Catalog / German Language Essentials Cheatsheet
German Language Essentials Cheatsheet
A quick reference guide to German grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure for learners of all levels.
Basic Grammar
Nouns and Articles
Definite Articles (The) |
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Indefinite Articles (A/An) |
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Noun Gender |
Determines article and adjective endings; often unpredictable, requires memorization. |
Example (Masculine) |
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Example (Feminine) |
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Example (Neuter) |
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Example (Plural) |
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Pronouns
Personal Pronouns |
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Pronoun Cases |
Nominative (subject), Accusative (direct object), Dative (indirect object), Genitive (possessive) |
Example (Nominative) |
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Example (Accusative) |
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Example (Dative) |
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Verb Conjugation
Regular verbs conjugate predictably based on their infinitive ending ( Example (Regular Verb - machen - to make/do)*: |
Sentence Structure
Basic Word Order
Main Clause |
Subject - Verb - Object (SVO). Verb usually second element. |
Subordinate Clause |
Verb at the end of the clause. |
Example (Main Clause) |
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Example (Subordinate Clause) |
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Questions
Yes/No Questions |
Verb comes first. |
W-Questions |
Question word first (wer, was, wann, wo, warum, wie, etc.). |
Prepositions
Prepositions govern the case of the noun that follows them (Accusative or Dative, sometimes Genitive). Examples: |
Essential Vocabulary
Common Greetings
Hallo |
Hello |
Guten Tag |
Good day |
Guten Morgen |
Good morning |
Guten Abend |
Good evening |
Gute Nacht |
Good night |
Wie geht es dir/Ihnen? |
How are you? (informal/formal) |
Basic Phrases
Bitte |
Please/You’re welcome |
Danke |
Thank you |
Entschuldigung |
Excuse me/Sorry |
Ja |
Yes |
Nein |
No |
Ich verstehe nicht |
I don’t understand |
Numbers
eins (1), zwei (2), drei (3), vier (4), fünf (5), sechs (6), sieben (7), acht (8), neun (9), zehn (10), elf (11), zwölf (12), zwanzig (20), dreißig (30), vierzig (40), fünfzig (50), hundert (100), tausend (1000) |
Advanced Topics
The Genitive Case
Used to show possession, though often replaced by the dative case in spoken German. Articles and nouns change form. Example: |
The Subjunctive Mood (Konjunktiv)
Used to express hypothetical situations, indirect speech, and polite requests. Two forms: Konjunktiv I (indirect speech) and Konjunktiv II (hypothetical). Example (Konjunktiv II): |
Compound Words
German frequently uses compound words (combining two or more words into one) to create new meanings. The gender of the last word determines the gender of the compound word. Examples: |