How Do German Words Change?195

German is a highly inflected language, which means that words undergo a variety of changes in form to indicate their grammatical function in a sentence. These changes are known as declensions and conjugations.

Declensions affect nouns, pronouns, and adjectives. They indicate the gender, number, and case of the word. There are four cases in German: nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive. The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence, the accusative case for the direct object, the dative case for the indirect object, and the genitive case for possession.

For example, the noun "der Mann" (the man) declines as follows:
Nominative: der Mann
Accusative: den Mann
Dative: dem Mann
Genitive: des Mannes

Conjugations affect verbs. They indicate the tense, mood, voice, and person of the verb. There are three tenses in German: present, past, and future. There are two moods: indicative and subjunctive. There are two voices: active and passive. And there are three persons: first, second, and third.

For example, the verb "machen" (to make) conjugates as follows:
Present tense, first person singular: ich mache
Past tense, third person plural: sie machten
Future tense, second person singular: du wirst machen
Indicative mood, present tense, first person plural: wir machen
Subjunctive mood, past tense, third person singular: er machte
Passive voice, present tense, third person singular: er wird gemacht

Declensions and conjugations can be a bit tricky to master, but they are essential for speaking and writing German correctly. With a little practice, you'll be able to use them like a native speaker.

Here are some tips for learning German declensions and conjugations:
Start by learning the declensions of the most common nouns, pronouns, and adjectives.
Then learn the conjugations of the most common verbs.
Practice using declensions and conjugations in sentences.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes when they're learning a new language.
With time and practice, you'll be able to master German declensions and conjugations.

2025-02-09

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