Download German grammar cheat sheet for beginners (PDF) German grammar terminology explained. The concept of a grammar cheat sheet is very simple and you can easily create it by yourself. It shouldn’t be too long, the best is just one A4 page. The grammar cheat sheet should contain only the most essential grammar rules. Student as well) who wants to know how the awesome German language came to be the way it is. This grammar is mostly descriptive (if not strictly so) and is intended to introduce the structure of the Ge rman lang uage to interna tional students in the shortest possible time. A third volume – Practical Exercises in German Grammar is in preparation.
Introduction
Learn German grammar online with Lingolia. Our complete grammar explanations make learning German easy. Learn the most important rules and their exceptions and master verb conjugation in various tenses.
With hundreds of interactive exercises for beginners through to advanced German learners, you can practise what you have learnt and master the German language.
Tenses
In the German language there are six tenses: present (Präsens), present perfect (Perfekt), simple past or preterite (Präteritum), past perfect (Plusquamperfekt), future (Futur I), and future perfect (Futur II). In each tense, the verbs have to be conjugated (ich, du, er, ... – I, you, he, ...).
Verbs
Here you can find information about modal verbs, reflexive verbs, separable and inseparable verbs, the passive voice, the imperative, and the subjunctive. The different tenses are explained in the section called 'Tenses'.
Nouns and Articles
In German, nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter (for example der Löffel, die Gabel, das Messer – the spoon, the fork, the knife). They are generally used with an article and have to be declined.
Pronouns
Pronouns take the place of nouns and have to be declined. We make a distinction between personal, possessive, reflexive, interrogative, demonstrative, and indefinite pronouns.
Adjectives
Adjectives are descriptive words. They indicate how someone or something is (for example gut, schnell – good, fast). Adjectives can be comparative, and sometimes we have to decline them too.
Adverbs
Adverbs are unchanging words (for example hier, gestern, darum, sehr – here, yesterday, therefore, very), which we use to provide information about place, time, reason, or manner. Some adverbs can be comparative.
Prepositions
Prepositions are short words (for example in, auf, ohne – in, on, without) that we use with nouns or pronouns. Each preposition requires a particular case (genitive, dative, accusative).
Sentence Structure
In this part of the site, we explain the order of words in main clauses, questions, and dependent clauses. We pay special attention to the areas of conditional clauses and indirect speech.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Germany or another German-speaking country, you’ve heard an unfamiliar German phrase and want to know what it means, or you just want to get into the spirit for your town’s annual Oktoberfest, knowing some basic German can give you the confidence you need. In the following articles, you can find basic German expressions, questions that let you gather information or ask for help, phrases to use when ordering from a menu, and German numbers and dates.
Basic Questions in German
If you travel to a German-speaking country and need to know the time or where something is located, or you just want to get some basic information, a few common questions can come in very handy.
English | German | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Do you speak English? | Sprechen Sie Englisch? | shprêH-en zee êng-lish? |
How are you? | Wie geht es Ihnen? | vee geyt ês een-en? |
Would you help me please? | Würden Sie mir bitte helfen? | vuer-den zee meer bi-te hêl-fen? |
What’s your name? | Wie heißen Sie? | vee hays-en zee? |
What time is it? | Wie viel Uhr ist es? | vee feel oohr ist ês? |
What’s the weather like? | Wie ist das Wetter? | ee ist dâs vêt-er? |
How much does . . . cost? | Wie viel kostet . . .? | vee feel kos-tet…? |
Where do I find . . .? | Wo finde ich . . .? | voh fin-de iH…? |
Where are the bathrooms? | Wo sind die Toiletten? | voh zint dee toy-lêt-en? |
Do you have…? | Haben Sie…? | hah-ben zee…? |
Where is…? | Wo ist…? | voh ist…? |
Could you please talk more slowly? | Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen? | kern-en zee bi-te lâng-zâm-er shprêH-en? |
Could you repeat that, please? | Können Sie das bitte wiederholen? | kern-en zee dâs bi-te vee-der-hoh-len? |
Useful German Expressions and Greetings
Practice these German greetings and expressions, which you’ll use daily when you visit a German-speaking country. With these expressions, you can communicate politely, feel more confident, and travel more comfortably.
English | German | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Hello! | Hallo! | hâ-loh! (informal greeting) |
Good day! | Guten Tag! | gooh-ten tahk! |
Good evening! | Guten Abend! | gooh-ten ah-bent! |
Good-bye! | Auf Wiedersehen! | ouf vee-der-zey-en! |
Please./You’re welcome. | Bitte. | bi-te. |
Thank you. | Danke. | dân-ke. |
Excuse me. | Entschuldigung. | ênt-shool-dee-goong. |
My name is…. | Ich heiße…. | iH hays-e…. |
Pleased to meet you. | Freut mich. | froyt miH. |
German Phrases for Emergencies
If you’re traveling in a German-speaking country and find yourself in an urgent situation, you can get the assistance you need by memorizing these important German phrases.
English | German | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
Help! | Hilfe! | hilf-e! |
Police! | Polizei! | po-li-tsay! |
Fire! | Feuer! | foy-er! |
Get a doctor! | Holen Sie einen Arzt! | hohl-en zee ayn-en ârtst! |
I am sick. | Ich bin krank. | iH bin krânk. |
I don’t know my way around here. | Ich kenne mich hier nicht aus. | iH kên-e miH heer niHt ous. |
The German Calendar
Getting to know the days and months of the German calendar helps you keep track of your travel plans, German holidays, and engagements.
English | German | Pronunciaton |
---|---|---|
Monday | Montag | mohn-tahk |
Tuesday | Dienstag | deens-tahk |
Wednesday | Mittwoch | mit-voH |
Thursday | Donnerstag | don-ers-tahk |
Friday | Freitag | fray-tahk |
Saturday | Samstag / Sonnabend | zâms-tahk / zon-ah-bent) |
Sunday | Sonntag | zon-tahk |
English | German | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
January | Januar | yâ-noo-ahr |
February | Februar | fey-broo-ahr |
March | März | mêrts |
April | April | ah-pril |
May | Mai | may |
June | Juni | yooh-nee |
July | Juli | yooh-lee |
August | August | ou-goost |
September | September | zêp-têm-ber |
October | Oktober | ok-toh-ber |
November | November | no-vêm-ber |
December | Dezember | dey-tsêm-ber |
Ordering in a German Restaurant
If you go to a German restaurant, these expressions can come in very handy. Practice them first, so that you can relax and enjoy the dining experience.
English | German | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|
The menu, please. | Die Speisekarte bitte. | dee shpay-ze kâr-te bi-te. |
I’d like…. | Ich hätte gern…. | iH hê-te gern…. |
I’d like…. | Ich möchte gern…. | iH merH-te gern…. |
Could you recommend something? | Könnten Sie etwas empfehlen? | kern-ten zee êt-vas êm-pfey-len? |
Another (beer) please. | Noch (ein Bier) bitte. | noH [ayn beer] bi-te. |
Excuse me. | Entschuldigen Sie bitte. | ênt-shool-dee-gen zee bi-te. |
The check, please. | Die Rechnung bitte. | dee rêH-noong bi-te. |
A receipt, please. | Eine Quittung bitte. | ayn-e kvi-toong bi-te. |
Enjoy your meal. | Guten Appetit. | gooh-ten âp-e-teet . |
German Numbers
When traveling in a German-speaking area, you need to know numbers for shopping, dining, transportation, and exchanging money. With this list, you can start practicing German numbers.
0 null (nool) | 17 siebzehn (zeep-tseyn) |
1 eins (ayns) | 18 achtzehn (âHt-tseyn) |
2 zwei (tsvay) | 19 neunzehn (noyn-tseyn) |
3 drei (dray) | 20 zwanzig (tsvân-tsîH) |
4 vier (feer) | 21 einundzwanzig (ayn-oont-tsvân-tsiH) |
5 fünf (fuenf) | 22 zweiundzwanzig (tsvay-oont tsvân-tsiH) |
6 sechs (zêks) | 30 dreißig (dray-siH) |
7 sieben (zee-ben) | 40 vierzig (feer-tsiH) |
8 acht (âHt) | 50 fünfzig (fuenf-tsiH) |
9 neun (noyn) | 60 sechzig (zêH-tsiH) |
10 zehn (tseyn) | 70 siebzig (zeep-tsiH) |
11 elf (êlf) | 80 achtzig (âHt-tsiH) |
12 zwölf (tsverlf) | 90 neunzig (noyn-tsiH) |
13 dreizehn (dray-tseyn) | 100 hundert (hoon-dert) |
14 vierzehn (feer-tseyn) | 200 zweihundert (tsvay-hoon-dert) |
15 fünfzehn (fuenf-tseyn) | 1000 tausend (tou-zent) |
16 sechzehn (zêH-tseyn) |