Deutsch als Fremdsprache

Trennbare Verben und Gegenteile

Roslyn Green Deutsch als Fremdsprache, German as a Foreign Language, Grammar, Quizzes, Verbs , , ,

Published in December 2022 by Roslyn Green

Learning Separable Verbs as Opposites ↔

Many of the verbs below have multiple meanings. The examples focus only on the meaning that represents a precise opposite of the other verb. This list includes some commonly used and practical choices, but it is far from comprehensive.

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Bildlexikon
Related Page: Separable Verbs
Related Page: A Day of Separable Verbs

Quiz 1: Separable Verbs as Opposites

Quiz 2: Trennbare Verben und Gegenteile

Bildlexikon und Beispiele | Picture Dictionary and Examples

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

aufwachen → to wake up

Am Wochenende wache ich früh auf, obwohl ich gern länger schlafen würde. – I wake up early at the weekend, although I’d like to sleep longer.

einschlafen → to fall asleep

Mein Mann schläft sehr schnell ein, während ich wach bleibe und über alles nachdenke. – My husband falls asleep very quickly while I stay awake thinking about everything.

Image by 👀 Mabel Amber, who will one day from Pixabay

sich anziehen → to get dressed

Sie zieht sich immer elegant an. – She always dresses elegantly.

(sich) ausziehen → to get undressed

Zieh dir die Stiefel aus, die sind voller Schlamm. – Take off your boots, they’re covered with mud.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

anmachen → to turn on

Kannst du die Lampe💡 anmachen? Ich brauche mehr Licht zum Lesen. – Can you turn on the lamp? I need more light to read.

anschalten → to switch on

ausmachen → to turn off

Sie machte den Fernseher 📺 aus, weil sie die Reality-Show langweilig fand. – She turned off the TV because she found the reality show dull.

ausschalten → to switch off

Image by RD Law from Pixabay

aufmachen → to open

Ich habe das Fenster aufgemacht, denn wir brauchen frische Luft in diesem muffigen Raum. – I’ve opened the window because we need fresh air in this musty room.

zumachen → to close

Mach bitte die Tür 🚪 zu, mir ist kalt. – Please close the door, I feel cold.

Image by Kristijan Puljek from Pixabay

anfangen → to begin

Vor zehn Jahren habe ich angefangen, Deutsch zu lernen. – Ten years ago, I began to learn German.

aufhören → to stop

Ein Freund von mir versucht, mit dem Rauchen aufzuhören. – A friend of mine is trying to stop smoking.

Image by kalhh from Pixabay

einziehen → to move in

Unsere Tochter möchte bei ihren Freundinnen einziehen. – Our daughter would like to move in with her girlfriends.

ausziehen → to move out

Er will aus diesem Haus ausziehen. → He wants to move out of this house.

Image by Chu Viết Đôn from Pixabay

aufsteigen → to mount, get on

Die Frauen werden bald auf ihre Fahrräder aufsteigen und nach Hause fahren. – The women will soon get on their bikes and ride home.

absteigen → to dismount, get off

Steig von deinem Fahrrad ab. Auf dieser Brücke darfst du nicht fahren. → Get off your bike. You’re not allowed to ride on this bridge.

Image by 👀 Mabel Amber, who will one day from Pixabay

herkommen → to come (towards the speaker)

Komm mal her zu mir! – Come here!

Also used to ask about origins: Wo kommst du her? – Where do you come from?

weggehen → to go away (from the speaker)

Geh weg, lass mich in Ruhe! – Go away, leave me alone / in peace.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

zunehmen → to put on weight

Während des Lockdowns habe ich drei Kilogramm zugenommen. – During the lockdown I gained three kilograms.

abnehmen → to lose weight

Jetzt möchte ich ein paar Kilo abnehmen und fit werden. – Now I’d like to lose a few kilos and get fit.

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

glattgehen → to go smoothly

Die ganze Reise ist glattgegangen. Der Reiseführer war einfach genial. – The whole trip went smoothly. The guide was simply brilliant.

schiefgehen → to go wrong

Bei uns ist alles schiefgegangen. Nichts ist ausgegangen, wie wir es geplant hatten. – Everything went wrong for us. Nothing turned out as we had planned.

Image by AC works Co., Ltd. from Pixabay

absagen → to cancel, call off or turn down

Zuerst wollte sie auf die Feier kommen, aber dann hat sie abgesagt. – At first she wanted to come to the party, but then she cancelled.

zusagen → to accept an invitation or offer

Ich habe fünf Freunde eingeladen und vier haben schon zugesagt. – I have invited five friends and four have already accepted.

Image by victoraf from Pixabay

einsteigen → to board, get on

Es war schwierig, mit so viel Gepäck einzusteigen. – It was difficult to board with so much luggage.

aussteigen → to get out or off, disembark

Das ist die Haltestelle, wo ich aussteige. – This is the stop where I get off.

Note: The verb aussteigen can also mean “to opt out” of something or to reject mainstream society and try something new.

Image by bhossfeld from Pixabay

aufbauen → to set up, build or assemble

Die Teenager können das Zelt in zwölf Minuten aufbauen.

abbauen → to dismantle, take down

Früh am Morgen haben sie das Zelt abgebaut. – Early in the morning, they dismantled the tent.

Note: This verb also has important figurative meanings: Stress abbauen – to relieve stress; Vorurteile abbauen – to break down prejudices, etc.

Image by 👀 Mabel Amber, who will one day from Pixabay

aufsetzen → to put on (a hat, glasses, etc.)

Die junge Frau setzt immer einen Strohhut und eine Sonnenbrille auf, bevor sie am Strand spazieren geht. – The young woman always puts on a straw hat and sunglasses before going for a walk at the beach.

absetzen → to take off (a hat, glasses, etc.)

Der alte Mann vergaß vor dem Einschlafen, seine Brille abzusetzen*. – The old man forgot to take off his glasses before falling asleep.

*The verb abnehmen is also possible in this context.

Image by n-kukova from Pixabay

sich einmischen → to interfere, to meddle, butt in

Mein Stiefvater hat sich in unseren Streit eingemischt, was mich genervt hat. – My stepfather got involved in our argument, which annoyed me.

sich raushalten → to stay out of something, avoid interfering

Ich wollte ihm sagen: „Es geht dich nicht an, halt dich da raus!” – I wanted to say to him, “It’s none of your business, stay out of it!”

Image by n-kukova from Pixabay

losfahren → to drive off, away

Meine Schwester ist gerade losgefahren. – My sister has just driven off / left.

anhalten → to pull up (in a car), stop

Der Autofahrer musste an der Ampel anhalten. – The driver had to stop at the light.

Quizzes

Quiz: Separable Verbs as Opposites

Choose the correct verb or prefix in a range of sentences based on the examples above. Fix these pesky separable verbs in your memory for ever.

Quiz: Trennbare Verben und Gegenteile

Type the missing words in sentences that include 8 pairs of the verbs above. Click on the help lightbulb to read the vocabulary list.

Separable Verbs ✂️

Roslyn Green Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Grammar, Verbs, Vocabulary , , ,

Detachable Verbs: A Gentle Introduction

Published by Roslyn Green in December 2022

Recommended Video
Verb Shortlist
Quizzes
Related Page: A Day of Separable Verbs
Related Page: Separable Opposites

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

One Entity or Two

Just like a cup and saucer, the two parts of a German separable verb can appear as one entity or they can be detached and work as two separate parts. The dictionary entry is under the whole verb.

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

  • Tee zubereiten – prepare tea
  • die Kerzen ausblasen – blow out the candles
  • den Kuchen aufessen – eat up the whole cake
  • die Tasse und Untertasse abwaschen – wash up the cup and saucer

Separable Verbs in the Present Tense

In a present tense sentence, the base verb is conjugated and placed second, while the detachable prefix is sent to the end of the sentence.

Sentence Patterns

Key: conjugated base verb ♦ detachable prefix

  • mitkommen – to come along: Ich komme gern mit. – I’d like to come along.
  • aufmachen – to open: Er macht die Tür auf. – He is opening the door.
  • aussehen – to look, appear: Du siehst hübsch aus. – You look lovely / pretty.
  • anfangen – to begin: Im Januar fängt sie ein neues Studium an. – In January she is starting a new course.

Image by Aline Dassel from Pixabay

Four Types of Sentences

vorlesen → to read aloud, read out

Present: Die Großmutter liest die Geschichte vor. → The grandmother reads out the story.

Future: Die Großmutter wird die Geschichte vorlesen. → The grandmother will read the story.

Add a Modal Verb: Die Großmutter möchte die Geschichte vorlesen. → The grandmother would like to read out the story.

Perfect Tense: Die Großmutter hat die Geschichte vorgelesen. → The grandmother (has) read out the story.

Image by Daniel Hannah from Pixabay

One Base Verb, Many Meanings

Base Verb: sehen – to see

The same base verb can have many separable prefixes. Here are just a few examples with sehen:

  • ansehen → to look at
  • aussehen → to look/appear
  • absehen → to foresee
  • fernsehen → to watch TV
  • hochsehen → to look up

Image by Petra from Pixabay

One Prefix, Many Meanings

Prefix: durch – through

The same prefix can be used to create many detachable verbs:

  • durchblättern – to leaf through, turn over pages  
  • durcharbeiten – to work through something, go through it thoroughly
  • durchdenken – to think something through, think something over
  • durchhalten – to hold on, stick it out, persevere

A Highly Recommended Video

Video: Trennbare Verben | Separable Verbs

Inap from Deutsch mit Inap provides a very clear introduction to separable verbs, working through many useful examples.

Thirty Useful Separable Verbs: A Shortlist

abfahren – to depart
wegfahren – to go, drive away
aufmachen – to open
zumachen – to close
Bilbo macht die Tür zu.
ausgehen – to go out
mitkommen – to come along
anmachen – to turn on
ausmachen – to turn off
  • abfahren – to depart (vowel-changer: Der Bus fährt bald up)
  • abholen – to fetch, to pick up
  • absetzen – to drop off
  • anfangen – to begin (vowel-changer: Du fängst mit dem Essen an; er/sie/es fängt an)
  • ankommen – to arrive
  • anmachen – to turn on
  • anrufen – to ring up
  • (sich) anziehen – to get dressed
  • aufhören – to stop
  • aufmachen – to open
  • aufräumen – to tidy up
  • aufstehen – to get up, to stand up
  • ausgehen – to go out
  • ausmachen – to turn off
  • aussehen – to look like, appear (vowel-changer: du siehst toll aus)
  • (sich) ausziehen – to undress
  • einkaufen – to shop, go shopping
  • einladen – to invite (vowel-changer: Wen lädst du zu deiner Party ein?)
  • glattgehen – to got smoothly, to go off without a hitch
  • mitbringen – to bring along
  • mitkommen – to come along
  • mitmachen – to take part, to participate, work together
  • schiefgehen – to go wrong (literally: to go crooked)
  • vorbereiten – to prepare
  • vorschlagen – to suggest (vowel-changer: Was schlägst du vor?)
  • wegfahren – to go away, drive away (vowel-changer: Fährst du in den Ferien weg?)
  • zubereiten – to prepare food
  • zumachen – to close
  • zurückbringen – to bring back
  • zurückkommen – to come back, to return

Quizzes

Drag and Drop Quiz: Separable Verbs in Present Tense Sentences

Construct present tense sentences by dragging and dropping words into the right spaces.

This quiz is based on the examples on the page titled A Day of Separable Verbs.

This Quiz as a PDF Worksheet: A Day of Separable Verbs

Quiz: Using Separable Verbs in Sentences About Appearance and Personality

Practise using separable verbs in present tense and perfect tense sentences as well as in sentences containing a modal verb.

Quiz: Trennbare Verben: Ein kurzer Überblick | Separable Verbs: A Brief Overview

This is a simple multiple choice quiz with examples to clarify how separable verbs work in various types of sentences.

Page Picture Acknowledgements:

COVID-19: A-Z 🦠

Roslyn Green A-Z, Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Quizzes, Vocabulary, Wortschatz , , , , ,

Published by Roslyn Green in December 2022

Talking about COVID-19 in German

Public domain picture of virus provided by CDC

When a world-changing event such as the Covid-19 pandemic takes place, speakers and writers naturally coin new words and word combinations. For a language nerd like me, their choices are intriguing.

The Germans, for instance, coopted the word Lockdown and made it masculine. On their children’s program, Die Sendung mit der Maus, there was a discussion about whether the word Virus is masculine or neuter. The answer was that it can be either, but never feminine. Now there’s one issue that the English-speaking world never has to consider. Jump to links and videos to find out more about Covid-19 in Germany and its impact on the German language.

But first, in the Bildlexikon below I’ve collected some essential wording for talking about life after the world changed.

Roslyn Green, November 2022

Jump to Quizzes
Jump to Links and Videos

Bildlexikon: Die Pandemie

Masculine Nouns ♦ Feminine Nouns ♦ Neuter Nouns ♦ Plural Nouns ♦ Verbs ♦ Adjectives

  • die Ansteckung – infection
  • sich anstecken – to be infected
  • ansteckend – infectious

Public domain picture from CDC

Ich habe mich mit dem Virus angesteckt.

→ I have caught or been infected with the virus.

Abstand halten – to keep one’s distance, to socially distance

Photo from Broken Hill, Australia

Wenn man einen Abstand von 1,5 Metern zu anderen Menschen hält, senkt das Risiko von einer Ansteckung mit Covid-19.

→ Keeping a distance of 1.5 metres from other people reduces the risk of contracting covid-19.

das Beatmungsgerät – respirator, ventilator | die (künstliche) Beatmung – artificial respiration

Schwerkranke Patienten benötigen möglicherweise eine künstliche Beatmung, um Sauerstoff zu bekommen und atmen zu können.

→ Seriously ill patients may require artificial respiration in order to gain oxygen and be able to breathe.

das neue Coronavirus – the novel coronavirus

Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay

Das Wort „Corona” stammt aus dem Lateinischen und bedeutet „Kranz” oder „Krone”.

→ The word Corona is derived from Latin and means “wreath” or “crown”.

die Dunkelziffer – number of unreported cases

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Die Dunkelziffer ist wahrscheinlich hoch, wenn der Anteil der positiven Tests mehr als 10% beträgt.

→ The number of unreported cases is probably high when the proportion of positive tests is more than 10%.

  • die Erkrankung – illness, disease, see also Krankheit
  • erkranken – to fall ill

Image by Aart Beijeman from Pixabay

Im Allgemeinen erkranken ältere Menschen schwerer an Covid-19 als jüngere Menschen.

→ In general, older people become more severely ill with Covid-19 than younger people.

  • der Fall (die Fälle) – case(s)
  • die Fallzahlen – case numbers

Image by Vinzenz Lorenz M from Pixabay

Wenn eine neue Covid-Variante entsteht, steigen oft die Fallzahlen wieder an.

→ When a new Covid variant emerges, the case numbers often rise.

der Fernunterricht – distance learning, learning from home

Image by Hatice EROL from Pixabay

In vielen Ländern waren die Schulen für eine Weile geschlossen. Viele Kinder haben durch Fernunterricht gelernt.

→ In many countries, the schools were closed for a while. Many children learned from home.

  • die Gesundheit – health
  • wieder gesund werden – to get better

Image by Silvia from Pixabay

Ich hoffe, du wirst bald wieder gesund.

→ I hope you get better soon.

  • die Halsschmerzen – sore throat
  • der Husten n. – cough
  • husten v.– to cough

Image by Ri Butov from Pixabay

Häufige Symptome einer Ansteckung mit Covid-19 sind Halsschmerzen und Husten.

→ Common symptoms of an infection with Covid-19 are a sore throat and a cough.

das Handdesinfektionsmittel – hand sanitiser

das Desinfektionsmittel – sanitiser

Handdesinfektionsmittel sind vor allem nützlich, wenn man unterwegs ist und sich die Hände nicht leicht waschen kann.

→ Hand sanitiser is especially useful when you are out and about and cannot easily wash your hands.

  • die Impfung – vaccination
  • die Impfpflicht – requirement to be vaccinated
  • impfen – to vaccinate
  • geimpft werden – to be vaccinated

Image by Silvia from Pixabay

Ich bin froh, dass ich meine Corona-Impfung endlich bekommen habe.

→ I’m glad that I’ve finally had my vaccination.

  • sich infizieren to be infected
  • jemanden infizieren – to infect someone
  • sich isolieren – to isolate oneself

Image by Mumtahina Rahman from Pixabay

Sie hat sich auf der Geburtstagsfeier infiziert.

→ She was infected at the birthday party.

  • die Intensivstation – intensive care
  • das Intensivbett – intensive care bed

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Schwerkranke Patienten müssen auf der Intensivstation behandelt werden.

→ Seriously ill patients must be treated in intensive care.

  • die Krankheit – illness, sickness
  • die Kopfschmerzen – headache

Image by SAIYED IRFAN A from Pixabay

Eines der häufigen Symptome der Krankheit ist Kopfschmerzen.

→ One of the common symptoms of the illness is a headache.

  • die Kontaktperson – anyone who has been in contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19
  • die Kontaktbeschränkungen – restrictions on social interaction between people

Image created from those by J’Von Jones and Yvette W from Pixabay

Aufgrund der Kontaktbeschränkungen durften sich einige Familienmitglieder nicht sehen.

→ Due to the social contact restrictions, some family members were not allowed to see each other.

die Kurve abflachen – flatten the curve

RCraig09, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Das Ziel war es, die Kurve abzuflachen, um das Gesundheitssystem nicht zu überfordern.

→ The aim was to flatten the curve so as not to overburden the health system.

der Lockdown – lockdown

Image by Bob McEvoy from Pixabay

Während des Lockdowns mussten die meisten Menschen zu Hause bleiben und sich von anderen isolieren.

→ During the lockdown, most people had to stay home and isolate themselves from others.

  • die Langzeitfolgen – long-term effects
  • Long Covid – usually without an article (feminine or neuter)

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Zu den Langzeitfolgen von Covid gehören Müdigkeit und Gedächtnisprobleme.

→ The long-term effects of Covid include fatigue and memory problems.

  • die Maske – mask
  • die Maskenpflicht – the requirement / obligation to wear a mask

Entry only with a mask: Image by S. Bartels from Pixabay

Eine Maske kann infektiöse Tröpfchen abfangen.

→ A mask can catch or intercept infectious droplets.

niesen – to sneeze

Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Eine infizierte Person hat häufig Symptome wie Niesen, Husten, Halsschmerzen und Fieber.

→ An infected person frequently has symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, sore throat and fever.

die Pandemie – pandemic

Eine Pandemie betrifft die gesamte Welt, eine Epidemie hingegen nur Menschen in einem bestimmten Gebiet.

→ A pandemic affects the entire world; an epidemic, however, only people in a specific area.

die Quarantäne – quarantine

Image by Markus Distelrath from Pixabay

Die Infizierten stehen unter Quarantäne, das heißt, sie müssen sich zu Hause isolieren.

→ Those who are infected must go into quarantine, which means that they must isolate themselves at home.

  • die Riechstörung
  • riechen

Image by Julio César Velásquez Mejía from Pixabay

Infizierte Personen erleben manchmal Probleme mit dem Riechen und dem Schmecken.

→ Infected people sometimes experience problems with smelling and tasting.

  • der Schnelltest – rapid antigen test, RAT administered by professionals
  • der Selbsttest – RAT administered by oneself

Image by Tom from Pixabay

Durch einen Selbsttest kann man ein schnelles Ergebnis zu Hause erhalten.

→ By doing a RAT, you can gain a quick result at home.

das Tröpfchen – tiny droplets or aerosols that hang in the air

Image by Masum Ali from Pixabay

Wenn eine infizierte Person spricht, singt, niest oder hustet, atmet sie winzige infektiöse Tröpfchen oder Aerosole aus, die in der Luft schweben.

→ When an infected person talks, sings, sneezes or coughs, they exhale tiny infectious droplets or aerosols that float in the air.

  • der Verlauf → ein schwerer / milder Verlauf – course, progression (of the illness) → a severe form or course / a mild form or course
  • die Variante – variant, strain

Image by Willgard Krause from Pixabay

Bei einem schweren Covid-Verlauf muss man ins Krankenhaus gehen, aber die meisten Menschen haben eine relativ milde Erkrankung und können zu Hause bleiben.

→ If your COVID infection is severe, you have to go to hospital, but most people have a relatively mild illness and can stay at home.

der / die Wissenschaftlerin– scientist

der Wellenbrecher – literally wave-breaker; refers to all the measures taken to control the fourth Covid wave → Word of the Year | Wort des Jahres 2021

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

Alle Maßnahmen, die wir gegen COVID-19 treffen, können wir als Wellenbrecher bezeichnen.

→ All the measures that we take against COVID-19 could be described as wave breakers.

Quizzes

Quiz: Describing the Pandemic in German

This quiz draws on the vocabulary presented above. Click on the lightbulb on the quiz screen to see a list of the vocabulary specific to the quiz.

Audio Quiz: Das erste Jahr der Pandemie

The story of a Year 12 student’s experience in Melbourne, 2020: Covid lockdowns, learning from home, taking one walk per day, missing friends – and sometimes even missing teachers. – Recorded by Charlotte Yates

Unser Corona-Sprach-Quiz
Pandemie, Schwarzer Tod und andere Plagen

Das Wetter A-Z ⛈️

Roslyn Green A-Z, Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Quizzes, Vocabulary, Wortschatz , , , , ,

German Nouns, Verbs and Adjectives for Describing the Weather 🌦️

Published by Roslyn Green in November 2022

Jump to Quizzes
Jump to Adjective Shortlist

Bildlexikon: Das Wetter

Masculine Nouns ♦ Feminine Nouns ♦ Neuter Nouns ♦ Plural Nouns ♦ Verbs ♦ Adjectives

Die Abkühlung naht. – The cool change is coming.

abkühlen – to cool down

Nach den hohen Temperaturen in den letzten drei Tagen kühlt es heute endlich ab. – After the high temperatures in the last three days, it will finally cool down today.

der Blitz – lightning

Image by PayPal.me/FelixMittermeier from Pixabay

Nach dem Blitz hört man den Donner. – After the lightning you hear the thunder.

der Bodennebel – ground fog, low-lying fog

Image by Aart Beijeman from Pixabay

Auf diesem Bild stehen die Kühe mitten im Bodennebel. – In this picture, the cows are standing in the middle of low-lying fog.

die Brise – breeze

eine leichte, frische oder steife Brise – a light, fresh or strong breeze

Image by Photo Mix from Pixabay

Eine leichte Brise weht vom Meer her. – A light breeze is blowing from the sea.

der Donner – thunder

Der Donner rollt oder kracht. – The thunder rolls or cracks.

Image by Elias Sch. from Pixabay

Bei einem Gewitter gibt es immer Blitz und Donner. – In a storm, there’s always lightning and thunder.

der Eisregen – freezing rain that causes icy roads and slippery paths

Image by blabla5 from Pixabay

Bei Eisregen bildet sich eine Eisschicht auf den Straßen und Wegen. – During freezing rain, a layer of ice forms on the roads and paths.

der Frost – frost

frostig – frosty

Image by Perez Vöcking from Pixabay

Es ist ein frostiger Tag. Die Temperatur liegt unter dem Gefrierpunkt. – It’s a frosty day. The temperature is below zero. (US: below freezing point)

frieren – to freeze, feel extremely cold

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay

  • Ich friere an den Händen. – My hands are freezing.
  • Ich friere. / Mich friert es. – I’m freezing.
  • Es friert. – It’s freezing.

das Gewitter – (thunder)storm

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

– Heute gibt es bestimmt ein Gewitter. – Oh nein, der Donner wird dem armen Hund Angst machen. – There’s bound to be a thunderstorm today. – Oh no, the thunder will frighten the poor dog.

der Grad – degree

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

  • Es sind 39 Grad. – The temperature is 39 degrees.
  • Bei 12 Grad brauchst du mindestens einen Pulli, vielleicht auch eine Jacke. – With a temperature of 12 degrees, you need at least a jumper, maybe a jacket as well.

der Hagel – hail

hageln – to hail

Image by Hilde Stockmann from Pixabay

Es hagelt. – It’s hailing.

Der Hagel vernichtet die Ernte. – The hail is destroying the crop.

die Hitzewelle – heatwave

heiß – hot

Image by Stefan Schweihofer from Pixabay

Bei einer Hitzewelle in Deutschland dürfen Schüler manchmal zu Hause bleiben. Sie haben Hitzefrei*. – During a heatwave in Germany, students are sometimes allowed to stay home. They have a day off from school because of the heat.

*This is sadly becoming less common. Such a civilised idea.

die Jahreszeit – season

Die vier Jahreszeiten sind Sommer, Herbst, Winter und Frühling. – The four seasons are summer, autumn, winter and spring.

Im Sommer ist es normalerweise heiß. Im Winter ist es oft kalt. – In summer it is usually hot. In winter it is often cold.

kühl – cool | kalt – cold

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

  • Mir ist kalt. – I’m cold. Literally: To me it is cold.
  • Mir wird kalt. – I’m getting cold.
  • Mir is kühl. – I feel a bit chilly.
  • Ist dir kalt? – Are you (feeling) cold?

die Luftfeuchtigkeit – humidity, dampness

feucht – moist, humid (see also schwül below)

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Die feuchte Sommerhitze ist manchmal schwer zu ertragen. – The humid heat of summer is sometimes hard to bear.

Die Luftfeuchtigkeit in den Tropen ist hoch. – The humidity in the tropics is high.

das Matschwetter – weather leading to mud, slush and puddles

matschig – slushy, muddy

Image by Gundula Vogel from Pixabay

Bei Matschwetter sind die Landstraßen oft schlammig und es gibt viele Pfützen. – In this kind of slushy weather, the country roads are often muddy and there are lots of puddles.

der Nebel – fog

nebelig – foggy

Image by Markus Spiske from Pixabay

Bei dichtem Nebel müssen Autofahrer sehr vorsichtig sein. – In thick fog, drivers have to be very careful.

der Nieselregen – drizzle

nieseln – to drizzle

Image by Margarita Morales Esparza from Pixabay

  • Es nieselt. – It’s drizzling.
  • Bei diesem Nieselregen kann man nichts planen und keinen Spaß haben. – In this drizzling rain you can’t plan anything or have any fun.

der Regen, der Regenbogen, der Regentropfen – rain, rainbow, raindrop

regnerisch – rainy | regenarm – dry, lacking in rain

Image by chrini from Pixabay

Nach dem Regen entsteht oft ein Regenbogen. – After the rain, a rainbow often forms.

der Schnee – snow

schneien – to snow | schmelzen – to melt

schneebedeckt – covered with snow

Image by Anja from Pixabay

Es schneit. – It’s snowing.

Die Landschaft ist mit Schnee bedeckt. – The countryside / landscape is covered with snow.

schwül – humid, muggy, sultry

Image by Isabela Isa from Pixabay

Heute ist es furchtbar schwül*. Ich bin in Schweiß gebadet! Wollen wir schwimmen gehen? – It’s terribly muggy today. I’m dripping with sweat. Shall we go for a swim?

*To distinguish between schwül – humid and schwul – gay, think of the dots on the umlaut as drops of sweat.

der Sonnenschein – sunshine

scheinen – to shine

Image by Tim Hill from Pixabay

  • Die Sonne scheint. – The sun is shining.
  • Bei strahlendem Sonnenschein sieht die Landschaft schön aus. – In the radiant / glorious sunshine, the landscape looks beautiful.

die Temperatur – temperature

hoch – high ↔ niedrig – low

Image by Oleksandr Pidvalnyi from Pixabay

Bei hohen Temperaturen geht man gern schwimmen. Bei niedrigen Temperaturen sitzt man lieber am Kamin. – When temperatures are high, people like to go swimming. When temperatures are low, people prefer to sit by the fire.

das Unwetter – storm (see also das Gewitter above)

Image by Petra from Pixabay

Das Unwetter hat große Schäden verursacht. – The storm caused a great deal of damage.

der Wind – wind

wehen – to blow

windig – windy ↔ windstill – calm

Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay

Heute weht ein starker Wind. – A strong wind is blowing today.

die Wolke – cloud

wolkig – cloudy ↔ klar – clear

Image by Manie Van der Hoven from Pixabay

Der Himmel ist mit Wolken bedeckt. – The sky is covered with clouds.

der Zyklon – cyclone

Image by 0fjd125gk87 from Pixabay

Zyklone sind gewöhnlicher in den Tropen. – Cyclones are more common in the tropics.

A Shortlist of Adjectives

frostig – frosty 🧊 heiß – hot 🥵 herrlich – heavenly 🏝️
kalt – cold 🥶klar – clear 🔹kühl – cool 🔹
mild – mild 🙂regnerisch – rainy 🌧️schlecht – bad ⬇
schwül* – muggy 💦sommerlich – summery 🌻sonnig – sunny 🌞
strahlend – glorious 🌅stürmisch – stormy ⛈️warm – warm 🌡️

*The easiest way to distinguish schwül – humid, muggy from schwul – gay is to think of the dots on the umlaut as drops of sweat.

Quizzes

Multiple Choice Quiz: Das Wetter🌦️ | Weather

This quiz provides questions based on the vocabulary above. Click on the 💡 on the top left of the quiz screen to read a vocabulary list that you can copy for your notes, if desired.

Fill the Blank Quiz: Das Wetter beschreiben🌦️ | Describing the Weather

Practise using the adjectives for describing the weather. Click on the 💡 on the top left of the quiz screen to read a vocabulary list that you can copy for your notes, if desired.

German Online A-Z 🌐

Roslyn Green Deutsch als Fremdsprache, German as a Foreign Language, German Online , ,

Published by Roslyn Green in November 2022

Highly Recommended Websites, Podcasts and YouTube Channels

A Annik Rubens and the Slow German Podcast

It is a sheer pleasure to listen to the voice of Annik Rubens. She speaks clearly and slowly, so that you can distinguish every word. What’s more, you can download the PDFs of her podcasts and look up all the words you don’t already know. In the last few years, she has introduced a full-speed version as well as a subscription for seriously dedicated learners.  

A ARD Mediathek

Public domain image from Wikimedia Commons

A free repository of documentaries, television series, the Tagesschau news broadcast and, above all, Tatort! (discovered through the kind suggestion of Andrea Reichert). Subtitles are provided.

What a beautiful sentence that is for learners to read.

B Blinde Kuh

A search machine for children that includes interactive forums, links to a wide range of topics, videos, learning modules and more.

C Coffee Break German

A gentle introduction to German with a winning format: a teacher and a learner speak together and gradually build your knowledge of vocabulary and your confidence with pronunciation.

D Die Sendung mit der Maus

An Example: Was sich neckt, das liebt sich | Those who tease each other love each other

This is a charming classic of German children’s television. You can download the video podcasts via your podcast app on your smartphone and there’s even a dedicated Die Maus app. The “Sachgeschichten” are funny, quirky short videos that explain the things we’ve always wanted to know in simple, clever ways, with many visual cues.

D DeepL

This is the best translator in the world: intuitive, precise and accurate. It’s like having a German-speaking robot in your corner. The best way to use it is to type a text in German, observe how DeepL translates it into English and make any necessary adjustments, then watch how it translates your adjusted text back into German. Sometimes DeepL suggests alternative phrasing or a more precise verb. It is a tireless, all-knowing, uncritical teacher. You do have to be careful sometimes with colloquial expressions. After all, it’s not a human being.

D DerDieDas-App

This app trains you to remember the gender of German nouns and it is a surprisingly addictive sport. As you work through each thematic category, the app counts how many you get right in a row and keeps a tally of your progress in graph form. In addition to the app itself, the makers provide an online list of rules that will help you to predict gender and identify the patterns of German nouns.

D Deutsch mit Inap

An Example: Was isst du zu Mittag / zu Abend?

Inap is from Nepal and he teaches German as a foreign language. His course is particularly helpful for beginners because he explains everything in both German and English, with the written as well as the spoken word. I like especially how Inap ties in relatable personal information; in the video above, for instance, he shows what he is cooking for lunch while delivering his lesson on lunch and dinner in German.

D Deutsch mit Rieke

An Example: Auf der Arbeit, bei der Arbeit, in der Arbeit oder an die Arbeit?

Rieke provides precise explanations of difficult vocabulary with examples based on life experiences or quality German texts. Highly recommended for advanced learners. Rieke offers a quiz based on each video as well. Her website is here.

D Deutsch plus

An Example: Bitte nicht verwechseln!

On her YouTube Channel for advanced learners (B2, C1 and C2), Susanne explains fine distinctions between similar words, tricky grammatical rules, essential nouns that advanced learners really ought to know, and many idiomatic aspects of the German language.

D Deutsch-to-go.de

This site provides hundreds of short audio and reading texts, along with questions and activities to check and improve comprehension. I find it particularly helpful that the questions focus not just on understanding but also on those tricky verb and preposition choices that can confuse even the most dedicated learner. Each video or audio comes with a full PDF text.

Kindly recommended by Andrea Reichert.

D Die großen Fragen in 10 Minuten

Karsten Möbius of MDR Wissen tackles delightfully tricky and intriguing questions, all in the space of 10 minutes. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts as well as through MDR Wissen.

F Forvo

Forvo is a pronunciation dictionary. Once you have signed up to this free service, you can request pronunciations of tricky words and download the mp3 files generated by native speakers. For example, here is möchten, a perennially tricky word for learners.

Forvo: möchten

G Grenzenlos Deutsch

This site provides an open-access online textbook for beginners. There are quizzes, videos, pictures to click on and various other interactive resources. All education should be as accessible as this. This site was kindly recommended to me by Andrea Reichert.

G German Grammar Pod

Laura, the author of this podcast, is a brilliant person who loves and understands German grammar and explains it with precision and flair. She speaks in English but provides many examples in German.

G Grüße aus Deutschland – Podcast

This was my favourite podcast in my first few years of German. The topics are light-hearted and rich in vocabulary, while the presenters speak clearly and with humour and wit. At this link, you can find both the audio and the texts.

H Helles Köpfchen

This is a search machine for children and young people in Germany. There are many fascinating articles on this site as well as quizzes.

H Hörbücher at Audible.de

I wish Audible weren’t owned by Amazon, but this is still a treasury of listening material and the readers are a pure delight. Here are forty of my favourite audiobooks.

K Kindernetz (SWR)

The materials provided for German-speaking children on the internet are impressive and diverse. This site provides stories, videos, news commentary specifically for children, podcasts and documentaries.

K Kurz gesagt

An Example: Die Vergangenheit und Zukunft von allem

The creators of this YouTube channel usually publish scientifically fascinating, visionary and original videos in English, but they also offer some of their best titles in German. Here are just a few: Warum du nicht genug Freunde hast | Der letzte Mensch | Einsamkeit

L Lesch & Co

An Example: Klimakrise – Zeit zu kapitulieren?

A passionate scientist and physicist, Harald Lesch talks about our world and our future and he doesn’t pull any punches. He and his team provide subtitles, which is just as well, because he tackles complicated subjects.

L  Linguee Dictionary

This site is possibly more useful for intermediate and advanced learners. It provides hundreds of online examples of how an idea has been expressed in English and German. It’s especially useful for modern wording and phrasing that might not have reached the dictionaries. Dictionaries are based on searching for words (and hoping to find phrases); with the Linguee Dictionary, you can search directly for the phrases.

M Mr Wissen2Go

An Example: Die Wahrheit über Volkswagen

Mirko Drotschmann is the creator of this YouTube channel; he is knowledgeable, engaging and current. When there is a new development anywhere in the world, he publishes a new video within hours. His pronunciation is very clear and he speaks in a considered and impartial way. He also provides subtitles in German.

N neuneinhalb

An Example: Klimagerechtigkeit – Was ist das eigentlich?

The website and the films, which can be watched online or downloaded via Apple.com and YouTube (or your chosen provider), are lively and engaging, featuring clever editing and including conversations with young speakers, often teenagers. The themes are current and the graphics eye-catching. Click on UT to read the subtitles as you watch.

P Planet-Schule

An Example: Wie viel Hitze verträgt die Erde?

Planet-Schule is a multimedia website offering materials and films relating to every conceivable school subject, with additional resources such as worksheets, audio and other materials. A number of broadcasting corporations in German contribute materials to this website, including WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk) and SWR (Südwestrundfunk).

P Planet-Wissen

An Example: Wie holen wir das C02 wieder aus der Lufe?

Planet-Wissen provides a wealth of educational materials, including videos and articles presented according to school subjects and covering a vast range of themes. This is a joint project from SWR (Südwestrundfunk), WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk), ARD alpha and Bayerischer Rundfunk.

R Rakuten Kobo

Once you have created an account with Kobo, you can change the site language from English to German and start searching for German books. Kobo also has an app for smartphones and laptops.

I have tried other German book suppliers over the years, such as Weltbild and Thalia, but Kobo seems to me to be the most reliable.

S Schubert Publishing

These online exercises are graduated from easy (A1) to strenuous (C2). The whole site is in German and the presentation is very old-fashioned, but the A1 and A2 exercises are ideal for beginners – and you get a % mark straightaway. 

S SWR Wissen Podcast

An Example with Transcription Provided: Magersucht – Therapien gegen die Essstörungen | Anorexia Nervosa – Therapies for Eating Disorders

This podcast offers fascinating sociological and scientific topics with manuscripts available to read along. It can be downloaded through your smartphone’s podcast app as well as through the website.

Z ZDF heute-show

YouTube channel | An Example: Midterms: Was wird jetzt aus Donald Trump?

The presenter, Oliver Welke, summarises the news with biting humour. This program is ideal for advanced learners who prefer a satirical approach to the news of the week.

Z Zeit Online

There are several free podcasts from this journal, including OK, America? and Was jetzt?, my favourite news podcast in German.

A Few More Links:

• Deutschlernerblog: This is an extremely helpful site with many useful examples of wording and sentences, as well as tests, practice with hearing comprehension and much more. There are unfortunately quite a lot of advertisements.

• ARD: Frag mich – Die Nachrichten und ich: A podcast for children with current themes, friendly presenters and interviews with children

• Deutschwortschatz.de: An amusing and expressive set of pictures to represent some of the most ingenious words in the German language.