How to Speak German
Gender words., Conjugate verbs., Employ the case system., Understand word order.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gender words.
Unlike in English, nouns in German have what is called a gender.
This is a grammatical approach which alters the noun itself (when pluralizing) as well as the words around it.
The three genders are masculine, feminine, and neutral.
It is best not to think of words in terms of actually having a gender, since German gendering uses little logic and often changes.
Instead, think of the genders as different types or categories into which all of the German nouns fit, with each category having it’s own grammatical and spelling rules.
The best way to learn the German gender system, since it is not related to spelling as it is in French, is to simply listen.
Listen a lot.
Watch movies, listen to music, have conversations with native speakers.
Eventually it will simply sound right or wrong. -
Step 2: Conjugate verbs.
Verbs are conjugated in German, meaning that they change based on who is doing them, conditional language, tense, etc.
This same practice occurs in German but is far more extensive.
Thankfully, the system is fairly regular and you can begin to learn it fairly quickly.
For example, in the indicative present tense (the most basic form), the endings are often
-e (I),
-st (you),
-t (he/she/it),
-en (we),
-t (you all), and
-en (they).
English has this system as well but it is less noticeable.
For example, in English we say “I break” but we also say “She breaks”.
The most common English example is the conjugation of the verb “to be”: “I am”, “He is”, and “You/We/They are”. , The case system is how nouns change in order to indicate what role they play in a sentence.
English has largely lost this system but it can be seen in certain instances, such as indicating the subject of a sentence (he) versus the objects of a sentence (him).
German still uses this system, however, and you will need to learn it.
The four cases used in German are the nominative (indicating subject), the accusative (indicating the object), the dative (indicating the indirect object), and the genitive (indicating a possessive).
The gender and number of a noun will affect how the noun changes within the case.
Pay attention to this when looking up words. , German word order, like English word order, can be easily manipulated.
Because of the case system, it is actually easier to manipulate German sentences.
It will take you time to learn proper German word order but here is a basic framework with which to start:
First position
- Cannot contain a finite verb, usually contains the subject Second position
- Contains the finite or inflected verb Third position
- Contains the objects affected by the verb phrase Fourth position
- Contains adverbs.
Fifth position
- Contains verb complements, which are verbs that act as the object of the main verb. -
Step 3: Employ the case system.
-
Step 4: Understand word order.
Detailed Guide
Unlike in English, nouns in German have what is called a gender.
This is a grammatical approach which alters the noun itself (when pluralizing) as well as the words around it.
The three genders are masculine, feminine, and neutral.
It is best not to think of words in terms of actually having a gender, since German gendering uses little logic and often changes.
Instead, think of the genders as different types or categories into which all of the German nouns fit, with each category having it’s own grammatical and spelling rules.
The best way to learn the German gender system, since it is not related to spelling as it is in French, is to simply listen.
Listen a lot.
Watch movies, listen to music, have conversations with native speakers.
Eventually it will simply sound right or wrong.
Verbs are conjugated in German, meaning that they change based on who is doing them, conditional language, tense, etc.
This same practice occurs in German but is far more extensive.
Thankfully, the system is fairly regular and you can begin to learn it fairly quickly.
For example, in the indicative present tense (the most basic form), the endings are often
-e (I),
-st (you),
-t (he/she/it),
-en (we),
-t (you all), and
-en (they).
English has this system as well but it is less noticeable.
For example, in English we say “I break” but we also say “She breaks”.
The most common English example is the conjugation of the verb “to be”: “I am”, “He is”, and “You/We/They are”. , The case system is how nouns change in order to indicate what role they play in a sentence.
English has largely lost this system but it can be seen in certain instances, such as indicating the subject of a sentence (he) versus the objects of a sentence (him).
German still uses this system, however, and you will need to learn it.
The four cases used in German are the nominative (indicating subject), the accusative (indicating the object), the dative (indicating the indirect object), and the genitive (indicating a possessive).
The gender and number of a noun will affect how the noun changes within the case.
Pay attention to this when looking up words. , German word order, like English word order, can be easily manipulated.
Because of the case system, it is actually easier to manipulate German sentences.
It will take you time to learn proper German word order but here is a basic framework with which to start:
First position
- Cannot contain a finite verb, usually contains the subject Second position
- Contains the finite or inflected verb Third position
- Contains the objects affected by the verb phrase Fourth position
- Contains adverbs.
Fifth position
- Contains verb complements, which are verbs that act as the object of the main verb.
About the Author
Marie Torres
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