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Character Traits Part 1 💡 Today, let's recall adjectives that describe character traits. In this part, we will focus on adjectives that describe positive character traits: 📍 freundlich - friendly 📍 hilfsbereit - helpful 📍 kontaktfreudig - sociable 📍 zuverlässig - reliable 📍 rücksichtsvoll - considerate 📍 tapfer - brave 📍 ehrlich - honest 📍 vernünftig - sensible 📍 treu - loyal 📍 höflich - polite 📍 großzügig - generous 👉 Get your German Grammar freebies

📌 Dative Case Prepositions 🔍 ab - indicates a starting point in time: from / since / starting from • Starting next month, I will begin working. Ab dem nächsten Monat werde ich arbeiten. 🔍 aus - from • I come from England. Ich komme aus England. 🔍 außer - except for • Except for the dress, I bought nothing. Außer dem Kleid habe ich nichts gekauft. 🔍 bei - at / near / with • I live with my friends. Ich wohne bei meinen Freunden. Bei + dem ▶️ beim 🔍 nach - after / to • After school, I go home. Nach der Schule gehe ich nach Hause. 🔍 mit - with / by (with transport) • I am sitting with my sister. Ich sitze mit meiner Schwester. • I travel by car. Ich fahre mit dem Auto. 🔍 von - from / of • I just came from the dentist. Ich komme gerade vom Zahnarzt. Von + dem ▶️ vom 🔍 zu - to / towards • He goes to the class. Er geht zum Unterricht. Zu + der/dem ▶️ zur/zum 🔍 seit - since • We have been learning German for 1 month. Wir lernen Deutsch seit 1 Monat. 🔍 gegenüber - opposite / across from • The kiosk is located across from the school. Der Kiosk liegt gegenüber der Schule. 👉 Get your German Grammar freebies

How to Say "Sorry" in German 🤭 Many of you may know the most popular way to say this: Ich entschuldige mich — I apologize. However, this phrase is not the most correct, so here are the proper ways to apologize in German: 1️⃣ The most common, accepted, and neutral apologies use the verb (sich) entschuldigen and the noun die Entschuldigung. They can be used without limitations in any situation. 📌 (sich) entschuldigen — is a reflexive verb, meaning the action is returned to oneself. Literally, it translates to "I EXCUSE MYSELF" – which is incorrect since the person you're talking to should be the one excusing you, thus we provide the correct forms of apology: Examples: 🖇 Ich möchte mich bei Ihnen entschuldigen – I should apologize to you (the most polite form) 🖇 Entschuldigen Sie mich bitte! – Please excuse me! 🖇 Ich bitte um Entschuldigung! – I ask for forgiveness. 🖇 Entschuldigung! – Sorry! 🖇 Ich möchte um Entschuldigung bitten. – I would like to ask for forgiveness. 2️⃣ For deeper apologies, for significant actions or behaviors, it's customary to use the verb verzeihen and the noun die Verzeihung: Examples: 🖇 Verzeihung! – Excuse me! 🖇 Verzeihen Sie mir bitte! – Please excuse me! 🖇 Ich möchte um Verzeihung bitten. – I would like to ask for forgiveness. 🖇 Ich bitte um Verzeihung! – I ask for your forgiveness! 🖇 Verzeihen Sie meinen Fehler! – Forgive my mistake! ‼️For minor, incidental occurrences, the word Pardon! (My bad!) is used. This form of apology is only appropriate in informal communication. 3️⃣ Here are some more examples of expressions that are not quite standard, but are nonetheless commonly used: Examples: 🖇 Was habe ich da angerichtet/gemacht/getan! – What have I done! 🖇 Wie kann ich das wiedergutmachen? – How can I make amends? 🖇 Seien Sie mir nicht böse! – Don't be mad at me! 🖇 Es tut mir leid! – I'm sorry! 4️⃣ Finally, once the incident has occurred and apologies have been accepted, here's what you might hear in response: 🖇 Das macht nichts. – It's nothing. 🖇 Das war doch nicht so schlimm. – It wasn't that bad. 🖇 Kein Problem!/ Keine Frage!/ Kein Thema! – No problem./ No worries. 👉 Get your German Grammar freebies

The Bill 💶 Today, we're introducing vocabulary that will help you correctly request and pay the bill in a restaurant or cafe: 🍽 die Rechnung (-en) - the bill 🍽 bringen Sie mir bitte die Rechnung - please bring me the bill 🍽 die Rechnung, bitte - the bill, please 🍽 die Rechnung bezahlen - to pay the bill 🍽 ich möchte bezahlen - I would like to pay 🍽 per Karte - by card 🍽 in Bar - in cash 🍽 zusammen - together 🍽 getrennt - separately 🍽 das Trinkgeld - the tip 👉 Get your German Grammar freebies

🏟 German Letter S 📍A simple s represents the voiced sound z, like in the English word 'zeal': Hase, Dose. 📍It occurs at the beginning of words or syllables, can stand before a vowel or after a consonant, and also in combinations st and sp, which are pronounced as ʃt and ʃp: Stern, Sache, Käse. 📍Syllables nis, mus, and as at the end of words are always written with one s: Ärgernis, Organismus. 📍In some words, s stands at the very end and is therefore pronounced voicelessly. In such cases, we need to form the plural to see if the voiceless s turns into a voiced z. If voicing occurs, we can confidently write the word with one s: Maus maus → Mäuse mɔɪ̯zə, Haus haus → Häuser hɔɪ̯zɐ. Combination SS in German 📍Used after short vowels: 🔗The barrel was wet after the trip in the river. Das Fass war nass nach der Fahrt im Fluss. 🔗Everyone had to show their passport. Jeder musste seinen Pass vorzeigen. 🔗Just no stress! Nur kein Stress! 📍Words starting with mis usually have a doubled ss: Misstrauen, Missgunst, Misserfolg. 📍When writing in uppercase, always use ss instead of ß: 🔗ATTENTION! FIRING RANGE! ACHTUNG! SCHIESSÜBUNGSGELÄNDE! 🔗PRUSSIAN MUSEUM PREUSSISCHES MUSEUM ‼️ In German, there are two words that even native speakers confuse – the demonstrative pronoun and article das and the subordinating conjunction dass. If in a complex sentence you can mentally replace das with welches, then the word is written with one s: 🔗He bought a car that was fast and expensive. Er kaufte sich ein Auto, das schnell und teuer war. = Er kaufte sich ein Auto, welches schnell und teuer war. The conjunction dass with the combination ss is most often used with verbs of opinion, thought, feeling, and can be translated as "that": 🔗I think that it will rain today. Ich denke, dass es heute regnen wird. Letter ß (Eszett) 📍Written after long vowels: 🔗I forgot to greet him. Ich vergaß, ihn zu grüßen. 🔗In the family's lap, on foot across the street. Im Schoß der Familie, zu Fuß über die Straße. 📍Also after long umlauts: 🔗The bigger the prohibition, the sweeter the desire. Je größer das Verbot, desto süßer das Verlangen. 📍And after diphthongs. German diphthongs include combinations au, äu, eu, and ei: 🔗I know nothing about it. Ich weiß von nichts. 🔗He was beside himself with rage. Er war außer sich vor Wut. 🔗He expressed a hideous wish. Er äußerte einen scheußlichen Wunsch. ‼️ Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. For example, they include nouns that were formed from verbs written with one s: 🔗prove → the proof beweisen → der Beweis 🔗verify → the proof nachweisen → der Nachweis 👉 Get your German Grammar freebies

🌟 Gleich / jetzt / eben / gerade Today, we're exploring the difference between several adverbs that often translate similarly in English but carry distinct meanings in German: ✏️ gleich – a promise of immediate future action. ✏️ jetzt – a statement of the present. ✏️ eben translates as "just now" or "exactly," and is used to emphasize precision or inevitability. ✏️ gerade means "right now," "at that moment," or "just." 1️⃣ "Jetzt" and "gleich"Gleich always implies a future action, while jetzt refers to the present. Both may translate to "now" in English, but they differ in timing. Examples: 🔗 The water is boiling now – Wasser kocht jetzt. 🔗 The water will boil soon – Wasser kocht gleich. 🔗 We will get this done soon! – Das werden wir gleich haben! 🔗 Please close the door! – In a minute. – Mach bitte die Tür zu! – Gleich. 🔗 He is leaving now. – Er geht jetzt fort. 🔗 Are you satisfied now? – Bist du jetzt zufrieden? 2️⃣ "Eben" and "gerade"Eben is versatile, used to indicate something that has just occurred or to emphasize precision: 🔗 He was just here. – Er war eben noch hier. 🔗 He is entering right now. – Er tritt eben ein. Eben also means "exactly" or "just so" (similar to genau): 🔗 We prefer to go to the pool on Saturday. – Exactly! – Wir gehen lieber am Samstag ins Schwimmbad. – Eben! (Genau!) Or when negating: 🔗 This house is not exactly cheap. – Dieses Haus ist nicht eben billig. Gerade means "now," "at that moment," or "just then": 🔗 He was just at the cinema. – Er war gerade im Kino. 🔗 That lady just left. – Diese Frau ist gerade (=gerade eben) weggegangen. Gerade can also refer to a specific past moment, meaning "then" or "at that time": 🔗 The children were at the zoo then. – Die Kinder waren gerade im Zoo. Interestingly, German also has a compound variation – gerade eben ("just a moment ago"): 🔗 They were just outside. – Sie waren gerade eben draußen. 👉 Get your German Grammar freebies

📨 German Business Clichés 📨 Today, I'd like to share some clichés that can help you in business communications and simplify any negotiations: When you want to interject: 📍Entschuldigung, ich möchte dazu gern etwas sagen ... — "Excuse me, I would like to say something about this..." 📍Darf ich dazu etwas sagen? — "May I say something about this?" When you'd like to ask a question: 📍Eine Frage bitte — "Just one question, please..." 📍Darf ich eine Frage stellen? — "May I ask a question?" When you want to express doubt: 📍Ich glaube, ich habe das nicht ganz verstanden. Würden Sie das bitte noch mal wiederholen? — "I think I didn't quite understand that. Could you please repeat it?" 📍Wenn ich Sie richtig verstanden habe, meinen Sie, dass ... Ist das korrekt? — "If I understood you correctly, you mean that... Is that correct?" 📍Was verstehen Sie genau unter ...? — "What exactly do you mean by...?" To request information: 📍Können Sie mir sagen, ob...? — "Could you tell me if...?" 📍Ich wüsste gern, ob ... — "I would like to know if..." To express interest: 📍Wir sind an ... interessiert — "We are interested in..." 📍Es war interessant zu sehen/hören/erfahren, dass... — "It was interesting to see/hear/learn that..." Requesting a response: 📍Wir freuen uns auf Ihre baldige Antwort — "We look forward to your prompt reply" 📍Bitte nehmen Sie mit... Kontakt auf / Bitte kontaktieren Sie... — "Please get in touch with..." 📍Bitte antworten Sie möglichst umgehend — "Please respond as soon as possible" 👉 Get your German Grammar freebies

🥓 Expressions with "die Wurst" (sausage) 🥓 As the warm days of May arrive, it means that the picnic season is in full swing. Here’s a collection of expressions involving the word "sausage": 🥓 die Wurst (die Würste) — sausage 🥓 das Würstchen — small sausage, wiener 🥓 die geräucherte Wurst — smoked sausage 🥓 die Kochwurst — boiled sausage 🥓 die Leberwurst — liverwurst 🥓 die Wurstigkeit — indifference, nonchalance 🥓 das ist mir Wurst — I don't care, it doesn't matter to me 🥓 ist doch Wurst, was es kostet! — it doesn't matter how much it costs! 🥓 alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei! — everything has an end, only a sausage has two! 🥓 es geht um die Wurst! — it's crunch time; now or never! 🥓 Wurst wider Wurst — tit for tat Enjoy these quirky phrases and maybe try a few out at your next picnic! 👉 Get your German Grammar freebies

How to Greet and Say Goodbye in German? 🇩🇪 Today we're discussing formal and informal ways to greet and say goodbye, helping you navigate the rules of politeness and avoid awkward situations: 1️⃣ Greetings: ✋🏼 guten Morgen! - good morning! ✋🏼 guten Tag! - good day! ✋🏼 guten Abend! - good evening! These greetings are suitable for any situation, whether chatting with friends and acquaintances or in a business setting or store. If the situation is formal, you also add a title such as Herr / Frau: ✋🏼 Guten Abend, Herr Müller! - Good evening, Mr. Müller. There are also informal greeting options: ✋🏼 Hey / Hi, Monika! - hey, Monika! ✋🏼 Hallochen! - hey there! ✋🏼 Hallo! - hello! These are typically used with friends, family members, and acquaintances. However, "Hallo!" is also used in formal situations in Germany. Pay attention to how your interlocutor greets you. If you're unsure, it's safer to stick to formal greetings. 2️⃣ Farewells: 👋🏼 Auf Wiedersehen! - goodbye! 👋🏼 Bis bald! - see you soon! 👋🏼 Bis Montag! - see you Monday! 👋🏼 Ciao / Tschüss! - bye Note that the most popular farewell among Germans is "Tschüss!" This can be used in both formal and informal situations. 🤨 Improve your Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ & Genitiv knowledge by getting my freebie

Personal Pronouns in Accusative Case ✅ Let's review personal pronouns and how they change in the accusative case, with examples: ‼️Remember, the accusative case answers the questions "whom?" or "what?" 📍ich ➡️ mich Willst du mich morgen besuchen? - Do you want to visit me tomorrow? 📍du ➡️ dich Die Freunde haben dich zur Party eingeladen. - The friends invited you to the party. 📍er ➡️ ihn Mein Bruder ist krank und meine Mutter kümmert sich um ihn. - My brother is sick and my mother is taking care of him. 📍es ➡️ es Frau Müller hat nur ein Kind. Sie liebt es sehr. - Mrs. Müller has only one child. She loves it very much. 📍sie ➡️ sie Monika ist sehr klug, sie bekommt nur gute Noten in der Schule. - Monika is very smart, she only gets good grades at school. 📍wir ➡️ uns Dieser Mann kennt uns nicht. - This man doesn't know us. 📍ihr ➡️ euch Klaus und Erika wollen euch um Hilfe bitten. - Klaus and Erika want to ask you for help. 📍sie ➡️ sie Wir haben sie vor einem Jahr kennengelernt. - We met them a year ago. 📍Sie ➡️ Sie Wie heißen Sie? - What is your name? 👉 Get your 137+ German Prepositions freebie