German Language A1 Beginner (Anfänger) Syllabus

What is the definite article for plural nouns in the nominative case, for all genders?

In the plural, the definite article is 'die' for all three genders in the nominative (die Männer, die Frauen, die Kinder).

What are the German indefinite articles ('a/an') in the nominative for each gender?

Masculine: ein (ein Mann). Neuter: ein (ein Kind). Feminine: eine (eine Frau). There is no plural indefinite article ('some' is expressed with no article).

Why is grammatical gender not the same as biological gender? Give the classic German example.

Grammatical gender is a property of the noun, not always the object's sex. The classic example is 'das Mädchen' (the girl), which is neuter because the diminutive suffix -chen always makes a noun neuter, despite referring to a female.

How are most German plurals formed? Name several common plural endings.

German has several plural patterns (no single rule): -e (Tag → Tage), -er often with umlaut (Kind → Kinder, Mann → Männer), -(e)n (Frau → Frauen), -s for foreign words (Auto → Autos), or no change sometimes with umlaut (Apfel → Äpfel). Plurals must be learned with the noun.

What are the German nominative personal pronouns for all persons (singular and plural)?

Singular: ich (I), du (you informal), er (he), sie (she), es (it). Plural: wir (we), ihr (you all informal), sie (they). Formal 'you': Sie (singular or plural).

How do you conjugate a regular German verb in the present tense? Use 'spielen' (to play) as the model.

Take the stem (spiel-) and add endings: ich spiele, du spielst, er/sie/es spielt, wir spielen, ihr spielt, sie/Sie spielen.

What are the present-tense endings for regular German verbs for each person?

ich → -e, du → -st, er/sie/es → -t, wir → -en, ihr → -t, sie/Sie → -en. Added to the verb stem (infinitive minus -en).

Fully conjugate the irregular verb 'sein' (to be) in the present tense.

ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist, wir sind, ihr seid, sie/Sie sind.

Fully conjugate the irregular verb 'haben' (to have) in the present tense.

ich habe, du hast, er/sie/es hat, wir haben, ihr habt, sie/Sie haben. (Note: du and er/sie/es drop the 'b'.)

What is a stem-changing (strong) verb in German present tense? Give the two main vowel-change patterns.

Some strong verbs change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms only. Patterns: e → i (geben → du gibst, er gibt; essen → du isst, er isst) and e → ie (sehen → du siehst, er sieht; lesen → du liest, er liest).

How does the stem-changing verb 'fahren' (to drive/go) change, and what pattern does it follow?

It follows the a → ä pattern in du and er/sie/es: ich fahre, du fährst, er/sie/es fährt, wir fahren, ihr fahrt, sie fahren. Other examples: schlafen → du schläfst, laufen → du läufst.

How do you form a yes/no question in German? Give an example.

Invert the subject and verb so the conjugated verb comes first (position 1): Du spielst Fußball → Spielst du Fußball? ('Do you play soccer?'). The verb starts the sentence.

What are W-questions in German? List the main question words.

W-questions begin with an interrogative word (in position 1) followed by the verb. Main words: wer (who), was (what), wo (where), wann (when), warum (why), wie (how), woher (from where), wohin (to where), welche(r) (which), wie viel(e) (how much/many).

What is the nominative case in German and what question does it answer?

The nominative is the case of the subject — the person or thing performing the action. It answers 'wer?' (who?) or 'was?' (what?). Example: Der Hund schläft — 'der Hund' is nominative (subject).

What is the accusative case in German and what question does it answer?

The accusative marks the direct object — the person/thing directly receiving the action. It answers 'wen?' (whom?) or 'was?' (what?). Example: Ich sehe den Hund — 'den Hund' is the accusative direct object.

How do the definite articles change from nominative to accusative for each gender?

Masculine: der → den (the only change). Feminine: die → die. Neuter: das → das. Plural: die → die. Only the masculine article changes in the accusative.

How do the indefinite articles (ein/eine) change in the accusative case?

Masculine: ein → einen (the only change: Ich habe einen Hund). Feminine: eine → eine. Neuter: ein → ein. Only masculine changes in the accusative.

What are the accusative forms of the German personal pronouns?

ich → mich, du → dich, er → ihn, sie → sie, es → es, wir → uns, ihr → euch, sie → sie, Sie → Sie. Example: Ich sehe dich ('I see you').

How do you negate a verb or whole statement in German? Give the rule for 'nicht'.

'nicht' negates a verb, adjective, adverb, or the whole sentence. It generally comes at the end (negating the verb) or directly before the word it negates: Ich schlafe nicht ('I don't sleep'); Das ist nicht gut ('That is not good').

When do you use 'kein' instead of 'nicht' in German negation?

'kein' negates nouns that have an indefinite article (ein) or no article at all. It means 'no/not a/not any'. Example: Ich habe kein Auto ('I have no car'), Das ist keine Katze ('That is not a cat'). Use 'nicht' with definite articles or possessives.

How is 'kein' declined in the nominative and accusative for each gender?

It takes ein-word endings. Nominative: kein (m), keine (f), kein (n), keine (pl). Accusative: keinen (m), keine (f), kein (n), keine (pl). Example: Ich habe keinen Bruder ('I have no brother').

What are the German words for the immediate family members: mother, father, parents, brother, sister, siblings?

die Mutter (mother), der Vater (father), die Eltern (parents), der Bruder (brother), die Schwester (sister), die Geschwister (siblings).

What are the German words for son, daughter, grandmother, grandfather, and grandparents?

der Sohn (son), die Tochter (daughter), die Großmutter/Oma (grandmother), der Großvater/Opa (grandfather), die Großeltern (grandparents).

How do you express possession like 'my' and 'your' with family members in German? Give examples.

Possessive articles agree with the possessed noun's gender: mein (my, m/n), meine (my, f/pl); dein (your, m/n), deine (your, f/pl). Examples: mein Bruder, meine Schwester, dein Vater, deine Mutter.

What are the German words for the common meals and 'to eat' / 'to drink'?

das Frühstück (breakfast), das Mittagessen (lunch), das Abendessen (dinner). essen = to eat, trinken = to drink. (essen is stem-changing: du isst, er isst.)

Give German words for common foods: bread, water, milk, coffee, apple, and cheese.

das Brot (bread), das Wasser (water), die Milch (milk), der Kaffee (coffee), der Apfel (apple), der Käse (cheese).

How do you politely ask for something while shopping in Germany, e.g., 'I would like…' and 'How much does it cost?'

Ich möchte … ('I would like …') or Ich hätte gern … ('I'd like …'). To ask the price: Wie viel kostet das? or Was kostet das? ('How much does that cost?').

What is the German currency-and-quantity phrase for shopping, and how do you say 'a kilo of apples' and 'a bottle of water'?

Quantities are expressed with the noun directly: ein Kilo Äpfel ('a kilo of apples'), eine Flasche Wasser ('a bottle of water'), ein Stück Kuchen ('a piece of cake'). Prices use Euro: Das kostet drei Euro.

In a German store, how do you say 'Do you have…?' and respond that you'd like to pay?

Haben Sie …? ('Do you have …?', formal). To pay: Ich möchte zahlen, bitte or Ich möchte bezahlen ('I'd like to pay, please'). Bar (cash) or mit Karte (by card).

Summarize the German present-tense verb-position rule for statements, yes/no questions, and W-questions.

In a statement, the conjugated verb is in second position (Ich spiele heute Fußball). In a yes/no question, the verb is first (Spielst du Fußball?). In a W-question, the question word is first and the verb is second (Was spielst du?).