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- Using videos, audios and interactive tasks, our free German courses teach you basic skills for everyday situations and simple conversations -in a comprehensive course, in short learning units or with music videos.
- The simple past (also called preterite) is a grammatical tense used to express something in the past.
- It is mostly used in written language, e.
- It is used in written language to describe events, activities or situations that happened in the past.
- Berlin is the biggest city in the country and has a chequered history.
Everything for basic users with no previous knowledge and for learners at levels A1 and A2 of Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Using videos, audios and interactive tasks, our free German courses teach you basic skills for everyday situations and simple conversations -in a comprehensive course, in short learning units or with music videos.
17. Ich war schon in Berlin
17.1. Grammar
Simple past: sein
The simple past (also called preterite) is a grammatical tense used to express something in the past. It is mostly used in written language, e.g. in newspaper articles and literature.
The verbs sein and haben, however, are often used in spoken language in the simple past tense too.
- Present tense: Jetzt bin ich in Deutschland.
- Simple past: Letztes Jahr war ich in Spanien.
Here is a review of the present tense:
Singular:
- 1st person – ich bin
- 2nd person – du bist
- 3rd person – er/sie/es ist
Plural:
- 1st person – wir sind
- 2nd person – ihr seid
- 3rd person – sie sind
Formal (singular and plural) – Sie sind
The simple past is formed as follows:
Singular:
- 1st person – ich war
- 2nd person – du warst
- 3rd person – er/sie/es war
Plural:
- 1st person – wir waren
- 2nd person – ihr wart
- 3rd person – sie waren
Formal (singular and plural) – Sie waren
Grammatical terms in German:
das Präsens: The present is a verb tense. It is used when speaking about events, activities or situations that occur in the present or are ongoing.
das Präteritum: The simple past is a verb tense. It is used in written language to describe events, activities or situations that happened in the past. The simple past of certain verbs, e.g. sein, is often also used in spoken language.
Prepositions of place: in, nach
Wo ist die Semperoper? – Die Semperoper ist in Dresden.
When someone asks for the name of a town using the question Wo …? the answer is given with the preposition of place in + the name of the town.
Wohin möchte Chi fahren? – Chi möchte nach Dresden fahren.
When someone asks for the name of a town using the question Wohin …? the answer is given with the location preposition nach + the name of the town.
17.2. Vocabulary
| die Antwort, die Antworten | answer |
| jemanden begrüßen (begrüßt, begrüßte, hat begrüßt) | to greet someone |
| die Begrüßung, die Begrüßungen | greeting |
| etwas besichtigen (besichtigt, besichtigte, hat besichtigt) | to visit something |
| deutsch | German (an adjective, e.g. das deutsche Auto) |
| der Dom, die Dome | cathedral |
| dort | there |
| die Eltern (Plural) (nur Plural) | parents |
| fahren (fährt, fuhr, ist gefahren) | to drive; to travel with a vehicle |
| die Frage, die Fragen | question |
| gestern | yesterday |
| im Moment | at the moment |
| jemanden/etwas kennen (kennt, kannte, hat gekannt) | to know someone |
| letztes Jahr | last year |
| nach | to; towards |
| noch nie | never (i.e., never tried something, never been somewhere) |
| die Oper, die Opern | opera |
| (das) Österreich (nur Singular, selten mit Artikel) | Austria |
| das Schloss, die Schlösser | castle |
| schon mal (Kurzform von: schon einmal) | before; already |
| die Schweiz (nur Singular, immer mit Artikel) | Switzerland |
| die Sehenswürdigkeit, die Sehenswürdigkeiten | place of interest; tourist attraction |
| das Spiel, die Spiele | game |
| (etwas) spielen (spielt, spielte, hat gespielt) | to play (something) |
| die Stadt, die Städte | city; town |
| toll (toller, am tollsten) | great, wonderful |
| das Tor, die Tore | gate |
| die Verabschiedung, die Verabschiedungen | farewell |
| Was ist das? | What is that? |
| welche | which |
| wohin | where; to where; where to |
17.3. Culture and society
Have you ever been to …?
There are lots of famous cities in Germany. Each city has its own landmarks, popular among locals as well as tourists. Here are some of the sights you should see when you visit the following cities:
Berlin is the biggest city in the country and has a chequered history. There are lots of landmarks here, and some of the most famous museums in Germany. Are you interested in the period when Germany was a divided country?
Then you should see the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate), the remnants of the Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery, and Potsdamer Platz. Checkpoint Charlie was the former border between East and West Berlin. Today there’s a museum there with information about the time when the city was divided.
Hamburg is the second-biggest city in Germany. Two rivers flow through the city – the Elbe and the Alster. The Elbe flows through Hamburg into the North Sea, so there is a lot of water here, as well as canals and bridges. The Port of Hamburg and its Speicherstadt (the largest warehouse district in the world) are a must for any tourist.
It’s sometimes called the “gateway to the world”. At the beginning of 2017, the Elbphilharmonie (Philharmonic Hall) was opened and is now considered a new city landmark. The St. Pauli entertainment district is not far away, as is the Hamburger Michel, a Baroque church that can be seen from a long distance away. You should also be sure to visit the fish market.
Cologne is famous for its cathedral. It’s the third tallest church in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. With its twin spires, the cathedral defines the cityscape. Around it are the most important museums and shopping strips. And nearby is the Rhine river with its many big cargo barges.
Cologne was founded more than 2,000 years ago by the Romans. You can find out more about this at the Römisch-Germanisches Museum (Romano-Germanic Museum). The city is also famous for its Carnival celebrations – an opportunity to experience pure Rhenish vitality.
18. Wo liegt das?
18.1. Grammar
Questions and statements
Woher kommst du? – Ich komme aus Spanien.
Kommst du aus Italien? – Nein, ich komme aus Spanien.
W-questions
W-questions are asked when specific information is requested. These questions cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. The W-questions are so-called because the first word in the question usually begins with the letter W, e.g., Woher …? Wo …? Wie …? This is followed by the conjugated verb and the subject.
Statements
In a simple statement, the conjugated verb is always in second position. The subject is often in first position.
Yes-no questions
These are so-called because they can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. Here the conjugated verb comes first. It is followed by the subject.
This means that a yes-no question can be formed by switching the positions of the subject and the conjugated verb in a statement.
Grammatical terms in German:
das Subjekt: The subject is the person or thing that is active or central in the sentence. The subject is also known as “der Satzgegenstand”. It is usually a noun or pronoun.
die W-Frage: W-questions are open questions that cannot be answered with “yes” or “no”. At the beginning of a W-question, there is a question word that usually begins with the letter W.
der Aussagesatz: In a statement, a fact is declared. The statement may give information or describe a situation.
die Satzfrage: This is a question that can be answered with “yes” or “no”.
18.2. Vocabulary
| (das) Europa nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Europe |
| (etwas) gewinnen gewinnt, gewann, hat gewonnen | to win (something) |
| die Hauptstadt, die Hauptstädte | capital city |
| in der Mitte (von) | in the middle (of) |
| in der Nähe (von) | near |
| liegen liegt, lag, hat gelegen | here: to be located |
| der Norden nur Singular | north; the North |
| der Osten nur Singular | east; the East |
| der See, die Seen | lake |
| der Süden nur Singular | south; the South |
| (das) Syrien nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Syria |
| tanzen tanzt, tanzte, hat getanzt | to dance |
| das Team, die Teams | team |
| der Westen nur Singular | west; the West |
18.3. Culture and society
North, South, East and West
The Wattenmeer (Wadden Sea), coastal bluffs, small islands, wind, flatlands and fields: this is north Germany. The north coast is the country’s most popular holiday region, including among Germans themselves.
In south Germany, you’ll find Lake Constance, the city of Munich and the mountains, including low mountain ranges like the Black Forest and the Bavarian Forest, but also of course the Alps, with Germany’s highest mountain, the Zugspitze (2,962 meters). Lots of people like to travel to the South to hike, bike or ski.
In western Germany, most of the larger cities like Cologne and Dusseldorf are in or around the Ruhr region. There used to be a lot of industrial production in this region. The area along the Rhine River is famous for its carnival, which officially begins on November 11 and ends with street celebrations in February or March.
Eastern Germany stretches across the area of the former GDR. After the fall of the Wall, lots of dilapidated buildings, city squares and bridges were extensively restored in cities like Dresden, Leipzig and Weimar. The cities now draw large crowds of tourists from around the world. The Harz Mountains and the Thuringian Forest are good places for hiking, and “Saxon Switzerland”, with its steep cliffs, is good for climbing.
19. In Europa
19.1. Grammar
Indefinite pronouns: man
The indefinite pronoun man is often used when making general statements. It indicates that a statement does not apply to a particular person but to someone indefinite, to a whole group or even to everyone. Even if man represents a whole group, it is used in the singular. The verb form is the same as with er/sie/es.
Nico isst gern Gazpacho.
Er isst gern Gazpacho.
Man isst in Spanien gern Gazpacho.
man and Mann
Note the difference between the impersonal pronoun “man” and the noun “Mann.” The word “man” with one n stands for people in general. “Mann” with “nn” refers to a male person.
Grammatical terms in German:
das Indefinitpronomen: Indefinite pronouns refer to people or things that are indeterminate. They are used when one does not know, or does not wish to say exactly who, or how many, are doing something.
Sentence construction: Statements
In a simple statement the conjugated verb has a fixed position. It is always in second position. The position of the subject is freer. It often comes at the beginning of the sentence, before the conjugated verb.
However, other parts of the sentence can also come at the beginning, in order to stress them. These are often details about time or place. Then the subject comes after the conjugated verb, i.e. in third position.
Example: Time detail: jetzt
Example: Place detail: in Frankreich*
*In this case the place detail consists of two words. Since these two words belong together they stand together in first position. The verb comes in second position here too.
Sometimes other sentence parts also come in first position.
19.2. Vocabulary
| Bei uns … | among us; here at our; here in our… |
| (das) China nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | China |
| cool cooler, am coolsten; aus dem Englischen | cool |
| (das) Frankreich nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | France |
| der Hamburger, die Hamburger | hamburger (food) |
| (das) Italien nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Italy |
| (das) Japan nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Japan |
| der Job, die Jobs | job |
| das Lieblingsessen, die Lieblingsessen | favorite food |
| man | one (impersonal pronoun) |
| etwas mögen mag, mochte, hat gemocht | to like something |
| nächstes Jahr | next year |
| (das) Norwegen nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Norway |
| (das) Schweden nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Sweden |
| (etwas) singen singt, sang, hat gesungen | to sing (something) |
| die Spezialität, die Spezialitäten | specialty |
| die USA (Plural) Abkürzung für: United States of America, nur Plural, immer mit Artikel | USA (plural in German) |
| verschieden verschiedener, am verschiedensten | different |
19.3. Culture and society
German specialities
There is no point trying to find a single typical German cuisine – there’s no such thing. Instead, there are lots of regional specialties which are also sometimes influenced by neighboring countries.
Labskaus is an old sailor’s dish – a stew of salt beef, red beets, onions and potatoes. Matjes (pickled herring), dill pickles and fried eggs are usually served with it. Labskaus is eaten throughout north Germany and in neighboring countries like Denmark and Sweden, and is often served in restaurants.
Weißwurst (veal sausage) is one of Germany’s most famous dishes, but it’s actually only typical of Bavaria. Weißwurst is often served for breakfast, along with sweet mustard, a pretzel and often even a beer. Weißwurst is mostly made of veal, but many butcher shops have their own secret recipe. The sausage is boiled and then pulled out of the intestine before it is served.
Soljanka is part of eastern European cuisine and was one of the most popular dishes in the former GDR. It is still widespread in eastern Germany and is cooked both at home and served as an appetizer in restaurants. Soljanka is a stew of meat, fish or mushrooms as the main ingredient. Tomatoes, bell peppers, dill pickles, sausage, fresh herbs and – depending on the recipe – potatoes, white cabbage, carrots, capers and olives are also added. Lemon and cream provide the finishing touches.
Himmel und Erde (also: Himmel un Ääd) or “Heaven and Earth” is served in western Germany. It’s made from apples, which grow on trees and reach up to the “heavens”, and potatoes, which come from the earth. Fried black pudding, bacon or liverwurst and fried onions are served along with this mash of apple and potato.
20. Andere Länder
20.1. Grammar
Conjugation: sprechen
Welche Sprachen sprichst du, Lisa? – Ich spreche Deutsch, Englisch und Italienisch.
Like essen and nehmen, the verb sprechen belongs to the verbs with a vowel change from e to i in the second- and third-person singular.
Singular:
- 1st person – ich spreche
- 2nd person – du sprichst
- 3rd person – er/sie/es spricht
Plural:
- 1st person – wir sprechen
- 2nd person – ihr sprecht
- 3rd person – sie sprechen
Formal (singular and plural) – Sie sprechen
20.2. Vocabulary
| (das) Arabisch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Arabic (language) |
| die Aufenthaltserlaubnis, die Aufenthaltserlaubnisse | residence permit |
| bleiben bleibt, blieb, ist geblieben | to stay |
| (das) Chinesisch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Chinese (language) |
| (das) Deutsch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | German (language) |
| ein bisschen | a little |
| (das) Englisch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | English (language) |
| der Flüchtling, die Flüchtlinge | refugee |
| (das) Französisch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | French (language) |
| die Fremdsprache, die Fremdsprachen | foreign language |
| international | international |
| (das) Italienisch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Italian (language) |
| (das) Japanisch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Japanese (language) |
| die Muttersprache, die Muttersprachen | native language; mother tongue |
| nördlich nördlicher, am nördlichsten | north; northwards; to the north of |
| (das) Norwegisch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Norwegian (language) |
| östlich östlicher, am östlichsten | east; eastwards; to the east of |
| (das) Russisch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Russian (language) |
| (das) Russland nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Russia |
| schlecht schlechter, am schlechtesten | badly; bad |
| schnell schneller, am schnellsten | fast |
| (das) Schwedisch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Swedish (language) |
| sehr | very |
| (das) Spanisch nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Spanish (language) |
| die Sprache, die Sprachen | language |
| sprechen spricht, sprach, hat gesprochen | to speak |
| Welche Sprachen sprichst du? | Which languages do you speak? (informal) |
| südlich südlicher, am südlichsten | south; southwards; to the south of |
| (das) Thai nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Thai (language) |
| (das) Thailand nur Singular, selten mit Artikel | Thailand |
| westlich westlicher, am westlichsten | west; westwards; to the west of |
20.3. Culture and society
What languages are spoken in Germany?
Naturally, German is the primary language spoken in Germany. There are also lots of dialects, but they are only spoken in particular regions. A Bavarian will not understand the northern German “Platt” dialect, just as someone from the North won’t be able to master Bavarian.
If you live in Germany, you should learn German. People appreciate it when you try to communicate in the native language. If you don’t know the right words, then try English, as nearly all Germans have learned it at school.
English is the most common foreign language spoken among Germans, followed by French and Spanish. But Germany is a country of immigration, and immigrants obviously bring with them their native languages as well as their cultures. So in the cities, you will hear lots of other languages, especially Turkish and Italian.
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