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Vocab: Grammar & language — A1
Grammar & language vocabulary at A1 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
das Adjektiv — adjective
Adjektiv is a neuter grammar term: das Adjektiv. It can stand before a noun with an ending, as in ein schönes Haus, or after a verb without an ending, as in Das Haus ist schön.
Das Adjektiv steht vor dem Nomen.
The adjective comes before the noun.
steht vor means comes before, and das Nomen means noun. Das Adjektiv is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb steht is in position two.
Ich schreibe das Adjektiv in mein Heft.
I write the adjective in my notebook.
schreibe means write, and mein Heft means my notebook. Das Adjektiv is accusative because schreiben takes a direct object, while the finite verb schreibe stands in position two.
Mit dem Adjektiv kann man eine Person genauer beschreiben.
With the adjective, you can describe a person more precisely.
mit means with, eine Person is a person, and genauer beschreiben means describe more precisely. Dem Adjektiv is dative because mit always takes the dative; the modal-like expression kann man puts beschreiben at the end.
Die Bedeutung des Adjektivs ist leicht zu verstehen.
The meaning of the adjective is easy to understand.
die Bedeutung means the meaning, and leicht zu verstehen means easy to understand. Des Adjektivs is genitive because it identifies whose meaning it is; the finite verb ist is in position two.
In diesem Satz stehen zwei Adjektive.
There are two adjectives in this sentence.
diesem Satz means this sentence, and zwei means two. Adjektive is plural because there are two, and in takes the dative here because the sentence describes a location rather than movement.
der Deutschkurs — German course
This is a compound noun: Deutsch means German and Kurs means course. The final part determines the gender, so it is masculine like der Kurs.
Der Deutschkurs beginnt heute.
The German course starts today.
beginnt means starts and heute means today. Der Deutschkurs is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb beginnt stands in position two.
Ich besuche den Deutschkurs am Abend.
I attend the German course in the evening.
besuche means attend or visit, and am Abend means in the evening. Den Deutschkurs is accusative because besuchen takes a direct object; besuche stands in position two.
Ich gehe nach dem Deutschkurs nach Hause.
I go home after the German course.
gehe means go and nach Hause means home. Dem Deutschkurs is dative because nach meaning after forces the dative here; the finite verb gehe stands in position two.
Die Dauer des Deutschkurses beträgt zwölf Wochen.
The duration of the German course is twelve weeks.
die Dauer means duration, beträgt means amounts to, and zwölf Wochen means twelve weeks. Des Deutschkurses is genitive because it identifies which course has the duration; beträgt stands in position two.
Ab September beginnen neue Deutschkurse.
New German courses start in September.
ab September means from September, neue means new, and beginnen means start. Deutschkurse is plural and nominative because it is the subject; beginnen stands in position two.
die Grammatik — grammar
Grammatik can mean the rules of a language or a book describing those rules. Its plural is Grammatiken; in everyday speech, the singular is much more common.
Die Grammatik ist nicht einfach.
The grammar is not easy.
nicht means not and einfach means easy or simple. Die Grammatik is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich lerne die Grammatik jeden Abend.
I study grammar every evening.
lernen means learn or study, and jeden Abend means every evening. Die Grammatik is accusative because lernen takes an accusative object; jeden Abend is an accusative time expression.
Mit der Grammatik habe ich noch Probleme.
I still have problems with the grammar.
mit means with, noch means still, and das Problem is a problem. Mit der Grammatik is dative because mit always takes the dative; habe is in position two and Probleme is the accusative object.
Die Regeln der Grammatik helfen den Schülern.
The rules of grammar help the students.
die Regeln are the rules, helfen means help, and der Schüler is the student. Der Grammatik is genitive because it specifies which rules, while den Schülern is dative because helfen takes a dative person.
Moderne Grammatiken erklären viele Sprachen.
Modern grammars explain many languages.
modern means modern, erklären means explain, and viele Sprachen means many languages. Grammatiken is plural and nominative because it is the subject; viele Sprachen is accusative because it is the object.
das Komma — comma
Das Komma steht zwischen den beiden Teilen des Satzes.
The comma is between the two parts of the sentence.
steht means is located, zwischen means between, and die beiden Teile des Satzes means the two parts of the sentence. Das Komma is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb steht is in position two.
Setz das Komma vor das letzte Wort.
Put the comma before the last word.
setz means put, vor means before, and das letzte Wort means the last word. Das Komma is accusative because setzen takes the thing being placed as its object; the imperative comes first.
Nach dem Komma folgt dem Komma ein Leerzeichen.
A space follows the comma.
nach means after, folgt means follows, and ein Leerzeichen is a space. Dem Komma is dative because folgen takes a dative complement, although this sentence sounds formal.
Die Funktion des Kommas ist wichtig.
The function of the comma is important.
die Funktion means the function, and wichtig means important. Des Kommas is genitive because it says whose function it is; the genitive ending -s is part of the noun form.
In diesem Text fehlen drei Kommas.
There are three commas missing in this text.
in diesem Text means in this text, fehlen means are missing, and drei means three. Kommas is plural, and in takes the dative here because the sentence describes a fixed location rather than movement.
das Nomen — noun
In grammar, das Nomen means noun. Its plural is die Nomen without an ending, but its genitive singular is des Nomens with -s.
Das Nomen steht nach dem Artikel.
The noun comes after the article.
steht means comes or stands, and Artikel means article. Das Nomen is nominative because it is the subject; nach takes the dative for a fixed position, so dem Artikel is dative.
Ich kenne das Nomen nicht.
I do not know the noun.
kenne means know, and nicht means not. das Nomen is accusative because kennen takes an accusative object; the finite verb kenne is in position two.
Ich erkläre dem Schüler das Nomen.
I explain the noun to the student.
erkläre means explain, and Schüler means pupil or student. dem Schüler is dative because it is the recipient, while das Nomen is accusative as the thing explained.
Die Bedeutung des Nomens ist klar.
The meaning of the noun is clear.
Bedeutung means meaning, and klar means clear. des Nomens is genitive because it identifies whose meaning it is; the genitive ending -s is added to Nomen.
Nomen haben im Deutschen oft einen Artikel.
Nouns often have an article in German.
haben means have, im Deutschen means in German, and oft means often. Nomen is the unchanged plural of das Nomen; as the plural subject it takes the plural verb haben, while einen Artikel is accusative.
die Sprachschule — language school
A Sprachschule offers lessons in languages, often in groups and at different levels. Learners usually besuchen a Sprachschule or melden sich an there.
Die Sprachschule beginnt um neun Uhr.
The language school starts at nine o'clock.
beginnt means starts, and um neun Uhr means at nine o'clock. Die Sprachschule is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb beginnt stands in position two.
Ich besuche die Sprachschule jeden Abend.
I attend the language school every evening.
besuche means attend or visit, and jeden Abend means every evening. Die Sprachschule is accusative because besuchen takes a direct object; the feminine article looks the same in nominative and accusative.
Wir gehen zu der Sprachschule mit dem Bus.
We go to the language school by bus.
gehen means go, mit dem Bus means by bus, and der Bus is the bus. Der Sprachschule is dative because zu always takes the dative; zur is short for zu der.
Die Adresse der Sprachschule steht hier.
The address of the language school is written here.
die Adresse means the address, and hier means here. Der Sprachschule is genitive because it shows whose address it is; the whole phrase is the subject.
In der Stadt gibt es drei Sprachschulen.
There are three language schools in the city.
die Stadt means the city, and drei means three. Sprachschulen is plural after drei; in es gibt, the thing that exists is grammatically accusative, although the plural form has no special case ending.
das Verb — verb
A Verb is the part of a sentence that is conjugated for person and tense. In a normal main clause, the finite Verb is usually in position two, but in a subordinate clause it usually goes to the end.
Das Verb steht in diesem Satz an zweiter Stelle.
The verb is in second position in this sentence.
steht means stands, in diesem Satz means in this sentence, and an zweiter Stelle means in second position. Das Verb is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb steht is in position two.
Ich kenne das Verb nicht.
I do not know the verb.
kenne means know, and nicht means not. das Verb is accusative because kennen takes an accusative object; the finite verb kenne stands in position two.
Wir sprechen über dem Verb?
Are we talking about the verb?
sprechen über means talk about, and wir means we. This sentence is not standard German: über normally takes the accusative for this meaning, so the correct form is über das Verb, not über dem Verb.
Die Endung des Verbs ist wichtig.
The verb's ending is important.
Die Endung means the ending, and wichtig means important. des Verbs is genitive because it shows possession or connection, meaning the ending of the verb; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Die Verben stehen oft am Ende des Satzes.
The verbs are often at the end of the sentence.
oft means often, and am Ende des Satzes means at the end of the sentence. Die Verben is plural nominative as the subject, while the finite verb stehen is in position two.
das Wörterbuch — dictionary
The plural is Wörterbücher, with an umlaut and -er. In the genitive singular, das Wörterbuch becomes des Wörterbuchs; the neuter noun does not take an extra -es here.
Das Wörterbuch liegt auf dem Tisch.
The dictionary is on the table.
liegt means is lying, and auf dem Tisch means on the table. Das Wörterbuch is nominative because it is the subject; auf dem Tisch is dative because it describes a fixed location, not movement.
Ich benutze das Wörterbuch jeden Tag.
I use the dictionary every day.
benutzen means to use, and jeden Tag means every day. Das Wörterbuch is accusative because benutzen takes a direct object; benutze is the finite verb in position two.
Ich gebe meiner Schwester dem Wörterbuch.
I give my sister the dictionary.
geben means to give, and meiner Schwester means to my sister. Dem Wörterbuch is dative because geben takes a recipient and a thing; gebe is in position two.
Die Seiten des Wörterbuchs sind dünn.
The pages of the dictionary are thin.
die Seiten means the pages, and dünn means thin. Des Wörterbuchs is genitive because it shows which dictionary the pages belong to; the finite verb sind is in position two.
In der Bibliothek stehen viele Wörterbücher.
There are many dictionaries in the library.
die Bibliothek means the library, stehen means are standing or are located, and viele means many. Wörterbücher is the plural after viele; in der Bibliothek is dative because it describes a fixed location.