Grammar Reference

Full accusative declension with all article types and personal pronouns

Can apply accusative endings to all article types

Full dative declension with all article types, pronouns, and dative verbs

Can apply dative endings and use dative verbs correctly

The genitive case for possession and certain prepositions

Can express possession and use genitive prepositions

Introduction to the accusative case

Can use the accusative case for direct objects

Mir tut der Kopf weh — dative with body parts

Can describe pain and body issues using dative

Converting between noun-heavy academic style (bei der Durchführung der Messung) and verbal style; when each register wins

I can convert fluently between nominal and verbal style and pick the right register.

The left-branching monster: die im Keller gefundenen, seit Jahren vermissten Akten; building, reading and unwinding into relative clauses

I can read, build and unwind extended participial attributes including the gerundive.

Relative clauses with relative pronouns in nominative and accusative

Can define people and things using relative clauses

Question words: wie, wo, woher, was, wer

Can ask basic questions about personal information

Relative clauses with dative and prepositional relative pronouns

Can form relative clauses with dative and prepositions

Embedded questions with ob and W-words

Can embed questions politely in longer sentences

How spoken German really builds sentences: weil/obwohl + V2, left dislocation (Der Peter, der...), Operator-Skopus, Abbruch and repair

I understand and use spoken-syntax patterns like weil + V2 and dislocation appropriately.

Adverbial participle clauses: In Eile gepackt, fehlte die Zahnbürste; Partizip I for simultaneity; the subject rule and fixed formulas

I can use adverbial participle clauses and their fixed formulas without dangling them.

Inside the verbal bracket: pronouns before nouns, TeKaMoLo for adverbials, definite before indefinite, and how focus bends the rules

I can order pronouns, objects and adverbials in the Mittelfeld and bend the rules for focus.

Paired connectors: sowohl...als auch, weder...noch, entweder...oder, etc.

Can use paired connectors for balanced sentence structures

Headless relatives: Wer zu spät kommt, den bestraft das Leben; the wer...der case matching; was after alles/nichts/das

I can build wer/was free relatives with the right case bridge and sentence-was.

Complex temporal clauses with precise time relationships

Can express precise time relationships with temporal clauses

Advanced cause, concession, and condition clauses with varied connectors

Can argue using cause, concession, and condition clauses

Breaking the bracket legally: comparisons after the verb (besser als gedacht), heavy phrases, spoken Ausklammerung; what may leave the frame

I know what may legally leave the verbal bracket and what must stay inside.

The es inventory: weather-es, Platzhalter-es (Es wurde getanzt), Korrelat-es (Ich hasse es, zu...), which es vanishes under inversion

I can tell the four es-types apart and apply the inversion test.

The upper-register connector shelf: gleichwohl, indes(sen), mithin, folglich, demnach, überdies, freilich; position and tone

I can deploy upper-register connectors with correct inversion and register fit.

Subordinate clauses with dass, wenn, and ob

Can form complex sentences with dass, wenn, and ob

Time-related connectors for sequencing events

Can sequence events using temporal connectors

The temporal-modal-place word order rule

Can order time, manner, and place correctly in sentences

Negating sentences with nicht

Can negate statements using nicht

Advanced connectors for cause and concession

Can express cause and concession with advanced connectors

Negating nouns with kein/keine/keinen

Can negate nouns using kein/keine

Basic connectors that don't change word order

Can connect simple sentences with und, aber, oder

Word order when time expressions come first

Can place time expressions correctly in sentences

There is/there are with accusative

Can describe what exists in a place using es gibt

Modal verb at position 2, infinitive at the end

Can build sentences with modal verb and final infinitive

Using es gibt for places and directions

Can give directions and describe places using es gibt

Subordinate clauses with weil — verb goes to end

Can give reasons using weil with verb-final order

German alphabet and key pronunciation rules

Can spell words and recognize German pronunciation patterns

The archaic layer alive in idioms and irony: adverbial genitives (des Nachts, eines Tages), gen, ob + Gen, dereinst, -e dative (im Walde)

I can recognize archaic forms, their idiom shelters and their ironic potential.

Reading bureaucratic German: zwecks, betreffs, vorbehaltlich, ist Folge zu leisten; the grammar of forms and notices; writing a Widerspruch

I can decode official notices and file a formally correct Widerspruch.

The compounding machine: head-right rule, Fugenelemente (-s-, -n-, -e-), nonce compounds, when to hyphenate, decoding monsters

I can build and decode compounds with correct heads, joints and hyphens.

Numbers from zero to ten

Can understand and use numbers in everyday situations

Where codified norm and live usage split: wegen dem, brauchen ohne zu, größer wie, gewinkt/gewunken, Konjunktiv decline, am + Superlativ + von

I know the live norm battles and read each variant's social signal.

Errors only natives make: das/dass, seid/seit, Standart, einzigste, Deppenapostroph (Anna's Imbiss), wie/als - system logic and social signal

I can spot native-speaker errors, explain their system logic and read their social signal.

Numbers from eleven to one hundred

Can understand and say numbers up to one hundred

Particle stacking and order: doch mal, ja auch, halt eben; regional halt/eben; irony via particles; the fixed combination order

I can stack modal particles in their fixed order and tune tone with them.

Turning verbs and adjectives into nouns

Can transform verbs and adjectives into nouns in formal style

Meaning through stress: ICH habe das nicht gesagt (six readings), particle scope (nur/auch/sogar), contrastive accent vs word order

I can move sentence stress to recolor German sentences and anchor particle scope.

The optional commas that change meaning: Infinitivgruppen rules, scharf nachdenken vs appositions, comma before und in complex rows, Gedankenstrich

I can place the meaning-bearing commas of Infinitivgruppen and appositions.

One message, five registers: Amtsdeutsch, academic, journalistic, colloquial, intimate; the signals (Konjunktiv, particles, Nominalstil) and seam control

I can recast one message across five German registers and switch without seams.

Pluricentric German grammar: ich bin gestanden (south), das E-Mail, Jänner, ß-loss in Switzerland, der/das Butter - variants, not errors

I can recognize Austrian and Swiss standard variants and adjust my expectations per country.

German word formation: compounds, prefixes, and suffixes

Can understand and create compound words and derivations

Review and consolidation for Goethe-Zertifikat B2

Can apply all B2 grammar in Goethe exam task formats

Review of all A2 grammar for Goethe-Zertifikat A2

Can apply all A2 grammar in Goethe exam task formats

Telling time officially and colloquially

Can ask for and tell the time in German

Large numbers and talking about prices

Can understand and use large numbers and prices

Months, seasons, and expressing dates

Can express months, seasons, and dates in German

German sentence intonation patterns and word stress rules

Can recognize and produce basic German intonation patterns for statements and questions

Simple past tense formation for regular (weak) verbs

Can narrate past events using regular simple past forms

Passive voice combined with modal verbs

Can combine passive voice with modal verbs in formal texts

Alternative constructions that express passive meaning without werden

Can use alternative passive constructions like lassen + sich

Simple past of irregular (strong) verbs with stem vowel changes

Can use irregular simple past forms in written narratives

Past perfect tense for events before another past event

Can express events that happened before other past events

Modals as evidence markers: er muss/dürfte/könnte/mag krank sein (degrees of certainty); er soll (hearsay) vs er will (his own claim)

I can grade certainty with modal verbs and mark hearsay and self-claims with soll/will.

Complete Konjunktiv II system including past and complex conditions

Can express complex unreal conditions in past and present

Conjugating regular verbs like heißen, kommen

Can introduce themselves using simple present tense verbs

Light-verb constructions of formal German: zur Verfügung stellen, in Betracht ziehen, Anwendung finden; passive-like and aspect effects

I can use core Funktionsverbgefüge with their fixed shapes and causative/inchoative pairs.

Konjunktiv I for reported speech in formal German

Can report speech formally using Konjunktiv I

Partizip I and II used as adjectives before nouns

Can understand and use extended participial attributes

Future tenses: werden + Infinitiv (I) and werden + Partizip II + haben/sein (II)

Can express future plans and completed future actions

Verbs with reflexive pronouns referring back to the subject

Can use reflexive verbs for daily routines and feelings

Present tense passive voice: werden + Partizip II

Can form and understand passive voice in present tense

Conjugation and usage of sein (to be)

Can describe people and things using the verb sein

Perfect tense with sein as auxiliary for movement and state-change verbs

Can choose sein or haben correctly in perfect tense

Past passive: wurde + Partizip II and ist + Partizip II + worden

Can describe past events using passive voice

Simple past tense of sein, haben, and modal verbs

Can narrate using simple past of sein, haben, and modals

Regular verb pattern with wohnen, spielen, lernen

Can talk about daily activities using regular verbs

Conjugation and usage of haben (to have)

Can express possession using the verb haben

Subjunctive II for polite requests, wishes, and unreal conditions

Can make polite requests and express wishes with Konj. II

The würde-construction for Konjunktiv II of most verbs

Can express hypothetical situations using würde + infinitive

Inseparable prefix verbs: be-, er-, ver-, ent-, emp-, ge-, miss-, zer-

Can use inseparable prefix verbs with correct meanings

Journalistic Konjunktiv I in full: backshift-free reporting, würde/Konjunktiv II as replacement when forms collide, tense layers (sei gewesen)

I can report in journalistic Konjunktiv I with the full replacement cascade.

Infinitive clauses with zu, um...zu, ohne...zu, statt...zu

Can form infinitive clauses with zu for purposes and conditions

The noble remnant: gedenken, bedürfen, sich erfreuen, beschuldigen, sich enthalten; legal and solemn registers

I can use the genitive verbs in their legal and ceremonial homes.

Verbs that require a specific preposition

Can use verbs with their required prepositions correctly

Verbs with stems ending in -t or -d need extra -e-

Can correctly conjugate verbs with -t/-d stems

Complete imperative forms for du, ihr, and Sie

Can give commands in all registers: du, ihr, and Sie

Verbs that take both a dative and accusative object

Can use verbs with both dative and accusative objects

Stem-changing verbs: fahren→fährt, lesen→liest

Can use common stem-changing verbs in conversation

Separable verbs: aufstehen, anfangen, einkaufen

Can use separable verbs to describe daily routines

Irregular conjugation of essen (to eat)

Can talk about eating using the irregular verb essen

Using möchten to express wishes politely

Can express polite wishes and requests with möchten

Separable verbs in shopping and daily contexts

Can use separable verbs in shopping and daily life

können for ability and possibility

Can express ability and ask for permission with können

müssen for obligation and necessity

Can express obligation and necessity with müssen

Formal commands: Gehen Sie! Nehmen Sie!

Can give formal instructions and commands

dürfen for permission and prohibition

Can express permission and prohibition with dürfen

Informal commands: Geh! Nimm! Lies!

Can give informal commands to friends and family

wollen for wishes and intentions

Can express wishes and intentions with wollen

Introduction to past tense with haben + Partizip II

Can talk about past events using the perfect tense

Perfect tense with regular verbs: ge- + stem + -t

Can form past participles of regular verbs correctly

Perfect tense with irregular verbs: ge- + stem + -en

Can use irregular past participles in conversation

Prepositions that always require the accusative case

Can use accusative prepositions für, durch, gegen, ohne

The formal preposition shelf: infolge, angesichts, anlässlich, zugunsten, mangels, seitens, anhand; Dativ encroachment (wegen, trotz)

I can deploy the formal genitive prepositions with correct case and meaning.

All prepositions that always require the dative case

Can use all dative prepositions in routine contexts

Two-way prepositions with full accusative/dative contrast

Can use all two-way prepositions with correct case

Prepositions with dative: in, an, auf, bei, mit

Can describe locations using basic dative prepositions

Two-way prepositions: accusative vs. dative

Can distinguish location and direction with two-way prepositions

Time prepositions: am, um, von...bis, im

Can talk about times and dates using am, um, im

Personal pronouns in nominative case

Can use personal pronouns to refer to people

Personal pronouns as direct objects in the accusative case

Can replace direct objects with accusative pronouns

Da(r)- and wo(r)- compounds for things with prepositional verbs

Can replace prepositional phrases with da(r)- and wo(r)-

This/that: dieser, diese, dieses

Can point out specific items using dieser/diese/dieses

Comparing things using comparative and superlative forms

Can compare things using comparative and superlative forms

Adjective endings after definite articles (der, die, das)

Can add correct adjective endings after definite articles

Adjective endings after indefinite articles (Type 2) and without articles (Type 3)

Can use adjective endings after indefinite and zero articles

Describing people: groß, klein, alt, jung

Can describe people using basic adjectives

Using color words as adjectives

Can describe objects using color adjectives

German grammatical gender and der/die/das

Can use der, die, das correctly with common nouns

Possessive articles mein/dein/sein/ihr

Can express possession using possessive articles

Small words (doch, ja, mal, eben, halt, eigentlich, denn) that add nuance

Can use modal particles to sound more natural in German

Days of the week and frequency adverbs

Can talk about weekly schedules and frequency

Expressing preferences with gern, lieber, am liebsten

Can express likes and preferences using gern/lieber

immer, oft, manchmal, selten, nie

Can describe how often things happen using adverbs

Masculine nouns that add -(e)n in all cases except nominative singular

Can decline weak masculine nouns in all cases

Basic plural formation patterns in German

Can form and recognize plural nouns in German

Professions used without articles after sein

Can state professions without articles after sein