![]() Ich habe einen schwarzen Hund gefunden. (I found a black dog.) Here are five examples to show you adjective endings when the adjective is preceded by a definite article:ĭer schwarze Hund hat Hunger. (The black dog is hungry.)Īs dog is masculine and in the nominative case we need to add an -e to the end of schwarz (black) when it follows a definite article. Again, just like with definite and indefinite articles, there are loads of handy tables to help you figure out which ending you need to use. Not only do genders and cases dictate definite articles, but they also dictate the ending of any preceding adjectives. Adjective Endings Must Agree with a Noun’s Gender and Case Plus, you can access it both in your browser and in the iOS and Android apps for your convenience. Seeing the different contexts one by one can help you remember the right situation to use any word.įluentU can help you see all the grammar rules in this post in use. I can also see the word in the dative, as a definitive article or pronoun, and all its other uses. For example, when I searched for den, I found a video that uses the word to mean “who, which, that.” When I click on it for more information, I can see other videos that use it in the same way: You can also search for a specific word to see the different definitions and uses it might have. If you click on it, you can also see example sentences and videos, as well as audio pronunciations and the option to add the word to your flashcard collection. Pause the video at any moment by moving your mouse over a word and you’ll get its definition and detailed grammar information. On FluentU, you can see grammar rules in use by native German speakers in short videos like TV show and movie clips, catchy music videos, funny commercials, inspirational talks and more. If you struggle to keep with German media, FluentU can help you make sense of it through interactive subtitles, personalized quizzes, downloadable transcripts and more. But content created for learners can be slow and unnatural, so I recommend using authentic German videos. ![]() One tip I have for getting the hang of this is to actually see it in use. Confusing? You’re telling me! But, trust me, with time you’ll start to pick this up. Take a look at the sentence again. Masculine nouns take denwhen they are in the accusative case, so that means the man must be the one being bit. (In English, which has no case system, word order is more important because we don’t have these cues.) The German case system shows us the difference between who or what is acting and who or what is acted upon. The genitive case is used to show possession so, as the food belongs to the dog in the above sentence, we use the genitive masculine definite article, des. More often than not, nouns after desusually add an -s or – es to the end, which is why Hund has turned into Hunds.ĭen Mann beißt der Hund. (The dog bites the man.)Īt first glance, you might think the above sentence would translate as “the man bites the dog.” However, we should know that it’s the other way around. Ich kaufe das Essen des Hunds. (I buy the food of the dog.) Here, the dog is in the dative case as it’s now the indefinite object. Ich kaufe dem Hund das Essen. (I buy the dog the food.) This means it’s in the accusative case, so derchanges to den. In this instance, the dog is the object of the sentence. Here are five examples of this in action:Īs Hund is a masculine noun and the subject of this sentence, it has to take der(the). You can see how genders and cases affect articles in this really useful table. Depending on the noun’s gender and sentence case, we might need to change their definite or indefinite article. In addition, their definite and indefinite articles (the, a/an) depend on their case.Ĭases affect nouns, and their case changes if they are the object, subject or indirect object in a sentence. In German, nouns are either masculine, feminine or neutral. One of the main differences between English and German is noun genders. A Noun’s Gender Determines Its Definite Article (Download) 5 German Grammar Rules to Get Beginners up and Running 1. ![]() This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that youĬlick here to get a copy. Verbs (Usually) Come Second in a Sentence ![]() ![]() 5 German Grammar Rules to Get Beginners up and Running.To get beginners up and running, here are five German grammar rules that are worth learning. It may not sound as exciting as watching German movies or reading interesting novels, but it’s exactly those types of works that you’ll be able to fully appreciate and adore once you nail the rules. It’s important to see grammar as the nuts and bolts of any language. AugStarting from Scratch? 5 German Grammar Rules to Get You Going ![]()
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