German A1 Complete Notes with Explanations
1. German Alphabet and Pronunciation
The German alphabet is similar to the English alphabet with 26 letters and 4 special characters: ae,
oe, ue, ss. These have unique sounds important in pronunciation.
ae - Pronounced like 'e' in 'bed'. Example: Maedchen (girl)
oe - Pronounced like 'i' in 'bird'. Example: schoen (beautiful)
ue - Pronounced like French 'u'. Example: ueber (over)
ss - Called 'Eszett' or 'sharp S'. Pronounced like 'ss'. Example: Strasse (street)
2. Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns are used to replace nouns and talk about people or things.
ich - I (first person singular)
du - you (informal singular)
er - he
sie - she or they depending on context
es - it
wir - we
ihr - you (informal plural)
Sie - you (formal singular/plural)
3. Verb 'sein' (to be) - Present Tense
'Sein' is one of the most important verbs in German. It means 'to be' and is used to describe people,
feelings, or situations.
ich bin - I am
du bist - you are (informal)
er/sie/es ist - he/she/it is
wir sind - we are
ihr seid - you (plural informal) are
sie/Sie sind - they/you (formal) are
4. Verb 'haben' (to have) - Present Tense
'Haben' is used to show possession or necessity. It is also used to form the perfect tense.
ich habe - I have
du hast - you have (informal)
er/sie/es hat - he/she/it has
wir haben - we have
ihr habt - you all have
sie/Sie haben - they/You (formal) have
5. W-Questions (W-Fragen)
These are used to ask open-ended questions (not yes/no). They start with a 'W' and are important
for everyday conversation.
Wie? - How?
Wo? - Where?
Was? - What?
Wer? - Who?
Wann? - When?
Warum? - Why?
Wohin? - To where?
6. Sentence Structure
German has a strict word order. In main clauses, the verb is always in the second position.
Ich lerne Deutsch. - Subject - Verb - Object: I learn German.
Lernst du Deutsch? - Question structure: Verb - Subject - Object.
Heute lerne ich Deutsch. - Time expression first, verb still in second position.
7. Negation with 'nicht' and 'kein'
'Nicht' is used to negate verbs or adjectives. 'Kein' is used to negate nouns with indefinite articles.
Ich bin nicht muede. - I am not tired. (negates adjective)
Ich habe kein Auto. - I don't have a car. (negates noun)
8. Modal Verbs
Modal verbs are used with another verb (at the end of the sentence) to express ability, necessity,
permission, or desire.
koennen - can/be able to
muessen - must/have to
duerfen - may/be allowed to
wollen - want to
Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. - I can speak German.
