Appearance
Vocab: Feelings — A1 (2)
Feelings vocabulary at A1 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
sauer — sour; acidic; angry; annoyed
For taste, sauer means sour or acidic. It also has a separate everyday meaning, angry, usually in the expression sauer auf jemanden sein, angry with someone; this is not the same as the taste meaning.
Die Zitrone schmeckt sauer.
The lemon tastes sour.
die Zitrone means the lemon and schmecken means to taste. Sauer is predicative after schmeckt, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb schmeckt is in position two.
Ich esse gern saure Gurken.
I like eating pickled cucumbers.
essen means to eat, gern means gladly or like doing something, and Gurken are cucumbers. Saure Gurken is an accusative object after esse, and the plural adjective takes -e after the zero article.
Diese Limonade ist saurer als die andere.
This lemonade is more sour than the other one.
diese Limonade means this lemonade and die andere means the other one. Saurer compares two drinks and is followed by als; as a predicative adjective, it has no ending.
Der Essig schmeckt am sauersten.
The vinegar tastes the sourest.
der Essig means the vinegar and schmecken means to taste. Am sauersten is the predicative superlative after schmeckt and has no adjective ending.
Warum bist du sauer auf mich?
Why are you angry with me?
warum means why and mich means me. The expression sauer auf jemanden sein means to be angry with someone; auf takes the accusative here, so mich is accusative.
Sie ist mir noch sauer.
She is still angry with me.
noch means still and mir means to me. In jemandem sauer sein, the angry person is expressed with a dative pronoun such as mir; the finite verb ist is in position two.
schade — what a pity; unfortunately
As an interjection, schade is often said alone to show disappointment. Do not confuse this use with the adjective in Das ist schade; the interjection does not change form.
Schade! Der Laden ist schon geschlossen.
What a pity! The shop is already closed.
Der Laden means “the shop”, schon means “already”, and geschlossen means “closed”. Schade stands independently as an interjection; the next sentence has the finite verb ist in position two.
Schade, ich habe heute keine Zeit.
What a pity, I don’t have time today.
heute means “today”, and keine Zeit means “no time”. Schade is separate from the following main clause, where habe is in position two; the subject ich is nominative.
schlecht — badly, poorly; unpleasantly, harmfully
Schlecht is the adverbial form of schlecht, meaning in a bad way. It does not change for gender, case, or number, unlike an attributive adjective such as ein schlechter Film.
Ich habe heute Nacht schlecht geschlafen.
I slept badly last night.
heute Nacht means last night, and geschlafen means slept. Schlecht is an adverb modifying the verb geschlafen; the perfect uses haben, and the participle stands at the end.
Der alte Drucker funktioniert schlecht.
The old printer works badly.
der alte Drucker means the old printer, and funktioniert means works or functions. Schlecht describes how the printer functions, so it is an adverb and does not take an adjective ending; the finite verb is in position two.
Mir ist schlecht.
I feel sick.
Mir means to me, and ist means is; the sentence literally says that it is bad to me. Mir is dative because this expression describes a person's physical state, and schlecht is used predicatively without an ending.
Zu viel Stress tut schlecht.
Too much stress does harm.
zu viel Stress means too much stress, and tut means does. Here schlecht means harmfully or badly; the phrase schlecht tun is less common than nicht guttun, and the finite verb tut stands in position two.
der Schrei — cry, scream, shout; cry or expression of a feeling
A Schrei can be made by a person or an animal and can express fear, pain, or anger. The common collocation einen Schrei ausstoßen means to let out a scream.
Der Schrei war im ganzen Haus zu hören.
The scream could be heard throughout the house.
das ganze Haus means the whole house, and zu hören means able to be heard. Der Schrei is nominative because it is the subject; war ... zu hören expresses possibility, with the finite verb in position two.
Ich hörte den Schrei meines Nachbarn.
I heard my neighbour's scream.
hören means to hear, and der Nachbar means the neighbour. Den Schrei is accusative because hörte takes a direct object, while meines Nachbarn is genitive possession.
Bei dem Schrei bekam das Kind Angst.
When it heard the scream, the child became afraid.
bei means during or when, das Kind means the child, and Angst bekommen means to become afraid. Dem Schrei is dative because bei always takes dative; the verb bekam is in position two.
Die Lautstärke des Schreis war überraschend.
The loudness of the scream was surprising.
die Lautstärke means the loudness, and überraschend means surprising. Des Schreis is genitive because it says whose loudness is meant; the masculine noun adds -s.
Plötzlich hörten wir mehrere Schreie.
Suddenly we heard several screams.
plötzlich means suddenly, mehrere means several, and hören means to hear. Schreie is plural and accusative because it is the direct object of hörten; the plural ending is -e.
Der Vogel stieß einen lauten Schrei aus.
The bird let out a loud cry.
der Vogel means the bird, laut means loud, and ausstoßen means to let out. Einen lauten Schrei is accusative after stieß ... aus, and the separable prefix aus moves to the end.
Ihr Jubel war ein Schrei der Freude.
Her cheering was a cry of joy.
ihr Jubel means her cheering, and die Freude means joy. Ein Schrei follows war as a predicative noun, while der Freude is genitive after the noun to show the feeling expressed.
Seine Nachricht war ein Schrei nach Hilfe.
His message was a cry for help.
seine Nachricht means his message, and die Hilfe means help. Ein Schrei nach Hilfe is a fixed expression; nach takes the dative, although the feminine noun has the same form after the article.
schreien — to shout, to scream; to cry out
Schreien can describe a loud voice caused by anger, fear, pain, or excitement. For a quieter raised voice, German often uses rufen, meaning to call or shout to someone.
Das Kind schreit laut.
The child is screaming loudly.
das Kind is the child and laut means loudly. The finite verb schreit is in position two, and das Kind is nominative because it is the subject.
Der Mann hat vor Angst geschrien.
The man screamed with fear.
der Mann is the man and vor Angst means out of fear. The perfect uses hat plus geschrien because schreien takes haben; the participle goes to the end of the clause.
Sie schrie nach ihrer Mutter.
She screamed for her mother.
nach ihrer Mutter means for her mother or calling for her mother. Schrie is the strong-verb past form, and nach takes the dative, shown by ihrer Mutter.
Schrei nicht so laut!
Don’t shout so loudly!
nicht means not and so laut means so loudly. Schrei is the singular du imperative and comes first; the subject pronoun du is omitted.
Wenn er Angst hätte, schreie er sofort.
If he were afraid, he would scream immediately.
Angst haben means be afraid and sofort means immediately. Schreie is the Konjunktiv II form in this sentence; the finite verb comes at the end of the wenn-clause, while er is the subject of the main clause.
Das Baby wird die ganze Nacht schreien.
The baby will scream all night.
das Baby is the baby and die ganze Nacht means all night. Future tense uses wird plus the infinitive schreien, which goes to the end; die ganze Nacht is an accusative time expression.
Das Kind schreit vor Schmerzen.
The child is crying out in pain.
vor Schmerzen means in pain, and Schmerzen are pains. The phrase vor Schmerzen explains the cause of the screaming; schreit is in position two because this is a main clause.
Die Fans haben vor Freude geschrien.
The fans screamed with joy.
die Fans are the fans and vor Freude means with joy. The perfect uses haben with geschrien, and the participle stands at the end of the main clause.
super — great, very well
As an adverb, super modifies a verb or the whole sentence and means very well or excellently. It is informal and does not take an adjective ending.
Das klappt super.
That works really well.
klappen means to work out or function successfully. Super modifies the verb phrase and means very well; the finite verb klappt is in position two.
Du hast das super gemacht!
You did that brilliantly!
gemacht means done or made, and das means that. Super describes how the action was done; in the perfect tense, hast is in position two and gemacht goes to the end.
toll — great, wonderful, excellent
Toll is a common informal-to-neutral word meaning great or wonderful. It can describe a person, thing, event, or result, and its regular comparison is toller, am tollsten.
Der Film ist toll.
The film is great.
der Film means the film. Toll is predicative after ist, so it describes the subject and has no adjective ending; this everyday use means great or very enjoyable.
Wir hatten einen tollen Abend.
We had a great evening.
hatten means had and der Abend means the evening. Einen tollen Abend is accusative because haben takes an accusative object; the adjective has -en after the masculine accusative article einen.
Der neue Film ist toller als der alte.
The new film is better than the old one.
neu means new and alt means old. Toller compares two films and is followed by als; because it is predicative after ist, it has no adjective ending.
Das war der tollste Urlaub meines Lebens.
That was the best holiday of my life.
der Urlaub means the holiday and mein Leben means my life. Der tollste Urlaub is the superlative before a masculine noun, while meines Lebens is genitive because it means of my life; without a noun, use am tollsten.
traurig — sad, unhappy; sad, causing sadness
Traurig describes a person's feeling or a sad expression. For the cause, German often uses traurig über plus the accusative: traurig über den Verlust, sad about the loss.
Ich bin heute traurig.
I am sad today.
heute means today. Traurig follows bin and is predicative, so it has no adjective ending; bin is the finite verb in position two.
Das Kind hat ein trauriges Gesicht.
The child has a sad face.
Das Kind means the child, hat means has, and Gesicht means face. Trauriges describes the neuter accusative noun Gesicht after ein, while hat stands in position two.
Heute ist er trauriger als gestern.
Today he is sadder than yesterday.
Heute means today, er means he, and gestern means yesterday. Trauriger is the comparative after ist, and als introduces the comparison; the first-position time word causes ist to come before er.
Am traurigsten war der Abschied.
The farewell was the saddest.
der Abschied means the farewell. Am traurigsten is the predicative superlative with am; because it occupies the first position, the finite verb war comes before the subject.
Ich habe eine traurige Nachricht für dich.
I have some sad news for you.
eine Nachricht means a message or piece of news, and für dich means for you. Traurige Nachricht is accusative because haben takes an accusative object; traurige has the feminine ending after eine.
Der Film endet mit einer traurigen Szene.
The film ends with a sad scene.
Der Film means the film, endet means ends, and Szene means scene. Mit always takes the dative, so einer traurigen Szene is dative; endet is in position two.
treu — loyal, faithful
treu usually describes loyalty to a person, group or principle. Its opposite is untreu, and the comparative forms are treuer and am treuesten.
Mein Hund ist sehr treu.
My dog is very loyal.
mein Hund means my dog, and sehr means very. The adjective treu stands after ist as a predicate and therefore has no ending; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Sie hat einen treuen Freund.
She has a loyal friend.
sie means she, hat means has, and einen Freund means a male friend. einen treuen Freund is accusative because haben takes an accusative object, and the adjective gets -en after einen.
Er ist seinem Bruder treuer als seinem Chef.
He is more loyal to his brother than to his boss.
seinem Bruder means to his brother, and seinem Chef means to his boss. treuer is the comparative; after sein, the comparison is predicative, while seinem marks the people being compared in the dative.
Von allen Freunden ist Lara am treuesten.
Of all the friends, Lara is the most loyal.
von allen Freunden means of all the friends. am treuesten is the predicative superlative, and the phrase with von is dative; the finite verb ist remains in position two.
Ein treuer Hund wartet oft jahrelang.
A loyal dog often waits for years.
ein Hund is a dog, wartet means waits, oft means often, and jahrelang means for years. treuer stands before the masculine nominative noun after ein, so it takes the ending -er.
ungeduldig — impatient
The adjective is often used with sein or with auf plus accusative: auf eine Antwort warten means to wait for an answer. The opposite is geduldig, patient.
Ich bin ungeduldig.
I am impatient.
ich bin means I am. ungeduldig stands after the linking verb bin, so it describes the subject and has no adjective ending.
Der ungeduldige Kunde wartet an der Kasse.
The impatient customer is waiting at the checkout.
der Kunde is the customer, wartet means is waiting, and die Kasse is the checkout. ungeduldige is before the masculine nominative noun Kunde and takes -e after der; an der Kasse is dative because it describes a fixed location.
Paul ist ungeduldiger als seine Schwester.
Paul is more impatient than his sister.
seine Schwester means his sister. ungeduldiger is the comparative with -er and is predicative after ist; als introduces the person used for comparison.
Von allen Kindern ist Mia am ungeduldigsten.
Of all the children, Mia is the most impatient.
von allen Kindern means of all the children, and von takes the dative plural Kindern. am ungeduldigsten is the predicative superlative; the finite verb ist remains in position two.
vermissen — to miss; to feel the absence of
Vermissen takes an accusative object: you miss jemanden or etwas, not a dative person. It is different from verpassen, which means to miss an appointment, train or opportunity.
Ich vermisse meine Familie.
I miss my family.
meine Familie means my family. Meine Familie is accusative because vermissen takes the person or thing that is missed as a direct object; the finite verb vermisse is in position two.
Wir haben dich sehr vermisst.
We missed you very much.
dich means you in the accusative, and sehr means very much. Dich is accusative because vermissen takes a direct object; the perfect uses haben, and vermisst goes at the end.
Er vermisste seine Kinder.
He missed his children.
seine Kinder means his children. Seine Kinder is accusative because they are the people he missed, and the weak-verb form vermisste stands in position two.
Vermiss mich nicht zu sehr!
Don't miss me too much!
mich means me in the accusative, nicht means not, and zu sehr means too much. Vermiss is the singular imperative with the subject du omitted; mich is accusative because it is the object of vermissen.
Ich würde meine Freunde im Ausland sehr vermissen.
I would miss my friends abroad very much.
meine Freunde means my friends, im Ausland means abroad, and sehr means very much. Würde plus vermissen expresses a hypothetical situation; the friends are accusative, and the infinitive goes to the end.
Sie wird ihre Heimat bald vermissen.
She will soon miss her home country.
ihre Heimat means her home country, and bald means soon. Wird forms the future, while vermissen goes to the end; ihre Heimat is accusative because it is the thing she will miss.
die Verzeihung — forgiveness, apology; excuse me; excuse me, pardon me
As a noun, Verzeihung means forgiveness or an apology. The very common standalone expression Verzeihung! is a polite way to say excuse me or sorry, while um Verzeihung bitten means ask for forgiveness.
Die Verzeihung kam von Herzen.
The apology was heartfelt.
von Herzen means heartfelt or sincerely. Die Verzeihung is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb kam stands in position two.
Ich bitte um Verzeihung.
I ask for forgiveness.
bitten means to ask, and um means for in this phrase. Um Verzeihung is accusative because the preposition um always takes the accusative; the finite verb bitte is in position two.
Er bat mir die Verzeihung nicht an.
He did not offer me an apology.
bat ... an means offered, and nicht means not. Mir is dative for the person receiving the offer, while die Verzeihung is accusative; the separable verb anbieten splits in the main clause.
Die Bitte um Verzeihung war ehrlich.
The request for forgiveness was sincere.
die Bitte means request and ehrlich means sincere or honest. Um Verzeihung is an accusative phrase after um; the whole phrase is nominative as the subject, while the genitive relationship is expressed by Bitte being linked to Verzeihung through the preposition.
Mehrere Verzeihungen wurden ausgesprochen.
Several apologies were expressed.
mehrere means several, and ausgesprochen means expressed or spoken. Verzeihungen is nominative plural as the subject; wurden ... ausgesprochen is the passive, with the Partizip II at the end.
Verzeihung, können Sie mir helfen?
Excuse me, can you help me?
können Sie mir helfen means can you help me. Verzeihung is a standalone polite expression, not part of the sentence's case structure; the question uses the modal können, so helfen remains an infinitive at the end.
Verzeihung, ich muss hier aussteigen.
Excuse me, I need to get off here.
aussteigen means to get off, and hier means here. Verzeihung politely gets someone's attention; after the modal muss, the infinitive aussteigen goes to the end, and its prefix is separated only when the verb is finite.
voll — full; complete, intense; busy
Voll describes something with no space left, such as a container or vehicle. It can be used before a noun with an adjective ending, as in ein volles Glas, or after sein without an ending.
Das Glas ist voll.
The glass is full.
das Glas means the glass. Voll is predicative after ist, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich trinke ein volles Glas Wasser.
I am drinking a full glass of water.
ich trinke means I am drinking, and Wasser means water. Volles is attributive and takes -es because it describes neuter ein Glas in the accusative; ein Glas Wasser is the direct object of trinken.
Diese Flasche ist voller als die andere.
This bottle is fuller than the other one.
diese Flasche means this bottle and die andere means the other one. Voller compares two things and is followed by als; after ist, the comparative adjective is predicative and has no ending.
Am Samstag ist der Bus am vollsten.
The bus is fullest on Saturday.
am Samstag means on Saturday and der Bus means the bus. Am vollsten is the predicative superlative, used after ist; it is not the same as the attributive form der vollste Bus.
Ich habe heute einen vollen Tag.
I have a busy day today.
ich habe means I have, heute means today, and einen Tag means a day. Vollen has the accusative masculine ending -en after einen; here voll means busy or packed, not physically filled.
Das Konzert war ein voller Erfolg.
The concert was a complete success.
das Konzert means the concert, war means was, and ein Erfolg means a success. Voller has the nominative masculine ending -er after ein and describes Erfolg; the verb war is the past form of sein.
wach — awake, alert; alert, attentive
Wach normally means not asleep. It can also describe someone who is attentive or alert, especially in situations where quick attention is needed.
Ich bin noch wach.
I am still awake.
noch means still. Wach is predicative after bin, so it has no adjective ending; the finite form bin is in position two.
Das wache Kind liest ein Buch.
The awake child is reading a book.
das Kind means child, and liest means is reading; ein Buch means a book. Wache describes the nominative subject Kind and takes -e after das; the finite verb liest is in position two.
Nach dem Kaffee bin ich wacher als vorher.
After the coffee, I am more awake than before.
nach dem Kaffee means after the coffee, and vorher means before or earlier. Wacher is predicative and therefore has no adjective ending; nach takes the dative, shown by dem Kaffee, and als introduces the comparison.
Um Mitternacht war ich am wachsten.
At midnight I was the most awake.
um Mitternacht means at midnight. Am wachsten is the predicative superlative after war; um marks the time and takes the accusative form Mitternacht.
Sie hat einen wachen Blick für Probleme.
She has an alert eye for problems.
der Blick means eye or gaze, and Probleme means problems. Wachen describes the accusative object einen Blick and takes -en after einen; the finite verb hat stands in position two.
Die Schüler bleiben trotz der Müdigkeit wach.
The pupils remain alert despite their tiredness.
die Schüler means pupils or students, bleiben means remain, and die Müdigkeit means tiredness. Wach is predicative after bleiben and has no ending; trotz traditionally takes the genitive, shown by der Müdigkeit.
warm — warm; warm-hearted, friendly
For temperature, warm is the opposite of kalt. It can describe air, food, drinks, clothing and places.
Das Wasser ist warm.
The water is warm.
das Wasser means water. The adjective warm follows the linking verb ist and therefore has no ending; it describes the subject in the nominative case.
Ich trage einen warmen Pullover.
I am wearing a warm sweater.
tragen means to wear and der Pullover is a sweater. einen warmen Pullover is accusative because tragen takes a direct object, and the adjective gets -en after einen.
Heute ist es wärmer als gestern.
Today it is warmer than yesterday.
heute means today and gestern means yesterday. wärmer compares today with yesterday and is followed by als; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Im Juli ist es am wärmsten.
It is warmest in July.
im Juli means in July. am wärmsten is the predicative superlative, and in takes the dative here because it describes a time when something happens, not movement into a place.
Sie hat mich warm begrüßt.
She gave me a warm welcome.
begrüßen means to welcome and mich means me. warm is used adverbially to describe the manner of welcoming, while hat begrüßt is the perfect tense with haben.
Er ist ein warmer und freundlicher Mensch.
He is a warm and friendly person.
freundlich means friendly and der Mensch means person. ein warmer und freundlicher Mensch is nominative after ist, and both adjectives take endings before the noun.
wecken — to wake someone up
wecken takes an accusative person or thing: jemanden wecken means “to wake someone up”. It is different from the intransitive aufwachen, “to wake up”, which has no direct object.
Ich wecke meinen Sohn jeden Morgen um sieben Uhr.
I wake my son up at seven every morning.
meinen Sohn means “my son”, jeden Morgen means “every morning”, and um sieben Uhr means “at seven o’clock”. meinen Sohn is accusative because wecken takes the person who is woken as a direct object, and the finite verb wecke stands in position two.
Der Lärm hat mich in der Nacht geweckt.
The noise woke me up during the night.
der Lärm is noise, mich means “me”, and in der Nacht means “during the night”. mich is accusative because it is the direct object of wecken; hat is the finite auxiliary in position two, while geweckt goes to the end.
Der Hund weckte das ganze Haus.
The dog woke the whole house.
der Hund is the dog and das ganze Haus means “the whole house”. das ganze Haus is accusative because it is the object of weckte, and the weak past form weckte stands in position two.
Weck mich bitte um sechs Uhr!
Please wake me up at six!
mich means “me”, bitte means “please”, and um sechs Uhr means “at six o’clock”. The imperative weck addresses du, which is left out; mich is accusative because it is the person being woken.
Wenn ich früher schlafen würde, würde ich dich nicht so früh wecken.
If I went to sleep earlier, I would not wake you so early.
früher means “earlier”, schlafen means “sleep”, and so früh means “so early”. The conditional form uses würde plus the infinitive wecken; the infinitive stands at the end of the subordinate clause, and dich is accusative.
Morgen werde ich dich um acht Uhr wecken.
Tomorrow I will wake you up at eight.
morgen means “tomorrow” and um acht Uhr means “at eight o’clock”. In the future, werde is the finite verb in position two and wecken goes to the end; dich is accusative as the direct object.
weinen — to cry, to weep
Weinen normally describes producing tears and does not take an accusative object. The perfect is formed with haben: hat geweint; weinen can also be used with vor plus dative to give the reason, as in vor Freude.
Das Baby weint laut.
The baby is crying loudly.
das Baby means the baby, and laut means loudly. Weint is the finite verb in position two; weinen does not take a direct object here.
Das Kind hat lange geweint.
The child cried for a long time.
das Kind means the child, and lange means for a long time. The perfect uses hat plus geweint; the auxiliary is in position two and the Partizip II goes to the end.
Sie weinte den ganzen Abend.
She cried all evening.
den ganzen Abend means all evening. Weinte is the regular Präteritum form of weinen, and the finite verb remains in position two.
Wein nicht!
Don’t cry!
nicht means not. Wein is the informal singular imperative of weinen; the subject du is normally omitted, and nicht comes after the verb.
Wenn ich traurig wäre, würde ich weinen.
If I were sad, I would cry.
wenn means if, and traurig means sad. Würde ich weinen expresses an unreal or imagined result; after wenn, the finite verb wäre goes to the end, while weinen follows würde.
Nach dem Film wird sie weinen.
She will cry after the film.
nach dem Film means after the film. Future I uses wird in position two and the infinitive weinen at the end; nach takes the dative, shown by dem Film.
wollen — to want, to wish; to intend; to claim, to say that something is the case
As a modal verb, wollen is usually followed by an infinitive without zu, as in ich will gehen. With a noun or pronoun, it takes an accusative object, as in ich will das.
Ich will heute Pizza essen.
I want to eat pizza today.
heute means today and Pizza essen means eat pizza. Will is a modal verb in position two, while the infinitive essen goes to the end; Pizza is the accusative object of essen.
Ich habe das nicht gewollt.
I did not want that.
das means that and nicht means not. Here gewollt stands alone, so the perfect uses haben and the Partizip II goes to the end; when another infinitive follows, German usually uses habe ... wollen instead.
Er wollte gestern früh schlafen.
He wanted to go to sleep early yesterday.
gestern means yesterday and früh schlafen means sleep early. Wollte is the preterite modal form in position two, and the infinitive schlafen goes to the end.
Woll du mitkommen?
Do you want to come along?
du means you and mitkommen means come along. Woll is an informal imperative with the subject du normally omitted; in this natural question, du follows the verb.
Wenn ich mehr Zeit hätte, wollte ich länger bleiben.
If I had more time, I would want to stay longer.
wenn means if, mehr Zeit means more time, and länger bleiben means stay longer. Wollte has the same form as the preterite here but expresses an unreal or hypothetical idea; the finite verb stands at the end of the wenn clause and in position two in the main clause.
Sie wird morgen früher nach Hause wollen.
She will want to go home earlier tomorrow.
morgen means tomorrow, früher means earlier, and nach Hause means homewards. Wird carries the future in position two, while the infinitive wollen goes to the end; the verb is not replaced by English-style will.
Er will von dem Unfall nichts wissen.
He claims to know nothing about the accident.
von dem Unfall means about the accident and nichts wissen means know nothing. Will introduces the person’s claim, while the infinitive wissen goes to the end; von takes the dative here, shown by dem.
Sie wollte den Brief schon gestern geschickt haben.
She claimed that she had already sent the letter yesterday.
den Brief means the letter, schon means already, and geschickt haben means to have sent. Wollte expresses her claim, and the perfect infinitive geschickt haben stands at the end; den Brief is accusative because schicken takes a direct object.
wunderbar — wonderful, fantastic
wunderbar is a strong positive adjective meaning wonderful or fantastic. It can be predicative without an ending, as in Das ist wunderbar, or attributive with an ending, as in ein wunderbarer Tag.
Der Urlaub war wunderbar.
The holiday was wonderful.
der Urlaub means the holiday, and war means was. Wunderbar is predicative after sein, so it has no adjective ending; the verb war is in position two.
Wir hatten einen wunderbaren Abend.
We had a wonderful evening.
wir hatten means we had, and einen Abend means an evening. Wunderbaren comes before the noun and takes -en because einen Abend is a masculine accusative object after haben.
Heute ist das Wetter wunderbarer als gestern.
Today the weather is more wonderful than yesterday.
heute means today, das Wetter means the weather, and gestern means yesterday. Wunderbarer is the comparative with -er, and als introduces the thing used for comparison; after ist, the adjective is predicative and has no ending.
Das war der wunderbarste Moment des Tages.
That was the most wonderful moment of the day.
der Moment means the moment, and des Tages means of the day. Wunderbarste is the superlative before a noun and takes an adjective ending; des Tages is genitive to show which day, while der wunderbarste Moment is nominative after war.
wunderschön — wonderfully beautiful, gorgeous
Wunderschön is stronger than ordinary schön and is common for places, things, and experiences. Before a noun it needs a normal adjective ending, for example ein wunderschönes Kleid.
Der Garten ist wunderschön.
The garden is beautiful.
der Garten means the garden. Wunderschön is predicative after ist, so it has no adjective ending; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Sie hat ein wunderschönes Kleid gekauft.
She bought a beautiful dress.
ein Kleid means a dress, and gekauft means bought. wunderschönes describes the accusative object ein Kleid and takes -es after ein; gekauft goes to the end in the perfect.
Der See ist heute wunderschöner als gestern.
The lake is more beautiful today than yesterday.
der See means the lake, heute means today, and gestern means yesterday. The comparative wunderschöner is predicative and is followed by als; it has no ending here.
Im Frühling ist der Park am wunderschönsten.
The park is most beautiful in spring.
im Frühling means in spring, and der Park means the park. Am wunderschönsten is the predicative superlative; im is short for in dem and takes the dative for this time expression.
der Wunsch — wish, desire
For a polite request, Wunsch often appears in Ich wünsche mir ..., meaning I would like ... . A person can also einen Wunsch äußern, meaning to express a wish.
Mein Wunsch ist eine Reise nach Japan.
My wish is a trip to Japan.
mein means my, eine Reise means a trip, and nach Japan means to Japan. Mein Wunsch is the nominative subject, and the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich habe einen Wunsch.
I have a wish.
ich habe means I have. Einen Wunsch is accusative because haben takes a direct object; the finite verb habe is in position two.
Ich helfe meinem Bruder bei seinem Wunsch.
I help my brother with his wish.
helfen means to help, mein Bruder means my brother, and bei means with or in the matter of. Meinem Bruder is dative because helfen governs the dative, and seinem Wunsch is also dative after bei.
Die Erfüllung des Wunsches dauerte lange.
Fulfilling the wish took a long time.
die Erfüllung means the fulfilment, and dauerte lange means took a long time. Des Wunsches is genitive because it identifies whose fulfilment is meant; the genitive ending -es is required here.
Kinder haben viele Wünsche.
Children have many wishes.
Kinder means children, and viele means many. Viele Wünsche is the accusative object of haben; the plural changes u to ü and adds -e.
die Wurst — sausage; matter of indifference
The plural is Würste, with an umlaut and -e. In the expression Das ist mir Wurst, the word means “I do not care”; this is not a literal statement about food.
Die Wurst liegt auf dem Teller.
The sausage is on the plate.
der Teller means plate. Die Wurst is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb liegt is in position two.
Ich esse eine Wurst.
I am eating a sausage.
essen means to eat. eine Wurst is accusative because it is the direct object of esse, and the finite verb stands in position two.
Ich gebe dem Kind eine Wurst.
I give the child a sausage.
geben means to give and das Kind means child. dem Kind is dative for the recipient, while eine Wurst is accusative as the thing given.
Der Geruch der Wurst ist stark.
The smell of the sausage is strong.
der Geruch means smell and stark means strong. der Wurst is genitive because it identifies whose smell it is.
Auf dem Grill liegen drei Würste.
Three sausages are lying on the barbecue.
der Grill means barbecue, and drei means three. Würste is the plural of Wurst; auf dem Grill is dative because it describes a fixed location.
Ob wir heute oder morgen fahren, ist mir Wurst.
Whether we go today or tomorrow, I do not care.
ob means whether, heute means today, morgen means tomorrow, and fahren means go or travel. mir is dative because the expression Das ist mir Wurst means that something is unimportant to me.
Welchen Film wir sehen, ist ihm Wurst.
He does not care which film we watch.
welchen Film means which film, sehen means watch, and ihm means to him. The subordinate clause comes first, so the finite verb ist follows it in position two; ihm is dative in this fixed expression.
wütend — angry, furious
wütend sein means to be angry, and auf jemanden wütend sein means to be angry with someone. It is normally used with sein, not as an attributive adjective without an ending.
Ich bin wütend.
I am angry.
wütend means angry. The adjective comes after the verb bin, because adjectives used predicatively have no ending.
Der wütende Mann verlässt das Büro.
The angry man is leaving the office.
der Mann is the man, and verlässt means leaves; das Büro is the office. wütende comes before Mann and takes an adjective ending after der; the finite verb verlässt is in position two.
Heute ist sie wütender als gestern.
Today she is angrier than yesterday.
heute means today and gestern means yesterday. The comparative wütender is followed by als when two situations are compared, and the adjective is predicative after ist.
Er ist am wütendsten, wenn man ihn unterbricht.
He is angriest when someone interrupts him.
wenn means when, and unterbricht means interrupts. am wütendsten is the predicative superlative; in the wenn-clause, the finite verb unterbricht goes to the end.
die Überraschung — surprise
Überraschung can be a pleasant event or thing, but it can also simply mean something unexpected. The related adjective überrascht means surprised, while überraschend means surprising.
Die Überraschung ist sehr schön.
The surprise is very nice.
sehr schön means very nice or lovely. Die Überraschung is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb ist is in position two.
Ich plane die Überraschung für meinen Bruder.
I am planning the surprise for my brother.
planen means to plan, and mein Bruder means my brother. Die Überraschung is accusative because it is the direct object of planen; für meinen Bruder is also accusative because für requires that case.
Wir geben der Überraschung einen Namen.
We give the surprise a name.
geben means to give, and einen Namen means a name. Der Überraschung is dative because it is the recipient with geben; einen Namen is the accusative thing given.
Das Ende der Überraschung war lustig.
The end of the surprise was funny.
das Ende means the end, and lustig means funny. Der Überraschung is genitive because it means of the surprise; the finite verb war agrees with das Ende.
Die Kinder lieben Überraschungen.
The children love surprises.
die Kinder means the children, and lieben means to love. Überraschungen is plural accusative because it is the direct object of lieben; the plural has no visible article here.
Wir haben eine kleine Überraschung für dich.
We have a little surprise for you.
kleine means little, and für dich means for you. Eine kleine Überraschung is accusative because haben takes a direct object; the perfect auxiliary haben appears in position two and the participle gehabt is understood from the verb construction.
ängstlich — anxious, frightened
ängstlich describes a person or animal that feels fear or lacks confidence. For a temporary feeling, German commonly uses ängstlich sein; it is not the same as Angst haben, which literally means to have fear.
Der Hund ist ängstlich.
The dog is frightened.
der Hund means the dog. ängstlich describes the dog's state and comes after ist because it is used predicatively; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Das ängstliche Kind hält die Hand seiner Mutter.
The frightened child holds its mother's hand.
das Kind is the child, hält means holds, and die Hand seiner Mutter means its mother's hand. ängstliche stands before Kind and takes an adjective ending because the definite article das already shows the case; seiner Mutter is a genitive possessive phrase.
Vor der Prüfung ist Lea noch ängstlicher.
Before the exam, Lea is even more anxious.
die Prüfung is the exam, noch means even or still, and Lea is a person's name. vor der Prüfung is a dative phrase because vor describes a situation in time here; ängstlicher follows ist as a predicative comparative.
Von allen Kindern ist Tim am ängstlichsten.
Of all the children, Tim is the most frightened.
von allen Kindern means of all the children. von always takes the dative, and am ängstlichsten is the predicative superlative after ist; it does not take a noun ending here.
überraschen — to surprise; to astonish, to catch off guard
The person who is surprised is the accusative object: jemanden überraschen. Do not confuse active jemanden überraschen with the adjective überrascht, as in Ich bin überrascht.
Die Nachricht überrascht mich.
The news surprises me.
die Nachricht means the news and mich means me. mich is accusative because überraschen takes the surprised person as its direct object; the finite verb überrascht is in position two.
Meine Freunde haben mich zum Geburtstag überrascht.
My friends surprised me for my birthday.
meine Freunde means my friends, zum Geburtstag means for my birthday, and Geburtstag means birthday. The perfect uses haben plus überrascht at the end; mich is accusative as the person surprised.
Der Besuch überraschte uns.
The visit surprised us.
der Besuch means the visit and uns means us. The regular past form überraschte stands in position two, and uns is accusative because we are the people affected.
Überrasche deine Schwester mit Blumen.
Surprise your sister with flowers.
deine Schwester means your sister and mit Blumen means with flowers. The imperative omits du; deine Schwester is accusative, while mit Blumen is dative because mit always governs the dative.
Ich würde ihn gern mit einer Reise überraschen.
I would like to surprise him with a trip.
ihn means him, gern means gladly or would like to, and eine Reise means a trip. würde ... überraschen expresses a wish or hypothetical plan; ihn is accusative, while mit einer Reise is dative after mit.
Wir werden sie morgen überraschen.
We will surprise her tomorrow.
sie means her and morgen means tomorrow. In the future, werden is in position two and überraschen goes to the end; sie is accusative as the person being surprised.
Seine Reaktion überraschte alle.
His reaction surprised everyone.
seine Reaktion means his reaction and alle means everyone. alle is accusative as the people affected, and the finite verb überraschte is in position two.
Ich war von ihrer Antwort überrascht.
I was surprised by her answer.
von ihrer Antwort means by her answer, and Antwort means answer. überrascht is an adjective-like participle after war; von governs the dative, so ihrer Antwort is dative.