JC German cheat sheet

JC German listening tasks are played twice; on the first pass note keywords and speaker roles, on the second confirm numbers, times, and negations.

German numbers above 20 are said units-before-tens with -und-: 25 = fünfundzwanzig; write digits immediately to avoid losing the thread.

Listen for the verb-final position in subordinate clauses (weil, dass, obwohl) as a marker that the main information is about to arrive.

Distinguish formal address (Sie) from informal (du/ihr) to identify the relationship between speakers and the register expected in the answer.

Common distractors: a speaker mentions a plan then rejects it with aber, eigentlich, or leider - the rejection is usually the correct answer.

Times use halb for half-to: halb acht = 7:30, not 8:30; Viertel nach acht = 8:15; Viertel vor acht = 7:45.

Separable verbs split in main clauses (ich stehe um sechs auf); listen for the stressed prefix at the end to confirm the meaning.

Umlauts change meaning and must be transcribed: schon/schön, Mutter/Mütter, zahlen/zählen.

Scan for the question's keyword first, then read the surrounding two sentences; JC texts rarely require full translation to answer.

Signal words for contrast (aber, jedoch, trotzdem, dennoch) usually introduce the sentence that decides the answer.

Negation traps: nicht, kein, nie, kaum, ohne - a statement can be true in content but false because of one negator.

Compound nouns take the gender of the final element: die Hausaufgabe, der Kindergarten, das Krankenhaus.

Recognize text types by layout cues: Anzeige (abbreviations, prices), Speisekarte (dish + price columns), Fahrplan (times + platform), Brief (salutation, closing).

Inference questions: eliminate options that add information absent from the text, even if plausible in real life.

Watch for the Konjunktiv II (würde, hätte, könnte) marking hypothetical or polite statements, not facts.

Match pronouns carefully: er/sie/es may refer to a noun two sentences back; track gender and number to resolve reference.

Formal letter opening: Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, or Sehr geehrte Frau X, - closing: Mit freundlichen Grüßen + name.

Informal letter opening: Liebe/Lieber + first name, - closing: Viele Grüße / Liebe Grüße + first name; no comma after the closing formula.

Main clause word order: subject + conjugated verb in position 2; if a time or place phrase opens the sentence, the verb still stays in position 2.

Subordinate clauses with weil, dass, wenn, obwohl send the conjugated verb to the end.

Perfect tense: haben/sein in position 2 + past participle at the end; sein is used with motion and state change (gehen, fahren, aufstehen, werden).

Connectors to raise band: zunächst, außerdem, deshalb, trotzdem, zum Schluss - each occupies position 1 and forces verb-second.

Check the four case endings on articles and adjectives before submitting; a correct idea with wrong endings loses marks.

Word-count tasks: plan roughly 4 paragraphs (introduction, two content points, closing) and reserve 3 minutes to proofread.

Picture description structure: Was sieht man? (foreground/background) → Details → Vermutung (Ich glaube, dass ... / Es könnte sein, dass ...).

Buy time with fillers that are still German: Also ..., Na ja ..., Moment mal ..., Das ist eine gute Frage.

Ask for clarification with Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen? or Was bedeutet ...? - this scores as interaction, not weakness.

Role-play: use Sie-forms consistently with adults (Könnten Sie mir helfen?), du-forms only with friends or family scenarios.

Pronunciation traps: z = ts (Zeit), w = v (was), v = f (Vater), s before vowel = z (sagen), -er final = [ɐ] (Vater).

Umlauts must be distinct: schon vs schön, Bruder vs Brüder; practice minimal pairs aloud before the exam.

For opinion tasks, state position, give one reason with weil, one example, and a closing phrase (Deshalb finde ich ...).

Avoid English switch; if a word is missing, paraphrase in German (ein Ort, wo man ... / ein Ding, mit dem man ...).

Definite articles by case: der/die/das (Nom.), den/die/das (Akk.), dem/der/dem (Dat.), des/der/des (Gen.).

Accusative prepositions: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis, entlang; dative prepositions: aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, gegenüber.

Two-way prepositions (in, an, auf, über, unter, vor, hinter, neben, zwischen) take Akkusativ for motion/direction and Dativ for location.

Modal verbs: ich kann/muss/darf, er kann/muss/darf (no -t in 1st/3rd person singular); the main verb goes to the infinitive at the end.

Separable verbs: prefix moves to the end in main clauses (aufstehen → ich stehe auf) but stays attached with zu + infinitive (aufzustehen) and in subordinate clauses (weil ich aufstehe).

Comparative: adjective + -er + als (schneller als); superlative with am + -sten (am schnellsten) or der/die/das + -ste.

Perfekt participles: regular ge-...-t (gemacht), strong ge-...-en (gesehen), verbs in -ieren take no ge- (studiert), inseparable prefixes take no ge- (verstanden).

Reflexive verbs take the accusative pronoun by default (ich freue mich) but dative when a direct object is present (ich wasche mir die Hände).

Vocabulary building: learn nouns with article and plural (der Tisch, -e), and verbs with case and preposition (warten auf + Akk.).

German formal address uses Sie + last name; first names and du are reserved for family, friends, students, and children.

Punctuality is a social expectation: arriving 5–10 minutes early is normal, and arriving late requires a brief apology (Entschuldigung, ich bin etwas spät).

Shops are typically closed on Sundays (Sonntagsruhe); plan purchases for Saturday.

Meals: das Frühstück (bread, cheese, cold cuts), das Mittagessen (main warm meal), das Abendessen (bread-based, kaltes Abendessen).

Recycling: Pfand on bottles (0.25 € or 0.08 € depending on type), returned via Pfandautomat; Gelber Sack for packaging, Biomüll for food waste.

School and work vocabulary: die Ausbildung (vocational training), das Praktikum (internship), die Bewerbung (application), das Zeugnis (certificate/report).

Regional greetings: Moin (north), Grüß Gott (south/Bavaria), Servus (Bavaria/Austria), Hallo (nationwide, informal).

Public transport: der Bahnsteig (platform), die Gleisnummer (track number), umsteigen (to change trains), die Fahrkarte entwerten (validate the ticket).