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Basic German Grammar

Here is a short introduction to the structure of sentences. It will help you understand what is the difference between a subject, object, preposition, verb and articles

English German Description Examples
Article Artikel Comes before a noun, indicating definiteness or indefiniteness. Definite (Bestimmte): der, die, das
Indefinite (Unbestimmte): ein, eine, einen
Noun Nomen A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea. All nouns are capitalized in German. English: car, house, girl
German: Auto, Haus, Mädchen
Subject Subjekt The subject performs the action in a sentence. Der Junge spielt Fußball. (The boy plays football.)
Object Objekt The object receives the action. Der Junge wirft den Ball. (The boy throws the ball.)
Direct Object (Akkusativ) – answers “what?” or “who?” (Wen? Was?) Ich sehe den Hund. (I see the dog.)
Indirect Object (Dativ) – answers “to whom?” or “for whom?” (Wem?) Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch. (I give the man the book.)
Pronoun Pronomen A pronoun replaces a noun. ich (I), du (you), er (he), sie (she), es (it), wir (we), ihr (you all), sie (they)
Possessive Pronoun Possessivpronomen Shows ownership. mein (my), dein (your), sein (his), ihr (her)
Verb Verb An action or state of being word. essen (eat), lieben (love), malen (paint), schreiben (write)
Adjective Adjektiv Describes a noun or pronoun. Ein großer Hund läuft. (A big dog is running.)
Adverb Adverb Describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb. Answers “how?”, “when?”, “how much?”, “how often?” Der Junge singt laut. (The boy sings loudly.)
Preposition Präposition Shows the relationship between a noun and another word, often indicating location, time, or direction. Location: in, auf, unter (Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch. – The book is on the table.)
Time: seit, vor, nach (Ich warte seit einer Stunde. – I have been waiting for an hour.)

Visual Grammar – German