Tenses:
Präsens (Present): Used for actions happening now, or general facts. "Jeden
Morgen gehe ich ins Fitnessstudio." (Every morning I go to the gym.)
Präteritum (Simple Past): Mostly used in writing for past events. "Als Kind
besuchte ich Oma jeden Sommer." (As a child, I visited grandma every
summer.)
Perfekt (Present Perfect): Most commonly used for past events in spoken German.
"Ich habe gestern einen interessanten Artikel gelesen." (I read an
interesting article yesterday.)
Plusquamperfekt (Past Perfect): Used for an event that took place before another
past event. "Als ich ankam, hatte der Zug schon den Bahnhof verlassen."
(When I arrived, the train had already left the station.)
Futur I (Future I): Used for future intentions or predictions. "Ich werde
nächstes Jahr nach Deutschland reisen." (I will travel to Germany next
year.)
Futur II (Future II): Used for assumptions about actions that will have been
completed in the future. "Bis 2050 wird die menschliche Kolonisierung des
Mars wohl begonnen haben." (By 2050, human colonization of Mars will
probably have begun.)
Moods:
Indikativ (Indicative Mood): The most commonly used mood, used for statements
and questions. "Ich lerne Deutsch." (I learn German.)
Konjunktiv I (Subjunctive I): Mainly used in indirect speech to report what
someone else has said. "Er sagte, er sei krank." (He said he was sick.)
Konjunktiv II (Subjunctive II): Used for unreal, hypothetical situations, or
politeness. "Wenn ich du wäre, würde ich das Angebot annehmen." (If I were
you, I would accept the offer.)
Imperativ (Imperative): Used for giving commands or making requests. "Sei
still!" (Be quiet!)
Modal Verbs:
Können: "Ich kann fließend Deutsch sprechen." (I can speak German fluently.)
Müssen: "Du musst deine Hausaufgaben vor dem Schlafengehen erledigen." (You must
do your homework before going to bed.)
Dürfen: "Er darf ohne Erlaubnis das Haus nicht verlassen." (He is not allowed to
leave the house without permission.)
Möchten: "Sie möchte zum Abendessen Pasta haben." (She would like to have pasta
for dinner.)
Sollen: "Wir sollen pünktlich zum Meeting erscheinen." (We are supposed to
appear on time for the meeting.)
Wollen: "Ihr wollt doch sicherlich den Sieg, oder?" (You surely want to win,
don't you?)
Cases and their Associated Articles:
Nominativ (Subject of the sentence): "Die Katze schläft." (The cat is sleeping.)
Akkusativ (Direct object, and certain prepositions): "Ich habe das Buch
gelesen." (I read the book.) "Er geht in den Supermarkt." (He is going to
the supermarket.)
Dativ (Indirect object, and certain prepositions): "Ich gebe meiner Mutter die
Blumen." (I give my mother the flowers.) "Sie hilft bei der Arbeit." (She
helps at work.)
Genitiv (Used to express possession and with certain prepositions): "Das ist das
Haus meiner Eltern." (That's my parents' house.) "Er kam trotz des Regens."
(He came despite the rain.)
Reflexive Verbs: Reflexive verbs are verbs that reflect the action back onto the
subject. They always need an additional reflexive pronoun.
Sich anziehen: "Ich ziehe mich für die Party an." (I'm getting dressed for the
party.)
Sich ausruhen: "Nach der Arbeit ruht er sich aus." (After work, he rests.)
Sich erinnern: "Erinnert ihr euch an eure Kindheit?" (Do you remember your
childhood?)
Sich freuen: "Wir freuen uns auf das Wochenende." (We are looking forward to the
weekend.)
Sich ärgern: "Ärgert ihr euch über den Stau?" (Are you annoyed about the traffic
jam?)
Passive Voice: The passive voice is used when the focus is on the action and not
on who or what is performing the action. Passive is formed with the
auxiliary verb "werden" and the past participle of the main verb.
Präsens: "Das Fenster wird geöffnet." (The window is being opened.)
Präteritum: "Das Fenster wurde geöffnet." (The window was opened.)
Perfekt: "Das Fenster ist geöffnet worden." (The window has been opened.)
Plusquamperfekt: "Das Fenster war geöffnet worden." (The window had been
opened.)
Futur I: "Das Fenster wird geöffnet werden." (The window will be opened.)
Futur II: "Das Fenster wird geöffnet worden sein." (The window will have been
opened.)
Adjective Endings in Different Cases: In German, the endings of adjectives can
change depending on the case, gender, and number of the noun they modify,
as well as whether there is a so-called determiner in front of the
adjective (like a definite or indefinite article).
Nominativ: "Das ist ein alter Mann." (That is an old man.)
Akkusativ: "Ich habe einen alten Apfel gegessen." (I ate an old apple.)
Dativ: "Ich habe einem alten Mann geholfen." (I helped an old man.)
Genitiv: "Das ist die Aufgabe eines alten Mannes." (That is the task of an old
man.)
Negation with Nicht and Kein: The adverb "nicht" is used to negate verbs,
adjectives, adverbs, and certain pronouns. The word "kein" is used to
negate nouns.
"Ich habe nicht gearbeitet." (I did not work.)
"Er ist nicht groß." (He is not tall.)
"Sie spricht nicht schnell." (She does not speak quickly.)
"Wir haben keine Katze." (We don't have a cat.)
Question Words and Forming Questions: Question words are used to ask for
specific information. The word order in questions is different than in
statements.
"Was machst du morgen?" (What are you doing tomorrow?)
"Wo hast du dein Auto geparkt?" (Where did you park your car?)
"Wann fängt der Kurs an?" (When does the course start?)
"Warum lernst du Deutsch?" (Why are you learning German?)
"Wer ist dein bester Freund?" (Who is your best friend?)
"Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof?" (How do I get to the train station?)
"Welchen Film hast du gesehen?" (Which movie did you see?)
Separable Verbs and Inseparable Verbs: German has a category of verbs, called
separable verbs, where the prefix separates from the base verb in certain
contexts. On the other hand, inseparable verbs never split.
Aufstehen (to get up): "Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf." (I get up at 7 o'clock.) But,
"Ich will morgen früh aufstehen." (I want to get up early tomorrow.)
Verstehen (to understand): "Er versteht die Anweisungen nicht." (He does not
understand the instructions.)
Infinitive Clauses: Infinitive clauses in German are a type of subordinate
clause in which the finite verb is replaced by an infinitive. They often
follow certain verbs, adjectives, or prepositions, and are constructed with
"zu" + infinitive.
"Es ist schwer, einen guten Job zu finden." (It's hard to find a good job.)
"Er hat versucht, das Auto zu reparieren." (He tried to fix the car.)
"Sie hatte keine Lust, das Haus zu verlassen." (She didn't feel like leaving the
house.)
Relative Clauses: A relative clause is a type of subordinate clause that
provides additional information about a noun or pronoun in the main clause.
"Der Mann, der das Buch liest, ist mein Lehrer." (The man who is reading the
book is my teacher.)
"Das ist das Haus, das ich kaufen möchte." (That's the house I want to buy.)
"Die Frau, mit der du gesprochen hast, ist meine Nachbarin." (The woman you
spoke with is my neighbor.)
Indirect Speech: Indirect speech is a means of reporting what someone has said
without quoting them directly. In German, it often requires the use of the
Konjunktiv I mood.
"Er sagt, er lerne Deutsch." (He says he is learning German.)
"Sie hat gesagt, dass sie das Buch gelesen hat." (She said that she has read the
book.)
"Er fragte, ob ich morgen kommen könnte." (He asked if I could come tomorrow.)
Da- and Wo- Compounds: "Da-" compounds are used to avoid repetition and "wo-"
compounds are used in questions. They are used with prepositions to refer
back to something that was mentioned earlier.
"Ich denke daran." (I am thinking about it.) "Woran denkst du?" (What are you
thinking about?)
"Ich arbeite damit." (I am working with it.) "Womit arbeitest du?" (What are you
working with?)
"Er ist dafür." (He is in favour of it.) "Wofür ist er?" (What is he in favour
of?)
Position of Nicht and Other Adverbs: The placement of "nicht" and other adverbs
can change the meaning of a sentence.
"Ich habe nicht das Buch gelesen." (I did not read the book - implying I read
something else.)
"Ich habe das Buch nicht gelesen." (I did not read the book - maybe I did
something else with it.)
"Er spielt oft Fußball." (He often plays football.) "Er spielt Fußball oft." (He
often plays football, among other things.)
Temporal, Causal, Modal, and Consecutive Sentences (Temporal-, Kausal-, Modal-,
und Konsekutive Sätze):
Temporal: "Nachdem ich aufgestanden war, habe ich gefrühstückt." (After I got
up, I had breakfast.)
Causal: "Weil es regnete, blieben wir zu Hause." (Because it was raining, we
stayed at home.)
Modal: "Er spielt Klavier, als wäre er ein Profi." (He plays the piano as if he
were a professional.)
Consecutive: "Er war so müde, dass er sofort einschlief." (He was so tired that
he fell asleep immediately.)
Konjunktiv I (Subjunctive I): The Konjunktiv I is predominantly used in reported
speech to describe what someone has said, thought, or heard. It can convey
the speaker's doubt or distance from the information.
"Er sagt, er habe Hunger." (He says he is hungry.)
"Sie denkt, dass er zu Hause bleibe." (She thinks that he stays at home.)
Modal Particles: Modal particles are used to change the mood or tone of a
sentence. They are more common in spoken German and can be challenging for
learners since they often don't have a direct translation. Some examples
are "ja", "doch", "mal", "schon", "eben", "auch", "halt", "nun", "einfach",
etc.
"Komm doch hier!" (Do come here!)
"Das ist ja interessant!" (That's interesting indeed!)
Passive Voice with "sein" and "werden": Besides the commonly used "werden"
passive, German also has a "sein" passive which describes a state resulting
from a previous action.
"Das Haus wird gebaut." (The house is being built - werden passive)
"Das Haus ist gebaut." (The house is built - sein passive)
Comparatives and Superlatives: At B2 level, you're expected to comfortably use
comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs.
"Er ist größer als ich." (He is taller than me.)
"Das ist das schönste Bild, das ich je gesehen habe." (This is the most
beautiful picture I've ever seen.)
Extension of Meaning with Prefixes: Many German verbs change their meaning when
combined with certain prefixes. Understanding these changes is crucial at
the B2 level.
"Er steht auf." (He stands up.) vs. "Er versteht." (He understands.)
Complex Sentences with "um... zu", "ohne... zu", "statt... zu": These phrases
are used to express purpose, negation of purpose and alternative action
respectively.
.
.
.
"Er lernt Deutsch, um in Deutschland zu arbeiten." (He's learning German in
order to work in Germany.)
"Sie ging, ohne ein Wort zu sagen." (She left without saying a word.)
"Statt zu arbeiten, spielt er Videospiele." (Instead of working, he's playing
video games.)
Advanced Dative and Genitive constructions: At B2 level, learners should be
comfortable with advanced dative and genitive usage, including special
dative and genitive verbs, prepositions, and phrases.
"Ich danke dir für deine Hilfe." (I thank you for your help.)
"Während des Seminars habe ich viel gelernt." (I learned a lot during the
seminar.)
Use of Subjunctive II for unreal conditions: Subjunctive II is used to express
hypothetical situations, politeness, and indirect speech.
"Wenn ich reich wäre, würde ich ein Haus kaufen." (If I were rich, I would buy a
house.)
Subjunctive II for polite requests and giving advice: "Könnten Sie mir bitte das
Salz reichen?" (Could you please pass me the salt?) "Sie sollten einen Arzt
aufsuchen." (You should see a doctor.)
Advanced use of Präpositionen (Prepositions) and Wechselpräpositionen (Two-way
prepositions): "Er steht auf dem Tisch." (He is standing on the table.) "Er
geht auf den Tisch." (He is going onto the table.)
Adverbial clauses of condition, opposition, and concession: "Wenn du kommst,
machen wir eine Party." (If you come, we will throw a party.) "Obwohl ich
müde war, habe ich das Spiel zu Ende geschaut." (Although I was tired, I
watched the game to the end.)
Extended Use of Subjunctive I and II (Erweiterter Gebrauch des Konjunktivs I und
II): At this level, you'll often use the Subjunctive II for polite
requests, expressing wishes, or making assumptions.
Polite Request: "Ich wollte fragen, ob Sie mir helfen könnten." (I wanted to ask
if you could help me.)
Expressing Wishes: "Ich wünschte, ich hätte mehr Zeit." (I wish I had more
time.)
Making Assumptions: "Er sah müde aus, als ob er die ganze Nacht gearbeitet
hätte." (He looked tired as if he had been working all night.)
Passive Voice with Modal Verbs (Passiv mit Modalverben): This combination shows
an action that is necessary or required but hasn't been done yet.
"Die Arbeit sollte schon gestern erledigt worden sein." (The work should have
been done yesterday.)
Extended Infinitive Clauses (Erweiterte Infinitivsätze): These are used when you
want to explain why you're doing something or what your purpose is. It
requires an auxiliary verb in infinitive form, along with "zu."
"Er scheint seine Meinung geändert zu haben." (He seems to have changed his
mind.)
"Sie hat behauptet, das Essen nicht gekocht zu haben." (She claimed not to have
cooked the food.)
Prepositional Complements (Präpositionale Ergänzungen): In German, certain verbs
demand specific prepositions with them. Knowing which preposition to use is
essential at this level.
"Er denkt an seine Kindheit." (He is thinking about his childhood.)
"Sie wartet auf den Bus." (She is waiting for the bus.)
Indirect Questions (Indirekte Fragen): This is a polite way to ask a question,
often when you're asking for information that you don't know.
"Könnten Sie mir bitte sagen, wann der Zug abfährt?" (Could you please tell me
when the train departs?)
Participle Constructions (Partizipialkonstruktionen): These are used to replace
relative clauses and to give information about the cause, condition, way,
or time of an action.
"Enttäuscht von der Nachricht, verließ er den Raum." (Disappointed by the news,
he left the room.)
"Während seiner Zeit in Deutschland, hat er viel Deutsch gelernt." (During his
time in Germany, he learned a lot of German.)
Nominal Style (Nominalstil): This is common in formal written German and
involves using more nouns and fewer verbs.
"Die schnelle Eingabe der Daten ermöglichte die Fertigstellung des Berichts."
(The rapid input of data enabled the completion of the report.)
Rhetorical Devices (Rhetorische Mittel): Using metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche,
and other rhetorical devices can make your language more vivid and
persuasive.
"Er ist der Kopf der Organisation." (He is the head of the organization. metaphor)
Use of Dialects (Gebrauch von Dialekten): Different regions of Germany have
different dialects. Recognizing and understanding these can significantly
enhance your communication skills.
For example, in Bavarian dialect, "Wie geht es dir?" (How are you?) becomes "Wie
geht’s da?"
Advanced Writing and Speaking (Fortgeschrittenes Schreiben und Sprechen): At
this level, you're expected to write and speak about complex topics
accurately and coherently.
"Die Globalisierung hat sowohl positive als auch negative Auswirkungen. Auf der
einen Seite führt sie zu einer verstärkten wirtschaftlichen Zusammenarbeit
zwischen den Ländern, auf der anderen Seite kann sie jedoch auch zu
sozialer Ungleichheit führen." (Globalization has both positive and
negative impacts. On the one hand, it leads to increased economic
cooperation between countries, but on the other hand, it can also lead to
social inequality.)