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Year 8 - German

In Berlin: present and past, 1st person singular and plural, 'um...Uhr' for time

Berlin: numbers and time

Unit Summary

This unit develops pupils' knowledge of strong verbs in the present tense with the introduction of stem changes e-i and a-ä. It will introduce larger numbers (32-100). Pupils will practise telling the time using the perfect tense in the 'ich' and 'wir' form.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use the 12-hour clock and word order 2 to say what hour you did different activities, and use present and past (perfect) tenses to translate a message into German.

Key Notes

  • Revisiting individual word meanings in listening, reading and speaking practice activities strengthens memory.
  • Contrasting the present and perfect tense in practice tasks deepens the knowledge of both structures.
  • 'Uhr' means 'o'clock'. 'Um' means 'at' with time, e.g., 'um drei Uhr' ('at three o' clock'). 'Die Stunde' means 'hour'.
  • Starting with time triggers word order 2 so the verb stays in 2nd place, e.g., 'um zwei Uhr habe ich Karten gespielt'.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • um: preposition meaning 'at' with time, e.g., 'um drei Uhr' ('at three o'clock')
  • word order 2 (WO2): inverts the subject and verb in a sentence
  • perfect tense: verb tense that describes completed actions in the past, e.g., 'ich habe gesagt' ('I said'), 'sie hat gespielt' ('she played')

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • In German, 'Uhr' means 'hour'.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.

Revisiting individual word meanings in listening, reading and speaking practice activities strengthens memory. Contrasting the present and perfect tense in practice tasks deepens the knowledge of both structures.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'um'

preposition meaning 'at' with time, e.g., 'um drei Uhr' ('at three o'clock'). Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: In German, 'Uhr' means 'hour'. Correction: 'Die Uhr' looks and sounds a bit like 'hour' but it means 'clock' and 'um … Uhr' means 'at … o'clock'. 'Die Stunde' means 'hour'.

More Lessons In This Unit

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