German Introduction to German Language Flashcards

24 sample cards from the Introduction to German Language deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. What does 'Guten Morgen' mean and when is it used?

   It means 'Good morning' and is used as a greeting in the morning hours (roughly until about 11 a.m.).

2. What does 'Guten Tag' mean and when is it appropriate?

   It means 'Good day' and is a polite, formal greeting used during the daytime. It is the standard neutral greeting for strangers and formal settings.

3. What do 'Guten Abend' and 'Gute Nacht' mean, and how do they differ?

   'Guten Abend' means 'Good evening' and is used as a greeting in the evening. 'Gute Nacht' means 'Good night' and is used only when parting/going to bed, not as a greeting.

4. What is the informal southern-German/Austrian greeting equivalent to 'hi/hello'?

   'Servus' (used in Bavaria and Austria) and 'Gruss Gott' (a more formal 'God greet you' used in the south). 'Moin' is a common informal greeting in northern Germany.

5. What is the difference between 'Tschuss' and 'Auf Wiedersehen'?

   'Tschuss' means 'Bye' and is informal. 'Auf Wiedersehen' means 'Goodbye' (literally 'until we see again') and is formal/polite.

6. What does 'Auf Wiederhoren' mean and in what context is it used?

   It means 'goodbye' literally 'until we hear each other again' and is used specifically when ending a telephone conversation.

7. How do you say 'please' and 'thank you' in German?

   'Bitte' means 'please' and 'Danke' means 'thank you'. 'Danke schon' or 'Vielen Dank' means 'thank you very much'.

8. What are the two meanings of the word 'Bitte' in German?

   'Bitte' means both 'please' and 'you're welcome'. It is also used to mean 'here you go' when handing something over, or 'pardon?' when asking someone to repeat.

9. How do you say 'excuse me' or 'sorry' in German?

   'Entschuldigung' means 'excuse me' / 'sorry' (to get attention or apologize). 'Es tut mir leid' means 'I am sorry' (a sincere apology).

10. What is the key difference between the pronouns 'du' and 'Sie'?

    'du' is the informal 'you' used with friends, family, children, and peers. 'Sie' (always capitalized) is the formal/polite 'you' used with strangers, elders, and in professional settings. 'Sie' takes the same verb form as the third-person plural.

11. How do you politely ask 'How are you?' in formal and informal German?

    Formal: 'Wie geht es Ihnen?' Informal: 'Wie geht es dir?' or simply 'Wie geht's?'

12. How might you answer 'Wie geht es dir?' (How are you?) in German?

    'Mir geht es gut, danke' (I'm well, thank you), 'Sehr gut' (very good), 'Es geht' (so-so), or 'Nicht so gut' (not so good). Often followed by 'Und dir?' / 'Und Ihnen?' (And you?).

13. How do you say 'My name is...' in German (two common ways)?

    'Ich heisse...' (literally 'I am called...') or 'Mein Name ist...' ('My name is...'). Example: 'Ich heisse Anna.'

14. How do you ask someone's name formally and informally in German?

    Formal: 'Wie heissen Sie?' or 'Wie ist Ihr Name?' Informal: 'Wie heisst du?'

15. How do you say 'I come from...' / 'Where are you from?' in German?

    'Ich komme aus...' means 'I come from...' (e.g. 'Ich komme aus Deutschland'). To ask formally: 'Woher kommen Sie?'; informally: 'Woher kommst du?'

16. How do you say 'Nice to meet you' in German?

    'Freut mich' (short form) or 'Es freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen' (formal, 'I'm pleased to meet you'). A common response is 'Freut mich auch' ('nice to meet you too').

17. How do you state your age and ask someone's age in German?

    'Ich bin ... Jahre alt' ('I am ... years old', e.g. 'Ich bin 20 Jahre alt'). To ask: 'Wie alt bist du?' (informal) or 'Wie alt sind Sie?' (formal).

18. How do you say 'I live in...' and ask where someone lives in German?

    'Ich wohne in...' means 'I live in...' (e.g. 'Ich wohne in Berlin'). To ask: 'Wo wohnst du?' (informal) or 'Wo wohnen Sie?' (formal).

19. How do you say 'I speak a little German' and 'I don't understand' in German?

    'Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch' means 'I speak a little German'. 'Ich verstehe nicht' means 'I don't understand'.

20. How do you ask 'Do you speak English?' politely in German?

    'Sprechen Sie Englisch?' (formal) or 'Sprichst du Englisch?' (informal).

21. How do you say 'yes', 'no', and the useful particle 'doch' in German?

    'Ja' = yes, 'Nein' = no. 'Doch' is used to contradict a negative statement or question, meaning 'yes, on the contrary' (e.g. answering 'yes I do' to 'Don't you...?').

22. What does 'Ich bin' mean and how is it used when introducing yourself?

    'Ich bin' means 'I am'. It is used with a name or a description, e.g. 'Ich bin Thomas' (I am Thomas) or 'Ich bin Student' (I am a student).

23. How do you say 'What is your job/profession?' and answer it in German?

    Ask: 'Was sind Sie von Beruf?' (formal) or 'Was machst du beruflich?' (informal). Answer: 'Ich bin...' + profession, e.g. 'Ich bin Lehrer' (I am a teacher) note German drops the article for professions.

24. What formal phrase can you use to greet someone and introduce yourself in one polite exchange?

    'Guten Tag, mein Name ist ... . Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen.' meaning 'Good day, my name is ... . Pleased to meet you.'

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