Year 10 - German
Mein Alltag jetzt und früher: '-chen' and '-lein', 'wenn' and 'als'
My personal world: Der Alltag
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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 reflexive verbs in past and present tenses as pupils discuss daily routines. Known prepositions are practised, and new prepositions taking accusative and dative are introduced. Times and days are revisited as 'nachdem' and bevor' with clauses are introduced.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use the perfect and present tenses, along with 'wenn' and 'als', to compare past and present routines and activities.
Key Notes
- German [ch] can be soft or hard. The sound [ei] is pronounced like 'frei'.
- The suffixes -chen and -lein are added to make diminutive nouns. They often gain an umlaut and are always neuter.
- 'Wenn' means 'when', 'whenever' of 'if' and is used for repeated actions or conditions in the present or future.
- 'Als' means 'when' to refer to a specific past event or point in time.
- Both 'als' and 'wenn' trigger word order 3, sending the finite verb to the end of the sentence or clause.
Vocabulary To Learn
- wenn: conjunction meaning 'if' or 'when' which triggers word order 3
- als: conjunction meaning 'when', referring to specific past events, which triggers word order 3
- word order 3: (WO3) after certain conjunctions, the verb is sent to the end of the sentence or clause
- -chen, -lein: suffixes added to nouns to make diminutive or 'little' forms
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- We use 'wann' to say what we did, do or will do 'when'.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
German [ch] can be soft or hard. The sound [ei] is pronounced like 'frei'. The suffixes -chen and -lein are added to make diminutive nouns. They often gain an umlaut and are always neuter.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'wenn'
conjunction meaning 'if' or 'when' which triggers word order 3. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: We use 'wann' to say what we did, do or will do 'when'. Correction: 'Wann' is a question word and means 'when' in questions and indirect questions. Use 'als' for 'when' when referring to specific past events or points in time and 'wenn' for repeated actions or conditions in the present or future.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Freizeit: prepositions, da-compounds Study Guide
- Ich fahre in die Schule: words for 'in' and 'to', wo-compounds Study Guide
- Mein Alltag: telling the time, prepositions 'um', 'seit' and 'vor' Study Guide
- Vor und nach der Schule: word order with 'nachdem' and 'bevor' Study Guide
- Wir treffen uns: reflexive verbs past and present, forming adverbs, role play Study Guide
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