Learn German with Leo🦁

2023-07-08 14:59:08 Let's chat about vacations!

Questions:
Wie war dein Urlaub/ deine Ferien? — How was your vacation/break?
Wo warst du im Urlaub/ in den Ferien? — Where did you go on vacation/during the holidays?
Was hast du so gemacht? What did you do there?
Wie war das Wetter? — How was the weather?

Answers:
Ich war am Meer/ am See/ in Bergen. – I was by the sea/lake/mountains.
Ich war dort eine Woche. – I was there for a week.
Wir haben sich dort super amüsiert. – We had a great time there.
Wir hatten jeder Tag viele Aktivitäten. – We had a lot of different activities every day.
Ich habe mich gesonnt./ Ich habe in der Sonne gelegen. – I sunbathed/I lay in the sun.
Ich habe mich erholt und gefaulenzt. – I rested and lazed around.
Die Wetter war gut/schlecht. – The weather was good/bad.

Don't forget to use @germanwithleobot for more fun and educational content in different languages. Let's learn together! Öffnen / Wie

2023-07-07 10:20:45 German words that can easily trip you up!

I've gathered a selection of words that are easy to confuse. Save this to avoid making mistakes!

das Blei vs. der Brei
Lead vs. Porridge

bieten vs. bitten
Offer vs. Ask

verschwinden vs. verschwenden
Disappear vs. Waste

schwitzen vs. schwätzen
Sweat vs. Chat

fruchtbar vs. furchtbar
Fertile vs. Terrible

das Meer vs. mehr
Sea vs. More

schon vs. schön
Already vs. Beautiful

die Tante vs. die Taste
Aunt vs. Key

die Besetzung vs. die Übersetzung
Occupation vs. Translation

der Tag vs. die Tagung
Day vs. Meeting

die Seide vs. die Seife
Silk vs. Soap

fühlen vs. füllen
Feel vs. Fill

bedenken vs. bedanken
Consider vs. Thank

quälen vs. qualmen
Torment vs. Smoke

prallen vs. prahlen
Hit vs. Boast

der Topf vs. der Tropf
Pot vs. Drip

Don't fall into the trap of these tricky words! Öffnen / Wie

2023-07-06 11:00:07 The endearing suffix "-chen"

Germans can be very affectionate, and they love diminutive names and titles. The reason for this fondness isn't clear, but most of these words are formed using the suffix -chen.

Hallöchen! - Hello there! (instead of Hallo - hello)

das Küsschen - little kiss (instead of der Kuss - kiss)

das Brötchen - little bread, roll (instead of das Brot - bread)

das Bierchen - little beer (instead of das Bier - beer)

das Bettchen - little bed (instead of das Bett - bed)

das Häschen - little bunny (instead of der Hase - rabbit)

das Mäuschen - little mouse (instead of die Maus - mouse)

das Hühnchen - little chicken (instead of der Huhn - chicken)

das Häuschen - little house (instead of das Haus - house)

das Büchlein - little book (instead of das Buch - book)

Have you been using such words in your speech? Drop us a comment and let us know!

And if you enjoyed this mini German lesson and want more, remember that @germanwithleobot is here to assist with your learning journey. From language queries to deep linguistic discussions, I'm ready to help make your German language learning more interactive and fun. Feel free to reach out whenever you need. Öffnen / Wie

2023-07-05 08:00:06 ​​ Take your German to the Next Level!

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Remember, knowledge is power, and with the right resources, you can conquer German prepositions! Öffnen / Wie

2023-07-05 08:00:05 Adventure Time!

Let's dive into some common phrases using preposition + location.

When we're discussing WHERE we're heading:
nach Australia — to Australia
in die USA — to the USA
nach London — to London
in den Forest — to the forest
auf die Island — to the island
ans Sea — to the sea
ins Mountains — to the mountains
ins Overseas — overseas

For example, "Next week, I'm heading nach Australia for an epic adventure!"

When we're discussing WHERE we are/were:
in Australia — in Australia
in den USA — in the USA
in London — in London
im Forest — in the forest
auf der Island — on the island
am Sea — at the sea
im Mountains — in the mountains
im Overseas — overseas

For instance, "I'm currently in London visiting some old friends."

Useful phrases to learn:
der Vacation — vacation
Vacation machen — take a vacation
verbringen — spend
faulenzen — laze around
Sehenswürdigkeiten besichtigen — sightseeing
mit der Train/dem Car — by train/car
unterwegs — on the way
sich ausrühen — rest

For example, "I'm planning to verbringen a lot of time sightseeing when I'm in Australia, but I'll also make sure to sich ausrühen and relax."

Get out there and explore! Öffnen / Wie

2023-07-02 08:00:04 Common Mistakes in German

Kennen – wissen
Both verbs translate into English as "to know", which can be confusing.

The verb KENNEN means "to be familiar with something or someone personally, from one's own experience", and is most often used with a direct object KENNEN + OBJEKT.

Ich kenne diesen Mann — I know this man

Ich kenne den Weg, ich war schon dort — I know the way, I've been there before.

The verb WISSEN is used when you know a fact or unverified information. It is often used in subordinate clauses "Ich weiss, dass…"

Ich weiß, dass ich nichts weiß — I know that I know nothing

Können – dürfen
Both verbs translate into English as "can".

KÖNNEN covers:

— Physical and mental abilities of a person.

Ich kann schwimmen — I can swim

— The likelihood, possibility, or impossibility of events:

Das kann jedem passieren — this can happen to anyone

DÜRFEN is needed to allow, forbid, and ask for permission.

Man darf hier nicht rauchen — smoking is not allowed here

Müssen – sollen
You can use MÜSSEN if you:

— Are a boss dealing with subordinates or a parent raising rebellious kids:

Du musst ja diese Aufgabe sofort machen! — You must do this task right away!

— Are trying to awaken your conscience (internal necessity):

Ich muss mehr lesen um neue Kenntnisse zu erwerben. — I need to read more to acquire new knowledge.

— Strongly and emotionally recommend something to a friend:

Der neue Film ist einfach toll! Du musst diesen Film angucken! — This new film is simply great! You must watch it!

SOLLEN is suitable for you in the following cases:

— Irreplaceable in communication with colleagues, as it helps to express in a soft and understandable form what you want from them:

Du sollst diesen Brief jetzt schreiben. — You should write this letter.

— If circumstances (work, study, etc.) are stronger than you, and you have to do it one way or another:

Ich soll morgens früh aufstehen, weil mein Studium um 8 beginnt. — I have to get up early because my studies begin at 8 o'clock.

— Help people with advice and recommendations:

Du sollst mehr lesen. — You should read more.

Möchten – wollen
Any self-respecting German, if they want something to eat or drink, will most likely tell you:

Ich möchte eine Tasse Tee/ein Glas Bier. — I would like (to drink) a cup of tea/a glass of beer

A German will also use the verb MÖCHTEN to hint at you that they want to do something:

Ich möchte heute ins Theater gehen. — I would like to go to the theater today

The verb WOLLEN has a stronger emotional connotation, so the sentence:

"Ich will eine Tasse Tee" will cast your thought in an imperative tone.

If you're very thirsty for something, feel free to arm yourself with the verb WOLLEN:

Ich will eine neue Wohnung kaufen. — I want to buy a new apartment.

The verb WOLLEN will also suit you if you decide to talk about your future plans, for example:

Ich will meinen Urlaub in Afrika verbringen. — I want to spend my next vacation in Africa.

Stehen – stellen, legen – liegen, sich setzen – sitzen, hängen – hängen

Remember:

Stehen (wo?) + Dat (stand, gestanden) – to stand
Stellen (wohin?) + Akk (stellte, gestellt) – to put

Liegen (wo?) + Dat (lag, gelegen) – to lie
Legen (wohin?) + Akk (legte, gelegt) – to lay

Sitzen (wo?) + Dat (sass, gesessen) – to sit
Sich setzen (wohin?) + Akk (setzte, gesetzt) – to sit down

Hängen (wo?) + Dat (hing, gehangen) – to hang
Hängen (wohin?) + Akk (hängte, gehängt) - to hang Öffnen / Wie

2023-07-01 11:00:06 Time to master German adverbs of place!

● hier — here
● da — there
● dort — over there
● draußen — outside
● drinnen — inside
● rechts — right
● links — left
● oben — above
● unten — below
● überall — everywhere

For example:

Das Buch liegt dort, links von der Lampe.
Ich wohne nirgendwo fest, ich reise ständig.
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2023-06-30 08:00:07 Mastering German Prepositions with "Wann?" (When?)

Use 'um' when pinpointing a specific time:

Wann treffen wir uns? - Um 15 Uhr.
(When are we meeting? - At 15 o'clock.)

Choose 'am' (an+dem) when referring to a part of the day, days of the week, or a specific date:

Wann fängt das Konzert an? - Am Abend. / Am Montag. / Am 22. April.
(When does the concert start? - In the evening. / On Monday. / On 22nd April.)

Use 'im' (in+dem) to refer to seasons, months, or years.

Wann fahren Sie in den Urlaub? - Im Sommer. / Im Mai. / Im Jahr 2023.
(When are you going on vacation? - In the summer. / In May. / In the year 2023.)

BUT remember, there are certain exceptions:

in der Nacht (the night)

in der Früh (the early morning)

in der Woche (the week)

am Wochenende (the weekend)

Is this concept still confusing to you? No worries! Learning a language can be a winding path, but each step gets you closer to your goal. Practice using these prepositions in your daily life, and soon they'll become second nature! Öffnen / Wie

2023-06-27 08:00:04 Expressing "Like" in German

How do we express that we like something or someone in German?

The verb 'gefallen' is extensively used to express liking in German.

Firstly, 'gefallen' can be used for almost anything (but not actions): "Mir gefällt das Buch" means "I like this book," and "Du gefällst mir" means "I like you."

Secondly, the person who likes something will be in the dative case: Who? – me, you, him, her, us, them, etc.

Example:

Mir gefällt dein Kleid. (I like your dress.)
You can also use the verb 'mögen' to express liking.

Ich mag Musik - I like music
Ich mag es nicht, dass sie ein Piercing hat - I don't like that she has a piercing

Example:

Ich mag es, wenn es regnet. (I like it when it rains.)
We can also use 'mögen' when talking about someone, and that someone will be in the accusative case.

Ich mag dich – I like you
Sie mag ihn – She likes him

Transitioning smoothly to the verb 'lieben' – to love. If we very much like something, then we love it.

For example,
For objects (construction: lieben + Acc)
Ich liebe mein Haus – I love my house
Er liebt diese Stadt – He loves this city

For people and animals (construction: lieben + Acc)
Sie liebt ihre Mutter – She loves her mother
Wir lieben unsere Katze – We love our cat

Example:

Ich liebe es, im Meer zu schwimmen. (I love swimming in the sea.)
Lastly, there's 'haben + gern' (gernhaben) – to like, to be fond of.

gernhaben = mögen in all its manifestations. This verb has a separable prefix. Here, 'haben' is conjugated, and the prefix 'gern' takes its place at the end of the sentence.

Example:

Ich habe Pizza gern = Ich mag Pizza. (I like pizza.)
Remember, gernhaben is not used frequently, but it's worth knowing. It doesn't have any hidden implications. This set of phrases and examples should help you articulate your preferences in German more precisely! Öffnen / Wie

2023-06-24 11:55:27 Introducing Myself in German

Where to start?

Was könnte ich über mich erzählen? – What could I tell about myself?
Lassen Sie mich vorstellen. – Let me introduce myself.
Mein Name ist Maxim Schmidt. – My name is Maxim Schmidt.
Ich bin fünfundzwanzig Jahre alt. – I am twenty-five years old.
Weder zu alt noch zu jung, perfekt – Neither too old nor too young, just perfect.

Where are you from?

Ich komme aus... – I am from...
Ich komme aus Hamburg, dort regnet es oft, aber die Stadt ist wunderschön! - I'm from Hamburg, it often rains there, but the city is beautiful!

What do you do?

Ich arbeite als Ingenieur in einem Technologieunternehmen in Berlin – I work as an engineer at a technology company in Berlin.
Ich bin ein unabhängiger Unternehmer. – I am an independent entrepreneur.
Ich bin Student. – I am a student.

Publicly about personal

Ich bin eher introvertiert. – I am rather introverted.
Ich liebe es, Neues zu entdecken! – I love to discover new things!
Übrigens, ich bin ledig/single. – By the way, I am single.
Ich bin verheiratet . – I am married.

Hobbies and skills

Ich spreche Deutsch / Englisch – I speak German / English
Ich mag schwimmen. – I like to swim.
Ich lese gern. – I like to read.

For instance:

Mein Name ist Maxim Schmidt. Ich bin fünfundzwanzig Jahre alt und komme aus Hamburg. Ich arbeite als Ingenieur in einem Technologieunternehmen in Berlin. Ich liebe es, Neues zu entdecken und ich spreche fließend Deutsch und Englisch. In meiner Freizeit schwimme ich gerne und lese auch gerne Bücher.
(My name is Maxim Schmidt. I am twenty-five years old and come from Hamburg. I work as an engineer at a technology company in Berlin. I love to discover new things, and I speak fluent German and English. In my free time, I like to swim and also enjoy reading books.) Öffnen / Wie