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preliminary note
Even though German and English are quite similar, at least compared to German<->Cebuano (=Cathy's language),
there are some significant differences. I want to concentrate on these differences which caused most problems during the first time of Cathy's studies.
No Present Perfect tense in German Grammar
German grammar | English grammar |
Ich lebe seit 6 Jahren in Köln. | I have been living in Cologne for 6 years. |
There is no tense in German to describe actions which started in the past and have continued on until now.
We just use the present tense (Präsens) instead.
No progressive/continuous form in German Grammar
German grammar | English grammar |
Ich lese gerade ein Buch. | I am reading a book. |
If you want to describe that somebody is doing something just in this moment you use in English the continuous form.
You find the progressive form in 5 tenses in English:
Fortunately, there is NO continuous form in German. We put one simple word to express
that we doing something just in this moment: gerade.
Often we even leave out "gerade" (especially in past tenses). You can understand the sentence
nevertheless.
no negation with "do" in German
German grammar | English grammar |
Ich gehe nicht zur Schule. | I don't go to school. |
The negation is one of the points where German is easier and less complicate than English.
To negate a main verb in German we just use nicht (not) instead of using an additional verb (do).
If i didn't knew anything about English grammar I would negate the following statement like this:
statement: I know you. (Ich kenne dich.)
negation: I know you not. (Ich kenne dich nicht.)
What do we need this "do" for?
no "do" for questions in German
German grammar | English grammar |
Kennst du mich? | Do you know me? |
Questions is one further point where German is easier and less complicate than English.
To put a question (with a main verb*) you have to use do in English but no addtional verb in German
what makes German much easier.
If i didn't knew anything about English grammar I would translate the following questions like this:
German: Willst du ein Eis?
English: You want ice-cream?
I think everybody would understand the sentence without this additional "do".
So, what do we need it for?
* has exceptions too (to be ...)
biological and grammatical gender is not the same in German
German grammar | English grammar |
Heute scheint die Sonne. | The sun is shining today. |
In English the biological and grammatical gender are the same. "Dead things" like in the examples above are all neutral.
In German, however, a "dead thing" can be male, female or neutral.
I noticed how confusing it is for English native speaker to use person pronouns like er (he) and sie (she) for dead things
because in English you always have to use "it".
dass-sentence vs. dative-construct
German grammar | English grammar |
Ich will, dass er jetzt geht. | I want him to leave now. |
This is one of the strangest English grammar construction for me as a German.
It's one of the rare cases where the German version os more logic than the English one.
In German we use a subordinate clause induced by a "dass" to express what we want other people to do.
In English, however, we use the dative case for the subject of the subordinate although the subject has to be in the nominative case.
A logic translation of the 1st example would be: "I want that he leaves now".
change of word order in subordinate sentences
German grammar | English grammar |
Sie liest ein Buch. | She reads a book. |
In English there is a strict rule for the word order in statements.
S-P-O (subject - predicate - object).
This order doesn't change in subordinate sentences.
In German, however, the verb goes at the very end in subordinate sentences.
I noticed that it's quite difficult to form correct subordinate sentences
because you have to keep in mind the verb until you said all other parts and that can be quite confusing.
(Almost) no Wo-/Da-compounds in English
German grammar | English grammar |
Wir sprechen oft darüber. | We speak about it. |
Wo-/Da-compounds doesn't excists in English*. That's why I find it quite difficult to find an appropriate translation.
It's best just to translate it with "it".
Da-compounds are a kind of personal pronoun for dead things. They consits of "da" and the preposition
which belongs to the verb.
* exceptions are: therefore, thereby, therein, thereout, hereby, herein, here-on-out, whereby, wherein, wherefore
no ly-endings for adverbs in German
German grammar | English grammar |
Er ist vorsichtig. | He is careful. |
short reminder
Adjectives (careful) describe a noun (he).
Adverbs (carefully) describe a verb (drive).
Whereas in English you have to add the additional ending "ly" for adverbs
there is no difference between adjectives and adverbs in German.
illogical negation of must in English
German grammar | English grammar |
Du musst jetzt gehen. | You must go now. |
German grammar | English grammar |
Du darfst jetzt gehen. | You may go now. |
The verb must (=müssen) belongs to the modal verbs.
Müssen is used to describe that somebody must do someting (=a duty/command).
Must not, however, describes that something is forbidden. You are not allowed to do this.
The translaion of "must not" is thus "nicht dürfen" and NOT "nicht müssen".
German is more logical than English in this case.
to be continued ...
summary - documents for your folder |
German grammar (theory, 5 pages) | |||