Grammar Lessons
Master essential German grammar with 10 comprehensive lessons for A1 learners
Start Your Grammar Journey
Each lesson includes clear explanations, examples, common mistakes to avoid, and practice tips. Work through them in order or jump to topics you need to review.
Personal Pronouns and 'sein' (to be)
Learn German personal pronouns and how to conjugate the verb 'sein' (to be)
What you'll learn:
- German has formal (Sie) and informal (du/ihr) forms of 'you'
- The verb 'sein' is highly irregular
- Formal 'Sie' is always capitalized
German Articles (der, die, das)
Understanding German noun genders and definite articles
What you'll learn:
- Every German noun has a gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter
- Gender affects articles: der (m), die (f), das (n)
- Always memorize the article with the noun
Present Tense Regular Verbs
How to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense
What you'll learn:
- Remove -en from infinitive to find the stem
- Add endings: -e, -st, -t, -en, -t, -en
- Verbs ending in -t/-d add extra 'e' before -st and -t
The Accusative Case
Understanding the accusative case for direct objects
What you'll learn:
- Accusative is for direct objects
- Only masculine articles change: der→den, ein→einen
- Feminine, neuter, and plural stay the same
German Word Order
Basic rules for sentence structure in German
What you'll learn:
- Conjugated verb always in second position in statements
- Subject can move to third position if something else is first
- Time - Manner - Place order for additional information
Asking Questions
How to form different types of questions in German
What you'll learn:
- Yes/No questions: Verb comes first
- W-questions: Question word, then verb
- Subject comes after verb in all questions
Negation: nicht and kein
How to make sentences negative in German
What you'll learn:
- nicht = not (for verbs, adjectives, specific nouns)
- kein = no/not a (for indefinite nouns)
- kein changes endings like ein
Possessive Pronouns (mein, dein, sein...)
Expressing possession: my, your, his, her, etc.
What you'll learn:
- Possessive pronouns take ein/kein endings
- Endings agree with the noun, not the owner
- Learn the base forms: mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer
Modal Verbs (können, müssen, wollen)
Using modal verbs to express ability, necessity, and desire
What you'll learn:
- Modal verbs are conjugated and go in position 2
- Main verb stays in infinitive at the end
- Modal verbs are irregular - memorize conjugations
Introduction to Past Tense (Perfekt)
Using the perfect tense to talk about the past
What you'll learn:
- Perfect tense: haben/sein + past participle
- Most verbs use haben, motion verbs use sein
- Regular: ge- + stem + -t
Study Tips
- Work through lessons in order - each builds on the previous one
- Practice with real examples - try making your own sentences
- Review "Common Mistakes" sections carefully - learn from others' errors
- Return to earlier lessons when you need a refresher
See German grammar in action with Lingopie
