Grammar Rules

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Cases

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Cases
German has four cases. A case may determine the particular adjective, adjective ending, pronoun, and
noun ending to use. Start by Determining Case in German.
The nominative case is used in reference to the subject of a sentence.
The accusative case is used in reference to the direct object of a sentence.
The dative case is used in reference to the indirect object of a sentence.
The genitive case is used in reference to a possessed object of a sentence

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Pronouns - Tables

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Pronouns
German pronouns in cases
Nominative Accusative Dative Genitive (Possessive)
He er ihn ihm seiner / seines (sein)
She sie sie ihr ihrer / ihres (ihr)
It es es ihm seiner / seines (sein)
They sie sie ihnen ihrer / ihres (ihr)

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Pronouns - Descriptions

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You (informal) du dich dir deiner / deines (dein)
You (formal) Sie Sie Ihnen Ihrer / Ihres (Ihr)
You (informal
plural) ihr euch euch euer / eueres (euer)
I (me) ich mich mir meiner / meines (mein)
We (us) wir uns uns unser / unseres (unser)

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Prepositions and Postpositions
German has dative, accusative, genitive and two-way prepositions and postpositions. Each preposition
causes the adverbial expression on which it acts to take the case of the preposition. Two-way
prepositions cause the adverbial expression to take the accusative case if the verb is transitive, and the
dative case if the verb is intransitive.

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Several German prepositions
Accusative Dative Genitive two-way
durch aus während an
ohne außer trotz auf
um bei anstatt hinter
gegen mit wegen in
bis nach neben
für seit über
entlang von unter
wider zu vor
gegenüber zwischen
Notes:
Gegenüber is one of the rare postpositions, which typically follows the object it modifies.
Er stand mir gegenüber.
Mir gegenüber steht Außenminister Fischer.
Aber auch:
Gegenüber von Ihnen befindet sich das Stadtmuseum.
Nach is also sometimes used as a postposition, when its meaning is "according to". The two prases are
equivalent:
Nach dem Pfarrer sei Gott gut.
Dem Pfarrer nach sei Gott gut.
In spoken language, the genitive with während is nowadays normally replaced by the dative:
Written: Während des Essens wollen wir nicht gestört werden.
Spoken: Während dem Essen wollen wir nicht gestört werden.

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Verbs
German verbs can be classified as weak or as strong. Weak verbs are very regular in their forms,
whereas strong verbs change the stem vowel.
Weak:
kaufen, kaufte, gekauft
Strong:
singen, sang, gesungen
With its anglo-saxon origin, this notion is also present in English.
flip, flipped, flipped
sing, sang, sung
Some German verbs have weak and strong forms. This may depend on meaning:
Der Botschafter wurde nach Berlin gesandt.
Der Süddeutsche Rundfunk sendete ein Konzert aus dem Gasteig.
Or on transitive vs. intransitive use:
Das Hemd hing auf der Wäscheleine.
Sie hängte das Hemd auf die Wäscheleine.

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Separatable - Trennbarre Verbs
Separable Verbs
Sometimes you will run into verbs such as anrufen, aufräumen, mitkommen. These verbs are examples of Separable Prefix Verbs. When you see these kinds of verbs, it will have a preposition prefix followed by a verb. These verbs separate when they are the main verb of a sentence.
EXAMPLES:
I am calling the butcher.
Ich rufe den Metzger an.

I am trying on the boots.
Ich probiere die Stiefel an. Not a book title page. Please remove {{alphabetical}} from this page.

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Reflexive Verbs are verbs involving the reflexive pronoun "sich" and its conjugations that reflect, or refer back, to the performer of the action. There are only accusative and dative reflexive pronouns.
Accusative reflexive pronouns are used when there is no direct object. Dative reflexive pronouns are used when a direct object is present. However, when using a direct object, the possessive is not used.
Examples:
Accusative: Ich verletze mich. I injure myself.
Dative: Ich verletze mir die Hand. I injure my hand.
Accusative: Er hat sich verbrannt. He burned himself.
Dative: Er hat sich den Daumen verbrannt. He burned his thumb.

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Reflexive pronouns in cases
Accusative Dative
Himself sich sich
Herself sich sich
Itself sich sich
Themselves sich sich
Yourself (informal) dich dir
Yourself (formal) sich sich
Yourself (informal plural) euch euch
Myself mich mir
Ourselves uns uns

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Present Tense

The Present Tense is used for..
The Present Tense (="das Präsens") is used to describe situations that are happening (there are no progressive tenses in German) and aren't the past.
For Ongoing Action, like I'm swimming in the pool now
Everyday Truths, like The moon and stars will come at night.
Future meaning, if explictly stated, like I will run tomorrow morning

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I'm editing to add that in German they do use the PRESENT PROGRESSIVE TENSE.
Here is one example:
Ich bin am Fahren.
I'm driving.
The person to say this would be driving during the time they say this and they would continue to drive after stating this for some time

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Nominative Masculine

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der
ein
(==>mein,dein, sein, ihr, unser,
euer)

Front 9

Nominative Neuter

Back 9

das
ein
(==>mein,dein, sein, ihr, unser,
euer)

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Nominative Feminine

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die
eine
(==>meine,deine, seine, ihre, unsere,
eure)

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Nominative Plural

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die
(keine)
(==>meine,deine, seine, ihre, unsere,
eure)