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Vocab: Feelings — A1 (1)
Feelings vocabulary at A1 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
die Achtung — respect, esteem; attention!, watch out!
Achtung meaning respect is usually an uncountable noun, so it normally has no plural. The common pattern is Achtung vor plus dative, while Achtung haben means to have respect.
Die Achtung vor meiner Mutter ist groß.
My respect for my mother is great.
meine Mutter means my mother and groß means great. Die Achtung is nominative because it is the subject; vor meiner Mutter is dative because vor takes the dative for this fixed meaning.
Ich habe Achtung vor diesem Arzt.
I respect this doctor.
ich habe means I have, diesem Arzt means this doctor, and vor means for or toward in this expression. Achtung is accusative as the object of haben, while vor diesem Arzt is dative because vor requires dative here.
Wir begegnen der Achtung unserer Gäste mit Dankbarkeit.
We respond to the respect of our guests with gratitude.
wir begegnen means we encounter or respond to, unserer Gäste means of our guests, and mit Dankbarkeit means with gratitude. der Achtung is dative because begegnen takes the dative; unserer Gäste is genitive and shows whose respect it is.
Die Bedeutung der Achtung ist nicht zu unterschätzen.
The importance of respect should not be underestimated.
die Bedeutung means the importance and nicht zu unterschätzen means not to be underestimated. der Achtung is genitive because it specifies the kind of importance; the finite verb ist is in position two.
In vielen Kulturen sind Achtungen vor älteren Menschen wichtig.
In many cultures, respect for older people is important.
vielen Kulturen means many cultures, älteren Menschen means older people, and wichtig means important. Although a plural Achtungen is possible for separate acts or forms of respect, everyday respect is usually uncountable; vor älteren Menschen is dative after vor.
Achtung! Der Zug kommt.
Watch out! The train is coming.
der Zug means the train and kommt means is coming. Achtung is an interjection used as a warning, and the following main clause has the finite verb kommt in position two.
Achtung, die Tür schließt!
Attention, the door is closing!
die Tür means the door and schließt means is closing. Achtung stands outside the sentence grammar as a warning; in the clause, schließt is the finite verb in position two.
allein — alone, by oneself; only, solely
Allein usually means without other people. As an attributive adjective, it is often used in a phrase such as ein allein reisender Mann; do not confuse it with alleinig, which usually means sole or only.
Ich bin allein.
I am alone.
bin means am. Allein is a predicative adjective after sein, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb bin stands in position two.
Ein allein reisender Mann saß neben mir.
A man travelling alone was sitting next to me.
reisend means travelling, der Mann means the man, and neben mir means next to me. Allein describes the man inside an attributive phrase; the adjective reisend takes the ending -er after ein, while the finite verb saß stands in position two.
Heute fühle ich mich alleiner als gestern.
Today I feel more alone than yesterday.
heute means today, fühle ich mich means I feel, and gestern means yesterday. Alleiner is a comparative predicative adjective; als introduces the comparison, and the finite verb fühle is in position two.
Nach dem Umzug war sie am alleinsten.
After the move, she was the most alone.
nach dem Umzug means after the move, and war means was. Am alleinsten is a predicative superlative after sein; the finite verb war stands in position two, while the superlative comes later.
Allein der Preis entscheidet nicht.
The price alone does not decide the matter.
der Preis means the price, and entscheidet means decides. Here allein means solely; it is an adverb at the start, so the finite verb entscheidet still comes in position two.
Das liegt allein an dir.
That is solely your responsibility.
liegt means lies or is due, and an dir means because of you or with you. Here allein means solely; an takes the dative in this fixed expression, shown by dir, and the finite verb liegt is in position two.
allein — alone, by oneself
As an adverb, allein modifies a verb and does not take an adjective ending. It is often interchangeable with alleine in everyday German.
Sie wohnt allein.
She lives alone.
wohnt means lives. Allein modifies the verb and means without anyone else; the finite verb wohnt stands in position two.
Er fährt allein nach Berlin.
He is travelling to Berlin alone.
fährt means travels or drives, and nach Berlin means to Berlin. Allein describes how he travels; the finite verb fährt is in position two, while nach Berlin expresses direction.
die Angst — fear, anxiety
The very common expression is Angst haben, meaning to be afraid, not literally to possess fear. For a specific source of fear, use Angst vor plus the dative, as in Angst vor dem Hund.
Die Angst ist heute sehr groß.
The fear is very strong today.
heute means today, and sehr groß means very strong or great. Die Angst is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich habe Angst.
I am afraid.
ich habe literally means I have, but Angst haben means to be afraid. The noun is accusative in this fixed expression, although it has no visible article here; the finite verb habe is in position two.
Bei der Angst hilft ein Gespräch.
When you feel anxious, a conversation helps.
bei means in the situation of or with, hilft means helps, and ein Gespräch means a conversation. der Angst is dative because bei takes the dative; the verb hilft is in position two after the opening prepositional phrase.
Die Ursache der Angst ist unklar.
The cause of the fear is unclear.
die Ursache means the cause, and unklar means unclear. der Angst is genitive because it specifies the cause’s connection to the fear; the verb ist is in position two.
Viele Menschen sprechen über ihre Ängste.
Many people talk about their fears.
viele Menschen means many people, sprechen über means talk about, and ihre means their. ihre Ängste is accusative because über means about here and takes the accusative; the plural form has an umlaut and -e.
der Dank — thanks, gratitude
der Dank is often uncountable, as in Vielen Dank or Danke. The plural Danks is used for separate expressions or messages of thanks; the genitive can be des Danks or the somewhat fuller des Dankes.
Mein Dank gilt allen Helfern.
My thanks go to all the helpers.
mein means my, gilt means is directed to, and allen Helfern means all the helpers. Mein Dank is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb gilt is in position two.
Ich möchte dir meinen Dank aussprechen.
I would like to express my thanks to you.
möchte means would like to, dir means to you, and aussprechen means to express. meinen Dank is accusative because it is the object of aussprechen; after the modal verb möchte, the infinitive goes to the end.
Wir helfen ihr mit großem Dank.
We help her with great appreciation.
helfen means to help, ihr means her, and groß means great. mit always takes the dative, so großem Dank is dative; the finite verb helfen is in position two.
Die Worte des Danks klangen ehrlich.
The words of thanks sounded sincere.
die Worte means the words, klangen means sounded, and ehrlich means sincere. des Danks is genitive because it specifies what kind of words they were; the finite verb klangen is in position two.
Die kurzen Danks der Gewinner standen in der Zeitung.
The winners' brief messages of thanks were in the newspaper.
kurz means brief, die Gewinner are the winners, standen means stood or appeared, and die Zeitung is the newspaper. Die kurzen Danks is plural nominative as the subject, while der Gewinner is genitive to show whose thanks they were.
egal — it does not matter, indifferent
Egal is usually used in the expression Das ist mir egal, meaning that something does not matter to someone. It is often confused with gleich, which can mean the same or equal; egal focuses on indifference.
Das ist mir egal.
I do not mind.
mir means to me, and das means that. Mir is dative because this expression says whose opinion or feelings are concerned; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Eine egale Farbe passt zu allem.
An ordinary colour goes with everything.
eine Farbe means a colour, and passt zu allem means goes with everything. The adjective has the ending -e after feminine eine; the finite verb passt is in position two.
Dieser Fehler ist mir egaler als der andere.
This mistake matters less to me than the other one.
dieser Fehler means this mistake, and der andere means the other one. Mir is dative after the expression egal sein; egaler als introduces a comparison, while ist remains in position two.
Von allen Problemen ist dieses mir am egalsten.
Of all the problems, this one matters least to me.
von allen Problemen means of all the problems, and dieses means this one. The phrase am egalsten is the superlative after ist, and mir is dative because it names the person affected.
entspannen — to relax; to make less tense
The reflexive form sich entspannen means to relax, while etwas entspannen can mean to relax a body part or reduce tension in something. The perfect takes haben, not sein.
Ich entspanne mich jeden Abend bei Musik.
I relax with music every evening.
jeden Abend means every evening, and bei Musik means with music. mich is an accusative reflexive pronoun referring back to ich; the finite verb entspanne is in position two.
Am Wochenende habe ich mich richtig entspannt.
At the weekend I really relaxed.
am Wochenende means at the weekend, and richtig means really or properly. The perfect uses habe plus entspannt; mich is accusative, and the participle stands at the end of the main clause.
Nach dem Urlaub entspannte sich mein Körper schnell.
After the holiday, my body relaxed quickly.
nach dem Urlaub means after the holiday, mein Körper is my body, and schnell means quickly. The finite verb entspannte is in position two; sich is the reflexive pronoun and mein Körper is the nominative subject.
Entspann dich und atme tief.
Relax and breathe deeply.
dich means yourself, atmen means to breathe, and tief means deeply. This is a command to one person; the reflexive accusative dich follows the imperative Entspann, and atme is another imperative.
Ich würde mich gern entspannen, aber ich muss arbeiten.
I would like to relax, but I have to work.
gern means gladly or would like to, aber means but, and muss arbeiten means have to work. würde plus the infinitive entspannen expresses an unreal or polite wish; mich is accusative because the verb is reflexive here.
Nach der Prüfung werde ich mich zu Hause entspannen.
After the exam, I will relax at home.
nach der Prüfung means after the exam, and zu Hause means at home. Futur I uses werde plus the infinitive entspannen at the end; mich is the accusative reflexive pronoun.
entspannend — relaxing
Entspannend describes something that causes relaxation; it is different from entspannt, which describes someone or something that is already relaxed. It forms regular comparison with entspannender and am entspannendsten.
Die Musik ist sehr entspannend.
The music is very relaxing.
die Musik means the music, and sehr means very. The adjective follows ist in the predicative position and therefore has no ending; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Wir machen heute einen entspannenden Spaziergang.
We are taking a relaxing walk today.
heute means today, and der Spaziergang is a walk. entspannenden stands before the masculine accusative noun Spaziergang after einen, so it takes the ending -en.
Ein Bad ist entspannender als ein kurzer Spaziergang.
A bath is more relaxing than a short walk.
ein Bad means a bath, and kurz means short. The comparative entspannender is predicative after ist, and als introduces the thing used for comparison.
Für mich ist ein Tag am Meer am entspannendsten.
For me, a day by the sea is the most relaxing.
für mich means for me, ein Tag is a day, and am Meer means by the sea. The superlative am entspannendsten is predicative after ist and uses the fixed am ... -sten pattern.
die Entspannung — relaxation
Entspannung is usually uncountable when it means relaxation in general, but the plural Entspannungen is possible for separate relaxation periods or exercises. It is a feminine noun with the regular plural ending -en.
Die Entspannung tut mir gut.
The relaxation does me good.
tut mir gut means does me good. die Entspannung is the nominative subject, while mir is dative because the expression jemandem guttun means to do someone good; the finite verb tut is in position two.
Ich brauche die Entspannung nach der Arbeit.
I need the relaxation after work.
brauchen means to need, and nach der Arbeit means after work. die Entspannung is accusative because brauchen takes a direct object; the finite verb brauche stands in position two.
Bei der Entspannung höre ich leise Musik.
While relaxing, I listen to quiet music.
bei means during or with, höre means listen to, leise means quiet, and Musik means music. bei always takes the dative, so the feminine article is der; the subject ich comes after the prepositional phrase.
Die Wirkung der Entspannung hält lange an.
The effect of the relaxation lasts a long time.
die Wirkung means the effect, hält ... an means lasts, and lange means for a long time. der Entspannung is genitive and shows which relaxation the effect belongs to; the separable verb places an at the end of the main clause.
Regelmäßige Entspannungen helfen gegen Stress.
Regular periods of relaxation help against stress.
regelmäßig means regular, helfen means help, and gegen Stress means against stress. Entspannungen is plural, and helfen takes a dative person or thing when one is named; here gegen takes the accusative Stress.
fehlen — to be missing, to be absent
With a person, fehlen often means that something is missing to that person: Mir fehlt das Geld means I do not have the money. Do not translate it like English miss in every situation; Du fehlst mir means I miss you, with du as the subject and mir in the dative.
Heute fehlt ein Buch im Regal.
A book is missing from the shelf today.
heute means today, ein Buch is a book, and das Regal is the shelf or bookcase. Ein Buch is nominative because it is the thing that is missing; im Regal means in the shelf, and the finite verb fehlt is in position two.
Im Schrank hat ein Teller gefehlt.
A plate was missing from the cupboard.
der Schrank is the cupboard, ein Teller is a plate, and im Schrank means in the cupboard. The perfect uses hat plus gefehlt, with the Partizip II at the end; ein Teller is nominative, while im Schrank marks location.
Gestern fehlte meine Tasche.
Yesterday my bag was missing.
gestern means yesterday, and meine Tasche is my bag. Meine Tasche is nominative because it is the missing thing; the regular past form fehlte stands in position two.
Bitte fehl heute nicht!
Please do not be absent today!
bitte means please, heute means today, and nicht means not. The subject du is omitted in the imperative; this command sounds unusual, and a speaker would normally say that someone should not be absent.
Wenn du nicht da wärst, würde mir etwas fehlen.
If you were not here, I would be missing something.
wenn means if, nicht da means not here, and etwas means something. The person who experiences the absence is in the dative, mir; wärst goes to the end of the wenn-clause, and fehlen follows würde in the main clause.
Morgen wird uns ein wichtiges Dokument fehlen.
Tomorrow we will be missing an important document.
morgen means tomorrow, uns means to us, and wichtiges Dokument means important document. Uns is dative because fehlen presents the missing thing as missing to someone; future tense uses wird with the infinitive fehlen at the end.
fertig — finished; ready; exhausted
Fertig can mean ready, finished, or, in informal contexts, exhausted. Before a noun it takes an adjective ending, as in ein fertiges Essen; after sein, it stays without an ending.
Ich bin fertig.
I am finished.
Ich means I, and bin means am. Fertig is predicative because it comes after sein and describes the subject; the finite verb bin is in position two.
Das ist ein fertiges Essen.
That is a ready-made meal.
Das means that, Essen means meal or food, and ein fertiges Essen means a ready-made meal. Fertiges stands before the neuter noun Essen after ein, so it takes the ending -es; the verb ist is in position two.
Jetzt bin ich fertiger als gestern.
Now I am more ready than yesterday.
Jetzt means now, and gestern means yesterday. Fertiger is the comparative of fertig, and als introduces the thing used for comparison; after sein, the adjective is predicative and has no ending.
Von allen ist Lea am fertigsten.
Of everyone, Lea is the most exhausted.
von allen means of everyone, and erschöpft is the meaning of fertig in this context. Am fertigsten is the predicative superlative after sein; am belongs to this superlative pattern and is not a separate preposition here.
die Freude — joy, pleasure; pleasure; happy event
Freude haben means to be pleased, while Freude an etwas haben means to take pleasure in something. Do not confuse Freude with the related verb sich freuen, which means to be happy or to look forward to something.
Die Freude war groß.
The joy was great.
groß means great or intense. Die Freude is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb war stands in position two.
Ich sehe die Freude in ihren Augen.
I can see the joy in her eyes.
sehen means to see, and ihre Augen means her eyes. Die Freude is accusative because it is the direct object of sehe; the finite verb stands in position two.
Mit der Freude kommt neue Energie.
With joy comes new energy.
mit means with, and neue Energie means new energy. Der Freude is dative because mit always takes the dative, while kommt is in position two.
Die Farbe der Freude ist für mich Gelb.
The colour of joy is yellow for me.
die Farbe means the colour, für mich means for me, and Gelb means yellow. Der Freude is genitive because it identifies whose or what kind of colour it is.
Die Freuden des Sommers sind vielfältig.
The pleasures of summer are varied.
des Sommers means of summer, and vielfältig means varied. Freuden is the plural of Freude; the plural subject takes sind, and des Sommers is genitive.
Ihre Freude war ansteckend.
Her joy was infectious.
ihre means her, and ansteckend means infectious or contagious. Ihre Freude is nominative because it is the subject, and war is in position two.
Das Geschenk war eine große Freude für meine Mutter.
The present was a great pleasure for my mother.
das Geschenk means the present, groß means great, and meine Mutter means my mother. Eine große Freude follows war as a predicative noun, while für meine Mutter uses the accusative after für.
Ich mache meinem Bruder eine Freude.
I am making my brother happy.
machen means to make, and mein Bruder means my brother. Meinem Bruder is dative because the person receiving the benefit is an indirect object, while eine Freude is accusative after machen.
freuen — to be pleased, to look forward to; to look forward to; to please, to make happy
The common reflexive pattern is sich über etwas freuen for being happy about something. The perfect takes haben, and the reflexive pronoun changes with the subject: mich, dich, sich, uns, euch.
Ich freue mich über das Geschenk.
I am happy about the present.
mich is the reflexive pronoun for ich, über means about, and das Geschenk means the present. Über takes the accusative here, and the finite verb freue stands in position two; do not leave out mich.
Wir haben uns über die Nachricht gefreut.
We were pleased about the news.
uns means ourselves or us, and die Nachricht means the news. The perfect uses haben plus gefreut, with the participle at the end; über takes the accusative.
Sie freute sich über den Besuch.
She was pleased about the visit.
sie means she, and der Besuch means the visit. Sich is the reflexive pronoun, and the finite past form freute stands in position two.
Freu dich über den schönen Tag!
Enjoy the lovely day!
dich is the reflexive pronoun for du, schön means lovely, and der Tag means the day. The singular imperative freu comes first, and dich is required with this meaning.
Er freute sich sicher über deine Hilfe.
He would certainly be pleased about your help.
sicher means certainly, and deine Hilfe means your help. Here freute is Konjunktiv II, which has the same form as the preterite; sich remains necessary.
Ihr werdet euch über die Überraschung freuen.
You will be happy about the surprise.
euch is the reflexive pronoun for ihr, and die Überraschung means the surprise. Future uses werdet in position two and the infinitive freuen at the end; über takes the accusative.
Die Kinder freuen sich auf die Ferien.
The children are looking forward to the holidays.
die Kinder means the children, and die Ferien means the holidays. Auf takes the accusative for the thing anticipated; the finite verb freuen is in position two and sich follows the subject.
Ich freue mich schon auf deinen Besuch.
I am already looking forward to your visit.
schon means already, and deinen Besuch means your visit. The phrase auf deinen Besuch takes the accusative because it refers to a future event; the reflexive pronoun mich matches ich.
Die gute Nachricht freut mich.
The good news makes me happy.
die gute Nachricht means the good news. Mich is accusative because the person pleased is the direct object, and the finite verb freut stands in position two.
Es hat meine Eltern sehr gefreut.
It made my parents very happy.
meine Eltern means my parents, and sehr means very. The perfect uses hat and puts gefreut at the end; meine Eltern is accusative as the people who were pleased.
froh — glad, happy
froh often means glad or relieved about a situation, not only generally happy. With a noun, use froh über + accusative, as in froh über die Nachricht; with a person, froh sein, jemanden zu sehen is common.
Ich bin froh, dass du da bist.
I am glad that you are here.
dass means that, and da sein means to be here or present. froh is predicative after bin; in the dass-clause, the finite verb bist goes to the end, and du is the subject.
Sie ist ein frohes Kind.
She is a happy child.
ein Kind means a child, and sie means she. frohes stands before the neuter nominative noun Kind and takes -es after ein; the phrase ein frohes Kind is the subject of ist.
Heute bin ich froher als gestern.
Today I am happier than yesterday.
heute means today, and gestern means yesterday. froher compares today's feeling with yesterday's using als; bin is in position two, and ich is the subject.
Nach der Prüfung war ich am frohesten.
After the exam I was the happiest.
nach der Prüfung means after the exam, and war means was. nach takes the dative, so der Prüfung is dative; the predicative superlative uses am frohesten, and war is the preterite of sein.
gern — gladly; with pleasure; like to
Gern is an adverb meaning that someone enjoys an action or is willing to do it. Gerne is the longer variant and has the same meaning; do not translate it as a separate English verb.
Ich gerne Musik.
I like listening to music.
Musik means music, and höre means listen to. Gern means that the speaker enjoys the action; the finite verb höre is in position two, while gern comes after the subject and before the accusative object.
Ich helfe dir gern.
I am happy to help you.
helfen means help, and dir means to you. Dir is dative because helfen takes a dative person, and gern usually comes after the object or near the end of the clause.
gerne — gladly; with pleasure; like to
Gerne is the longer variant of gern and means that someone likes an action or is willing to do it. Both forms are standard, and learners should not treat gerne as a different tense or grammatical form.
Wir gerne Pizza.
We like eating pizza.
Pizza means pizza, and essen means eat. Gerne says that the speakers enjoy the action; the finite verb essen stands in position two, and gerne follows the subject.
Möchtest du gerne einen Tee?
Would you like a tea?
Möchtest du means would you like, and einen Tee means a tea. In a yes-no question the finite verb möchtest comes first; Tee is accusative because it is the object of möchten, and gerne expresses willingness or preference.
das Glück — luck; good fortune; happiness; joy
When das Glück means luck or good fortune, it is a mass noun and normally has no plural. The common expression viel Glück means “good luck”.
Das Glück ist heute auf meiner Seite.
Luck is on my side today.
heute means today, and auf meiner Seite means on my side. Das Glück is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich wünsche dir Glück.
I wish you good luck.
wünsche means wish, and dir means to you. Glück is accusative because wünschen takes the thing wished for as a direct object, while dir is dative for the recipient.
Mit Glück schaffen wir den Test.
With luck, we will pass the test.
mit Glück means with luck, and schaffen means pass or manage. Glück is dative because mit always takes the dative; the finite verb schaffen is in position two.
Die Farbe des Glücks ist für mich Gelb.
The color of luck is yellow for me.
die Farbe is the color, and für mich means for me. Des Glücks is genitive because it shows what the color represents; neuter genitive uses des and the noun ending -s.
Das Glück meiner Familie ist mir wichtig.
My family’s happiness is important to me.
meiner Familie means of my family, and wichtig means important. Das Glück is nominative as the subject, while mir is dative because wichtig sein commonly describes what is important to someone.
Sie spricht mit Glück in der Stimme.
She speaks with happiness in her voice.
spricht means speaks, and in der Stimme means in her voice. Mit Glück is dative because mit requires the dative; the finite verb spricht is in position two.
glücklich — happy; lucky; fortunate; successful
Glücklich can mean emotionally happy or lucky, depending on the context. For the opposite, use unglücklich; for “fortunate” in a formal sense, glücklicherweise means fortunately.
Ich bin glücklich.
I am happy.
ich bin means I am. Glücklich is predicative after bin, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb bin is in position two.
Sie hat ein glückliches Leben.
She has a happy life.
sie means she, and ein Leben is a life. Glückliches stands before the neuter accusative noun Leben and takes -es after ein; Leben is accusative because haben takes a direct object.
Heute bin ich glücklicher als gestern.
Today I am happier than yesterday.
heute means today, and gestern means yesterday. Glücklicher is predicative and has no ending; als introduces the comparison, while bin stays in position two.
Am Geburtstag ist er am glücklichsten.
He is happiest on his birthday.
am Geburtstag means on his birthday, and er means he. Am glücklichsten is the predicative superlative; ist is in position two and the adjective phrase comes at the end.
Zum Glück ist der Unfall glücklich ausgegangen.
Luckily, the accident ended well.
zum Glück means luckily, der Unfall is the accident, and ausgegangen means ended or turned out. Glücklich describes the result of the accident; the separable verb ausgehen has ist in position two and ausgegangen at the end.
Die Bergsteiger sind glücklich angekommen.
The mountain climbers arrived safely.
die Bergsteiger are the mountain climbers, and angekommen means arrived. Glücklich means safely or successfully here; the perfect uses sind with movement, while angekommen stands at the end.
gut — good, satisfactory; kind, morally good
gut – besser – am besten is an irregular comparison. As a predicative adjective, gut has no ending, but before a noun it takes an adjective ending, as in ein gutes Buch.
Das Essen ist gut.
The food is good.
das Essen means the food. The adjective is predicative after ist, so it has no ending; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Sie hat einen guten Plan.
She has a good plan.
einen Plan means a plan. einen guten Plan is accusative because haben takes an accusative object, and the adjective takes the ending -en after einen; the finite verb hat is in position two.
Dieser Weg ist besser als der andere.
This route is better than the other one.
dieser Weg means this route, and der andere means the other one. besser compares this route with another using als; after ist, the adjective is predicative and has no ending.
Das ist der beste Kaffee hier.
That is the best coffee here.
der beste Kaffee means the best coffee, and hier means here. Before the masculine nominative noun Kaffee, the superlative is beste with an adjective ending; ist remains in position two.
Er ist ein guter Mensch.
He is a good person.
ein Mensch means a person. Because guter comes before the masculine noun after ein, it has the ending -er; the verb ist is in position two.
Das war sehr gut von dir.
That was very kind of you.
sehr means very, and von dir means of you or on your part. gut is predicative after war, so it has no ending; von forces the dative, giving dir.
hoffen — to hope
This verb commonly takes auf plus the accusative for the thing hoped for: auf etwas hoffen. For a complete thought, use hoffen, dass ...; the verb in the dass clause goes to the end.
Ich hoffe auf gutes Wetter.
I hope for good weather.
gutes Wetter means good weather. auf with hoffen means hope for and takes the accusative, so gutes Wetter is accusative; the finite verb hoffe is in position two.
Wir haben auf eine schnelle Antwort gehofft.
We hoped for a quick answer.
eine schnelle Antwort means a quick answer. auf with hoffen takes the accusative, and the perfect uses haben plus gehofft at the end of the clause; do not use sein.
Sie hoffte auf eine gute Nachricht.
She hoped for good news.
sie means she and eine gute Nachricht means good news. auf forces the accusative after hoffen, and the weak-verb past form hoffte stands in position two.
Hoff auf das Beste!
Hope for the best!
das Beste means the best. Hoff is the singular du imperative, and auf takes the accusative; the subject du is left out in a command.
Ich hoffte, dass alles gut gehen würde.
I hoped that everything would turn out well.
alles means everything and gut gehen means turn out well. In the dass clause, the finite verb würde goes to the end; hoffte is also the form used for the Konjunktiv II of this weak verb, so context is important.
Morgen werde ich auf Sonne hoffen.
Tomorrow I will hope for sunshine.
morgen means tomorrow and die Sonne means sunshine or the sun. auf takes the accusative, while werde is in position two and the infinitive hoffen goes to the end.
die Hoffnung — hope
Die Hoffnung is usually used with haben, geben, or verlieren. For the specific thing hoped for, German often uses die Hoffnung auf plus the accusative, as in die Hoffnung auf Frieden.
Hoffnung hilft in schwierigen Zeiten.
Hope helps in difficult times.
hilft means helps and schwierige Zeiten means difficult times. Hoffnung is the nominative subject, and the finite verb hilft stands in position two.
Die Nachricht gibt mir Hoffnung.
The news gives me hope.
die Nachricht means the news and gibt means gives. Hoffnung is accusative because geben takes the thing given as a direct object, while mir is dative for the person receiving it.
Mit Hoffnung blickt sie in die Zukunft.
With hope, she looks to the future.
mit means with, blickt means looks, and die Zukunft means the future. mit Hoffnung is dative because mit always forces the dative; the finite verb blickt is in position two.
Die Kraft der Hoffnung ist groß.
The power of hope is great.
die Kraft means the power and groß means great or strong. der Hoffnung is genitive because it identifies what kind of power is meant, and the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Viele Hoffnungen wurden erfüllt.
Many hopes were fulfilled.
viele means many, wurden means were, and erfüllt means fulfilled. Hoffnungen is the plural subject, and the passive uses wurden in position two with erfüllt at the end.
hungrig — hungry
hungrig means needing food and is commonly used with sein, as in hungrig sein. Before a noun it takes an adjective ending, for example ein hungriges Kind; after sein it stays unchanged.
Nach der Arbeit bin ich hungrig.
I am hungry after work.
nach der Arbeit means after work, and bin means am. nach takes the dative, so der Arbeit is dative; hungrig is predicative after bin and therefore has no adjective ending.
Das hungrige Kind isst eine Banane.
The hungry child is eating a banana.
das Kind is the child, isst means is eating, and eine Banane is a banana. hungrige stands before the noun and takes an adjective ending; the child is nominative as the subject, while eine Banane is accusative because essen takes a direct object.
Mein Bruder ist heute hungriger als ich.
My brother is hungrier than I am today.
mein Bruder means my brother, heute means today, and als ich means than I am. The comparative hungriger is predicative after ist and is followed by als; it has no adjective ending in this position.
Nach dem Wandern bin ich am hungrigsten.
I am the hungriest after hiking.
nach dem Wandern means after hiking, and bin means am. nach takes the dative, while am hungrigsten is the predicative superlative; the am ... -sten form does not stand directly before a noun.
interessant — interesting
interessant describes something that holds your attention; its opposite is langweilig, boring. It can be used before a noun with an adjective ending or after sein without an ending.
Der Film ist interessant.
The film is interesting.
der Film means the film. The adjective is predicative after sein, so it has no ending, and the finite verb ist is in position two.
Das ist ein interessanter Film.
That is an interesting film.
ein Film means a film, and das means that. ein interessanter Film is nominative because it follows ist as a naming complement; the adjective takes -er after the indefinite article.
Dieses Buch ist interessanter als der Film.
This book is more interesting than the film.
dieses Buch means this book, and als means than. interessanter is the comparative and is predicative after ist; use als, not wie, for an unequal comparison.
Das ist der interessanteste Teil des Buches.
That is the most interesting part of the book.
der Teil means the part, and des Buches means of the book. der interessanteste Teil is nominative after ist, so the superlative has the adjective ending -e; des Buches is genitive.
kaputt — broken, not working
Kaputt describes things that are broken or no longer working, and it can also describe a person who is exhausted. It can be compared when different degrees of damage are meant: kaputter means more broken and am kaputtesten means the most broken.
Mein Fahrrad ist kaputt.
My bicycle is broken.
mein Fahrrad means my bicycle. Kaputt is predicative after ist, so it has no adjective ending and describes the nominative subject.
Sie trägt ein kaputtes Handy.
She is carrying a broken mobile phone.
sie trägt means she is carrying, and ein Handy is a mobile phone. Kaputtes stands before Handy and takes an adjective ending; the noun phrase is accusative because tragen takes an accusative object.
Mein altes Fahrrad ist kaputter als deins.
My old bicycle is more broken than yours.
mein altes Fahrrad means my old bicycle, and deins means yours. Kaputter is a predicative comparative after ist; als introduces the thing used for comparison.
Dieses Handy ist am kaputtesten.
This mobile phone is the most broken.
dieses Handy means this mobile phone. Am kaputtesten is the predicative superlative, formed with am and -sten; before a noun, use an ending form such as das kaputteste Handy.
klasse — great, excellent, cool
klasse is an informal adjective meaning very good, excellent, or cool. It is not the noun Klasse meaning class or grade; comparison such as klasser and am klassesten is colloquial and less common than simply using besser or am besten.
Der Film ist klasse.
The film is great.
der Film means the film. klasse is predicative after ist, so it has no adjective ending; this informal adjective means great, not class.
Das ist ein klasse Konzert.
That is a great concert.
das ist means that is, and das Konzert means the concert. ein klasse Konzert is a colloquial attributive phrase; although klasse stands before the noun, it commonly stays unchanged in this expression.
Der neue Film ist noch klasser als der alte.
The new film is even better than the old one.
der neue Film means the new film, noch means even, and der alte means the old one. klasser is a colloquial comparative of klasse; after ist it is predicative and is followed by als.
Das war der klasseste Abend der Reise.
That was the best evening of the trip.
der Abend means the evening and die Reise means the trip. klasseste is a colloquial superlative before a noun; der Reise is genitive because it means of the trip.
komisch — funny; strange, odd
The meaning depends on context: komisch can mean funny, but it can also mean strange or odd. It is not normally the same as English comic in every context.
Der Film ist wirklich komisch.
The film is really funny.
der Film means the film, and wirklich means really. The adjective is predicative after sein, so it has no ending and describes the subject der Film.
Das ist ein komischer Witz.
That is a funny joke.
ein Witz means a joke. komischer stands before the masculine noun Witz after ein, so it takes the ending -er in the nominative.
Dieser Witz ist komischer als der letzte.
This joke is funnier than the last one.
dieser Witz means this joke, and der letzte means the last one. The comparative komischer is followed by als when two things are compared.
Das war der komischste Moment des Abends.
That was the funniest moment of the evening.
der Moment means the moment, and des Abends means of the evening. Before the masculine noun Moment, the superlative uses -ste plus the adjective ending -e.
der Kuss — kiss; greeting or farewell kiss
der Kuss can describe one kiss or, in the plural, several kisses. The plural has an umlaut: Küsse, not Kusse.
Der Kuss war sehr schön.
The kiss was very nice.
war means was and sehr schön means very nice or beautiful. Der Kuss is nominative because it is the subject; war is the preterite of sein, and the predicative adjective schön has no ending.
Ich gebe ihm einen Kuss.
I am giving him a kiss.
ich gebe means I am giving and ihm means to him. ihm is dative because he receives something, while einen Kuss is accusative because it is the thing given.
Sie gibt ihrem Freund einen Kuss.
She gives her boyfriend a kiss.
sie gibt means she gives, ihrem Freund means to her boyfriend, and einen Kuss is a kiss. ihrem Freund is dative as the recipient; einen Kuss is accusative as the direct object.
Der Anfang des Kusses war vorsichtig.
The beginning of the kiss was cautious.
der Anfang is the beginning and vorsichtig means cautious or careful. des Kusses is genitive because it identifies the kiss's beginning; the genitive masculine article is des, and the noun takes -es.
Sie geben sich zur Begrüßung Küsse.
They give each other kisses as a greeting.
sie geben sich means they give each other, zur Begrüßung means as a greeting, and sich means each other here. Küsse is plural and accusative because it is the thing being given; the umlaut and -e mark the plural.
Zum Abschied bekam sie einen Kuss.
She got a kiss goodbye.
zum Abschied means goodbye or as a farewell, bekam means got, and sie means she. einen Kuss is accusative because it is what she received; zum is short for zu dem, and zu takes the dative.
Er begrüßt seine Mutter mit einem Kuss.
He greets his mother with a kiss.
begrüßt means greets, seine Mutter is his mother, and mit einem Kuss means with a kiss. seine Mutter is accusative because begrüßen takes a direct object; mit forces the dative, so einem Kuss is dative.
küssen — to kiss
küssen normally takes an accusative object for the person or thing receiving the kiss. With sich küssen, the action is mutual or reflexive, and the perfect is formed with haben.
Ich küsse meine Tochter jeden Abend.
I kiss my daughter every evening.
meine Tochter means my daughter, and jeden Abend means every evening. meine Tochter is accusative because küssen takes the person being kissed as a direct object, and the finite verb küsse stands in position two.
Wir haben uns zum Abschied geküsst.
We kissed goodbye.
uns means each other here, and zum Abschied means goodbye or when saying goodbye. The perfect uses haben plus geküsst at the end; uns is an accusative reflexive pronoun referring to the people who kissed each other.
Sie küsste ihn vor dem Bahnhof.
She kissed him in front of the station.
ihn means him, and vor dem Bahnhof means in front of the station. ihn is accusative because he is the person kissed, while the weak past form küsste is the finite verb in position two.
Küss mich!
Kiss me!
mich means me. Küss is the du imperative, and mich is accusative because it is the person receiving the action; the subject du is left out.
Ich würde ihn gern küssen, aber ich bin zu schüchtern.
I would like to kiss him, but I am too shy.
gern means gladly or would like to, aber means but, and schüchtern means shy. The polite or imagined form uses würde in position two and sends the infinitive küssen to the end; ihn is accusative.
Sie wird ihn nach dem Konzert küssen.
She will kiss him after the concert.
nach dem Konzert means after the concert. wird forms the future in position two, while the infinitive küssen goes to the end; ihn is accusative as the direct object.
die Langeweile — boredom
This is an uncountable abstract noun, so it normally has no plural. The fixed phrase aus Langeweile means because one is bored or out of boredom.
Die Langeweile ist groß.
The boredom is intense.
groß means great or intense. Die Langeweile is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb ist is in position two.
Ich hasse die Langeweile.
I hate boredom.
ich means I and hasse means hate. die Langeweile is accusative because hassen takes a direct object; the finite verb hasse is in position two.
Bei der Langeweile lese ich ein Buch.
When I am bored, I read a book.
bei means when faced with or during, and lese means read. bei always takes the dative, so the phrase is bei der Langeweile; the prepositional phrase occupies position one and lese follows it.
Wegen der Langeweile ging er spazieren.
Because of boredom, he went for a walk.
wegen means because of, ging means went, and spazieren means for a walk. In careful standard German, wegen takes the genitive, giving wegen der Langeweile; the phrase comes first, so ging is in position two.
langweilen — to bore someone
langweilen is normally transitive: jemanden langweilen means to bore someone and takes the accusative. With sich langweilen, it means to be bored; the perfect uses haben in both uses.
Der Film langweilt mich.
The film bores me.
der Film means the film and mich means me. mich is accusative because langweilen takes the person who is bored as an accusative object; the finite verb langweilt is in position two.
Der Film hat mich gelangweilt.
The film bored me.
der Film means the film and mich means me. The perfect uses hat plus gelangweilt because this weak verb takes haben; the finite auxiliary is in position two and the participle goes to the end.
Der Vortrag langweilte die Schüler.
The lecture bored the pupils.
der Vortrag means the lecture and die Schüler means the pupils. die Schüler is accusative because they are the people affected by langweilen; the weak-verb past form langweilte stands in position two.
Langweile mich bitte nicht!
Please do not bore me!
bitte means please and nicht means not. mich is accusative because it is the object of langweilen; the du imperative is langweile, and the subject du is left out.
Der lange Vortrag würde mich langweilen.
The long lecture would bore me.
der lange Vortrag means the long lecture. mich is accusative after langweilen, and würde ... langweilen places the conjugated form in position two and the infinitive at the end.
Der Film wird die Kinder langweilen.
The film will bore the children.
die Kinder means the children. die Kinder is accusative because it is the object of langweilen; wird is the finite verb in position two and langweilen goes to the end.
langweilig — boring; uninteresting
langweilig describes something that causes boredom, such as a film or lesson. Do not confuse it with gelangweilt, which describes the person who feels bored.
Der Film ist langweilig.
The film is boring.
der Film means the film. langweilig is predicative after ist, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Das ist ein langweiliger Abend.
This is a boring evening.
der Abend means the evening. ein langweiliger Abend is nominative because it follows ist as the subject complement, and the adjective has the ending -er after ein.
Der zweite Film ist noch langweiliger.
The second film is even more boring.
der zweite Film means the second film and noch means even. langweiliger compares this film with another one; after ist, it is predicative and has no case ending.
Diese Aufgabe ist am langweiligsten.
This task is the most boring.
diese Aufgabe means this task. am langweiligsten is the superlative after ist, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb ist is in position two.
leid — sorry; regretful
leid is normally used predicatively, especially in Das tut mir leid, not before a noun. It is not normally compared, so it has no attributive, comparative, or superlative form; do not confuse it with leider, which means unfortunately.
Das tut mir leid.
I am sorry about that.
Das means that, and tut comes from tun, to do; together, Das tut mir leid means I am sorry about that. leid is predicative after tun, not before a noun, and mir is dative in this fixed expression.
Man sagt nicht „ein leides Gefühl“, sondern „ein trauriges Gefühl“.
You do not say “a sorry feeling”; you say “a sad feeling”.
Man sagt nicht means one does not say, ein Gefühl means a feeling, sondern means but rather, and traurig means sad. leid is predicative-only in normal modern German, so it does not stand before a noun with an adjective ending; use traurig for a sad feeling.
Man sagt nicht „mehr leid“, sondern „mehr traurig“.
You do not normally say “more sorry”; you say “sadder”.
mehr means more, sagt nicht means does not say, and traurig means sad. leid has no normal comparative form, so do not build a form such as leider or leidiger; leider is a different word meaning unfortunately.
Man sagt nicht „am leidsten“, sondern „am traurigsten“.
You do not normally say “the most sorry”; you say “the saddest”.
am traurigsten means saddest, and sondern means but rather. leid has no normal superlative, so am leidsten is not a standard form; use another adjective such as traurig when comparison is needed.
Es tut mir leid, aber ich kann heute nicht kommen.
I am sorry, but I cannot come today.
aber means but, heute means today, and kommen means to come. Es tut mir leid is a fixed expression with mir in the dative; after aber, the finite verb kann remains in position two.
leider — unfortunately
leider is a sentence adverb expressing regret or disappointment. It can come at the beginning of the sentence, which causes the subject and finite verb to switch order, or in the middle of the sentence.
Leider habe ich heute keine Zeit.
Unfortunately, I do not have time today.
heute means today and keine Zeit means no time. Leider is an adverb and can stand in position one; therefore the finite verb habe comes directly after it, before the subject ich.
Der Bus kommt leider zu spät.
Unfortunately, the bus is arriving too late.
Der Bus means the bus, kommt means comes or arrives, and zu spät means too late. leider comments on the whole sentence rather than changing the noun or verb, and the finite verb remains in position two.
leidtun — to be sorry; to regret
leidtun is normally used with a person in the dative: Das tut mir leid. It is separable in finite main clauses (tut ... leid) but stays together as leidgetan or leidtun at the end of perfect, future, and subordinate clauses.
Das tut mir leid.
I am sorry about that.
Das means that, and mir means to me; together, Das tut mir leid means I am sorry about that. tut is the finite part in position two and leid goes to the end because leidtun is separable; mir is dative in this fixed expression.
Es hat mir wirklich leidgetan.
I was really sorry about it.
wirklich means really, and Es is a neutral it referring to a situation. The perfect uses hat plus the single Partizip II leidgetan at the end; unlike the present tense, the two parts are not separated.
Das tat mir gestern leid.
I was sorry about that yesterday.
gestern means yesterday, and Das means that. tat is the past finite part in position two and leid is separated to the end; mir remains dative in the fixed expression.
Tu mir leid!
Say you are sorry to me!
mir means to me, and the whole expression asks someone to apologise. The singular imperative omits du, puts tu first, and separates leid to the end; mir is dative.
Wenn ich dich verletzt hätte, würde mir das leidtun.
If I had hurt you, I would be sorry about that.
verletzt means hurt, and hätte means had in this hypothetical construction. In the wenn clause, hätte goes to the end; after würde, the whole infinitive leidtun stays together at the end, not separated.
Es wird mir leidtun, wenn ich dich enttäusche.
I will regret it if I disappoint you.
enttäuschen means to disappoint, and wenn means if or when. In the future, wird is in position two and the whole infinitive leidtun goes to the end; in the subordinate clause, enttäusche also goes to the end.
lieb — kind, nice; dear, sweet
Lieb can describe friendly behaviour or affection, depending on context. Its comparison is regular: lieber and am liebsten; the adverb lieber is also used to mean rather.
Meine Schwester ist sehr lieb.
My sister is very kind.
meine Schwester means my sister, and sehr means very. Lieb is predicative after ist and therefore has no adjective ending; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Das ist ein liebes Kind.
That is a sweet child.
das means that, ein Kind means a child, and ist means is. Liebes stands before the neuter noun Kind after ein, so it takes the ending -es.
Unser neuer Nachbar ist lieber als der alte.
Our new neighbour is kinder than the old one.
unser neuer Nachbar means our new neighbour, and der alte means the old one. Lieber is the comparative and is followed by als; because it is predicative after ist, it has no adjective ending.
Sie ist am liebsten mit Kindern zusammen.
She likes being with children best.
mit Kindern means with children, and zusammen means together. Am liebsten is the superlative form used adverbially; mit forces the dative plural Kindern.
die Liebe — love, affection; loved one, dear person
Liebe is usually an uncountable feeling and is normally used only in the singular. The plural Lieben is possible when talking about people who are dear or about separate love relationships.
Die Liebe macht das Leben schöner.
Love makes life more beautiful.
macht means makes, das Leben means life, and schöner means more beautiful. Die Liebe is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb macht stands in position two.
Er fühlt die Liebe seiner Familie.
He feels his family’s love.
fühlt means feels, and seiner Familie means of his family. Die Liebe is accusative because fühlen takes a direct object; seiner Familie is genitive and shows whose love it is.
Sie vertraut der Liebe ihres Partners.
She trusts her partner’s love.
vertraut means trusts, and ihres Partners means of her partner. Der Liebe is dative because vertrauen takes the dative; the genitive phrase ihres Partners identifies the source of the love.
Die Kraft der Liebe ist schwer zu erklären.
The power of love is difficult to explain.
die Kraft means the power, and schwer zu erklären means difficult to explain. Der Liebe is genitive after Kraft to show what kind of power is meant; zu erklären is an infinitive phrase at the end.
Große Lieben können ein Leben verändern.
Great loves can change a life.
große means great, können means can, and verändern means change. Lieben is a plural form here, meaning great love relationships; the plural subject takes können, and the other verb goes to the end.
Ich grüße alle Lieben zu Hause.
I send my greetings to all my loved ones at home.
ich grüße means I send greetings to, alle means all, and zu Hause means at home. Lieben is plural and accusative because it is the direct object of grüßen; the adjective-like noun form keeps the capital letter.
Die Lieben warten schon auf uns.
Our loved ones are already waiting for us.
warten means wait, schon means already, and auf uns means for us. Die Lieben is the plural subject, and warten auf takes auf with the accusative; uns is the accusative pronoun.
lieben — to love; to like very much
Lieben takes an accusative object: jemanden lieben means to love someone. It is a weak verb with haben in the perfect: lieben – liebte – hat geliebt.
Sie liebt ihren Mann.
She loves her husband.
sie means she, and ihren Mann means her husband. Ihren Mann is accusative because lieben takes a direct object, and the finite verb liebt stands in position two.
Wir haben unsere neue Wohnung geliebt.
We loved our new flat.
unsere neue Wohnung means our new flat. Unsere neue Wohnung is accusative after lieben; haben is in position two and the Partizip II geliebt goes to the end.
Er liebte seine Großmutter sehr.
He loved his grandmother very much.
seine Großmutter means his grandmother, and sehr means very much. Seine Großmutter is accusative because it is the object of lieben; liebte is the weak-verb past form in position two.
Liebe deine Familie!
Love your family!
deine Familie means your family. Liebe is the du imperative, so the subject is omitted and the verb comes first; deine Familie is accusative as the direct object.
Ich würde meine Kinder immer lieben.
I would always love my children.
würde means would, meine Kinder means my children, and immer means always. Meine Kinder is accusative after lieben; with würde, the infinitive lieben goes to the end.
Sie wird ihren Hund immer lieben.
She will always love her dog.
ihren Hund means her dog, and immer means always. Ihren Hund is accusative because lieben takes a direct object; wird is in position two and the infinitive lieben goes to the end.
loben — to praise
loben takes an accusative object for the person or thing receiving praise. With für, the reason or achievement is also accusative.
Der Lehrer lobt die fleißige Schülerin.
The teacher praises the hardworking pupil.
der Lehrer is the teacher and die fleißige Schülerin is the hardworking pupil. die Schülerin is accusative because loben takes the person being praised as a direct object; the finite verb lobt stands in position two.
Die Eltern haben ihren Sohn gelobt.
The parents praised their son.
die Eltern means the parents and ihren Sohn means their son. ihren Sohn is accusative because loben takes a direct object; the auxiliary haben is in position two and gelobt goes to the end.
Die Trainerin lobte das ganze Team.
The coach praised the whole team.
die Trainerin is the female coach and das ganze Team means the whole team. das ganze Team is accusative as the direct object, and the weak past form lobte stands in position two.
Lob deine Schwester für ihre Hilfe!
Praise your sister for her help!
deine Schwester means your sister and ihre Hilfe means her help. The imperative lob comes first, and deine Schwester is accusative; für also always takes the accusative.
Ich würde dich für deine Geduld loben.
I would praise you for your patience.
dich means you and deine Geduld means your patience. The conditional form würde ... loben expresses a hypothetical action; dich is accusative because it is the person praised, and the infinitive loben stands at the end.
Wir werden die Gewinner morgen loben.
We will praise the winners tomorrow.
die Gewinner means the winners and morgen means tomorrow. die Gewinner is accusative as the direct object; werden is in position two and the infinitive loben goes to the end.
lustig — funny, amusing; cheerful, good fun
Lustig usually means funny or amusing, not merely happy. The comparative is regular: lustiger, am lustigsten.
Der Film ist lustig.
The film is funny.
der Film means the film, and ist means is. Lustig is predicative after sein, so it has no adjective ending; ist is the finite verb in position two.
Das ist ein lustiger Witz.
That is a funny joke.
das means that, and der Witz is the joke. Lustiger comes before the masculine nominative noun Witz after ein, so it takes the ending -er; ist is in position two.
Dieser Witz ist lustiger als der andere.
This joke is funnier than the other one.
dieser Witz means this joke, and der andere means the other one. Lustiger compares two things and is followed by als; after ist, the comparative adjective is predicative and has no ending.
Von allen war Mia am lustigsten.
Of everyone, Mia was the funniest.
von allen means of everyone, and war means was. Am lustigsten is the predicative superlative, formed with am and -sten; it comes after the verb war and has no noun ending.
Er ist ein sehr lustiger Mensch.
He is a very cheerful person.
sehr means very, and der Mensch means person. Lustiger describes the masculine noun Mensch after ein, so it takes -er; ist is in position two.
Wir hatten einen lustigen Abend.
We had an enjoyable evening.
hatten means had, and der Abend means evening. Einen lustigen Abend is the accusative object of hatten, so the adjective takes -en after einen.
lächeln — to smile
lächeln is usually intransitive: you simply smile. To say smile at someone, use jemanden anlächeln; the person is an accusative object, and the perfect is formed with haben.
Sie lächelt freundlich.
She smiles in a friendly way.
sie means she, and freundlich means friendly or in a friendly way. The finite verb lächelt is in position two; freundlich is an adverb here and does not take an adjective ending.
Er hat gestern gelächelt.
He smiled yesterday.
gestern means yesterday and er means he. The perfect uses hat plus gelächelt because lächeln takes haben; the auxiliary is in position two and the Partizip II goes to the end.
Das Kind lächelte, als es das Geschenk sah.
The child smiled when it saw the present.
das Kind means the child, als means when, and das Geschenk means the present. lächelte is the weak Präteritum form in position two; in the subordinate clause introduced by als, the finite verb sah moves to the end.
Lächle bitte für das Foto.
Please smile for the photo.
bitte means please and das Foto means the photo. Lächle is the du imperative, so the subject is omitted; für takes the accusative, giving das Foto.
Ich würde gern lächeln, aber ich bin müde.
I would like to smile, but I am tired.
ich würde gern means I would like to, aber means but, and müde means tired. The Konjunktiv II is formed with würde plus the infinitive lächeln, which goes to the end of its clause; aber leaves normal main-clause word order unchanged.
Morgen wird sie wieder lächeln.
Tomorrow she will smile again.
morgen means tomorrow and wieder means again. Futur I uses wird plus the infinitive lächeln at the end, while the finite auxiliary wird stands in position two.
das Lächeln — smile
This noun comes from the verb lächeln, to smile, but the noun is capitalized as das Lächeln. Its plural is unchanged: ein Lächeln, but zwei Lächeln.
Das Lächeln des Kindes ist süß.
The child's smile is sweet.
das Kind means child and süß means sweet. Das Lächeln is nominative because it is the subject, while des Kindes is genitive and means of the child; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Ich sehe das Lächeln meiner Schwester.
I see my sister's smile.
sehen means to see, meine Schwester means my sister, and meiner Schwester means of my sister. Das Lächeln is accusative because sehen takes a direct object; the finite verb sehe is in position two.
Sie antwortet mit einem Lächeln.
She replies with a smile.
antworten means to reply, and mit means with. Mit always takes the dative, so einem Lächeln is dative; the finite verb antwortet stands in position two.
Die Wärme des Lächelns beruhigt mich.
The warmth of the smile calms me.
die Wärme means the warmth, beruhigen means to calm, and mich means me. Des Lächelns is genitive because it describes whose warmth it is, while mich is accusative after beruhigen.
Ihre Lächeln wirken ehrlich.
Her smiles seem sincere.
ihre means her, wirken means seem, and ehrlich means sincere. Lächeln has the same form in the plural as in the singular, but ihre and the plural verb wirken show that there is more than one smile.
mögen — to like; may, might
Mögen is a modal verb with an accusative object: etwas mögen means to like something. Its common polite form möchte means would like, not simply liked.
Ich mag Schokolade.
I like chocolate.
Schokolade means chocolate. Schokolade is accusative because mögen takes a direct object, and the finite verb mag stands in position two.
Wir haben den Film gemocht.
We liked the film.
der Film means the film. Den Film is accusative because it is the object of mögen; the perfect uses haben, and gemocht goes to the end of the clause.
Früher mochte er keinen Fisch.
He did not use to like fish.
früher means formerly or in the past, and keinen Fisch means no fish. Fisch is accusative as the object, while mochte is the irregular Präteritum form in position two.
Magst du Tee?
Do you like tea?
Tee means tea. This is a question rather than a normal everyday command: the finite form magst comes first, and Tee is accusative as the object; the bare imperative mag is uncommon.
Wenn ich mehr Zeit hätte, möchte ich ein Instrument lernen.
If I had more time, I would like to learn an instrument.
wenn means if, mehr Zeit means more time, and ein Instrument lernen means learn an instrument. Hätte is Konjunktiv II of haben, while möchte expresses a polite or unreal wish; the infinitive lernen goes to the end.
Ich werde den neuen Film mögen.
I will like the new film.
der neue Film means the new film. Den neuen Film is accusative because it is the object of mögen; in the future, werde is finite in position two and the infinitive mögen goes to the end.
Das mag stimmen, aber wir brauchen Beweise.
That may be true, but we need evidence.
stimmen means be true or be correct, aber means but, and Beweise means evidence. Mag is a modal verb in position two, while the infinitive stimmen follows it; the second clause also has its finite verb in position two.
Es mag schwierig sein, doch wir versuchen es.
It may be difficult, but we are trying.
schwierig means difficult, doch means but or nevertheless, and versuchen means try. Mag expresses possibility, and the infinitive sein goes to the end of its clause; es in the second clause means it.
müde — tired
Müde is normally used with sein or another linking verb, as in müde sein. Its comparative is müder and its superlative is am müdesten.
Ich bin müde.
I am tired.
bin means am. Müde is a predicative adjective after sein, so it has no ending; the finite verb bin is in position two.
Der müde Mann schläft auf dem Sofa.
The tired man is sleeping on the sofa.
der Mann is the man, schläft means is sleeping, and das Sofa is the sofa. Müde comes before the noun and takes the weak ending -e after der; der müde Mann is nominative because it is the subject.
Nach der Arbeit bin ich müder als am Morgen.
After work I am more tired than in the morning.
nach der Arbeit means after work, and am Morgen means in the morning. Nach takes the dative, so der Arbeit is dative; müder ... als compares two states, and bin remains in position two.
Am Montag bin ich am müdesten.
On Monday I am the most tired.
am Montag means on Monday. Am müdesten is the predicative superlative, used after sein; bin is in position two, while the adjective phrase follows it.
neugierig — curious, inquisitive
Neugierige describes someone who wants to know or discover things. With auf it commonly means curious about something, and auf takes the accusative here.
Ich bin sehr neugierig.
I am very curious.
sehr means very. Neugierig is predicative after bin and therefore has no adjective ending; bin is the finite verb in position two.
Das neugierige Kind stellt viele Fragen.
The curious child asks many questions.
das Kind means the child and stellt viele Fragen means asks many questions. neugierige stands before the nominative noun Kind and takes -e after the definite article das.
Meine Schwester ist neugieriger als ich.
My sister is more curious than I am.
meine Schwester means my sister and als ich means than I am. Neugieriger compares two people and is followed by als; after ist it is predicative and has no ending.
Von allen Kindern ist Lena am neugierigsten.
Of all the children, Lena is the most curious.
von allen Kindern means of all the children. Von takes the dative, while am neugierigsten is the predicative superlative after ist.
niedlich — cute, adorable
niedlich is commonly used for babies, animals, small objects, or charming behaviour. The comparative is regular: niedlicher, not mehr niedlich.
Das Baby ist niedlich.
The baby is cute.
das Baby means the baby. Niedlich is predicative after ist, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Sie hat einen niedlichen Hund.
She has a cute dog.
einen Hund means a dog, and hat means has. Niedlichen stands before the noun and takes -en because the masculine phrase is accusative after haben; the finite verb hat is in position two.
Das Kätzchen ist niedlicher als der Hund.
The kitten is cuter than the dog.
das Kätzchen is the kitten, and als means than. Niedlicher compares the kitten with the dog and is used predicatively without an ending; als introduces the second item.
Dieses Foto ist am niedlichsten.
This photo is the cutest.
dieses Foto means this photo. Am niedlichsten is the predicate superlative, formed with am and -sten; it does not take an attributive adjective ending because it follows ist.
packen — to pack; to grab; to seize
Packen normally takes an accusative object: etwas packen means to pack something. It is a weak verb with packen – packte – hat gepackt and uses haben in the perfect.
Ich packe meinen Koffer.
I am packing my suitcase.
ich packe means I am packing, meinen means my, and Koffer means suitcase. Meinen Koffer is accusative because packen takes a direct object, and the finite verb packe stands in position two.
Ich habe meinen Koffer gepackt.
I have packed my suitcase.
ich habe means I have, meinen Koffer means my suitcase, and gepackt means packed. The perfect uses haben with gepackt at the end; meinen Koffer remains accusative as the direct object.
Sie packte ihre Sachen in eine Kiste.
She packed her things into a box.
sie packte means she packed, ihre Sachen means her things, and eine Kiste means a box. Ihre Sachen is accusative because it is the object, and the weak preterite adds -te to make packte.
Pack bitte deine Kleidung ein.
Please pack your clothes.
bitte means please, deine Kleidung means your clothes, and ein means in or away into the container. Pack is the du imperative without -en; deine Kleidung is accusative because it is what is packed.
Ich würde morgen meinen Rucksack packen.
I would pack my rucksack tomorrow.
ich würde means I would, morgen means tomorrow, and Rucksack means rucksack or backpack. The modal-style form würde packen expresses a hypothetical idea; meinen Rucksack is accusative, and the infinitive packen stands at the end.
Wir werden heute Abend unsere Koffer packen.
We will pack our suitcases this evening.
heute Abend means this evening, unsere Koffer means our suitcases, and werden means will. Future tense uses werden in position two and the infinitive packen at the end; the object is accusative.
Der Polizist packte den Mann am Arm.
The police officer grabbed the man by the arm.
der Polizist means the police officer, den Mann means the man, and am Arm means by the arm. Den Mann is accusative because he is the person grabbed, while am is short for dative an dem in the body-part expression.
Die Angst packt ihn plötzlich.
Fear suddenly grips him.
die Angst means fear, ihn means him, and plötzlich means suddenly. Ihn is accusative because packen has him as its direct object; the finite verb packt stands in position two.
prima — great; excellent
Prima is an informal, invariable adjective meaning “great” or “excellent”. It is commonly used after sein and before a noun, and it normally has no comparative or superlative forms; use besser and am besten from gut when comparing things.
Der Film ist prima.
The film is great.
Der Film means the film, and ist means is. Prima is predicative, so it comes after sein and has no adjective ending; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Das war eine prima Idee.
That was a great idea.
Das means that, war means was, and eine Idee is an idea. Prima stands before the feminine noun Idee after eine, but this informal adjective is normally unchanged, unlike standard adjectives such as gute.
Der Film ist prima, aber das Buch ist noch besser.
The film is great, but the book is even better.
Der Film means the film, aber means but, das Buch means the book, and noch besser means even better. Prima itself normally has no comparative form, so German uses the irregular comparative besser from gut; both finite verbs, ist, stand in position two in their clauses.
Von allen Filmen ist dieser prima, aber jener ist am besten.
Of all the films, this one is great, but that one is the best.
Von allen Filmen means of all the films, dieser means this one, and jener means that one. Prima itself normally has no superlative form, so German uses am besten, the superlative of gut; von takes the dative, and ist remains in position two.
der Respekt — respect, regard
der Respekt is normally an uncountable noun, so it has no plural in everyday use. The fixed expression Respekt vor jemandem haben uses vor with the dative.
Der Respekt vor anderen Menschen ist wichtig.
Respect for other people is important.
vor anderen Menschen means “for other people”, and wichtig means “important”. Der Respekt is nominative because it is the subject; the preposition vor takes the dative here, so anderen Menschen is dative.
Die Kinder zeigen Respekt vor ihrer Lehrerin.
The children show respect for their teacher.
die Kinder means “the children”, zeigen means “show”, and ihrer Lehrerin means “their teacher”. Respekt is the accusative object of zeigen, while vor takes the dative in vor ihrer Lehrerin.
Wir begegnen unserem Trainer mit Respekt.
We treat our coach with respect.
begegnen means “meet” or “treat”, unserem Trainer is “our coach”, and mit means “with”. begegnen takes the dative, and mit Respekt is a prepositional phrase with mit, which also takes the dative.
Die Bedeutung des Respekts wird oft unterschätzt.
The importance of respect is often underestimated.
die Bedeutung means “the importance”, and unterschätzt means “underestimated”. des Respekts is genitive after die Bedeutung and means “of respect”; wird unterschätzt expresses a passive meaning.
ruhig — quiet, calm; calm, composed
ruhig can describe a place with little noise or a person who is calm. When telling someone not to panic, the common phrase is ruhig bleiben; it does not mean that the person must be silent.
Das Zimmer ist ruhig.
The room is quiet.
das Zimmer means the room. ruhig is predicative after ist, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Wir suchen ein ruhiges Hotel.
We are looking for a quiet hotel.
suchen means to look for, and das Hotel means the hotel. ein ruhiges Hotel is accusative because it is the object of suchen; ruhiges has -es after the neuter indefinite article ein.
Heute ist es ruhiger als gestern.
Today it is quieter than yesterday.
heute means today, and gestern means yesterday. ruhiger is the comparative with -er; als introduces the thing used for comparison, and the adjective is predicative.
Dieser Park ist am ruhigsten.
This park is the quietest.
dieser Park means this park. am ruhigsten is the predicative superlative, formed with am and -sten; it is not an attributive form before a noun.
Bitte bleib ruhig.
Please stay calm.
bleiben means to stay, and bitte means please. ruhig is predicative after bleib and therefore has no ending; the sentence is a familiar du imperative.
Sie beantwortet die Frage ganz ruhig.
She answers the question very calmly.
beantworten means to answer, die Frage means the question, and ganz means very or completely. ruhig is used adverbially, so it has no adjective ending; die Frage is accusative as the object.
ruhig — calmly, quietly; easily, quite, approximately
As an adverb, ruhig describes an action or manner; it is not declined. Do not confuse it with the adjective in ein ruhiger Mann, where the ending changes.
Bitte sprich ruhig.
Please speak calmly.
sprich means speak, and bitte means please. Ruhig describes how the action happens; the verb sprich comes first because this is a polite imperative.
Die Kinder schlafen ruhig.
The children are sleeping peacefully.
die Kinder means the children, and schlafen means are sleeping. Ruhig modifies the verb and usually stands after the verb or at the end of the sentence.
Das kann ruhig zwei Stunden dauern.
That can easily take two hours.
dauern means take or last, and zwei Stunden means two hours. Here ruhig does not mean quietly; it softens the estimate and means easily or quite possibly.
Du kannst ruhig noch einen Kaffee trinken.
You can easily have another coffee.
noch means another or still, and einen Kaffee trinken means have a coffee. Einen Kaffee is accusative because trinken takes a direct object; ruhig means that there is no problem in doing it.