German Language Fundamentals - Conjugation, Pronunciation, Spelling, and Vocabulary

Flashcards for reviewing German grammar rules (verb conjugation, spelling rules), phonetic pronunciation rules, spelling alphabet, dialogue comprehension, and introductory vocabulary.

How is the root of a regular German verb formed and conjugated in the present tense?

You take the root of the verb (such as mach- for machen) and add the respective person ending.

What is unique about the first-person plural (wir) and third-person plural (sie/Sie) present tense verb forms in German?

They are conjugated identically to the infinitive form of the verb.

How does present tense conjugation change for verbs with roots ending in -t or -d, such as arbeiten?

An "e" is added before the person ending to make pronunciation easier (e.g., du arbeitest, er arbeitet).

What happens to the second-person singular (du) ending when a verb root ends in "s" or "ß", such as reisen?

The second-person ending loses its "s", so du reist takes -t instead of -st.

What are the present tense conjugated forms of the verb machen?

ich mache, du machst, er/sie/es macht, wir machen, ihr macht, sie/Sie machen.

What are the present tense conjugated forms of the verb arbeiten?

ich arbeite, du arbeitest, er/sie/es arbeitet, wir arbeiten, ihr arbeitet, sie/Sie arbeiten.

What are the present tense conjugated forms of the verb reisen?

ich reise, du reist, er/sie/es reist, wir reisen, ihr reist, sie/Sie reisen.

How is an aspirated "h" pronounced in German when placed at the start of a word versus after a vowel?

At the start of a word it is aspirated like in English (e.g., Haus, Hund); after a vowel it is not pronounced but lengthens the vowel (e.g., gehen, sehr).

When does the German "ch" sound produce a "harder" sound?

It produces a harder sound only after the vowels a, o, and u (e.g., machen, Nacht, auch, Geruch).

What rule determines whether "ß" (Eszett / scharfes S) or double "ss" is used in German spelling?

"ß" is used after double vowels (au, ei, ie, eu/äu) and long vowels, whereas double "ss" is used after short vowels.

How is the letter "ß" handled in Switzerland, and what is its keyboard code?

In Switzerland, "ß" is not used and is always written as "ss". Its keyboard shortcut code is ALT+225.

How is the Umlaut letter "ä" pronounced?

It is pronounced as an open "e" [ay].

How are letters spelled out (buchstabieren) in German?

Proper names are used preceded by the word "wie" (like/as in), such as "A wie Anton" or "B wie Berta".

According to the German spelling alphabet, what proper names correspond to the letters A, B, C, D, J, Q, V, W, X, Y, and Z?

A wie Anton, B wie Berta, C wie Caesar, D wie Dora, J wie Jürgen, Q wie Quelle, V wie Victor, W wie Wolfgang, X wie Xanthippe, Y wie Ypsilon, Z wie Zacharias.

In the introductory dialogue "Wo wohnst du?", where are Nadja and Orit from, and where do they live?

Nadja comes from Deutschland and Orit comes from Israel; both live in Berlin, with Nadja living im Zentrum.

What are the German words provided for "Salt", "Chocolate", "Water", "Sugar", and "to study"?

Salz (Salt), Schokolade (Chocolate), Wasser (Water), Zucker (Sugar), and studieren (to study).

What is the English translation of the German sentence "Ich mache nur Spaß"?

"I'm just kidding."