Simple sentences in German for beginners. Simple sentences in German. General rules for word order in a simple German sentence

In a simple German sentence, the subject always comes first, the predicate always comes second:

Der Lehrer kommt. - The teacher is coming.

Die Stunde beginnt. - Lesson begins.

If the predicate consists of a changeable (conjugated) part and an unchangeable (non-conjugated) part, then the always changeable part is in the second place in the sentence, and the unchangeable part is in the last one:

Der Morgen wird kalt. - The morning is getting chilly.

If the predicate is expressed by a verb with a separable prefix, then this prefix is ​​at the end of the sentence:

Der Schüler macht das Fenster auf... - The student opens a window.

A sentence that, in addition to the main ones, also has minor members of the sentence, is called a simple common sentence. In a German simple common sentence, the predicate or its variable part is, as in an uncirculated sentence, in second place, and the unchanging part is in the last, forming a frame within which the secondary members of the sentence or the subject with secondary members of the sentence can be located. A detachable prefix or an unchangeable predicate part can close the frame.

Der Herbst hat in diesem Jahr früher begonnen. - Autumn started earlier this year.

Das Konzert findet um 7 Uhr abends im Cafe statt. - The concert will take place at 7 pm in a cafe.

The subject can come before the predicate (or its variable part) or after it. Depending on the place of the subject in a simple common sentence, a direct and reverse word order is distinguished. In direct word order in German, the subject comes first. When the word order is reversed, in the first place is any minor member of the sentence (circumstance or addition), and the subject after the predicate. This word order is called inversion. Inversion is used in order to emphasize a particular member of the sentence, placing it in the first place.

Seit zehn Jahren steht der Koffer bei uns im Keller. - Already This suitcase has been in our basement for ten years.

If the offer contains additions, then their order is subject to strict rules.

The addition in the dative case precedes the addition in the accusative case if they are expressed by nouns:

Ich schenke den Damen die Blumen. - I give flowers to the ladies.

If one of the additions is expressed by a pronoun, then the pronoun appears immediately after the conjugated verb. Accusative pronouns precede pronouns or dative nouns:

Ich schenke ihnen die Blumen. - I give them flowers.

Ich schenke sie den Damen. - I give them to the ladies.

Ich schenke sieihnen. - I give them to them.

In case of inversion, pronouns in the accusative and dative cases immediately follow the conjugated part of the predicate. In this case, the subject expressed by the noun moves to fourth place:

Zum glück hat es ihm der Professor noch mal erklä rt. — Fortunately, the professor explained this to him again.

If the subject is expressed by a pronoun, then it remains in third place:

Zum glück hat er es ihm noch mal erklä rt. — Fortunately, he explained this to him again.

All of the above applies to reflexive pronouns:

Ich habe mir die Hände gewaschen. - I washed my hands.

Ich habe sie mir gewaschen. - I washed them.

Letzter Woche hat er sich gut erholt. “He had a good rest last week.

Letzter Woche hat sich mein Bruder gut erholt. “My brother had a good rest last week.

There are no hard and fast rules regarding the order of the other members of a sentence in German. But there are a number of rules governing the word order of a common simple sentence, violation of which, however, is not considered a gross mistake.

Usually circumstances in a German sentence are arranged relative to each other in the following order: temporary, reasons, course of action, places:

Sie ging heute früh wegen der Prüfung voller Furcht zur Schule. “She left early this morning for school full of fear.

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Narrative sentences in German contain a message, convey some information, assertion or denial of some facts. Narrative sentences, depending on the structure, are divided into simple uncommon sentences and simple general sentences.

A sentence that consists only of the main members of the sentence, that is, the subject and the predicate, is called a simple uncommon sentence.

One of the hallmarks of the grammatical structure of the German language is the word order in the sentence. In German, the place of individual members of a sentence is determined more strictly than in Russian. This primarily applies to the predicate and the subject.

In a simple German sentence, the subject always comes first, the predicate always comes second:

If the predicate consists of a changeable (conjugated) part and an unchangeable (non-conjugated) part, then the always changeable part is in the second place in the sentence, and the unchangeable part is in the last.

(ist, wird, bin - variable parts of the predicate, stand in 2nd place)

If the predicate is expressed by a verb with a separable prefix, then this prefix is ​​at the end of the sentence.

In a German simple common sentence, the predicate or its variable part stands, as in an uncirculated sentence, in second place, and the unchangeable part in the last, forming a frame within which the secondary members of the sentence or the subject with secondary members of the sentence can be located.

A detachable prefix or an unchangeable predicate part can close the frame.

The subject can come before the predicate (or its variable part) or after it. Depending on the place of the subject in a simple common sentence, a direct and reverse word order is distinguished.

In direct word order in German, the subject comes first:
• Sie arbeiten in einer Fabrik.
• Die Zeit vergeht schnell.

When the word order is reversed in a German sentence, any minor member of the sentence (circumstance or addition) comes first, and the subject after the predicate:
• In einer Fabrik arbeiten sie.
• Schnell vergeht die Zeit.

Word order in a declarative sentence in German

Simple, uncommon sentence in German

Simple common sentence in German

Direct word order in a German sentence

Reverse word order in a German sentence

A member of the proposal can be expressed in several words that answer the same question in the proposal and occupy one place.

You can understand what a German subordinate clause is by looking at the following diagram with an example:

As you can see, the subordinate clause can appear either before or after the main clause.

In the subordinate clause predicate is worth last... If the predicate is composite, then the conjugated part is in the very last place, and the unchangeable part is in front of it. The negation "nicht" comes before the predicate. Detachable attachments are not detachable. The subject is immediately behind the union.

You can see the word order in the German subordinate clause in this diagram:

Thus, it is very important to remember that the predicate is at the end of the predatory clause. The predicate is most often the verb. The immutable and conjugated parts appear when, for example, we have a modal verb. Ich kann kommen. kann is a conjugated part, kommen is an immutable part.

There are a few types of subordinate clauses... Below we give a table of the types of subordinate clauses, which includes introductory words (conjunctions, pronouns), followed by the above-described word order in the subordinate clause.

The main types of subordinate clauses:

1) Reasons:

Ich komme nicht, weil ich krank bin. I will not come because I am sick / sick.

Ich mache das Fenster auf, da es mir zu heiß ist. I will open the window because it’s too hot for me.

2) Objectives:

Ich lerne Deutsch, damit ich eine gute Arbeit finden kann. I am learning German so that I can find a good job.

Ich arbeite viel, damit meine Kinder alles haben. I work hard so that my children have everything.

If the characters in the main and subordinate clauses coincide, then you can use the turnover with um ... zu:

damit ich Deutsch lerne. I came to Germany to study German.

Ich bin nach Deutschland gekommen, um Deutsch zu lernen. I came to Germany to study German.

3) Conditions:

Wenn es morgen nicht regnet, gehen wir in die Berge. If it doesn't rain tomorrow, we'll go to the mountains.

Falls Sie Kinder haben, bekommen Sie eine Ermäßigung. In case you have children, you will receive a discount.

4) Time:

Wenn du nach Hause kommst, ruf mich bitte an. When you get home, please call me.

Während ich arbeite, sind meine Kinder im Kindergarten. While I work, my children are in kindergarten.

Als ich acht war, habe ich das Schwimmen gelernt. When I was eight years old I learned / learned to swim.

Seitdem ich in Moskau wohne, habe ich immer einen guten Job. Since I live in Moscow, I have always had a good job.

Wir haben noch eine Stunde Zeit, bis die Gäste kommen. We still have an hour before the guests arrive.

Sobald du fertig bist, fangen wir an. Once you're ready, we'll start.

Bevor ich einkaufen gehe, schreibe ich mir immer eine Einkaufsliste. Before I go shopping, I always write myself a shopping list.

Nachdem ich die Prüfung bestanden habe, kann ich mich erholen. After I have passed the exam, I can rest.

5) Places and directions:

Ich möchte wissen, wo wir sind. I would like to know where we are.

Ich weiß nicht, wohin dieser Weg führt. I don't know where this road leads.

6) Concessions:

Obwohl es regnet, gehe ich spazieren. Even though it is raining, I will go for a walk.

7) Comparisons:

Je mehr Geld ich verdiene, desto mehr Steuern muss ich bezahlen. The more money I make, the more taxes I have / have to pay.

Sie sprechen besser Deutsch, als wir erwartet haben. You speak German better than we expected.

8) Additional subordinate clause:

Man sagt, dass Benzin bald wieder teurer wird. They say that gasoline will soon rise in price again.

Können Sie mir bitte sagen, wie dieses Gerät funktioniert? Can you tell me how this device works?

Ich white noch nicht, ob ich morgen ins Schwimmbad gehe. I don't know yet if I'll go to the pool tomorrow.

9) Definitive clause:

Ich möchte einen Mann heiraten, der mich immer verstehen wird. I want to marry a man who will always understand me.

Ich möchte eine Frau heiraten, die mich nie betrügen wird. I want to marry a woman who will never cheat on me.

Ich möchte ein Kind haben, das mich niemals enttäuschen wird. I want to have a child who will never disappoint me.

Ich möchte diesen Film sehen, von dem alle sprechen. I would like to see this movie that everyone is talking about.

And here are those unions that DO NOT AFFECT by the word order of the sentence they enter:und, aber, denn, oder, sondern

The word order after these conjunctions is exactly the same as in the main sentence: the conjugated part of the predicate is in second place.

Er antwortete sicher, denn er hatte sich auf die Prufung gut vorbereitet.
He answered confidently, as he prepared well for the exam.

Ich habe keine Zeit, und ich gehe nicht zum Fußball.
I have no time and I will not go to football.

Exercise: Insert suitable conjunctions

1) ... du willst, begleite ich dich nach Hause.

2) Ich muss viel arbeiten, ... ich genug Geld habe.

3) ... ich krank bin, muss ich meine Arbeit erledigen.

4) Ich weiß nicht, ... wir machen sollen.

5) ... du das nicht machst, rede ich nicht mehr mit dir.

6) Ich gehe nach Hause, ... ich müde bin.

Hello dear friends! In order to build a beautiful, correct sentence and at the same time accurately express everything that you want to say, it is not enough to know the conjugation of verbs and the declension of nouns and adjectives, since the construction of a sentence in German has a number of its own characteristics that are not obvious to native speakers of Russian.

Germans love order and adhere to it in everything. This also applies to the language. Sentences in German are distinguished by their special order and strict structure. There are three types of word order in a German sentence:

1. straight
2. back
3. order for subordinate clauses

In an ordinary declarative sentence, direct word order is most often observed.

Meine Mutter bäckt den Kuchen... - My mom bakes a cake.

In direct word order, the subject comes first, followed by the verb, and then the object.

Reverse word order implies rotation of subject and circumstance. The subject leaves behind the predicate, followed by other members of the sentence. A circumstance (most often a place or time) comes to the fore.

• Heute muss ich kochen.- Today I need to cook.
• Bald kommt Herr Heinz.- Herr Heinz is coming soon.

Reverse word order is also possible in exclamation sentences:

• Bist du aber erwachsen! - Well, you grew up!
• Hat der vielleicht lange Haare! - Well, his hair is long!

If there is a modal verb, then the infinitive of the semantic verb goes to the end of the sentence
modal verbs: müssen, können, sollen, möchten, wollen

As soon as you use a modal verb, you should immediately remember that the second verb will go to the end:

Wir müssen ihm heute helfen. - We have to help him.

It's the same with the questions: Müssen wir ihm mit seinem Umzug nochmal helfen? - Should we help him with the move?

In addition, there is also a special word order - for subordinate clauses.

Compare:

• Er kommt heute spät nach Hause. - He's coming home late today.
• Ich white, dass er heute spät nach Hause kommt... - I know he's home late today will come.

And finally, the subordinate clause can appear at the beginning, before the main one:

• Оb er heute nach Hause kommt, weiß ich nicht. - Whether he will come home today, I do not know.
• Warum er heute spät nach Hause kommt, weiß ich nicht. - Why he comes home late today, I do not know.

Exercises with answers

Exercise 1. Arrange the words in the correct order to make a narrative sentence.

1. gehe / ich / ins Kino
2. Sie / Milch / kauft
3. spielen / wir / zusammen
4. bin / Anna / ich
5. er / Tom / heißt
6. in Russland / wir / wohnen

Exercise 2. Compose questions for the sentences from exercise 1.

Exercise 3. Make up negative sentences.

1. Ich liebe dich.
2. Sie trinkt Tee.
3. Wir sprechen Deutsch.
4. Er spielt Basketball.
5. Du bist stark.
6. Ich tanze gern.

Answers

Exercise 1:

1. Ich gehe ins Kino.
2. Sie kauft Milch.
3. Wir spielen zusammen.
4. Ich bin Anna.
5. Er heißt Tom.
6. Wir wohnen in Russland

Exercise 2:

1. Gehst du ins Kino?
2. Kauft sie Milch?
3. Spielen wir zusammen?
4. Bist du Anna?
5. Heißt er Tom?
6. Wohnen wir in Russland?

Exercise 3:

1. Ich liebe dich nicht.
2. Sie trinkt Tee nicht.
3. Wir sprechen Deutsch nicht.
4. Er spielt Basketball nicht.
5. Du bist stark nicht.
6. Ich tanze gern nicht.

When learning German, it is very important to learn how to write sentences correctly. Unlike Russian, sentence construction in German obeys strict rules, non-observance of which leads to the loss or distortion of meaning. Thus, in a simple declarative sentence, the predicate always comes second. If you take it to the beginning, the sentence is transformed into an interrogative or motivating one.

For example:

Sie kommen. They come.
Kommen Sie? Will you come?
Kommen Sie! Come!

Wir gehen nach Hause. We are going home.
Gehen wir nach Hause? We are going home?
Gehen wir nach Hause! Let's go home!

Note!

Incentive sentences (2 pp. And 2 pp.) Have other differences from narrative sentences. Interrogative sentences can * differ only in the location of the verb.

2L. units h
Du fährst nach Deutschland. You are going to Germany. (in a declarative sentence, the predicate is placed second)
Fährst du nach Deutschland? Are you going to Germany? (it differs from the declarative sentence only in the word order - the predicate is put in the 1st place)
Fahr nach Deutschland! Go to Germany! (there is no subject, the form of the verb does not match).

2L. plural
Ihr fahrt nach Deutschland. You are going to Germany. (predicate - second)
Fahrt ihr nach Deutschland? Are you going to Germany? (differs from the declarative sentence only in the word order - the predicate in the first place)
Fahrt nach Deutschland! Go to Germany! (no subject)

* In terms of syntax, interrogative sentences in German can be of two types:

• Without a question word when the predicate is placed in the first place, and the subject is in the second (we have considered examples of just such sentences above);
• With a question word when the question word comes first, followed by the predicate, and the subject in third place.

Leben Sie in Dresden? Do you live in Dresden?
Wo leben Sie? Where do you live? (wo? is a question word)

Read more about simple declarative, interrogative and motivating sentences in the article "German Grammar".

Types of sentences in German

There are several types of sentences in German. Consider the circuit:

Offer

• Simple
• Uncirculated
  no minor members (Ich lese. I read.)
• Common
  with minor members (Ich lese dieses Buch. I am reading this book.)
• Complex
• Compound

  1. Meine Freunde gehen ins Kino, aber ich
  bleibe zu Hause. My friends go to
  movie, but I stay at home.
  _____ ____ , aber _____ _____ .

  2. Es ist sehr kalt, darum gehe ich heute nicht
  spazieren. It's very cold so I don't go
  walk today (don't walk today).
  _____ _____ , darum ______ _____.

• Complicated
  

  Nachdem ich gegessen habe, trinke ich
  immer Kaffee. I always drink after eating
  coffee.

  Morgen gehen wir spazieren, wenn
  wir frei sind. Tomorrow we will go
  walk if we are free.

Compound sentences are called, consisting of several independent simple sentences, united by a common meaning. Connect such sentences with a comma or a compositional union / union word ( und- and, aber- but, oder- or, denn- because). In most cases, conjunctions do not affect the word order in a sentence (see example 1 in the diagram). However, there are conjunctions / union words that affect the word order in a compound sentence. These include: darum- therefore, deshalb- because, trotztdem- Despite this, also- hence others (example 2 in the diagram).

Complex sentences in German- these are complex sentences, consisting of two or more simple ones, one of which is the main one, and the rest are subordinate clauses. The main and subordinate clauses can be connected by subordinate unions ( wenn - if, weil- because, als- like others), as well as adverbs and pronouns ( welcher- which, warum- why, wohin- where, dass- as others.)

Teilen Sie bitte mit, wohin Sie gehen. Please let us know where you are going.
Ich hoffe, dass du kommst. I hope you come.
Wenn das Wetter gut ist, besucht er seine Oma. If the weather is good, he will visit his grandmother.

When learning German, you need to pay close attention to clauses and the order of the words in them. This will help to better understand native speakers, whose speech mostly consists of complex sentences. And if everything is quite simple with complex sentences, complex sentences often cause difficulties in learning.

Consider the order of words in a subordinate clause using an example:
Nachdemdie Mutter gegessen hat, trinkt sie gern Tee. After eating, my mother willingly drinks tea.

Nachdem die Mutter gegessen hat is a subordinate clause.

1. In the first place is always the union or union word. In this case, nachdem.
2. The variable part of the predicate (here - hat) is placed at the end of the subordinate clause.
3. The immutable part of the predicate is always in the penultimate place (gegessen).

In addition, it is necessary to remember the following features:

1. If there is a negation nicht in the subordinate clause, it always comes before the predicate.

Wenn die Mutter zu Mittag nicht gegessen hat, trinkt sie Tee. If Mom doesn't have lunch, she drinks tea.

1. The reflexive pronoun appears in the subordinate clause before the subject-noun, but after the subject, if it is expressed by a pronoun.

Ich möchte wissen, wofür du dich interessirt. I want to know what you are interested in.
Ich möchte wissen, wofür sich mein Freund interessiert. I want to know what my friend is interested in.

Word order in the subordinate clause. table