Choose a reference or a learning path
Start with the sentence you want to understand or produce. Choose a rule family below if you know the problem, or use a level path when you need a sequence. Read the decision rule, check a worked example, then try an exercise before opening its explanation. The short production task helps you use the form in a new sentence.
Level labels describe a suggested progression, not a placement result. A topic can return at a higher level with more complex uses. This catalogue focuses on practical A1–C1 reference needs and marks advanced extensions; rare specialist constructions may require a fuller grammar reference.
Build a sentence: A1–A2
- German verb conjugation: endings and irregular patterns
- German articles: definite, indefinite and no article
- The four German cases: roles and article tables
- German personal pronouns: ich, mich, mir and other forms
- German possessive forms: mein, dein and the right ending
- German question words: meanings, answers and practice
- German Word Order Speaking Exercises
- German negation: choose nicht or kein and place it clearly
- German noun plurals: patterns, umlauts and practice
- German imperative: du, ihr and Sie with practice
Connect events and ideas: B1–B2
- Talk about your weekend in German: Perfekt speaking practice
- German Präteritum: form the simple past and tell a past narrative
- German past perfect: build and use the Plusquamperfekt
- German prepositions and cases: a practical reference
- German relative clauses: case, prepositions and dessen/deren
- Konjunktiv II: wishes, unreal conditions and comparisons with als ob
- German infinitive clauses: bare infinitives, zu and um/ohne/statt … zu
- German passive voice: process, state, tenses and modal constructions
- German da- and wo-compounds: damit, darauf and worauf
Read and reformulate complex language
- German reported speech: Konjunktiv I, replacement forms and perspective
- German participial attributes: Partizip I, Partizip II and expanded phrases
- German nominalization: noun forms, endings and nominal versus verbal style
- Unpack complex German sentences: nested clauses, verb clusters and emphasis
- Whoever and whatever in German: wer/was auch immer and so … auch
- German modal particles: ja, doch, halt and mal in conversation
- B2 German discussion practice: opinions, examples and counterarguments
- Write a German email at B1–B2: original tasks and annotated examples
Nouns, articles and cases
Pronouns and reference
- German personal pronouns: ich, mich, mir and other forms
- German possessive forms: mein, dein and the right ending
- German reflexive and reciprocal verbs: mich, mir or einander?
- Es, das and dies in German: reference, placeholders and es gibt
- Jemand, niemand, etwas and nichts: indefinite pronouns and case
- German da- and wo-compounds: damit, darauf and worauf
Verbs, tense and mood
- German verb conjugation: endings and irregular patterns
- German modal verbs: permission, necessity and reported claims
- German imperative: du, ihr and Sie with practice
- Separable German verbs: stress, word order, ge and zu
- Talk about your weekend in German: Perfekt speaking practice
- German future forms: Präsens, Futur I and Futur II
- German Präteritum: form the simple past and tell a past narrative
- German passive voice: process, state, tenses and modal constructions
- Konjunktiv II: wishes, unreal conditions and comparisons with als ob
- German past perfect: build and use the Plusquamperfekt
- German reported speech: Konjunktiv I, replacement forms and perspective
Adjectives and comparison
Prepositions and required patterns
Questions, word order and negation
Clauses and connectors
- Das vs dass, man vs Mann, wieder vs wider and also vs auch
- Seit vs seitdem, vor vs bevor and nach vs nachdem
- German relative clauses: case, prepositions and dessen/deren
- German infinitive clauses: bare infinitives, zu and um/ohne/statt … zu
- Wenn vs wann vs als, ob vs wenn and weil vs denn
- Obwohl vs trotzdem, damit vs sodass and aber vs sondern
- German paired conjunctions and je … desto: build parallel structures
- Whoever and whatever in German: wer/was auch immer and so … auch
Word formation and clear texts
- German nominalization: noun forms, endings and nominal versus verbal style
- German modal particles: ja, doch, halt and mal in conversation
- Write a German email at B1–B2: original tasks and annotated examples
- B2 German discussion practice: opinions, examples and counterarguments
- Decode German word formation: compounds, prefixes and suffixes
Sounds, numbers and dates
Find a connector by its job
Start from the relationship: reason, contrast, purpose or time. The linked comparisons explain the meaning and clause pattern together. Use the paired-frame reference when two expressions must work as a syntactic pair.
Find time, direction and focus words
A short word can change the reference time or the part of the sentence receiving focus. Check the intended meaning before moving it. For several objects and adverbials together, use the middle-field reference rather than treating a neutral order as an exceptionless rule.
Look up the case or preposition required by a word
Learn a word with its construction: jemandem helfen, auf etwas warten or an etwas interessiert sein. The linked guides separate these word-specific patterns from spatial destination/location choices. Person versus thing reference then helps you choose a pronoun or da-/wo-compound.
- Dative or accusative? Practise German replies with mir, mich and noun phrases
- German verbs for waiting, starting, ending and changing levels
- German feelings: glücklich, zufrieden, froh and interested vs interesting
- German nouns for relationships, opportunities, reasons and results
- Erklären, abklären and aufklären: explain, clarify and communicate
- German da- and wo-compounds: damit, darauf and worauf
- German prepositions and cases: a practical reference
Choose the time relationship before the tense label
Separate when an event happens from how the speaker presents it. Präsens can describe a planned future event. Plusquamperfekt places an event before a past reference point. Future forms can also express assumptions. The relevant guide gives the formation and the limits of each choice.
- German verb conjugation: endings and irregular patterns
- Talk about your weekend in German: Perfekt speaking practice
- German Präteritum: form the simple past and tell a past narrative
- German past perfect: build and use the Plusquamperfekt
- German future forms: Präsens, Futur I and Futur II
- German reported speech: Konjunktiv I, replacement forms and perspective
Check punctuation with the construction
Identify the clauses and phrases before adding punctuation. Relative clauses, infinitive groups, inserted appositions and quotations need different checks. Follow the relevant construction guide and the official spelling rules; a pause alone is not a reliable comma test.
Use one rule in your next reply
Choose a situation you can imagine: ask for an appointment, explain a delay or describe an object. Write one sentence, change one detail and explain what changed in the grammar. Then use a related public practice guide. Lingeva’s app offers further grammar, vocabulary and speaking practice; available features and plan allowances are explained on the plan page.
Questions about this topic
Sources and further learning
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Use this in your German practice
Try the examples and answer checks on this page. For a wider routine, explore Lingeva’s grammar, vocabulary and speaking practice. Available app features and plan allowances are explained on the plan page.