German Word Classes: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, and Prepositions

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Understanding the various word classes in German is fundamental for grasping the structure and meaning of sentences. In this article, we'll look into five key word classes: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, and Prepositions.

Nouns

Nouns in German are the names of people, places, things, or abstract concepts. They can be preceded by definite articles (“der,” “die,” “das”) or indefinite articles (“ein,” “eine”).

Examples of German nouns:

  • Haus (house)
  • Hund (dog)
  • Freiheit (freedom)

Verbs

Verbs are action words that indicate what the subject of the sentence is doing. They undergo conjugation to match the subject's person and number.

Examples of German verbs:

  • gehen (to go)
  • essen (to eat)
  • schlafen (to sleep)

Adjectives

Adjectives in German describe or modify nouns. They agree with the gender, number, and case of the noun they are describing.

Examples of German adjectives:

  • groß (big)
  • schön (beautiful)
  • schnell (fast)

Adverbs

Adverbs in German modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They provide information about the manner, place, time, degree, or frequency of an action or quality.

Examples of German adverbs:

  • schnell (quickly)
  • hier (here)
  • oft (often)

Prepositions

Prepositions in German establish relationships between different elements in a sentence, such as the relationship between a noun and a verb or between two nouns.

Examples of German prepositions:

  • in (in, into)
  • auf (on, onto)
  • neben (beside, next to)
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