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Vocab: People & relationships — A1 (3)
People & relationships vocabulary at A1 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
verstehen — to understand, to comprehend; to get along, to understand each other
Verstehen is a strong verb: verstehen – verstand – hat verstanden. It takes an accusative object, as in eine Frage verstehen; the prefix ver- is inseparable, so the Partizip II has no extra ge.
Er versteht die Frage nicht.
He does not understand the question.
er means he, die Frage is the question, and nicht means not. Die Frage is accusative because verstehen takes an accusative object; the finite verb versteht is in position two, and nicht negates the understanding.
Ich habe deine Erklärung verstanden.
I understood your explanation.
deine Erklärung means your explanation, and habe means have. Deine Erklärung is accusative because verstehen takes an accusative object; the perfect uses habe plus verstanden, with the Partizip II at the end.
Sie verstand den Witz sofort.
She understood the joke immediately.
sie means she, der Witz is the joke, and sofort means immediately. Den Witz is accusative because verstehen takes an accusative object; verstand is the strong Präteritum form and stands in position two.
Versteh mich bitte!
Please understand me!
mich means me, and bitte means please. Mich is accusative because it is the object of verstehen; the singular imperative versteh comes first, and bitte softens the command.
Wenn du besser zuhörtest, verstündest du die Erklärung.
If you listened better, you would understand the explanation.
wenn means if, besser means better, zuhören means listen, and die Erklärung is the explanation. Verstündest is the Konjunktiv II of verstehen, with an umlaut; the explanation is accusative, and the finite verb zuhörtest goes to the end of the wenn-clause.
Du wirst die Aufgabe bald verstehen.
You will understand the task soon.
du means you, die Aufgabe is the task, and bald means soon. Die Aufgabe is accusative because verstehen takes an accusative object; wirst is in position two and the infinitive verstehen goes to the end.
Ich verstehe mich gut mit meiner Schwester.
I get along well with my sister.
ich means I, mich means myself, gut means well, and meine Schwester is my sister. Mich is the accusative reflexive pronoun, while mit meiner Schwester is dative because mit always takes the dative; verstehe is in position two.
Die beiden haben sich früher nicht verstanden.
The two of them did not get along in the past.
die beiden means the two of them, früher means in the past, and nicht means not. Sich is the accusative reflexive pronoun, and the perfect uses haben plus verstanden; the Partizip II stands at the end of the clause.
die Verwandte — female relative
This is the feminine form of the adjectival noun verwandt, related. It follows adjective endings: die Verwandte, der Verwandten.
Die Verwandte wohnt in Berlin.
The female relative lives in Berlin.
wohnt means lives, and Berlin is the German capital. Die Verwandte is nominative because she is the subject; the finite verb wohnt is in position two.
Ich besuche die Verwandte morgen.
I am visiting the female relative tomorrow.
besuche means visit and morgen means tomorrow. Die Verwandte is accusative because besuchen takes a direct object; the finite verb besuche stands in position two.
Ich helfe der Verwandten beim Umzug.
I am helping the female relative with the move.
helfe means help, and der Umzug is the move to a new home. Der Verwandten is dative because helfen takes a dative object; beim means “during the” and combines bei with dem.
Das Auto der Verwandten ist neu.
The female relative’s car is new.
das Auto means car and neu means new. Der Verwandten is genitive and shows possession; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Verwandte kommen am Wochenende zu Besuch.
Relatives are coming to visit at the weekend.
Verwandte means relatives, and am Wochenende means at the weekend. The plural has no special plural ending here; Verwandte is the nominative subject, and kommen stands in position two.
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.
der Vorname — first name, given name
Der Vorname is the personal name given before the family name. In forms, Vorname means first name, while Nachname means surname or family name.
Mein Vorname ist Anna.
My first name is Anna.
mein means my, and Anna is a first name. Mein Vorname is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Bitte schreiben Sie Ihren Vornamen.
Please write your first name.
bitte means please and schreiben means to write. Ihren Vornamen is accusative because schreiben takes a direct object; in the formal imperative, schreiben Sie comes first.
Auf dem Formular steht ein Vorname.
A first name is written on the form.
das Formular means the form and stehen means to be written or stand. Auf dem Formular uses the dative because it describes a fixed location; ein Vorname is nominative, and steht is in position two.
Die Schreibweise des Vornamens ist ungewöhnlich.
The spelling of the first name is unusual.
die Schreibweise means the spelling and ungewöhnlich means unusual. Des Vornamens is genitive because it shows which spelling is meant; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Die Vornamen stehen auf der Liste.
The first names are on the list.
stehen means are written or stand, die Liste means the list, and auf der Liste means on the list. Die Vornamen is a plural subject, so the verb is stehen; auf der Liste is dative because it gives a fixed location.
der Weihnachtsmann — Santa Claus
The word is normally written as one noun, der Weihnachtsmann. In stories it is often used with Geschenke bringen, meaning to bring presents.
Der Weihnachtsmann kommt heute Abend.
Santa Claus is coming this evening.
heute Abend means this evening. Der Weihnachtsmann is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb kommt is in position two.
Die Kinder sehen den Weihnachtsmann.
The children see Santa Claus.
die Kinder means the children, and sehen means to see. Den Weihnachtsmann is accusative because sehen takes a direct object; the article changes from der to den.
Die Kinder geben dem Weihnachtsmann einen Brief.
The children give Santa Claus a letter.
die Kinder means the children, geben means to give, and einen Brief is a letter. Dem Weihnachtsmann is dative because it is the recipient of geben, while einen Brief is the accusative thing being given.
Das Geschenk des Weihnachtsmanns liegt unter dem Baum.
Santa Claus’s present is under the tree.
das Geschenk means the present, liegt means is lying, and unter dem Baum means under the tree. Des Weihnachtsmanns is genitive and shows possession: the present belongs to Santa Claus.
Viele Weihnachtsmänner stehen vor dem Kaufhaus.
Many Santa Clauses are standing in front of the department store.
viele means many, stehen means are standing, and das Kaufhaus is the department store. Weihnachtsmänner is the plural, formed with an umlaut and -er; it is the nominative subject.
das Wiedersehen — reunion; seeing someone again; goodbye
This noun means a reunion or seeing someone again and appears in the fixed farewell Auf Wiedersehen! The plural is also Wiedersehen, with no ending; the lowercase verb wiedersehen is a different word.
Das Wiedersehen mit meiner Schwester war emotional.
Seeing my sister again was emotional.
Schwester means sister and emotional means emotional or touching. Das Wiedersehen is nominative because it is the subject, and war stands in position two.
Wir feiern das Wiedersehen heute Abend.
We are celebrating the reunion this evening.
feiern means celebrate and heute Abend means this evening. Das Wiedersehen is accusative because feiern takes a direct object; the finite verb feiern is in position two.
Nach einem Wiedersehen gingen alle nach Hause.
After the reunion, everyone went home.
nach means after here, alle means everyone, and nach Hause means home. Nach takes the dative when it means after, so einem Wiedersehen is dative; the finite verb gingen is in position two.
Die Erinnerung des Wiedersehens bleibt stark.
The memory of the reunion remains strong.
Erinnerung means memory and bleibt stark means remains strong. Des Wiedersehens is genitive because it specifies the memory, and the finite verb bleibt stands in position two.
Solche Wiedersehen sind selten.
Such reunions are rare.
solche means such and selten means rare. Wiedersehen has the same form in the singular and plural, but solche and sind show that it is plural here.
Wilhelm — Wilhelm, a male first name
Wilhelm is a masculine first name. German first names normally have no article when used as names, and the case is shown by the sentence rather than by a visible ending.
Wilhelm kommt heute zu Besuch.
Wilhelm is coming to visit today.
kommt zu Besuch means is coming to visit. Wilhelm is a proper name used as the nominative subject, and the finite verb kommt stands in position two.
Ich kenne Wilhelm aus der Schule.
I know Wilhelm from school.
kenne means know and aus der Schule means from school. Wilhelm is the accusative object of kennen; masculine names usually show no visible case ending.
willkommen — welcome, wanted
willkommen usually appears in willkommen sein, meaning to be welcome, and in the greeting Herzlich willkommen! Its comparative and superlative are grammatically possible but uncommon in everyday speech.
Du bist hier herzlich willkommen.
You are very welcome here.
hier means here and herzlich means warmly or heartily. willkommen is predicative after bist and therefore has no adjective ending; the finite verb bist stands in position two.
Wir begrüßen die willkommenen Gäste.
We welcome the welcome guests.
begrüßen means to welcome or greet, and die Gäste means the guests. willkommenen is an attributive adjective in the plural accusative; it takes -en, and begrüßen forces the accusative object.
Ein weiterer Termin wäre willkommener als dieser.
Another appointment would be more welcome than this one.
ein weiterer Termin means another appointment, and dieser means this one. willkommener is a predicative comparative after wäre; als introduces the thing it is compared with, and wäre is the Konjunktiv II of sein.
Ihre Hilfe wäre uns am willkommensten.
Her help would be most welcome to us.
Ihre Hilfe means her help, and uns means to us. am willkommensten is the predicative superlative with am; uns is dative because it marks the people to whom the help is welcome, and wäre is Konjunktiv II.