1. Introduction
In German, an adjective can stand before a noun and describe one of its qualities. A verb changes according to person and number. This changed form is called the finite verb form.
Questions are used to ask for information. German word order depends on whether the question contains a question word.
I. Adjective declension in the nominative
2. Basic rule
An adjective before a noun takes an ending. The ending depends on three features of the noun:
- gender,
- number,
- the article or another determiner before the adjective.
The nominative case is normally used for the subject:
- Der neue Computer ist gut. — The new computer is good.
- Die neue Lampe ist schön. — The new lamp is beautiful.
- Das neue Buch ist interessant. — The new book is interesting.
3. Adjectives after the definite article
The definite articles are der for masculine nouns, die for feminine nouns, das for neuter nouns, and die for plural nouns.
After a definite article, a nominative singular adjective normally takes the ending -e:
| Gender | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | der neue Computer | the new computer |
| Feminine | die neue Lampe | the new lamp |
| Neuter | das neue Buch | the new book |
The demonstratives dieser, diese, dieses follow the same pattern: dieser alte Schrank — this old cabinet, diese alte Vase — this old vase, dieses alte Bild — this old picture.
4. Adjectives after the indefinite article
The indefinite articles are ein for masculine nouns, eine for feminine nouns, and ein for neuter nouns. The adjective ending shows the noun's gender:
| Gender | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | -er | ein neuer Computer, mein alter Schrank |
| Feminine | -e | eine neue Lampe, meine alte Vase |
| Neuter | -es | ein neues Buch, mein altes Bild |
Adjectives after possessive determiners follow the same pattern: mein — my, dein — your, sein — his or its, ihr — her or their, unser — our, euer — your, and Ihr — your in formal address.
5. Adjectives without an article
When there is no article before a singular noun, the adjective carries the gender ending:
- neuer Computer — new computer
- neue Lampe — new lamp
- neues Buch — new book
6. Adjectives in the plural
After a definite article, demonstrative, or possessive determiner, a plural adjective takes the ending -en:
- die alten Bilder — the old pictures
- diese alten Bilder — these old pictures
- meine alten Bilder — my old pictures
When a plural noun has no article, its nominative adjective normally takes -e: alte Bilder — old pictures, rote Blumen — red flowers, kleine Kinder — small children.
7. More examples
- Der neue Computer ist schnell. — The new computer is fast.
- Dieser alte Schrank ist groß. — This old cabinet is large.
- Eine neue Lampe steht auf dem Tisch. — A new lamp is standing on the table.
- Mein altes Bild ist schön. — My old picture is beautiful.
- Die kleinen Kinder spielen. — The small children are playing.
- Rote Blumen stehen in der Vase. — Red flowers are in the vase.
II. Weak verbs in the present tense
1. Introduction
German verbs are divided into different groups. One of the main groups is weak verbs, which are also commonly described as regular verbs. They normally follow a regular conjugation pattern. The German term Präsens means the present tense.
2. Basic rule
To conjugate a weak verb in the present tense, take the verb stem and add the appropriate personal ending. The infinitive often ends in -en:
- lernen — to learn; stem lern-
- machen — to do or make; stem mach-
3. Conjugation of lernen
| Person | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ich | lerne | Ich lerne Deutsch. — I am learning German. |
| du | lernst | Du lernst Englisch. — You are learning English. |
| er / sie / es | lernt | Er lernt Deutsch. — He is learning German. |
| wir | lernen | Wir lernen Wörter. — We are learning words. |
| ihr | lernt | Ihr lernt schnell. — You are learning quickly. |
| sie / Sie | lernen | Sie lernen Deutsch. — They or you are learning German. |
4. Conjugation of machen
| Person | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ich | mache | Ich mache eine Übung. — I am doing an exercise. |
| du | machst | Du machst eine Aufgabe. — You are doing a task. |
| er / sie / es | macht | Er macht Übungen. — He is doing exercises. |
| wir | machen | Wir machen eine Pause. — We are taking a break. |
| ihr | macht | Ihr macht die Arbeit. — You are doing the work. |
| sie / Sie | machen | Sie machen Übungen. — They or you are doing exercises. |
5. Verb stems ending in -d, -t, -n, or -m
Some verb stems end in -d, -t, -n, or -m. An extra -e- often appears before the personal ending in certain forms. This makes the form easier to pronounce.
- arbeiten — to work, stem arbeit-: du arbeitest, er arbeitet, ihr arbeitet
- finden — to find, stem find-: du findest, er findet, ihr findet
6. Word order in statements
In a simple statement, the finite verb normally occupies the second position: Er arbeitet nicht. — He is not working. Sie arbeiten nicht. — They are not working.
The negation nicht often stands after the verb or closer to the end of the sentence: Ich lerne nicht. — I am not studying. Wir machen die Übung nicht. — We are not doing the exercise.
III. Questions
1. Two types of question
German has two basic types of question:
- questions without a question word,
- questions with a question word.
These two types use different word order.
2. Questions without a question word
When there is no question word, the finite verb stands in the first position.
Verb + subject + other sentence elements?
- Lernst du Deutsch? — Are you learning German?
- Lernt er Englisch? — Is he learning English?
- Machen Sie Übungen? — Are you doing exercises?
- Arbeitet sie heute? — Is she working today?
- Findet ihr das Wort? — Can you find the word?
3. Questions with a question word
When a question contains a question word, that word occupies the first position. The finite verb follows it immediately.
Question word + verb + subject + other sentence elements?
Important question words include was? — what?, wer? — who?, wo? — where?, wann? — when?, wie? — how?, and warum? — why?
4. Examples with question words
- Was lernst du? — What are you learning?
- Was machst du? — What are you doing?
- Wer lernt Deutsch? — Who is learning German?
- Wo lernt ihr Deutsch? — Where are you learning German?
- Wann macht er Übungen? — When does he do exercises?
- Warum lernen sie Deutsch? — Why are they learning German?
5. The question word welcher
Welcher means “which” or “what.” It accompanies a noun and changes according to gender, number, and case.
The nominative forms are:
| Form | Gender / number | Example |
|---|---|---|
| welcher | Masculine | Welcher Computer ist neu? — Which computer is new? |
| welche | Feminine | Welche Lampe ist alt? — Which lamp is old? |
| welches | Neuter | Welches Buch ist interessant? — Which book is interesting? |
| welche | Plural | Welche Übungen machst du? — Which exercises are you doing? |
6. The construction was für ein
The construction was für ein asks about the quality, kind, or type of a person or thing. Depending on context, it means “what kind of” or “what sort of.”
The form depends on the noun's gender: was für ein for masculine and neuter nouns, and was für eine for feminine nouns. In the plural, German normally uses was für without ein.
- Was für ein Mensch ist euer Lehrer? — What kind of person is your teacher?
- Was für eine Lampe ist das? — What kind of lamp is that?
- Was für ein Buch liest du? — What kind of book are you reading?
- Was für Bücher schreibt er? — What kind of books does he write?
IV. What to remember
- A German adjective before a noun takes an ending.
- After der, die, das, a nominative singular adjective normally takes -e: der neue Computer, die neue Lampe, das neue Buch.
- After ein, eine, ein, the adjective shows the noun's gender: ein neuer Computer, eine neue Lampe, ein neues Buch.
- In the plural, adjectives after die, diese, meine take -en: die alten Bilder, diese alten Bilder, meine alten Bilder.
- Without an article, nominative plural adjectives normally take -e: alte Bilder, rote Blumen, kleine Kinder.
- Weak verbs form the present tense with regular personal endings: ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt, wir lernen.
- An extra -e- often appears after stems ending in -d or -t: du arbeitest, er arbeitet, ihr arbeitet.
- In statements, the finite verb normally stands in the second position: Er arbeitet nicht.
- In a question without a question word, the verb comes first: Lernst du Deutsch?
- In a question with a question word, the question word comes first and the verb comes second: Was lernst du?