Appearance
Vocab: Science & technology — A1
Science & technology vocabulary at A1 level.
Maskulin Feminin Neutrum Plural
der Astronaut — astronaut
Der Astronaut arbeitet im Weltraum.
The astronaut works in space.
arbeitet means works, and im Weltraum means in space. Der Astronaut is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb arbeitet stands in position two.
Die Kinder sehen den Astronauten im Fernsehen.
The children see the astronaut on television.
die Kinder means the children, sehen means see, and im Fernsehen means on television. Den Astronauten is accusative because sehen takes a direct object; as a weak masculine noun, Astronaut takes -en outside the nominative.
Die Lehrerin spricht mit dem Astronauten.
The teacher speaks with the astronaut.
die Lehrerin means the female teacher and spricht means speaks. Mit dem Astronauten is dative because mit always forces the dative, and the weak noun keeps the ending -en.
Das Leben des Astronauten ist spannend.
The astronaut's life is exciting.
das Leben means the life and spannend means exciting. Des Astronauten is genitive because it shows whose life is meant; this weak masculine noun takes -en in the genitive.
Die Astronauten trainieren jeden Tag.
The astronauts train every day.
trainieren means train and jeden Tag means every day. Astronauten is the plural of Astronaut; the plural has the same -en ending as its non-nominative singular forms.
das Eisen — iron
Eisen is usually a mass noun, so it normally has no plural when it means the metal. The word can also refer to an iron used for a particular purpose, but everyday learners should first learn the material sense.
Das Eisen ist sehr schwer.
The iron is very heavy.
schwer means heavy, and sehr means very. Das Eisen is nominative because it is the subject; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Der Schmied bearbeitet das Eisen.
The blacksmith works the iron.
der Schmied is a blacksmith, and bearbeiten means to work or shape. Das Eisen is accusative because bearbeiten takes a direct object; the finite verb bearbeitet is in position two.
Der Hammer liegt neben dem Eisen.
The hammer is lying next to the iron.
der Hammer is a hammer, and liegen means to lie or be positioned. Neben takes the dative here because it describes a fixed location, so dem Eisen is dative; liegt is in position two.
Die Härte des Eisens ist bekannt.
The hardness of iron is well known.
die Härte means hardness, and bekannt means known. Des Eisens is genitive because it identifies whose hardness is meant; the noun Eisen takes -s in the genitive.
die Erde — earth, soil; Earth; Earth, the planet
die Erde commonly means soil or ground. With a capital letter and suitable context, it can also mean the planet Earth; the plural Erden is mainly used for different soils or worlds.
Die Erde im Garten ist trocken.
The soil in the garden is dry.
im Garten means in the garden, and trocken means dry. Die Erde is nominative because it is the subject; im Garten is a shortened form of in dem Garten and gives the location.
Die Kinder graben die Erde um.
The children dig over the soil.
die Kinder means the children, and graben ... um means dig over. Die Erde is accusative because umgraben takes an accusative object; the separable verb has graben in position two and um at the end.
Die Pflanze wächst in der Erde.
The plant grows in the soil.
die Pflanze means the plant, and wächst means grows. In der Erde describes a fixed location, so in takes the dative; the feminine dative article is der.
Die Farbe der Erde ist dunkelbraun.
The colour of the soil is dark brown.
die Farbe means the colour and dunkelbraun means dark brown. Der Erde is genitive because it means “of the soil”; the finite verb ist is in position two.
Für verschiedene Pflanzen braucht man unterschiedliche Erden.
Different plants need different types of soil.
verschiedene Pflanzen means different plants, braucht man means one needs, and unterschiedliche means different. Erden is plural and accusative after für; here the plural means different types of soil.
Die Erde ist rund.
The Earth is round.
rund means round. Die Erde is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Viele Menschen leben auf der Erde.
Many people live on Earth.
Viele Menschen means many people, and leben means live. Auf der Erde gives a location, so auf takes the dative here; do not use the accusative unless you mean movement onto the Earth.
die Erdkunde — geography
Die Erdkunde is the school subject geography and is normally a singular-only noun. The more general academic term is die Geografie.
Erdkunde ist mein Lieblingsfach.
Geography is my favourite subject.
mein Lieblingsfach means my favourite subject. Erdkunde is nominative because it is the subject, and ist stands in position two; this subject name is normally used without an article.
Ich mag Erdkunde.
I like geography.
mag means like. Erdkunde is the accusative object of mag, but this uncountable school subject usually has no visible article or ending.
In der Erdkunde lernen wir viel über Länder.
In geography we learn a lot about countries.
lernen means learn, viel means a lot, and Länder means countries. In der Erdkunde refers to the school subject, and in takes the dative here; über Länder means about countries.
Die Themen der Erdkunde sind interessant.
The topics of geography are interesting.
die Themen means the topics and interessant means interesting. Der Erdkunde is genitive because it means “of geography”; the feminine genitive article is der.
die Kohle — coal; money, cash
Kohle means coal as a fuel and is normally an uncountable mass noun. The plural Kohlen refers to separate pieces or types; do not add a plural ending when talking about coal generally.
Kohle ist ein fossiler Brennstoff.
Coal is a fossil fuel.
fossiler Brennstoff means fossil fuel. Kohle is the nominative subject and is used without an article as an uncountable substance; ist stands in position two.
Das Kraftwerk verbrennt Kohle.
The power station burns coal.
das Kraftwerk means the power station, and verbrennt means burns. Kohle is the uncountable accusative object after verbrennen, so it normally has no article; the finite verb verbrennt is in position two.
Die Fabrik arbeitet mit der Kohle.
The factory works with the coal.
die Fabrik means the factory, and arbeitet means works. mit der Kohle is dative because mit always takes the dative; the finite verb arbeitet is in position two.
Der Preis der Kohle steigt.
The price of coal is rising.
der Preis means the price, and steigt means rises. der Kohle is genitive and means of the coal; feminine nouns keep the form Kohle in the genitive, while steigt stands in position two.
Die Kohlen liegen neben dem Ofen.
The pieces of coal are lying next to the stove.
liegen means are lying, neben means next to, and der Ofen means the stove. Kohlen refers to separate pieces of coal here; neben dem Ofen is dative because it describes a fixed location.
Er hat viel Kohle.
He has a lot of money.
er means he, hat means has, and viel means a lot of. Kohle means money here and is an informal mass noun; it is the accusative object after hat, which stands in position two.
Sie verdient mit dem Job gute Kohle.
She earns good money from the job.
verdient means earns, mit dem Job means with the job, and gute means good. gute Kohle is an accusative object after verdienen, while mit dem Job is dative after mit; verdient is in position two.
die Mathematik — mathematics; maths
Mathematik is normally a singular-only subject name, so it has no ordinary plural. In everyday school speech, Mathe is the shorter informal word for Mathematik.
Die Mathematik ist mein Lieblingsfach.
Mathematics is my favourite subject.
mein Lieblingsfach means my favourite subject. Die Mathematik is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich mag die Mathematik sehr.
I like mathematics very much.
mag means like, and sehr means very much. Die Mathematik is accusative because mögen takes an accusative object; the finite verb mag is in position two.
Mit der Mathematik kann man viele Probleme lösen.
With mathematics, you can solve many problems.
mit means with, viele Probleme means many problems, and lösen means solve. Der Mathematik is dative because mit always takes the dative; kann is in position two and lösen goes to the end after the modal verb.
Die Geschichte der Mathematik ist spannend.
The history of mathematics is fascinating.
die Geschichte means the history, and spannend means fascinating. Der Mathematik is genitive because it tells us whose history is meant; the finite verb ist stands in position two.
der Planet — planet
Planet is a weak masculine noun: use der Planet only in the nominative singular, but den Planeten, dem Planeten, and des Planeten in the other singular cases. The plural is also Planeten.
Der Planet ist sehr weit entfernt.
The planet is very far away.
sehr weit entfernt means very far away. Der Planet is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Die Astronauten sehen den Planeten.
The astronauts see the planet.
die Astronauten means the astronauts and sehen means see. Den Planeten is accusative because sehen takes a direct object; Planet is a weak masculine noun and therefore adds -en.
Wir leben auf dem Planeten Erde.
We live on planet Earth.
wir leben means we live and Erde means Earth. Auf dem Planeten describes a location and takes the dative; the weak noun therefore has -en in Planeten.
Die Oberfläche des Planeten ist kalt.
The surface of the planet is cold.
die Oberfläche means the surface and kalt means cold. Des Planeten is genitive because it says whose surface is meant; this weak masculine noun keeps the ending -en.
Viele Planeten kreisen um Sterne.
Many planets orbit stars.
viele means many, kreisen means orbit, and Sterne means stars. Planeten is the plural, and it has the same -en ending that appears in the other non-nominative singular forms.
der Rechner — computer; calculator
In everyday German, der Rechner most often means a computer, while in school or office contexts it can also mean a calculator. The plural is unchanged: der Rechner, die Rechner.
Der Rechner ist sehr langsam.
The computer is very slow.
sehr langsam means very slow. Der Rechner is nominative because it is the subject, and the finite verb ist stands in position two.
Ich kaufe den Rechner morgen.
I am buying the computer tomorrow.
kaufe means buy, and morgen means tomorrow. Den Rechner is accusative because kaufen takes a direct object; the finite verb kaufe is in position two.
Ich arbeite mit dem Rechner.
I work with the computer.
arbeite means work, and mit means with. Mit always takes the dative, so der Rechner becomes dem Rechner; the finite verb arbeite is in position two.
Die Leistung des Rechners reicht für das Programm aus.
The computer’s performance is sufficient for the programme.
die Leistung means performance, reicht ... aus means is sufficient, and das Programm means the programme. Des Rechners is genitive to show possession; ausreichen is separable, so reicht stands in position two and aus at the end.
Die Rechner im Büro sind neu.
The computers in the office are new.
im Büro means in the office, and neu means new. Die Rechner is plural nominative because it is the subject; the plural form looks like the singular, but the article die identifies it.