German Grammar

Question 1

Translate these sentences:

1. The bad wolf is sleeping.
2. The bad wolf eats the grandmother.
3. He eats her.

Answer 1

1. Der böse Wolf schläft.
2. Der böse Wolf frisst die Großmutter.
3. Er frisst sie.

Question 2

What are the subject and the direct object?

Answer 2

1. The subject does the action.

2. The direct object is typically the person or thing to which the action is done.

Question 3

Translate these sentences:

1. The wolf (Subject) eats (verb) the Grandmother (direct object).
2. Red Riding Hood (subject) had (verb) a Grandmother (direct object).
3. I (subject) bought (verb) a computer (direct object).

Answer 3

1. Der Wolf frisst die Großmutter.
2. Rotkäppchen hat eine Großmutter.
3. Ich kaufe einen Computer.

Question 4

What is the indirect object?

Order: Direct Vs Indirect?

Answer 4

This is typically the person who ‘benefits’ from the action in a sentence such as ‘Little Red Riding Hood takes a cake TO THE GRANDMOTHER’.

Rotkäppchen (subject) bringt (verb) der Großmutter (indirect object) einen Kuchen (direct object).

Question 5

Valency: Word order:

1. Mother is sleeping.
2. The engineer built the tunnel.
3. The student gave the CD to his friend.
4. She thanked the man for the video.

Answer 5

1. Mutter schläft.
2. Der Ingenieur baute den Tunnel (direct object).
3. Der Student gab seinem Freund (indirect object) die CD (direct object).

Question 6

What is a finite verb?

Answer 6

It is a verb that agrees with the subject.

E.g.
Schnee fällt.
Ich kam.
Der Film beginnt.
Sein großer Hund bellte.

Question 7

What is the accusative case?

Answer 7

It is used to show the direct object.

E.g.
Astrid kaufte EINEN ROMAN.
Der Mann schlug MICH.
Ich tötete DIE GIFTIGE SCHLANGE. I killed the poisonous snake.

Question 8

What is a dative object?

Answer 8

This is the indirect object- to me, etc.

They are typically benefiting from the action expressed by the verb.

Er verkaufte ANKE den BMW.
Sie gab HERR SCHMIDT das Geld.
Leihst du MIR deine Klamotten? (Will you lend me your clothes?)
Er zeigte DEM JUNGEN ARZT die Hand.

Question 9

A number of German verbs have no accusative object, but a single object in the dative case:

Answer 9

Der Papagei antwortete mir = The parrot answered to me.
Der Student half dem Mann = The student gave help to/helped the man.
Das Auto gehört meiner Kusine= The car belongs to my cousin.