German Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-20-2025

Whether you’re planning a trip to Germany or another German-speaking country, you’ve heard an unfamiliar German phrase and want to know what it means, or you just want to get into the spirit for your town’s annual Oktoberfest, knowing some basic German can give you the confidence you need. The first part of this Cheat Sheet includes basic German expressions, questions that let you gather information or ask for help, phrases to use when ordering from a menu, and German numbers and dates. The second part of this Cheat Sheet includes some basics of German grammar that can help you build your own sentences.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-20-2025

Whether you’re planning a trip to Germany or another German-speaking country, you’ve heard an unfamiliar German phrase and want to know what it means, or you just want to get into the spirit for your town’s annual Oktoberfest, knowing some basic German can give you the confidence you need. The first part of this Cheat Sheet includes basic German expressions, questions that let you gather information or ask for help, phrases to use when ordering from a menu, and German numbers and dates. The second part of this Cheat Sheet includes some basics of German grammar that can help you build your own sentences.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-09-2023

Maybe you're familiar with some basics of German grammar, but you want to become more confident in both writing and speaking in German. This quick overview will reacquaint you with personal pronouns — try to memorize these and be sure you know all three cases — and help you brush up on present tense verb construction. With practice and time, you'll soon be off and having fun auf Deutsch (in German)!

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-22-2022

All languages have ways of showing what role a noun plays in a sentence. In English, a noun’s position in the sentence tells you how it’s being used. In German, the endings on the adjectives and articles that accompany the noun, which are based on case, tell you the noun’s function in the sentence. Here’s a quick overview of the German cases and the relationship they have with nouns, articles, and pronouns.

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

Meeting, greeting and conversations in German often requires introductions. You might be accompanied by friends when you meet somebody, or you might have to introduce your wife or husband to your boss at a formal dinner party. On some occasions, there won't be anyone to introduce you to the person you want to meet, and you have to do it yourself. Introducing your friends Commonplace, everyday introductions are easy to make. All you need are the words Das ist . . . (dâs îsst) (This is . . .) Then you simply add the name of the person. To indicate that it is a friend of yours, you say Das ist meine Freundin (f) / mein Freund (m) . . . (dâs îsst my-ne froyn-dîn / myn froynt) (This is my friend . . .) If you are introduced to somebody, you might want to say "Nice to meet you." In German, there's no very casual way of saying this, and if the introductions have been informal, you might just want to reply with a "Hallo" or "Guten Tag." If the introductions have been slightly more formal, you express "Nice to meet you" by saying Freut mich. (froyt mîH) (I'm pleased.) The person you have been introduced to might then reply Mich auch. (mîH owH) (Me, too.) Talkin' the talk In the following dialog, Frau Berger, Herr Schulte, and Frau Lempert meet for the first time and are therefore using formal introductions. Frau Berger: Herr Schulte, das ist Frau Lempert. (hêr shûl-tê, dâs îsst frow lêm-pert) (Mr. Schulte, this is Ms. Lempert.) Herr Schulte: Freut mich. (froyt mîH) (I'm pleased.) Frau Lempert: Mich auch. (mîH owH) (Me, too.) More informally, the introduction would sound like this. Karin: Michael, das ist meine Freundin Ute. (mî-Hâ-êl, dâs îsst my-ne froyn-dîn oo-te) (Michael, this is my friend Ute.) Michael: Hallo Ute. (hâ-lo oo-te) (Hello, Ute.) Introductions for special occasions You might find yourself in a situation that calls for a very high level of formal introduction. Here are some of the phrases you would use then: Darf ich Ihnen . . . vorstellen? (dârf îH ee-nen . . . fohr-shtêln) (May I introduce you to . . .?) Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen. (froyt mîH, zee kên-nen-tsû-lêr-nen) (I'm pleased to meet you.) Meinerseits. (my-ner-zyts) / Ganz meinerseits. (gânts my-ner-zyts) (Likewise.) Though you would probably use the English expression "likewise," it is not the literal translation of the German expression used here. Meinerseits just means "mine" and Ganz meinerseits would be "all mine," which, in this case, is a short form of "the pleasure is all mine." Talkin' the talk Here is a dialogue between the directors of two companies. Listen to Herr Kramer and Herr Huber. They meet at an official function, and Herr Huber introduces his wife. Herr Kramer: Guten Abend, Herr Huber! (gûtn ah-bnt, hêr hoo-ber) (Good evening, Mr. Huber!) Herr Huber: Guten Abend! Herr Kramer. Darf ich Ihnen meine Frau vorstellen? (gûtn ah-bnt! hêr krah-mer. dârf îH ee-nen my-nê frow fohr-shtêln) (Good evening! Mr. Kramer. May I introduce you to my wife?) Herr Kramer: Guten Abend, Frau Huber! Freut mich sehr, Sie kennenzulernen. (gûtn ah-bnt frow hoo-bêr! froit mîH zehr zee kên-nen-tsû-lêr-nen) (Good evening, Mrs. Huber! Very nice to meet you.) Frau Huber: Ganz meinerseits, Herr Kramer. (gânts my-ner-zyts, hêr krah-mer) (Likewise, Mr. Kramer.) Introducing yourself There might be situations where you can't rely on somebody else to introduce you and have to do the job yourself. It's an easy thing to do, since people often introduce themselves by just stating their name, even in a more formal setting. In German, there are two ways of telling people your name. One of them is Mein Name ist . . . (myn nah-me îsst) (My name is . . .) There also is a verb that expresses the same idea, heißen (hy-ssen), which means "to be called": Ich heiße . . . (îH hy-sse) (My name is . . .) Talkin' the Talk In the following conversation, Herr Hauser arrives at a meeting with several people he hasn't been introduced to yet and is looking for a seat at the conference table. Herr Hauser: Guten Tag! Ist der Platz noch frei? (gûtn tahgk, îsst dehr plâts nôH fry) (Good day! Is this seat still free?) Frau Berger: Ja, bitte. (yah, bî-te) (Yes, please.) Herr Hauser: Vielen Dank. Mein Name ist Max Hauser. (fee-lên dângk. myn nah-me îsst mâx how-ser) (Thank you very much. My name is Max Hauser.) Frau Berger: Freut mich. Karin Berger. (froyt mîH. kah-rîn bêr-ger) (I'm pleased. Karin Berger.) The previous conversation would sound entirely different if it took place among younger people who meet in an informal setting, like a party. They would forego any formalities and would probably introduce each other like this: Martin: Hallo, wie heißt Du? (hâ-lo, vee hysst dû) (Hello, what's your name?) Susanne: Ich heiße Susanne. Und Du? (îH hy-ssê zoo-zâ-ne. ûnt dû) (My name is Susanne. And you?) Martin: Martin. Und wer ist das? (mâr-tîn. ûnt vear îsst dâss) (Martin. And who is that?) Susanne: Das ist meine Freundin Anne. (dâss îsst my-ne froyn-dîn ân-ne) (This is my friend Anne.)

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

Getting your hellos and goodbyes straight in German is a matter of keeping in mind how well you know someone. If you’re on formal terms — in other words, if you’re addressing one or more people with Sie (zee) (you, formal) — then you have one set of expressions. When you’re on du (dooh) (you, informal) terms of address, you go with conversational expressions. Asking “Wie geht es Ihnen?” The next step after greeting someone in German is asking the question How are you? Whether you use the formal or the informal version of the question depends on whom you’re talking to. Sound complicated? Well, figuring out which form to use is easier than you may think. The following three versions of How are you? use three dative-case pronouns that represent you. Ihnen (een-en) is the dative equivalent of Sie, dir (deer) represents du, and euch (oyH) stands in for ihr. Here’s a breakdown of what to use when: Wie geht es Ihnen? (vee geyt ês een-en?) (How are you?) This is the formal version. Wie geht es dir? (vee geyt ês deer?) (How are you?) This is the informal, singular version. Wie geht’s? (vee geyts?) (How’s it going?) When you know someone really well, you can use this casual question. Wie geht es euch? (vee geyt ês oyH?) (How are you?) Use this when talking to several people informally. Greetings and introductions are often accompanied by some form of bodily contact. In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, hand-shaking is the most common form of bodily contact during greetings and introductions. Female friends may kiss each other on the cheek or give each other a hug. Men usually don’t kiss or hug each other, although they may greet a woman friend with a hug (and a kiss). You may notice that people in Europe often stand closer to you than you’re used to, for example, in stores, on the bus or subway, or during conversations with you. Giving a response to “Wie geht es Ihnen?” In English, the question How are you? is often just a way of saying hello, and no one raises an eyebrow if you don’t answer. In German, however, a reply is customary. Germans expect a reply because for the German speaker, asking “Wie geht es Ihnen?” isn’t the same as a casual hello but rather is a means of showing genuine interest in someone. The following are acceptable answers to the question Wie geht es Ihnen? (How are you?): Danke, gut. (dân-ke, gooht.) (Thanks, I’m fine.) or Gut, danke. (gooht, dân-ke.) (Fine, thanks.) Sehr gut. (zeyr gooht.) (Very good.) Ganz gut. (gânts gooht.) (Really good.) Es geht. (ês geyt.) (So, so.) This German expression actually means it goes. Nicht so gut. (niHt zoh gooht.) (Not so good.) As in English, you would usually accompany your reply with the question And (how are) you? Here’s the formal version: Und Ihnen? (oont een-en?) (And you?) Here’s how to pose the question informally: Und dir? (oont deer?) (And you?) (singular, informal you) Und euch? (oont oyH?) (And you?) (plural, informal you)

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

When traveling in German-speaking countries, you'll find that German words and phrases you use most frequently will be common German greetings (Grüße). The words and phrases will quickly become second nature because you use them day in and day out with everyone you come across. As you'd expect, you should use a polite greeting when you run into someone you know or want to know. But in most German-speaking countries it's considered good manners to greet everyone. So, whether you're speaking to a clerk, a waiter, or just bumping into someone on the street, you should still take the time to say a polite Guten Tag before you proceed. Saying hello The most common ways to greet someone in German are Hallo (Hello) Grüß Gott (Hello [in Southern Germany]) Guten Morgen (Good morning) Guten Tag (Hello, Good afternoon) Guten Abend (Good evening) Although people in Germany usually prefer to greet non-family members with handshakes instead of the cheek kissing that is customary in most of Europe, cheek kissing is still a common type of greeting in many German-speaking countries. However, the rules regarding the number of kisses to give and knowing when and who to kiss change from place to place. The good news is that when you meet someone for the first time, you can usually just shake hands. Then just watch how other people interact. You'll quickly recognize the pattern. Saying bye-bye There are also many ways to say goodbye. Auf Wiedersehen (Goodbye) Tschüs (Goodbye [Informal]) Auf Wiederhören (Goodbye [on the telephone]) Bis spatter (See you later) Bis bald (See you soon) Bis morgen (See you tomorrow) Bis Freitag (See you on Friday) Alles Gute (All the best) Viel Glück (Good luck) Machs gut (Take care [S]) Asking and responding to "How are you?" How are you? How's it going? How many times a day do we hear or say these brief greetings at the beginning of our conversations? So many times, in fact, that half the time, we don't even pay attention. These pleasantries (Nettigkeiten) are common in German-speaking countries as well. The most common ways to ask how someone is doing are: Wie geht's? (How's it going?) Geht es Ihnen gut? (Are you well?) Wie geht es dir? (How are you? [Informal]) Wie geht es Ihnen? (How are you? [Formal]) As you'd expect, when someone asks you how you're doing, there are many possible responses. Gut, danke. (I'm fine, thank you.) Es geht mir sehr gut. (I'm very well.) Ziemlich gut. (I'm rather well.) Nicht schlecht. (Not bad.) Viel besser. (Much better.) Nicht gut. (Not well.) Once you've said that you're fine, or good, or so-so, it is customary to ask how the other person is doing. You can do this easily by saying Und dir? (And you? [Informal]) or Und Ihnen? (And you? [Formal]).

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

Whether you're on a short visit to a German-speaking country or planning to live there, knowing how to order food in German is essential. Eating out can be a lot of fun, especially if you know some basic restaurant vocabulary. Speisekarte (shpy-ze-kâr-tê) (menu [F]) Rechnung (rêH-nûng) (check [F]) Trinkgeld (trîngk-gêld) n (tip [N]) Quittung (kvî-tûngk) (receipt [F]) In German-speaking countries, as in most of the rest of the world, there are three main Mahlzeiten (meals) of the day: Frühstück (fruu-shtuuk) [n] (breakfast), Mittagessen (mî-tahgk-êsn) [n] (lunch), and Abendessen (ah-bnt-êsn) [n] (dinner). To tell someone you're hungry in German, say Ich bin hungrig. (I’m hungry). If you want to ask somebody if he or she is hungry, you say Sie sind hungrig (Are you hungry?). To order something, say ich mˆchte . . . (I would like . . .) and then add the food (Essen) you want. The following list might help. Fleisch (meat) Schweinefleisch (pork) Hähnchen/Huhn (chicken) Fisch (fish) Eier (eggs) Gemüse (vegetables) Obst (fruit) Nachtisch (dessert) Butter (butter) Kuchen (cake) Suppe (soup) Brot (bread) You might want to use the following adjectives to describe to your der Kellner/die Kellnerin [M/F] (waiter/waitress) how you want the food prepared. heiß (warm; hot) kalt (cold) klein (small; short) groß (big; tall; large) To tell someone you're thirsty in German, say Ich habe Durst. When you want to ask somebody whether he or she is thirsty, you say Sie sind durstig (Are you thirsty?). The following are some of the most common drinks you'll want to order in German. Bier (beer) [N] (beer) Kaffee (kâ-fê) [M] (coffee) Milch (mîlH) [F] (milk) Tee (the) [M] (tea) Wein (vyn) [M] (wine) Mineralwasser (Mîn-eh-rahl-vahs-ser) (mineral water) Wasser (vahs-ser) (water) The following phrases might help you when you're eating at a restaurant. Ich habe einen Tisch reserviert. (I’ve reserved a table.) Ich möchte bitte etwas Wasser. (I would like some water please.) Haben Sie ein Tagesmenü? (What is today's special?) Ich hätte gern ein Glas Milch. (I'd like a glass of milk.) Zwei Spiegeleier mit Brot, bitte. (Two fried eggs with bread, please.) Noch etwas Tee bitte. (A little more tea, please.) Bedienung! (Waiter!) Ich möchte etwas Kaffee. (I'd like some coffee.)

Article / Updated 01-13-2020

Learning the proper way to make introductions in German can help you get off to the right start. The German language tends to be a bit more formal than American English. Consequently, introductions in German follow more of a pattern than they sometimes do in the United States. Don't worry, it’s not complicated — just good manners. Introducing yourself First impressions are important — they can start a friendship and set the tone for your entire meeting. Start with a greeting. The simplest greeting is Hallo or Guten Tag, which means Hello or Good Day. If you're in Southern Germany, they say Grüß Gott instead. Introduce yourself. The two most common ways to introduce yourself are to say Ich heiße Name (My name is Name) or Ich bin Name (I'm Name). Because the Germans are more socially formal, they follow a strict sense of etiquette at work. In business settings, introductions are only made by those in authority. So, if someone starts working at an office, her boss would be the one to introduce her to the other people in the office. Since you are meeting the person for the first time, you should use the more formal form of you to ask their name. Sie, which is formal “you,” is polite and can be used when speaking with a new acquaintance, elder, or person in a high office. With friends, family, and children, use informal du (you). Ihr is the plural of du. Wie heißt du? (What’s your name? [Informal]) Wie heißen Sie? (What’s your name? [Formal]) After they tell you their name you should express pleasure. Common ways to express this are: Sehr angenehm. (Nice to meet you!) Es freut mich Sie kennen zu lernen. (It's a pleasure to meet you.) (Singular/Formal) Introducing other people The second most common type of introduction is to introduce someone else, such as your spouse, child, or friend. The following phrases are typical of introducing someone else. Kann ich meine Frau, Fabienne einführen? (May I introduce my wife, Fabienne?). Das ist mein Freund, James. (This is my friend, James.) Where are you from? Don't need to stop at basic introductions; you could also take this opportunity to talk about where each of you is from. To tell them where you're from, say Ich komme aus den USA. (I’m from the United States.) To ask where the person is from, you can say: Woher kommst du? (Where are you from? [Informal]) Woher kommen Sie? (Where are you from? [Formal]) Aus welcher Stadt kommst du? (What city are you from?) If you want to talk about where you live on the other hand, you can use the verb wohnen, which mean to live: Wo wohnst du? (Where do you live?) Ich wohne in Bremen. (I live in Bremen.)

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Thirty days has September, April, June, and November. You should be happy to know that this little rhyme translates easily into German. But don't get overly confident yet — you still have to figure out the years, too. Getting a handle on how to correctly express dates will be a great help to you when dealing with German travel agencies. Getting to know the units of the calendar The following sentences show you how to build the calendar, der Kalender (dehr kâ-lên-der), in German: Ein Jahr hat 12 Monate. (ayn yahr hât tsvuolf moh-nâ-te) (A year has 12 months.) Ein Monat hat 30 oder 31 Tage. (ayn moh-nât hât dry-sîgk oh-der ayn-ûnt-dry-sîgk tah-ge) (A month has 30 or 31 days.) Der Februar hat 28 oder 29 Tage. (dehr feh-brû-ahr hât âHt-ûn-tsvân-tsîgk oh-der noyn-ûn-tsvân-tsîgk tahge) (February has 28 or 29 days.) Eine Woche hat 7 Tage. (ay-ne vô-He hât zee-bn tah-ge) (A week has 7 days.) The basic names of the months The following list shows you all the names of the months. All the months' names are masculine, meaning that their article is der: Januar (yâ-nû-ahr) (January) Februar (feh-brû-ahr) (February) März (mêrts) (March) April (ah-prîl) (April) Mai (my) (May) Juni (yoo-nee) (June) Juli (yoo-lee) (July) August (ow-gûst) (August) September (zêp-têm-ber) (September) Oktober (ôk-toh-ber) (October) November (nô-vêm-ber) (November) Dezember (deh-tsêm-ber) (December) Describing events in specific months If something takes place in a particular month, you combine the name of the month with the preposition im: Ich fliege im Januar ab. (îH flee-ge îm yâ-nû-ahr âp) (I'm flying off in January.) Ich fliege im Februar zurück. (îH flee-ge îm feh-brû-ahr tsû-ruuk) (I'm flying back in February.) Im März werde ich zu Hause sein. (îm mêrts vehr-de îH tsû how-ze zyn) (In March, I'll be home.) Naming specific times in the months If you need to be somewhat specific about the time of the month, the following phrases help narrow down the field: Anfang Januar (ân-fâng yâ-nû-ahr) (in the beginnig of January) Mitte Februar (mî-te feh-brû-ahr) (in the middle of February) Ende März (ên-de mêrts) (at the end of March) Of course, you can substitute any month name after Anfang, Mitte, and Ende: Anfang April fliegen wir nach Berlin. (ân-fâng â-prîl flee-gn veer nahh bêr-leen) (In the beginning of April we'll fly to Berlin.) Ich werde Ende Mai verreisen. (îH vêr-de ên-de my fêr-ry-zen) (I'll go traveling at the end of May.) Herr Behr wird Mitte Februar in Skiurlaub fahren. (hêr behr vîrt mî-te feh-brû-ahr în shee-ûr-lowp fah-ren) (Mr. Behr will go on a skiing trip in the middle of February.) Dates When talking about the date, das Datum (dâs dah-tûm), you need to adjust your way of thinking a little bit. In German, the day always comes first, and the month comes second (see Table 1). Note the period after the numeral identifying it as an ordinal number. Table 1 German Dates, Long Version Write Say Pronunciation 1. Januar 2000 erster Januar Zweitausend êrs-ter yâ-nû-ahr tsvy-tow-zênt 10. Juni 1999 zehnter Juni Neunzehnhundertneunundneunzig tsehn-ter yoo-nee noyn-tsehn-hûn-dêrt-noyn-ûnt-noyn-tsîgk 20. März 1888 zwanzigster März Achtzehnhundertachtundachtzig tsvân-tsîgk-ster mêrts âH-tsehn-hûn-dêrt âHt-ûnt-âH-tsîgk As you can see from the last example in Table 1, going back in time to another century is not hard. That was the long version. And now for the short version, which is popular for both the spoken and the written languages (see Table 2). The day still goes first, and the month goes second. Again, note the periods after the numerals (both the day and month are ordinals). Table 2 German Dates, Short Version Write Say Pronunciation 1. 1. 2000 erster erster Zweitausend êrs-ter êrs-ter tsvy-tow-zênt 2. 4. 1999 zweiter vierter Neunzehnhundertneunundneunzig tsvy-ter feer-ter noyn-tsehn-hûn-dêrt-noyn-ûnt-noyn-tsîgk 3. 5. 1617 dritter fünfter Sechzehnhundertsiebzehn drî-ter fuunf-ter sêH-tsehn-hûn-dêrt-zeep-tsehn If you want to find out what today's date is you ask: Den Wievielten haben wir heute? (dehn vee-feel-ten hah-ben veer hoy-te) (What's today's date?) The answer will be one of the following: Heute haben wir den . . . (hoy-te hah-ben veer dehn) (Today we have the . . .) Heute ist der . . . (hoy-te îst dehr) (Today is the . . .) You may hear the name of a year integrated into a sentence in one of two ways. The first, longer way uses the preposition im to create the phrase "im Jahr . . .", and the second, shorter way doesn't. The following sentences show you examples of both ways of doing things: Im Jahr 2000 fährt Herr Diebold in die USA. (îm yahr tsvy-tow-zênt fehrt hêr dee-bôlt în dee oo-ês-ah) (In the year 2000, Mr. Diebold is going to the United States.) 1999 war er in Kanada. (noyn-tsehn-hûn-dêrt-noyn-ûnt-noyn-tsîgk vâr ehr în kâ-nâ-dâ) (In 1999 he was in Canada.)