Državna Matura German cheat sheet

Task types on the exam: matching headings to paragraphs, multiple-choice detail questions, true/false/not stated, and short-answer questions in German or Croatian depending on the task instruction.

Read the task instruction first to confirm the answer language: some items require German words from the text, others require Croatian paraphrase.

For true/false/not stated items: 'false' means the text states the opposite; 'not stated' means the text is silent - absence of evidence is not proof of falsity.

Scan for the keyword in the question, then read the whole sentence plus the sentence before and after; German answers usually sit in a single clause with a connector (aber, obwohl, deshalb, trotzdem).

Watch for negation and hedging: nicht, kein, kaum, selten, nur, angeblich - a single negator reverses the correct option.

Distractor traps: options that repeat exact words from the text are often wrong; correct options usually paraphrase (erhöhen → steigern, verbieten → untersagen).

Matching headings: identify the paragraph's topic sentence (usually first or second sentence) and reject headings that describe only one detail of the paragraph.

Time allocation guide: roughly 1.5 minutes per item; mark uncertain items and return after completing the section.

Text types recur: Zeitungsartikel, Leserbrief, Anzeige, Blog, Statistik/Beschreibung - each has a predictable structure and register.

Typical format: short recordings played twice, with true/false, multiple-choice, or short-answer items; read the items during the pause before the first listening.

First listening: answer items you are sure of and note keywords; second listening: confirm or correct, focusing on numbers, names, and negations.

Numbers and prices are frequent distractors: a speaker often mentions two figures, and only one is the answer (e.g. corrected price, alternative date).

Listen for discourse markers that signal the answer: also, deshalb, eigentlich, allerdings, im Gegenteil, das heißt - they usually introduce the key information.

Distinguish speaker intention questions (Meinung, Absicht, Grund) from factual ones; intention answers require inference, not verbatim words.

Telephone messages and announcements follow a fixed order: who calls, reason, request, time/place, closing - use that order to locate answers.

If two options seem true, the question probably asks about the main point; choose the option covering the whole recording, not one detail.

Umlauts and vowel length change meaning: schon/schön, Stadt/Staat, fühlen/füllen - use context, not sound alone.

Case government to memorize: mit, nach, aus, zu, von, bei, seit → Dativ; durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis, entlang → Akkusativ; wegen, trotz, während, statt → Genitiv.

Two-way prepositions (in, an, auf, über, unter, vor, hinter, neben, zwischen) take Akkusativ for direction (Wohin?) and Dativ for position (Wo?).

Verb position rules: main clause verb is second (Position 2); after subordinating conjunctions (weil, dass, obwohl, wenn, als, damit) the finite verb goes last.

Perfect tense: haben with transitive and intransitive non-motion verbs; sein with motion/state-change verbs (gehen, fahren, kommen, aufstehen, sterben) and sein/bleiben/werden.

Passive: werden + Partizip II; agent with von (person) or durch (means); passive with modal verb = modal + Partizip II + werden (muss gemacht werden).

Adjective endings depend on three signals: article type (definite/indefinite/none), case, and gender/number - check the article first, then apply the ending table.

Konjunktiv II for polite requests and hypotheticals: würde + Infinitiv, hätte, wäre, könnte; use it after wenn in unreal conditions.

Relative pronouns follow the gender/number of the antecedent but the case required inside the relative clause.

Vocabulary traps: false friends (bekommen = receive, not become; Gift = poison; Rat = advice) and separable prefixes that change meaning (anfangen, aufhören, vorschlagen).

Two typical tasks: a short formal message (E-Mail/Brief: Anmeldung, Beschwerde, Anfrage) and a longer opinion or narrative text (Forumsbeitrag, Bericht, Erzählung).

Formal email frame: Anrede with comma (Sehr geehrte Frau X,), lowercase start of the next line, closing (Mit freundlichen Grüßen) with no comma after it, then name.

Informal frame: Liebe/Lieber …, Hallo …, closing Liebe Grüße / Bis bald; du-form throughout with matching possessives (dein, deine).

Cover every bullet point of the task instruction; each required content point must be identifiable - missing one costs content marks regardless of language quality.

Register consistency: do not mix Sie and du, and avoid colloquialisms (krass, echt) in formal texts.

Connectors raise coherence marks: zunächst, außerdem, darüber hinaus, allerdings, deshalb, zum Schluss - use them to link paragraphs.

Opinion structure: state position, give two reasons with examples, acknowledge the counter-argument (Einwand), then restate position.

Word-count instructions are binding: staying under the minimum loses marks; going far over wastes time and increases error count.

Reserve 3–4 minutes at the end to check verb position in subordinate clauses, adjective endings, and capitalization of nouns.

Common format: a short monologue on a given topic or picture, followed by a dialogue or discussion with the examiner; preparation time is short, so use a fixed structure.

Monologue structure: introduction (topic + relevance), 2–3 main points with examples, personal opinion, short conclusion.

Buy time naturally with fillers that are still correct German: also, nun ja, das ist eine gute Frage, ich würde sagen - avoid long silences.

Picture description order: what you see in the foreground, background, then interpretation of mood or message; use Präsens for description.

For opinion tasks, use graded phrases: Ich bin der Meinung, dass …; Ein wichtiges Argument dafür ist …; Andererseits …; Zusammenfassend würde ich sagen …

In the dialogue, answer the question first, then add a reason or example; asking the examiner a counter-question counts as interaction.

Pronunciation priorities: long vs short vowels, final devoicing (Tag → /taːk/), ich-/ach-Laut distinction, and correct word stress in internationalisms.

Self-correction is allowed and rewarded over silence: use also, genauer gesagt, ich meine … to repair a sentence.

Grammar accuracy targets at B2 level: subordinate clause verb-final, correct case after prepositions, and consistent tense (Perfekt in speech for past events).