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Year 8 - German

What I and others prefer to do: 'gern' and 'lieber' with present tense

What we like and prefer doing: separable verbs, 'gern' and 'lieber'

Unit Summary

This unit revisits adverbs, such as 'gut' 'schnell' and 'gern', and introduces the adverb 'lieber'. It extends knowledge of separable verbs for the plural forms 'wir' and 'sie'.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use 'lieben' to say what activities you love and 'gern' and 'lieber' to say what you like and prefer doing.

Key Notes

  • At the start of words, German [sp-] and [st-] are pronounced 'schp-' and 'scht-'.
  • [st] and [sp] sound like in English in the middle or at the end of words, except in compound nouns or separable verbs.
  • Practising vocabulary in different ways strengthens long-term recall.
  • 'Lieber' is an adverb meaning 'rather' and goes after the verb to talk about preferring to do something.
  • It is important not to confuse 'lieber' with 'lieben', which is a verb meaning 'to love, loving'.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • adverb: word that describes a verb or an adjective
  • lieber: adverb meaning 'rather', used to express preference between actions

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • German [st] and [sp] sound the same as in English, wherever they appear in the word.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

At the start of words, German [sp-] and [st-] are pronounced 'schp-' and 'scht-'. [st] and [sp] sound like in English in the middle or at the end of words, except in compound nouns or separable verbs.

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

word that describes a verb or an adjective. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: German [st] and [sp] sound the same as in English, wherever they appear in the word. Correction: At the start of words, German [sp-] and [st-] are pronounced 'schp-' and 'scht-'. If [sp] and [st] occur in the middle or end of a word, pronounce them as in English, except for compound nouns and separable verbs, which are also 'schp-' and 'scht-'.

More Lessons In This Unit

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