German A1Chapter 1 of 24

Nouns & Verbs

How German builds its sentences: gender, capitalization, and verb endings

Welcome to German. In this first chapter you'll meet the two building blocks every sentence needs — nouns and verbs — and learn the three rules that make German feel different from English: nouns always start with a capital letter, every noun has a gender (der, die, or das), and verbs change their ending depending on who's doing the action. By the end you'll be able to read a menu, order breakfast, and introduce yourself.

45 minLevel: A1

What this chapter covers

  • I can recognize German nouns by their capital letter and name the three gender articles (der, die, das).
  • I can conjugate regular verbs in the present tense for all six subject pronouns.
  • I can recognize and use the irregular verbs sein and haben.
  • I can understand and use 20 core words for food, drinks, and everyday actions.
  • I can write simple sentences about what I eat and drink.

What you will practise in the app

The full chapter includes 8 interactive exercises covering these formats:

  • Multiple choice questions
  • Article selection (der / die / das)
  • Verb conjugation tables
  • Vocabulary matching
  • Fill-in-the-blank sentences
  • Translation practice
  • Listening comprehension
  • Guided writing task

Vocabulary: Food & Drink

A small sample from this chapter's vocabulary set.

der der Apfelthe apple
der der Käsethe cheese
der der Kaffeethe coffee
der der Teethe tea
die die Bananethe banana

This is only a small sample. The full vocabulary set — with audio, example sentences, and grammar details — is available in the free app.

Why this matters in Germany

This chapter helps you build German you can use in everyday situations in Germany — from understanding simple sentences to handling basic conversations, messages, appointments, study, work, and daily life. Practical language learned in context is easier to remember and use when it matters.

Practise the full chapter for free

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