Grammar Hub
Browse the grammar system by level and category, then open clear explanations with practical examples.
Total Rules
301
Matches
301
Categories
12
Pages
11
A1
146
A2
55
B1
0
B2
64
C1
36
C2
0
Unlike English, every German noun has a grammatical gender that must be learned. The gender affects articles, adjectives, and pronouns.
When the noun specifically refers to a male person or animal, it takes the masculine article 'der'.
When the noun specifically refers to a female person or animal, it takes the feminine article 'die'.
This is one of the most reliable gender patterns in German. All -ung nouns take the article 'die'.
The diminutive suffix -chen makes nouns small or cute and always makes them neuter (das), regardless of the original noun's gender.
Each noun has a fixed gender that determines which article form to use. This must be memorized for each noun.
The nominative case is used for the noun or pronoun doing the action in the sentence. It answers 'who?' or 'what?' is doing something.
These are the basic forms of the definite article that you learn first. They are used when the noun is the subject.
German has different forms for 'a/an' depending on the gender of the noun.
To conjugate regular verbs, remove the -en infinitive ending and add the personal endings.
The verb 'sein' is completely irregular and must be memorized. It is one of the most frequently used verbs in German.
The verb 'haben' is irregular and extremely common. It is used for possession and forming the perfect tense.
This is the fundamental word order rule in German. No matter what comes first, the verb is always second.
When the subject comes first, German word order looks similar to English.
The accusative case marks the noun that directly receives the action of the verb. It answers 'what?' or 'whom?'
The accusative case only changes the masculine article from 'der' to 'den'. Feminine and neuter stay the same.
Like definite articles, only the masculine form changes in accusative (ein → einen).
When 'sein' connects the subject to a noun, both are in nominative case because they refer to the same thing.
These are called strong verbs. The vowel change only occurs in the second and third person singular (du, er/sie/es).
Common verbs like fahren (to drive), schlafen (to sleep), and tragen (to wear/carry) get an umlaut in du and er/sie/es forms.
These are the subject pronouns used when the pronoun is doing the action.
When speaking to strangers, authority figures, or in professional settings, use 'Sie' instead of 'du'. It takes the same verb form as 'sie' (they).
These pronouns are used when the pronoun is the direct object of the sentence.
Use er (masculine), sie (feminine), or es (neuter) based on the noun's gender, not based on natural gender.
In the nominative (and accusative) case, the plural article is always 'die' for all three genders.
To form a question that can be answered with yes or no, invert the subject and verb so the verb comes first.
Question words (wer, was, wo, wann, warum, wie) come first, then the verb, then the subject.
'für' is one of the common accusative-only prepositions. The noun following it must be in accusative.
'durch' describes movement through something and requires the accusative case.
'ohne' means 'without' and is followed by the accusative case.
auth.start_learning_languages_free
Start Learning FreeWe use cookies to enhance your experience, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. Learn more