun.
This is why it is important to learn the gender along with the noun.
Masculine and neuter add no
ending.
Feminine adds an –e to
match the end of “die.”
Plural is left blank because
you can’t say, for example, “I
have a books.” Rephrase to say,
“I have books”→Ich habe
Bücher.

Beispiele:

• die Schwester→eine Schwester (Feminine adds –e).

• der Bruder→ein Bruder (Masculine adds nothing).
• die Tafel→eine Tafel (Feminine adds –e).
• der Stuhl→ein Stuhl (Masculine adds nothing).
• das Poster→ein Poster (Neuter adds nothing).
• das Handy→ein Handy (Neuter adds nothing).

Video. Click the link to see me reteaching this.

Section 1-9 | 115

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=498#oembed-1

Video. Watch Learn German’s video to see a detailed explanation of

indefinite articles.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=498#oembed-2

Ex. A: Was ist das? Practice with your partner, asking what certain
items around the room are. This time, you will answer with an
indefinite article (ein/eine) instead of a definite article (der/die/
das). If you can’t remember the gender of the word, go back and look
it up.
A: Was ist das?
B: Das ist ein Fenster.
B: Was ist das?
A: Das ist eine Landkarte.

116 | Section 1-9

 Ex. B: Ein. Eine. Go to Germanzone.org’s website and do the
activity using ein-words and classroom items.

• https://www.germanzone.org/indefinite-article-
ein-1-classroom-objects/.

German also has a word to express „not a.“ To negate “ein/eine,”

you will use the word “kein” or “keine” in front of the noun,
depending on its gender.

Section 1-9 | 117

 COMMON MISTAKE: You may be tempted to say
“nicht ein,” (not a), as you would in English. This is
incorrect. You should use “kein” or “keine” instead.

INCORRECT: Das ist nicht ein Kuli. INCORRECT!!!

CORRECT: Das ist kein Kuli.

Ex. C: Ist das ein Kuli? Practice with your classmates, using both
ein/eine and kein/keine to describe words around the room.
A: Ist das ein Kuli?
B: Nein, das ist kein Kuli. Das ist ein Bleistift.
B: Ist das eine Professorin?
A: Nein, das ist keine Professorin. Das ist eine Studentin.

Ex. D: Ein vs. kein. Go to Germanzone.org’s website to practice

ein vs. kein. Each sentence will have two correct answers—one
using “ein” and one using “kein.” There may be a few words that
you haven’t seen yet, but don’t be afraid to look them up in the
dictionary.

• https://www.germanzone.org/articles-ein-kein-2/.

Ex. E: Was ist das? Using the pictures below, answer the following
questions. Make sure to use both “ein/e” and “kein/e”.
Beispiel:

118 | Section 1-9

Ist das ein Buch?
→Nein, das ist kein Buch. Das ist ein Heft.

1.
5.

Section 1-9 | 119

Ist das ein Bleistift? Ist das ein Tisch?
2.

120 | Section 1-9

Section 1-9 | 121
 6.

Ist das eine Tür? Ist das eine Landkarte?

3.

122 | Section 1-9

Section 1-9 | 123
 7.

Ist das ein Wischer? Ist das eine Uhr?

124 | Section 1-9

4.

Section 1-9 | 125

 8.

Ist das ein Kuli? Ist das ein Laptop?

Ex. F: Video: Nicos Weg. Folge 3: „Tschüss!“ Watch episode 3 and

do the online activities.

• https://learngerman.dw.com/en/tsch%C3%BCss/l-37251033

126 | Section 1-9

10. Section 1-10
1-10: The Alphabet (Das Alphabet)
You already know how most of the letters in the German alphabet
are pronounced. Here is the official German alphabet. It has the
same 26 letters that English has with four additional letters: ä, ö, ü,
and ß.

Notes on pronunciation:
Here are a few differences from English, which have not already
been mentioned in previous sections.

• J is pronounced like English “y”.

• L is pronounced slightly different from English with the tongue
touching the back of the teeth.
• ß is pronounced like a double “ss”. It is never found at the
beginning of a word.
• Ä is pronounced like the “a” in “apple” or the “e” in “ever.”
• Ö is pronounced like the “ir” in “girl” except with less of an “r”
sound.
• Ü is pronounced similar to the “eau” in the word “beautiful” but
with rounded lips.

Section 1-10 | 127

Video. Watch YourGermanTeacher’s video to hear the alphabet.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=500#oembed-1

Video. Watch Learn German’s video to hear the alphabet with

examples for each letter.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=500#oembed-2

You will learn more rules for pronunciation as we get to them in this
textbook, but if you want to learn all about pronunciation, watch
YourGermanTeacher’s video to get ahead.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=500#oembed-3

EXTRA PRACTICE:
Go to Deutsche Welle and practice your pronunciation of all
German sounds and vowel combinations with interactive exercises.

• https://learngerman.dw.com/en/abc/c-39621991.

128 | Section 1-10

Ex. A: Abkürzungen. Practice saying the following abbreviations out
loud in German.

1. USA 10. CDU

2. BMW 11. SPD
3. VW 12. DAAD
4. EU 13. DFB
5. FKK 14. EKD
6. DVD 15. FDP
7. NRW 16. ICE
8. GmbH 17. LKW
9. DDR 18. RTL

Ex. B: Hörverständnis—das Alphabet. Go to Germanzone.org’s

website and listen to the cities being spelled aloud. Choose the one
that corresponds to what you hear.

• https://www.germanzone.org/horverstandnis-das-alphabet-
orte/.

Ex. C: Hörverständnis—das Alphabet. Go to Germanzone.org’s

website and do the following activity. Several words that you have
already learned will be spelled aloud. Write them in the blanks.

• https://www.germanzone.org/horverstandnis-das-alphabet/.

Ex. D: Buchstabieren Sie bitte! With a partner, practice spelling the

following German words out loud.
A: Wie schreibt man Tisch? (How does one write “Tisch”?)
B: T-I-S-C-H.

1. Stief bruder 8. Tasche

2. Mutter 9. Computer
3. Vater 10. Wetter
4. Halbschwester 11. kritisch
5. Großmutter 12. Geburtstag

Section 1-10 | 129

6. Tante 13. Psychologie
7. Onkel 14. Dezember

Ex. E: Hörverständnis—das Alphabet. Fächer. Go to

Germanzone.org’s website. Several subjects will be spelled aloud.
Write them in the blanks and check your answers. As a refresher,
you may want to look at the list of school subjects before doing this
activity.

• https://www.germanzone.org/horverstandnis-das-alphabet-
faecher/.

Ex. F: Video. Nicos Weg. Folge 4. Von A bis Z. Watch the video and do
the online activities.

• https://learngerman.dw.com/en/von-a-bis-z/l-37256418.

So far, you have learned the basics of introducing yourself in this

chapter. In the next episode of Nicos Weg, you will learn some
alternatives to “Ich heiße…”

• Ich heiße ______. I am called ______.

• Mein Name ist _____. My name is ______.
• Ich bin ______. I am _______.
• Wie heißen Sie?/Wie heißt du? How are you called?
• Wie ist Ihr Name?/Wie ist dein Name? What is your name?
• Wer sind Sie?/Wer bist du? Who are you?

Ex. G: Video. Nicos Weg. Folge 5. Ich heiße Emma. Watch the video
and do the online activities.
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/ich-hei%C3%9Fe-emma/
l-37262882.
Listen to Die fantastischen Vier’s song, MfG, (1999) to practice
the alphabet. The song contains many abbreviations found in the
German language. The lyrics are in the video.

130 | Section 1-10

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=500#oembed-4

Section 1-10 | 131

11. Section 1-11
1–11: Present Tense—Regular Verbs
So far, you have learned how to conjugate the verbs sein and
haben, the two most important verbs in the German language. Both
of them are irregular, and their conjugations had to be memorized.
Most other verbs in German are not irregular and have a set pattern
of endings.

What is verb conjugation in English? Putting certain

endings on verbs so that they match up with their
subjects!

As a native English speaker, you may not realize that

you conjugate verbs every day when speaking. Compare
the following sentences:

• I play basketball. (No ending on “play”)

• She plays basketball. (-s at end of “play”)

If you grew up learning English, you probably don’t

notice that you automatically do this; you naturally can
sense what sounds correct when speaking.

Below are some common regular verbs in their infinitive form

(aka. unconjugated form. All German infinitives end in –en (99% of
all verbs) or -n (<1%).

132 | Section 1-11

 You have already memorized a few phrases that had conjugated
verbs in them. You may have wondered why the ending of the verb
changed in different sentences.

• Ich komme aus Berlin. I come from Berlin.

• Er wohnt in England. He lives in England.
• Sie heißt Sophia. She is called Sophia.

The infinitive (unconjugated form) of each verb has two parts. We

will use the verb lernen as an example.
Stem: lern–
Ending: –en
In German, the following verb endings are used for the present
tense of regular verbs.

ich→-e wir→–en (same as infinitive)

du→ –st ihr→ -t

sie/Sie→ -en (same as

er/sie/es→ -t
infinitive)

Section 1-11 | 133

 How to conjugate a German verb.
Step 1: Take off the ending (-en or -n).
Step 2: Add a new ending that matches the subject.
Let’s try it with a few verbs from the list.

Conjugate reisen for “ich.” Conjugate singen for “du.”

Step 1: Take off the –en→ reis- Step 1: Take off the –en →

Step 2: Add the new ending→ –e Step 2: Add the new endin

Conjugated verb: Ich reise. Conjugated verb: Du sings

Click the link to watch me reteaching this.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=502#oembed-1

Ex. A: Verben. Use the steps for conjugating verbs to complete the
tables below.

134 | Section 1-11

Conjugate spielen for “wir.” Conjugate machen for “du.

Step 1: Step 1:

Step 2: Step 2:

Conjugated verb: Conjugated verb:

Conjugate bleiben for “er.” Conjugate schwimmen for “Sie.”

Step 1: Step 1:

Step 2: Step 2:

Conjugated verb: Conjugated verb:

Conjugate fragen for “ihr.” Conjugate joggen for “sie” (sing.)

Step 1: Step 1:

Step 2: Step 2:

Conjugated verb: Conjugated verb:

Conjugate gehen for “ich.” Conjugate schreiben for “er.”

Step 1: Step 1:

Step 2: Step 2:

Conjugated verb: Conjugated verb:

Section 1-11 | 135

Video. Easy German: Conjugation of Regular Verbs “sagen,” “machen,”
“hören.” Watch to see some examples of these verbs conjugated.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=502#oembed-2

Ex. B: Now try conjugating some verbs for all forms. Fill in the tables
below.

1. kochen—to cook

ich wir

du ihr

er/sie/es sie/Sie

2. fotografieren—to take pictures

ich wir

du ihr

er/sie/es sie/Sie

3. wandern—to hike (think „wander” around)

136 | Section 1-11

 ich wir

du ihr

er/sie/es sie/Sie

4. hören—to hear, listen to

ich wir

du ihr

er/sie/es sie/Sie

The present tense in German is equivalent to three different ways

of expressing the present tense in English. The sentence “Ich lerne
Deutsch” could be translated as follows.

1. I learn German.
2. I am learning German.
3. I do learn German.

COMMON MISTAKE: As English speakers, we tend to translate

word-for-word into German. This can lead to mistakes in German,
because German does not have the present progressive tense (i.e.
is learning, am dancing, are playing). Often, that results in the
following mistake:
ENGLISH→I am playing.
WRONG→ Ich bin spielen.←WRONG
CORRECT→Ich spiele.
Whenever you want to translate something into German that has
is/am/are + verb+ing in English, reword it so that it sounds simpler.

Section 1-11 | 137

 • He is hiking.
• REPHRASE TO He hikes.
• Translates to Er wandert.

Ex. C: Auf Deutsch! Translate the following sentences into German.

Rephrase into simpler English if necessary.

1. We are living in Germany.

2. He is writing a book.
3. I am learning German.
4. She is sarcastic.
5. They are hiking.
6. You guys are studying computer science.

Studieren vs. lernen:

The verbs studieren and lernen are often confused because they
sound so much like verbs in English.

Beispiele:

• Ich lerne Japanisch. I am learning

138 | Section 1-11

 Japanese.
• Wo studierst du? Where do you go to
college?
• Er lernt für ein Deutschquiz. He is studying for a
German quiz.
• Sabine studiert Musik. Sabine is majoring in
music.

Ex. D: Using the subjects listed below, talk with a partner about
whether you are majoring in these subjects or just learning them this
semester (or in your free time.)
A: Was studierst du?
B: Ich studiere _________ (und
________.)
B: Was lernst du?
A: Ich lerne _________.
A/B: Ich studiere _________.
Ich lerne _______, ________
und __________.

Ex. E: Studieren vs. lernen. Form

complete sentences using the cues
below. Don’t forget to conjugate the
verb!
Beispiel: du/lernen/Musik
→Du lernst Musik.

1. er/studieren/deutsche Literatur

Section 1-11 | 139

2. Johann/lernen/Spanisch und Englisch
3. du und ich/lernen/Deutsch
4. ihr/studieren/an der Universität von Nordalabama
5. ich/lernen/Mathe und Chemie
6. Martin und Christian/studieren/Psychologie und Soziologie
7. sie (sing.)/lernen/Chinesisch
8. Sie/studieren/in Deutschland

Nach vs. zu
The verbs reisen, gehen, fliegen, kommen, and joggen are verbs of
motion. You can use them to say where you plan to go.

• To say that you are going to a city, state, country, or home, use
the preposition nach.

Wir reisen nach Dänemark. (country)

Er fliegt nach Hause. (home)

• To say that you are going to see a person or a business with a

proper name, use the preposition zu.

Wir gehen zu Lena. (person)

Der Student joggt zu Aldi. (store’s proper name)

• To say that you are at home (i.e., notgoing home) use the
expression “zu Hause.”

Morgen bleiben wir zu Hause.(at home)

Ich arbeite zu Hause. (at home)

COMMON MISTAKE!!!

140 | Section 1-11

 Students often confuse the word das Haus with the
phrases „zu Hause“ and „nach Hause.“ Whenever you
are talking about a house, use “das Haus.” If you are
talking about going home or being at home, use “nach
Hause” or “zu Hause.” The –e at the end of these
phrases comes from German several centuries ago. It is
only used in these two phrases.

Ex. F: Nach vs. zu. Choose nach or zu for the following sentences.

1. Meine Familie reist nächstes Jahr ________ Europa.

2. Meine Schwester reist _________ Spanien, aber mein
Bruder bleibt _________ Hause.
3. Ich gehe _________ Johanna.
4. Der Student joggt __________ Hause.
5. Frau Blechschmidt fliegt ___________ Utah.
6. Der Mann arbeitet _________ Hause.
7. Bleibst du _________ Hause, oder gehst du __________
Wal-Mart?
8. Lena und Martin reisen im Sommer __________ Italien.
9. Viele Studenten gehen oft _________ Starbucks.

Ex. G: Wohin gehen Sie? Using the cues provided, make sentences.
Decide whether it is best to use nach or zu. Don’t forget to conjugate
the verb for the subject.

Section 1-11 | 141

 Beispiel: Bettina/gehen/Lucas
→Bettina geht zu Lucas.

1. er/reisen/Polen
2. sie (pl.)/gehen/Hause
3. wir/bleiben/Hause
4. ihr/kommen/Alex
5. die Professoren/gehen/
Aldi
6. ich/fliegen/Irland
7. mein Vater/reisen/Houston

Verbs with stems ending in -d or -t.

If a verb’s stem ends in -d or -t, often an extra “e” gets added to
its conjugation in the du and er/sie/es form to make it easier to
pronounce.

• arbeiten Du arbeitest. Er arbeitet.

If this extra -e- were not added between the stem and the ending, it
would be very hard to pronounce.
INCORRECT→ Du arbeitst. Er arbeitt. ←INCORRECT!!

• finden Er findet Deutsch cool.

• schneiden Ihr schneidet das Papier.

Er zeichnet und sie zeichnet;

sie zeichnen.

“Nora & Jonas – Zeichnen” by

jonasginter is marked with CC Click the link to see me
BY-NC-SA 2.0.
reteaching this.

142 | Section 1-11

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=502#oembed-3

Ex. H: Wie findest du Geschichte? Ask your classmates their

opinions on the following subjects.

A: Wie findest du
Informatik?
B: Ich finde Informatik schwierig.

1. Biologie
2. Psychologie
3. Geschichte
4. Deutsch
5. Englisch
6. Informatik
7. Mathematik
8. Musik
9. Geographie

Ex. I: Wo arbeitet er? Use the cues below to make sentences about
where the following people work.
Beispiel: Matthias/Target
→Matthias arbeitet bei
Target.

1. Lena/Wal-Mart
2. Kevin/McDonald’s
3. Elena/Burger King
4. du/Starbucks

Section 1-11 | 143

 5. wir/Lowe’s
6. ihr/Pizza Hut

Ex. J: Verbkonjugationen! Fill in the blanks with the correct form

of the conjugated verb. Make sure to look at the subject to see
which verb ending it should match up with. (Watch out! “Sein” is also
included!)

1. Der Student __________ sehr gut. (singen)

2. Ich __________ Basketball, Golf und Tennis. (spielen)
3. Du ___________ heute. (arbeiten)
4. Wir ___________ Deutsch. (lernen)
5. Ich ___________ Deutsch und Spanisch. (studieren)
6. _________ du morgen zu Andreas? (gehen)
7. Sie (pl.) __________ sehr egoistisch und exzentrisch. (sein)
8. Ihr __________ Italienisch interessant. (finden)
9. Markus und ich __________ in Berlin. (wohnen)
10. _________ ihr immer so pessimistisch? (sein)
11. Ich ________ in Eile! (sein)

Verbs with stems that end in an “s” sound.

Verbs whose stems end in -ß or -z, often don’t add the “s” from
–st when conjugated for “du.”
Beispiel: du/heißen→Du heißt.
(NOT „Du heißst“ because „ß” is the same as “ss.” That would give
us “Du heissst”—too many of the letter “s”!)
Beispiel: du/tanzen→Du tanzt.
(NOT „Du tanzst“ because „z“ already makes an „s“ sound.)
Click to watch me reteaching this.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

144 | Section 1-11

 from this version of the text. You can view them online here:
https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=502#oembed-4

Gern + infinitive
To say that you like to do something, add gern to the conjugated
verb.
Ich zeichne. BUT Ich zeichne gern.
(I sketch.) (I like to sketch.)
Erika spielt Tuba. BUT Erika spielt gern Tuba.
(Erika plays tuba.) (Erika likes to play tuba.)
Mein Bruder tanzt. BUT Mein Bruder tanzt gern.
(My brother dances.) (My brother likes to
dance.)

Officially, the word gern is an adverb that means “gladly,” but we

translate it in common English to mean “like to.”

Section 1-11 | 145

 Just as we negate adjectives by putting nicht in front of them, we
do the same for adverbs. To negate gern, we put the word nicht in
front of it.
Ich tanze nicht gern. (I don’t like to dance.)
Click the link to watch me reteaching this.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=502#oembed-5

146 | Section 1-11

 Ex. K: Was machst du gern? What do you like to do?
A: Was machst du gern?
B: Ich ___(conjugated VERB)________ gern.
A: Was machst du nicht gern?
B: Ich ___(conjugated VERB)________ nicht gern.
Ex. L: Partnerarbeit. Now ask your classmates what they do and
don’t like to do, using the verbs below.
Beispiel: reisen
A: Reist du gern?

Section 1-11 | 147

 B: Ja, ich reise gern. ODER Nein, ich reise nicht gern.

1. kochen 8. zeichnen
2. wandern 9. lernen
3. tanzen 10. joggen
4. arbeiten 11. fotografieren
5. schreiben 12. singen
6. malen 13. studieren
7. spazieren 14. schwimmen

Ex. M: Kleiner Absatz! Using your answers from Ex. L, write a brief
paragraph about the people you interviewed and what they like to
do (or not do.) Write 7-8 sentences.
Beispiel: Angela kocht nicht gern. Sie wandert sehr
gern…usw.

Here are some sports, instruments, and games you might enjoy
playing. Most of them are very similar to English.

The verb spielen can be used with sports, instruments, and games.

Ex. N. Was spielen Sie gern? Was spielen Sie nicht gern?
Ich spiele gern ___________. Ich spiele nicht gern
__________.

148 | Section 1-11

Ex. O: Konjugieren wir Verben! Fill in with the correct form of the
verb in parenthesis. Don’t forget to look at the subject first and then
decide which verb ending you will need. (Watch out! Sein and haben
will show up as well, but they are irregular!)

1. Wir _____________ Deutsch. (lernen)

2. Meine Schwester ___________ in Minnesota. (wohnen)
3. Der Student _____________ gern. (malen)
4. ______________ du gern Musik? (hören)
5. Ich __________ Rockmusik interessant. (finden)
6. Ihr __________ zu Hans. (gehen)
7. Die Frau _____________ nach Deutschland. (reisen)
8. Die Bücher ____________ sehr interessant. (sein)
9. Astrid ___________ gern im Herbst. (fotografieren)
10. Michael und Philipp ______________ in Berlin. (wohnen)
11. Ich ___________ aus Florence. (kommen)
12. Du _______________oft Sport. (machen)
13. Wir ___________ in Eile. (sein)
14. Ihr ____________ immer zu spät. (kommen)
15. Meine Mutter und mein Vater_____________ Golf.
(spielen)
16. Herr Steiner, _____________Sie heute? (arbeiten)
17. Ja, und meine Frau ____________ morgen. (arbeiten)
18. _____________ du gern? (kochen)
19. Nein, ich ______________ nicht gern. (kochen)
20. Die Studenten _____________ morgen Physik. (haben)
21. Du und ich ______________ an der Universität von
Nordalabama. (studieren)

Ex. P: Was machen diese Menschen? Write a complete sentence

to describe what these people are doing. Some pictures may have
more than one possible answer.

Section 1-11 | 149

 Beispiel:

→Er wandert.

150 | Section 1-11

1.
4.

Section 1-11 | 151

152 | Section 1-11
2.
5.

Section 1-11 | 153

 5.

154 | Section 1-11

Section 1-11 | 155
 6.

EXTRA PRACTICE: Germanzone.org’s website has plenty of

conjugation practice.

• https://www.germanzone.org/present-tense-common-
verbs-2-2/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/present-tense-common-
verbs-3/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/present-tense-regular-
verbs-1/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/present-tense-common-
verbs-1-2/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/present-tense-regular-
verbs-2/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/present-tense-common-
verbs-4/.

156 | Section 1-11

The following exercises have the verbs already conjugated; you will
need to supply the correct subject pronoun to match up with the
conjugation.

• https://www.germanzone.org/german-subject-pronouns-1/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/german-subject-pronouns-2/.

Click on the link and scroll to the bottom of the page to see some
extra practice conjugating regular verbs in the present tense. You
can set your level for easy, medium, or hard.

• https://www.deutsch-lernen.com/learn-german-online/
beginners/uebung1_1.php.

Ex. Q: Video. Nicos Weg. Folge 6. Das ist Nico. Watch the video and
do the online activities associated with it. You will hear several new
words in this video.

• https://learngerman.dw.com/en/das-ist-nico/l-37262923.

Video. Easy German: Introduce Yourself in German

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=502#oembed-6

Section 1-11 | 157

12. Section 1-12
1-12: Nominative Case and Word Order
German has four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, and
genitive. A “case” in German basically tells what the word does in a
sentence. In this chapter, you are learning the nominative case. The
nominative case deals with the subject of the sentence—the person
or thing doing the action of the sentence.

Nominative case = subject

The subject is the word that does the action of the sentence. It
is also the word that determines how you conjugate the verb, i.e.
which endings you will put on the end of the verb from the verb
chart. The subject of each sentence is highlighted below.

• Ich habe im März Geburtstag.

• Frau Schmidt ist nicht sehr optimistisch.
• Der Student kommt aus Saudi-Arabien.
• Meine Mutter spielt gern Klavier.
• Das Wetter ist kalt und regnerisch.
• Marions Großmutter geht morgen ins Restaurant.

In all of these examples, the subject came first in each sentence,

and the verb came second. This word order is often seen in German
sentences. This is also how we often form sentences in English.

Subject/verb/everything else.

158 | Section 1-12

HOWEVER, in German, the subject does not have to come first as
long as the verb stays in second position.

RULE: The verb in German statements must come in

nd
2 position.

nd
The following examples have the verb in 2 position, but some of
them have a time expression at the beginning instead of the subject.
The verb is bold-faced, and the subject is in italics. To the right is
an alternate word order that might make more sense for English
speakers.

• Morgen reisen wir nach Europa. (Wir reisen morgen nach

Europa).
• *Im Herbst ist das Wetter kühl. (Das Wetter ist kühl im
Herbst).
• Meine Schwester malt sehr gern.
• Heute habe ich Mathe. (Ich habe heute Mathe.)

*The sentence “Im Herbst ist das Wetter kühl,” may be confusing
rd
because it looks like the verb is 3 . Prepositional phrases count as
one element.

• im Herbst
• nach Europa
• zu Karoline

Although the above phrases have more than one word, it would
make no sense to split them up. Therefore, prepositional phrases
should be kept together.

Section 1-12 | 159

 Click the link to see me reteaching this concept.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=504#oembed-1

Ex. A: V2-Stellung. Reword the sentences so that the bold-faced

word or phrase comes first in each sentence. Don’t forget to keep
nd
the verb in 2 position.
Beispiel: Wir reisen am
Montag nach Florida.
→Am Montag reisen
wir nach Florida.

1. Er arbeitet im Sommer bei Target.

2. Der Student lernt nächstes Semester Psychologie.

160 | Section 1-12

3. Die Professorin schreibt ein Buch im Dezember.
4. Das Wetter ist kühl im Herbst.
5. Die Studenten machen oft Sport.
6. Marina spielt nicht gern Volleyball.
7. Der Lehrer findet Geschichte interessant.

Ex. B: Word order—statements. Click on Germanzone.org’s site to

do another activity in which you will be moving the underlined word
or phrase to the beginning of the sentence. Don’t forget to put the
nd
verb 2 !

• https://www.germanzone.org/word-order-3-statements/.

Video. Watch Easy German’s video, Nominativ, to see more

examples of nouns in the nominative case; this time it’s in su-u-
nd
u-uper slow German. Notice that the verb is in 2 position.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=504#oembed-2

Ex. C: Video. Nicos Weg. Folge 7: Woher kommst du?

Watch the video and do the online activities.

• https://learngerman.dw.com/
en/woher-kommst-du/
l-37263828.

Ex. D: Video. Nicos Weg. Folge 8: Nico

hat ein Problem.
Watch the video and do the online activities. You will be
conjugating the verbs sein and haben as well as several other verbs.

Section 1-12 | 161

Feel free to look back at your notes if you need a refresher on these
verbs.

• https://learngerman.dw.com/en/nico-hat-ein-problem/
l-37265543.

Word order with yes/no questions:

To make questions that can be answered with ja or nein, word
order is exactly like English: VERB/SUBJECT/EVERYTHING ELSE
Statement: Der Student ist freundlich. (The student is
friendly.)
Question: Ist der Student freundlich? (Is the student
friendly?)
Statement: Mein Bruder arbeitet viel. (My brother
works a lot.)
Question: Arbeitet mein Bruder viel? (Does my
brother work a lot?)
(Works my
brother a lot?)
In English, we add an extra “do” or “does” to make yes/no
questions. German does not. If necessary, reword the sentence to
sound simpler before making a question.
Do you jog? (Split verb/subject)
TAKE OUT “DO”: Jog you?(Verb/subject)
German: Joggst du? (Verb subject)
When in doubt, just put the verb first, and you have an instant
question.

162 | Section 1-12

 Click on the video to see me reteaching how to make yes/no
questions.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=504#oembed-3

Ex. E: Ja und nein! Make yes/no questions out of the following

statements.
Beispiel: Rainer fliegt
morgen nach Europa.
→Fliegt Rainer
morgen nach Europa?

1. Wir fotografieren die Studenten.

2. Ich spaziere gern im Sommer.

Section 1-12 | 163

3. Er hat zwei Brüder.
4. Sie spielt sehr gut Volleyball.
5. Die Professoren arbeiten am Donnerstag.
6. Der Student schreibt ein Buch.
7. Du wanderst gern.
8. Ihr kommt morgen zurück.
9. Der Mann singt sehr laut.

Ex. F: Interview. Ask your classmates 8 yes/no questions about

themselves. Don’t forget to put the verb first.
Beispiele:
Hörst du gern Musik?
Lernst du Spanisch?
Wohnst du in…?
Ex. G: Artikel. Take your answers to the questions in ex. F and
write a brief paragraph about your classmates.

Question Words
You have already seen several question words so far. Here they are
all together.

164 | Section 1-12

 • Wann arbeitest du? When do you work?
• Wo wohnst du? Where do you live?
• Wie heißt der Professor? How is the professor called?
• Was ist das? What is that?
• Woher kommen Sie? Where do you come from?
• Warum lernst du Deutsch? Why are you learning German?
• Wohin gehst du? Where are you going (to)?
• Wer singt? Who is singing?/Who sings?

Notice that the word order is exactly like English; the question word
comes first, THEN the verb.

Section 1-12 | 165

 Click the link to watch me reteaching how to use question words.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=504#oembed-4

Ex. H: Fragewörter. Make questions for the statements below that

could be used to answer them. Some may have more than one
possibility.
Beispiel: Ich wohne in Aachen.
→Wo wohnst du?/Wo wohnen Sie?

1. Peter lernt Japanisch.

2. Das ist meine Schwester.
3. Das Kind sagt, „Guten Morgen!“
4. Marina arbeitet bei Subway.
5. Der Mann tanzt sehr gut.
6. Ich fliege nach England. Meine Mutter wohnt in England.
7. Morgen kochen wir Spaghetti.
8. Ihr kommt aus Amerika.
9. Sie heißt Karla.

Listen to Glasperlenspiel’s song, Dein Geheimnis, (2011), to hear lots

of examples of questions and question words.

166 | Section 1-12

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=504#oembed-5

Songtext: https://genius.com/Glasperlenspiel-dein-geheimnis-
lyrics
Ex. I: Question or statement? Go to Germanzone.org’s website
and determine whether each set of words makes up a question or a
statement.

• https://www.germanzone.org/word-order-1-questions-
statements/.

EXTRA PRACTICE: For a more challenging version of this, do the

next activity on Germanzone.org. You will be deciding which set of
words to choose in order to make a statement or a question.

• https://www.germanzone.org/word-order-2-statements-
questions/.

Time and Place

In German sentences, time expressions come before place
expressions. This is the exact opposite of English, which usually
puts place before time.

Section 1-12 | 167

 TP (Time/Place)
In each sentence below, the time phrase is in bold-face print while
the place is in italics.
(Subject/Verb/Time/Place.)
Wir fliegen am Mittwoch nach Deutschland.
Mein Großvater bleibt morgen zu Hause.
Die Studentin reist in zwei Tagen nach Alaska.
Der Mann arbeitet im Winter im Restaurant.

168 | Section 1-12

 You already know several time expressions using months and days
of the week. Here are some place expressions to use for now, along
with a few more time expression.

Ex. J: TP! Translate the following sentences into German, using

correct word order→subject/verb/time/place.

Section 1-12 | 169

 Beispiel: The student sings at the university tomorrow.
→Der Student (die Studentin) singt morgen an der Uni.
(subject) (verb) (time) (place)

1. We swim every day in the summer.

2. Do you cook at home often?
3. He is at the movie theater a lot.
4. They are living in Sweden next year.
5. They never play outside.
6. Y’all (you guys) stay in the garden a lot.
7. She likes to dance in the disco.
8. He likes to swim at home in July.

Ex. K: Lesen wir! Read the following paragraph and answer the
questions about it.

Helen lebt in Aachen. Aachen

ist eine Stadt in Deutschland.
Helen ist neununddreißig Jahre
alt. Sie hat einen Mann, Martin,
und zwei Kinder—Benno und
Toni. Helen und Martin reisen sehr gern nach Frankreich. Helen
spaziert gern am Strand, und Martin surft sehr gern. Benno und
Toni spielen zusammen am Strand.
Helen hat andere Hobbys. Sie wandert mit Benno und Toni. Sie
malt sehr gut. Sie lernt Englisch im Winter, und sie schwimmt im
Sommer. Sie bleibt gern zu Hause mit ihrer Familie, aber manchmal
fliegt sie nach Italien. Sie findet Italien super.

1. Wo lebt Helen?
2. Wie alt ist Helen?
3. Wie viele Kinder hat Helen?
4. Wohin reist Helen gern?
5. Was macht Martin gern?
6. Was macht Helen gern?

170 | Section 1-12

7. Was macht sie im Winter?
8. Wie findet Helen Italien?

Need a review of word order? Watch YourGermanTeacher’s video

to see more.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=504#oembed-6

Section 1-12 | 171

13. Section 1-13
1-13: Possessive Adjectives
You already know how to use ein/eine and kein/keine. Possessive
adjectives work the same way. In order to use them, you will need
to know the grammatical gender of the word and add the correct
ending (if necessary).
Review:

• der Computer→masculine→ein Computer (no ending added)

• das Poster→neuter→ein Poster (no ending added)
• die Wand→feminine→eine Wand (-e added)

We do the same with possessive adjectives.

Singular Plural

mein/meine—my unser/unsere—our

dein/deine—your (informal) euer/eure—y’alls (you guys’)

sein/seine—his
ihr/ihre—their
sein/seine—its
Ihr/Ihre—your (polite)
ihr/ihre—her

For example, if you want to say „our uncle,“ you will do as follows.

1. der Onkel
2. masculine; add no ending to “unser.”
3. unser Onkel

If you want to say “my sister”…

1. die Schwester

172 | Section 1-13

2. feminine; add –e.
3. meine Schwester

If you want to say “your child”…

1. das Kind
2. neuter; add no ending
3. dein Kind

Andere Beispiele:

• Feminine: Meine Mutter kommt aus Alabama.

• Masculine: Mein Vater kommt aus Tennessee.
• Feminine: Deine Tasche ist neu.
• Masculine: Dein Rucksack ist alt.
• Masculine: Ihr Stuhl ist zu klein.
• Feminine: Ihre Tante ist sehr liberal.
• Masculine: Sein Laptop ist aus China.
• Feminine: Seine Tür ist bunt.
• Feminine: Unsere Professorin ist exzentrisch.
• Neuter: Unser Fenster ist grau.
• Feminine: Eure Schwester bleibt gern zu Hause.
• Masculine: Euer Bruder spielt gern Videospiele.
• Masculine: Frau Koch, was sagt Ihr Mann?
• Feminine: Frau Koch, singt Ihre Tochter heute?
• Masculine: Ihr Onkel schwimmt sehr schnell.
• Feminine: Ihre Großmutter ist krank.

Watch Anja’s video to watch her reteaching possessive adjectives

with lots of examples using family member vocabulary.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

Section 1-13 | 173

 from this version of the text. You can view them online here:
https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=506#oembed-1

Click here to watch me reteaching this.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=506#oembed-2

Ex. A: Possessive adjectives. Fill in the blank with the correct form
of the possessive adjective. If you can’t remember the gender of the
word, look it up before filling in the blank.

1. Wo ist ___________ Buch? (your, familiar, singular)

2. ______________ Professor tanzt nicht so gut. (our)
3. ____________ Biologieprofessorin singt fantastisch! (his)
4. ___________ Kind spielt im Garten. (my)
5. Das ist _____________ grandmother. (you guys’/y’all’s,
familiar plural)
6. ____________ Garten ist sehr chaotisch. (her)
7. ___________ Lehrer spielt gern Tennis. (my)
8. Frau Schmidt, ____________ Tochter ist sehr schön!

174 | Section 1-13

 (your, polite/formal)
9. Ist __________ Buch sehr lang? (your, familiar, singular)
10. ___________ Tag beginnt um sechs Uhr. (our)

Ex. B: Stimmt das? Ask your classmates about their family members.
Answers should be in complete sentences.
Beispiel: Ist dein Vater kritisch?
→Ja, mein Vater ist kritisch.
OR
→Nein, mein Vater ist nicht kritisch.

1. Ist deine Schwester freundlich?

2. Ist deine Mutter optimistisch?
3. Ist dein Bruder clever?
4. Ist deine Großmutter modern?
5. Ist dein Großvater sentimental?
6. Ist dein Hund/deine Katze klein?
7. Ist deine Tante jung?
8. Ist dein Onkel gesund?
9. Ist deine Schwester fleißig?

Ex. C: Absatz. Using the answers to ex. B, write a brief paragraph

about your partner’s family.
Beispiel: Ihre/seine Mutter ist optimistisch…usw.

Ex. D: Multiple choice. Choose the correct form of the possessive

adjective that will match the word in parenthesis.

1. _____ Bücher sind teuer. (die Studenten)

a. seine b. ihre c. eure

2. _____ Tante schwimmt gern. (Leon)

Section 1-13 | 175

 a. ihre b. unsere c. seine

3. Schreiben Sie ein Buch, Herr Professor? Ist _____ Buch lang?

a. dein b. euer c. Ihr

4. _____ Großvater ist groß. (Alex und ich)

a. euer b. unser c. dein

5. _____ Gitarre ist ein Geschenk von seinen Eltern. (Karla)

a. eure b. seine c. ihre

6. _____ Handy hat eine Weckerfunktion. (ich)

a. dein b. mein c. ihr

7. ____ Mutter fotografiert gern. (du und Thomas)

a. ihre b. eure c. meine

Ex. E: Possessive Adjectives 1 & 2. Go to Germanzone.org’s
website and practice possessive adjectives with the following
activities.

• https://www.germanzone.org/possessive-adjectives-1/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/possessive-adjectives-2-die-
familie/.

Ex. F: Unser Klassenzimmer. Using possessive adjectives, describe

the things in your classroom. Use „unser/unsere” since the items
belong to all of you. Don’t forget to look at the gender to find the
correct ending.
Beispiel: Unsere Landkarte ist sehr modern.

Ex. G: Die Zeitung. You are a reporter for a newspaper

interviewing a celebrity about his or her family. Ask 8-10 questions
with possessive adjectives. Don’t forget to treat the person with
respect; use Ihr, not dein! (And capitalize “Ihr”!)

176 | Section 1-13

 Beispiel: Wohnt Ihr Bruder in Budapest? Singt Ihre
Schwester?

Ex. H: Der Artikel. Using your questions from ex. D, make up

answers and write a brief “article” about the celebrity. Don’t forget
to use third person possessive adjectives sein/seine or ihr/ihre.
Beispiel: Sein Bruder wohnt in Prag. OR Ihr Bruder wohnt in
Prag.

Ex. I: Euer Haus! After visiting these people, you tell them exactly
what you think of their room. Since you know them well, use
euer/eure and describe the items in their house.

Beispiel: Euer Teppich (rug) ist zu gelb. (Your rug is too

yellow).

Section 1-13 | 177

 Ex. J: Fill-in-the-blank. Complete each blank with the correct
form of the word in parenthesis. If you forget the gender of the
word, look it up before continuing.

1. Das ist _________ Bruder. (my)

2. __________ Rucksack ist sehr groß. (your, polite)
3. Hast du __________ Schwester? (a)
4. Das ist _________ Onkel! (our)
5. Wir lesen _____________ Buch. (his)
6. Der Student braucht __________ Heft. (a)
7. _________ Mann arbeitet bei McDonald’s. (her)
8. Wir haben ___________Papier. (the)
9. ___________ Buch ist zu lang! (the)
10. Das ist __________ Großmutter. (my)
11. Er liest _________ Tafel. (the)
12. Wir finden ___________ Tasche. (her)
13. ___________ Katze spielt gern. (our)
14. Er hat _________ Kind. (no/not any/not a)
15. Mein Vater hat ___________ Uhr. (a)
16. ___________ Computer war super teuer. (his)
17. ____________ Tante kommt aus Bulgarien. (your, familiar,
singular)
18. __________ Rucksack ist aus Japan. (your, familiar, plural)
19. _________ Tisch ist kaputt. (their)

Ex. K: Lesen. Read the article and answer the questions about it in
complete sentences.
Laura kommt aus Italien, aber sie
wohnt heute in Deutschland mit
ihrem Mann. Lauras Mann ist Amerikaner und spricht nur Englisch
und ein bisschen Deutsch. Er arbeitet bei BMW in Stuttgart. Laura
spricht Deutsch, Englisch und Italienisch. Sie ist Lehrerin. Laura und
ihr Mann arbeiten den ganzen Tag.
Manchmal gibt es Probleme in Lauras Familie. Laura kocht nicht
gern. Ihr Mann kocht auch nicht gern. Manchmal essen sie zu

178 | Section 1-13

Hause. Manchmal gehen sie ins Restaurant und das ist das Problem.
Laura und ihr Mann haben Kinder—vier Jugendliche und ein Baby.
Sie haben so viele Kinder…und Restaurants sind teuer. Alles im
Restaurant kostet zu viel.

1. Woher kommt Laura?

2. Woher kommt Lauras Mann?
3. Ist Lauras Mann Italiener?
4. Wo arbeitet Lauras Mann?
5. Wie lange arbeiten Laura und ihr Mann?
6. Was macht Laura nicht gern?
7. Wie viele Kinder hat Laura?
8. Warum sind Restaurants ein Problem für Laura?

Section 1-13 | 179

14. Section 1-14
1-14: Oral Proficiency Interview Practice:
Ex. 1: (Time goal—1:00-1:30)
You are left alone with your best friend’s grandmother. Start a
conversation to pass the time. Ask several questions to get to know
her better.
Ex. 2: (Time goal—1:00-1:30)
You will be studying abroad next semester and call your future
host family to introduce yourself. Tell them all about you and your
hobbies.
Ex. 3: (Time goal—1:00-1:30)
You are talking with a friend about your schedule next semester.
Ask your friend several questions about his/her opinion on several
classes. Then give your own opinion about these classes.
Ex. 4: (Time goal—1:00-1:30)
You are babysitting for one of your coworkers’ relatives. Ask the
parent of the child several questions about her child.
Tips:

• Look back through the chapter to see what you might already
know how to say.
• Write/say as much as you can about each topic as it relates to
the above scenarios.
• Stick to what you’ve learned so far; don’t worry yet about the
grammar topics you haven’t learned yet. That will come soon
enough!
• Use lots of details. Saying more is always better!

180 | Section 1-14

15. Chapter 1 - Glossary
Kapitel 1 Wortschatz

Chapter 1 - Glossary | 181

182 | Chapter 1 - Glossary
Chapter 1 - Glossary | 183
16. Section 2-1

Kapitel 2

In Chapter 1, you learned numbers up through the thousands. In this

chapter, you will use them to tell time.
Ex. A: Video. Nicos Weg. Click the link to watch episode 9, “Zahlen
von 1 bis 100” to review numbers. Do the exercises after the video.
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/zahlen-von-1-bis-100/
l-37265621.
Ex. B: Video. Nicos Weg. Click the link to watch episode 10,
„Wichtige Nummern.“ You will review how to say your age from
Chapter 1. You will also learn how to ask for someone’s telephone
number.
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/wichtige-nummern/
l-37269501.

2.1: Telling Time (unofficial/conversational)

Telling time in German uses basic numbers that you already know.
It will be used to answer the following questions.

• Wie viel Uhr ist es? (What time is it?/“How much clock
is it?”)
• Wie spät ist es? (How late is it?)
• Wie viel Uhr haben wir? (What time do we have?)

Start with the expression “Es ist,” then list the number.
Time on the exact hour:

184 | Section 2-1

 Es ist drei Uhr. (It is three
o’clock.)
Shorter form: Es ist drei. (It
is three.)

Es ist ein Uhr. (It is one

o’clock.)
Shorter form: Es ist eins.
(It is one.)

Ex. C: Wie viel Uhr ist es?

Write a complete sentence to
tell what time it is.
Beispiel: 9:00
→Es ist neun Uhr. OR Es ist neun.

1. 11:00
2. 4:00
3. 2:00
4. 12:00

Section 2-1 | 185

5. 8:00
6. 6:00
7. 1:00
8. 7:00

Time on the half-hour:

To tell the time on the half-hour, German rounds up to the next
hour.
Es
ist
halb
acht.
Longer form: Es ist halb acht
Uhr.
Es ist halb zwei.
Longer form: Es ist halb zwei
Uhr.

186 | Section 2-1

 Ex. D: Wie viel Uhr ist es? Write a complete sentence to tell the
time.
Beispiel: 4:30
→Es ist halb fünf.

1. 7:30
2. 9:30
3. 2:30
4. 4:30

Section 2-1 | 187

5. 11:30
6. 10:30
7. 6:30
8. 5:30

Time after the hour:

To say that it is just past the hour, use the word nach, “after,” to
say how much after the hour it is.

Ex. E: Wie viel Uhr ist es? Schreiben Sie in ganzen Sätzen! (Write
in complete sentences.)
Beispiel: 7:18 (Think „It is eighteen after seven.)
→Es ist achtzehn nach sieben.

1. 1:09
2. 7:03
3. 4:10
4. 2:07
5. 7:02
6. 8:18
7. 11:20
8. 9:14

Time before the hour:

To say that it is just before the next hour, use the word vor,
„before,“ to say how much before the next hour it is.

188 | Section 2-1

 Ex. F: Wie spät ist es? Schreiben Sie in ganzen Sätzen!
Beispiel: 1:50 (Think „It is ten before two.)
→ Es ist zehn vor zwei.

1. 7:42
2. 6:41
3. 9:58
4. 11:46
5. 8:55
6. 10:47
7. 2:57
8. 8:59

Telling time on the quarter hour:

Just like English, German has a word that means “fifteen minutes”
before or after the hour. Viertel—quarter (hour). Note that Viertel is
capitalized because it is a noun; all German nouns are capitalized.
A: Wie viel Uhr ist es? (What time is it?)
B: Es ist Viertel nach neun. (It is a quarter after nine.)

A: Wie spät ist es? (How late is it?)

B: Es ist Viertel vor zwölf. (It is a quarter before/to twelve.)

Section 2-1 | 189

 Ex. G: Wie viel Uhr ist es? Schreiben Sie in ganzen Sätzen!
Beispiel: 7:45
→Es ist Viertel vor acht.

1. 3:15
2. 9:45
3. 1:45
4. 11:15
5. 3:45
6. 2:15
7. 6:45
8. 4:15

Video. Click to see me reteaching how to tell time in German.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=532#oembed-1

190 | Section 2-1

To say that something happens AT a certain time, use the
preposition um.
A: Wann hast du Deutsch?
B: Ich habe Deutsch um elf Uhr.
Ex. H: Partnerarbeit. Julias Stundenplan.Take turns with your
partner to ask each other when Julia has the following classes. Don’t
forget to use the preposition um to say at what time she has these
classes.
Beispiel:
A: Wann hat Julia Englisch?
B: Sie hat Englisch um halb neun.

English 8:30 Philosophie 12:20

Deutsch 9:45 Sport 1:30

Musik 10:10 Mathe 1:55

eine Pause 11:00 Chemie 2:40

Ex. I: Hören Sie gut zu! Go to Germanzone.org’s website and

complete the listening exercise.

• https://www.germanzone.org/time-telling-
time-2-colloquial/.

EXTRA PRACTICE: Click to go to Germanzone.org’s website to

practice telling time.

• https://www.germanzone.org/telling-time-1-colloquial-
time/.

Click the link to go to a matching game that will review all of the
time expressions you have learned.

Section 2-1 | 191

 • https://www.purposegames.com/de/game/telling-time-in-
german-quiz.

192 | Section 2-1

17. Section 2-2
2.2. Food, Drink, and Family Members
In Chapter 1, you learned most vocabulary relating to the family.
Below are more family member vocabulary words.

Here are a few new adjectives to describe these and other family
members.
In Chapter 1, you also learned
that der Mann is “the man” and
die Frau is “the woman.”
Both of these words also have
a second definition.
der Mann—the husband (or
der Ehemann)
die Frau—the wife (or die
Ehefrau)
You may be wondering how to know the difference between them.
If you use a possessive adjective with these words, they usually
mean “husband” and “wife.” Compare.
Mein Mann spielt Golf. (My husband plays golf.)
Der Mann spielt Golf. (The man plays golf.)
Seine Frau spielt Klavier. (His wife plays piano.)
Die Frau spielt Klavier. (The woman plays piano.)
Ex. A: Der Familienstammbaum 1, 2 & 3. Click on
Germanzone.org’s online exercises to review the family members
from Chapter 1 and practice the new family member vocabulary
from this chapter.

Section 2-2 | 193

 • https://www.germanzone.org/die-familie-1-der-
familienstammbaum/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/die-familie-2-der-
familienstammbaum/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/die-familie-3/.

Watch YourGermanTeacher’s video to see a review of family

member vocabulary:

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=534#oembed-1

In Chapter 1, you also learned about possessive adjectives.

Singular Plural

mein/meine—my unser/unsere—our

dein/deine—your (informal) euer/eure—y’alls (you guys’)

sein/seine—his
ihr/ihre—their
sein/seine—its
Ihr/Ihre—your (polite)
ihr/ihre—her

Ex. B: Possessive Adjectives and the Family. Click on

Germanzone.org’s family tree exercise to practice new vocabulary
words and to review possessive adjectives.

• https://www.germanzone.org/possessive-adjectives-2-die-
familie/.

Ex. C: Was macht Ihre Familie gern? Using possessive adjectives

194 | Section 2-2

and family members, tell what everyone in your family likes to do.
Write at least 6-8 sentences.
Beispiel: Meine Mutter kocht gern. Mein Vater kocht nicht
gern.

Video. Watch Coffeebreak German’s video to hear Germans

talking about their families. The first half is without subtitles, and
the second half repeats with subtitles.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=534#oembed-2

We can take it one step further and talk about everyone’s favorite
drinks.
Beispiel: Ich trinke gern Cola. Meine Schwester trinkt gern Sprite.

Ex. D: Was trinken Sie gern? Was trinken Sie nicht gern?
Ich trinke gern ___________. Ich trinke nicht gern
___________.
(I like to drink ___________. I do not like to drink
___________.)

Ex. E: Was trinkt ihre Familie gern? Nicht gern?

Mein Cousin trinkt gern _________. Er trinkt nicht gern
________.

Section 2-2 | 195

 Meine Nichte trinkt gern ________. Sie trinkt nicht gern
________.
…usw

Ex. F: Was essen Sie gern? Was essen Sie nicht gern?

Ich esse gern ________. Ich esse nicht gern _________.

(I like to eat _________. I do not like to eat _________.)

Ex. G: Beschreiben Sie Ihr Essen! Using the adjectives, express

your opinion on the following foods in a complete sentence.

196 | Section 2-2

 Beispiel:

→Ich finde Brot sehr lecker.

1.
2.

Section 2-2 | 197

3.

198 | Section 2-2

Section 2-2 | 199
 4.

5.

200 | Section 2-2

Section 2-2 | 201
 6.

7.

202 | Section 2-2

 8.

9.

Section 2-2 | 203

 10.

.
11.

204 | Section 2-2

 12.

13.

Section 2-2 | 205

206 | Section 2-2
 14.

Ex. H: Ordnen Sie das Essen den Kategorien zu! Using the
vocabulary list of foods, put each item under the appropriate
category.

Section 2-2 | 207

 Video. Watch Easy German’s video to hear more about fruit
vocabulary words.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=534#oembed-3

Favorites
To express that something is your favorite, attach the prefix
Lieblings– to any noun.

• Lieblingsbuch→favorite book
• Lieblingsessen→favorite food
• Lieblingsgetränk→favorite drink
• Lieblingsperson→favorite person
• Lieblingskurs→favorite class/subject

208 | Section 2-2

Ex. I: Was ist dein Lieblingsessen? With a partner, ask each other
the following questions. Answer in complete sentences. Don’t forget
to put the correct ending on “mein/e” that corresponds with the
gender of the word.
Beispiel: Lieblingsbuch
A: Was ist dein Lieblingsbuch?
B: Mein Lieblingsbuch ist Herr der Ringe.

1. Lieblingsessen
2. Lieblingsgetränk
3. Lieblingsperson (Hint: Use „wer“ instead of “was”!)
4. Lieblingskurs
5. Lieblingsfilm
6. Lieblingssport
7. Lieblingsspiel
8. Lieblingsland

Video. Watch Easy German’s video to hear Germans answering

the question, “Was ist dein Lieblingsobst?”

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=534#oembed-4

Video. Favorite Food. Watch Easy German’s video to hear Germans

answering the question “Was ist Ihr Lieblingsessen?”

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

Section 2-2 | 209

 from this version of the text. You can view them online here:
https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=534#oembed-5

Deutsche Musik: Listen to Namika’s hit song, „Lieblingsmensch,“

(2015) to practice Lieblings-.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=534#oembed-6

Ex. J: Essen Sie gern asiatisch? Ask your classmates how well they
like the following types of food.
Beispiel: vietnamesisch
A: Essen Sie gern vietnamesisch?
B: Ja, ich esse gern vietnamesisch?
ODER
B: Nein, ich esse nicht gern vietnamesisch?

1. italienisch
2. deutsch
3. türkisch
4. griechisch
5. mexikanisch
6. indisch
7. japanisch
8. chinesisch
9. amerikanisch

210 | Section 2-2

Ex. K: Typisch deutsch! Watch Easy German’s video about
traditional German food and give a short description of the foods
below. Use the adjectives that you have learned so far, such as those
on page 12, or larger classifying categories, such as Fleisch, Gemüse,
oder Obst.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=534#oembed-7

Beispiel: Spätzle (plural)

→Spätzle sind Nudeln. Sie sind vegetarisch.

1. Kartoffelpuffer (pl.)
2. Spargel (sing.)
3. Bratkartoffeln (pl.)
4. Leberkäse (sing.)
5. Maultaschen (pl.)
6. Pfannkuchen (sing.)
7. Bockwurst (sing.)
8. Kartoffelsalat (sing.)
9. Rouladen (pl.)
10. Grünkohl (sing.)
11. Erbsensuppe (sing.)
12. Currywurst (sing.)

Ex. L: Was brauchen wir? What do we need to make the dishes

below? Write complete sentences.

Beispiel: Wir machen

Spaghetti. Was brauchen wir?
→Wir brauchen Nudeln, Tomaten und Fleisch.

Section 2-2 | 211

 1. Wir machen eine Pizza. Was brauchen wir?
2. Wir machen Gemüsesuppe. Was brauchen wir?
3. Wir machen einen Salat. Was brauchen wir?
4. Wir machen einen Obstsalat. Was brauchen wir?
5. Wir machen einen Hamburger. Was brauchen wir?
6. Wir machen Gulasch. Was brauchen wir?

Ex. M: Was essen Sie? What do you eat and drink for the following
meals? Answer in complete sentences.

1. Was essen Sie zum Frühstück?

2. Was trinken Sie zum Frühstück

3. Was essen Sie zum Mittagessen?
4. Was trinken Sie zum Mittagessen?
5. Was essen Sie zum Abendessen?
6. Was trinken Sie zum Abendessen?
7. Was essen Sie bei McDonald’s?
8. Was trinken Sie bei McDonald’s?
9. Was essen Sie und trinken Sie am Wochenende?

Video: Watch Easy German’s video, “Lunch Break,” in extra slow

German.

212 | Section 2-2

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=534#oembed-8

EXTRA PRACTICE: Want more food words and more practice

with them? The following exercises will help you with both.

• https://www.germanzone.org/essen-und-
trinken-2-kategorien/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/essen-und-trinken-1/.

Video: Watch Easy German’s video to see what Germans typically

eat for breakfast.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=534#oembed-9

EXTRA PRACTICE: family, possessive adjectives, haben/sein, and

other verb conjugations, the alphabet, classroom items, and
negation.
VHS Lernportal—A1 German Course.

• https://a1.vhs-lernportal.de/wws/9.php#/wws/home.php.

You will need to set up an account (free!), and click on the A1

course. Click on the tab to change the site interface to English if you

Section 2-2 | 213

wish…or try it in German. You should now be able to continue to the
following lessons, which review the material covered in this chapter.

214 | Section 2-2

18. Section 2-3
2.3—The Accusative Case
So far in this chapter, you have been making sentences that have
both subjects and direct objects.

Subject: the person or thing DOING the action

Direct object: the thing that gets the action DONE by

the verb

Beispiel: Sein Vater trinkt gern Apfelsaft.

(subject) (verb) (direct object)

• Subject→sein Vater (the person doing the drinking)

• Verb→trinkt (what is being done)
• Direct object→Apfelsaft (the thing being drunk)

In Chapter 1, you learned that the subject of a sentence is in the

nominative case.
Now we will add to that; the direct object is in the accusative case.

Nominative case: subject

Accusative case: direct object

Normally, the direct object comes after the verb in German

sentences, but not always! Remember, as you learned in Chapter 1,

Section 2-3 | 215

we can switch around different elements in a German sentence, as
nd
long as the verb remains in 2 position. The direct object of each
sentence below is in bold print.
Ich habe zwei Schwestern. I have two sisters.
Meine Tante hat einen Freund. My aunt has a boyfriend.
Unser Cousin trinkt kein Bier. Our cousin drinks no beer.
Wir spielen gern Fußball. We like to play soccer.
So far, you have been making several sentences that have direct
objects, using words for food, drinks, and hobbies. Direct objects are
in the accusative case. When we use definite articles (der/die/das)
and indefinite articles (ein/eine), as well as possessive adjectives
and negation (kein/keine) as direct objects, there are some slight
changes.
You might have noticed in the previous example that there is an
extra “en” at the end of the word “einen.”
Meine Tante hat einen Freund.
Masculine words will add an extra –en to the definite article,
indefinite article, possessive adjectives, and “kein.” (ONLY
masculine! Everything else stays the same.) In the examples below,
the extra –en has been bold-faced. The direct object has been
underlined. The masculine examples have been prefaced with a *.

*Wir kaufen einen Kuli. (Masculine „Kuli“ adds -en.)

Du kaufst ein Heft. (Neuter „Heft“ stays the
same.)
*Ich habe keinen Cousin. (Masculine “Cousin” adds -en.)
Er hat keine Tochter. (Feminine „Tochter“ stays the
same.)
*Karin braucht meinen Gummi. (Masculine „Gummi adds -en.)
Ihr kocht meine Suppe. (Feminine „Suppe“ stays the
same.)
*Du kennst seinen Enkel. (Masculine “Enkel” adds -en.)
Wir sehen die Kinder. (Plural “Kinder” stays the
same.)

216 | Section 2-3

 Der Student liest euer Buch. (Neuter „Buch“ stays the
same.)

The definite article “der” becomes “den” in the accusative.

Frau Koltz kauft den Computer. Frau Koltz is buying the
computer.
Du und ich lesen den Roman. You and I are reading the novel.
Sehen Sie den Mann? Do you see the man?

An easy way to practice using the accusative case is to use the

verb haben to talk about which family members you have and don’t
have.

Ich habe eine Schwester. (Feminine stays the same.)

I have a sister.
Ich habe einen Vater. (Masculine adds –en.)
I have a father.

If you don’t have certain family members, use the correct form of
kein to say that you don’t.

Ich habe keinen Bruder. (Masculine adds -en.)

I have no brother.
Ich habe kein Kind. (Neuter stays the same.)
I have no child.

Video: Click the links to see me reteaching the accusative case.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=536#oembed-1

Section 2-3 | 217

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=536#oembed-2

Video: Click to watch YourGermanProfessor’s video reteaching the

accusative case with lots of examples.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=536#oembed-3

Video: Click to watch The German Professor’s video on the

accusative case.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=536#oembed-4

Video: Watch Easy German’s videos to see lots of examples of

sentences that use the accusative case.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

218 | Section 2-3

 from this version of the text. You can view them online here:
https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=536#oembed-5

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=536#oembed-6

Ex. A: Beschreiben Sie Ihre Familie! Which family members do you

have or not have? Go through the list in both Chapters 1 and 2, using
the accusative case AFTER the verb haben, as in the examples on the
previous page.

Ex. B: Was haben Sie dabei? What do you have with you today?
Describe your items, using the verb haben and the accusative case.
Beispiel: Ich habe ein Buch, einen
Kuli und ein Heft dabei. Ich habe
keinen Laptop dabei.

Predicate Nominatives:
It’s easy to get in the habit of

Section 2-3 | 219

assuming that the last noun in the sentence is the direct object.
Here are some instances where the last word is still in the
nominative case. We call these predicate nominatives.
The verb sein (to be) is always followed by the nominative case.
Any form of sein (ist, bist, sind, bin, seid) acts like an equal sign that
makes one side of the sentence exactly equal to the other.

Das ist ein Kuli.

Therefore “ein Kuli” is nominative. We don’t put an extra

–en at the end because it is not accusative.

Du bist mein Bruder.

Therefore “mein Bruder” is nominative. We don’t add an

extra –en at the end because it is not accusative.

Always check to see if your sentence has a form of

sein; if it does, then your sentence doesn’t have a direct
object, aka accusative case. It has a predicate
nominative instead.

220 | Section 2-3

 Video: Watch Easy German’s video to see lots of examples with
both nominative and accusative. The first example will always be a
predicate nominative, which you read about on the previous page,
and the second will be in the accusative.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=536#oembed-7

Ex. C: Nominativ oder Akkusativ? In the sentences below, choose

whether the underlined word is in the nominative case (N) or in the
accusative case (A).
Beispiel: Die Katze (N/A) hat eine Maus (N/A).
Die Katze (N/A) hat eine Maus (N/A).

1. Der Student (N/A) trinkt keinen Kaffee (N/A).

2. Das (N/A) ist ein T-shirt (N/A).
3. Wir (N/A) finden den Roman (N/A) langweilig.
4. Mein Bruder (N/A) kommt aus China.
5. Was (N/A) essen Sie (N/A) gern?
6. Wir (N/A) machen Spaghetti (N/A) und Pizza (N/A).
7. Der Supermarkt (N/A) verkauft kein Obst (N/A).
8. Ich (N/A) brauche meine Tasche (N/A).
9. Die Frau (N/A) ist Professorin (N/A).

Ex. D: Der Akkusativ! Each of the sentences below has a direct

object. Fill in with the correct form of the accusative case. If you
can’t remember the gender of the word, look it up. Hint: Masculine
gets an extra –en.

1. Er hat __________ Onkel in England. (a)

2. Hast du _________ Schwester? (a)
3. Ich brauche _________ Buch. (his)

Section 2-3 | 221

4. Wir kennen __________ Bruder. (your, singular, informal)
5. Kaufst du __________ Computer? (the)
6. Frau Schmidt, haben Sie ___________ Bleistift dabei? (a)
7. Ihre Eltern haben ________Sohn und _________
Tochter. (a)
8. Wir kennen ___________ Freund. (her)
9. Wir besuchen _______ Großvater. (yall’s; you plural
informal)
10. Ich liebe __________ Haus! (his)

Now we will take it one step further. In the next exercise, you will
have to determine whether the blank is in the nominative or the
accusative before filling in the blank.
Step 1: Determine whether the word is in the nominative or
accusative (aka subject or direct object.)
Step 2: If it is accusative, masculine adds an extra –en; der
becomes den.

Ex. E: Der Akkusativ nochmal! Fill in the blank with the correct
form of each word in parenthesis. Watch out; both nominative and
accusative are present!

1. Du brauchst _________ Hund. (a)

2. __________ Enkel ist sehr groß. (your, polite)
3. Hast du __________ Kind? (a)
4. Das ist _________ Onkel! (our)
5. Wir besuchen _____________ Stiefschwester. (his)
6. Der Student braucht __________ Landkarte. (a)
7. _________ Mann arbeitet bei McDonald’s. (her)
8. Wir suchen ___________Tisch. (the)
9. ___________ Tisch ist zu teuer! (the)

Ex. F: Was kaufen Sie am Semesteranfang? What do you buy at the

beginning of the semester? Practice using the accusative case to tell

222 | Section 2-3

a partner what you buy each semester. Rememberthe things being
bought are direct objects. Masculine items should get an extra –en.

A: Was kaufst du am Semesteranfang?

B: Ich kaufe einen Rucksack, viele Bücher und ein Heft.

Ex. G: Was haben Sie heute vergessen? What have you forgotten
today? Remember to put the items being forgotten into the
accusative case because they are direct objects.
A: Was hast du heute
vergessen?
B: Ich habe ________,
_______ und _______ vergessen.

der Reisepass—passport
Ex. H: Video. Nicos Weg. Folge 11: “Adressen.” Click the link to
watch episode 11. Then do the online activities with it. You will
here a new verb, suchen, which means “to look for, search for.” You
will also review question words. If you need a review, look back in
chapter 1.
NOTE: Germans don’t ask
WHAT a telephone number is

Section 2-3 | 223

but instead HOW a telephone number is→ Wie ist Ihre
Telefonnummer?
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/adressen/l-37269671.
Ex. I: Was sucht er? Use the cues to answer in complete
sentences. Don’t forget to put direct objects in the accusative
case…and that masculine gets an extra –en.
Beispiel: mein/Mutter//ein/Bleistift
→Meine Mutter sucht einen Bleistift.

1. dein/Cousin//sein/Buch
2. unser/Nichte//ihr/Auto
3. d-/Kind//sein/Hund
4. ich//mein/Tasche
5. wir//unser/Kinder
6. d-/Großmutter//unser/Großvater
7. du//dein/Handy
8. ihr//euer/Rucksack
9. ein/Studentin//ihr/Laptop

Ex. J: Video. Nicos Weg. Folge 12: Auf dem Amt. Click to watch
episode 12 and do the activities following it. You will review du vs.
Sie again, as well as formal and informal greetings and numbers in
the hundreds.

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/auf-dem-amt/l-37269629.
Ex. K: Video. Nicos Weg. Folge 13: Was machst du hier? Click to
watch episode 13 and do the activities following it.

224 | Section 2-3

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/was-machst-du-hier/
l-37278679.

EXTRA PRACTICE with ANSWER KEY: Fill in the blanks with the
correct form of the nominative or accusative case.

1. Ich suche _________ Cousin. (your—sing./fam.)

2. _______ Enkel und ________ Enkelin sprechen
Französisch. (her)
3. _______ Eltern wohnen nicht weit von hier. (my)
4. Die Katze frisst _________ Fleisch. (y’all’s/you plural-fam.)
5. Ich sehe _________ Zeitung. (your—polite)
6. Was liest _______ Vater. (his)
7. Er liest gern _________ Bücher. (our)
8. Gertrud kennt ________ Onkel. (my)
9. ________ Kinder haben keine Zeit. (their)
10. Der Student kauft ________Computer und ________
Pizza. (a)
11. ________ Hund liebt die Katze, aber die Katze liebt
______ Hund nicht. (the)

Answers:

1. deinen; Cousin is the direct object and masculine. Therefore

“dein” becomes “deinen.”
2. ihr/ihre; Both words are the subject. Enkelin is feminine, so
therefore ihr + e = ihre.
3. meine; The word is plural and the subject. Mein adds an e for
plural.
4. euer; The word is a direct object and neuter. Nothing changes.
5. Ihre; Zeitung is the direct object and feminine. Ihr + e = Ihre.
6. sein; Vater is the subject. I know it probably looks like it’s the
direct object, but rephrase the question so that it’s a sentence:
Sein Vater liest was. “His father reads what.” “What” is your

Section 2-3 | 225

 direct object and father is the subject.
7. unsere; Bücher is a plural word and a direct object. Unser + e =
unsere.
8. meinen; Onkel is the direct object and masculine. Therefore
mein takes an extra –en because it changes in the accusative
case.
9. ihre; Kinder is a plural and a subject. “Ihr” + e = ihre.
10. einen/eine; Both words are direct objects. The first is
masculine and adds an extra –en in the accusative. The second
is feminine.
11. Der/den; In the first blank, it is the subject and stays “der.” In
the second, it has become the direct object, and masculine
direct objects in the accusative change to “den.”

Extra Practice with the accusative case:

Click the links to do extra practice on Germanzone.org’s website.
It will grade your answers automatically. If you want to do the
exercise again, the site will give you different questions so that you
can practice as much as you like.

• Nominative vs. accusative: https://www.germanzone.org/

nominative-accusative-cases-mixed-determiners/.
• Identifying the direct object: https://www.germanzone.org/
accusative-case-direct-objects/.
• Accusative case: https://www.germanzone.org/accusative-
case-mixed-determiners-1/.
• Accusative case: https://www.germanzone.org/accusative-
case-mixed-determiners-2/.
• Accusative case with new vocabulary; don’t be afraid to look up
any words you don’t know. https://www.germanzone.org/
accusative-case-possessive-adjectives/.
• Accusative case with indefinite articles:
https://www.germanzone.org/accusative-case-indefinite-
articles-1/.

226 | Section 2-3

 • Accusative case with indefinite articles 2:
https://www.germanzone.org/accusative-case-indefinite-
articles-2/.
• More advanced accusative exercises:
https://www.germanzone.org/accusative-case-definite-
articles/.
• Subject, predicate nominative, or direct object?
https://www.germanzone.org/subject-predicate-noun-
direct-object-1/.

Es gibt + accusative
To say “There is…” or “There are…” in German, we don’t use the
verb sein, as in English. Instead, we use the idiomatic expression,
“Es gibt…”

Section 2-3 | 227

Es gibt eine Familie.
The noun that comes after the phrase “Es gibt” MUST be in the
accusative case. That means that anything masculine must add an
extra –en to the definite article, indefinite article, or possessive
adjectives.
Es gibt einen Vater und eine Mutter.
Es gibt einen Großvater und eine Großmutter.
Es gibt zwei Kinder und ein Baby.

228 | Section 2-3

 Ex. L: Was gibt es in diesem Zimmer? What is there in this room?
Answer using “Es gibt” followed by the accusative case.
A: Was gibt es in diesem Zimmer?
B: Es gibt einen Tisch, _______, _______ usw.

Ex. M: Was gibt es in Ihrem Rucksack? What is there in your

backpack? Answer using “Es gibt” followed by the accusative case.
A: Was gibt es in Ihrem Rucksack?
B: Es gibt ________, ________ und ________.

Ex. N: Was gibt es? Answer using as many complete sentences as

possible for each picture.

Section 2-3 | 229

 1.

230 | Section 2-3

2.

Section 2-3 | 231

3.

232 | Section 2-3

4.
“Classroom
in Fort
Christmas”
by
Photomatt2
8 is marked
with CC
BY-NC-ND
2.0.

5.

Ex. O: Was gibt es in diesem Zimmer?

Section 2-3 | 233

 Listen to Santiano’s hit song, Es gibt nur Wasser (2012), to hear
the phrase “Es gibt…” used extensively. You will also hear the verb
brauchen, which appeared earlier in this chapter.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=536#oembed-8

Songtext: https://www.songtexte.com/songtext/santiano/es-
gibt-nur-wasser-5b85230c.html

When dealing with direct objects and the accusative case, it’s
good to know when to use a definite article or not. Often, in English,
we don’t use a definite article.

234 | Section 2-3

 I like to eat pizza.
There’s fruit here.
Notice that you don’t see the definite article “the” in these
sentences. We aren’t talking about a specific pizza or specific fruit,
so we leave it out. If you had been talking about a specific item, the
sentences would have been
I like to eat the pizza. (specific pizza)
There’s the fruit here. (specific fruit)
If you normally wouldn’t use “the” in English, you probably won’t
need der/die/das in German and vice versa.
Ich esse gern Pizza.
Es gibt Obst hier.
If you wanted to say that you’re eating a specific pizza or fruit, you
would add the definite article.
Ich esse gern die Pizza. I like to eat THE pizza.
Es gibt das Obst hier. There’s the fruit here.
Use the English that you already know to help distinguish
between using a definite article or leaving it out.
Ex. P: Video. Nicos Weg: Folge 14: Was trinkst du? Watch episode
14 of Nicos Weg and do the online activities following it.

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/was-trinkst-du/l-37279418.

Section 2-3 | 235

19. Section 2-4
2.4: Stem-changing verbs
You learned in Chapter 1 how to conjugate sein, haben, and regular
verbs. Although sein and haben are irregular and must be
memorized, regular verbs have the same endings. Here they are
below as a review.

ich→-e wir→–en (same as infinitive)

du→ –st ihr→ -t

er/sie/es→ -t sie/Sie→ -en (same as infinitive)

In Chapter 1, you also learned how to describe the weather with

adjectives. To review conjugation of regular verbs, here are a few
verbs that you can use to describe the weather.

Ex. A: Wie ist das Wetter? Using the weather verbs above, write
several complete sentences for each day of the weather forecast
below, including the day. Remember—the verb must always be in
second position. As a review, also use the adjectives you learned in
Chapter 2.

236 | Section 2-4

 Montag

15° C

Beispiel: Es regnet am Montag. (Am Montag regnet es.) Es ist

wolkig. Wir haben 15 Grad. Es ist kühl.

Section 2-4 | 237

 Some verbs in German have a stem change. This means that we
will need to change a vowel in the stem as well as putting on the
regular endings that you learned in Chapter 1 from the chart on the
previous page.

Verb: spielen

STEM ENDING

spiel- –en

For example, the verb tragen, to wear, or to carry, is a stem-

changing verb that changes its stem from a to ä.
Unser Onkel trägt ein T-shirt und eine Jeans.
Du trägst einen Pulli in blau.
When conjugating, we put on the regular ending –t AND change
the vowel in the stem to ä.

Rule: Stem-changing verbs only change their stems

when conjugated for du or er/sie/es. All other subjects
stay the same.

Here is a list of verbs that undergo a vowel change from a to ä.

238 | Section 2-4

 Stem-changing verbs: a→ä

tragen—to wear

fahren—to drive

laufen—to run, walk fast

schlafen—to sleep

halten—to stop, to halt

The conjugation of laufen, for example, would look like this.

Notice that ONLY the du and er/sie/es form change their stems.
Everything else stay the same as a regular conjugation.
⇒PRONUNCIATION of äu: [äu] makes the same sound as [eu]; it
is pronounced similar to the English “oi,” as in “foil” or “boil.”
The other a to ä stem-changing verbs are conjugated similarly.

Section 2-4 | 239

 Video. Click to see me reteaching this.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=538#oembed-1

Fahren vs. gehen. The German language is slightly more specific

when it comes to driving vs. walking. The verb gehen, which you
learned in Chapter 1, means “to walk or to go by foot.” It would sound
strange to describe the following picture as “Die Katze geht.”

240 | Section 2-4

 Die Katze fährt.
Since the car has no feet, it is better to use the verb fahren.
Use fahren with cars, bicycles, and most modes of transportation.
Notice the difference in gehen and fahren in the following exchange
between two exchange students and a bus driver

• Studentin 1: I don’t speak German. Ask the bus driver if this

bus is going into town.
• Studentin 2: Entschuldigung. Geht dieser Bus in die Stadt?
• Busfahrer: Nein, leider nicht.
• Studentin 2: (Turns to Studentin 1) No, it’s not going into
town.
• Busfahrer: Junge Dame, junge Dame! (Motions to Studentin
2) Dieser Bus geht nicht. Er hat keine Füße. Er fährt. Und ja,
er fährt in die Stadt.

Section 2-4 | 241

 Video: Watch Easy German’s video to see lots of examples using
the verb fahren. At the 2:20 mark, the video gets into past tense,
which we will not do until GR 102, but if you’re feeling brave, watch
the rest!

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=538#oembed-2

Video. Watch Easy German’s video to see lots of examples using the
verb gehen.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=538#oembed-3

Ex. A: Fahren, gehen, oder laufen? Using the pictures below, decide
whether it would be best to use the verb fahren, gehen, or laufen to
describe the action. Then write a complete sentence, conjugating
the verb for the subject. Remember—fahren and laufen are stem-
changing verbs; gehen is not.
Beispiel:

242 | Section 2-4

→Der Mann läuft.

1.
6.

Section 2-4 | 243

244 | Section 2-4
2.
7.

Section 2-4 | 245

246 | Section 2-4
3.
8.

Section 2-4 | 247

248 | Section 2-4
4.
9.

Section 2-4 | 249

250 | Section 2-4
5.
10.

Section 2-4 | 251

Ex. B: Wie lange schläfst du? With a partner, ask each other the
following questions. Then answer in a complete sentence.

1. Wie lange schläfst du am

Montag?
2. Wie lange schläfst du am
Wochenende?
3. Wie lange schläfst du im
Sommer?
4. Wie lange schläfst du bei der Arbeit?

252 | Section 2-4

Ex. C: Kleiner Absatz. Using your partner’s answers to the questions
in ex. B, write a brief paragraph comparing you to your partner.
Connect your comparing sentences with the conjunction aber.
Beispiel: Ethan schläft fünf Stunden
am Montag, aber ich schlafe acht
Stunden…usw.
Clothing: Below is a list of clothing that
you can use with the verb tragen to describe what you are wearing.

Section 2-4 | 253

254 | Section 2-4
Section 2-4 | 255
256 | Section 2-4
1 2 3 4 5

Section 2-4 | 257

258 | Section 2-4
Section 2-4 | 259
 6 7 8 9

260 | Section 2-4

Section 2-4 | 261
262 | Section 2-4
Section 2-4 | 263
264 | Section 2-4
10 11 12 13 14

Section 2-4 | 265

266 | Section 2-4
Section 2-4 | 267
268 | Section 2-4
Section 2-4 | 269
 15 16 17 18 19

270 | Section 2-4

 Ex. D: Was trägst du heute? Don’t forget to put the articles of
clothing that you are wearing in the accusative case. Masculine will
get an extra -n. You may need to determine whether the item you
are wearing is singular or plural.
Ich trage heute ________, _________ und
_________.

Ex. E: Was tragen diese Leute? Answer using a complete

sentence.

Section 2-4 | 271

 Beispiel: →Er trägt
einen Anzug und Schuhe.

272 | Section 2-4

1.

Section 2-4 | 273

2.

274 | Section 2-4

3.

Section 2-4 | 275

4.

276 | Section 2-4

5.

Section 2-4 | 277

6.

278 | Section 2-4

7.

Section 2-4 | 279

8.

Video. Watch Easy German’s video to hear clothing vocabulary

pronounced and to see lots of examples.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

280 | Section 2-4

 from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=538#oembed-4

Video. Watch Easy German’s video to hear clothing vocabulary in

super slow German.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=538#oembed-5

Ex. F: Was tragen Sie im Frühling? Read each situation and

answer the questions about it in complete sentences.

1. Es schneit, und wir haben -3°. Was trägst du?

2. Das Wetter ist windig, und es regnet. Was trägst du?
3. Die Sonne scheint, und wir haben 25°. Was trägst du?
4. Es ist Frühling, und das Wetter ist warm. Was trägst du?
5. Du gehst schwimmen. Was trägst du?
6. Du arbeitest. Was trägst du?
7. Es ist Sommer und sehr heiß. Was trägst du?
8. Es ist November in Alabama. Was trägst du?
9. Es ist April, und du gehst zur Universität. Was trägst du?

Ex. G: Konjugieren wir! Fill in the blanks with the correct form of
the verb in parenthesis.

1. Wann ____________ du nach Hause? (fahren)

2. Ich _________ um 8 nach Hause. (fahren)

Section 2-4 | 281

3. Unser Großvater _____________ sehr schlecht. (schlafen)
4. Ihr _____________ jede Nacht von 10 Uhr bis 6 Uhr.
(schlafen)
5. Wir ______________ sehr gern im Park. (laufen)
6. Unsere Professorin ist spät! Sie ___________ in die
Deutschstunde vier Minuten zu spät. (laufen)
7. Viele Studenten ___________ jeden Tag eine Jeans.
(tragen)
8. _______________ du im Winter eine Jacke? (tragen)
9. Das Auto ____________. (halten)

There is also a set of verbs that have a stem change from “e” to
“i”/”ie.”

They are conjugated exactly like the stem-changing verbs that

changed from “a” to “ä.” The conjugation of essen is as follows.

282 | Section 2-4

 Notice that when conjugating for du, (iss + st), we don’t end up
with issst. Limit it to only two of the letter s.
Here are the rest of the ei stem-changing verbs with conjugations.

The verbs sehen and lesen stem-change from „e“ to „ie.“

Section 2-4 | 283

 Video. Click to watch me and Lingoni German reteaching this.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=538#oembed-6

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=538#oembed-7

Ex. H: Was isst er gern? Tell what the following people like to eat
based on the prompts.

284 | Section 2-4

 Beispiel: Tobias

→Tobias isst gern Fritten.

Alternative: (Tobias isst gern Pommes

frites.)

1. du

Section 2-4 | 285

 2. unser Vater

286 | Section 2-4

3. wir

Section 2-4 | 287

288 | Section 2-4
 4. ich

5. ihr

Section 2-4 | 289

 6. der Onkel

Here are several things that can be read.

290 | Section 2-4

Section 2-4 | 291
292 | Section 2-4
Section 2-4 | 293
 1 2 3 4

294 | Section 2-4

 Ex. I: Partnerarbeit. Take turns asking your classmates if they are
reading the following items. Answer in complete sentences. Don’t
forget to put the direct object, aka the thing being read, in the
accusative case.
A: Liest du __das Buch___?
B: Ja, ich lese das Buch.
If you don’t read the thing that you’re asked about, negate
the sentence by putting nicht after the direct object.
B: Nein, ich lese das Buch nicht.

1. die Zeitung
2. der Roman
3. die Zeitschrift
4. das Comicheft
5. der Artikel

Ex. J: Kleiner Absatz. Write a brief paragraph about what your

partners from activity I read and don’t read.
Beispiel: Kelsey liest die Zeitung nicht, aber sie liest
Romane…usw

To say that you prefer to do one thing over another, you can use the
word lieber.
Ich lese gern Harry Potter, aber ich lese lieber Herr der Ringe.
(I like to read Harry Potter, but I prefer to read Lord of the
Rings.)

Ex. K: Was machst du lieber? What do you prefer to do? Answer

in complete sentences.
Beispiel: Comichefte/Artikel
A: Liest du lieber Comichefte oder Artikel?
B: Ich lese lieber Comichefte.

Section 2-4 | 295

 1. Artikel/Romane
2. Romane/die Zeitung
3. die Zeitung/Zeitschriften
4. Zeitschriften/Comichefte
5. Bücher/Artikel

Ex. L: Kleiner Absatz. Compare your answers to Ex. K to those of

your partner in a brief paragraph. Use the word aber to connect
comparing sentences.
Beispiel: Mein Partner/meine Partnerin liest lieber Artikel,
aber ich lese lieber Comichefte…usw.

Ex. M: Was siehst du auf dem Bild? What do you see on the picture?
With a partner, ask each other questions. Don’t forget to put the
direct object, aka the thing that you see, in the accusative case. If
you DON’T see the thing you are asked about, put the appropriate
form of kein in front of your answer.

A: Siehst du eine Pflanze? (Do you see a plant?)

B: Ja, ich sehe eine Pflanze. (Yes, I see a plant.)
B: Siehst du einen Hund? (Do you see a dog?)
A: Nein, ich sehe keinen Hund. (No, I see no dog.)

296 | Section 2-4

 Ex. N: Welche Sprachen sprichst du? Which languages do you
speak? Ask your classmates about the following languages. If you
don’t speak the language, put the correct form of kein in front of the
language. If you speak the language a little, you can add ein bisschen
to your answer.
Beispiel: Chinesisch
A: Sprichst du Chinesisch? (Do you speak Chinese?)
B: Ja, ich spreche Chinesisch. (Yes, I speak Chinese.)
ODER
B: Ja, ich spreche ein bisschen Chinesisch. (Yes, I speak
a little Chinese.)
ODER
B: Nein, ich spreche kein Chinesisch. (No, I speak no
Chinese.)

1. Englisch
2. Spanisch
3. Französisch
4. Japanisch
5. Arabisch
6. Latein
7. Koreanisch
8. Portugesisch
9. Deutsch

Ex. O: Ich spreche Französisch, aber mein Partner spricht

Spanisch. Using what you learned about your classmates in exercise

Section 2-4 | 297

N, write a brief paragraph comparing your own language experience
to theirs.

Beispiel: Sarah und ich sprechen Englisch. Ich spreche

kein Italienisch, aber Sarah spricht sehr gut Italienisch. Philipp
spricht…usw.

Man vs. der Mann:

To say that people in general do something, you can use the
subject man. Man is always lowercase unless it comes at the
beginning of the sentence. Don’t confuse it with the word der Mann,
which is a specific person. Man will always be conjugated like
er/sie/es.

man—one, you, people, they; talking about a group of

people

Beispiel:
A: Was isst man bei McDonald’s?
(What do people/you/one/they eat at McDonald’s?)
B: Man isst normalerweise Hamburger und Fritten.
(People/they/one/you normally eat hamburgers and
fries.)
Notice that man has a lot of translations in English. It’s also the

298 | Section 2-4

equivalent of using English “one” instead of “you” in an essay. In
German, man doesn’t sound odd. It’s normal to hear it in everyday
life. It’s often used to express a generalization about a group of
people.

Video. Click to see me reteaching man vs. der Mann.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=538#oembed-8

Ex. P: Was spricht man in…? Using the pronoun man and the stem-
changing verb sprechen, ask a partner about where these languages
are spoken. Don’t forget to put the verb in second position!
Beispiel: Italien
A: Was spricht man in Italien?
B: In Italien spricht man Italienisch.

1. Mexiko
2. Saudi-Arabien
3. Kanada
4. Russland
5. Belgien
6. Schweden
7. Japan
8. Brasilien

Ex. Q: Was nimmst du? You are in a restaurant in Germany with

Section 2-4 | 299

several friends. Write a complete sentence, using the stem-
changing verb nehmen, to say what they are ordering, aka “taking.”
Don’t forget to put the direct object in the accusative case!
Beispiel: Paul/das Schnitzel
→Paul nimmt das Schnitzel.

1. ich/die Pizza-Margherita
2. wir/der Käsekuchen
3. Janina/Fritten mit Mayo
4. du/Sushi
5. Frau Frommen/eine Portion Spaghettieis
6. Maria/Rindsrouladen
7. ihr/der Salat
8. Niklas und Mirko/Spargelsuppe

Ex. R: Wie wird das Wetter? Use the cues below to say how the
weather is changing.

300 | Section 2-4

 Beispiel:

→Das Wetter wird sonnig.

(The weather is getting/becoming sunny.)

Section 2-4 | 301

 1.
3.

302 | Section 2-4

2.
4.

Section 2-4 | 303

Video. Click to see me reteaching how to conjugate “werden”.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=538#oembed-9

Ex. S: Wann wirst du 50? Using the cues below, tell how old the
following people will turn.
Beispiel: Kirsten/31
→Kirsten wird einunddreißig.

1. Brandon/25

304 | Section 2-4

2. Ellie/23
3. ihr/20
4. meine Eltern/56 und 59
5. ich/?
6. du/steinalt

Video. Watch Learn German’s video to review how to conjugate

stem-changing verbs.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=538#oembed-10

Ex. T: Konjugieren wir! Fill in the blank with the correct form of the
verb in parenthesis.

1. Was ____________ Sie gern? (essen)

2. Ich ______ gern Brokkoli, aber meine Schwester
________ lieber Fleisch. (essen)
3. Unser Vater ___________ Englisch aber kein Deutsch.
(sprechen)
4. Wir ___________ über Philosophie. (sprechen)
5. Viele Kinder __________ Harry Potter gern. (lesen)
6. Deine Tante ___________ die Zeitung jeden Tag. (lesen)
7. _____________ du das Obst mit? (nehmen)
8. Ihr ____________ das Schnitzel mit Pommes. (nehmen)
9. Unsere Studenten __________ oft Filme. (sehen)
10. ____________ er seine Kinder draußen im Garten?
(sehen)

Ex. U: Artikel. Lesen Sie den Artikel und beantworten Sie die Fragen.
Alles über Stefan
Stefan ist sechsundvierzig Jahre alt. Er kommt aus Stuttgart aber

Section 2-4 | 305

er wohnt und arbeitet in Aachen. Er ist nicht sehr modern aber sehr
kompetent. Er liest gern Harry Potter, Herr der Ringe und andere
Fantasy-Bücher. Er isst sehr gern Nudeln, Salat und Schnitzel. Er
trinkt gern Tee, Mineralwasser und manchmal eine Cola. Stefan
sucht immer seine Brille. Es gibt viel in Stefans Haus. Es gibt einen
Tisch, ein Sofa, ein Bett, einen Fernseher aber keine Zeitung. Stefan
liest keine Zeitung, aber manchmal liest er die Nachrichten im
Internet.
Stefans Familie ist sehr groß. Er hat eine Frau und zwei Kinder.
Seine Frau arbeitet als Lehrerin. Seine Kinder heißen Katrin und
Erick. Sie sind aktiv, athletisch und super intelligent. Erick studiert
in England, und Katrin arbeitet in Boston. Katrin hat ein Haus in
Boston. Sie liest sehr gern. Sie liest alles—Fantasy-Bücher, Krimis,
Science-Fiction…usw. Sie hat ihren Doktortitel. Erick kocht sehr
gern. Er kocht gern Gemüse. Manchmal grillt er Fleisch. Erick hat
eine Freundin aber Katrin hat keinen Freund. Sie sagt, sie hat keine
Zeit für einen Freund.
Stefan hat auch eine Mutter und einen Vater. Seine Mutter heißt
Annika und sein Vater heißt Johann. Stefans Eltern sind sehr alt aber
gesund. Stefan hat keine Großmutter und keinen Großvater. Sie
sind schon lange tot. Stefan hat auch viele Tanten, Onkel, Cousins
und Cousinen, aber er kennt sie alle nicht. Seine Familie ist sehr
groß.

1. Wie alt ist Stefan?

2. Was macht Stefan gern?
3. Gibt es eine Zeitung bei Stefan zu Hause?
4. Wie viele Kinder hat Stefan? Wie heißen sie?
5. Warum hat Katrin keinen Freund?
6. Beschreiben Sie Stefans Familie!

Ex. V: Nicos Weg. Episode 15: Eine Pizza bitte! Watch episode 15 of
Nicos Weg and answer the questions online. You will see the stem-
changing verbs nehmen and essen.

306 | Section 2-4

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/eine-pizza-bitte/l-37279261#.

Extra Practice with stem-changing verbs:

• https://www.germanzone.org/stem-changing-verbs-4/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/stem-changing-verbs-3/.

Section 2-4 | 307

20. Section 2-5
2.5: Accusative Prepositions
You learned in a previous section that the accusative case is used
for direct objects.
Der Professor kauft einen Computer.
(direct object)
To sum it up, we add an extra –en to the ending of ein-words, kein,
and possessive adjectives that are masculine. The definite article
der becomes den.
The accusative case will also be used after the following
prepositions:

Whenever you see one of these, use the accusative case on the
noun or pronoun that comes immediately after it.
Beispiele:

• Unser Neffe geht durch die Stadt. (through the city)

• Die Geschwister kaufen Gemüse für ihre Eltern. (for their
parents)
• Die Schwester spielt gegen ihren Bruder. (against her brother)
• Ich esse lieber Pommes frites ohne Mayo. (without
mayonnaise)
• Der Mann fährt um die Ecke. (around the corner)

308 | Section 2-5

 • Tschüss! Bis Montag! (until Monday)

Video. Watch Anja’s video to see her reteaching accusative

prepositions with more examples.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=540#oembed-1

Ex. A: Was passiert? Fill in the blank with an accusative preposition

to complete the sentence.

1. Das Auto stößt _______ ein Auto.

2. Das Auto fährt ________ die Ecke.

Section 2-5 | 309

3. Das Auto fährt ________ die Straßenlaterne.

310 | Section 2-5

4. Das Kind hat ein Geschenk ________ seinen Vater.

Section 2-5 | 311

5. „Ich fahre nach New York! _______ Sonntag!“

312 | Section 2-5

6. Wir sehen ein Mädchen _______ Geld.

Section 2-5 | 313

 7. Unser Bus fährt ______ fünf nach neun los.

314 | Section 2-5

8. Der Mann geht _______ die Tür.

Section 2-5 | 315

Ex. B: Durch. Beschreiben Sie Ihre Reise! Using a map, tell which
cities you will drive through to get to your destination.
Beispiel: Wir sind in Italien und reisen nach Frankreich.
→Wir fahren durch Italien, die Schweiz, und
Frankreich.
(We’re driving through Italy, Switzerland, and France.)

1. Wir sind in Portugal und reisen nach Belgien.

2. Wir sind in Finnland und reisen nach Litauen.
3. Wir sind in Ungarn und reisen nach Polen.
4. Wir sind in Italien und reisen nach Tschechien.
5. Wir sind in Dänemark und reisen nach Österreich.
6. Wir sind in Spanien und reisen nach Polen.
7. *Wir sind in Deutschland und reisen nach England.

316 | Section 2-5

Ex. C: Für wen macht sie das? For whom is Jasmin doing the
following things? Don’t forget to put the word after für in the
accusative case.
Beispiel: Für wen kocht
Jasmin? (grandfather)
→Sie kocht für ihren
Großvater.
(She is cooking for her grandfather).

1. Für wen kauft Jasmin einen Pulli? (cousin/m.)

2. Für wen schreibt Jasmin eine E-Mail? (siblings)
3. Für wen macht Jasmin einen Obstsalat? (uncle)
4. Für wen sucht Jasmin ein Geschenk? (niece)
5. Für wen zeichnet Jasmin ein Bild? (brother-in-law)
6. Für wen spricht Jasmin Türkisch? (grandmother)
7. Für wen trägt Jasmin eine Jacke? (mother)

Ex. D: Wer spielt gegen wen? Who is playing against whom? Answer
the questions with the cues provided. Don’t forget to put the word
after gegen in the accusative case.
Beispiel: Tanja/ihr Vater
→Tanja spielt gegen ihren Vater.

1. Matthias/seine Tante
2. Sophia/ihr Enkel
3. Jana/ihr Onkel
4. das Kind/sein Hund
5. die Enkelin/ihre Großeltern
6. mein Neffe/seine Schwägerin
7. dein Bruder/seine Frau
8. unsere Mutter/unser Vater

Ex. E: Ohne! Using vocabulary for articles of clothing, describe

Section 2-5 | 317

what you will be traveling without; then say what you will take
with you instead. Don’t forget to put the word after ohne in the
accusative case, as well as any direct objects. They are underlined in
the example below.
Beispiel: Wir reisen im Sommer nach Florida.
→Ich reise ohne meine Jacke; ich
nehme einen Badeanzug mit.

1. Wir reisen im Winter nach Minnesota.

2. Wir reisen im Frühling nach Florida.
3. Wir reisen im Herbst nach Vermont.
4. Wir reisen im Sommer nach Alaska.
5. Wir reisen im Winter nach Hawaii.
6. Wir reisen im Frühling nach Mexiko.
7. Wir reisen im Herbst nach Deutschland.

Ex. F: Um. Wir helfen Touristen! Using the words in the box
above, describe that the following places are located just around the
word in parenthesis. Don’t forget to put the word after um in the
accusative.

Beispiel: A: Wo finde ich das Kino? (die Ecke)

B: Gehen Sie um die Ecke.

1. Wo finde ich den See? (der Baum)

2. Wo finde ich das Dorf? (die Stadt)
3. Wo finde ich den Supermarkt? (die Post)
4. Wo finde ich die Bank? (die Bibliothek)
5. Wo finde ich die Post? (der Supermarkt)

318 | Section 2-5

6. Wo finde ich die Universität? (die Stadt)

Ex. G: Bis. Wohin fährt Thomas? Using the schedule below, describe
how long Thomas will stay at each location.

Montag Dienstag Mittwoch Donnerstag Freitag Samstag Sonntag

England Engl. Engl. Dänemark Dän. Dän. Dän.

Dän. Belgien Belg. Belg. Belg. Irland Irl.

Irl. Irl. Finnland Finn. Finn. Spanien Span.

Beispiel: England
→Thomas fährt am Montag nach
England. Er bleibt bis Mittwoch.
Ex. H: Welches Wort passt?

1. Wir reisen nach Tennessee

und fahren durch ______ Berge. a. die b. den c. der

2. Die Tochter reist ohne _______ Vater nach Italien. a. ihre b.

ihren c. ihr
3. Die Touristen fahren um _______ Stadt. a. die b. den c. das
4. Viele Kinder arbeiten für ______ Eltern. a. ihre b. ihren c.
ihr
5. Es gibt nicht viele Tage ______ Weihnachten. a. um b. bis
c. gegen
6. Käse ist lecker! Ich kaufe nie Pizza ______ Käse. a. durch b.
für c. ohne
7. Der Mann hat ein Geschenk (gift) ______ die Frau. a. um b.
für c. gegen
8. Viele Studenten machen Eine Reise ______ die Welt. a. um
b. ohne c. bis

Section 2-5 | 319

 9. Viele Studenten reisen ______ ihre Eltern. a. bis b. um c.
ohne
Ex. I: Der Akkusativ. Fill in the blank with the correct form of the
noun after each preposition.
Beispiel: Wir haben eine Pizza für __________. (our uncle)
→Wir haben eine Pizza für unseren Onkel.

1. Maike fährt ohne _________ nach Italien. (her brother)

2. Samuel reist mit Freunden durch ________. (the city)
3. Wir spazieren gern um _________. (the university)
4. Die Studenten spielen Tennis gegen __________. (the
professors)
5. Die Oma kauft einen Roman für ________. (her grandson)
6. Meine Geschwister reisen um __________. (the world)

Listen to Johannes Oerding’s song, Wenn du gehst, 2019, to hear

some accusative prepositions.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=540#oembed-2

Text: https://www.songtexte.com/songtext/johannes-oerding/
wenn-du-gehst-g5b8d67e4.html
Contractions with accusative prepositions:
Languages often form contractions, which is a short form of two
or more words combined. We do this in English frequently.

320 | Section 2-5

 These words can be used either in their long form or their
contracted form. Although they are normally used as contractions
in English, often we use the long form for emphasis.
I will not eat broccoli! vs I won’t eat broccoli.
Similarly, in German there are three of the accusative
prepositions that form contractions. Just like in English, they can be
used without the contracted form to show emphasis, but often they
are used as contractions.

Beispiele:

• Wir laufen ums Hotel. (um das Hotel = ums Hotel)

• Sie gehen durchs Dorf. (durch das Dorf = durchs Dorf)
• Du kaufst ein Eis fürs Kind. (für das Kind = fürs Kind)
• Ich tanze ums Taxi. (um das Taxi = ums Taxi)

Section 2-5 | 321

 Ex. J: Gibt es eine Kurzform? Do the following prepositional
phrases have a short form? If so, use a contraction to restate them.
Bonus: Make an entire sentence with the phrase, using a stem-
changing verb!

1. durch das Dorf

2. um die Universität
3. für mein Kind
4. um das Kino
5. gegen die Wand
6. ohne das Kind
7. für das Kind
8. durch das Zimmer

EXTRA PRACTICE with accusative pronouns:

Go to Germanzone.org’s site to practice accusative pronouns and
have your answers checked automatically.

• https://www.germanzone.org/accusative-case-personal-
pronouns-1/.
• https://www.germanzone.org/accusative-case-personal-
pronouns-2/.

Ex. K: Artikel. Lesen Sie den Artikel und beantworten Sie die Fragen.

Dillon Falkenberg reist nach Europa. Seine Cousine Tess und sein
Vater, Herr Falkenberg, kommen mit.
„Wir starten in Frankreich. Dann fahren wir durch Belgien,
Luxemburg, Deutschland, und die Schweiz,“ sagt Herr Falkenberg.

322 | Section 2-5

 Tess lächelt nicht. „Nein, wir fahren um Luxemburg,“ antwortet
sie. „Ich fahre lieber nicht durch Luxemburg.“
„Aber Tess! Was hast du gegen Luxemburg?“ fragt Dillon. „Die
Luxemburger sind so freundlich, und die Landschaft ist sehr schön!“
„Wir haben nicht genug Zeit. Wir bleiben nur zwei Wochen in
Europa, also bis August,“ sagt Tess.
Dillon ist nicht zufrieden. Ohne Luxemburg ist seine Europareise
nicht ideal.
„Moment mal!“ sagt Herr Falkenberg. „Es gibt genug Zeit für einen
Ausflug nach Luxemburg. Wir fahren kurz mal dahin, essen zu
Mittag im Restaurant und fahren weiter nach Deutschland.“
Dillon und Tess finden seine Idee sehr praktisch. Die Familie
verbringt eine Stunde im Restaurant in Luxemburg. Dann fährt sie
nach Deutschland.

1. Wer reist nach Europa?

2. Wo beginnt die Reise?
3. Was hat Tess gegen eine Reise durch Luxemburg?
4. Was für eine Idee hat Herr Falkenberg?
5. Wie lange bleibt die Familie in Luxemburg?

Ex. L: Nicos Weg. Episode 16: Zahlen bitte! Watch episode 16 of

Nicos Weg. Then do the online activities.

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/zahlen-bitte-/l-37280348.

EXTRA PRACTICE with accusative prepositions. Go to

Germanzone.org’s site to practice as much as you like with all your
answers graded.

Section 2-5 | 323

 • Fill in the blank with the correct preposition:
https://www.germanzone.org/accusative-prepositions-2/.
• This one is more advanced. Look up the words if you’re not
sure what some of them are. https://www.germanzone.org/
accusative-prepositions-1/.

324 | Section 2-5

21. Section 2-6
2.6: Accusative Personal Pronouns
In Chapter 1, you learned the nominative case personal pronouns.

ich—I wir—we

du—you (familiar) ihr—you (plural, familiar); y’all

er—he
sie—they
sie—she
Sie—you (formal)
es—it

In this chapter, you will learn the accusative case personal

pronouns. To better understand the difference between nominative
and accusative pronouns, we will compare them to English. In
English, we switch between nominative (subject) and accusative
(direct object) pronouns all the time without realizing it. For
example, we know when to use “I” and when to use “me.”

Section 2-6 | 325

 Nominative/subject Accusative/direct object

I me

you you

he him

she her

we us

they them

Here are the German equivalents in the chart below.

ich—mich wir—uns

du—dich ihr—euch

er—ihn
sie—sie (no change)
sie—sie (no change)
Sie—Sie (no change)
es—es

The trick is knowing when to use which word. Whenever you want
to refer to the subject of a sentence, use the nominative.
Nominative Examples:
Der Pulli hat viele Farben. (The pullover has many colors).
Er hat viele Farben. (It has many colors).
Willi und ich brauchen Geld. (Willi and I need money).
Wir brauchen Geld. (We need money.)
Accusative Examples:
Timo kennt Nathan Chen. (Timo knows Nathan Chen).
Timo kennt ihn. (Timo knows him.)
Ich sehe meine Eltern. (I see my parents.)

326 | Section 2-6

 Ich sehe sie. (I see them.)
By using both nominative and accusative pronouns, it makes your
German sound more natural.
A: Kennst du meinen Cousin?
B: Sebastian? Ja, ich kenne ihn!
Instead of constantly repeating the word “Cousin,” we replace it
with “ihn” (him).

Video: Watch Easy German’s video to see a review of both

nominative and accusative personal pronouns.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=544#oembed-1

Ex. A: Accusative pronouns. Fill in the blank with the correct

accusative pronoun.
Beispiel: A: Kennst du meinen Bruder?
B: Nein. Ich kenne _______ nicht.
Ich kenne ihn nicht.

A: Kennst du meine Schwester?

B: Nein, ich kenne __________ nicht.
A: Hast du mein Buch?
B: Nein, ich habe ________ nicht.
A: Kennt er die Professorin?

Section 2-6 | 327

 B: Ja, er kennt _______.
A: Sieht sie mich?
B: Ja, sie sieht __________.
A: Kennst du John Smith?
B: Nein, ich kenne ________ nicht.
A: Siehst du mich und meine Schwester?
B: Ja, ich sehe __________.
A: Brauchst du den Kuli?
B: Ja, ich brauche _______.
A: Verstehen Sie uns, Frau Schmidt?
B: Nein, ich verstehe _______ nicht.
A: Kauft dein Neffe das Auto?
B: Ja, er kauft _______.
Ex. B: Wen oder was kennst du? You can use the verb kennen to
say that you know someone or are familiar with a person, city, book,
or film. Using the verb kennen and accusative pronouns, answer the
following questions with a partner.
Beispiel: Daniel Radcliffe
A: Kennst du Daniel Radcliffe?
B: Ja, ich kenne ihn.
ODER
B: Nein, ich kenne ihn nicht.
(Put nicht after the direct object)

1. Madonna
2. Vladimir Putin
3. die Gruppe BTS
4. Helen Hunt
5. Harry Styles
6. Florence, Alabama
7. Das Boot
8. Frau Doktor Vance
9. Bettina Matthias

328 | Section 2-6

Deutsche Musik: Listen to Blümchen’s hit from the 90s, Er liebt
mich, to hear examples of accusative pronouns in the lyrics.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=544#oembed-2

Songtext: https://genius.com/Blumchen-er-liebt-mich-lyrics
Ex. C: Nicos Weg. Episode 17: Ich war schon in Berlin. Watch the
video and do the online activities.

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/ich-war-schon-in-berlin/
l-37325550.
Ex. D: Nicos Weg. Episode 18: Wo liegt das? Watch episode 17 of
Nicos Weg and do the online activities. In this video, you will learn
about directions.

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/wo-liegt-das/l-37337877.
Listen to Trio’s hit song, Da da da, from the 1980s to hear
examples of direct object pronouns:

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

Section 2-6 | 329

 from this version of the text. You can view them online here:
https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=544#oembed-3

330 | Section 2-6

22. Section 2-7
2.7: Future Tense
In section 2.4, you learned the stem-changing verb werden, which
means “to become” or “to turn (an age).”

werden—to become, to get (as in “become”)

ich werde wir werden

du wirst ihr werdet

er/sie/es wird sie/Sie werden

Das Wetter wird kalt. (The weather is getting cold.)

Mein Neffe wird sechzehn. (My nephew is turning 16.)
In German, the verb werden is also used as a helping verb to form
the future tense. It has the same meaning as English “will.”
Beispiel:
Wir werden am Dienstag nach Europa reisen.
(We will on Tuesday to Europa travel.)
Notice that reisen, to travel, is at the very end of the sentence and
NOT conjugated.

• Question 1: Why is reisen not conjugated?

• Answer: Because werden, our helping verb, is conjugated

instead. Only the first verb gets conjugated.

• Question 2: Why is reisen at the end of the sentence? It sounds

weird that way.

• Answer: Das ist Deutsch! To form the future tense, the second

Section 2-7 | 331

 verb always gets kicked to the end of the sentence.

• Comment: But it sounds like how Yoda from Star Wars talks!

• Reply: Yes, it does. Therefore, you will use Yoda as your guide
to learn word order in future tense.

Try to annoy your family and friends by attempting a few English

sentences with this word order so that you can get the hang of it in
German.

• I will tomorrow to the movies go.

• Ich werde morgen ins Kino gehen.

• Will you me help?

• Wirst du mir helfen?

• He will no vegetables eat.

• Er wird kein Gemüse essen.

332 | Section 2-7

 Ex. A: Was wirst du machen? Using the cues below, write a
complete sentence to tell what the following people will do.
Beispiel: du/ gehen/morgen/ins Hotel
→Du wirst morgen ins Hotel gehen.

1. wir/kochen/Spaghetti
2. er/fahren/nach Kanada
3. sie (sing.)/sehen/Film
4. die Studentin/sprechen/Französisch
5. es/geben/viel Obst
6. ich/lesen/Comichefte
7. du/schreiben/Roman
8. ihr/verstehen/Japanisch

Ex. B: Die Futur! Change the following sentences from the present
tense to the future tense, using the helping verb werden.
Beispiel: Ich suche mein Buch.
→Ich werde mein Buch suchen.

1. Wir reisen um die Welt.

2. Unsere Großmutter sucht ihre Brille.
3. Ich trinke keinen Apfelsaft!
4. Mein Onkel und meine Tante frühstücken draußen.
5. Wer braucht mein Auto?
6. Der Lehrer nimmt einen Salat mit Hähnchen.
7. Mein Bruder trägt nur eine kurze Hose.
8. Du isst nur Pizza und Sushi.
9. Man kauft Sandalen und Badelatschen.

Section 2-7 | 333

Ex. C: Was werden Sie machen? Ask your classmates what they will
be doing at the following times? Don’t forget to put time before
place!
Beispiel: nächsten Sommer
A: Was wirst du nächsten Sommer machen?
B: Ich werde nächsten Sommer nach Florida reisen.

1. am Dienstag
2. um drei Uhr
3. nächste Woche
4. in 10 Tagen
5. im Dezember
6. am Samstag
7. um halb neun
8. nächstes Jahr
9. im Februar

Listen to Wilhelmine’s song, An all diesen Tagen, 2022, to hear

examples of the verb werden.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=546#oembed-1

Text: https://genius.com/Wilhelmine-an-all-diesen-tagen-lyrics
Ex. D: Was werden Sie in zwanzig Jahren machen? Write a brief
paragraph about your life in twenty years. Where will you be? What
will you do?

Ex. E: Was werden diese Leute machen? Using the future tense,

334 | Section 2-7

write a complete sentence to describe what these people will do
based on the pictures.

1.
5.

Section 2-7 | 335

336 | Section 2-7
2.
6.

Section 2-7 | 337

338 | Section 2-7
3.
7.

Section 2-7 | 339

340 | Section 2-7
4.
8.

Section 2-7 | 341

Video. Click the first link to see me reteaching future tense and the
second to watch Ms. Mando’s video reteaching future tense.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=546#oembed-2

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=546#oembed-3

EXTRA PRACTICE WITH FUTURE TENSE:

Click the link to do German.net’s extra practice with future tense.
You may not know all the words, but just look at the subject in order
to conjugate the verb correctly. It will check your answers.

• https://german.net/exercises/tenses/future/.

Ex. F: Vorstellung. Lesen Sie den Artikel und beantworten Sie die
Fragen. Go to lingua.com’s website to read the article and answer
the questions online. You can also hear the article read aloud or
print a PDF of it.

• https://lingua.com/german/reading/vorstellung/.

Ex. G: Juliana in Deutschland. Lesen Sie den Artikel und

beantworten Sie die Fragen on lingua.com’s website. This one is a

342 | Section 2-7

little more challenging, but you should be on the right track with a
dictionary at your side.

• https://lingua.com/german/reading/juliana/.

Section 2-7 | 343

23. Section 2-8
2-8: Oral Proficiency Interview Practice:
Ex. 1: (Time goal—0:45-1:00)
You have just met a new student in your class. Ask at least five
questions to get to know the student better. HINT: Watch Ms.
Mando’s video for tips!

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=584#oembed-1

Ex. 2: (Time goal—1:00-1:15)

You have just made a new friend at your school who wants to
know all about you and your family. Tell about your family in as
much detail as possible.
Ex. 3: (Time goal—1:00-1:30)
You are an exchange student living with a host family in Germany.
The family wants to know about your eating habits. Explain to them
what you like and don’t like to eat and drink.
Ex. 4: (Time goal—1:00-1:30)
You are an exchange student who has accidentally become locked
in a classroom at a university in Germany. You don’t know the room
number but call public safety to describe the room you’re in.
Ex. 5: (Time goal—1:00-1:30)
You witnessed a bank robbery. Describe the suspect(s) to the
police. Don’t forget to tell what articles of clothing they were
wearing, including their colors.
Ex. 6: (Time goal—1:00-1:30)
Tell as much as possible about your favorite (or least favorite)
family member.

344 | Section 2-8

 Ex. 7: (Time goal—1:00-1:15)
You live in Germany. Your nosy next-door neighbor asks what you
will be doing next summer. Tell her, using the future tense
Ex. 8: (Time goal—1:00-1:15)
The same nosy neighbor wants to know what each member of
your family will be doing next summer. Once again, use the future
tense to tell her.
Ex. 9: (Time goal—0:45-1:00)
Describe your current schedule of classes. At what times do you
have which subjects?
Tips:

• Look back through the chapter to see what you might already
know how to say.
• Write/say as much as you can about each topic as it relates to
the above scenarios.
• Stick to what you’ve learned so far; don’t worry yet about the
grammar topics you haven’t learned yet. That will come soon
enough!
• Use lots of details. Saying more is always better!

Section 2-8 | 345

24. Chapter 2 - Glossary

346 | Chapter 2 - Glossary

Chapter 2 - Glossary | 347
348 | Chapter 2 - Glossary
Chapter 2 - Glossary | 349
350 | Chapter 2 - Glossary
25. Section 3-1

Kapitel 3

In Chapter 2, you continued your study of verbs by learning about

stem-changing verbs. You used the stem-changing verb geben, in
the expression “es gibt,” which means “there is” or “there are.”
Es gibt einen Fluss in Nordalabama. (There is a river in
North Alabama.)
Es gibt ein Meer im Süden. (There is a sea in the
south.)

We can also use the verb haben to describe what landmarks

certain areas have.
Unsere Stadt hat einen See. (Our city has a lake.)
Das Land hat viele Hügel. (The country has
many hills.)

Remember! The direct object, the noun that follows the verb,
must be in the accusative case! (i.e. masculine adds –en to the
definite or indefinite article.)

Ex. A: Beschreiben Sie Ihre Heimat! Describe your homeland.

What landscape features are there? Use the verb haben and the
expression es gibt to write at least five sentences.
1.
2.
3.
Section 3-1 | 351
4.
5.
Ex. B: Geographie. Go to Germanzone.org’s website and do the
following exercises.

• https://www.germanzone.org/articles-ein-
kein-1-geographie/
• https://www.germanzone.org/noun-plural-
forms-2-geographie/

Ex. C: Wo liegt…? Using a map of Europe, describe what the

following things are and where they are located.
Beispiel: A: Was ist Spanien?
B: Spanien ist ein Land.
A: Wo liegt Spanien?
B: Spanien liegt im Westen.

352 | Section 3-1

 1. Finnland
2. Berlin
3. die Nordsee
4. Italien
5. der Rhein
6. die Alpen (plural!)
7. Kreta
8. die Donau
9. Nordrhein-Westfalen

Ex. D: Nicos Weg. Episode 19: In Europa. Watch episode 19 of Nicos

Weg and do the online activities. You will review word order and the
indefinite pronoun “man.” Don’t forget that German word order can
vary as long as the verb comes in second position.

• Man isst Pizza in Italien.

• Pizza isst man in Italien.
• In Italien isst man Pizza.

Note–the verb still comes second!

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/in-europa/l-37328492

EXTRA PRACTICE:
Want to test your German knowledge of Geography? Go to
germanzone.org’s website and to see how much you already know.

• https://www.germanzone.org/europa-und-die-eu/
• https://www.germanzone.org/germany-states/

Section 3-1 | 353

 Ex. E: Nicos Weg. Episode 20: Andere Länder. Watch the video
and do the online activities. You will review the stem-changing verb
sprechen, to speak. Don’t forget that its stem changes from “e” to “i”
at the du and er/sie/es forms.
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/andere-l%C3%A4nder/
l-37337244

3.1: Imperativ
In this chapter, you will continue using the same verbs you
learned in chapters 1 and 2 to make commands. With the imperative,
you can tell people to do things.
Englische Beispiele:

• Go home!
• Do your homework!
• Drink more water!

In all of these examples, the verb comes first. Similarly, the verb
comes first in German commands.
Deutsche Beispiele:

• Gehen Sie nach Hause!

• Machen Sie Ihre Hausaufgaben!
• Trinken Sie mehr Wasser!

*probieren—to try something (food, a new sport, hobby, etc.)

Because German has different words for “you” that imply different

354 | Section 3-1

levels of acquaintance, i.e. du vs. Sie vs. ihr, there will be different
forms of commands. We will begin with Sie commands.

The good news is that there is only one verb with an irregular
imperative form: sein–to be.
Sie imperative for sein: Seien Sie!

• Seien Sie glücklich! (Be happy!)

• Seien Sie optimistisch! (Be optimistic!)
• Seien Sie nicht so pessimistisch! (Don’t be so pessimistic!)

Video. Click to see me reteaching imperative for “Sie.”

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-1

Ex. A: Imperativ! Form polite commands out of the cues below. You
may need to add definite or indefinite articles or prepositions.

Section 3-1 | 355

 Beispiel: fahren/Vermont
→Fahren Sie nach Vermont.

1. essen/Gemüse
2. sein/ruhig
3. werden/gesund
4. trinken/mehr Wasser
5. lesen/Zeitung
6. wandern/im Park
7. fahren/New York
8. tragen/Jacke

Ex. B: Guter Rat. Read the following situations and respond with
appropriate advice in the form of a Sie command. Bonus: Give more
than one command as advice!
Beispiel: Ich bin müde.
→Schlafen Sie!

1. Ich habe Hunger.

2. Es ist kalt.
3. Es ist heiß.
4. Ich habe kein Geld.
5. Ich habe keine Katze.
6. Ich vermisse meine Freunde.
7. Es ist langweilig.
8. Ich habe viel Energie!
9. Ich liebe Musik.

How to soften a command:

Sometimes, a command can sound a little too direct. If you want
to soften a command and not sound so authoritarian, you can add
the word doch or mal. Doch and mal are flavoring particles that
can soften a command to make it sound more like a suggestion. As
always, you can always add bitte, please, to make a command not so
direct.

356 | Section 3-1

 • Trinken Sie doch mehr Wasser! (You should) drink more
water.
• Probieren Sie mal den italienischen Kuchen! Just try the
Italian cake!
• Gehen Sie bitte ins Bett. Du siehst müde aus. Please go to bed.
You look tired.

Negative Commands:
In order to make a command negative, all you have to do is negate
it with nicht or kein. In Chapter 1, you learned that to negate
adjectives or adverbs, we use the word nicht in front of them.

• Ich bin nicht pessimistisch! (I am not pessimistic!)

To negate direct objects, nicht comes after the direct object.

• Ich kaufe den Computer nicht. (I’m not buying the

computer.)

To negate a prepositional phrase, nicht comes before the

preposition.

• Ich bleibe nicht in Spanien. (I’m not staying in Spain.)

To negate indefinite articles, aka forms of the word ein–, we add a

“k” to make it kein-.

• Ich esse keine Schokolade. (I eat no chocolate.)

Section 3-1 | 357

To negate a command, we will use these same rules.

• Seien Sie nicht so pessimistisch! (Don’t be so pessimistic!)

• Kaufen Sie den Computer nicht! (Don’t buy the computer!)
• Bleiben Sie nicht in Spanien! (Don’t stay in Spain!)
• Essen Sie keine Schokolade! (Don’t eat any chocolate!)

To soften these commands, add the flavoring particle mal. Flavoring

particles have no English equivalent, but they do change the feeling
of the command.

• Essen Sie mal keine Schokolade! (Mal softens the

command.)

To try to persuade someone with your command, you can add the
flavoring particle doch.

• Seien Sie doch nicht so pessimistisch! (Doch tries to

convince!)
• Bleiben Sie doch nicht in Spanien!

And, as always, it never hurts to use the word bitte, please, in a

command.

• Kaufen Sie den Computer bitte nicht!

Ex. C: Bitte nicht! Using the cues, make negative commands to tell
your partner not to do the following things.
Beispiel: sein/faul
→Seien Sie nicht faul!

1. schwimmen/am Montag
2. wohnen/in Tokio
3. tanzen/in der Disco
4. singen/Rap-Musik
5. tragen/Jacke

358 | Section 3-1

6. kochen/Suppe
7. lesen/Zeitung
8. fragen/Professor
9. fliegen/nach Russland

Ex. D: Lieber Freund…ich habe ein Problem! Lesen Sie die Situation.
Schreiben Sie ein paar Vorschläge. Tell the person what to do or
NOT to do in order to solve his problem, using polite commands.

Ex. E: Touristen. You have just met a German tourist in your area
who wants to know what he should do here. You may want to use
some of the landmarks at the beginning of the chapter.

• Use the polite imperative

(since you’re talking to a
stranger).
• Use flavoring particles doch and mal.
• Use both positive and negative commands.

Beispiel: Essen Sie doch bei Ricatonis. Essen Sie

nicht bei McDonalds.

Section 3-1 | 359

Ex. F: Auf Deutsch! Translate the following commands into German,
using the Sie-imperative. Add flavoring particles as necessary.

1. Swim faster!
2. Don’t work so long!
3. Ask your professor.
4. Read the newspaper.
5. Speak louder!
6. Don’t drive so fast!
7. Don’t sleep so late!
8. Stay home today.
9. Wait here.

Wir-Imperativ: Let’s _________!

We can also form the imperative with the wir-form of the verb. In
English, this translates to the “let’s” form.

• Let’s eat!
• Let’s discuss the problem.
• Let’s earn some money.

To make this form in German, we put the verb first and THEN the
pronoun wir.

• Essen wir!
• Besprechen wir das
Problem.

360 | Section 3-1

 • Verdienen wir Geld.

Wir-imperative: INFINITIVE + WIR.

Just like Sie-Commands, there is only one verb that is
irregular—sein.

• Seien wir nicht so kritisch! (Let’s not be so critical!)

• Seien wir pünktlich. (Let’s be punctual.)

Video. Click the link to watch me reteaching “let’s” commands.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-2

„Gehen wir ________.“

You can combine several verbs together with the verb gehen,
especially when using the wir-imperative.

Often, you will see verbs listed together with gehen.

• schwimmen gehen—to go swimming

• tanzen gehen—to go dancing
• einkaufen gehen—to go shopping

Section 3-1 | 361

To make a wir-command out of them, we will conjugate the last
verb.

• Gehen wir schwimmen! Let’s go swimming!

• Gehen wir tanzen! Let’s go dancing!
• Gehen wir einkaufen! Let’s go shopping!

You might see phrases listed like this as well with a noun or
prepositional phrase in front and a verb infinitive after it.

• Fußball spielen—to play soccer

• ins Bett gehen—to go to bed
• Musik hören—to listen to music

Make sure to conjugate the verb and put the rest of the phrase after
that.

• Die Kinder spielen Fußball. The children are playing

soccer.
• Du gehst ins Bett. You’re going to bed.
• Markus hört Musik. Markus is listening to music.

Ex. G: Machen wir das! With a partner, take turns suggesting that
you do the following activities, using the wir-imperative.
Beispiel: schwimmen gehen
A: Gehen wir schwimmen! (Let’s go
swimming!)
B: Ja, machen wir das! (Yes, let’s do
that!)
ODER
B: Nein, lieber nicht. (No, I’d rather
not.)

362 | Section 3-1

 1. Nudeln kochen
2. ins Restaurant gehen
3. Karaoke singen
4. spazieren gehen
5. die Landschaft malen
6. Fotos machen
7. nach Hause laufen
8. mit den Haien surfen
9. eine Pizza bestellen

Ex. H: Wir planen eine Party! Sie planen eine Party mit Ihren
Freunden. Machen Sie viele Vorschläge mit dem Imperativ.

• Was werden wir kochen?

• Was werden wir tun?
• Was für Musik werden wir
hören?
• Was werden wir spielen?
• …usw

Ex. I: Auf Deutsch! Übersetzen Sie ins Deutsche!

1. Let’s play tennis!

2. Let’s work at home today.
3. Let’s order chicken and a salad.
4. Let’s visit our grandparents.
5. Let’s not wait here.
6. Let’s go shopping!
7. Let’s go jogging.
8. Let’s not stay in Europe.

Section 3-1 | 363

9. Let’s be healthy!

Ex. J: Planen wir unseren Tag! Sie haben heute frei. Planen Sie Ihren
Tag mit einem Partner. Benutzen Sie den wir-Imperativ mit den
folgenden Verben.

(Hint: make a short list of verbs you want to use first!)

Ex. K: Wiederholung! Using your answers to Ex. J, write a brief

paragraph summarizing your plans in the future tense, which you
learned in chapter 2. For example, if you and your partner said,
“Reisen wir nach England!” you would restate that in the future
tense as “Wir werden nach England reisen.”

Video: We now interrupt this section on the imperative to suggest

the following Easy German video on gestures in German! The first
few are similar to English.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-3

Ex. L: Video. Nicos Weg. Episode 21: Was ist das? Watch episode
21 and do the online activities. You will review how to form plurals,
which you learned in Chapter 1.
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/was-ist-das/l-37368285
Du Commands:

364 | Section 3-1

 When giving a command to someone that you know very well
and to whom you would normally say “du,” you will need to form
the commands differently. The good news is that the “du” form of
commands is very close to how we form them in English, i.e., with
only the verb.
Geh nach Hause! (Go home!)
Kauf das Brot. (Buy the bread.)
Halt! (Stop!)
Schlaf nicht so lange. (Don’t sleep so long.)
Sei doch nicht so spät! (Don’t be so late!)
Notice that we use the verb stem to form the du-command. Just
like in English, the verb should come first.

Geh nach Hause! (geh-en)

Kauf das Brot. (kauf-en)
Halt! (halt-en)
Schlaf nicht so lange. (schlaf-en)
Sei doch nicht so spät! (sei-n)
Also notice that, unlike Sie commands, we don’t use the word “du.”
If the verb stem ends in -d- or -t-, it often adds an “e” to the end
of the command.
Arbeite! (Work!)
Finde die Kinder. (Find the children.)
Warte auf mich! (Wait for me!)
…HOWEVER, in everyday speech, it sometimes gets dropped.
Wart’ auf mich!

Section 3-1 | 365

 Ex. M: Mach das! Roleplay: You are a babysitter for a young child.
Tell him what to do, using the du-imperative. Don’t forget that you
can always add the flavoring particles doch and mal, as well as bitte.
Beispiel: eine Jacke tragen
→Trag doch eine Jacke!

1. Hausaufgaben machen
2. ins Bett gehen
3. Milch trinken
4. lernen
5. hier bleiben
6. die Katze suchen
7. halten
8. schlafen
9. warten

Ex. N: Auf Deutsch! Übersetzen Sie ins Deutsche!

1. Drive home.
2. Don’t sleep so long.
3. Please wait here.
4. Go swimming.
5. Don’t come home so late.
6. Don’t be so lazy.
7. Dance!
8. Cook something.
9. Don’t travel to Cuba.

366 | Section 3-1

Ex. O: Ich habe ein Problem. Give advice, using the du-imperative.

1. Ich habe Durst.

2. Ich vermisse Deutschland.
3. Ich spreche kein Spanisch.
4. Ich bin nicht fit.
5. Ich liebe Herr der Ringe und Harry Potter.
6. Ich brauche mehr Bücher.
7. Ich verstehe kein Chinesisch!
8. Ich habe Hunger.
9. Es ist zu kalt.

Listen to Steinwolke’s song, Katharine Katharine, 1983 to hear some

simple du-commands.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-4

Listen to Blümchen’s hit song, Komm auf meinen Stern, from the
90s, to hear examples of the imperative with du. You should be able
to understand most of the lyrics, which have many of the concepts
from previous chapters.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-5

Songtext: https://genius.com/Blumchen-komm-auf-meinen-
stern-lyrics

Section 3-1 | 367

 And here’s a later hit by Blümchen with more commands: S.O.S.
Herz in Not.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-6

Songtext: https://genius.com/Blumchen-sos-herz-in-not-lyrics
Wilhelmine’s song, Komm wie du bist, 2020, also has examples of
du-imperative in it.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-7

Text: https://genius.com/Wilhelmine-komm-wie-du-bist-lyrics
In Chapter 2, you learned about stem-changing verbs, such as
lesen and nehmen, whose stems change from e→i or ie. The stems
of these verbs also change when conjugated…but only for du and
er/sie/es.
Du liest die Zeitung. (e→ie)
Er nimmt das Schnitzel mit Pommes frites. (e→i)
To make an informal command, you will need to keep this stem-
change. In the chart below, you can compare the infinitive with the
conjugated form and finally the command form.

368 | Section 3-1

 Lies keine Comichefte. (Don’t read any comic
books.)
To sum it up, the command should not have the –st verb ending
on it.

In Chapter 2, you also learned about stem-changing verbs that

change from a→ä. The good news is that these verbs don’t change
the stem when forming the du-imperative.
Fahr doch nicht so schnell! (Don’t drive so fast!)
Lauf mal nach Hause. (Run home.)
Schlaf doch nicht so lange! (Don’t sleep so long!)
Video. Click to watch me reteaching the du-imperative.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-8

Section 3-1 | 369

Watch YourGermanTeacher’s video to see a review of the difference
between the du-imperative and Sie-imperative:

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-9

Ex. P: Mach es heute! Your friend says she will do the following
things later. Using the informal imperative, tell her to do them today.
Beispiel: Ich koche die Suppe am Freitag.
→Koch die Suppe doch heute!

1. Ich arbeite morgen.

2. Ich gehe am Donnerstag spazieren.
3. Ich lerne für das Quiz nächste Woche.
4. Ich mache meine Hausaufgaben am Sonntag.
5. Ich esse gesund am Wochenende.
6. Ich lese den Roman nächste Woche.
7. Ich gehe am Donnerstag einkaufen.
8. Ich fahre am Mittwoch zu Emma.
9. Ich repariere den Computer nächsten Monat.

Ex. Q: Guter Rat. You meet an incoming freshman who knows

nothing about life at UNA. Using the imperative, give him tips on
what to do and what NOT to do.

Beispiel:
Lern Deutsch!
Iss nicht bei McDonalds!…usw.
Ex. R: Video. Nicos Weg. Episode 22: Wem gehört das? Watch
episode 22 and do the online activities. You will review indefinite
articles and noun plurals, which you learned in Chapter 1.

370 | Section 3-1

 https://learngerman.dw.com/en/wem-geh%C3%B6rt-das/
l-37372077
Ihr Imperative:
To give a command to two or more people who you know very
well, i.e. friends, classmates, family, you will form the imperative
from the ihr-conjugation of the verb. Just like English, the verb will
come first, and the word “ihr” will not be included.
Step 1: Conjugate the verb for “ihr”→ihr geht
Step 2: Get rid of the word “ihr”→geht
Finished command: Geht!
Beispiele:

• Geht nach Hause! (Go home!)

• Sprecht doch auf Deutsch. (Speak in German!)
• Gebt mir mal den Salat. (Give me the salad.)

Don’t worry about stem-changing verbs; remember—they only

stem-change at du and er/sie/es, NOT ihr.
Video. Click to see me reteaching “ihr” commands.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-10

Or watch YourGermanTeacher’s video to see him giving lots more

examples with ihr-commands. He also reviews Sie-commands for

Section 3-1 | 371

when you need to order around groups of people that you need to
treat with respect.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-11

Ex. S: Macht das! Using the verb infinitives below, tell your
classmates to do the following things. You may need to put the
appropriate endings on definite and indefinite articles. (Don’t forget
that any direct objects must be in the accusative case, i.e. masculine
gets an extra -en.)
Beispiel: d- /Badeanzug/kaufen
→Kauft den Badeanzug.

1. d-/Artikel/lesen
2. d-Auto/fahren
3. mein-/Badelatschen/finden
4. d-/Professorin/fragen
5. „Guten Morgen“/sagen
6. schwimmen gehen
7. ein-/Bild/zeichnen
8. mir/eur-/Jacken/geben
9. d-/Äpfel/essen

372 | Section 3-1

Video. Watch Easy German’s video about giving directions. In the
box below are several helpful phrases from the video.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-12

When asking for directions,

Section 3-1 | 373

you can phrase these questions using German that you already
know.

• Ich suche die Apotheke. I’m looking for the

pharmacy.
• Gibt es hier einen Supermarkt? Is there a supermarket
here?

Don’t forget that the direct object will go in the accusative case, i.e.
masculine gets an extra -en.
To give directions, use the imperative.

• Gehen Sie geradeaus. Go straight ahead.

• Fahren Sie nach links. Drive to the left.
• Laufen Sie in diese Richtung. Run/walk in this
direction.

If you know the person well, you can use an informal du-command.

• Geh geradeaus.
• Fahr nach links.
• Lauf in diese Richtung.

If you want to suggest to your group of friends to go in a certain

direction, you can always use the wir-command form.

• Gehen wir geradeaus. Let’s go straight ahead.

• Fahren wir nach links. Let’s drive to the left.
• Laufen wir in diese Richtung. Let’s run/walk in this
direction.

If you want to tell someone to go past something, use the following

construction with an…vorbei, “past.”

• Gehen Sie an „Moes“ vorbei. Go past „Moes.“

374 | Section 3-1

Ex. T: Wir fragen nach der Richtung. Using the destinations on the
same floor as your classroom, give directions on how to get there.
Beispiel: die Toilette
A: Gibt es hier eine Toilette?/Ich suche die Toilette.
B: Ja, die Toilette ist nah. Gehen Sie geradeaus. Dann
gehen Sie nach links. Die Toilette ist auf der linken Seite.

1. das Fremdsprachenbüro
2. Zimmer 106
3. die Damentoilette
4. die Herrentoilette
5. das Forschungsbüro
6. das Büro Ihrer (of your) Professorin
7. die Haupttür
8. die Hintertür

Summary of the Imperative Mood:

Section 3-1 | 375

 Let’s
du Sie ihr
_____.

verb stem;
verb
How to make keep stem- infinitive + infinitive +
conjugated
the command: change of e Sie wir
for “ihr”
to i(e) verbs.

Warten Warten
Example with
Wart!/Warte! Sie! Wartet! wir!
verbs warten
Sprich! Spreche Sprecht! Spreche
and sprechen:
n Sie! n wir!

Include Include
Don’t include Don’t include
“Sie” with “wir” with
Watch out! “du” with the “ihr” with the
the the
command. command.
command. command.

Irregular Seid! (not

Sei! Seien Sie! Seien wir!
verbsein irregular)

Ex. U: Der Imperativ. Fill in the table with the imperative for each
verb.

376 | Section 3-1

 du Sie ihr wir

1. hören

2. sagen

3. schreiben

4. lernen

5. arbeiten

6. fliegen

7. tragen

8. fragen

9. gehen

10. kommen

11. spielen

Section 3-1 | 377

 12. machen

13. sein

14. wohnen

15. brauchen

16. werden

17. lesen

18. haben

19. nehmen

20. sehen

21. sprechen

22. finden

378 | Section 3-1

23. laufen

24. schlafen

25. geben

26. trinken

27. suchen

28. bleiben

29. essen

Ex. V: Du hast das Wort! Command the following people to react

to the scenario in each picture. Be careful! You will have to decide
if you will need a “du command,” “Sie command,” or “ihr command.”
Feel free to use doch or mal to soften your command.
Beispiel: Herr Schmidt

→Essen Sie doch! OR Seien Sie nicht hungrig!

1. Johanna 5. Herr Mahler

Section 3-1 | 379

 2. Helena 6. Mark Forster

3. Mirko 7. Rotkäppchen

380 | Section 3-1

 4. diese Kinder 8. Ihr Opa

Ex. W: Guter Rat. The people below have problems. Give them
advice on how to solve their problems by using commands, aka
Imperativ! (You’ll have to decide if the command should be formal or
informal).

1. Baby: “Ich bin müde!”

Section 3-1 | 381

 2. Herr Lehmann: “Ich habe keine Klamotten!”

3. ein Freund: “Ich habe viel Energie!”

4. Ihre Schwester: “Ich habe viel Geld!”

5. Ihr Nachbar: “Ich vermisse meine

Freunde!”
Video. Watch Easy German’s video for a review of all imperative
forms and many examples used in real life.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

382 | Section 3-1

 from this version of the text. You can view them online here:
https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=587#oembed-13

EXTRA PRACTICE:
Go to Germanzone.org’s website to do some extra practice with
the imperative.
https://www.germanzone.org/imperative-mood-1/

Section 3-1 | 383

26. Section 3-2
3.2: The Twenty-Four-Hour Clock
In Chapter 2, you learned how to tell time informally, i.e. among
friends and family.

• Es ist zehn vor neun. It is ten before/until nine.

• Es ist halb drei. It is two thirty.
• Es ist elf nach sieben. It is eleven after seven.

However, in German-speaking countries, you will often see time

written out in the twenty-four-hour clock. You will see official time
on TV schedules, flights, movie times, train schedules, etc. German
does not use am and pm as in English. Instead, it continues counting
the hour after 12 noon to show that the time is pm.
To tell time on the twenty-four-hour clock, read the time out
from left to right. When you come to the colon, replace it with the
word “Uhr.”
Beispiel: 8:42 am→ Es ist acht Uhr zweiundvierzig.

If the time is pm, add twelve to the hour.

Beispiel: 4:25 pm
Step 1: 4 + 12 = 16
Step 2: 16:25
Result: Es ist sechzehn Uhr fünfundzwanzig.
Question: What if it’s midnight? Is that zero o’clock?
Answer: Yes!
Beispiel: 0:00 → Es ist null Uhr.
Beispiel: 0:17 → Es ist null Uhr siebzehn.

384 | Section 3-2

 Video. To see a review of official time, watch Learn German’s
video.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=589#oembed-1

Video. To see a review of unofficial time, which you learned in

Chapter 2, watch this Learn German video.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=589#oembed-2

Ex. A: Wieviel Uhr ist es? Using standard time, say when the
following things happen.
Beispiel: das Konzert, 13:20
A: Um wieviel Uhr ist das Konzert?
B: Das Konzert ist um dreizehn Uhr zwanzig.

1. die Deutschstunde, 9:00

2. der Film, 21:30
3. die Party, 22:45

Section 3-2 | 385

4. die Tagesschau, 20:00
5. der Flug, 17:58
6. Tatort, 20:15
7. der Test, 11:40

Ex. B: Um wieviel Uhr fährt der Zug nach…? Using the train
schedule below, answer the following questions in official time.
“Andermatt –
Glacier
Express Out
of Time” by
Kecko is
marked with
CC BY 2.0.

1. Um wieviel Uhr fährt der Zug nach Zermatt?

2. Um wieviel Uhr fährt der Zug nach Göschenen?
3. Um wieviel Uhr fährt der Zug nach Disentis?

Ex. C: Parnerarbeit. With a partner, ask each other when the trains
depart.
Beispiel: München
A: Wann fährt der Zug nach München?
B: Er fährt um sechs Uhr fünfunddreißig nach
München.

386 | Section 3-2

 “Blutdruck
wieder
senken: Die
Abfahrt der
»letzten« ist
erst um 0:30
Uhr” by
Tramgeschic
hten is
marked with
CC
BY-NC-ND
2.0.

• Bayrischzell
• Passau
• Salzburg
• Linz

Ex. D: Touristen! Sie sind Tourist/Touristin in Aachen und

besuchen den Aachener Dom. Beantworten Sie die Fragen.
Gottesdienst: jeden Tag, 7:00 und 10:00
Führungen: Montag-Donnerstag 14:00; Freitag-Samstag
11:00-17:00
Domschatzkammer: Samstag-Sonntag 10:00-17:00

Section 3-2 | 387

 “Nordfassade
Aachener
Dom –
Katschhof –
Altstadt
Aachen –
Nordrhein-
Westfalen –
Deutschland”
by Frans
Berkelaar is
marked with
CC BY-SA
2.0.

1. Gibt es einen Gottesdienst am Mittwoch? Wenn ja, um wieviel

Uhr?
2. Wann gibt es Führungen am Samstag?
3. Um wieviel Uhr ist der Gottesdienst im Aachener Dom?
4. Ist die Domschatzkammer am Donnerstag geöffnet? Wenn ja,
um wieviel Uhr?
5. Wann ist die Domschatzkammer geschlossen?
6. Wann gibt es Führungen am Dienstag?
7. Wann gibt es einen Gottesdienst am Freitag?

Ex. E: Video. Nicos Weg. Episode 23: Ich habe kein… Watch episode
23 and do the online activities. You will review kein, which you
learned in chapter 1, as well as the accusative case.

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/ich–habe-kein/l-37382992

388 | Section 3-2

 EXTRA PRACTICE: Go to Germanzone.org’s website for extra
practice with official time. As always, the site will grade your
answers.

• https://www.germanzone.org/telling-time-4-official-time/
• https://www.germanzone.org/telling-time-3-official-time/

The following Germanzone.org exercises combine both official and

colloquial time (which you learned in Chapter 2.)

• https://www.germanzone.org/telling-time-5/
• https://www.germanzone.org/time-telling-time-6-wie-viel-
uhr-ist-es/

Section 3-2 | 389

27. Section 3-3
3-3: Der-words vs. ein-words
In Chapter 1, you learned how to distinguish between the definite
article (der/die/das) and the indefinite article (ein/eine).
Masculine: der Pulli→ein Pulli
Feminine: die Bluse→eine Bluse
Neuter: das T-shirt→ein T-shirt
Note that neither masculine nor neuter add any endings for ein-
words. This also applies to possessive adjectives.
Masculine: der Bikini→ihr Bikini (no ending)
Feminine: die Mütze→seine Mütze (adds –e)
Neuter: das Hemd→mein Hemd (no ending)
Plural: die Schuhe→deine Schuhe (adds –e)
In Chapter 2, you continued by adding the accusative case definite
and indefinite endings.

Review: The accusative case is used for direct objects.

The only thing that changes is masculine, which adds an
extra –en to the definite or indefinite article.

Masculine: Ich habe einen Cousin.

Feminine: Wir besuchen unsere Nichte.
Neuter: Er kennt mein Kind.
Plural: Die Arbeiter produzieren die Sandalen.
You have learned all of the ein-words so far, i.e., words that have
the same pattern of endings as “ein/eine.”

⇒NEU: There are a few more words that follow the same pattern

390 | Section 3-3

as the definite article (der/die/das/den). They are listed below with
a dash after them to show where the new ending will go.

HOW TO USE THESE DER-WORDS:

• Look at the definite article. Ex. der See (the lake)

• Put the letters you see at the end of it on the new der-word.
• dieser See (this lake)

Examples with dies– in the nominative case:

Masculine: der Anzug→dieser Anzug (this suit)
Feminine: die Jacke→diese Jacke (this jacket)
Neuter: das Kleid→dieses Kleid (this dress)
Plural: die Kleider→diese Kleider (these dresses)
Examples with jed– in the nominative case:
Masculine: der Baum→jeder Baum (every tree)
Feminine: die Universität→jede Universität (every university)
Neuter: das Dorf→jedes Dorf (every village)
Examples with welch– in the nominative case:
Masculine: der Hut→welcher Hut (which hat)
Feminine: die Jeans→welche Jeans (which jeans)
Neuter: das Kino→welches Kino (which movie theater)
Plural: die Zeitungen→welche Zeitungen (which
newspapers)

Section 3-3 | 391

 In short, dies-, jed-, welch-, and all– will have the exact same
ending as whatever der/die/das/den has.
HOWEVER…all– will usually be plural.
Beispiel: Alle Studenten haben Hausaufgaben.
WHY? Because it would sound really strange to say, “All Student
have homework.”

Video. Click to see me reteaching der-words vs. ein-words.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=591#oembed-1

Ex. A: Welcher Anzug ist lila? Using the pictures below, ask a
partner several questions.
Beispiel: Pulli, gelb
A: Welcher Anzug ist lila?

B: Dieser Anzug ist lila. →

392 | Section 3-3

Section 3-3 | 393
 Ex. B: Welches Buch ist mein Buch? With your classmates,
practice switching between der-words and ein-words by pointing
out which items belong to you.
A: Welches Buch ist dein Buch?
B: Dieses Buch ist mein Buch. (Pointing to book.)
When you run out of your own items, swap to classroom items
and ask what belongs to us.
A: Welcher Tisch ist unser Tisch?
B: Dieser Tisch ist unser Tisch?
(Yes, I realize this exercise sounds sort of like two toddlers
learning to talk, but we have to start simple!)
Ex. C: Welche Studentin studiert Geschichte? Who among your
classmates is mentioned in these questions? If more than one
student satisfies the answers, feel free to answer in the plural.
Beispiel: Welche Studentin studiert Geschichte?
→Diese Studentin studiert Geschichte. (point to
student)
ODER

394 | Section 3-3

 →Diese Studentinnen studieren Geschichte.

1. Welcher Student lernt

Spanisch?
2. Welcher Student spielt
Fußball?
3. Welcher Student spielt gern Videospiele?
4. Welche Studentin singt gern?
5. Welche Studentin schreibt gern Gedichte?
6. Welcher Student liest gern Comichefte?
7. Welcher Student macht gern Hausaufgaben?
8. Welche Studentin wohnt in Amerika?
9. Welcher Student schwimmt nicht gern?
10. Welche Studentin kocht nicht gern?
11. Welcher Student wandert am Wochenende?
12. Welche Studentin arbeitet zu viel?
13. Welcher Student schläft nicht genug?
14. Welcher Student hat heute Deutsch?
15. Welche Studentin macht gern Sport?

Die Tiere

1 2 3 4 5

Section 3-3 | 395

 6 7 8 9
10

396 | Section 3-3

 11 12
Ex. D: Jede Ameise ist fleißig! Using the animal vocabulary and
jed-/alle, make generalizations. Feel free to use adjectives, verbs,
or any other words you’ve learned so far. If you disagree with your
classmates’ answers, argue your point in German!
Beispiel: Ameise
A: Jede Ameise ist
fleißig. Jede Ameise arbeitet.
B: Nein, alle Ameisen
nerven.

1. Igel
2. Hund
3. Katze
4. Pferd
5. Tiger
6. Löwe
7. Delphin
8. Schwein
9. Vogel
10. Kuh
11. Schlange

Video. Now that you know some of the sounds that animals make,
feel free to watch the group Heidis Küken’s song Das kleine Küken
piept. Lyrics are in the link below the video.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=591#oembed-2

Section 3-3 | 397

Songtext: https://www.karaoke-lyrics.net/lyrics/heidis-kuken/
das-kleine-kuken-piept-565165.
Video. Click to watch Easy German’s video about dogs.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=591#oembed-3

Other der-words that have grown somewhat obsolete:

So far, you have been using dies-, jed-, welch-, and all- as der-
words. There are a few more that function the same way, but they
have been used less often over the past thirty years than previously.

• manch- many (a): Manche Kinder lernen Deutsch.

• jen- that: Jene Professorin geht nach Hause.
• solch- such: Solche Studenten arbeiten nicht.

Like all-, manch– and solch– are most often used in the plural forms
For now, it will be fine just to recognize them when you see them.
You will see them more often in older texts, such as fairy tales or
older German literature.
Ex. E: Wie finden Sie diesen Gürtel? Ask your classmates their
opinion of the following clothing items. Don’t forget that any direct
objects must be in the accusative case, i.e. masculine adds an extra
–en.

Beispiel:
A: Wie findest du diesen Gürtel?

398 | Section 3-3

 B: Ich finde ihn altmodisch.
A: Ich finde ihn aber schick!

1. 5.

2. 6.

3. 7.

Section 3-3 | 399

4. 8.

Ex. F: Gib mir diesen Kuli! Ask your partner to either give you
specific items, geben, or to show you certain items, zeigen. This
exercise combines both imperative and dies-. If you want every item
of that sort, use jed– instead! Don’t forget that direct objects should
be in the accusative case, i.e., masculine gets an extra –en.
Beispiel: pen, paper
A: Gib mir diesen Kuli. (Give
me this pen.)
B: Bitte schön. (Here you go.)
B: Zeig mir dieses Papier.
(Show me this paper.)
A: Bitte schön. (Here you go.)

1. poster
2. map
3. mouse
4. book
5. table

400 | Section 3-3

6. chair
7. window
8. clock
9. backpack

Ex. G: Nominativ vs Akkusativ. Complete the following exercises,

using both der- and ein-words. You will first need to determine
whether the word is in the nominative or accusative case. Fill in the
blanks with the correct form of “dies-“.
1. ________ Student wohnt in der Schillerstraße.
2. Der Tourist kauft _________ Buch über die
Schweiz.
3. Wir verkaufen ______________ Auto nicht.
4. __________ Universität ist sehr alt.
5. __________Politiker sprechen mit uns.
6. Die Polizei hat _______________ Mann
verhaftet (arrested).
Rewrite each sentence, replacing the word in bold print with
the new words. Watch out; der-words and ein-words are mixed
together.
7. Ich lese dein Buch.
a. dies-
b. sein-
c. euer-
8. Die Studentin parkt das Auto.
a. dies-
b. jed-
c. ein–
9. Der Bus ist pünktlich.
a. kein-
b. dies-
c. jed-
Rewrite each sentence, replacing the word in bold print with the
noun in parenthesis, making any necessary changes to the der– or
ein-word.

Section 3-3 | 401

 10. Jeder Schüler muss vorsichtig sein.
a. Studentin
b. Tourist
c. Krankenschwester
11. Welches Kind steht an der Ecke?
a. Lehrerin
b. Hund
c. Professorinnen
12. _________ Mann und ich gehen gern ins Kino.
(mein-)
13. Wir können hier nicht parken, denn _________
Parkplatz ist zu eng. (dies-)
14. _________ Tochter meinst du? Katja oder Jana?
(welch-)
15. _________ Film hast du im Kino geguckt? Star
Wars oder Star Trek? (welch-)

Ex. H: Was soll ich kaufen? Tell your partner which option to
choose (or not to choose!). Because these will be commands, you
will need to use the imperative. Make sure that your direct object
is in the accusative case. Remember, nicht will go AFTER the direct
object and in front of prepositional phrases. Add one or two
sentences after your command to explain why your partner should
or should not choose this option.

Beispiel: kaufen
A: Kauf diese Jacke! (points to yellow jacket)
B: Aber warum denn?
A: Sie ist neu.
ODER
A: Kauf diese Jacke nicht! (points to gray jacket)
B: Aber warum denn nicht?

402 | Section 3-3

 A: Sie ist zu alt.

1. tragen

2. essen

3. spielen

4. lesen

5. reisen (nach)

Section 3-3 | 403

6. wohnen (in)

7. nehmen

Ex. I: Video. Nicos Weg. Episode 24: Das Auto is rot. Watch episode
24 and do the online activities. You will review adjectives and their
opposites, which you learned in Chapter 1, as well as how to negate
adjectives by putting nicht in front of them. You will also review the
conjugation of the verb haben.

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/das-auto-ist-rot/l-37401537

404 | Section 3-3

28. Section 3-4
3.4: WAVEM Words–Adjectives of Indefinite Number
When specifying quantities, we often use words that don’t give
an exact number, such as “many,” “few,” or “some.” German also
has adjectives of indefinite number. In this book, we will use the
acronym WAVEM to remember them.

WAVEM
W—wenig/wenige little/few
A—andere other
V—viel/viele much/many
E—einige some
M—mehrere several
The WAVEM words that you see above that end in –e are plural.
That means you will only use them in front of plural words.

• W: Wenige Kinder machen gern Hausaufgaben. (Kinder =

plural)
• A: Andere Unis sind nicht so preiswert. (Unis = plural)
• V: Viele Studenten lernen eine Fremdsprache. (Studenten =
plural)
• E: Ich finde einige Kurse langweilig. (Kurse = plural)

Section 3-4 | 405

 • M: Meine Großeltern kaufen mehrere Bücher. (Bücher =
plural)

However, you will notice that there are two variations of viel/viele
and wenig/wenige. How do we know which one to use?
viel—much wenig—little
viele—many wenige—few

The ones that end in –e will still be plural. We use viel or wenig
when we are talking about collective items.

What is a collective item? Things that we usually don’t count out

separately, such as rice, money, time, or fish. In English, we use
“much” to say that we have a lot of these items.
How much money do you have?
(Not, “how many money,” which would sound strange.)
Similarly, in German, we do the same.
Wie viel Geld hast du?
(Because „Geld“ is not plural).
However, if I want to say I have a lot of things that are typically
plural in English, we will use viele in German.
Wie viele Freunde hast du?
(Because „Freunde“ is plural).
It works the same with wenig/wenige. Use wenige for plural
items; use wenig for collective items.
Ich habe wenig Geld. (I have little money.)
Ich habe wenige Freunde. (I have few friends.)

Watch Learn German’s video to see a review of viel vs. viele.

406 | Section 3-4

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=593#oembed-1

Watch Anja’s video to see even more examples.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=593#oembed-2

Ex. A: Viel oder viele? Fill in the blanks with the correct form of viel
or viele.

1. Hast du __________
Geld?
2. Nein, aber ich habe
____________ Katzen.
3. Wie ________ Hunde hast du?
4. ___________ Studenten studieren im Ausland.
5. Wie _________ Pizza haben wir?
6. Du schreibst morgen eine Prüfung in Deutsch. _________
Glück!
7. Wie _________ Zeit haben wir noch?
8. Ich belege zu __________ Kurse nächstes Semester.
9. Es gibt ___________ Probleme im Leben.
10. Wie ___________ Autos besitzt deine Familie?
11. Zu __________ Brot ist nicht gesund.
12. In Japan isst man ____________ Fisch und
___________ Reis.

Section 3-4 | 407

Ex. B: Was essen Sie? Essen Sie viel/viele oder wenig/wenige?
Trinken?
Beispiel: Ich esse viel Brot. Ich esse wenige Chips…usw.

Ex. C: Wo isst man…? Using the list from the previous exercise,
answer the following questions.

1. Wo isst man viel Reis?

2. Was isst man in Amerika?
3. Wer ist viele Gummibären?
4. Wo isst man viel Salat?
5. Wo isst man viel Fleisch?
6. Was isst man in Deutschland?
7. Was isst man in Frankreich?
8. Was isst mann auf Hawaii?
9. Was essen Vegetarier?
10. Was essen Kinder?
11. Was trinken Studenten?
12. Was trinkst du?

Ex. D: Auf Englisch! Übersetzen Sie ins Englische!

1. Unsere Eltern kaufen viel Obst und Gemüse.

2. Mein Neffe trägt viele Pullis.
3. Der Student trinkt wenig Milch.
4. Die Kinder haben andere Freunde.
5. Mehrere Cousinen besuchen uns nächste Woche.
6. Einige Cousinen kommen aus Europa; andere wohnen in Asien.
7. Frau Bauer, warum essen Sie wenig Joghurt?

408 | Section 3-4

8. Der Professor schreibt mehrere Bücher über Kunst.
9. Die Lehrerin liest einige Romane von Jane Austen.

Ex. E: Auf Deutsch! Übersetzen Sie ins Deutsche!

1. Many students drink a lot

of coffee.
2. Other students drink too little water.
3. Many mountains are in the west.
4. Some mountains are in the east.
5. Marianne buys too much pasta.
6. My brother eats little meat, but I eat a lot of meat.
7. Mrs. Piepke, do you have other children?
8. Few teenagers work after school.
9. Several tourists like to hike in Germany.

Ex. F: Was gibt es bei Ihnen? Using the landscape words at the
beginning of Chapter 3, describe your hometown or state? What is
there a lot of or little of?
Beispiel: Es gibt viele Autos. Es gibt wenige Bäume. Es gibt
viele Seen…usw.
Video. Sesamstraße. Click to see an episode of Sesame Street in
German in which Grover (Grobi) explains the difference between
viel und wenig to Cookie Monster (Krümmelmonster).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc81zyozcyo

Section 3-4 | 409

29. Section 3-5
3.5: Modal Verbs
In English, we often combine two verbs together in one sentence.
I can speak German.
I want to visit my grandfather.
I should do my homework.
In German, we call such verbs as “can,” “want to,” and “should”
modal verbs.
Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.
Ich will meinen Großvater besuchen.
Ich soll meine Hausaufgaben machen.
SOMETHING TO NOTE: In German, the last verb gets kicked to
the end of the sentence and is NOT conjugated.
Make a verb sandwich. The bread is like your two verbs. Put any
direct objects and time expressions in between them.

“A Great Sandwich” by jamesjyu is

marked with CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

410 | Section 3-5

 Subject/Verb 1/Everything Else/Verb 2
Whenever German has two verbs in the same sentence, the
second one will ALWAYS go at the end of the sentence. You also did
this in Chapter 2 when learning about the future tense, which used
the helping verb werden + infinitive.
Ich werde nächsten Sommer nach Europa reisen.
Modal verbs function the exact same way. Another good thing is
that most of them at least begin with the same letter in English or
sound similar.

Section 3-5 | 411

 All of the modal verbs are irregular, which means their
conjugations must be memorized.
BUT they all have a pattern!

PATTERNS:

• The left side of the conjugation will always be irregular, BUT it

will end up looking or sounding more like English.
• The right side of the conjugation will be regular, just like any
other regular verb.
• “Ich” and “er/sie/es” will always mirror each other and have
the same conjugation with no ending.
• The left side usually has no umlaut and changes the vowel
completely.

If you can keep these patterns in mind, you will learn the modal
verbs very quickly!
Watch Learn German’s video to see the verb können being
retaught.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-1

412 | Section 3-5

 Ex. A: Was kannst du machen? Using the verbs below, make some
sentences using the verb können about what you can and cannot do.
Then move on to your family members and friends. Don’t forget that
the second verb must be at the end of the sentence.
Beispiel: kochen
→Ich kann sehr gut kochen.
→Mein Freund kann nicht kochen.
→Meine Tante und mein Onkel können gut kochen.

• kochen
• tanzen
• singen
• malen

Section 3-5 | 413

 • schreiben
• Basketball spielen
• joggen
• Deutsch sprechen
• fahren
• schlafen

Omission of the infinitive:

Sometimes, sentences with können leave out the second verb,
especially if it can be easily figured out what the verb would be.
Kannst du Deutsch sprechen?
Kannst du Deutsch?
It looks like the second example would translate to “Can you
German?”, but since German is a language, it is pretty obviously that
the verb will have something to do with speaking. Therefore, we
can leave the verb out. We often do this in English as well, though
usually only when the verb is already known.
Can you come to the party?
nd
Yes, I can. (Notice that we have no 2 verb here!)

Ex. B: Können Sie Deutsch? Ask your classmates if they can speak
the following languages. To practice both sides of the conjugation
table, today you will use the Sie-form, treating your partner as a new
acquaintance. If you do not speak the language, remember that you
will negate it with kein to say that you speak no Italian, etc.
Beispiel: Italienisch
A: Können Sie Italienisch?
B: Ja, ich kann Italienisch.

414 | Section 3-5

 ODER
B: Nein, ich kann kein Italienisch.
ODER
B: Ja, ich kann ein bisschen Italienisch.
A: Ich kann auch Italienisch.
ODER
A: Ich kann auch kein Italienisch.

• Englisch
• Französisch
• Russisch
• Spanisch
• Japanisch
• Deutsch
• Chinesisch
• Portugiesisch
• Schwedisch

Ex. C: Bericht. Using the results of ex. B, write a brief paragraph that
sums up your partner’s language abilities.

Ex. D: Ein neuer Job! You have just applied for a new job. Make a list
of your capabilities to impress the new company so that you have a
better chance to get the job.

1. Ich kann sehr gut Englisch

(sprechen.)
2. Ich kann…
3.
4.
5.
6.

Section 3-5 | 415

 7.
8.
Ex. E: Ein neuer Job, Teil 2. Using your answers to ex. D, ask your
classmates if they have the same capabilities that you do. When you
are finished, answer the question, “Wer bekommt den Job?”
Beispiel: #1 “Ich kann
sehr gut Englisch.“
A: Können Sie sehr
gut Englisch?
B: Ja, ich kann sehr gut Englisch.
ODER
B: Nein, ich kann kann Englisch.
Watch Easy German’s video to see lots of examples with können.
At 2:20, the video moves on to the past tense, which we will not
learn until a future chapter.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-2

Video. Click to watch me reteaching modal verbs.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-3

Use the modal verb müssen to express that you must do something
or that you have to do something. Note that the left side drops the
umlaut, but it looks a lot like the English word “must.”

416 | Section 3-5

 COMMON MISTAKE: Students often forget that English
sometimes has more than one way to express one idea. For example,
the sentence below could be translated two ways.
Ich muss Hausaufgaben machen.
(I must do homework.)
OR
(I have to do homework.)
It’s not always a good idea to translate word for word. Feel free
to rephrase the sentence in a similar English meaning before
expressing in German.
Just as with können, the final infinitive can be omitted if it is very
obvious based on context.
Wir müssen morgen nach Japan [fliegen/reisen/segeln.]
(We must [fly/travel/sail] to Japan tomorrow.)
Watch Learn German’s video to see the verb müssen being
retaught with lots of examples.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-4

Watch Anja’s video to see more examples and practice exercises.

Section 3-5 | 417

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Ex. F: Was müssen Sie heute machen?

Ich muss heute ________. Ich muss morgen
_________.

Ex. G: Eine Einladung ablehnen. You have been invited to a party

but don’t want to go. Give some generic excuses about what you
have to do instead.
Ich kann leider nicht kommen. Ich muss _________.

Ex. H: Wer muss was machen? Take a survey of your classmates

to find out who must do what during the next few days. Use the
following questions, or come up with some of your own.

• Was müssen Sie heute machen?

• Was müssen Sie morgen machen?
• Was müssen Sie am Wochenende machen?
• Was müssen Sie nächste Woche machen?
• Was müssen Sie im Sommer machen?

Now write a brief paragraph about your classmates’ plans.

418 | Section 3-5

 Watch Easy German’s video for more examples of müssen. After
1:10, the video goes to past tense forms, which you will not learn
until a future chapter.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-6

Ex. I: Nicos Weg. Episode 25: So wohne ich. Watch episode 25 and
do the online activities. You will hear the modal verbs können and
müssen. You will also review definite and indefinite articles, the
accusative case, and plurals.

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/so-wohne-ich/l-37425145

To say that you want to do something, use the modal verb wollen.

Section 3-5 | 419

 COMMON MISTAKE: Although this verb looks like the English
verb “will,” it means “to want to.” You learned “will,” aka future tense,
in Chapter 2.

• Ich will nach Deutschland reisen. (I want to travel to Germany.)

• Ich werde nach Deutschland reisen. (I will travel to Germany.)

Watch Learn German’s video to see the verb wollen with lots of
examples.

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420 | Section 3-5

Watch Anja’s video to see her reteaching this and to see lots of
examples.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-8

Ex. J: Was wollen Sie zum Geburtstag? What do you want for your
birthday? What about your friends and family? Write a complete
sentence for each person. Don’t forget that any direct objects, i.e.
the thing being wanted, must be in the accusative case. Tired of
birthdays? Change it up and say what people want for Christmas—zu
Weihnachten.
Beispiel: Eltern
→Meine Eltern wollen ein Auto zum Geburtstag.

1. ich
2. Bruder
3. du
4. Mutter
5. Großeltern
6. Nachbarn (neighbors)
7. Freund/Freundin
8. Hund/Katze
9. ihr

Ex. K: Was wollen Sie machen, und was müssen Sie machen?
Sprechen Sie mit einem Partner darüber. Unten sind einige
Vorschläge, aber Sie können antworten, wie Sie wollen!
A: Ich will _________, aber ich muss _________.
B: Ich auch. Ich muss auch _________.
ODER

Section 3-5 | 421

 B: Ja, ich will auch __________.

• Hausaufgaben machen
• schwimmen gehen
• Videospiele spielen
• Schokolade essen
• gesund essen
• den ganzen Tag schlafen
• eine Reise nach ______ machen
• in Deutschland studieren
• arbeiten
• einen Job finden
• mehr Gemüse essen

Ex. L: Was wollen Sie machen? You are a newspaper reporter taking
a survey. Ask your classmates whether they and their families want
to do the following things.

Beispiel: Sie
A: Wollen Sie in Europa arbeiten?
B: Ja, ich will in Europa arbeiten.
ODER
B: Nein, ich will nicht in Europa arbeiten.
(Reminder! If you are negating the word ein, you will do so by
making it kein. Otherwise, use nicht.)

1. Ihr Mitbewohner/Ihre Mitbewohnerin

422 | Section 3-5

2. Ihre Großeltern
3. Ihr Vater
4. Ihre Geschwister
5. Ihr Kind
6. Ihre Freunde
7. Ihr Hund/Ihre Katze

Ex. M: Verbkonjugationen. Fill in the blanks with the correct form

of each verb in parenthesis.

1. Ich _________ eine Pause machen. (wollen)

2. Frau Schmidt, Sie _________ nach Hause gehen! (müssen)
3. Du _________ Deutsch?!!! Das ist toll! (können)
4. Unsere Freundin _________ in die Chemiestunde gehen.
(müssen)
5. Ihr _________ im Winter nach Alaska reisen? Seid ihr

Section 3-5 | 423

 wahnsinnig?! (wollen)
6. Einige Studenten ________ eine Fremdsprache. (können)
7. Ach, ich habe so viele Hausaufgaben, und ich ________ sie
nicht machen. (wollen)
8. Du und dein Bruder ________ uns unbedingt besuchen. Wir
haben ein neues Haus! (müssen)
9. Unser Professor _________ leider kein Englisch! (können)

Click to listen to a cheesy 1982 hit by Stephan that uses the modal
verb wollen: Wir wollen tanzen gehen.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-9

Click to listen to another cheesy hit by Das Modul from 1998 that
uses the modal verb wollen: Ich will.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-10

Songtext: https://www.stlyrics.com/songs/d/dasmodul16496/
ichwill450624.html
Click to listen to Das Gleiche, a hit by Glasperlenspiel, (2011) that
uses modal verbs können and wollen. You may hear a similar form
of können that is könnten and means “could possibly.”

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Songtext: https://genius.com/Glasperlenspiel-das-gleiche-lyrics
To say that you should do something or are supposed to do
something, use the modal verb sollen. This verb doesn’t change the
vowel at all, but it still leaves off the ending of the ich and the
er/sie/es form. As always with modal verbs, make sure that the
infinitive goes at the end of the sentence.

Du sollst deine Großeltern besuchen.

(You are supposed to/should visit your grandparents.)
Ihr sollt nicht so viele Süßigkeiten essen.
(Y’all/you guys shouldn’t eat so many sweets.)
Watch Learn German’s video to see more examples.

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Section 3-5 | 425

 Ex. N: Was sollen diese Leute machen? What should the following
people do in order to solve their problems. Answer using the modal
verb sollen. Give as many suggestions as possible.
Beispiel: Marina braucht Geld.
→Sie soll arbeiten. Sie soll einen Job finden…usw.

1. Stephan hat eine schlechte Note in Mathe.

2. Viele Leute sind ungesund und nicht fit.
3. Helga kann kein Englisch.
4. Monika und Anne haben eine Frage.
5. Es ist kalt, und Tina trägt ein T-shirt und eine kurze Hose.
6. Ich bin müde.

Ex. O: Die zehn Gebote für Studenten. Was sollen Studenten an

Ihrer Uni machen oder nicht machen? Schreiben Sie „die 10 Gebote
für Studenten.“

1. Man soll (nicht) bei Chick-fil-a essen.

2. Man soll…usw.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

426 | Section 3-5

Deutsche Musik. Listen to Santiano’s song, Ihr sollt nicht trauern, to
hear examples of the modal verb sollen as well as ihr-imperative.

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Liedertext: https://www.songtexte.com/songtext/santiano/ihr-
sollt-nicht-trauern-g3e79dc7.html
You have already learned how to say that you like to do certain
things by adding the word gern to any conjugated verb.
Ich spiele gern Videospiele und Golf.
(I like to play video games and golf.)
There is also a verb that means “to like” in German. Here it is
below.

In the example above, we could have easily said it with mögen to

have the same meaning.
Ich mag Videospiele und Golf spielen.
This is grammatically correct, HOWEVER, the verb mögen is
mostly used to say that you like things or people, without an extra
verb on the end.
A: Magst du Pizza mit Oliven?
B: Nein, ich mag keine Oliven.
A: Mein Bruder und meine Schwester mögen Pizza mit
Thunfisch.
This is similar to other examples of modal verbs in which the final

Section 3-5 | 427

infinitive is omitted. If we had used a final verb in the conversation
above, it probably would have been essen, since that’s what usually
happens to pizza.
SUMMARY:

• Use gern + verb when you want to say that you like to DO
something.
• Use mögen when you want to say that you like SOMETHING or
SOMEONE. (Although if you forget and use a verb at the end,
you will be understood!)

For some extra practice with modal verbs that omit the final
infinitive, go to Germanzone.org’s website and practice with this
exercise, which will grade your answers.

• https://www.germanzone.org/modal-verbs-without-
infinitives-present-tense-4/

Watch Anja’s video to see a review of the verb mögen with lots of
examples.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-14

Watch Easy German’s video to see lots of real life examples with

428 | Section 3-5

mögen. At 2:11, the video goes on to past tense, which you will learn
in a later chapter.

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Ex. P: Wer mag was? You are planning a party and want to know
who likes what. Make sentences with the modal verb mögen, using
the cues below.
Beispiel: Werner/Obst (nein)
A: Mag Werner Obst?
B: Nein, er mag kein Obst.

1. die Kinder/Brokkoli (nein)

2. Brigitte und Sabine/Salat (ja)
3. du/Eis (?)
4. unsere Professorin/Brot (ja)
5. unsere Großeltern/Wassermelone (nein)
6. die Katze/Fisch (ja)
7. Ronja/Käse (nein)

Ex. Q: Gastfamilie. Sie sind Austauschstudent/Austauschstudentin

und wohnen bei einer deutschen Familie. Erklären Sie, was sie gerne
oder nicht gerne essen. Verwenden Sie das Modalverb „mögen.“
Beispiel: Ich mag Mineralwasser. Ich mag keinen Salat…usw.

To say that something is allowed or not allowed, you will use the
modal verb dürfen.

Section 3-5 | 429

 Like a lot of other modal verbs, dürfen changes the vowel in the
left side of the conjugation but remains normal during the right side.
COMMON MISTAKE: Students often forget that dürfen can be
translated to mean both “may” and “allowed to.”
Wir dürfen hier fahren.
(We’re allowed to drive here.)
(We may drive here.)
The indefinite pronoun man (you, one, they, people) is often seen
together with this verb. It will be conjugated the same as er/sie/es.
Darf man hier rauchen?
(May one smoke here?)
(Are people allowed to smoke here?)

Watch Anja’s video to see her reteaching the verb dürfen.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-16

Watch Easy German’s video to see lots of examples with dürfen.

430 | Section 3-5

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Ex. R: Was darf man hier (nicht) machen?

Man darf hier __________. Man darf nicht
__________.

• schlafen
• rauchen
• Skateboard fahren
• essen
• trinken
• sprechen
• lernen

Ex. S: Was dürfen Kinder?

Beispiel: Was dürfen Kinder nicht trinken?
→Kinder dürfen kein Bier trinken.

1. Was dürfen Kinder alleine

machen?
2. Was dürfen Kinder nicht alleine machen?
3. Was dürfen Kinder nicht essen?
4. Was dürfen Kinder nicht trinken?
5. Was dürfen Kinder lesen?
6. Welche Fernsehprogramme dürfen Kinder gucken?
7. Welche Fernsehprogramme dürfen Kinder nicht gucken?

This last modal verb, möchten, is actually not a modal verb, but we

Section 3-5 | 431

often pass it off as one because it acts just like one and it is very
practical when ordering food in a restaurant.

NOTE: There is an ending on ich and er/sie/es. This verb is

completely regular except for the fact that er/sie/es does not end
in –t.
Look at the following exchange.
A: Guten Tag. Was möchten Sie trinken?
B: Ich möchte ein Glas Wasser.
A: Und was möchten Sie essen?
B: Ich möchte das Schnitzel mit Pommes.
Ordering in a restaurant is as easy as filling in the blanks of the
sentence, “Ich möchte ____________.”

• QUESTION: Can’t I just use wollen to order my food? As in, “Ich

will eine Pizza“?
• ANSWER: Well, yes, there’s nothing grammatically wrong with
that, but it’s a lot more polite to say, “I would like a pizza,” than
“I want a pizza.”

As for omitting the final verb, it can go either way. If it is implied,

feel free to leave it out. If not, put it at the end of the sentence.

432 | Section 3-5

 Watch Learn German’s video to see the verb möchten being
retaught.

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Ex. T: Die Zukunft. Was möchten Sie in 10 Jahren machen? In 20

Jahren?

1. Was möchten Sie im Sommer machen?

2. Was möchten Sie im Herbst machen?
3. Was möchten Sie nächstes Jahr machen?
4. Was möchten Sie in 5 Jahren machen?
5. Was möchten Sie in 10 Jahren machen?
6. Was möchten Sie in 20 Jahren machen?
7. Wohin möchten Sie im Frühling reisen?
8. Wo möchten Sie in 15 Jahren leben?
9. Wo möchten Sie in 10 Jahren arbeiten?

Ex. U: Rollenspiel im Restaurant.

• One student plays the role of the waiter. Another plays the role
of the customer.
• Waiter: Ask the customer what he would like to eat and drink.
(Hint: möchten = would like)
• Customer: Order your food and drink. (Hint: use “möchten”.
Then ask at least 2 questions pertaining to food. (Hint: “Do you
have…? Is the Pizza tasty? Does the soup have onions?)
• Waiter: Answer your customer’s questions.

Listen to Lina Maly’s song, Schön genug, 2016, to hear the modal
verbs mögen, sollen, müssen, and wollen.

Section 3-5 | 433

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EXTRA PRACTICE: Go to Germanzone.org’s site to do extra practice

with the modal verb möchten.

• https://www.germanzone.org/the-verb-mochten/

Watch Easy German’s video to see examples on the difference

between mögen, wollen, and möchten.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-20

Watch Anja’s video to see an example of how to order your meal in a

German restaurant, using the modal verb möchten or, alternatively,
the expression “hätte gern.”

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-21

Watch Easy German’s video to see a review of all modal verbs with
real life examples.

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Watch Anja’s video to see a review of all modal verbs with examples.

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from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-23

EXTRA VIDEOS on ordering in a restaurant. The following videos

give more examples on interacting in a restaurant setting.

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Ex. V: Verbkonjugationen. Fill in the blank with the correct form of

each modal verb in parenthesis.

1. Wir ___________ unsere Hausaufgaben machen. (sollen)

2. Du ___________ nicht so lange schlafen! (sollen)
3. Ich __________ Deutsch sprechen! (können)
4. Ihr ____________ Trompete spielen? Voll cool! (können)
5. Stephan _____________ eine Cola und zwei Hamburger.
(möchten)
6. Was ______________ Sie essen? (möchten)
7. ____________ du Pizza mit Oliven? (mögen)
8. Viele Leute ___________ im Restaurant essen. (mögen)
9. Hier _________ man nicht rauchen. (dürfen)
10. Die Kinder _____________ an Halloween viel Schokolade
essen! (dürfen)
11. Was ___________ du am Wochenende machen? (wollen)
12. Ihr _____________ lange schlafen. (wollen)
13. Die Studentin ____________ Biologie und Mathe lernen.
(müssen)
14. Wir ___________ nach Hause fahren. (müssen)

Ex. W: Liste. Lesen Sie die Liste. Warum soll man Deutsch lernen?
Was kann man mit Deutsch machen? Übersetzen Sie ins Englische!

1. Man kann besser

kommunizieren. 100
Millionen Menschen

436 | Section 3-5

 sprechen Deutsch in Europa.
2. Man kann in Deutschland arbeiten. (Und in Österreich, in der
Schweiz und in Luxemburg.)
3. Man kann besser reisen! Die Deutschen reisen gern. Spanien
ist ihr Lieblingsreiseziel.
4. Man kann in Deutschland studieren.
5. Man kann mehr lernen. Viele Internetseiten und Bücher sind
auf Deutsch.
6. Man kann andere Kulturen besser kennenlernen. Dadurch
versteht man die eigene Kultur besser.
7. Man kann in Osteuropa reisen. Viele Osteuropäer verstehen
Deutsch.
8. Man kann die originale Version der Klassiker lesen—Beethoven,
Goethe, Kafka, Kant…usw.
9. Es gibt Geld! Man kann kostenlos studieren. DaaD und andere
Organisationen haben Geld für Studenten, die in Deutschland
studieren möchten.
10. Man hat mehr Möglichkeiten, einen guten Job zu finden.

Watch Grobi (Grover) and (Krümelmonster) from German

Sesamstrasse. You will hear several modal verbs and adjectives that
you have already learned.

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Ex. X: Übersetzen Sie ins Deutsche!

Section 3-5 | 437

 1. You’re not allowed to eat
here.
2. She can speak fluent
German.
3. I’d like to travel around the
world.
4. What would you like to drink?
5. Unfortunately, I can’t come.
6. The children should do their homework now.
7. His sister has to work on Monday.
8. May I ask where you live?
9. Do you guys like pizza without cheese?

EXTRA PRACTICE: Go to Germanzone.org’s site to do lots of extra

practice with modal verbs. As always, the site will grade your
answers.

• https://www.germanzone.org/modal-verbs-present-tense-1/
• https://www.germanzone.org/modal-verbs-present-tense-2/
• https://www.germanzone.org/modal-verbs-present-
tense-3-verkehrsschilder/
• https://www.germanzone.org/modal-verbs-present-tense-5/

Ex. Y: Artikel. Lesen Sie den Artikel über Tourismus in Deutschland

und beantworten Sie die Fragen in ganzen Sätzen.
Jedes Jahr reisen viele
Touristen nach Deutschland. Es
gibt viele
Sehenswürdigkeiten—Flüsse,
Berge, Seen und natürlich viele
alte Schlösser.
Man kann in Deutschland
sehr billig reisen. Es gibt überall
Züge und Busse, und man kann auch zu Fuß gehen. Deutsche Städte

438 | Section 3-5

haben viele Fußgängerzonen. Hier dürfen keine Autos fahren. Man
kann ohne Probleme durch die Stadt spazieren.
Es gibt auch viele leckere Restaurants und Cafes, wo man
deutsche Spezialitäten probieren kann. Jede deutsche Stadt hat
seine eigene Spezialität. In Aachen, zum Beispiel, findet man
Printen. In Nürnberg ist Wurst sehr beliebt—die nürnberger
Rostbratwurst. Sogar Bier kann eine Spezialität sein; in Köln trinkt
man Kölsch. Für Vegetarier gibt es auch viel zu probieren; ungefähr
acht Millionen Deutsche essen kein Fleisch. Viele Restaurants haben
vegetarische Gerichte.
Man soll die vielen alten Schlösser nicht vergessen! Einige, wie
Neuschwanstein in Bayern, sind nicht so alt. Andere stammen aus
dem Mittelalter. Oft sieht man in Deutschland moderne Häuser
und alte Gebäude nebeneinander. In Deutschland sieht man neue
Technologie und alte Kultur jeden Tag.

1. Beschreiben Sie die Landschaft in Deutschland.

2. Wie kann man in Deutschland reisen?
3. Was ist eine Fußgängerzone? Was kann man dort finden? Was
kann man nicht finden?
4. Meinen Sie, die deutsche Küche ist auch eine
„Sehenswürdigkeit“? Warum oder warum nicht?
5. Wie viele Vegetarier gibt es in Deutschland?
6. Was und wo ist Neuschwanstein?
7. Beschreiben Sie eine typische deutsche Stadt. Ist sie eher
modern oder altmodisch? Warum?
8. Was möchten Sie in Deutschland sehen?

Video. Watch Easy German’s video about cats. You will hear several
modal verbs that you have learned in this chapter.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

Section 3-5 | 439

 from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=596#oembed-28

440 | Section 3-5

30. Section 3-6
3.6: Wissen vs. kennen
In chapter 2, you learned the verb kennen, to know or to be
familiar with. We use this verb to talk about knowing people or
being familiar with a film, city, or movie.
A: Kennst du meinen Mitbewohner?
B: Nein, ich kenne ihn nicht.
A: Aber du kennst den Film Goodbye Lenin, oder?
B: Ja, natürlich kenne ich ihn!
A: Mein Mitbewohner war in einer Szene im Film.
This conversation was about knowing a person and being familiar
with a film. Therefore, we can use the verb kennen here.
In German, there are two verbs that mean “to know.” The second
of these, wissen, is used to talk about knowing facts.
Wir wissen die Antwort.
Ihr wisst, wo wir wohnen.
Wissen Sie, wann der Film beginnt?
Knowing the answer or where someone lives or when a film
begins are all facts. Therefore, we use wissen instead of kennen.
Wissen is also slightly irregular and has the exact same pattern
as modal verbs; the left side of the conjugation is irregular, but the
right-hand side is completely normal.

If you can remember the pattern of the modal verbs, it will be

easier to learn the conjugation of wissen.
THE GOOD NEWS—this is the last irregular verb in present tense
in the German language! From here on out, they are all regular.

Section 3-6 | 441

 Beispiele: wissen (fact) oder kennen (familiar with)?
A: Kennst du meine Schwester?
(Knowing a person, being familiar with person)
B: Ja, ich kenne sie schon lange.
(Knowing a person, being familiar with person)
A: Sie wohnt in Stuttgart. Kennst du die Stadt?
(Being familiar with city)
B: Nein, nicht so gut, aber ich weiß, wo Stuttgart liegt.
(Knowing where the city lies, is a fact.)
A: Ich weiß, sie vermisst dich. Du sollst sie irgendwann
mal besuchen.
(Knowing that she misses the person is a fact.)
B: Ich weiß ihre Adresse nicht.
(Knowing an address is a fact.)
HINT: If the sentence has a comma and what looks like another
sentence after it, it’s probably “wissen.” i.e. Sie wissen, was die Kinder
machen.
SUMMARY:

• kennen = to know (a person); to be familiar with (a city, a book,

a film, etc.)
• wissen = to know a fact (conjugated like a modal verb)

Click to see me reteaching wissen vs. kennen.

442 | Section 3-6

 One or more interactive elements has been excluded
from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=598#oembed-1

Watch Learn German’s video to see another review with more

examples.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=598#oembed-2

Watch German Online Gym’s video to see a detailed explanation of

wissen. The second video goes into detail on kennen.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=598#oembed-3

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=598#oembed-4

Section 3-6 | 443

Watch Easy German’s video to see lots of examples with wissen, aka
knowing facts.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=598#oembed-5

Ex. A: Wissen oder kennen? Fill in the blanks with the correctly
conjugated verb.

1. Er ___________ unseren Großvater.

2. ________ du, wo das Hotel ist?
3. ___________ du die neue Professorin?
4. Wir ___________ Berlin sehr gut.
5. Sie (singular) ____________ die Antwort.
6. Ich ________, wo du wohnst.
7. Das Kind ___________ seinen Hund.
8. Ihr __________ nicht, wann die Studenten kommen, oder?
9. Frau Schmidt, ____________ Sie mich?
10. Wir ________ die Englischprofessorin.
11. Ich _________, wo du wohnst.
12. Er _________, was du isst.
13. Alle hier _________, Deutsch macht Spaß.
14. Meine Freundin _________Schweden sehr gut.
15. _________ du den Mann dort drüben? Nein, ich ______
ihn nicht.
16. Wir _________, wer Angela Merkel ist.
17. A:__________ du meinen Bruder? B: Nein, ich ________
ihn nicht.
18. A: Ich ________ Harrison Ford. B: Ich _________ ihn
nicht, aber ich _________, wer er ist.
19. __________ Sie, wo ein gutes Restaurant ist?

444 | Section 3-6

20. Wir wohnen schon 6 Jahre in Berlin. Wir _________ Berlin
sehr gut.
21. A: Frau Schmidt, _________ Sie Herr der Ringe? B: Ja, ich
_________ das Buch.
22. Das Kind _________ seine Adresse nicht.

Ex. B: Übersetzen Sie ins Deutsche!

1. I don’t know where you

live.
2. We know his grandparents.
3. Do you know when the movie begins?
4. I know, it begins tomorrow, but I don’t know when.
5. Are you familiar with Canada?
6. Do you know Beyonce?
7. I don’t know her personally, but I know who she is.
8. Who knows the answer?
9. A: You’re not healthy. B: Yes, I know (it).

EXTRA PRACTICE: For extra practice conjugating wissen, go to

Germanzone.org’s site and do the exercise. The website will grade
your answers.

• https://www.germanzone.org/verb-wissen-1/
• https://www.germanzone.org/verb-wissen-2/

Listen to Nena’s hit song, Du kennst die Liebe nicht, (1985), to hear
examples with the verb kennen.

One or more interactive elements has been excluded

from this version of the text. You can view them online
here: https://una.pressbooks.pub/gr101/?p=598#oembed-6

Section 3-6 | 445

Songtext: https://genius.com/Nena-du-kennst-die-liebe-nicht-
lyrics
Ex. C: Nicos Weg. Episode 26: Meine Wohnung. Watch the video
and do the online activities associated with it. You will learn
vocabulary for rooms of the house and how to describe your own
house.

https://learngerman.dw.com/en/meine-wohnung/l-37425763

Ex. D: Alles über Ihr Haus! Beantworten Sie die Fragen in ganzen
Sätzen.

1. Haben Sie ein Haus oder eine Wohnung?

2. Wie viele Zimmer hat Ihr Haus oder Ihre Wohnung?

446 | Section 3-6

3. Wohnen Sie in der Stadt oder auf dem Land?
4. Haben Sie einen Balkon?
5. Haben Sie einen Flur?
6. Wie viele Badezimmer haben Sie?
7. Welche Zimmer gibt es in Ihrem Haus oder in Ihrer Wohnung?
8. Beschreiben Sie Ihr Schlafzimmer. Die Küche. Das
Wohnzimmer. Das Bad. Den Keller.

Ex. E: Beschreiben Sie Ihr Haus oder Ihre Wohnung! Schreiben Sie
einen kurzen Absatz über Ihr Haus oder Ihre Wohnung. Haben Sie
Probleme? Benutzen Sie die Fragen in Übung D.

Section 3-6 | 447

31. Section 3-7
3.7: Oral Proficiency Interview Practice:
Ex. 1: (Time goal 0:45-1:00)
You are interviewing for a job. Describe why you are right for the
job, i.e. tell what you can do using modal verbs.
Ex. 2: (Time goal 0:45-1:00)
What are people allowed to do here at the university? What is not
allowed? (Hint: Use man and the verb dürfen.)
Ex. 3: (Time goal 1:00-1:15)
You have been invited to a party but don’t want to go. Say that you
can’t come, and make as many excuses as possible by telling your
friend what you have to do and are supposed to do tonight instead,
using as many modal verbs as possible.
Ex. 4: (Time goal 1:00-1:15)
You are in a restaurant. Place your order for a drink and food. Ask
at least three questions.
Ex. 5: (Time goal 1:00-1:15)
You meet an incoming freshman who knows nothing about life at
the university. Using the imperative, give him tips on what to do or
not to do.
Ex. 6: (Time goal 1:00-1:15)
Beschreiben Sie Ihr Haus oder Ihre Wohnung! Welche Zimmer
haben Sie? Erläutern Sie!
Ex. 7: (Time goal 0:45-1:00)
Welche Kurse haben Sie dieses Semester und um welche Uhrzeit?
Welcher Kurs ist ihr Lieblingskurs und warum? Erläutern Sie!
Ex. 8: (Time goal 0:45-1:00)
Ihr Freund ist sehr ungesund und möchte fit und gesund werden.
Geben Sie Ihm viele Ratschläge (pieces of advice) im Imperativ. Was
soll er machen oder nicht machen, um gesund zu werden? Erläutern
Sie!
Ex. 9: (Time goal 0:45-1:00)

448 | Section 3-7

 Warum sollen Touristen Ihre Heimatstadt besuchen? Wo liegt
ihre Heimatstadt? Beschreiben Sie die Landschaft (scenery). Welche
Sehenswürdigkeiten gibt es? Welche Tiere gibt es? Was finden Sie
schön oder nicht schön?

Section 3-7 | 449

32. Chapter 3 - Glossary

Kapitel 3 Wortschatz

450 | Chapter 3 - Glossary

Chapter 3 - Glossary | 451
452 | Chapter 3 - Glossary
Chapter 1 - Extra Practice
EXTRA PRACTICE: Goethe Institut: Erste Wege in Deutschland

→Folge 1 (Episode 1)—Im Bus (In the Bus)

• https://www.goethe.de/prj/mwd/en/deu/miniserie/
imbus.html.

Click on the link to go to the video with interactive exercises. You

should get a better understanding of how the bus system in
Germany works, as well as some basic everyday phrases. The
exercises may have some words in them that you don’t understand,
but a dictionary can help.
→Deutsche Welle–Vocabulary Trainer

• https://learngerman.dw.com/en/deutschtrainer/c-56705009.

The following vocabulary lessons have content from this chapter

and future chapters. Each exercise starts with a brief video and has
interactive exercises for practicing vocabulary. If you want to do
a lesson again, simply hit “reset” next to the exercise and try it as
many times as you want.
→DuoLingo—German

• https://www.duolingo.com/learn.

This site offers mostly vocabulary practice and translation

exercises. You will need to set up an account (free). The vocabulary
does not necessarily follow the exact order of this textbook, but it
will definitely build up your vocabulary, which will help you later
on. For example, the first exercises cover food, which we will do in
Chapter 2.
→Mondly—German

Chapter 1 - Extra Practice | 453

 • https://app.mondly.com/tutorial.

Like DuoLingo, this site offers mostly vocabulary practice and

translation exercises. However, it is organized around certain
vocabulary themes that you can select at random. You will need to
set up an account (free). Between exercises, the site will advertise
programs that you can buy, but it will disappear if you click on the
next activity.

454 | Chapter 1 - Extra Practice

Chapter 2 - Extra Practice
EXTRA PRACTICE:
Deutsche Welle–Vocabulary Trainer
https://learngerman.dw.com/en/deutschtrainer/c-56705009.
Each exercise starts with a brief video and has interactive
exercises for practicing vocabulary.
For some of these exercises, the following words will be helpful:

• möchten—would like
• kann/können—can
• hätte gerne—would like

If you want to do a lesson again, simply hit “reset” next to the

exercise and try it as many times as you want.
Lingua.com’s vocabulary trainer:
You can set this to train your active vocabulary and your passive
vocabulary. Instant feedback!
https://lingua.com/german/vocabulary/trainer/.
Lingua.com’s dictation trainer:
Listen to several sentences read aloud—the first time at normal
speed and the second time slowly. Then type in what you hear. This
is a great way to connect what you hear with the written form. The
computer checks your answers automatically.
https://lingua.com/german/dictation/.
Lingua.com’s listening practice:
Here you can listen to several readings and then answer questions
about them. It may be challenging at first, but keep at it to develop
awesome listening skills in German!
https://lingua.com/german/listening/.

Chapter 2 - Extra Practice | 455

Dictionary
A
das Abendessen supper
aber but
ach oh
acht eight
achtzig eighty
die Adresse, -n address
all- all
alle everyone
alles everything
das Alphabet alphabet
als as
alt old
altmodisch old-fashioned
am Semesteranfang at the beginning of the semester
die Ameise, -n ant
Amerika America; the United States
andere other
die Antwort, -en answer
antworten to answer
der Anzug, -¨e suit
der Apfel, -¨ apple
der Apfelsaft apple juice
die Apotheke, -n pharmacy
April April
arbeiten to work
arm arm
der Artikel, – article
Asien Asia
athletisch athletic
auch also, too

456 | Dictionary
auf der linken Seite on the left side
auf der rechten Seite on the right side
auf Wiedersehen good-bye
der Aufzug, -¨e elevator
August August
aus from
der Ausflug, -¨e excursion, side trip
Australien Australia
das Auto, -s car, automobile
B
das Baby, -s baby
das Bad, -¨er bathroom
der Badeanzug, -¨e bathing suit
Badelatschen flipflops
das Badezimmer, – bathroom
bald soon
die Banane, -n banana
die Bank, -en bank
Bar cash
Baseball baseball
Basketball basketball
der Baum, -¨e tree
beginnen to begin
bei at (dat.)
bekommen to receive, to get
belegen to take a course
Belgien Belgium
beliebt popular, beloved
bellen to bark
benutzen to use
der Berg, -e mountain
beschreiben to describe
besitzen to own, possess
besprechen to discuss
bestellen to order

Dictionary | 457
 besuchen to visit
die Bibliothek, -en library
das Bier beer
der Bikini, -s bikini
Biologie biology
bis until (acc.)
bis bald see you later; “until soon”
bis später see you later; “until later”
bitte please, you’re welcome
bitte schön Here you go.
blau blue
bleiben to stay, remain
der Bleistift, -e pencil
die Bluse, -n blouse
die Bohne, -n bean
Brasilien Brazil
brauchen to need
braun brown
die Brille, -n glasses
das Brillenetui, -s glasses case
der Brokkoli broccoli
das Brot, -e bread
der Bruder, -¨ brother
brüllen to roar
das Buch, -¨er book
das Bundesland, -¨er federal state
bunt many-colored
das Büro, -s office
der Bus, -se bus
C
der Cent cent
chaotisch chaotic
Chemie chemistry
China China
clever clever

458 | Dictionary
das Comicheft, -e comic book
der Computer, – computer
cool cool
der Cousin, -s cousin
die Cousine, -n cousin
D
da there
dabei with you, with me, etc.
dadurch through that, through it, etc.
Dänemark Denmark
dein- your
der Delphin, -e dolphin
denken to think
denn because, for
denn (flavoring particle that adds interest)
Deutsch German
Deutschland Germany
die Deutschstunde, -n German class
das the (neuter); that
Das stimmt. That´s right.
dein- your (informal, singular)
der the (masculine)
Dezember December
dich you (familiar, singular)
die the (feminine)
Dienstag Tuesday
dies- this
dir (to) you (informal, singular)
die Disco, -s disco
doch (flavoring particle, adds emphasis)
Donnerstag Thursday
das Dorf, -¨er village
dort drüben over there
draußen outside
drei three

Dictionary | 459
 dreißig thirty
du you (informal, singular)
dunkel dark
durch through (acc.)
dürfen may, to be allowed to
E
echt real, really
die Ecke, -n corner
egoistisch egotistical
die Ehefrau, -en wife
der Ehemann, -¨er husband
eher more likely to be
das Ei, -er egg
eigen own
ein- a, an
ein bisschen a little
einfach easy, simple
einige some
einkaufen gehen to go shopping
einladen to invite
ein paar a few, a couple
eins one
das Eis ice cream; ice
elegant elegant
elf eleven
die Eltern (pl.) parents
die E-mail, -s e-mail
die Energie energy
eng narrow
England England
Englisch English
der Enkel, – grandson
das Enkelkind, -er grandchild
die Enkelin, -nen granddaughter
Entschuldigung Excuse me.

460 | Dictionary
er he
die Erbse, -n pea
die Erdbeere, -n strawberry
das Essen food
es it
es gibt there is, there are
essen, e→i to eat
euch you guys, y’all (informal, plural)
euer- you guys’, yall’s (informal, plural)
der Euro Euro (currency in European Union)
exzentrisch excentric
F
fahren, a→ä to drive
das Fahrrad, -¨er bicycle
die Familie, -n family
fantastisch fantastic
die Farbe, -n color
fauchen to hiss
faul lazy
Februar February
das Fenster, – window
das Fernsehprogramm, -e TV program
der Fernseher, – TV, television
der Film, -e movie, film
der Filzstift, -e board marker
finden to find; to have an opinion about
Finnland Finland
der Fisch, -e fish
fit fit, in shape
das Fleisch meat
fleißig hard-working, industrious
flexibel flexible
fliegen to fly
fließend fluent, fluently
Flöte flute

Dictionary | 461
 der Flur, -e hallway, corridor
der Fluss, -¨e river
folgend following
fotografieren to photograph, take pictures
die Frage, -n question
fragen to ask
Frankreich France
Französisch French
die Frau, -en woman; wife
die Frauentoilette, -n women’s restroom
frei free
Freitag Friday
die Fremdsprache, -n foreign language
der Freund, -e friend; boyfriend
die Freundin, -nen friend; girlfriend
freundlich friendly
Freut mich! Nice to meet you!
die Fritten fries
der Frühling spring
das Frühstück breakfast
die Führung, -en tour
fünf five
fünfzig fifty
funktioneren to function, work properly
für for (acc.)
Fußball soccer
die Fußgängerzone, -n pedestrian zone
G
ganz completely, entirely
der Garten, -¨ garden
die Gasse, -n small street
der Gast, -¨e guest
das Gebäude, – building
geben, e→i to give
das Gebirge mountain range

462 | Dictionary
das Gedicht, -e poem
gehen to go (on foot), to walk
Geige violin
gegen against (acc.)
gelb yellow
das Geld money
das Gemüse vegetables (always singular)
gemütlich comfortable
genug enough
geöffnet open, opened
Geographie geography
geradeaus straight ahead
das Gericht, -e dish (of food)
gern(e) like to; gladly
das Geschenk, -e present, gift
die Geschichte history; story
geschieden divorced
geschlossen closed
die Geschwister (pl.) siblings
gestern yesterday
gesund healthy
das Getränk, -e drink
getrennt separate
gewinnen to win
Gitarre guitar
das Glück luck
glücklich happy, lucky
Golf golf
der Gottesdienst, -e church service
grau gray
Griechenland Greece
Griechisch Greek
groß big, tall, large
die Großmutter, -¨ grandmother
der Großvater, -¨ grandfather

Dictionary | 463
 grün green
gucken to watch, look
der Gummi, -s eraser
die Gurke, -n cucumber
der Gürtel, – belt
gut good, well, fine
Guten Abend good evening
Guten Morgen good morning; hello
Gute Nacht good night
Guten Tag hello; good day
H
haben to have
das Hähnchen, – chicken
der Hai, -e shark
der Halbbruder, -¨ half brother
die Halbschwester, -n half sister
halb half
hallo hello
halten to halt, to stop
der Hamburger, – hamburger
der Handschuh, -e glove
das Handy, -s cell phone
die Haupttür, -en main door
die Hintertür, -en back door
das Haus, -¨er house
die Hausaufgabe, -n homework
die Hausnummer, -n house number; address number
das Heft, -e notebook
heiraten to marry, to get married
heiß hot
heißen to be called
heiter clear
die Heizung heat, heater
helfen, e→i to help
hell light

464 | Dictionary
das Hemd, -en button-up man’s shirt
der Herbst fall, autumn
die Herrentoilette, -n men’s restroom
heute today
hier here
die Hilfe help
Hockey hockey
hören to hear, listen to
die Hose, -n pants
das Hotel, -s hotel
hübsch good-looking
der Hügel, – hill
der Hund, -e dog
hundert hundred
der Hunger hunger
Hunger haben to be hungry
der Hut, -¨e hat
I
ich I
die Idee, -n idea
der Igel, – hedgehog
ihn him
Ihnen (to) you (formal; singular and plural)
ihr- her, their
ihr you (plural, familiar), y’all, you guys
Ihr- your (formal; singular and plural)
im Angebot available
im Norden in the north
im Osten in the east
im Süden in the south
im Westen in the west
immer always
in in
in diese Richtung (going) in this direction
in Eile in a hurry

Dictionary | 465
 in der Mitte in the middle
in der Nähe nearby, in the proximity
Indien India
Indisch Indian
Informatik computer science
die Insel, -n island
intelligent intelligent
interessant interesting
das Internet internet
Irland Ireland
Island Iceland
Italienisch Italian
J
ja yes
das Jahr, -e year
Januar January
Japan Japan
die Jeans, – jeans
jed- every
jeden Tag every day
jen- that
jetzt now
der Job, -s job
joggen to jog
der Joghurt joghurt
die Jugendherberge, -n youth hostel
Jugendliche teenagers
Juli July
jung young
Jungs boys, guys (slang)
Juni June
K
der Kaffee coffee
kalt cold
Kann ich Ihnen helfen? Can I help you?

466 | Dictionary
 Kanada Canada
kaputt worn out, broken down, tired
die Karotte, -n carrot
die Kartoffel, -n potato
der Käse cheese
die Katze, -n cat
kaufen to buy
kein- not any, not a, no
der Keks, -e cookie
der Keller, – basement, cellar
der Kellner, – waiter
die Kellnerin, -nen waitress
kennen to know (a person), be familiar with
(place, book, etc.)
kennenlernen to get to know, become familiar with
das Kind, -er child
kinderlos childless, without children
das Kino, -s movie theater
Klarinette clarinette
die Klamotten clothing (slang)
der Klassiker, – classic
Klavier piano
klein small, short, little
kochen to cook
der Kohl cabbage
komisch strange, funny
kommen to come
kommunizieren to communicate
kompetent competent
können can, to be able to
konservativ conservative
kosten to cost
das Kotelett, -s pork cutlet, pork chop
krank sick
kreativ creative

Dictionary | 467
 die Kreuzung, -en intersection
kritisch critical
Kuba Cuba
die Küche, -n kitchen; cuisine
der Kugelschreiber, – pen
die Kuh, -¨e cow
kühl cool
der Kuli, -s pen
die Kultur, -en culture
Kunst art
der Kurs, -e course
die kurze Hose shorts
L
lächeln to smile
der Laden, -¨ store
das Land, -¨er land, country
die Landkarte, -n map
die Landschaft scenery, landscape
lang long
langweilig boring
der Laptop, -s laptop computer
Litauen Lithuania
Latein Latin
laufen, a→ä to run, walk fast
laut loud
leben to live (permanently)
lecker tasty
ledig single
leider unfortunately
lernen to learn; to study for a test or quiz
lesen, e→ie to read
die Leute people
liberal liberal
lieber prefer, prefer to
lieblings- favorite

468 | Dictionary
 Liechtenstein Liechtenstein
liegen to lie, to be located
lila purple, lilac
links left
Literatur literature
der Löwe, -n lion
Luxemburg Luxembourg
M
machen to make, to do
Mai May
der Mais corn
mal (flavoring particle used to soften
command)
malen to paint, draw
man people, one, you, they
manch- many, many a
manchmal sometimes
der Mann, -¨er man; husband
März March
Mathe math
Mathematik mathematics
die Maus, -¨e mouse
das Meer, -e sea
mehrere several
mein- my
meinen to mean, to think
meistens mostly
der Mensch, -en human, person
Mexiko Mexico
miauen to meow
mich me
die Milch milk
die Million, -en million
das Mineralwasser mineral water
die Minute, -n minute

Dictionary | 469
 mir (to) me
miserable miserable
mit with
der Mitbewohner, – roommate
die Mitbewohnerin, -nen roommate
das Mittagessen lunch
Mittwoch Wednesday
möchten would like
modern modern
die Möglichkeit, -en possibility
die Möhre, -n carrot
mögen to like, to like to
der Monat, -e month
Montag Monday
morgen tomorrow
müde tired
muhen to moo
Musik music
müssen must, to have to
die Mutter, -¨ mother
die Mütze, -n cap, hat
N
nach after, to
nach links (going) to the left
nach rechts (going) to the right
der Nachbar, -n neighbor
die Nachbarin, -nen neighbor
nächstes Jahr next year
nächstes Semester next semester
nah near, close
naiv naïve
der Name, -n name
natürlich natural, naturally
nebelig foggy
der Neffe, – n nephew

470 | Dictionary
nein no
nehmen, e→i to take
nerven to be annoying, to annoy
neu new
neun nine
neunzig ninety
nicht not
die Nichte, -n niece
nie never
normalerweise normally
Norwegen Norway
die Note, -n grade (on a test, homework…etc.)
November November
die Nudel, -n noodle
null zero
nur only
O
objektiv objective
das Obst fruit
oder or
oft often
ohne without (acc.)
Oktober October
die Olive, -n olive
der Onkel, – uncle
optimistisch optimistic
orange orange
die Orange, -n orange
der Orangensaft orange juice
der Ordner, – binder
die Organisation, -en organisation
Österreich Austria
P
das Papier, -e paper
der Park, -e park

Dictionary | 471
 parken to park
der Parkplatz, -¨e parking place
die Party, -s party
der Pass, -¨e passport
die Pause, -n break, pause
die Person, -n person
persönlich personally
Peru Peru
pessimistisch pessimistic
der Pfeffer pepper
die Pflanze, -n plant
das Pferd, -e horse
Philosophie philosophy
Physik physics
die Pizza pizza
Polen Poland
der Politiker, – politician
die Politikerin, -nen politician
die Polizei police
Portugiesisch Portuguese
die Post post office
posten to post
die Pommes frites fries
die Portion, -en portion
das Poster, – poster
praktisch practical
preiswert priceworthy
probieren to try something new
das Problem, -e problem
der Professor, – professor
die Professorin, -nen professor
progessiv progressive
Psychologie psychology
der Pulli, -s pullover
der Pullover, – pullover

472 | Dictionary
pünktlich punctual, on time
purpur purple
Q
das Quiz quiz
R
der Radiergummi, -s eraser
rauchen to smoke
die Rechnung, -en check, bill
rechts right
regnen to rain
regnerisch rainy
reich rich
der Reis rice
die Reise, -n trip, vacation
reisen to travel
der Reisepass, -¨e passport
reparieren to repair
das Restaurant, -s restaurant
der Rock, -¨e skirt
Rockmusik rock music
der Roman, -e novel
rosa pink
rot red
der Rucksack, -¨e backpack
ruhig calm, quiet, still
Rumänien Romania
Russland Russia
S
sagen to say
der Salat, -e salad; lettuce
das Salz salt
salzig salty
Samstag Saturday
Sandalen sandals
sarkastisch sarcastic

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 Saudi-Arabien Saudi Arabia
sauer sour
Saxophon saxophone
scheinen to shine
schick fashionable
der Schinken ham
schlafen to sleep
das Schlafzimmer, – bedroom
Schlagzeug drum
die Schlange, -n snake
schlecht bad
das Schloss, -¨er castle
schneiden to cut
schneien to snow
schnell fast
das Schnitzel breaded cutlet
die Schokolade, -n chocolate
schon already
schön pretty, nice
schon gut never mind
schreiben to write
der Schuh, -e shoe
der Schüler, – high school/elementary student
die Schülerin, -nen high school/elementary student
der Schwager, – brother-in-law
die Schwägerin, -nen sister-in-law
schwarz black
Schweden Sweden
das Schwein, -e pig
die Schweiz Switzerland
die Schwester, -n sister
schwierig difficult, hard
schwimmen to swim
sechs six
sechzig sixty

474 | Dictionary
der See, -n lake
die See sea
sehen, e→ie to see
die Sehenswürdigkeit, -en tourist sights
sehr very
sein to be
sein- his, its
die Seite, -n page
der Sellerie celery
das Semester, – semester
der Semesteranfang, -¨e the beginning of the semester
sentimental sentimental
September September
sie she; they
Sie you (formal; singular and plural)
sieben seven
siebzig seventy
singen to singen
so so
die Socke, -n sock
der Sohn, -¨e son
solch- such, such a
sollen should, supposed to
der Sommer summer
die Sonne sun
die Sonnenbrille, -n sunglasses
sonnig sunny
Sonntag Sunday
Sozialogie socialogy
die Spaghetti spaghetti
Spanisch spanish
der Spargel asparagus
spät late
spazieren to take a walk
der Speck bacon

Dictionary | 475
 die Speisekarte, -n menu
die Spezialität, -en specialty
das Spiel, -e game
spielen to play
spinnen to spin; to be crazy
der Sport sports
sprechen, e→i to speak
stachelig prickly
die Stadt, -¨e city
das Stadtzentrum city center, downtown
das Steak steak
stehen to stand, be standing
stief- step-
der Stiefel, – boot
der Stift, -e pencil
der Stief bruder, -¨ step-brother
die Stiefmutter, -¨e step-mother
die Stiefschwester, -n step-sister
der Stiefvater, -¨ step-father
der Stöckelschuh, -e high heel
stoßen, o→ö to crash into
der Strand, -¨e beach
die Straße, -n street
die Straßenlaterne, -n streetlight
der Student, -en college student
die Studentin, -nen college student
studieren to study at a university or college
der Stuhl, -¨e chair
die Stunde, -n hour
stürmen to storm
Südkorea South Korea
subjektiv subjective
suchen to search for, look for
super super
der Supermarkt, -¨e supermarket

476 | Dictionary
das Sushi sushi
süß sweet
Süßigkeiten sweets
T
die Tafel, -n white board, chalk board
der Tag, -e day
die Tante, -n aunt
tanzen to dance
die Tasche, -n bag, duffle bag, purse, pocket
tausend thousand
das Taxi, -s taxi
die Technologie technology
der Tee tea
Tennis tennis
der Teppich, -e rug
die Terasse, -n terrace
der Test, -s test
teuer expensive
der Thunfisch tuna
der Tiger, – tiger
tippen to type
der Tisch, -e table
die Tochter, -¨ daughter
die Toilette, -n bathroom
die Tomate, -n tomato
der Tomatensaft tomato juice
tot dead
der Tourist, -en tourist
die Tourstin, -nen tourist
tragen to wear, to carry
die Traube, -n grape
der Traubensaft grape juice
trinken to drink
das Trinkgeld tip
Trompete trumpet

Dictionary | 477
 Tschechien Czech Republic
tschüss bye
das T-shirt, -s t-shirt
Tuba tuba
die Tür, -en door
die Türkei Turkey
Türkisch Turkish
typisch typical
U
über about; over, above
übernachten to spend the night
übersetzen to translate
die Uhr, -en clock, watch
um at (time); around (acc.)
unbedingt by all means
und and
Ungarn Hungary
ungefähr approximately, around, about
ungesund ungesund
die Uni, -s university
die Universität, -en university
uns us
unser- our
die Urgroßmutter, -¨ great grandmother
der Urgroßvater, -¨ great grandfather
V
der Vater, -¨er father
vegan vegan
der Vegetarier, – vegetarian
die Vegetarierin, -nen vegetarian
vegetarisch vegetarian
verbringen to spend (time)
verdienen to earn
vergessen to forget
verheiratet married

478 | Dictionary
verkaufen to sell
verlobt engaged
vermissen to miss
verstehen to understand
das Videospiel, -e video game
viel much
viele many
vielleicht maybe
vier four
das Viertel fourth; quarter (of an hour)
vierzig forty
Vietnam Vietnam
Vietnamesisch Vietnamese
der Vogel, -¨ bird
voll completely, fully
Volleyball volleyball
von from, of
vor before, in front of
der Vorschlag, -¨e suggestion
vorsichtig cautious
W
die Wand, -¨e wall
wandern to hike
wann when
warm warm
warten to wait
warum why
was what
was für ein/e… what type of a…
das Wasser water
die Wassermelone, -n watermelon
weg gone, away
Weihnachten Christmas
der Wein wine
weiß white

Dictionary | 479
 weit far
weiter farther, further
welch- which
die Welt world
wen whom (acc.)
wenig little (quantity)
wenige few
wenn whenever, if
wer who
der Werwolf, -¨e werwolf
werden, e→i to become
wessen whose
das Wetter weather
die WG, -s shared apartment
wichtig important
wie how; like, as
Wie spät ist es? How late is it?
Wie viel Uhr haben wir? What time do we have?
Wie viel Uhr ist es? What time is it?
wieder again
wiederholen to review
willkommen welcome
windig windy
der Winter winter
wir we
der Wischer, – whiteboard eraser, chalkboard eraser
wissen to know (a fact)
wo where
die Woche, -n week
das Wochenende, -n weekend
woher where from, from where
wohin where to, to where
wohnen to live
die Wohngemeinschaft, -en shared apartment
die Wohnung, -en apartment

480 | Dictionary
das Wohnzimmer, – living room
wolkig cloudy
wollen to want to, to want
das Wörterbuch, -¨er dictionary
die Wurst, -¨e sausage
Z
zahlen to pay
zehn ten
zeichnen to sketch
zeigen to show
die Zeitschrift, -en magazine
die Zeitung, -en newspaper
der Zettel, – scrap of paper
das Ziel, -e goal
das Zimmer, – room
der Zombie, -s zombie
zu too, to
zufrieden satisfied
zum Abendessen for supper
zum Frühstück for breakfast
zum Mittagessen for lunch
zusammen together
zwanzig twenty
zwei two
die Zwiebel, -n onion
zwölf twelve

Dictionary | 481