MATSEC SEC 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, not 8:30. 'Halb' points to the half hour before the stated hour, so 'halb neun' is 8:30.

Viertel vor / nach

'Viertel nach acht' is 8:15; 'Viertel vor acht' is 7:45. Maltese and English speakers must not translate 'quarter' word for word into the wrong direction.

einundzwanzig

The number 21. German states units before tens and joins them with 'und': ein-und-zwanzig. The same pattern gives zweiunddreißig (32) and neunundneunzig (99).

schon versus schön

Minimal pair distinguished by lip rounding. 'Schon' means already; 'schön' means beautiful or nice and uses the rounded ö vowel. Listening items often test this contrast.

Durchsage

A public announcement, typically at a station or airport. Announcements open with 'Achtung, eine Durchsage' and use imperative forms such as 'Bitte zurücktreten'.

doch

Particle answering a negative question affirmatively ('Kommst du nicht?' - 'Doch!') and also a flavour particle expressing contradiction or emphasis in statements.

Verb second rule

In a German main clause the finite verb occupies position two. If an adverbial starts the sentence, the subject moves behind the verb: 'Morgen fahre ich nach Hause.'

Verb final after weil

Subordinating conjunctions weil, dass, obwohl, wenn and als send the finite verb to the end of the clause: 'Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.'

ich-Laut and ach-Laut

Two pronunciations of written ch. After front vowels it is soft [ç] as in 'ich' and 'Milch'; after back vowels it is harsh [x] as in 'Buch' and 'Nacht'.

Perfekt with sein

The spoken past tense uses haben with most verbs, but sein with movement and state change: 'Ich bin gefahren', 'Sie ist aufgestanden', 'Wir sind geblieben'.

Modal verb word order

A modal in position two takes the personal ending, and the main infinitive goes to the end: 'Ich möchte einen Kaffee bestellen', 'Wir müssen jetzt gehen.'

Picture description opener

Standard phrase 'Auf dem Bild sehe ich …' followed by location words im Vordergrund, im Hintergrund, links, rechts, in der Mitte. Speculation uses 'Es könnte sein, dass …'.

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren

Formal letter opening used when the recipient's name is unknown. It is followed by a comma, and the next line starts with a lower-case word unless it is a noun.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Standard formal closing meaning 'with kind regards'. No comma follows it, and the signature goes on the next line. Informal equivalents are 'Viele Grüße' or 'Bis bald'.

deshalb and trotzdem

Connectors signalling logic. 'Deshalb' introduces a consequence (therefore), 'trotzdem' introduces a contrast (nevertheless). Recognising them resolves many reading inference items.

nur and kaum

Restricting adverbs meaning only and hardly. Their presence makes a text statement weaker than an absolute claim, so a 'always' option is usually false.

seit with present tense

'Seit' means since or for and takes the present tense in German where English uses the perfect: 'Ich wohne seit 2020 in Malta.' The dative case follows it.

Compound noun decoding

Long German nouns split into parts; gender and core meaning come from the last element. 'Die Haustür' is a door, feminine because 'die Tür' is feminine.

zu-infinitive construction

Structures like 'Ich habe vor, Deutsch zu lernen' or 'Es ist wichtig, früh zu buchen' place the zu-infinitive at the end of the clause.

Dative prepositions

The prepositions aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von and zu always take the dative: 'mit dem Bus', 'nach der Schule', 'seit einem Jahr'.

Adjective ending after ein

After ein/eine in the nominative, the adjective takes the strong ending matching the noun's gender: 'ein neues Haus', 'eine neue Idee', 'ein neuer Plan'.

Time before place

German orders adverbials as time, manner, place: 'Ich fahre morgen mit dem Zug nach Sliema.' Breaking the order is not always wrong but sounds marked.

Register consistency

A written text must keep one address form. Mixing 'du' and 'Sie' in the same email is a register error that examiners penalise in the writing paper.

Cover all content points

Writing tasks list bullet prompts that must all appear. Missing one costs content marks that outweigh small grammar errors, so tick each point in the plan.

Comma before aber and denn

Coordinating aber, denn and sondern take a comma before them but keep normal verb position, unlike weil or dass which send the verb to the end.

Negation with kein

'Kein' negates nouns with an indefinite or no article and takes the same endings as ein: 'Ich habe keine Zeit', 'Er hat keinen Bruder'. 'Nicht' negates verbs and adjectives.

Separable verbs

Verbs with prefixes such as auf-, an-, ein- split in main clauses: 'Ich stehe um sieben auf.' The prefix carries the stress and lands at the end of the clause.

Inversion after time phrase

When a sentence opens with a time or place expression, the verb stays in position two and the subject follows it: 'Am Montag geht sie ins Kino.'

Scanning for keywords

Reading technique where you locate the question's key noun or verb in the text first, then read only that sentence, rather than translating the whole passage.

Paraphrase trap

In reading and listening options, a word copied exactly from the text is often a distractor. Correct answers usually restate the idea in different words.

Formal request with Sie

Polite requests use 'Könnten Sie …?' or 'Würden Sie bitte …?' with the infinitive at the end. These structures score well in the speaking interaction section.

Word count tolerance

Writing tasks specify a range; staying within roughly ten percent of it signals adequate content. Far fewer words usually means a missing content point.