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Mille Grazie! Italian classes from A1 to C1 and private classes in Berlin or on Zoom

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Mille Grazie! The Italian courses of Berlino Schule

Mille Grazie! That’s what non-Italians say when they thank someone. Do you know that the right expression is “Grazie mille!”? Never heard of it?! Really?! Then you should definitely start studying Italian. Berlino Schule offers private and group classes.

1 – Private classes live in Berlin or per Skype

Our private classes are split up in teaching units, each of which consists of 45 minutes class, according to the definition of the Common European Framework of Reference for Knowledge of Languages. Each teaching unit costs €32. We generally recommend booking a minimum of 10 units. In case you decide to book more than 10 units, we are more than happy to offer you a discount (€29 per unit). After the payment, you will be put in contact with the teacher, with whom you can schedule your classes.  If you want, you can have a trial lesson (45 minutes) for €32.

2 – Berlino Schule Italian group classes

If you are tired of speaking “weird” Italian, you cannot miss the opportunity to sign up for our classes. This year we have come up with the idea of organising more intensive courses to give our students the chance to learn faster and faster (twice a week, either on Mondays and Wednesdays or Tuesdays and Thursdays, 19:15 to 21:40, 10 weeks long).

So, you will basically start pronouncing your first words after a couple of classes. If you are wondering how many hours you will have completed at the end of each course, you should know that Berlino Schule courses are split up in teaching units (45 minutes), and each course is composed by 60 units.

Our next Mille Grazie courses: info & calendar

Price: 390€ + 20€ registration fee (valid 12 months) 

 

Our teachers

Every course is taught in the target language, i.e. our teachers constantly speak the language that our students want to learn when delivering lessons or explaining concepts. Our method relies on the belief that a total immersion is the most effective way to study a language. All our teachers have the Ditals certification, a professional qualification offered by Unistrasi (Università per Stranieri di Siena).

Where

At Berlino Schule, in Gryphiusstr. 23, in Friedrichshain, one of the best, safest and most lively areas in Berlin. Moreover, the school is within walking distance of the East Side Gallery (the longest segment of the Berlin Wall still standing), one of the main touristic attractions of the capital city.

Info and registration

Send us an e-mail at info@berlinoschule.com

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German online course for tourismPixabay, CCO

German online course for tourism, hotel industry and gastronomy – only 200€

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Are you working in Germany in a restaurant, hotel or in other accommodation facilities and you need the right vocabulary to communicate with your customers? If that is the case, you absolutely need to attend our German online course for tourism!

Berlino Schule German online course for tourism is tailored to those who work in Germany in the hotel industry and gastronomy and  those who communicate daily with native German speaker customers, although they do not work in Germany. The course takes place every day, Monday to Friday, 9:30 to 12:10 and consists of 48 teaching units (1 unit: 45 minutes, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). Only 200€. Max. 10 people per course. If you want to enroll please write an email at: info@berlinoschule.com.

Berlino Schule, well known for its Google (4.9/5) and Facebook (5/5) high ratings and positive reviews, this month is giving you the chance to learn comfortably from your couch.

We offer two German online courses for tourism, both tailored to your linguistic level:

German online course for tourism A1

14 June – 2 July, Monday to Friday, 9:30-12:10

Price: 200€

Requirements: you should speak German at an A1 level

German online course for tourism A2

7 June – 25 June, Monday to Friday, 9:30-12:10

Price: 200€

Requirements: you should speak German at an A2 level

What does “Halbpension” mean? How can I give directions in German and describe the attractions of the city? How do I handle politely my customers’ complaints? Berlino Schule German online course for tourism has got all the answers to your questions.

Topics

How to:

  • talk about dishes and drinks on the menu
  • Bring the receipt and give the change
  • give street directions
  • describe the attractions of the city
  • recommend events, outdoor trips and activities
  • properly talk on the phone
  • handle the customers’ complaints

Our teaching method

Berlino Schule uses a communicative approach with a notional-functional method. The aim of our courses is therefore to develop not only a mere linguistic competence (grammar, syntax, phonetics and morphology rules), but also a wider communicative competence. The student will then have the chance to improve the 4 main language skills (listening, reading, writing and speaking) and express themselves fluently in all everyday life situations. The language is seen as something alive, which blossoms and grows in a real context.

Not only German for tourism

Are you interested in a more general German course? Take a look at our offer of intensive courses in the morning, afternoon or evening and reserve your spot by writing an email at info@berlinoschule.com. 

Make the best out of your free time at home and learn or improve your German with one of the best language schools in Berlin. Berlino Schule, well known for its Google (4.9/5) and Facebook (5/5) high ratings and positive reviews, this month is giving you the chance to learn comfortably from your couch. Since the very beginning, the school has been working with proper classes based in Berlin and on Zoom, helping hundreds of people make their first steps into the German working scene. But German isn’t useful only abroad. Even in your own country, learning German can give a kick to your personal and professional life.

At a low price of €192 + 20 € (registration fee will be charged once, when you first enroll at Berlino Schule), you will have the chance to follow a 48 hrs course and a semi-language level (by semi-language level we mean A1.1, A1.2, A2.1 and so on). Berlino Schule offers also onsite classes in its school in Berlin (Gryphiusstr. 23). In case you are interested to the onsite classes click here.

Photo: Pixabay, CCO

 

Adjective declension in German

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There are many factors to consider when declining German adjectives – But don’t panic! Berlino Schule is here to help you

Gute, guten, gutes, guter… do you ever find yourself wondering why the same adjective comes in so many forms? Adjectives are useful tools in a language since they can enrich a text or a speech. That’s why it’s important to know how to employ them. We are here to explain to you which things you should keep in mind when you use adjectives in German.

When should we decline adjectives?

To begin, adjectives should not always be declined. It depends on their position within the sentence. When they come after the noun (together with a verb), they are used in their basic form. For example:

Die Tasche ist blau. – The bag is blue.

Instead, if the adjective comes before the noun, it must be declined:

Die blaue Tasche. – The blue bag. 

 

How to decline adjectives

To determine which ending the adjective should get, you should consider these factors:

  • gender and number of the noun the adjective refers to
  • case (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv)
  • what is in front of the adjective (definite article, indefinite article, no article…)

The last point, in particular, determines which one of the three possible declensions we should follow. In the following paragraph, we will show you these three declensions and when to use each one of them.

First declension

We use the first declension with definite articles: Der schwarze Tisch ist sehr schön.

Erste Deklination

This declension is also used with “dies…”, “welch…”, “jed…”, “all…”, “solch…” and “manch…”.

Ich mag diesen deutschen Kuchen.
Welches neue Geschäft liegt hier in der Nähe?
Ich liebe jedes italienische Gericht.
Manche billigen Sofas sind unbequem.
Solche einfachen Übungen sind für Anfänger ideal.

This first declension is pretty easy. In fact, in five cases the ending is E (they are highlighted in orange the table above), while in the remaining cases the ending is EN.

 

Second declension

The second declension is used with indefinite articles, with “kein…” and with possessive adjectives (e.g.: mein, dein, sein…).

Ich habe ein rotes Heft.
Mein rotes Heft ist auf dem Tisch.
Ich habe kein grünes Heft.

Zweite Deklination

Third declension

We use the third declension when there is no article in front of the adjective. This is also used if the adjective comes after a number, “viele”, “einige” or “andere”.

Julia hat lange Haare.
Wir haben zwei junge Töchter.
Ich schreibe viele/einige lange E-Mails.

Dritte Deklination

Let’s practice:

01. Das ist der neu…………….Deutschlehrer.

02. Die neu……………..Deutschlehrerin ist sehr nett.

03. In unserer Klasse ist eine neu………………………Schülerin.

04. Ich finde, gut………………..Freunde sind sehr wichtig.

05. Du musst vorsichtig sein, er ist noch ein klein………………Kind.

06. Er hat ein neu……………………Auto gekauft.

07. Sein neu…………………Auto steht vor der Haustür.

08. Meine klein…………………….Kinder gehen in den Kindergarten.

09. Die Adjektivdeklination mit bestimmt……………………….. Artikel kann ich schon gut.

10. Ich trinke gern deutsch………………….Wein.

Looking for a German course?

Have a look at our website! Berlino Schule offers German courses with qualified teachers at a very convenient price. Feel free to contact us at info@berlinoschule.com in case you need any information.

Our contacts

Gryphiusstraße 23, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain

+49 030 36465765

info@berlinoschule.com

Facebook page

Instagram profile

 

 

Tedesco Goethe German language studiare tedescoTedesco Goethe German language studiare tedesco

German Prepositions of time and place

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In this article we will illustrate the most common German prepositions of time and place

German prepositions can be quite confusing when one first approaches them. Practice usually helps grasping the differences among them but, for the moment, we will try to explain this topic as easy as possible, so that you can immediately start learning.

Some German prepositions are always followed by the Akkusativ. These are: bis – durch – für – gegen – ohne – um – entlang.
Other prepositions are always followed by the Dativ: aus – bei – mit – seit – nach – von – zu – gegenüber.
There are also prepositions that can either be followed by the Akkusativ or by the Dativ. These are usually prepositions of place, and they follow this general rule:

Prepositions

Prepositions of time

AN + Dat. It is used with the days of the week (am Montag) and the parts of the day (am Vormittag), except for the night (in der Nacht).

IN + Dat. It is used with months (im Juli), seasons (im Sommer) and years (in 2021, im Jahr 2021). “In” can also be used to say “in a week”, “in a month” and so on: in einer Woche, in einem Monat.

INNERHALB + Gen. (within). E.g.: Ich schreibe dir innerhalb einer Woche. – I’ll write to you within a week.

ZU is used with feast days (zu Ostern, zu Weihnachten) and expressions like “zu dieser Zeit” and “zu jeder Zeit”.

FÜR + Akk. (for) indicates the duration: Für eine Stunde, für einen Monat, für drei Tage…

VON + Dat … BIS + Akk. (from…to). E.g.: Von Montag bis Freitag. – From Monday to Friday. 

“Bis” can also be employed in expressions like: Bis bald! / Bis Montag! – See you soon! / See you on Monday!

ZWISCHEN + Dat. (between). E.g.: Zwischen dem 1. Januar und dem 1. Februar. – Between the 1st of January and the 1st of February.

WÄHREND + Gen (during). E.g.: Während dem Sommer habe ich viele Bücher gelesen. – During the summer I read a lot of books.

 

Um vs. Gegen

UM + Akk. (at). It is used to indicate what time it is. E.g.: Wir treffen uns um 19 Uhr. – We are meeting at 19.
GEGEN + Akk. (around). E.g.: Wir beginnen gegen 10 Uhr. – We begin around 10.

 

Vor and Nach

VOR + Dat.  (before). E.g.: Vor dem Deutschkurs habe ich Zeit zum Essen. – I have time to eat before the German course.
NACH + Dat (after). E.g.: Ich komme nach der Schule. – I’m coming after school.

 

Vor, Seit and Ab

VOR also means “ago” (always with Dativ). E.g.: Vor einer Woche hatte ich Fieber. – A week ago I had a temperature.

SEIT + Dat. (since/for). “Seit” is used to talk about an action that started in the past and that is not yet completed. E.g.: Ich lerne Spanisch seit zwei Monate. – I’ve been learning Spanish for two months.

Ich lerne Spanisch seit Januar – I’ve been learning Spanish since January.

AB + Dat. (from). It can also be used with the Akkusativ if it comes with no article. E.g.: Ab dem nächsten Monat/ ab nächsten Monat.

“Ab” is usually used for the future. We can’t say “Ich warte hier ab 15 Uhr” if it is 16.
It can also be employed to refer to the past, but only if the action is completed.

E.g.: Ab 1952 arbeitete er in Berlin. – From 1952 he worked in Berlin (but now he doesn’t).

 

Prepositions of place

The meaning 

IN (inside)

VOR (in front of)

HINTER (behind)

UNTER (under)

ÜBER (on – without contact)

AUF (on – with contact)

NEBEN (close to – without contact)

AN (next to – with contact)

ZWISCHEN (between)

All of these prepositions are used with the Dativ if they give a location (WO?), and with the Akkusativ if they give a direction (WOHIN?).

 

Dativ vs Akkusativ 

As we said before, prepositions of place often depend on whether there is a motion or not. We have to ask ourselves if the sentence answers the question WO? (where?) or WOHIN? (where to?).

IN + AKK Ich gehe in die Stadt. gehen = verb of motion, WOHIN?

IN + DAT Ich bin in der Stadt. sein = stative verb, WO? 

 

Prepositions of place that are always used with the accusative case.

DURCH + Akk. (through). E.g.: Sie wandern durch den Wald. – They’re walking through the woods.

ENTLANG + Akk. (along). E.g.: Wir spazieren diese Straße entlang. – We’re walking along this street.

UM + Akk. (around).

Wir sitzen um den Tisch. – We’re sitting around the table.
Das Restaurant ist um die Ecke. – The restaurant is around the corner.

GEGEN + Akk. (against). E.g.: Gegen die Mauer. – Against the wall.

 

Prepositions of place that are always used with the dative case.

AUS + Dat. (from). E.g.: Ich komme aus Italien. – I come from Italy.

ZU + Dat. (to). We find it in front of persons or professions to indicate a direction.

Ich gehe zu meiner Mutter. – I’m going to my mom’s house.
Er geht zu Lisa. – He’s going to Lisa’s house.
Ich gehe zum Arzt. – I’m going to the doctor’s.

If there is no motion involved (WO?) we use BEI (+ Dativ).

Ich bin bei meiner Mutter. – I’m at my mom’s house.
Er ist bei Lisa. – He is at Lisa’s house.
Ich bin beim Arzt. – I’m at the doctor’s.

ZU is also used with “Haus(e)”. In this case, though, it gives a location, and not a direction: Ich bin zu Hause. – I’m at home.
If we want to say “I’m going home”, we employ NACH instead: Ich gehe nach Hause.
NACH also belongs to the prepositions used with the Dativ. It always refers to a direction (WOHIN?). We employ it with those geographical names that come with no article (cities and towns, most countries, continents).

Ich fahre nach Berlin. – I’m going to Berlin.
Wir fahren nach Spanien. – We’re going to Spain.
Sie fliegen nach Asien. – They’re flying to Asia.

In these same cases, we use IN to give a location.

Ich bin in Rom. – I’m in Rome.
Wir sind in Frankreich. – We’re in France.
Sie sind in Europa. – They’re in Europe.

Prepositions of place that can either be used with the dative or with the accusative case.

Geographical names with article

IN + Akk. gives a direction.

Ich fahre in die Schweiz. – I’m going to Switzerland.
Wir fliegen in die USA. – We’re flying to the USA.
Ich fahre ins Ausland. – I’m going abroad.

IN + Dat. gives a location.

Ich bin in der Schweiz. – I’m in Switzerland.
Wir sind in den USA. – We’re in the USA.
Ich bin im Ausland. – I’m abroad.

 

Islands and open spaces

AUF + Akk. is used to give a direction.

Ich fliege auf die Insel Sylt. – I’m flying to Sylt island.
Wir gehen auf den Markt. – We’re going to the market.

AUF + Akk. is used to give a location.

Ich bin auf der Insel Sylt. – I’m on Sylt island.
Wir sind auf dem Markt. – We’re at the market.

 

Seas, oceans, lakes, rivers and beaches

AN + Akk. gives a direction. E.g. Ich gehe ans Meer. – I’m going to the seaside.

AN + Dat. gives a location. E.g. Ich habe ein Haus am Meer. – I have a house by the sea.

 

Let’s practice

Wohin möchtest du fahren/gehen? – Where would you like to go?

Make a list of the places you would like to visit, using the prepositions seen above.

E.g.: Ich möchte nach Paris fahren.

 

Learning German with Berlino Schule

Berlino Schule offers German courses from A1 to C1. Our school has the best quality-price ratio (check the reviews online, 4.9/5 on Google and Facebook). Click here to access the calendar and reserve your place by simply sending an email to info@berlinoschule.com.

Our contacts

Gryphiusstraße 23, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain

+49 030 36465765

info@berlinoschule.com

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The German Perfekt (perfect tense)

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What is the Perfekt and how do we build it? Here we try to sum up everything you need to know about this tense.

The Perfekt, just like the Präteritum, is used to talk about something that happened in the past. In fact, the Perfekt and the Präteritum are often used interchangeably. You could say “Gestern habe ich ein Buch gekauft” or “Gestern kaufte ich ein Buch”. 
The meaning is always the same: “Yesterday I bought a book“.

However, Germans mainly use the Perfekt in everyday oral language, whereas in the written and formal language they prefer the Präteritum.

How to build the Perfekt

The perfect tense (Perfekt) is formed by an auxiliary verb and a past participle (Partizip II). The auxiliary verb can either be “haben” or “sein”, depending on the main verb, and it must be conjugated in the present tense (Präsens) according to the subject. Remember to put the past participle at the end of the sentence.

Ich habe eine E-Mail geschrieben. – I wrote an e-mail.
Sie ist nach Paris geflogen. – She flew to Paris.

Perfekt_rule

 

Past participle: weak, strong and mixed verbs

Weak verbs (schwache Verben)

Weak (regular) verbs build the Partizip II with the prefix GE and the suffix T. These should be added to the verb’s stem. For instance:

SAGEN – GESAGT
KAUFEN – GEKAUFT
LERNEN – GELERNT

If the stem ends in -T or -D we should add an E between the stem and the suffix T:

ARBEITEN – GEARBEITET
WARTEN – GEWARTET
REDEN – GEREDET

If the verb ends in -IEREN we do not use the prefix GE:

TELEFONIEREN – TELEFONIERT
FUNKTIONIEREN – FUNKTIONIERT

 

Strong verbs (starke Verben)

Moving on to strong verbs, their past participle does not follow a general rule. They add the prefix GE and they end in EN, but the stem often changes. For this reason, it is important to learn these verbs’ past participle by heart. A few examples:

FAHREN – GEFAHREN
GEHEN – GEGANGEN
BLEIBEN – GEBLIEBEN
HELFEN – GEHOLFEN
TRINKEN – GETRUNKEN

 

Mixed verbs (gemischte Verben)

Mixed verbs add the same prefix and suffix as regular verbs, but they change their stem:

BRINGEN – GEBRACHT
DENKEN – GEDACHT
WISSEN – GEWUSST
KENNEN – GEKANNT

 

Certain rules apply to both weak and strong verbs. For instance, when it comes to separable verbs, GE has to be put between the prefix and the root.

AUFRÄUMEN – AUFGERÄUMT (weak verb)
MITNEHMEN – MITGENOMMEN (strong verb)
EINSTEIGEN – EINGESTIEGEN (strong verb)

If the verb is non-separable (meaning that the verb has a prefix that never gets separated from it), we do not put GE:
VERSUCHEN – VERSUCHT (weak verb)
BESUCHEN – BESUCHT (weak verb)
UNTERNEHMEN – UNTERGENOMMEN (strong verb)

 

“Haben” or “sein”? Which auxiliary verb should we use?

In most cases, the Perfekt is built with “haben”. Nevertheless, verbs that indicate movement build the Perfekt with “sein”.

Ich bin nach Paris gefahren. – I went to Paris.
Er ist nach Hause gelaufen. – He walked home.
Wir sind zur Party gekommen. – We came to the party.

The same verbs can be used with “haben” when they have a direct object (Ich habe ein Auto gefahren – I drove my car), as well as when the focus is on the activity and not on the movement itself (Er hat eine Stunde gelaufen – He walked for an hour).

 

All reflexive verbs have “haben” as auxiliary verb.

Sie hat sich angezogen. – She got dressed.
Wir haben uns verirrt. – We got lost.

 

In addition, we should consider the verb’s transitivity. Transitive verbs (with direct object) build the perfect tense with “haben”, whereas intransitive verbs usually build it with “sein”.

Ich habe einen Apfel gegessen. – I ate an apple.
Ich bin geblieben. – I stayed.
Was ist passiert? – What happened?

Please note that the same verb can be used both as a transitive and as an intransitive verb.

Das Glas ist gebrochen. – The glass broke.
Ich habe das Glas gebrochen. – I broke the glass.

 

Was hast du gestern gemacht?

If you want to practice, try to list all the things you did yesterday. We gave you some examples.

  • Ich bin aufgestanden. – I got up.
  • Ich habe Brot mit Honig gegessen. – I ate bread with honey.
  • …

 

Looking for a German course?

Have a look at our website! Berlino Schule offers German courses with qualified teachers at a very convenient price. Feel free to contact us at info@berlinoschule.com in case you need any information.

Our contacts

Gryphiusstraße 23, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
+49 030 36465765
info@berlinoschule.com
Facebook page
Instagram profile

 

Perfekt_modal verbs

The German Perfekt and modal verbs: gesagt or sagen?

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Building the German Perfekt with modal verbs: the double infinitive

“I had to say my name”…

Would you know how to translate this sentence into German? If the answer is no, you may want to keep reading this article. Sure, you can use the Präteritum and say “Ich wollte meinen Namen sagen”, but what if you want to use the Perfekt? In the following paragraphs, we will teach you how to conjugate modal verbs in the perfect tense. You will see, it is easier than you think!

 

A step back: the Perfekt

The perfect tense (Perfekt) is used to speak about an event that took place in the past. This tense is formed by combining an auxiliary verb and a past participle (Partizip II). The auxiliary verb can either be “haben” or “sein”, depending on the main verb, and it must be conjugated according to the subject.

Sie hat gegessen. – She ate.
Er ist nach London gefahren. – He went to London.

 

The Perfekt and modal verbs

Modal verbs can also be conjugated in the perfect tense. If the modal verb is used alone, we build the Perfekt with the auxiliary „haben” and the past participle of the modal verb, just like we have just seen. Again, the auxiliary has to be conjugated to agree with the subject.

Ich habe ein Glas Wasser gewollt. – I wanted a glass of water.
Sie hat Deutschland gemocht. – She liked Germany.

However, when there is no full verb in the sentence, we generally use the Präteritum of the modal verb.

Ich wollte ein Glas Wasser. – I wanted a glass of water.
Sie mochte Deutschland. – She liked Germany.

More often than not, a modal is used with another verb. In order to build the perfect tense, we use a specific structure called the double infinitive. Here is an example:

Ich habe nach Berlin fahren wollen. – I wanted to go to Berlin.

 

The Double Infinitive

Let’s go back to the sentence we were talking about in the first place.
Ich habe meinen Namen sagen müssen. – I had to say my name.

To conjugate modal verbs in the Perfekt, we still need the auxiliary “haben” (conjugated in accordance to the subject). The difference here is made by the two infinitives at the end of sentence. That is why we call this “double infinitive”. In particular, we should put the infinitive form of the main verb first and then the infinitive form of the modal verb.

Remember to always put the two infinitives at the end. If there are some complements, these should be put between the auxiliary and the two infinitives or at the beginning of the sentence.

Ich habe meiner Mutter beim Hausputz helfen müssen. – I had to help my mother clean the house.
Gestern habe ich meiner Mutter beim Hausputz helfen müssen. – Yesterday I had to help my mother clean the house.

double_infinitive_rule

Let’s practice

Was hast du gestern machen müssen? – What did you have to do yesterday?
Und was hast du gestern machen wollen? – What did you want to do yesterday?
Try to answer these two questions using the double infinitive. You can make more than one sentence for each answer.

Examples:
Ich habe gestern lernen müssen. – Yesterday I had to study.
Ich habe gestern lesen wollen. – Yesterday I wanted to read.

 

Learn German with Berlino Schule

Learning German doesn’t have to painful. Berlino Schule’s highly qualified teachers will teach you everything you need to know in a simple way. Our school is rated 4.9/5 on Google and its average reviwe on Facebook is 5/5. If you want to know more about us, have a look at our website. For any information, you can send as an email at info@berlinoschule.com.

Our contacts

Gryphiusstraße 23, 10245 Berlin-Friedrichshain
+49 030 36465765
info@berlinoschule.com
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Konjunktiv II

The German Subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II) explained

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Here is a guide to when and how to use the Konjunktiv II in German. Learn and start practicing with us.

Are you struggling to build sentences using the German Subjunktiv II? Don’t worry, we have got you covered. In this article we will teach you when to use the Konjunktiv II and how to build it.

First of all, you must remember that the Konjunktiv II is used to talk about hypothetical situations. It allows us to talk about our dreams and desires, but also to make suggestions or to soften a request.

Konjunktiv II rule

Here are a few examples:

• Hätte ich Zeit, würde ich viele Bücher lesen. – If I had time, I would read a lot of books.
• Wir könnten ins Kino gehen – We could go to the cinema. (suggestion)
• Ich hätte gern ein Stück Torte – I would like a piece of cake. (kind request)

There are two ways to build the Konjunktiv II

1. If we want to build the Konjunktiv II of a verb, we start with the stem used in the Präteritum. Then we add the same endings used for the Präteritum.

Ich kaufte (Präteritum) –>  ich kaufte – du kauftest – er kaufte – wir kauften – ihr kauftet – sie kauften (Konjunktiv II)

As you may notice, the Konjunktiv II of weak verbs (like kaufen or sagen) ends up looking exactly like their Präteritum form. Strong verbs and mixed verbs, instead, add an Umlaut (where possible) to their Präteritum stem.

geben – gab – ich gäbe
bringen – brachte – ich brächte

However, for the majority of verbs, we usually don’t build the Konjuktiv II in this way. It is preferable to follow another structure instead (see point 2 below).

 

2. We can also build the Konjunktiv II with the auxiliary “werden”. We just need to learn its subjunctive form:

Ich würde
Du würdest
Er würde
Wir würden
Ihr würdet
Sie würden

Here is how most verbs build the Konjunktiv II:
Würden + infinitive

Ich würde gern eine Pizza essen. – I would like to eat a pizza
Sarah würde gern einen Hund adoptieren. – Sarah would like to adopt a dog.
Was würdest machen, wenn du viel Geld hättest? – What would you do if you had a lot of money?

 

Some verbs don’t build the Konjunktiv II with “würden”

When it comes to auxiliary (haben and sein) and modal verbs, we should use the first form. That means that in these cases we do not use “würde”. Please note that “wollen” and “sollen” do not want the Umlaut.

• Ich hätte
• Ich wäre
• Ich möchte – ich könnte – ich dürfte – ich müsste – ich wollte – ich sollte

There are also a few irregular verbs, whose Konjunktiv II is often built starting from the Präteritum. These are:

• gehen – ging –> ich ginge
• kommen – kam –> ich käme
• wissen – wusste –> ich wüsste
• finden – fande –> ich fände
• lassen – ließ –> ich ließe
• schlafen – schlief –> ich schliefe

 

Konjunktiv II in the past

So far so good… now let’s move on the past form. There is nothing to be scared of, if you remember how to build the Perfekt. Instead of using the present form of the auxiliaries haben and sein, you just have to switch to their subjunctive form. For instance:

Perfekt: Ich habe mein Zimmer aufgeräumt. – I tidied up my room.
Konjunkitv II – past tense: Ich hätte mein Zimmer aufgeräumt, (wenn ich Zeit gehabt hätte). – I would have tidied up my room, (if I had had time).

Perfekt: Ich bin nach Paris geflogen. – I flew to Paris.
Konjunkitv II – past tense: Ich wäre nach Paris geflogen. – I would have flown to Paris.

 

Things get a little more complicated when you have to build the past tense of the Konjunktiv II with modals. In this case, you should use the following structure:

Hätten + infinitive + infinitive of the modal verb (hätten + double infinitive)

Ich hätte das Abendessen kochen müssen. – I should have cooked dinner.
Peter hätte nach Österreich fahren können. – Peter could have travelled to Austria.

 

It is important to remember that we should always use the auxiliary “haben”, even if we would have used “sein” for the Perfekt (see: “er ist gefahren” vs “er hätte fahren können”).

 

Let’s practice!

Was würdest du machen, wenn du reich wärst? – What would you do if you were rich?

Ich würde einen Urlaub auf den Malediven machen – I would go on vacation to the Maldives
Ich würde ein Haus am Meer kaufen – I would buy a house by the see

Und du? Was würdest du machen? – And you? What would you do?
Try to list at least three things that you would do if you were rich.

 

Was würdest du tun, wenn du keine Angst hättest? – What would you do if you had no fear?

Ich würde in eine neue Stadt umziehen. – I would move to a new city.
Ich würde Bungee Jumping ausprobieren. – I would try bungee jumping.
Ich würde vor Publikum singen – I would sing in front of an audience.

Now try to list three things you would do if you had no fear.

 

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Infinitivsätze

Infinitivsätze – how to build infinitive clauses in German

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To “zu” or not to “zu”? That is the question – An explanation of German infinitive clauses (Infinitivsätze)

A lot of German learners have some trouble using the infinitive when they build sentences. Either they put “zu” where it is not needed, or they forget to put it in a sentence where it is necessary. We hope this article will help you get a clear picture of Infinitivsätze.

But what does Infinitivsatz mean? The word “Infinitiv”, which is similar to the English word “infinitive”, indicates the base form of a verb. Sagen, schreiben, kommen, gehen… these are all infinitives.
“Satz” means sentence and “Sätze” is its plural form. So basically, we are talking about sentences built with the infinitive. However, not all sentences wich include a verb in its base form are called “Infinitivsätze”. We use this term to refer to those sentences where the infinitive is built with “zu”.

Ich habe vor, meinen Freund zu besuchen. – I am planning to visit my friend.
Ich versuche, einen Job zu finden. – I am trying to find a job.

 

How do we build Infinitivsätze?

An Infinitivsatz is a subordinate clause (Nebensatz). This means that it is always linked to a main clause (Hauptsatz). We usually use a comma to separate the main clause from the subordinate clause.

Ich hoffe, die Prüfung zu bestehen. – I hope I pass the exam.

Infinitivsätze - rule

When it comes to the Infinitivsatz, you have to put “zu + base form” at the end of the sentence. If the verb is separable, “zu” is put between the prefix and the verb.

Ich verspreche, mein Zimmer aufzuräumen. – I promise to tidy up my room.
Ich habe vor, heute Abend auszugehen. – I’m going out this evening./ I’m planning to go out this evening.

Please remember that the Infinitivsatz has no subject. In fact, it generally refers to the subject or object expressed in the main clause.

Ich hoffe, mich morgen besser zu fühlen. – I hope I will feel better tomorrow.
Meine Mutter erlaubt mir, meinen Freund zu treffen. – My mother allows me to meet my friend.
Es ist wichtig, Zeit für sich selbst zu finden. – It is important to find time for yourself.

For this reason, it is not possible to use an Infinitivsatz with “zu” if the subject of the subordinate clause is different from the subject/object of the main clause. In this case, we must build the subordinate sentence with “dass”.

Ich hoffe, dass er sich besser fühlt. – I hope he feels better.
Ich hoffe, sich besser zu fühlen – NOT CORRECT

 

When to use Infinitivsätze – a few examples

Some verbs are often followed by an infinitive clause. Here we list the some key ones:

vorhaben (to plan): Ich habe vor, heute einkaufen zu gehen. – I’m planning to do the shopping today.
versuchen (to try): Ich versuche, mehr Gemüse zu essen. – I’m trying to eat more vegetables.
vorschlagen (to suggest): Ich schlage vor, Chinesisch zu essen. – I suggest eating Chinese food.
versprechen (to promise): Ich verspreche, pünktlich zu sein. – I promise I will be on time.
beginnen und anfangen (to begin): Er fängt an, sich besser zu fühlen. – He’s starting to feel better.
hoffen (to hope): Ich hoffe, Schauspielerin zu werden. – I hope to become an actress.
glauben (to believe): Sie glaubt, fertig für die Prüfung zu sein. – She thinks she’s ready fort he test.

 

In addition, one can find an infinitive clause after these kinds of constructions:

adjective/past participle + sein

Gut sein (to be good): Es ist gut, oft Sport zu machen. – It is good to exercise often.
Wichtig sein (to be important): Es ist wichtig, oft Sport zu machen. – It is important to exercise often.
Bereit sein (to be ready): Er ist bereit, zu heiraten. – He is ready get married.
Erlaubt/verboten sein (to be allowed/forbidden): Es ist verboten, im Park zu grillen. – It is forbidden to have a barbecue in the park.
Richtig/falsch sein (to be right/wrong): Es ist richtig, den Müll zu trennen. – It is right to separate waste.
Leicht sein (to be easy): Es ist leicht, etwas online zu bestellen. – It is easy to order something online.

 

noun + haben

Lust haben (to feel like): Peter hat Lust, Gitarre zu spielen. – Peter feels like playing the guitar.
Zeit haben (to have time): Wir haben Zeit, eine Tasse zu trinken. – We have time to drink a cup of tea.
Angst haben (to be afraid): Ich habe Angst, krank zu sein. – I am afraid to be sick.

 

Infinitivsätze with “um…zu”

Now let us have a look at a particular type of Infinitivsatz, namely the one built with “um…zu”. This structure is used to express the aim of the action. Just like in the normal infinitive clause, we use “zu + base form” at the end of the subordinate clause. In addition to that, we should put “um” right after the comma that separates the main clause from the subordinate clause.

Ich studiere Medizin, um Arzt zu werden. – I study medicine to become a doctor.
Ich brauche Wasser, um meine Pflanzen zu gießen. – I need water to water my plants.

 

Do not use ZU in these cases

There are other cases where we use the infinitive in a sentence. The most common one is with modal verbs:

Ich möchte eine neue Tasche kaufen. – I would like to buy a new bag.
Modal verbs are followed by the base form of the verb, but we do not have to use “zu”.

The infinitive is also to be found after verbs like “bleiben”, “lassen”, “gehen”, “fahren”, “sehen” and “hören”.
Here are a few examples:

Nach der Operation bleibt sie liegen. – She stays in bed after the surgery.
Er geht jeden Tag spazieren. – He goes for a walk every day.
Ich sehe ein Baby weinen – I see a baby crying
Ich höre meine Nachbarin singen. – I hear my neighbour singing.

It would be wrong to use “zu” in these kinds of sentence.

Ich möchte eine neue Tasche zu kaufen – NOT CORRECT

 

A simple exercise to practice

Try to write at least three sentences about your hopes for the future (in the short or long term). Use the Infinitivsätze with “zu”, just like in the examples below.

Ich hoffe, Rechtsanwalt zu werden. – I hope to become a lawyer.
Ich hoffe, dich wieder zu sehen. – I hope I see you again.

 

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Online German courses for doctors and nurses: 288€ per level, from basic to C1

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Berlino Schule offers German courses for doctors and nurses for all levels from A1.1 to C1

Are you a doctor or nurse who wants to move to Germany but does not know German? Or do you live in Germany and you are looking for a German course to work in a hospital? You have a basic level of German but you don’t know how to express yourself in the different wards: intensive care, rehabilitation or emergency room?

Berlino Schule offers online German courses for nurses and doctors for all levels: from A1.1 up to C1

Classes are held in German twice a week from 19.15 to 21.40 for a total of 48 academic hours. If you are unable to attend the course at the times offered, please write to info@berlinoschule.com specifying the times you would like to attend the course and the dates.

The cost per level (48 hours in total) is only €288 plus €20 registration fee, which is paid only once every 12 months.

Places are limited, maximum 10 people per class.

To reserve your spot please write us an email at info@berlinoschule.com.

Topics of the German courses for doctors and nurses

The course will be structured like a normal German course of Berlino Schule (very popular courses with students, average review on Google is 4.9/5, average review on Facebook is 5/5), but the vocabulary used will be mainly medical.

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You will study grammar and practise written, spoken German, text understanding and listening. The lessons are highly interactive and will allow you to learn the technical vocabulary of your field: role-plays and exercises in class will focus on medical topics depending on the department you work in.

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The German course certificate for doctors and nurses

At the end of each course, Berlin Schule will issue a certificate of participation after consultation with the teacher.

CALENDAR OF GERMAN COURSES FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES

A1.1 22 MARCH -5 MAY (Mon – Wed 19:15-21:40)

B1.1 23 MARCH – 6 MAY (Tue – Thur 19:15-21:40)

A1.2 10 MAY – 30 JUNE (Mon – Wed 19:15-21:40)

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B2.1 JULY 6 – AUGUST 26 (Tue – Thu 19:15-21:40)

A2.2 25 AUGUST – 20 OCTOBER (Mon – Wed 19:15-21:40)

B2.2 26 AUGUST – 21 OCTOBER (Tue – Thu 19:15-21:40)

B1.1 25 AUGUST – 20 OCTOBER (Mon – Wed 19:15-21:40)

C1.1 26 OCTOBER – 14 DECEMBER (Tue – Thur 19:15-21:40)

Price and Enrolment

The cost per level (48 hours in total) is only €288 plus a €20 enrolment fee which is only payable once every 12 months.

Please send an email to info@berlinoschule.com

Not only medical German courses, also individual lessons

You already have a basic knowledge of German and you would like to learn the medical German in 90 minutes? Sign up for our medical German webinar for only 18€.  There are three dates available:

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Write to info@berlinoschule to register and reserve your place!

NOT ONLY GERMAN COURSES FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES

You cannot attend the courses in the given hours and prefer to attend an intensive German course in the morning, afternoon or evening?

Take a look at our calendar and write to us at info@berlinoschule to reserve your place. Each course costs only 192 €.