Simple sentences help learners express basic ideas quickly and serve as building blocks for more complex speech. This guide focuses on everyday structures that learners can use immediately.

Basic Sentence Order

German follows a fairly consistent word order where the verb is in the second position in main clauses, which helps listeners anticipate the sentence's structure. Adhering to this order makes sentences clear and easy to understand.

Der Hund(laufen) im Garten.

The dog is running in the garden.

Nouns and Articles

Nouns in German always have a gender and are accompanied by definite or indefinite articles that agree in gender, number, and case; learning the three genders der*, *die*, *das is essential. Articles signal a noun's role in the sentence and help learners identify meaning.

German Definite ArticleGerman Indefinite ArticleGender
dereinMasculine
dieeineFeminine
daseinNeuter

Common Verbs

Common everyday verbs like sein (to be), haben (to have), and gehen (to go) appear frequently in simple sentences and are worth memorizing in their basic forms. These verbs allow learners to talk about identity, possession, and actions with minimal effort.

German VerbEnglish Verb
seinto be
habento have
gehento go
kommento come
machento do / make

Simple Questions

Simple questions often begin with a question word (like wo, was, wer) or invert the typical word order by placing the verb first; this pattern is key for getting information quickly. Practicing common question formats helps learners interact in everyday situations.

Useful Adjectives

Adjectives describe things more precisely and often follow straightforward placement rules in simple sentences; learning a few common ones enriches speech. Adjectives can appear before nouns or after verbs like sein, and they agree in gender, number, and case when used attributively.

German AdjectiveEnglish Adjective
großbig
kleinsmall
schönbeautiful
altold
neunew

Useful Vocabulary

Vocabulary for everyday things like family members, common places, and basic activities supports simple sentence building in relevant contexts. Focusing on high-frequency nouns and verbs enables learners to describe their immediate world.

German Word(s)English Word(s)
die Familiethe family
das Hausthe house
der Hundthe dog
die Schulethe school
das Autothe car

Summary

Simple sentences rely on basic word order, common nouns with articles, everyday verbs, and straightforward question patterns; mastering these lets learners communicate essential ideas. Practice forming short sentences about familiar topics to build confidence and fluency.

Examples

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Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025