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German grammar for dictation

The rules behind the mistakes learners make most often in German dictations, each with examples and the trap to avoid.

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Which German words start with a capital letter?

Every noun starts with a capital letter, even common ones: , , . Verbs, adjectives and most other words stay lowercase unless they begin a sentence. The polite and its forms and are capitalized too, and so are nouns made from other words, like .

  • Der Hund läuft durch den Garten.
  • Wir essen heute Abend Pizza.
  • Haben Sie Ihr Buch dabei?

The trap: If you can put , or before a word, it is a noun: write it with a capital.

When do I write ä, ö, ü and ß?

The two dots change the sound and often the meaning: means already, means beautiful. Plurals often add them: , . Write after a long vowel or a diphthong, as in and , and after a short vowel, as in and .

  • Die Äpfel sind schön und groß.
  • Wir sitzen draußen und trinken Wasser.
  • Ich mag Käse und Brötchen.

The trap: Never swap an umlaut for a plain vowel: and are two different words.

How do I tell das from dass and seit from seid?

is an article or a pronoun: you can replace it with or . is a conjunction that opens a clause after verbs like , and . is about time since a moment, while is the verb for : . means again and means against.

  • Ich weiß, dass das Wetter schön ist.
  • Seit gestern seid ihr wieder hier.
  • Er kommt nie wider Willen.

The trap: Try or in place of the word: if it fits, write ; if not, write .

How do adjective endings work in German?

An adjective before a noun takes an ending that shows the noun's gender, number and case: , , . After , or the ending is often or : , . An adjective after the noun, as in , takes no ending.

  • Der kleine Hund spielt mit einem roten Ball.
  • Wir kaufen eine frische Brezel.
  • Das Wetter ist heute schön.

The trap: Ask three questions: which gender, which case, which article? The ending follows from the answers.

How do I end a German verb?

The ending follows the subject: , , , , , . The past tense of regular verbs adds : , . The past participle usually starts with and ends in or : , .

  • Du lernst jeden Tag Deutsch.
  • Wir haben gestern lange gearbeitet.
  • Sie ist nach Hause gegangen.

The trap: and both take : , , but needs .

Where do commas go in a German sentence?

German sets off every subordinate clause with a comma, even a short one: The same holds for relative clauses and for many infinitives with . Before and joining two main clauses, a comma is optional. Quotation marks open low and close high: „Hallo“.

  • Ich glaube, dass es morgen regnet.
  • Der Mann, der dort steht, ist mein Onkel.
  • Ich habe keine Zeit, ins Kino zu gehen.

The trap: Spot the conjunction , , or : a comma comes right before it.