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Essential German Auxiliary Verbs: “sein,” “haben,” and “werden.”

enalmanca — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 15:34:19 +0000

“Essential German auxiliary verbs: sein, haben, and werden” is a great topic, especially if you’re learning German. Why? Because these verbs are fundamental to speaking and writing fluently. They are used in forming various tenses, moods, and passive constructions, making them indispensable. So, how do these verbs work as auxiliaries, and why are they so crucial? Let’s dive in and find out!

German Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs, also known as “helper verbs,” are crucial in constructing sentences in the German language. They are used to form different tenses, moods, voices, and aspects of verbs. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to express when something happened (past, present, future), how it happened (indicative, subjunctive, conditional), or who did it (active, passive).

German has three primary auxiliary verbs: “sein”, “haben”, and “werden,” and they are all strong verbs (i.e. irregular verbs). Let’s take a closer look at the general functions of these verbs before diving into each one individually:

To form compound tenses: Compound tenses are formed by combining an auxiliary verb with the past participle of the main verb. For example, in the sentence “Ich habe gegessen” (I have eaten), “habe” is the auxiliary verb, and “gegessen” is the past participle of the verb “essen” (to eat).
To form the passive voice: The passive voice is used to show that the sentence’s subject is the action’s receiver. For example, “Das Buch wird gelesen” (The book is being read), where “wird” is the auxiliary verb.
To express modality: Modality refers to the speaker’s attitude towards the action. For example, in the sentence “Ich muss gehen” (I must go), “muss” is the modal auxiliary verb.

Now, you might be wondering why it is so crucial to understand and use these auxiliary verbs correctly. The reason is simple: they are the building blocks of the German language. Without a solid grasp of these verbs, you won’t be able to construct sentences accurately, which could lead to confusion or misunderstandings.

In this lesson, we will dive deeper into the three main auxiliary verbs: “sein, haben, werden”. We’ll discuss when to use each one, how they shape the meaning of a sentence, and provide examples for practice. So, stay tuned!

“sein” (to be)

“Sein” is perhaps the most commonly used verb in the German language, and it serves as an auxiliary verb in several different contexts:

Perfekt (Present Perfect)
Plusquamperfekt (Past Perfect)
Futur II (Future Perfect)
Passiv (Passive Voice)
Zustandspassiv (Stative Passive)

Each of these topics represents a different tense, voice, or aspect of the German language, and “sein” is used as an auxiliary verb. Understanding the function of “sein” in these contexts is essential for speaking and writing correctly in German.

It’s important to note that “sein” does not follow a standard pattern. Here is the present tense conjugation of “sein”:

Pronouns	English	German
ich ➡️ I	I am	Ich bin
du ➡️ you (singular, informal)	You are	Du bist
er/sie/es ➡️ he/she/it	He/She/It is	Er/Sie/Es ist
wir ➡️ we	We are	Wir sind
ihr ➡️ you (plural, informal)	You (all) are	Ihr seid
sie ➡️ they	They are	sie sind
Sie ➡️ you (formal)	You (formal) are	Sie sind

Conjugation of “sein”

The table above shows the English pronouns alongside their German counterparts and the conjugation of “sein” in the present tense (Präsens).

In addition to its function as an auxiliary verb, “sein” is commonly used as a main verb, meaning “to be.” As a main verb, “sein” describes states, characteristics, or identities. For example:

🇩🇪 Ich bin müde.
🇺🇸 I am tired.
🇩🇪 Das ist mein Buch.
🇺🇸 That is my book.
🇩🇪 Wir sind Freunde.
🇺🇸 We are friends.

In these sentences, “sein” is used to describe a state (being tired), identify an object (the book), and describe a relationship (being friends).

“haben” (to have)

“Haben” is another essential verb in German, functioning as both a main verb and an auxiliary verb in various contexts:

Perfekt (Present Perfect)
Plusquamperfekt (Past Perfect)
Futur II (Future Perfect)

It is also a frequently used verb in German, much like “sein,” so it’s essential to master its conjugation. The table below shows the present tense conjugation of “haben”:

Pronouns	English	German
ich ➡️ I	I have	Ich habe
du ➡️ you (singular, informal)	You (singular, informal) have	Du hast
er/sie/es ➡️ he/she/it	He/She/It has	Er/Sie/Es hat
wir ➡️ we	We have	Wir haben
ihr ➡️ you (plural, informal)	You (plural, informal) have	Ihr habt
sie ➡️ they	They have	sie haben
Sie ➡️ you (formal)	You (formal) have	Sie haben

Conjugation of “haben”

The table above shows the English pronouns alongside their German counterparts and the conjugation of “haben” in the present tense (Präsens).

In addition to its function as an auxiliary verb, “haben” is commonly used as a main verb, meaning “to have.” As a main verb, “haben” requires an accusative object and is used to express possession, relationships, or physical characteristics. For example:

🇩🇪 Ich habe einen Hund.
🇺🇸 I have a dog.
🇩🇪 Sie hat braune Haare.
🇺🇸 She has brown hair.
🇩🇪 Wir haben Hunger.
🇺🇸 We are hungry.

In these sentences, “haben” is used to express possession (having a dog), describe a physical characteristic (having brown hair), and express a state (being hungry).

“werden” (to become)

“Werden” is yet another essential verb in the German language. It has several functions, including serving as an auxiliary verb in different contexts:

Futur I (Future I)
Future II
Passiv (Passive Voice)

“Werden” is a bit unique because it can indicate future tense or passive voice, depending on the context. The table below shows the present tense conjugation of “werden”:

Pronouns	English	German
ich ➡️ I	I become/will	Ich werde
du ➡️ you (singular, informal)	You become/will	Du wirst
er/sie/es ➡️ he/she/it	He/She/It becomes/will	Er/Sie/Es wird
wir ➡️ we	We become/will	Wir werden
ihr ➡️ you (plural, informal)	You (plural, informal) become/will	Ihr werdet
sie ➡️ they	They become/will	sie werden
Sie ➡️ you (formal)	You (formal) become/will	Sie werden

Conjugation of “werden”

The table above shows the English pronouns alongside their German counterparts and the conjugation of “werden” in the present tense (Präsens).

Besides its function as an auxiliary verb, “werden” is commonly used as a main verb, meaning “to become.” As a main verb, “werden” indicates a state change or a development. For example:

🇩🇪 Ich werde müde.
🇺🇸 I am becoming tired.
🇩🇪 Das Wetter wird schlecht.
🇺🇸 The weather is getting bad.
🇩🇪 Er wird Arzt.
🇺🇸 He is becoming a doctor.

In these sentences, “werden” is used to indicate a change of state (becoming tired), a development (the weather getting bad), and a professional development (becoming a doctor).

The post Essential German Auxiliary Verbs: “sein,” “haben,” and “werden.” appeared first on GermanAtHome.

German Animal Names and Their Meanings with Pronunciation

enalmanca — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 16:41:00 +0000

Welcome to our comprehensive guide to German animal names and their pronunciations! Whether you’re curious about how to refer to your favorite animals in German or eager to expand your vocabulary, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ve compiled a diverse list of animals, including those found on farms, in the forest, under the sea, and even some adorable baby animals. Along with their German names, we’ve provided their English translations and handy pronunciation buttons to help you master their pronunciation with ease.

Farm Animals in German (Bauernhoftiere)

German	English	Singular	Plural
die Kuh, e	cow	die Kuh	die Kühe
der Stier, e	bull	der Stier	die Stiere
das Pferd, e	horse	das Pferd	die Pferde
die Stute, n	mare	die Stute	die Stuten
der Esel, –	donkey	der Esel	die Esel
das Schwein, e	pig	das Schwein	die Schweine
das Schaf, e	sheep	das Schaf	die Schafe
die Ziege, n	goat	die Ziege	die Ziegen
die Henne, n	chicken	die Henne	die Hennen
der Hahn, ..e	rooster	der Hahn	die Hähne
die Ente, n	duck	die Ente	die Enten
die Gans, ..e	goose	die Gans	die Gänse

Farm Animals in German (Bauernhoftiere)

Pets in German (die Haustiere)

German	English	Singular	Plural
der Hund, e	dog	der Hund	die Hunde
die Katze	cat	die Katze	die Katzen
der Papagei	parrot	der Papagei	die Papagei
der Goldfisch, e	goldfish	der Goldfisch	die Goldfische
der Wellensittich, e	budgie	der Wellensittich	die Wellensittiche
der Kanarienvogel, ..	canary	der Kanarienvogel	die Kanarienvögel
der Welpe, n	puppy	der Welpe	die Welpen
das Kätzchen, –	kitten	das Kätzchen	die Kätzchen
die Schildkröte, n	turtle	die Schildkröte	die Schildkröten

Animals in German

Forest Animals in German (Waldtier)

German	English	SINGULAR	Plural
der Affe, n	monkey	der Affe	die Affen
die Antilope, n	antelope	die Antilope	die Antilopen
der Bär, en	bear	der Bär	die Bären
das Eichhörnchen, –	squirrel	das Eichhörnchen	die Eichhörnchen
der Elch, e	moose	der Elch	die Elche
der Elefant, en	elephant	der Elefant	die Elefanten
der Fledermaus	bat	der Fledermaus	die Fledermäuse
das Frettchen, –	ferret	das Frettchen	die Frettchen
der Fuchs, e	fox	der Fuchs	die Füchse
die Giraffe, n	giraffe	die Giraffe	die Giraffen
der Hase, n	hare	der Hase	die Hasen
der Hirsch, e	deer	der Hirsch	die Hirsche
das Kamel, e	camel	das Kamel	die Kamele
das Kaninchen, –	rabbit	das Kaninchen	die Kaninchen
das Nashorn, ..er	rhinoceros	das Nashorn	die Nashörner
der Löwe, n	lion	der Löwe	die Löwen
der Luchs, e	lynx	der Luchs	die Lüchse
der Panther, –	panther	der Panther	die Panther
das Rentier, e	reindeer	das Rentier	die Rentiere
das Schnabeltier, e	platypus	das Schnabeltier	die Schnabeltiere
der Siebenschläfer, –	dormouse	der Siebenschläfer	die Siebenschläfer
der Steppenwolf, ..e	coyote	der Steppenwolf	die Steppenwölfe
der Tiger, –	tiger	der Tiger	die Tiger
der Waschbär, en	raccoon	der Waschbär	die Waschbären
der Wiesel, –	weasel	der Wiesel	die Wiesel
das Wildschwein, e	boar	das Wildschwein	die Wildschweine
der Wolf, e	wolf	der Wolf	die Wölfe
das Zebra, s	zebra	das Zebra	die Zebras

Wild Animals in German

Sea Animals in German (Meerestiere)

German	English	Singular	Plural
der Fisch, e	fish	der Fisch	die Fische
die Krabbe, n	crab	die Krabbe	die Krabben
der Delphin, e	dolphin	der Delphin	die Delphine
der Pottwal	sperm whale	der Pottwal	die Pottwale
der Schwertwal, e	killer whale	der Schwertwal	die Schwertwale
der Seehund, e	seal	der Goldfisch	die Seehunde
der Wal, e	whale	der Wal	die Wale
der Tintenfisch, e	squid	der Tintenfisch	die Tintenfische
der Walross, e	walrus	der Walross	die Walrosse
der Krake, n	octopus	der Krake	die Kraken
die Schildkröte, n	turtle	die Schildkröte	die Schildkröten
der Pinguin, e	penguin	der Pinguin	die Pinguine
das Seepferdchen, –	sea horse	das Seepferdchen	die Seepferdchen
die Seekuh, ..e	manatee	die Seekuh	die Seekühe
die Muschel, n	shell	die Muschel	die Muscheln
dir Qualle, n	jellyfish	die Qualle	die Quallen
der Aal, e	eel	der Aal	die Aale
die Wasserschlange, n	sea snake	die Wasserschlange	die Wasserschlangen

Sea Animals in German

Insects in German (Insekten)

German	English	Singular	Plural
die Ameise, n	ant	die Ameise	die Ameisen
die Biene, n	bee	die Biene	die Bienen
der Blattlaus, ..e	aphid	der Blattlaus	die Blattläuse
die Bremse, n	horsefly	die Bremse	die Bremsen
der Brummer, –	bluebottle	der Brummer	die Brummer
der Fliege, n	fly	der Fliege	die Fliegen
der Floh, ..e	flea	der Floh	die Flöhe
der Glühwurm, ..e	firefly	der Glühwurm	die Glühwürme
die Grille, n	cricket	die Grille	die Grillen
die Heuschrecke, n	grasshopper	die Heuschrecke	die Heuschrecken
der Johanniskäfer, –	firefly	der Johanniskäfer	die Johanniskäfer
der Käfer, –	beetle	der Käfer	die Käfer
das Kaninchen, –	rabbit	das Kaninchen	die Kaninchen
die Kakerlake, n	cockroach	die Kakerlake	die Kakerlaken
die Laus, e	louse	die Laus	die Läuse
die Libelle, n	dragonfly	die Libelle	die Libellen
der Marienkäfer, –	ladybug	der Marienkäfer	die Marienkäfer
die Mücke, n	mosquito	die Mücke	die Mücken
die Motte, n	moth	die Motte	die Motten
die Termite, n	termite	die Termite	die Termiten
die Schabe, n	cockroach	die Schabe	die Schaben
die Wanze, n	bedbug	die Wanze	die Wanzen
die Wespe, n	wasp	die Wespe	die Wespen

Insects in German

Reptiles in German

German	English	Singular	Plural
die Echse, n	lizard	die Echse	die Echsen
die Kreuzotter, n	viper	die Kreuzotter	die Kreuzottern
das Krokodil	crocodile	das Krokodil	die Krokodile
die Natter, n	sneake	die Natter	die Nattern
die Schlange, n	snake	die Schlange	die Schlangen
die Schildkröte, n	turtle	die Schildkröte	die Schildkröten

Baby Animals in German (Tierbabys)

German	English	Singular	Plural
das Ei, er	the egg	das Ei	die Eier
der Welpe, n	the puppy	der Welpe	die Welpen
das Kätzchen, –	the kitten	das Kätzchen	die Kätzchen
das Entchen, –	the duckling	das Entchen	die Entchen
das Lamm, ..er	the lamb	das Lamm	die Lämmer
das Fohlen, –	the foal	das Fohlen	die Fohlen
das Horn, ..er	the horn	das Horn	die Hörner
das Hirschkalb, ..er	the fawn	das Hirschkalb	die Hirschkalbe
das Küken, –	the chick	das Küken	die Küken
das Schweinchen, –	the piglet	das Schweinchen	die Schweinchen

Baby Animals in German (Tierbabys)

Animal Body Parts in German (Tierkörperteile)

German	English	Singular	Plural
die Schnauze, n	the snout	die Schnauze	die Schnauzen
das Maul, ..er	the mouth/the muzzle	das Maul	die Mäuler
der Schwanz, ..e	the tail	der Schwanz	die Schwänze
die Pfote, n	the paw	die Pfote	die Pfoten
der Pelz, e	the fur	der Pelz	die Pelze
die Feder, n	the feather	die Feder	die Federn
der Flügel, –	the wing	der Flügel	die Flügel
das Horn, ..er	the horn	das Horn	die Hörner

Animal Body Parts in German (Tierkörperteile)

The post German Animal Names and Their Meanings with Pronunciation appeared first on GermanAtHome.

A1 Level German Grammar Topics

enalmanca — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 01:35:50 +0000

This article will discuss the key grammar topics covered in the A1 level and the skills you will acquire. At the A1 level, the focus is on acquiring basic knowledge and understanding of the German language. This includes familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.

Essential Grammar Topics for A1 Level German

Here is a list of essential grammar topics you will need to cover to reach the A1 level:

By the end of the A1 level, you will be able to:

Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type.
Introduce yourself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where you live, people you know, and things you have.
Interact in a simple way, provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

The A1 level in German includes fundamental grammar topics for everyday interactions and sets the groundwork for advanced learning. Practicing these topics is crucial for gaining confidence in the language and moving on to higher levels. With commitment and regular practice, you will be on the right path to mastering German!

The post A1 Level German Grammar Topics appeared first on GermanAtHome.

German Dative Case (der Dativ)

enalmanca — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 02:20:47 +0000

In this lesson, we will explore the German dative case, a key aspect of the language used to indicate the indirect object in a sentence.

Understanding German Dative Case

The dative case is one part of German’s four-case system and is often referred to as the indirect object case. It indicates who receives an action or what is affected by it.

Before we delve deeper into the dative case, let’s take a quick look at how the German cases work, as outlined in Table 1.1.

Cases	Role	Description
Nominative	subject	performs action
Accusative	direct object	affected by action
Dative	indirect object	recipient of action
Genitive	possessive	indicates ownership

Table 1.1

After grasping the basic functions of each case, it’s a good time to take a closer look at the dative case.

In German, the dative case corresponds to the English indirect object, showing who receives an action or what is affected by it.

🇩🇪 Ich _(Nominative) gebe dem Mann _(Dative) das Buch _(Accusative).
🇺🇸 I give the man the book.

In this sentence, “Ich” is the subject performing the action. “Das Buch” is the direct object, the thing being given, making it accusative. “Dem Mann” is the indirect object, the recipient of the book, making it dative. Since subjects conjugate verbs, “geben” is conjugated here as “Ich gebe”.

In sentences with verbs involving actions like giving, telling, or showing, the dative case is used to indicate the recipient of the action.

Article Declension in Dative Case

In German, articles “the” and “a” change in the dative case, just as they do in the accusative case. This is called “declension”. For instance, in the example sentence we discussed, “dem Mann” is in the dative case. Here, “der Mann” (the man) changes to “dem Mann” in dative. This change of “der” to “dem” is part of the declension of articles in the dative case.

The declension of definite and indefinite articles in the dative case is shown in Table 1.2:

Cases	Masculine	Feminine	Neutral	Plural
Nominative	der ein kein	die eine keine	das ein kein	die ✖️ keine
Accusative	den einen keinen	die eine keine	das ein kein	die ✖️ keine
Dative	dem einem keinem	der einer keiner	dem einem keinem	den ✖️ keinen

Table 1.2 – Article Declension in Dative Case

❗Remembering the declension of articles is crucial for properly using the dative case in German. For instance, take a look at the declensions of the articles in Table 1.3:

Cases	Singular	Plural
Nominativ	Der Stuhl Chair Die Frau Woman Das Haus Haus	Die Stühle Chairs Die Frauen Women Die Häuser Hauses
Akkusativ	Den Stuhl Chair Die Frau Woman Das Haus Haus	Die Stühle Chairs Die Frauen Women Die Häuser Hauses
Dativ	Dem Stuhl Chair Der Frau Woman Dem Haus Haus	Den Stühlen Chairs Den Frauen Women Den Häusern Hauses

Table 1.3

In Which Situations Is Dative Case Used?

1. To identify the indirect object in German, start by locating the verb and asking, “Wem?” (to whom) or “Was?” (to what).

🇩🇪 Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch. (Wem gibst du das Buch?)
🇺🇸 I give the book to the man. (To whom do you give the book?)
🇩🇪 Er hilft dem Kind. (Wem hilft er?)
🇺🇸 He helps the child. (To whom does he help?)

2. The primary function of the dative case in German is to indicate the indirect object (indirektes Objekt = Dativobjekt) of transitive verbs.

🇩🇪 Er schenkt der Frau Blumen.
🇺🇸 He gives the woman flowers.

3. Dative is also employed with dative prepositions.

🇩🇪 Ich warte auf dem Bahnhof.
🇺🇸 I wait at the station.

Some common dative prepositions are outlined in Table 1.4:

aus	out of, from
außer	except for
bei	at, with
mit	with
nach	after, to
seit	since, for
von	from, of
zu	to, at

Table 1.4

4. The dative case is also used with fixed expressions (mit festen Wendungen).

🇩🇪 Viel Glück!
🇺🇸 Good luck!

Some common fixed expressions are listed in Table 1.5:

guten Morgen	good morning
guten Tag	good day
guten Abend	good evening
gute Nacht	good night

Table 1.5

6. Verbs that require the dative case (Verben mit Dativ) always take a dative object.

🇩🇪 Er hilft dem Kind.
🇺🇸 He helps the child.
🇩🇪 Ich danke dem Mann.
🇺🇸 I thank the man.
🇩🇪 Er antwortet dem Lehrer.
🇺🇸 He answers the teacher.

Some common German dative verbs are listed in Table 1.6:

helfen	to help
danken	to thank
antworten	to answer
gefallen	to like
glauben	to believe
folgen	to follow

Table 1.6

7. Objects in the dative case (Dativobjekte) can refer to a person (Person) or a thing (Sache) and can be either singular or plural:

🇩🇪 Thomas gibt Maria das Buch.
🇺🇸 Thomas gives Maria the book.
🇩🇪 Thomas gibt dem Kind das Buch.
🇺🇸 Thomas gives the child the book.
🇩🇪 Thomas gibt ihm das Buch.
🇺🇸 Thomas gives him the book.

By now, you should have a solid understanding of the German dative case, its rules, and its applications. Remember, practice is essential for mastering any language, so keep practicing and feel free to revisit this lesson whenever you need a refresher. Viel Erfolg (Good luck) on your German language journey!

The post German Dative Case (der Dativ) appeared first on GermanAtHome.

Asking for Directions in German

enalmanca — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 23:37:24 +0000

In this post, we present a dialogue focused on how to ask for directions in German.

👨🏻 John
🇩🇪 Entschuldigung! Wie komme ich zum Rathaus?
🇺🇸 Excuse me! How do I get to the town hall?

👱🏻‍♂️ Arnold
🇩🇪 Gehen Sie einfach geradeaus. Nach zehn Minuten sind Sie da.
🇺🇸 Go straight ahead. You’ll be there in ten minutes.

👨🏻 John
🇩🇪 Vielen Dank!
🇺🇸 Many thanks!

👱🏻‍♂️ Arnold
🇩🇪 Kein Problem!
🇺🇸 No problem!

👨🏻 John
🇩🇪 Danke sehr!
🇺🇸 Thank you very much!

👱🏻‍♂️ Arnold
🇩🇪 Keine Ursache!
🇺🇸 No problem!

👨🏻 John
🇩🇪 Entschuldigung! Wo ist der Bahnhof?
🇺🇸 Excuse me! Where is the train station?

👱🏻‍♂️ Arnold
🇩🇪 Der Bahnhof ist hier. Er ist direkt hinter Ihnen.
🇺🇸 The train station is here. It’s right behind you.

👨🏻 John
🇩🇪 Das habe ich nicht verstanden. Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen?
🇺🇸 I did not understand. Could you please speak slower?

👱🏻‍♂️ Arnold
🇩🇪 Ja, natürlich! Sie stehen direkt vor dem Bahnhof. Er ist hinter Ihnen.
🇺🇸 Yes, of course! You are right in front of the train station. It’s behind you.

👨🏻 John
🇩🇪 Danke sehr!
🇺🇸 Thank you very much!

👱🏻‍♂️ Arnold
🇩🇪 Keine Ursache!
🇺🇸 No problem!

The post Asking for Directions in German appeared first on GermanAtHome.

Top 50 Essential German Verbs for Beginners with Audio Pronunciations

enalmanca — Sat, 04 Jun 2022 14:10:34 +0000

This lesson highlights the 50 most frequently used German verbs that beginners often encounter in daily conversations. These verbs have been carefully selected for their simplicity and ease of retention.

Below, you’ll find a list of the top 50 German verbs. To help with your learning, you can also listen to the correct pronunciation of each word by clicking the pronunciation buttons.

arbeiten	to work, labor; function
bekommen	to get, receive, obtain
bleiben	to remain, stay; keep
brauchen	to need, require
bringen	to bring; take; yield; present; put
denken	to think, conceive; believe; bear in mind
essen	to eat, take a meal
fahren	to drive, go, travel, ride; move hurriedly; convey, carry
finden	to find, discover, come across; think, consider
fragen	to ask, inquire, question
geben	to give, confer; grant; emit; yield; provide
gehen	to go, walk, move; go away, leave; work, function
gehören	to belong, be owned; pertain
glauben	to believe, think, imagine; trust
haben	to have, possess, bear
heißen	to be called/named; command, order; mean, signify
helfen	to help, assist; support; remedy
hören	to hear, listen; attend
kaufen	to buy, purchase
kennen	to know, be familiar with, be acquainted with
kommen	to come; go; get; happen
können	can, to be able to, know (how to); be allowed to
lassen	to let, allow, permit; leave; stop, put aside; relinquish, let go
laufen	to run, walk; work, function; extend
legen	to lay, put, place
liegen	to lie, be lying, rest; be located/situated
machen	to make, do; construct; cause; constitute; come to
mögen	to like (to)
müssen	must, to have to, be obliged to
nehmen	to take
sagen	to say, mean, tell
schlafen	to sleep, be asleep
schlagen	to hit, beat, strike, punch, slap
sehen	to see, look; watch
sein	to be, exist
setzen	to set, place, put; sit (someone) (down); plant; wager; compose
sitzen	to be sitting/seated, be situated; be in session
spielen	to play, act, perform
sprechen	to speak, talk; recite; pronounce
stehen	to stand, be situated; be
stellen	to put, place; stand; set
sterben	to die, perish
tragen	to carry, hold; wear; bear, endure
treffen	to hit, strike; hurt, affect; meet
tun	to do; work, perform
werden	to become, get, turn, grow; come into existence
wissen	to know
wohnen	to live, stay, dwell
wollen	to want (to); intend to
ziehen	to draw, pull; extract; attract

Top 50 Verbs in German

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Inseparable Verbs in German (Untrennbare Verben)

enalmanca — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 22:25:52 +0000

In this topic, you will be learning the inseparable verbs in German (Untrennbare Verben).

Verb prefixes in German

A verb prefix is a word that is used with verbs to create new verbs with an entirely different meaning in English. There is also a similar system in the German language with one difference. The words are put before the infinitive and joined to it.

Some prefixes are always joined to the verb and some of them can be separated. However, some of them are never separated from it. That’s why these kinds of prefixes are called inseparable prefixes.

They are also can be found in all kinds of verb types i.e. strong, weak and mixed verbs.

Inseparable Verbs in German

A verb with inseparable prefixes is called “Untrennbare Verben” (inseparable verbs) in German.

Commonly used inseparable prefixes are: “be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, miss-, ob-, ver-, zer-, de-, dis-, in-, re-” and some example verbs are shown in the table below:

Inseparable Verbs	Meanings
beschreiben	to describe
enttäuschen	to disappoint
gehören	to belong
verlieren	to lose
empfangen	to receive
erhalten	to preserve
misstrauen	to mistrust
zerlegen	to dismantle

Inseparable Verbs in German

	Ich bekomme einen Brief. I get a letter.
	Ich bestelle einen Hamburger. I order a hamburger.
	Mir missfällt was ich sehe, wenn Sie da sind. I don’t like what I see when you are there.
	Thomas misstraute der eigenen Formensprache. Thomas mistrusted his own design language.
	Johannes verlor zahlreiche Arbeiten und unter anderem etwa 1000 Bücher. Johannes lost numerous works and among other things about 1000 books.

untrennbare verben example sentences

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Grüß Peter und die Kinder!

enalmanca — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 17:56:17 +0000

👨🏻 Klaus
🇩🇪 Angela! Wie geht es dir?
🇺🇸 Angela! How are you?

👩🏻 Angela
🇩🇪 Hallo, Klaus. Mir geht es gut. Ich habe dich schon lange nicht mehr gesehen. Wo warst du?
🇺🇸 Hello, Klaus. I am fine. I haven’t seen you in a long time. Where have you been?

👨🏻 Klaus
🇩🇪 Ich habe einige Wochen in Spanien verbracht.
🇺🇸 I spent a few weeks in Spain.

👩🏻 Angela
🇩🇪 Wundervoll! Und wie geht es deiner Frau?
🇺🇸 Wonderful! And how is your wife?

👨🏻 Klaus
🇩🇪 Es geht ihr gut, danke. Sie kann sich kaum bewegen. Sie wird in ein paar Wochen entbinden und das Baby ist sehr unruhig … aber ansonsten ist alles sehr gut.

🇺🇸 She is fine, thank you. She can barely move. She will give birth in a couple of weeks, and the baby is very restless … but otherwise, everything is very good.

👩🏻 Angela
🇩🇪 Es freut mich sehr, das zu hören. Ich habe es eilig, denn ich habe um drei Uhr eine Verabredung. Tschüss! Grüß Julia von mir!

🇺🇸 I am very happy to hear that. I’m in a hurry because I have an appointment at three o’clock. Bye! Please give my regards to Julia!

👨🏻 Klaus
🇩🇪 Tschüss! Grüß Peter und die Kinder!
🇺🇸 Bye! Greetings to Peter and the children!

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Ich bin total kaputt!

enalmanca — Sat, 27 Nov 2021 14:11:03 +0000

👩 Mami
🇩🇪 Guten Morgen, mein Sohn, wie geht es dir heute?
🇺🇸 Good morning, my son. How are you today?

👦 John
🇩🇪 Guten Morgen, Mama! Ich bin total kaputt!
🇺🇸 Good morning, mum! I am dead beat!

👩 Mami
🇩🇪 Ach ja? Warum denn?
🇺🇸 Oh, yeah? Why then?

👦 John
🇩🇪 Physik, Chemie… Ich muss viel lernen.
🇺🇸 Physics, chemistry … I have to study hard.

👩 Mami
🇩🇪 Ach so…
🇺🇸 Oh, I see…

👦 John
🇩🇪 Wie geht es dir, Mami?
🇺🇸 How are you, mommy?

👩 Mami
🇩🇪 Ich bin fix und fertig. Ich habe diese Woche viel gearbeitet … Ich hoffe, die nächsten Tage werden etwas ruhiger!
🇺🇸 I am all run down. I’ve worked hard this week… I hope the next few days will be a little quieter!

👦 John
🇩🇪 Mami, ich habe mit einer Frau telefoniert, während du geschlafen hast.
🇺🇸 Mommy, I spoke to a woman on the phone while you were sleeping.

👩 Mami
🇩🇪 Wer war das eigentlich?
🇺🇸 Who was that anyway?

👦 John
🇩🇪 Deine Chefin …. ich habe es vergessen… Warte mal …. Sie sagte, es sei dringend.
🇺🇸 Your boss … I forgot … Wait a minute … She said it was urgent.

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Do you want to go to an exhibition?

enalmanca — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 14:46:10 +0000

👩🏻 Sandra
🇩🇪 Hi Hermann, möchtest du in eine Ausstellung gehen? Fabian und ich wollen ins Miniatur Wunderland gehen.
🇺🇸 Hi Hermann, do you want to go to an exhibition? Fabian and I want to go to the Miniatur Wunderland.

👨🏻 Hermann
🇩🇪 Ja, gern! Wann denn?
🇺🇸 Yes, I’d love to! When?

👩🏻 Sandra
🇩🇪 Am Samstag.
🇺🇸 On Saturday.

👨🏻 Hermann
🇩🇪 Kann Lena mitkommen?
🇺🇸 Can Lena come along?

👩🏻 Sandra
🇩🇪 Natürlich! Wir wollen danach noch etwas trinken gehen.
🇺🇸 Of course! We also want to go for a drink afterwards.

👨🏻 Hermann
🇩🇪 Das klingt gut, ich freue mich.
🇺🇸 Sounds great; I’m looking forward to it.

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