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Vocab: School & study — A1 (2)
School & study vocabulary at A1 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
die Tafel — board, blackboard; bar of chocolate
In a classroom, die Tafel usually means the blackboard or whiteboard. It is different from der Tisch, which is a table.
Die Tafel ist noch sauber.
The board is still clean.
sauber means clean, and noch means still. Die Tafel is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich sehe die Tafel nicht.
I cannot see the board.
sehen means to see, and nicht means not. die Tafel is accusative because sehen takes a direct object; the finite verb sehe is in position two.
Der Lehrer steht neben der Tafel.
The teacher is standing next to the board.
der Lehrer means the teacher, steht means is standing, and neben means next to. der Tafel is dative because neben describes a location here; the noun does not change, but the article does.
Die Farbe der Tafel ist grün.
The colour of the board is green.
die Farbe means the colour and grün means green. der Tafel is genitive because it shows whose colour it is; the finite verb ist remains in position two.
Die Tafeln hängen in den Klassenräumen.
The boards are hanging in the classrooms.
hängen means are hanging and die Klassenräume means the classrooms. Tafeln is plural, and in den Klassenräumen is dative because it describes a fixed location; the plural noun ends in -n.
Ich kaufe eine Tafel Schokolade.
I am buying a bar of chocolate.
kaufen means to buy and Schokolade means chocolate. eine Tafel Schokolade is accusative because it is the object of kaufe; Schokolade specifies what kind of bar it is.
Die Tafel Schokolade ist fast leer.
The bar of chocolate is almost gone.
fast means almost and leer means empty or gone. Die Tafel Schokolade is the subject, so it is nominative; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
der Taschenrechner — pocket calculator
The compound joins Tasche (pocket or bag) and Rechner (calculator or computing device). Its plural is unchanged: der Taschenrechner becomes die Taschenrechner.
Der Taschenrechner liegt auf dem Tisch.
The calculator is on the table.
liegen means to lie or be located, and der Tisch is the table. Der Taschenrechner is nominative because it is the subject; liegt is the finite verb in position two.
Ich brauche den Taschenrechner.
I need the calculator.
brauchen means to need. Den Taschenrechner is accusative because brauchen takes a direct object; masculine der changes to den in the accusative.
Mit dem Taschenrechner rechnet sie die Aufgabe aus.
She works out the problem with the calculator.
mit means with, rechnen means to calculate, and die Aufgabe is the exercise or problem. Mit takes the dative, so dem Taschenrechner is dative; in rechnet ... aus, the prefix aus moves to the end.
Die Batterie des Taschenrechners ist leer.
The calculator’s battery is flat.
die Batterie means the battery, and leer means empty or flat. Des Taschenrechners is genitive because it shows whose battery it is; the masculine noun adds -s in this form.
Die Taschenrechner liegen in der Schultasche.
The calculators are in the schoolbag.
liegen means are lying, and die Schultasche is the schoolbag. Die Taschenrechner is plural nominative because it is the subject; the noun has no visible plural ending, so die shows the plural.
der Test — test, examination; test, check, trial
For school and language learning, Test means a test or examination. With tests, schreiben can mean “to take a written test”, while machen is also common.
Der Test ist heute.
The test is today.
Heute means today. Der Test is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Wir schreiben den Test am Freitag.
We are taking the test on Friday.
Wir schreiben means we are taking or writing, and am Freitag means on Friday. Den Test is accusative because schreiben means to take a written test here and takes a direct object; schreiben is in position two.
Die Lehrerin gibt dem Test eine gute Note.
The teacher gives the test a good grade.
Die Lehrerin means the teacher, gibt means gives, and eine gute Note means a good grade. Dem Test is dative because it is the recipient or target of geben, while eine gute Note is accusative; gibt is in position two.
Das Ergebnis des Tests kommt morgen.
The result of the test comes tomorrow.
Das Ergebnis means the result, and morgen means tomorrow. Des Tests is genitive because it identifies which test the result belongs to; the finite verb kommt is in position two.
Die Tests beginnen um acht Uhr.
The tests begin at eight o’clock.
Beginnen means begin, and um acht Uhr means at eight o’clock. Tests is plural and nominative because it is the subject; the noun keeps the foreign plural ending -s, and beginnen is in position two.
Der Test zeigt ein positives Ergebnis.
The test shows a positive result.
Zeigt means shows, positiv means positive, and das Ergebnis means result. Der Test is nominative as the subject, and the finite verb zeigt stands in position two.
Die Techniker machen mehrere Tests an der Maschine.
The technicians carry out several tests on the machine.
Die Techniker means the technicians, mehrere means several, and die Maschine means the machine. Mehrere Tests is accusative because machen takes the thing being carried out; an der Maschine is dative because an describes the machine’s location or point of testing.
die Tinte — ink
Die Tinte is normally a mass noun, so it has no plural when referring to ink as a substance. Use a measure or type expression instead, such as zwei Flaschen Tinte or verschiedene Tintenarten.
Die Tinte ist blau.
The ink is blue.
blau means blue. Die Tinte is the subject in the nominative case, and the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich kaufe Tinte.
I am buying ink.
kaufe means buy. Tinte is an uncountable accusative object after kaufen; it normally has no article when ink is meant as a substance.
Ich schreibe mit Tinte.
I write with ink.
schreibe means write, and mit means with. Mit always takes the dative, so the feminine form remains Tinte, with no visible ending.
Die Farbe der Tinte gefällt mir.
I like the colour of the ink.
die Farbe means the colour, and gefällt mir means I like it literally, it pleases me. Der Tinte is genitive because it identifies whose colour it is; the verb gefällt stands in position two.
die Universität — university
The plural is Universitäten, with -en and an umlaut over ä. An der Universität is a common phrase meaning at university; an takes the dative here because it describes a fixed location.
Die Universität ist groß.
The university is large.
groß means large. Die Universität is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb ist is in position two.
Ich besuche die Universität.
I attend the university.
besuchen means to attend or visit. Die Universität is accusative because besuchen takes a direct object, and besuche stands in position two.
Sie studiert an der Universität.
She studies at the university.
studiert means studies and an means at here. Der Universität is dative because an indicates the institution where she studies; the finite verb studiert is in position two.
Die Bibliothek der Universität ist modern.
The university library is modern.
die Bibliothek means the library and modern means modern. Der Universität is genitive because it shows which institution the library belongs to; ist is in position two.
Viele Universitäten bieten Onlinekurse an.
Many universities offer online courses.
viele means many, bieten ... an means offer, and Onlinekurse means online courses. Universitäten is plural, and the separable verb bieten ... an puts its prefix at the end of the main clause.
der Unterricht — lessons, teaching, class; class; classroom teaching
Unterricht is normally an uncountable noun, so it has no plural. For one period or lesson, use Unterrichtsstunde; for the subject or topic, use Fach.
Der Unterricht beginnt um acht Uhr.
Classes begin at eight o'clock.
beginnen means to begin and um acht Uhr means at eight o'clock. Der Unterricht is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb beginnt stands in position two.
Wir haben heute Unterricht.
We have lessons today.
wir means we and heute means today. Unterricht is an uncountable accusative object after haben; it normally has no article, and the finite verb haben is in position two.
Nach dem Unterricht fahre ich nach Hause.
After class, I go home.
nach means after here, fahren means to travel or go by vehicle, and nach Hause means home. Nach takes the dative when it means after, so the form is dem Unterricht; the finite verb fahre is in position two.
Die Dauer des Unterrichts ist sechs Stunden.
The length of the lessons is six hours.
die Dauer is the length and sechs Stunden means six hours. Des Unterrichts is genitive because it tells us the length of what; the masculine noun adds -s in the genitive.
Guter Unterricht hilft den Schülern.
Good teaching helps the pupils.
gut means good, helfen means to help, and die Schüler are the pupils. Unterricht is a mass noun and normally has no plural; den Schülern is dative because helfen takes the dative.
Morgen ist kein Unterricht.
There are no classes tomorrow.
morgen means tomorrow and kein means no. Unterricht is a mass noun and is used without a plural; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Die Kinder lernen im Unterricht neue Wörter.
The children learn new words in class.
die Kinder are the children, lernen means to learn, and neue Wörter means new words. Im Unterricht means in class, with in taking the dative for a location; the finite verb lernen is in position two.
die Vokabel — vocabulary item, word
die Vokabel normally means one word or expression being learned, while Vokabeln means several such items. For vocabulary in general, German also commonly uses the uncountable noun der Wortschatz.
Die Vokabel ist neu für mich.
The vocabulary item is new to me.
neu means new, and für mich means for me. die Vokabel is the nominative subject; für mich is accusative because für always takes the accusative, even though it translates as for.
Ich schreibe die Vokabel in mein Heft.
I write the vocabulary item in my notebook.
schreiben means to write, and mein Heft means my notebook. die Vokabel is accusative because it is the direct object of schreibe; the finite verb is in position two.
Der Lehrer hilft mir mit der Vokabel.
The teacher helps me with the vocabulary item.
der Lehrer means the teacher, and hilft means helps. mit always takes the dative, so der Vokabel is dative; mir is also dative because helfen takes a dative person.
Die Bedeutung der Vokabel kenne ich noch nicht.
I do not yet know the meaning of the vocabulary item.
die Bedeutung means meaning, and noch nicht means not yet. der Vokabel is genitive because it specifies which meaning; kenne is in position two, while ich follows because the object phrase comes first.
Ich lerne jeden Abend zehn Vokabeln.
I learn ten vocabulary items every evening.
jeden Abend means every evening, and zehn means ten. zehn Vokabeln is the plural accusative object of lerne; the noun takes the plural ending -n.
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.
die Übung — exercise; practice
Übung can mean one exercise in a book or a practice session. The verb üben means to practise, while eine Übung machen means to do an exercise.
Die Übung ist leicht.
The exercise is easy.
leicht means easy. Die Übung is nominative because it is the subject, and ist is in position two; the adjective leicht is predicative after sein and therefore has no ending.
Ich mache die Übung jeden Abend.
I do the exercise every evening.
mache means do and jeden Abend means every evening. Die Übung is accusative because machen takes an accusative object; the finite verb mache stands in position two.
Der Lehrer hilft mir bei der Übung.
The teacher helps me with the exercise.
Lehrer means teacher and hilft means helps. Bei always takes the dative, so der Übung is feminine dative; mir is also dative because helfen requires a dative person.
Die Lösung der Übung steht an der Tafel.
The solution to the exercise is on the board.
Lösung means solution, steht means is written or stands, and Tafel means board. Der Übung is genitive because it identifies which solution is meant; steht is the finite verb in position two.
Wir machen heute drei Übungen.
We are doing three exercises today.
heute means today and drei means three. Übungen is plural and accusative because machen takes an accusative object; the plural has -en, and the finite verb machen is in position two.