Cases, articles, adjectives and word order
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Lesson notes
Gender and plurals
- Learn gender and plural together: der Tag/die Tage, die Frau/die Frauen, das Kind/die Kinder, die Hand/die Hände and das Auto/die Autos. Plurals can change an ending, a vowel, both or neither; grammatical gender is a property of the noun, not inferred reliably from English meaning.
- Dative plural commonly adds n: den Kindern. An existing n stays, as den Frauen; ordinary s-plurals do not add another n, as den Autos. German nouns take capital initials; learn the complete form rather than one universal plural ending.
Learn noun and plural together
The four cases
- Common teaching models: Der Mann schläft has a nominative subject; Ich sehe den Mann an accusative object; Ich gebe dem Kind ein Buch a dative recipient and accusative thing given; das Buch des Kindes a genitive relation.
- These are examples rather than exclusive definitions. A preposition can govern case, as mit dem Kind or durch den Park, and verbs can require different complements. Genitive has uses beyond possession; a case form alone does not prove a particular semantic role.
Read the case in a complete construction
Definite articles
- Definite article forms in masculine/feminine/neuter/plural order: nominative der/die/das/die; accusative den/die/das/die; dative dem/der/dem/den; genitive des/der/des/der. Several forms are shared across cases, so interpret their construction.
- The noun can change too: des Mannes, des Kindes and den Kindern. The article table is not a complete noun-declension rule; weak masculine nouns and other patterns need their own learned forms.
Definite articles by case
Indefinite articles
- Indefinite singular forms: nominative ein/eine/ein; accusative einen/eine/ein; dative einem/einer/einem; genitive eines/einer/eines. Examples are ein Mann, einen Mann, einem Mann and eines Mannes.
- There is no ordinary indefinite plural ein article. Kein- and possessive articles follow related patterns but include plural forms such as keine Kinder and meine Kinder. Match case, gender and number rather than copy an isolated ending.
Indefinite singular articles
Prepositions
- Durch, für, gegen, ohne and um govern accusative in the taught uses. Aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von and zu govern dative. Spatial two-way prepositions include an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen.
- For spatial in, destination in den Park contrasts with location im Park. Ich gehe im Park spazieren involves movement but uses dative to locate the walk. The shortcut movement equals accusative is false; temporal and idiomatic uses require their own construction.
Distinguish spatial constructions
Adjective endings
- After a definite article, attributive adjectives take -e in all three nominative singular genders and accusative feminine/neuter singular; the remaining cells of this ordinary weak paradigm take -en. Examples: der große Hund, die große Katze, das große Haus and die großen Hunde.
- With ein: ein großer Hund, eine große Katze, ein großes Haus; masculine accusative einen großen Hund. Predicative Der Hund ist groß has no agreement ending. Select the article, case, gender and number before choosing an attributive ending.
Check the entire adjective phrase
Comparatives and superlatives
- Schneller als means faster than. Am schnellsten is an adverbial superlative in Alex läuft am schnellsten; der schnellste Läufer is an attributive noun phrase. Do not treat their grammatical uses as identical.
- Irregular series: gut/besser/am besten, gern/lieber/am liebsten and viel/mehr/am meisten. Gern or gerne expresses enjoyment; am liebsten strongest preference. Viel and am meisten concern quantity in the taught comparison.
Distinguish comparison series
Subordinating conjunctions
- Weil, dass, wenn, obwohl and ob introduce subordinate clauses in the standard written patterns practised here: weil ich müde bin, dass ich Zeit habe, obwohl ich müde bin. The finite verb closes these simple clauses. Conversational weil can use a different ordering.
- Und, aber, oder and causal denn coordinate in the supplied models: Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin müde. Denn does not itself occupy the clause’s first constituent slot. As a particle in Was machst du denn?, denn has a different function and should not be translated because mechanically.
Choose the written connective pattern
Word order
- TMP stands for time, manner, place as a learning aid for one common neutral ordering: Ich fahre morgen mit dem Bus zur Schule. It is a useful default rather than an absolute law; emphasis, discourse and the placement of objects can change the order.
- A declarative main clause puts the finite verb after one opening constituent: Morgen fahre ich… or Nach der Schule lese ich…. A yes/no question can begin with the finite verb, and a written subordinate clause has another pattern. Second position counts constituents, not individual written words.
Use a default, then check the clause
Slides
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Practice questions
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1.What is the accusative of "der Mann"?
Easy- Aden Mann
- Bdem Mann
- Cdes Mannes
- Dder Mann
2.What is the dative of "die Frau"?
Easy- Adie Frau
- Bden Frau
- Cdes Frau
- Dder Frau
3.What is the accusative of "ein Hund"?
Easy- Aeines Hundes
- Bein Hund
- Ceinen Hund
- Deinem Hund
4.What is the dative of "das Kind"?
Easy- Aden Kind
- Bdem Kind
- Cdas Kind
- Ddes Kindes
5.What is the genitive of "der Mann"?
Easy- Ades Mannes
- Bdem Mann
- Cden Mann
- Dder Mann
6.What is the plural of "das Kind"?
Easy- Adie Kinds
- Bdie Kinde
- Cdie Kind
- Ddie Kinder
7.What is the plural of "die Frau"?
Easy- Adie Frauer
- Bdie Fräue
- Cdie Frauen
- Ddie Fraus
8.What is the plural of "das Auto"?
Easy- Adie Auter
- Bdie Autos
- Cdie Auten
- Ddie Autoe
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