Questions tagged [verbs]
Verben – Questions on the grammar and usage of verbs IN GENERAL. Do not use this for questions on the meaning, etymology, translation or similar of specific verbs.
692
questions
5
votes
2answers
45 views
sich verbunden sein
I have come across the sentence
Sie waren sich eng verbunden.
where the word verbinden is used in combination with sich. The sentence describes a relation between two brothers.
I know the most common ...
1
vote
3answers
141 views
Are there any defective verbs in German? Are there any that lack an infinitive?
German is my work language. I was trying to think today of any verbs that lack an infinitive, like "can", "shall" ... and other modal verbs in English. "zu können" is ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
What's the difference between 'war' and 'wars'?
I know 'war' is the Präteritum tense of 'sein', but what's happening when an 's' is added here?
Ich wars
It was me
Over
Ich war
It was
This is in the Oxford - German dictionary.
1
vote
1answer
49 views
Construction of kriegen + etwas + Partizip II
For the various use cases of kriegen, DWDS shows a specific usage and construction of kriegen + Noun + Partizip II (Bedeutung 1.g). For example:
Wir haben Geld ausgezahlt gekriegt.
Wir haben ein ...
1
vote
1answer
83 views
Parallel als Nomen oder Adjektiv
ich wollte einen Satz schreiben, aber kam ein Problem. Normalerweise schreibt man „die Widerstände sind in Reihe" aber „die Widerstände sind in parallel"
Reihe ist ein Nomen, weil parallel ...
3
votes
1answer
84 views
The Konjunktiv II as a replacement with regular verbs
The Konjunktiv I is being created by using the stem of the present tense (adding e), while the Konjunktiv II is being created using the stem of the past tense (adding t).
In the course of that, that ...
0
votes
1answer
89 views
Why do they use Präteritum as translation for English simple past? [duplicate]
In my book they give some German sentences with the respective English translations, this is to explain the use of als and wenn, but that is not what is bothering me. I am not sure why they are using ...
2
votes
2answers
79 views
dauert oder dauern? [closed]
I'm having trouble translating this English sentence: "The train ride can last between two and three hours"
Die Bahnfahrt kann zwei bis drei Studen dauern
Die Bahnfahrt kann zwei bis drei ...
2
votes
2answers
70 views
Add verb to the noun and create a new noun
Can we in German add the infinitive of a verb to the end of any noun and create new noun?
I searched in a dictionary for examples. Some of the words I checked do exist, but some of them do not. I want ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
Why is the word order in this sentence other than expected?
Why is the word order in this sentence is this way:
Wir bringen den Stuhl zur Schwester.
I was learning on duolingo and I came across this sentence which has a word order different than all the ...
3
votes
3answers
151 views
Difference between hingehen and herkommen
I have heard the following line in the German TV series "How to Sell Online Drugs (Fast)":
Immerhin sind wir hier ungestört. Keiner geht hier hin.
Doesn't "hingehen" mean "...
4
votes
2answers
369 views
Importance of “gerade” to express “just about to”
To express the aspect of “just about to” in German, I have come across two possibilities:
(gerade) wollen + infinitive
Ich wollte dich gerade anrufen.a
Er ist gekommen, als wir gehen wollten.a
(...
0
votes
2answers
70 views
Wenn das Produkt Schuhe (sind/ist),
Sagt man,
Wenn das Produkt Schuhe sind, ...
oder
Wenn das Produkt Schuhe ist, ...
?
Für mich klingt es logisch, wenn ich sage Wenn das Produkt Schuhe sind aber ich denke, dass sich das Verb auf ...
1
vote
1answer
64 views
difference between sie and ihr [duplicate]
I am a total beginner in German language, sorry about that. I noticed "sie sagen" AND "ihr sagt" both mean "you say". May I ask what is the actual difference between them?...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Is beeilen always a reflexive verb?
Sich beeilen = to hurry up
Is it always a refliexive verb?
I have come across this sentence too:
Sie eilten herbei. (They hurried up.)
Here eilten can also be used for "to hurry" and it ...
0
votes
1answer
80 views
What to use “sein” or “haben” for heilen in Perfekt? [duplicate]
Guten Tag.
I faced a new word - "heilen". Nice one and it looks really familiar (to heal). Usually I look for simple sentences with the word to add them into my memory-program. But with this ...
1
vote
1answer
131 views
Das hat er dir geglaubt?
I have heard the following sentence in the TV series "How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)":
Das hat er dir geglaubt?
Does that mean "Did he believe that (which you said)?" / "...
0
votes
4answers
120 views
When to use “kaufen” vs “ankaufen”
I'm confused as to when you should use the word "ankaufen" in the context of buying something. Can someone explain the distinction?
2
votes
2answers
139 views
A universal verb, just like “get” in English
Is there such a universal verb in German as in English - "Get"?
If during a conversation with an English-speaking person I do not know the required verb, then I can replace it with "Get&...
21
votes
3answers
3k views
New German irregular verbs. Are there any?
New verbs in English are invariably regular. Sneak, an old verb in English dating from the 16th century, is one of the very few that have, at least in some parts of the world, become irregular (with ...
4
votes
3answers
183 views
Wie formuliert man die Besessenheit von einem Geist aktiv?
Folgendes sollte ein gramatikalisch korrekter Satz sein:
Ich bin von Antons Geist besessen.
Wie kann man das aktiv ausdrücken? Also etwas wie
Antons Geist _____ mich.
besetzt? besitzt? besesst?
...
3
votes
2answers
348 views
How can these apparent grave grammar mistakes in one of the most known German military marches be explained?
I'm an undergraduate student learning German as the third foreign language. Yesterday I came across Fridericus-Rex-Grenadiermarsch, which contains the following lines:
Die Kais’rin hat sich mit dem ...
5
votes
4answers
137 views
messen vs ausmessen
Is there any difference in meaning or usage between "ausmessen" and "messen" when they mean "to measure"? I can't see none from DWDS's definition of "ausmessen" ...
3
votes
2answers
141 views
„Es besteht _kein_ Zweifel“ / „Es gibt _keinen_ Zweifel“ - why Nom. with bestehen?
I'm trying to work out why Nom. is used in „Es besteht kein Zweifel“ but Akk. is used in „Es gibt keinen Zweifel“?
I would have expected things to be identical for geben and bestehen, i.e. keinen ...
3
votes
1answer
154 views
Difference between 'Partikelverb' and 'trennbares Verb'
According to this answer the closest thing that German has to a phrasal verb is a Partikelverb. But it also mentions separable verbs/trennbare Verben without explaining the difference between a ...
3
votes
1answer
124 views
Hin/her-Verben und ihre Grundverben
Ich finde es besonders schwierig, den Unterschied zwischen dem Grundverb und dem einschlägigen 'hin/her-' Verb zu begreifen, und deshalb wäre es für mich super, wenn ihr mir helfen könntet! :)
Ich ...
3
votes
2answers
117 views
Bedarf vs das Bedürfnis vs die Anforderung
I want to write as:
One should buy as per the needs.
(Here, by needs I mean useful and necessary things for personal, family, house or office things)
Man sollte nur nach Bedarf kaufen.
Is the ...
2
votes
2answers
136 views
Is “hineintun” a commonly used verb?
I was wondering if this word is in common usage. I've tried creating English sentences that would translate using it, but the translator always comes back with "stecken", "legen", ...
2
votes
1answer
158 views
What is the difference between “umsteigen”, “verändern”, “ändern”, “umtauschen” and “wechseln”? [closed]
I haven't found a concise/clear-cut explanation regarding the difference between those verbs. The dictionary is again less helpful whenever involving the subtle difference in meaning. The answers in ...
2
votes
2answers
94 views
If I encounter a verb in the Duden, how can I tell which grammatical cases and prepositions to use with that verb?
If I encounter a verb in the Duden, how can I tell which grammatical cases and prepositions to use with that verb?
For instance, I know the following verb usages are correct:
Ich erreiche dich. (Use ...
6
votes
2answers
237 views
Why do only some conjunctions push the verb to the end?
In the following examples, the conjunction pushes the verb to the end of the sentence:
Du trinkst, weil du Durst hast.
Ich mag es, wenn es einfach ist.
Der Käse ist gut, obwohl er alt ist.
However,...
8
votes
3answers
204 views
„Sie traf ein großer Schock!“ Warum nicht „Sie traf einen großen Schock“?
Ich habe eine grammatische Frage wegen des Verbs treffen.
Hier habe ich einen Satz:
Als sie dann den Ort ihrer Hochzeitsfeier sahen, traf sie ein großer Schock!
Treffen nimmt immer Akkusativ, daher ...
5
votes
1answer
109 views
Instanziieren vs. instanzieren
Why has the German instanziieren two "i" in the word?
To instantiate sth is the process of creating or deriving an object or instance from a template or a class. You often encounter this ...
3
votes
3answers
170 views
auszahlen vs zahlen
What is the difference between "auszahlen" and "zahlen"?
The Duden dictionary defines "auszahlen" as:
jemandem einen ihm zustehenden Geldbetrag zahlen, aushändigen (pay ...
4
votes
2answers
172 views
“I am not allowed to go” vs “I am allowed to not go”?
In German, how do you translate the two following sentences so as to retain their distinction:
"I am not allowed to go"
vs
"I am allowed not to go"
I'm assuming that you would ...
3
votes
3answers
125 views
What is the effect on a personal pronoun due to a verb requiring a dative direct object? [duplicate]
I recently came across a German sentence: -
"Gefallen Ihnen die Rosen nicht?"
I know that Gefallen is a Dativ verb, but shouldn't the sentence be : -
"Gefallen Sie die Rosen nicht?&...
3
votes
4answers
382 views
Satz mit den meisten aufeinanderfolgenden Verben
Es geht um Sätze mit aufeinanderfolgenden Verben ohne andere Wortarten oder Satzzeichen dazwischen.
Beispiele (Länge der längsten Verbfolge in Klammern):
Ich schreibe einen Brief (1)
Ich habe einen ...
7
votes
2answers
128 views
etwas üben vs sich in etwas üben
Is there any difference between "etwas üben" and "sich in etwas üben" ? Example:
die Kalligraphie üben
sich in der Kalligraphie üben
0
votes
2answers
112 views
Passiv Konjunktiv II in der Vergangenheit - Vermutung ausdrücken
Gibt es grundsätzlich einen Unterschied zwischen den folgenden Sätzen? Es handelt sich hier um das Ausdrücken einer Vermutung im Passiv mit einem Modalverb im Konjunktiv II.
Bedeutet
Die Packung ...
2
votes
2answers
216 views
stellen vs hinstellen
according to wiktionary:
stellen:
senkrecht, mit den Füßen den Boden, einen bestimmten Platz oder
Gegenstand berührend, in eine bestimmte oder übliche Position bringen
example:
Er stellte die Vase ...
5
votes
1answer
121 views
Can you say “einander infizieren” as an alternative to anstecken to express the idea of people infecting each other?
I'm familiar with "Infizierte" being used to refer to infected person(s), so you can use it as a verb like this: "Ich hoffe die haben einander auf der Demo nicht infiziert"?
1
vote
1answer
67 views
Difference between “ermutigen” and “unterstützen”? [closed]
I find these words similar, but I need clarification on their differences in usage.
3
votes
2answers
190 views
Difference between “aufschreiben” and “mitschreiben”?
In my book I have come across both the verbs "aufschreiben" and "mitschreiben". A simple google translate tells that both of the verbs mean "To write down".
My question is/are: -
When to use which ...
2
votes
2answers
80 views
Correct usage of “Denn” in this text? (location of verb)
Diese Perspektive ermöglicht es auch, die Formen und Folgen der Computerisierung von »Systemen der Sicherheit« vergleichend zu untersuchen, und, wie es hier geschehen soll, DDR-Staatssicherheit und ...
2
votes
1answer
80 views
Verb “fahren” intransitiv vs. transitiv
Es geht um das Verb fahren.
Ich bin zum Bahnhof gefahren. (intransitiv, Perfekt mit sein)
Mein Vater hat mich zum Bahnhof gefahren. (transitiv, Perfekt mit
haben)
Ein Kursteilnehmer hat ...
-2
votes
3answers
100 views
What is the difference between absteigen and aussteigen [closed]
Both verbs seems to mean 'getting off from a vehicle'
3
votes
1answer
90 views
lernen as a modal verb
Ich lerne schwimmen.
I have learned that one can use sein as a modal verb like in that sentence but when I was writing a text in the class I wrote this:
Man lernt für sich selbst verantwortlich ...
3
votes
3answers
130 views
lassen and its usages and meanings
How is the distribution of objects?
Example:
"Die Soldaten haben sich töten lassen."
There is one or more object after "haben", they can be one of the following:
object for lassen,
object for ...
3
votes
2answers
142 views
Welche Wörter beginnen mit wider / mit wieder und wo liegt der Unterschied?
Es gibt einige deutsche Wörter, v.a. Verben, welche mit
"wider..." beginnen (z.b. widersagen, widerlegen, widerfahren) und andere mit
"wieder..." (z.B. wiederholen, wiederspiegeln) usw.
2
votes
4answers
186 views
bieten - für oder auf
Lisa bietet auf eine Puppe im Internet.
vs
Lisa bietet für eine Puppe im Internet.
Ist "für" hier möglich bzw eventuell in manchen Gegenden gebräuchlich? Ich kenne nur die Version mit "auf" - "...
