Making Statements
Making clear statements in German relies on simple word order, the right verb forms, and useful vocabulary for everyday situations. This guide goes through straightforward examples to get you talking confidently.
Basic Word Order
German basic declarative sentences follow a Subject-Verb-Object pattern, with the conjugated verb in second position and time or manner elements placed naturally. This order makes your meaning clear.
| German Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Morgen trinke ich Kaffee. | In the morning, I drink coffee. | Time first |
| 🍞 Ich esse Brot zum Frühstück. | I eat bread for breakfast. | Subject before verb |
| 🥣 Manche essen Joghurt mit Früchten. | Some eat yogurt with fruit. | Object after verb |
| 🚶 Nach dem Frühstück gehe ich spazieren. | After breakfast, I go for a walk. | Time phrase fronted |
Present Tense
The present tense (Präsens) is used for current actions, habitual activities, and near future plans; conjugate regular verbs according to the subject and use common time expressions to add detail. This tense serves you well in everyday statements.
Regular -en Verbs
Regular -en verbs follow a predictable pattern where you remove -en and add endings like -e, -st, -t depending on the subject; this makes them easy to memorize and apply in sentences.
| German Conjugation | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ich lerne | I learn / I am learning |
| du lernst | you learn / you are learning |
| er/sie/es lernt | he/she/it learns |
| wir lern_en | we learn |
| ihr lernt | you all learn |
| sie lern_en | they learn |
| German Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| ☕ Ich trinke jeden Morgen Kaffee. | I drink coffee every morning. |
| 🍞 Du isst Brot mit Marmelade. | You eat bread with jam. |
| 🥣 Er mixt einen Smoothie. | He makes a smoothie. |
| 🥐 Wir backen Croissants am Wochenende. | We bake croissants on the weekend. |
| 🍊 Ihr esst Obst zum Frühstück. | You (pl.) eat fruit for breakfast. |
| 🍳 Sie kochen Eier jeden Sonntag. | They cook eggs every Sunday. |
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Useful Vocabulary
Everyday vocabulary for time, manner, and common activities helps you make more precise statements and be understood in typical situations. Learn words for meals, moments of the day, and frequent actions.
| German Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| früh | early |
| spät | late |
| manchmal | sometimes |
| oft | often |
| immer | always |
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Brot | the bread |
| die Marmelade | the jam |
| der Kaffee | the coffee |
| der Saft | the juice |
| das Ei | the egg |
| der Joghurt | the yogurt |
| die Früchte | the fruit |
| das Müsli | the muesli |
| der Tee | the tea |
| der Kuchen | the cake |
Making Sentences More Natural
Adding small adverbs and placing them between the verb and object gives your sentences a natural rhythm and extra detail about when or how an action happens. Speakers commonly use such modifiers in daily speech.
| German Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ☀️ Morgens trinke ich oft Kaffee. | In the mornings, I often drink coffee. | Adverb before verb |
| 🍞 Zum Frühstück esse ich gern Brot. | For breakfast, I like to eat bread. | Fronted phrase with verb second |
| 🥣 Ich esse meistens Joghurt mit Früchten. | I usually eat yogurt with fruit. | Adverb after subject |
| ☕ Heute trinke ich Kaffee mit einer Freundin. | Today I am drinking coffee with a friend. | Time and extra info |
| 🍰 Am Wochenende backen wir Kuchen. | On the weekend, we bake cake. | Clear time setting |
Summary
Stick to the basic Subject-Verb-Object order, use the present tense for current and habitual actions, learn regular -en verb endings, and pick up common time and manner vocabulary to make clear, natural statements in German.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025