Year 10 - German
Was darf man ab wann? 'Dürfen' vs 'können', wh- questions and modal verbs
Studying and my future: Aufwachsen, Altersgrenzen und Zukunftspläne
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit revisits a wide range of grammar, including modal verbs, the future tense, two-verb structures. It introduces the conditional 'würd-' with gern and lieber and 'hätte' and wäre'. Pupils learn to distinguish müssen vs sollen, and dürfen vs können regarding responsibilites and future plans.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use 'können' and 'dürfen' to describe what people are able to do and what people are allowed to do.
Key Notes
- 'Dürfen' refers to permission required from another person to do something.
- 'Können' refers to the ability to do something or the possibiity of doing something.
- Open questions use a question word before the verb, followed by the subject.
- In open questions using a modal verb, the 2nd verb in the infinitive is at the end of the sentence.
Vocabulary To Learn
- modal verbs: verbs of necessity, possibility, permission, ability, expectation or obligation used with a 2nd verb in the infinitive
- dürfen: modal verb meaning 'to be allowed to', 'may'
- können: modal verb meaning 'to be able to', 'can'
- wh-question words: question words that mostly begin 'wh-' in English, such as 'where'; in German they are 'Fragewörter'
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- 'Können' and 'dürfen' both translate as 'can' in English.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
'Dürfen' refers to permission required from another person to do something. 'Können' refers to the ability to do something or the possibiity of doing something.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'modal verbs'
verbs of necessity, possibility, permission, ability, expectation or obligation used with a 2nd verb in the infinitive. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: 'Können' and 'dürfen' both translate as 'can' in English. Correction: 'Können' and 'dürfen' are often used incorrectly in both German and English. 'Dürfen' refers to permission - 'may I/am I allowed to?'. 'Können' refers to the ability to do something - 'can I/am I able to?', whether or not permission is given.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Berufe: 'werden' + infinitive, wh-questions in future and conditional tenses Study Guide
- Berufserfahrung: 'Sie', 'Ihnen', interrogatives 'wer', 'wen', 'wem' Study Guide
- Berufserfahrung: verbs with indirect objects, dative pronouns Study Guide
- Das Pfandsystem: word order with 'wenn', inversion, plural nouns Study Guide
- Hitzefrei: 'müssen' vs 'sollen', 'sollen' vs 'sollte' Study Guide
- Junge Deutsche: neuter adjectival nouns, nominalisation, adjectival agreement Study Guide
- Junge Deutsche: telling the time, uses of 'es' Study Guide
- Junge Deutsche: weak plural masculine nouns, feminine person nouns Study Guide
- Meine Pläne: adding -er to verb stems for male agent nouns, extended writing Study Guide
- Pläne: word order with 'sobald', 'solange' and 'wenn' Study Guide
- Wenn ich 16 bin: würd- with gern and lieber, imperfect subjunctive hätte, wäre Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 10 German guide library.