JC German flashcards

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

halb acht

German clock time meaning 7:30, i.e. half an hour before eight. It does not mean 8:30; that would be halb neun. A frequent listening trap.

Viertel vor acht

Quarter to eight, i.e. 7:45. German uses vor for minutes before the hour and nach for minutes after: Viertel nach acht is 8:15.

fünfundzwanzig

The number 25. German states units before tens, joined by -und-: 21 einundzwanzig, 32 zweiunddreißig, 47 siebenundvierzig. Write digits at once when heard.

aber, jedoch, trotzdem

Contrast connectors. In listening and reading tasks the clause after one of these usually contains the decisive information, often correcting or rejecting what was said before.

Separable verb in main clause

The prefix moves to the end: Ich stehe um sechs Uhr auf. In listening, the stressed prefix arrives late and confirms the verb's meaning.

Sie versus du

Sie plus last name marks formal address between adults; du plus first name marks informal address among friends, family, students, and children. Register signals the relationship.

Signal words for contrast

aber, jedoch, dennoch, trotzdem, im Gegensatz dazu. They typically introduce the sentence that decides the correct answer in a reading comprehension item.

Negation traps in reading

Options can be true in content yet false because of nicht, kein, nie, kaum, or ohne. Check every negator against the text before choosing an answer.

Compound noun gender rule

A compound always takes the gender of its final element: die Hausaufgabe (die Aufgabe), der Kindergarten (der Garten), das Krankenhaus (das Haus).

Anzeige text type

A classified advertisement. Cues are abbreviations, prices, contact details, and short verbless phrases. Read for the service offered and the conditions attached.

Konjunktiv II markers

würde, hätte, wäre, könnte, müsste. They signal hypothetical, polite, or unreal statements, so they should not be read as reported facts.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Standard formal letter closing meaning 'with kind regards'. It is followed by a comma-free line with the full name, and it pairs with the opening Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren.

Viele Grüße

Informal letter or email closing meaning 'many greetings', used with friends and family. It pairs with an opening such as Liebe Anna or Hallo Tom.

Verb-second rule

In a main clause the conjugated verb stands in position 2. If a time or place phrase opens the sentence, the subject moves behind the verb: Am Montag fahre ich nach Berlin.

Verb-final in subordinate clauses

After weil, dass, wenn, obwohl, or als the conjugated verb goes to the end: Ich komme nicht, weil ich krank bin. This applies to written production and reading alike.

Perfekt with sein

The perfect tense uses sein instead of haben with verbs of motion and state change: ich bin gefahren, er ist aufgestanden, sie ist geworden. Others take haben.

Connectors: deshalb, außerdem, trotzdem

These adverbs occupy position 1 in a main clause and force the verb into position 2: Deshalb gehe ich heute nicht zur Schule. They raise coherence in written tasks.

Picture description structure

Describe foreground and background first, then details, then a hypothesis with Ich glaube, dass ... or Es könnte sein, dass ... This gives a clear, examinable structure.

Könnten Sie das wiederholen?

Polite request to repeat something, using the Sie-form and Konjunktiv II. Asking for clarification counts as interaction and is not penalized in the oral exam.

German z and w sounds

Written z is pronounced ts as in Zeit; written w is pronounced v as in was. Written v is often f as in Vater. Mixing these up affects intelligibility scores.

Final -er pronunciation

In final position -er is reduced to a vowel-like [ɐ]: Vater, Lehrer, Kinder. Pronouncing a full rolled r at the end sounds unnatural in standard German.

Paraphrasing strategy

When a word is missing, describe it in German: ein Ort, wo man ... or ein Ding, mit dem man ... This keeps the oral exam in the target language.

Accusative prepositions

durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis, entlang always take the accusative: für den Vater, ohne die Tasche, durch das Fenster. Memorize them as a fixed list.

Dative prepositions

aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, gegenüber always take the dative: mit dem Bus, nach der Schule, seit einem Jahr, bei den Eltern.

Two-way prepositions

in, an, auf, über, unter, vor, hinter, neben, zwischen take the accusative for direction or motion (in die Schule) and the dative for location (in der Schule).

Modal verb conjugation

Modal verbs take no ending in the first and third person singular: ich kann, er muss, sie darf. The main verb appears as an infinitive at the end of the clause.

Perfect participle without ge-

Verbs in -ieren and verbs with inseparable prefixes take no ge-: studiert, telefoniert, verstanden, besucht. Regular verbs otherwise form ge-...-t, strong verbs ge-...-en.

Comparative and superlative

Comparative: adjective + -er + als (schneller als ich). Superlative: am + -sten (am schnellsten) or der/die/das + -ste (der schnellste Zug).

Sie plus last name

Standard formal address between adults in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Use it with officials, teachers, shop staff, and new acquaintances until du is explicitly offered.

Sonntagsruhe

Sunday rest. Most shops, banks, and many services are closed on Sundays, so groceries and errands must be planned for Saturday or earlier.

Pfand system

A deposit on many bottles and cans, commonly 0.25 euro, refunded when returned at a Pfandautomat in the supermarket. The receipt is redeemed at the till.

die Bewerbung

A job or training application. Typical components are das Anschreiben (cover letter), der Lebenslauf (CV), and das Zeugnis (certificate or reference).