Summary
Highlights
Dative prepositions always take the dative case. Common ones are 'aus' (out of/from, for origin from within), 'bei' (at/with, for static location), 'mit' (with, for connection/accompaniment), 'nach' (after/to, for cities/countries/directions), 'seit' (since), and 'von' (from/of, for origin without exiting). Other dative prepositions include 'entgegen' (contrary to/towards), 'gegenüber' (across from), and 'zu' (to, similar to 'von'). 'Aus' and 'von' both mean 'from' but are used in different contexts. 'Zu' often contracts with 'der' ('zur') and 'dem' ('zum').
Certain German phrases inherently use the dative case to express an attribute or feeling relative to a person, rather than describing the person directly. This is because the nominative case would imply the person possesses the attribute (e.g., 'Der Mann ist heiß' = The man is hot/sexy), while the dative implies the attribute affects them. Examples include expressing temperatures ('Mir ist kalt' - I am cold / 'It is cold to me'), feelings ('Mir ist langweilig' - I am bored), and various states of being where the attribute applies 'to' someone (e.g., 'Dieses Buch ist den Schülern uninteressant' - This book is uninteresting to the students).
Two-way prepositions can take either the accusative or dative case. The choice depends not on motion vs. non-motion, but on a change of location. If the prepositional phrase indicates a change in location, use the accusative case. If it indicates a constant location, use the dative case. Examples include 'legen' (to lay, transitive, implies change of location, accusative) vs. 'liegen' (to lie, intransitive, implies constant location, dative). The verbs 'setzen' (to sit oneself down), 'stellen' (to place standing), and 'hängen' (to hang, transitive) imply a change of location, while 'sitzen' (to be sitting), 'stehen' (to be standing), and 'hängen' (to be hanging, intransitive) imply a constant location.
Possessive adjectives (e.g., 'mein', 'dein', 'sein', 'ihr', 'unser', 'euer') indicate ownership and must agree with the gender and case of the noun they precede. They follow the same ending patterns as indefinite articles ('ein-words'). For 'euer' (yours, informal plural), the 'e' before 'r' is removed when an ending is added (e.g., 'eure', 'eurem'). For 'unser', the 'e' removal is optional in speech but typically kept in writing. There are three 'ihr' forms that differentiate between her, their, and formal your.
The perfect tense describes completed actions in the past, primarily used in spoken German. It consists of a helping verb ('haben' or 'sein') and a past participle (Partizip II). 'Sein' is used for verbs indicating motion or change of location, as well as 'sein' itself and 'bleiben'. 'Haben' is used for most other verbs, especially transitive ones (those taking a direct object). To form the past participle of regular verbs, add 'ge-' to the beginning and '-t' to the end of the verb stem (e.g., 'machen' -> 'gemacht'). Verbs ending in '-ieren' or with inseparable prefixes do not add 'ge-'. Stems ending in 't' or 'd' often require an additional '-e-' before the '-t'.
Irregular verbs in the perfect tense often have significant stem changes. Many irregular verbs also add 'ge-' at the beginning but end with '-en' instead of '-t' (e.g., 'backen' -> 'gebacken'). Verbs with separable prefixes insert 'ge-' between the prefix and the stem. Inseparable prefixes mean no 'ge-' is added. Irregular verbs often show recognizable vowel change patterns across their infinitive, simple past (Präteritum), and past participle forms, such as 'ei' to 'i'/'ie' to 'i', 'ie' to 'o' to 'o', 'i' to 'a' to 'o' (i-a-o-verbs), or 'i' to 'a' to 'e' (i-a-e-verbs). Some verbs are completely irregular and must be memorized.
Reflexive pronouns are used when the subject and object of a verb are the same person/thing (e.g., 'er rasiert sich' - he shaves himself). They are similar to accusative and dative personal pronouns, but all third-person forms ('er', 'sie', 'es', 'Sie', 'sie' plural) use 'sich'. The choice between accusative ('mich', 'dich', 'sich', 'uns', 'euch') and dative ('mir', 'dir', 'sich', 'uns', 'euch') reflexive pronouns depends on whether there's another direct object in the sentence. If there is, the reflexive pronoun takes the dative case; otherwise, it takes the accusative. Reflexive pronouns are crucial for many common German verbs and can also appear in command forms.
This section clarifies the concept of 'reflexive verbs,' arguing that verbs aren't inherently reflexive, but rather are 'used reflexively.' A verb is used reflexively when the action performed by the subject is directed back at the subject itself, or at a part of the subject. Some verbs are 'always' used reflexively (e.g., 'sich erkälten' - to catch a cold), while others can be used both reflexively and non-reflexively, with a change in meaning (e.g., 'sich vorstellen' - to imagine vs. 'jemanden vorstellen' - to introduce someone). The presence or absence of a direct object determines if the reflexive pronoun is accusative or dative.
The genitive case is primarily used to show possession. For proper nouns, an 's' is added directly (e.g., 'Bobs Diner'). If a name ends in 's', 'ss', 'ß', 'z', or 'x', only an apostrophe is added. For common nouns, the possessor's article changes to 'des' (masculine/neuter) or 'der' (feminine/plural). Masculine and neuter nouns also add an '-s' (or '-es' for single-syllable nouns) to their end. Feminine and plural nouns do not add extra endings. Indefinite articles and possessive adjectives follow similar patterns for genitive endings ('-es', '-er'). Genitive chains can be formed with multiple possessives.
Genitive prepositions always require the noun or pronoun following them to be in the genitive case. The most common ones are 'anstatt' (instead of), 'trotz' (despite/in spite of), 'während' (during), and 'wegen' (because of). Less common ones include 'innerhalb' (inside of), 'außerhalb' (outside of), 'oberhalb' (above), 'unterhalb' (below), 'diesseits' (this side of), 'jenseits' (the other side of), 'anlässlich' (on the occasion of), 'kraft' (by virtue of), 'laut' (according to), 'aufgrund' (on the basis of), and 'bezüglich' (with regard to). Note that 'während' and 'wegen' can also function as conjunctions, requiring different sentence structures.
Adjectives in German can appear after the verb (predicate adjectives, no endings) or directly before the noun (attributive adjectives, requires endings). The endings for attributive adjectives depend on the gender, case, and the type of article preceding them (definite - 'der-words', indefinite - 'ein-words', or no article). After definite articles, adjectives mostly take an '-e' (singular nominative, accusative feminine/neuter) or '-en' (all others). After indefinite articles, endings are more varied, often reflecting the missing article's ending. Without an article, adjectives take endings similar to definite articles, filling in the gender/case information.
German participles can function as adjectives. Partizip I (present participle) is formed by adding '-d' to the infinitive (e.g., 'lachen' -> 'lachend'). When used as an adjective, it describes an action the noun is currently performing (e.g., 'das lachende Baby' - the laughing baby). Partizip II (past participle) is formed as in the perfect tense (e.g., 'brennen' -> 'gebrannt'). When used as an adjective, it describes a state the noun is in after a completed action (e.g., 'das gebrannte Schnitzel' - the burned schnitzel). Both types of participles take the regular adjective endings based on the noun's case, gender, and preceding article.
Comparative forms are generally made by adding '-er' to adjectives/adverbs (e.g., 'schnell' -> 'schneller'). Superlative forms add 'am ... -sten' (e.g., 'am schnellsten'). These rules apply whether the word is a predicate adjective or an adverb; no distinction like 'more slowly' in English exists. Some words require an umlaut in comparative/superlative forms if the vowel can take one (e.g., 'jung' -> 'jünger', 'am jüngsten'). Certain adjectives are irregular ('gut' -> 'besser' -> 'am besten'). Comparatives use 'als' (than) for direct comparisons, while 'so ... wie' (as ... as) indicates equality.
Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses without affecting word order. Key conjunctions include 'und' (and, for combining items into one group), 'oder' (or, for offering alternatives), 'beziehungsweise (bzw.)' (more precisely/respectively/as the case may be), 'denn' (because, providing a reason) and 'aber' (but, for contrast). 'Sondern' (but rather) is used specifically after a negation. 'Allein' (but with one exception) is archaic. 'Doch' (however/nevertheless) indicates contrast and is an adverbial conjunction, which means it causes inverse word order in the clause it introduces if positioned first.
Subordinating conjunctions introduce subordinate clauses that cannot stand alone and require specific word order changes: the conjugated verb moves to the end of the clause. If the subordinate clause comes first, the main clause starts with its conjugated verb. This section covers 'als' (when, past tense only), 'wenn' (when/if, all tenses, conditional), 'falls' (in case), 'ob' (if, for yes/no questions), 'als ob' (as if), 'obwohl' (although), 'weil' (because), 'da' (since/because, formal), 'damit' (so that/in order to), 'dass' (that), 'so dass' (so that), 'indem' (by means of), 'während' (while/whereas), 'bevor' (before), 'ehe' (before, archaic), 'bis' (until), 'solange' (as long as), 'sobald' (as soon as), 'sooft' (as often as), 'nachdem' (after), and 'seit/seitdem' (since).
Adverbial conjunctions (also known as conjunctive adverbs) are adverbs that connect clauses. Unlike coordinating conjunctions, they affect word order: if they start a clause, the subject moves to the other side of the verb. This section focuses on a variety of these conjunctions grouped by meaning. For conclusions or reasons: 'daher', 'darum', 'deshalb', 'deswegen', 'somit' (therefore/that's why). For contrast: 'allerdings' (however), 'trotzdem' (in spite of that/nevertheless). For additions: 'außerdem' (besides that/in addition to). For alternatives: 'sonst' (otherwise). Other categories include copulative (adding info), local (location-based), temporal (time-based), causal (cause), conditional, concessive (precluding something), modal (manner), and adversative (difference).
This video course is designed for German learners who have completed the A1 level and wish to advance their skills to A2. It covers grammar, vocabulary, and listening comprehension. Supplementary materials, including a book, worksheets, MP3s, and online flashcards, are available. The course can be viewed in various formats separating grammar and listening comprehension lessons.
Inseparable prefix verbs modify the meaning of verbs without separating the prefix from the verb. Key rules include treating them like normal verbs in present, future, and simple past tenses, and not adding the 'ge-' prefix in perfect tenses (e.g., 'bekommen' becomes 'bekommen' not 'gebekommen'). Common inseparable prefixes are 'be-', 'ent-', 'emp-', 'er-', 'ge-', 'miss-', 'ver-', and 'zer-'. The emphasis in pronunciation is on the main part of the verb, not the prefix.
Separable prefix verbs often detach their prefix to the end of the sentence in present and simple past tenses. In future tense or with modal verbs, the prefix reattaches to the infinitive at the end of the sentence, and the emphasis is placed on the prefix. For past participles (perfect tenses), the 'ge-' is inserted between the prefix and the verb stem. In subordinate clauses, the prefix and verb remain together at the end of the clause.
This section delves into popular separable prefixes and how they alter verb meanings. 'ab-' typically indicates removal or movement away. 'an-' suggests adding or contact. 'auf-' can mean up/upwards, open, or stopping an action. 'aus-' usually translates as out. 'bei-' conveys a sense of togetherness or adding to. 'ein-' implies motion into something. 'fort-' or 'vor-' denote onward or away. 'frei-' means free. 'hoch-' indicates upwards motion. 'mit-' means with. 'nach-' means after. 'nieder-' or 'nieder-' signifies downward direction. 'weiter-' implies continuation. 'zurück-' means back to the origin. 'zusammen-' indicates bringing things together.
The chapter explores less common separable prefixes. 'auseinander-' means apart. 'empor-' signifies upward movement towards the highest point. 'entgegen-' indicates motion towards or against something. 'entlang-' means along. 'entzwei-' suggests breaking into two parts. 'fern-' means far, commonly seen in 'fernsehen' (to watch TV). 'für-' is mostly archaic but means for or in favor of. 'gegen-' means against. 'gegenüber-' means across from. 'heim-' means home. 'hinten-' means afterwards. 'los-' indicates starting something or away/loose. 'neben-' means next to. 'nieder-' means downward. 'weiter-' implies continuation. 'zusammen-' means together. These prefixes often add nuances to the base verb or are frequently found in compound nouns derived from old verbs.
Stem-changing verbs undergo vowel alterations in their stem for the 'du' and 'er/sie/es' forms in the present tense. There are three main categories: 'a' to 'ä' (e.g., 'fahren'), 'e' to 'i' (e.g., 'geben'), and 'e' to 'ie' (e.g., 'sehen'). Special considerations include adding an '-e-' for pronunciation if the stem ends in 'd' or 't' (unless an umlaut is added) and the irregular 'nehmen' ('nimmst', 'nimmt'). Verbs ending in 's', 'ss', 'ß', 'x', or 'z' do not add an additional 's' in the 'du' form.
The German imperative is used to give commands. All commands start with the verb and maintain a flat pitch. For the formal 'Sie' form, it's 'Verb Sie + rest of sentence'. For the informal 'du' form, remove 'du' and the '-st' ending; an '-e' can be added. Stem changes from 'e' to 'i' or 'ie' remain, but 'a' to 'ä' changes are dropped. For the informal plural 'ihr' form, conjugate the verb for 'ihr' and drop 'ihr'. For the 'wir' form, it's 'Lass uns + infinitive'. Official style commands use the infinitive at the end of the sentence, often seen in announcements or signs.
German modal verbs ('mögen', 'möchten', 'müssen', 'dürfen', 'können', 'sollen', 'wollen') function as helping verbs, pushing the main verb to the end of the sentence in its infinitive form. Their conjugations are often irregular in the singular forms ('ich', 'du', 'er/sie/es') and regular in the plural. 'Mögen' (to like) usually takes an object, not another verb. 'Möchten' (would like) is a polite form derived from 'mögen'. 'Müssen' means must/to have to. 'Dürfen' means may/to be allowed to. 'Können' means can/to be able to. 'Sollen' means should/shall (command-like). 'Wollen' means to want. 'Werden' (will) is also covered for forming the future tense, following a similar structure but with an irregular conjugation not to be confused with modal verbs.
Personal pronouns replace nouns and change based on their case. The nominative pronouns (e.g., 'ich', 'du', 'er') are used as subjects. Accusative personal pronouns (direct objects) are 'mich', 'dich', 'ihn', 'sie', 'es', 'uns', 'euch', 'sie', 'Sie'. The pronouns 'sie' (she), 'es' (it), and 'sie/Sie' (they/formal you) remain unchanged in the accusative case from their nominative forms. Word order can help differentiate subject and object when pronouns don't change form.
German accusative prepositions always require the noun or pronoun following them to be in the accusative case. The main ones are 'für' (for), 'um' (around/at a time), 'durch' (through/because of), 'gegen' (against/around a time), and 'ohne' (without). Other less common accusative prepositions include 'bis' (until/by a deadline), 'wider' (against), and 'entlang' (along), which can also function as a separable prefix or a postposition. 'Entlang' requires the genitive case when placed before a noun, but the accusative case when placed after it.
The dative case is used for indirect objects—the recipient of the direct object. Articles change in the dative case: 'der' becomes 'dem', 'die' becomes 'der', 'das' becomes 'dem', and plural 'die' becomes 'den' (with an added 'n' to plural nouns unless they already end in 'n' or 's'). This applies to definite, indefinite, 'dare-words', and 'ein-words'. Weak nouns take '-n' or '-en' ending in dative (and other non-nominative cases), sometimes also an 's'.
Dative personal pronouns are used when the pronoun is an indirect object. These include 'mir' (me), 'dir' (you, singular informal), 'ihm' (him/it, masculine/neuter), 'ihr' (her), 'uns' (us), 'euch' (you, plural informal), and 'ihnen/Ihnen' (them/formal you). These pronouns closely align with the endings of dative articles. The choice between accusative and dative reflexive pronouns depends on the presence of another direct object; if a direct object exists, the reflexive pronoun is dative, otherwise it's accusative.
Dative verbs are verbs that, for various reasons, always require a dative object. Often, these verbs imply a direct object, making the recipient the indirect object (e.g., 'antworten' means to give an answer to someone). Examples include 'gefallen' (to like, literally 'to be pleasing to'), 'ähneln' (to resemble), 'begegnen' (to meet by chance), 'helfen' (to help), 'danken' (to thank), 'dienen' (to serve), 'drohen' (to threaten), 'fehlen' (to be missing), 'folgen' (to follow), 'gehören' (to belong to), 'gelingen' (to succeed), 'genügen' (to suffice), 'glauben' (to believe), 'gratulieren' (to congratulate), 'hören' (to listen), 'passen' (to fit), 'schmecken' (to taste good), 'schaden' (to harm), 'vertrauen' (to trust), 'verzeihen' (to forgive), and 'winken' (to wave).