TASC German flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Final devoicing

In German, voiced consonants b, d, g, s, v become voiceless at the end of a word or syllable, so Tag sounds like Tak and und like unt. Spelling stays unchanged.

ich-Laut vs ach-Laut

The letter ch is pronounced [ç] after front vowels and consonants (ich, Milch) and [x] after back vowels (Buch, Nacht). The vowel determines which sound you hear.

halb acht

This German time expression means 7:30, literally half to eight. German counts toward the coming hour, unlike English, which counts past the previous one.

Separable prefix stress

In verbs like anrufen, aufstehen, einkaufen the prefix is stressed and separates in main clauses: Ich stehe früh auf. The stressed syllable is a key listening cue.

Modal particles

Words like doch, mal, ja, halt, eben add tone rather than literal meaning. Komm doch mal her is a friendly invitation; intonation can make ja ironic.

Verb-second rule

In a German main clause the finite verb stands in position two. If an adverb or object begins the sentence, the subject follows the verb: Heute fahre ich.

Verb-final subordinate clauses

After conjunctions such as dass, weil, wenn, obwohl and in relative clauses, the finite verb moves to the end: Ich weiß, dass er morgen kommt.

Feminine noun endings

Nouns ending in -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -tion and most in -e are feminine and take die: die Zeitung, die Freiheit, die Möglichkeit, die Nation.

Compound noun head

In German compounds the last element determines gender and meaning: das Krankenhaus is neuter because Haus is neuter. Read compounds from right to left.

Passive with werden

The passive is formed with werden plus past participle: Das Haus wird gebaut. The agent uses von for people and durch for means or causes.

Definite article cases

Nominative der/die/das/die; accusative den/die/das/die; dative dem/der/dem/den; genitive des/der/des/der. Plural dative nouns add -n.

Two-way prepositions

in, an, auf, über, unter, vor, hinter, neben, zwischen take accusative for direction (ins Kino) and dative for location (im Kino).

Sein verbs in perfect

Verbs of motion or change of state plus sein, werden and bleiben form the perfect with sein: Ich bin gefahren, er ist geblieben, sie ist geworden.

Dative prepositions

mit, nach, bei, seit, von, zu and aus always take the dative: mit dem Auto, nach der Arbeit, bei meinen Eltern, seit einem Jahr.

Accusative prepositions

durch, für, gegen, ohne, um and bis always take the accusative: für den Vater, ohne einen Plan, gegen die Wand, um den Tisch.

Modal verb placement

In main clauses the modal verb sits in position two and the infinitive goes to the end: Ich muss heute arbeiten. In subordinate clauses both go to the end.

Formal letter opening

Address unknown recipients with Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, and known ones with Sehr geehrte Frau Müller, or Sehr geehrter Herr Schmidt,. Close with Mit freundlichen Grüßen.

ss versus ß

Write ß after long vowels and diphthongs (Straße, heißen, Fuß) and ss after short vowels (müssen, Fluss). Swiss German uses ss in all positions.

Noun capitalization

Every German noun is capitalized, including nominalized verbs and adjectives: das Lesen, das Gute, etwas Neues. Other words stay lowercase except sentence starts and names.

Essay structure

A short German essay uses Einleitung with a thesis, Hauptteil with two or three supported points, and Schluss with a conclusion. Connectors like zunächst, außerdem, zusammenfassend link parts.

Comma before subordinate clause

A comma separates a subordinate clause from the main clause: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. Relative and expanded infinitive clauses also take commas.

Siezen versus duzen

Use Sie with strangers, officials and most colleagues; use du with family, friends, students and children. The older or senior person normally offers the switch to du.

Punctuality norm

Arriving five to ten minutes early is expected in Germany for appointments and meetings. Being more than fifteen minutes late calls for a message and an apology.

DACH abbreviation

DACH stands for Deutschland, Österreich and Schweiz, the three main German-speaking countries. Each has its own standard vocabulary and pronunciation conventions.

Austrian German vocabulary

Austrian standard German uses Jänner for January, Erdapfel for potato, Sackerl for bag and Semmel for bread roll, differing from Germany's Januar, Kartoffel, Tüte, Brötchen.

Swiss German vocabulary

Swiss standard German uses Velo for bicycle, Natel for mobile phone, Trottoir for sidewalk and Glace for ice cream, and writes ss instead of ß.

Feierabend

Feierabend names the end of the working day and the evening free time after it. Germans often wish each other einen schönen Feierabend when leaving work.

Kaffee und Kuchen

This afternoon ritual, usually around three or four o'clock, pairs coffee with cake and is a common way to socialize with family, friends or neighbors.

Sunday closing

Most German shops close on Sundays, and many close Saturday afternoons. Sundays and evening hours are also protected quiet times, so loud noise is restricted.

Grüezi greeting

Grüezi is the polite Swiss German greeting used with strangers and in formal situations. Servus is common in southern Germany and Austria among acquaintances.

Herr Dr. Weber address

In formal German correspondence, include academic and professional titles with the surname and Sie-form: Sehr geehrter Herr Dr. Weber. First names alone are inappropriate.

German directness

Direct requests are normal and not hostile in German interaction. Adding bitte and using Konjunktiv II, as in Könnten Sie bitte …, makes a request polite.