German GCSE
German GCSE glossary
42 key terms for German GCSE, A to Z, each linked to the topic pages that use it.
42 terms found. Open a term to try a short memory check.
A
- Accusative Case
- The grammatical case used for the direct object of a sentence (the thing having the action done to it).AQA
- Adjective
- A describing word, like 'rund' (round) or 'eckig' (angular).AQA
- Adjective Agreement
- Changing the ending of an adjective to match the gender, number, and case of the noun it describes.AQA
- Adjective Ending
- The suffix added to an adjective depending on the gender, number, and case of the noun it describes.AQA
- Auxiliary Verb
- A 'helping' verb used to form compound tenses.AQA
C
- Cognate
- A word that looks and sounds similar in both English and German and has the same meaning (e.g., Musik, intelligent).AQA
- Conjugated Verb
- The verb that has been changed to match the subject (e.g., ich spiele).AQA
- Conjunction
- A joining word used to link two clauses or sentences together.AQA
- Coordinating Conjunction
- A joining word (like und, aber, oder) that links two main clauses.AQA
D
- Dative Case
- The grammatical case used for the indirect object of a sentence, or following specific prepositions (aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu).AQA
- Degree Modifier
- An adverb that tells you the intensity or degree of an adjective or verb, such as 'sehr' (very) or 'ziemlich' (quite).AQA
- Duales System
- The German dual education system combining vocational school (Berufsschule) with an apprenticeship (Lehre/Ausbildung).AQA
F
- False Friend
- A word that looks similar to an English word but has a different meaning (e.g., das Gift = poison, not gift).AQA
- False Friend (Falscher Freund)
- A word in German that looks or sounds like an English word but has a completely different meaning (e.g., 'fast' = almost).AQA
- Frequency Adverb
- A word that describes how often something happens, such as 'oft' (often) or 'nie' (never).AQA
- Futur I
- The future tense, formed using the auxiliary verb 'werden' (conjugated) and the infinitive of the main verb at the end of the clause.AQA
G
- Gender (m/f/n)
- Nouns in German are masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das).AQA
I
- Infinitive
- The original, unconjugated form of a verb, usually ending in '-en' (e.g., spielen, machen).AQA
- Inversion
- Swapping the subject and the verb so the verb remains in the second position when a clause starts with a time phrase or adverb (e.g., Morgen spiele ich...).AQA
- Inversion (Comma-Verb-Verb)
- When a sentence starts with a subordinate clause, the main clause that follows must start with its verb.AQA
K
- Konjunktiv II
- The conditional mood, often formed with 'würde' + infinitive, translating to 'would [verb]'.AQA
M
- Main Clause (Hauptsatz)
- A clause that makes sense on its own.AQA
- Modal Verb
- Verbs like können, müssen, wollen, sollen, dürfen, mögen that express ability, necessity, or desire.AQA
- Modal Verbs
- Verbs that express necessity, ability, or desire (müssen, können, wollen, dürfen, sollen, mögen).AQA
N
- Nominative / Accusative / Dative
- The grammatical cases in German that show the function of a noun in a sentence (subject, direct object, indirect object).AQA
- Nominative Case
- The grammatical case used for the subject of a sentence, or after the verb 'sein' (to be).AQA
- Noun
- A naming word for a thing, like 'der Kreis' (the circle).AQA
P
- Past Participle
- The form of the verb used in the perfect tense, usually starting with 'ge-' (e.g., gemacht, gespielt).AQA
- Perfect Tense
- The spoken past tense, formed with 'haben' or 'sein' + a past participle (e.g., Ich habe gespielt).AQA
- Perfekt Tense
- The conversational past tense, formed with an auxiliary verb (haben or sein) and a past participle.AQA
Q
- Quantifier
- A word that expresses a quantity (how much or how many), such as 'viel' (much) or 'wenige' (few).AQA
R
- Reflexive Verb
- A verb whose action is directed back at the subject, requiring a reflexive pronoun (e.g., sich bewerben - ich bewerbe mich).AQA
- Register
- The level of formality used in language (e.g., using 'Sie' for formal situations instead of 'du').AQA
- Relative Clause
- A clause introduced by a relative pronoun (der/die/das) that provides more information about a noun.AQA
S
- Separable Verb
- A verb with a prefix that detaches and goes to the end of the clause, like 'aussehen' (to look like).AQA
- Subordinate Clause (Nebensatz)
- A clause that does not make sense on its own and relies on a main clause.AQA
- Subordinating Conjunction
- A word like 'weil', 'dass', or 'obwohl' that links a main clause to a subordinate clause, forcing the conjugated verb to the end of the subordinate clause.AQA
- Subordinating Conjunctions
- Words like 'weil', 'dass', 'obwohl', and 'da' that introduce a dependent clause and force the conjugated verb to the end.AQA
T
- TMP Rule
- Time, Manner, Place.AQA
U
- Uncountable Noun
- A noun that cannot be counted with numbers (e.g., water, time, money).AQA
V
- V2 Rule (Verb Second)
- The rule stating that in a standard German main clause, the conjugated verb is always the second element.AQA
- Verb-End Rule
- The grammatical rule stating that in a subordinate clause, the conjugated verb must be placed at the very end.AQA
Where these terms come from
Each definition is one we publish on a German GCSE topic page or study guide. Open a term to see how each exam board words it and which topic it belongs to. For the full course, go to German revision or the glossary for every subject.
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