German Simple Past (Präteritum): War, Hatte, Ging + 30 Verbs
The Präteritum is the German past tense of stories and writing. Learn when to use it instead of the Perfekt, the -te endings, the vowel changes and 30 must-know verbs.
Grammar
German Adjective Endings Made Simple: Charts & Shortcuts
German adjective endings made simple: when adjectives need an ending, full charts for der-words, ein-words and no article, five shortcuts and practice with answers.
Doch in German: Meaning, How to Use It & Doch vs Ja
Doch is the yes that contradicts a negative question, a written "but" and a particle that urges, reminds and insists. Here's every use, plus ja doch, doch noch and doch vs ja.
How to Say I Like in German: Gern vs Mögen vs Gefallen
Use gern with verbs, mögen with nouns, gefallen and schmecken with the dative, and möchte for I'd like. With a big comparison table, lieber, am liebsten and common mistakes.
Wissen vs Kennen vs Können: How to Say Know in German
Wissen is for facts, kennen for people, places and things you're familiar with, and können for languages and skills. With a decision table, conjugations, idioms and common mistakes.
Nicht vs Kein: German Negation Made Simple (+ Where Nicht Goes)
Use kein for nouns with ein or no article (kein Auto, keine Zeit) and nicht for everything else. Plus kein endings, where nicht goes, sondern, doch and nicht mehr.
Dass vs Das: When to Use Dass or Das in German (Easy Test)
Das is an article or a pronoun (das Haus; Das ist gut; das Haus, das ich kaufe), while dass is a conjunction that sends the verb to the end. One quick test tells them apart.
German Word Order: Verb-Second Rule, Verb at the End & TeKaMoLo
German word order in 7 rules: verb second, verb first in yes/no questions, verb last after weil and dass, the verb bracket, TeKaMoLo, object order and where nicht goes.
How to Be Polite in German: Würde, Könnte, Hätte gern & More
Sound polite in German with Konjunktiv II: Ich hätte gern, Könnten Sie, Würden Sie and Dürfte ich, plus softening words, Sie vs. du, polite refusals and dialogues.
Obwohl vs Trotzdem vs Dennoch: Although in German (+ Word Order)
Obwohl means although and sends the verb to the end, while trotzdem and dennoch mean nevertheless and take the verb right after them. Allerdings, trotz and sondern are covered too.
German Plural Rules: How to Make Plurals in German
German nouns form plurals in five ways: -e, -(e)n, -er, -s or no ending, often with an umlaut. Learn which nouns take which ending, how reliable each pattern is, and the exceptions.
German Accusative Prepositions: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um
The German accusative prepositions durch, für, gegen, ohne and um (plus bis and entlang) with meanings, examples, endings, contractions and the DOGFU memory trick.
Haben or Sein? German Perfect Tense (Perfekt) Rules + 30 Verbs
Most verbs form the German Perfekt with haben. Use sein for movement from A to B, a change of state, and sein, bleiben and passieren. Rules, tricky cases and 30 verbs.
Common German Mistakes English Speakers Make (+ False Friends)
Why 'Ich bin heiß' gets laughs and 'Ich will' doesn't mean 'I will': 15 common German mistakes English speakers make, plus the false friends to watch out for.
German Two-Way Prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen) Explained
The nine German two-way prepositions (an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen): when they take the accusative or dative, with verb pairs and examples.
Wenn vs Als vs Ob vs Wann: How to Say When and If in German
Als for one past event, wenn for whenever, now, later and if, ob for whether, and wann for questions: a quick decision table, clear examples and common mistakes.
Der, Die, Das Rules: How to Guess German Noun Gender
No single rule tells you if a German noun is der, die or das, but endings, meaning and compounds give strong clues. Here are the rules, how reliable each is, and the exceptions.
In My Opinion in German: Meiner Meinung nach, Ich finde & More
How to give your opinion in German: meiner Meinung nach, ich finde vs. ich denke vs. ich glaube, the word order rules, and phrases to agree and disagree politely.
German Verbs with Prepositions: 40 Must-Know Combinations
The 40 most useful German verbs with prepositions, from warten auf to sich freuen über, with their cases, example sentences and how to use worauf and darauf.
German Dative Prepositions: aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu
The nine German dative prepositions (aus, außer, bei, gegenüber, mit, nach, seit, von, zu) with meanings, examples, dative endings, contractions and a memory trick.
German Question Words: How to Ask Questions in German (Complete Guide)
Asking questions is essential in any language. Whether you're ordering food, asking for directions, or having a conversation - you need to know how to ask questions in German. German question words are called W-Fragen (W-questions)...
German Time Prepositions: Am, Um, Im, In, Vor, Nach (Complete Guide)
One of the trickiest parts of German for beginners is knowing which preposition to use when talking about time. Should you say 'am Montag' or 'an Montag'? This guide will clear up all the confusion...
Weil vs Denn vs Deshalb: German Connectors Explained (+ Word Order)
Confused about when to use weil, denn, or deshalb? This guide breaks down the key differences between German causal connectors, including word order rules, common mistakes, and real-life examples.
German Modal Verbs Explained (A1): How to Use Können, Müssen, Dürfen & More
Modal verbs are the 'cheat code' to speaking German fast. Learn all 6 Modalverben (können, müssen, wollen, sollen, dürfen, mögen), their conjugations, word order rules, and common mistakes to avoid.