Learning German for Beginners: 2 Difficult Concepts Made Easy

Whenever I start learning a new language, I am usually filled with two emotions--excitement and confusion. The excitement comes from knowing that there are many fun times ahead. The confusion comes naturally, since there are many aspects about learning German which can overwhelm you when you first start out. Whether you are a language addict like me, or just learning your first foreign language, you'll no doubt share this sense of confusion.

What I've noticed is that most beginners struggle with a few of the more difficult grammar topics. If English is your native language, you'll be fine with the alphabet and vocabulary, since both German and English evolved from the same family of languages. What will be most difficult are the grammar concepts which are completely foreign to an English speaker. Two of the most challenging concepts to grasp initially are noun genders and cases. Let's take a look at each of these and help you become familiar with how to use them correctly.

#1--Noun Genders

In German, every noun has a gender--masculine, feminine or neuter. It doesn't really matter why this is so. What it means for you is that you need to know the gender so that you can use the correct words that go together with these nouns. For example, in English, you use the articles 'the' and 'a/an' before nouns (eg. the chair, an apple, etc.). In German, you need to use a different word for each, depending on which gender the noun is. Here is what you need to know:

• The word 'the' in German is 'der' (for masculine nouns), 'die' (for feminine nouns), or 'das' (for neuter nouns).
• The word 'a/an' in German is 'ein' (for masculine and neuter nouns), or 'eine' (for feminine nouns).

In addition to the articles 'the' and 'a/an', a noun is also regularly preceded by adjectives and sometimes a possessive pronoun to indicate who owns it (eg. his old, blue bicycle). In German, these words also must match the noun in terms of its gender. The best way to learn these is by memorizing one example in each gender. Once you've done this, you'll be able to apply the same endings to any words matching that gender.

#2--Cases

The second major topic that really trips up a lot of new language learners is that of 'cases'. A case basically identifies a part of speech in a sentence, including the subject, direct and indirect objects, and ownership. What this means for you is that in addition to changing word endings to match gender, you'll also need to make sure that this ending matches the correct case. There are 4 cases you need to know:

• Nominative Case--identifies the subject. This is the easiest case because the endings are not changed from the dictionary form. You'll simply need to change endings to match the correct gender. The way to identify nominative case is to ask yourself the following question... "who or what are we talking about? (who or what is doing the action)?"
• Accusative Case--identifies the direct object. The way to identify this case is to ask yourself the following question... "whom or what does the subject 'see/eat/etc...'?" When you compare the word endings of this case to nominative case, you will notice that you only have to make a change in the masculine gender.
• Genitive Case--indicates that this noun belongs to someone or something. Ask yourself the question... "whom or what owns this?" The word endings in genitive case are different from nominative case in all genders. In addition, the masculine and neuter noun itself also changes, usually adding -es or -s. (One-syllable nouns typically add -es, while those with more than one syllable just add -s.)
• Dative Case--is used for the indirect object of the sentence (the receiver of the direct object or an action). Ask yourself... "to whom or to what is the subject doing this?" The word endings in dative case are different from nominative case in all genders. In addition, when Genitive case is used, an -n is added to the plural noun itself (unless the plural form of the noun already ends in -n or -s).

As you move through your German study bit by bit, you'll soon become familiar with each of the different endings. Keep in mind that these are difficult topics--the most difficult topics that you're going to encounter. Just by being aware of them now, you have made great progress. Keep referring back to these summaries as you continue learning and you'll soon be feeling very comfortable with German grammar. Remember... understanding the grammar rules is the quickest way to improve your German. So now you have a great incentive! Good luck, and have fun learning this wonderful language!

Steve Galvin is a language teacher and owner of leading German site http://www.easygermanlanguage.com, which is packed with free resources for anyone wanting to speak German the fun, fast and easy way. To ensure you get off to a good start, visit the website for many more great tips and tutorials, including our free mini-course: Learning German for Beginners.