Awesome German Grammar

A curated list of resources for learning German grammar, including structures, syntax, and usage nuances.

Languages: English | 日本語 (Japanese) | Deutsch (German)

Contents

• Grammar Fundamentals
  • Cases (Fälle)
  • Articles (Artikel)
  • Pronouns (Pronomen)
  • Gender (Genus)
• Verbs (Verben)
  • Conjugation
  • Tenses (Zeitformen)
  • Modal Verbs (Modalverben)
  • Separable and Inseparable Verbs
  • Subjunctive (Konjunktiv)
• Sentence Structure
  • Word Order
  • Main Clauses (Hauptsätze)
  • Subordinate Clauses (Nebensätze)
• Adjectives and Adverbs
  • Adjective Declension
  • Comparison
  • Adverbs
• Prepositions (Präpositionen)
  • Accusative Prepositions
  • Dative Prepositions
  • Two-Way Prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen)
  • Genitive Prepositions
• Online Resources
  • Interactive Learning Platforms
  • Grammar References
  • Practice Exercises
  • Videos and Podcasts
• Books and Courses
  • Grammar Books
  • Textbooks
  • Workbooks
• Tools and Apps
  • Dictionary and Translation
  • Grammar Checkers
  • Flashcard Apps
• Communities
  • Forums and Discussion Boards
  • Language Exchange
  • Social Media
• Contributing

Grammar Fundamentals

Cases (Fälle)

German has four grammatical cases that affect articles, pronouns, adjectives, and nouns:

• Nominative (Nominativ) - The subject case

  • German Cases Explained - Comprehensive overview of German cases.
  • Nominative Case Guide - Detailed explanation with examples.

• Accusative (Akkusativ) - The direct object case

  • Accusative Case Tutorial - Clear explanations with practice exercises.
  • When to Use Accusative - Practical guide with common usage patterns.

• Dative (Dativ) - The indirect object case

  • Dative Case Explained - Complete guide to dative usage.
  • Dative Verbs List - Essential verbs that take dative objects.

• Genitive (Genitiv) - The possessive case

  • Genitive Case Guide - Understanding possession in German.
  • Modern Genitive Usage - How genitive is used in contemporary German.

Articles (Artikel)

Articles in German change based on case, gender, and number:

• Definite Articles (der, die, das) - Complete declension tables.
• Indefinite Articles (ein, eine) - When and how to use indefinite articles.
• Article Declension Table - Visual reference for all article forms.
• Zero Article (Nullartikel) - When to omit articles.

Pronouns (Pronomen)

• Personal Pronouns

  • Personal Pronoun Declension - Full declension in all cases.
  • Pronoun Usage Guide - Practical examples and exercises.

• Possessive Pronouns

  • Possessive Pronouns Explained - My, your, his, her, etc.

• Reflexive Pronouns

  • Reflexive Pronoun Guide - Essential for reflexive verbs.

• Relative Pronouns

  • Relative Clauses in German - Der, die, das as relative pronouns.

Gender (Genus)

Every German noun has a grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, or neuter):

• Gender Rules and Patterns - Predictable patterns for determining gender.
• Gender Learning Strategies - Effective methods to memorize genders.
• Gender by Ending - Common noun endings and their typical genders.

Verbs (Verben)

Conjugation

• Regular Verb Conjugation - Standard conjugation patterns.
• Irregular Verbs List - Most common irregular verbs with conjugations.
• Strong vs Weak Verbs - Understanding verb categories.
• Verbformen.de - Comprehensive verb conjugation database.

Tenses (Zeitformen)

• Present Tense (Präsens)

  • Present Tense Guide - Formation and usage.

• Past Tenses

  • Perfect (Perfekt) - Conversational past tense.
  • Simple Past (Präteritum) - Narrative past tense.
  • Past Perfect (Plusquamperfekt) - Past before past.

• Future Tenses

  • Future I (Futur I) - Expressing future actions.
  • Future II (Futur II) - Future perfect tense.

Modal Verbs (Modalverben)

The six modal verbs in German: können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen, mögen:

• Modal Verbs Overview - Complete guide to all six modals.
• Modal Verb Usage - Practical examples and nuances.
• Subjective vs Objective Modals - Advanced modal verb concepts.

Separable and Inseparable Verbs

• Separable Verbs (Trennbare Verben) - Verbs with detachable prefixes.
• Inseparable Verbs - Verbs with fixed prefixes.
• Prefix Meanings - Understanding how prefixes change meaning.

Subjunctive (Konjunktiv)

• Konjunktiv I - Indirect speech.
• Konjunktiv II - Hypothetical situations and polite requests.
• Würde + Infinitive - Alternative conditional form.

Sentence Structure

Word Order

German word order follows specific rules that differ from English:

• Basic Word Order Rules - TeKaMoLo and other principles.
• Verb Position in German - Where verbs go in different sentence types.
• Time-Manner-Place - Adverbial word order.

Main Clauses (Hauptsätze)

• Main Clause Structure - Standard and inverted word order.
• Questions in German - Forming W-questions and yes/no questions.
• Commands (Imperativ) - Giving orders and instructions.

Subordinate Clauses (Nebensätze)

• Subordinating Conjunctions - Weil, dass, wenn, ob, etc.
• Relative Clauses - Connecting ideas with relative pronouns.
• Infinitive Clauses (zu + Infinitiv) - Using infinitive constructions.

Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjective Declension

Adjectives in German change their endings based on case, gender, number, and the preceding article:

• Adjective Endings Overview - Complete declension tables.
• Strong, Weak, and Mixed Declension - Three declension patterns explained.
• Adjective Ending Chart - Easy-to-understand visual guide.

Comparison

• Comparative and Superlative - Forming comparisons in German.
• Irregular Comparatives - Special forms like gut → besser → beste.

Adverbs

• Adverb Formation - How adverbs work in German.
• Temporal, Modal, and Local Adverbs - Different types of adverbs.

Prepositions (Präpositionen)

Accusative Prepositions

Prepositions that always take the accusative case: durch, für, gegen, ohne, um, bis, entlang

• Accusative Prepositions Guide - Usage and examples.

Dative Prepositions

Prepositions that always take the dative case: aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, gegenüber

• Dative Prepositions Guide - Detailed explanations.

Two-Way Prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen)

Prepositions that take either accusative or dative: an, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor, zwischen

• Two-Way Prepositions Explained - When to use which case.
• Location vs Direction - The key distinction.

Genitive Prepositions

Prepositions that take the genitive case: während, wegen, trotz, (an)statt, innerhalb, außerhalb

• Genitive Prepositions Guide - Formal and written usage.

Online Resources

Interactive Learning Platforms

• Deutsche Welle - Learn German - Free comprehensive course from A1 to C1.
• Deutsch Akademie - Free grammar exercises with explanations.
• Schubert Verlag Online Exercises - Level-specific grammar practice.
• IFU Sprachinstitut - Interactive exercises for all levels.

Grammar References

• Canoo.net - Detailed German grammar reference.
• Lingolia German Grammar - Clear explanations with examples and exercises.
• German Very Easy - Simplified grammar explanations.
• Your Daily German - In-depth articles on tricky grammar topics.

Practice Exercises

• Grammatiktraining - Extensive exercise database (in German).
• German Grammar Drills - Printable and online exercises.
• Lingolia Practice - Interactive exercises for each grammar topic.

Videos and Podcasts

• Easy German - Street interviews and grammar explanations.
• Learn German with Ania - Grammar-focused video lessons.
• German with Jenny - Comprehensive grammar series.
• Coffee Break German - Audio lessons with grammar focus.

Books and Courses

Grammar Books

• Hammer's German Grammar and Usage by Martin Durrell - The most comprehensive reference grammar.
• Schaum's Outline of German Grammar by Elke Gschossmann-Hendershot - Practical exercises and explanations.
• German Grammar in Context by Carol Fehringer - Analysis of authentic texts.
• Essential German Grammar by Martin Durrell - Concise reference for learners.
• Practice Makes Perfect: Complete German Grammar by Ed Swick - Exercise-heavy workbook.

Textbooks

• Mittelpunkt by Klett - B1-C1 level textbooks with strong grammar focus.
• Menschen by Hueber - Popular communicative textbook series A1-B1.
• Aspekte neu by Klett - B1+ to C1 with integrated grammar.
• Studio [21] by Cornelsen - A1-B1 comprehensive textbook series.

Workbooks

• Übungsgrammatik für die Grundstufe by Hueber - A1-B1 grammar practice.
• Übungsgrammatik für die Mittelstufe by Verlag Liebaug-Dartmann - B1-C1 exercises.
• Lehr- und Übungsbuch der deutschen Grammatik (Dreyer-Schmitt) - Classic comprehensive workbook.

Tools and Apps

Dictionary and Translation

• Leo.org - Comprehensive German-English dictionary with forum.
• Linguee - Context-based translation search.
• DWDS - Digital dictionary of the German language (monolingual).
• Duden - Authoritative German dictionary and grammar reference.

Grammar Checkers

• LanguageTool - Free grammar and style checker for German.
• Duden Mentor - Grammar and spelling checker.
• DeepL Write - AI-powered writing assistant for German.

Flashcard Apps

• Anki - Powerful SRS flashcard app with German decks.
• Memrise - Gamified vocabulary and grammar learning.
• Quizlet - User-generated flashcard sets for German grammar.

Communities

Forums and Discussion Boards

• r/German - Active Reddit community for German learners.
• WordReference German Forum - Grammar and usage questions.
• German Stack Exchange - Q&A for German language enthusiasts.

Language Exchange

• Tandem - Language exchange app.
• HelloTalk - Chat with native speakers.
• r/language_exchange - Find language partners on Reddit.

Social Media

• Easy German on Instagram - Daily German content.
• German Memes - Learn through humor.
• Deutsche Welle on Twitter - Daily German learning tips.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read the contribution guidelines first.

When contributing, please ensure that:

• Resources are relevant to German grammar, syntax, or usage
• Links are active and point to quality content
• Descriptions are clear and accurate
• Resources are appropriately categorized
• New categories are justified and well-organized

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Note: This is a community-curated list. While we strive for accuracy, please verify information from multiple sources when learning German grammar.