Appearance
Vocab: Body — A2 (2)
Body vocabulary at A2 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
zittern — to tremble, to shake
Zittern is often used with vor plus dative to name the cause, for example vor Kälte or vor Angst. It is normally not reflexive, and its perfect uses haben: hat gezittert.
Ich zittere vor Kälte.
I am trembling with cold.
vor Kälte means from cold, and Kälte means cold. Vor takes the dative here, although the dative article is not visible with this uncountable noun; the finite verb zittere is in position two.
Nach dem langen Lauf habe ich stark gezittert.
I trembled badly after the long run.
nach dem langen Lauf means after the long run, and stark means badly or intensely. Nach takes the dative, and habe ... gezittert forms the perfect with haben, with the participle at the end.
Das kleine Kind zitterte im kalten Wind.
The small child trembled in the cold wind.
das kleine Kind means the small child, kalten Wind means cold wind, and im means in the. The weak preterite zitterte is in position two; im kalten Wind is dative because it describes the place.
Zittere nicht vor der Prüfung!
Do not tremble before the exam!
nicht means not and vor der Prüfung means before the exam. Zittere is the du imperative; vor takes dative here, shown by der Prüfung.
Wenn ich allein wäre, zitterte ich vor Angst.
If I were alone, I would tremble with fear.
wenn means if, allein means alone, and vor Angst means with fear. In the conditional clause, the finite verb wäre goes to the end; zitterte is also the form used for the Konjunktiv II of this weak verb, and the main-clause verb is in position two.
Morgen werde ich vor Aufregung zittern.
Tomorrow I will tremble with excitement.
morgen means tomorrow and vor Aufregung means with excitement. Werde ... zittern forms the future, with werde in position two and the infinitive zittern at the end; vor takes dative here.
äußerlich — external, outward, superficial; outwardly, externally
äußerlich describes what can be seen on the outside, or something superficial rather than essential. It is the opposite of innerlich in the physical sense and may contrast with wesentlich when discussing important underlying qualities.
Die Verletzung ist nur äußerlich.
The injury is only external.
die Verletzung means the injury and nur means only. äußerlich follows ist as a predicative adjective and therefore has no ending; ist is the finite verb in position two.
Er hat keine äußerlichen Verletzungen.
He has no external injuries.
er means he, keine means no, and Verletzungen means injuries. äußerlichen Verletzungen is an accusative object after hat; the plural adjective ending -en follows keine.
Die neue Wohnung ist äußerlicher gestaltet als die alte.
The new flat is designed in a more outward-looking way than the old one.
die neue Wohnung means the new flat, gestaltet means designed, and die alte means the old one. äußerlicher is a predicative comparative after ist; als introduces the comparison.
Bei diesem Gebäude ist die Fassade am äußerlichsten verändert.
On this building, the façade has changed the most externally.
bei diesem Gebäude means on or in the case of this building, and die Fassade means the façade, the front surface of a building. bei takes the dative, and am äußerlichsten is a predicative superlative after ist.
Sie wirkt äußerlich ruhig, ist aber sehr nervös.
She appears calm on the outside but is very nervous.
sie means she, wirkt means appears, ruhig means calm, and nervös means nervous. äußerlich is used adverbially to describe how she appears; ist begins the second clause after aber, and the finite verbs stay in position two.
Äußerlich hat sich das Haus kaum verändert.
On the outside, the house has hardly changed.
das Haus means the house, kaum means hardly, and verändert means changed. äußerlich is an adverb at the beginning, causing the finite auxiliary hat to remain in position two; sich verändert is a reflexive perfect construction.