German Grammar Glossary
English and German Grammar Terms
Explained in Plain English
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HOW TO USE THIS GLOSSARY: Each grammar term is listed alphabetically in English, along with its German equivalent (often Latin-based) and in some cases the Germanic term. Words in ALL CAPS refer to terms that are also defined in this glossary. Noun gender is indicated by r (der), e (die), or s (das). Most entries have a link to a related lesson or grammar guide.
| German Grammar Glossary Deutsches Grammatik-Lexikon |
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| English | Deutsch | Explanation |
| ACCUSATIVE | r Akkusativ r Wenfall |
The DIRECT OBJECT case in German. > German Cases |
| ACTIVE VOICE | s Aktiv e Tatform |
As opposed to the PASSIVE, the VOICE or form of a verb whose subject is the AGENT or cause of the verb's action. > Passive Voice |
| ADJECTIVE | s Adjektiv s Eigenschaftswort |
A word or phrase that modifies or describes a noun. When a German adjective precedes a noun, it must have an ending that agrees in NUMBER, GENDER and CASE. > Adjective Endings |
| ADVERB | s Adverb s Umstandswort |
A word or phrase that modifies a verb or an adjective, telling how, where, why, or when. > Adverbs of Time |
| AGENT | s Agens | A person or thing (noun) that performs an action or brings about a result. |
| AGREEMENT | e Übereinstimmung | When a word agrees with another in gender, case, person, or some other category. For instance, adjectives must agree with nouns in GENDER and CASE. |
| ANTECEDENT | s Bezugswort | The noun to which a RELATIVE PRONOUN refers in a RELATIVE CLAUSE. > Relative Clauses |
| APPOSITION | e Apposition r Beisatz |
Placing a word next to or near another word of the same meaning or function. |
| ARTICLE | r Artikel s Geschlechtswort |
A word (a/an/the) that indicates the GENDER of a NOUN. Articles can be DEFINITE (the) or INDEFINITE (a/an). > Gender Hints |
| AUXILIARY VERB | s Hilfsverb | A verb that "helps" or is used with another verb, usually haben or sein in COMPOUND TENSES. > German Verbs |
NEXT > C
Index A-F | A | C | D | E-F | More Terms
Index A-F | Index G-P | Index Q-Z
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