German Practice

The Article

The Attributive Adjective by Jeffery Donley, Ph.D.

The definite article is an adjective that has to agree in number (singular or plural), gender, and case with the noun that it modifies. There are three German definite articles that have to concur in number, gender, and case with the nouns they modify. All people, animals, and non-animated objects take a masculine, feminine, or neuter article. In order to be proficient in German, you must learn the correct article with each noun.

Exercise 1

The following nouns have the wrong definite articles. Provide the correct article and write the translation on the second line.

<tgroup cols="3"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="33%" align="left" rowsep="0" colsep="0"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="33%" align="left" rowsep="0" colsep="0"/> <colspec colname="col3" colnum="3" colwidth="34%" align="left" rowsep="0" colsep="0"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>1. <emphasis>das Vater</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>2. <emphasis>der Schule</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>3. <emphasis>die Schiff</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>4. <emphasis>der Mutter</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>5. <emphasis>die Kind</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>6. <emphasis>das Stuhl</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> <td><p>___________</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <h2>Exercise 2</h2> <p>Match the following German words with their English equivalents.</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" align="left" rowsep="0" colsep="0"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" align="left" rowsep="0" colsep="0"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>1. <emphasis>Berg</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>Greek</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>2. <emphasis>Dampfer</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>question</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>3. <emphasis>Dreieck</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>airplane</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>4. <emphasis>Eisenbahn</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>flesh</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>5. <emphasis>Onkel</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>earth</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>6. <emphasis>Erde</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>uncle</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>7. <emphasis>Fleisch</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>railroad</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>8. <emphasis>Flugzeug</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>triangle</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>9. <emphasis>Frage</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>steamer</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>10. <emphasis>Grieche</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>mountain</p></td> </tr> </tbody> </tgroup> </table> <h2>Exercise 3</h2> <p>Whatever the original gender, nouns become neuter when the suffixes <emphasis>-chen</emphasis> and <emphasis>-lei</emphasis> or <emphasis>-lein</emphasis> are attached. Words of affection and words expressing petiteness originate from the <emphasis>-chen</emphasis> and <emphasis>-lein</emphasis> endings. Keep in mind that the vowels <emphasis>a, o, u</emphasis>, and <emphasis>au</emphasis> change to <emphasis>ä, ö, ü</emphasis>, and <emphasis>äu</emphasis> when -<emphasis>chen</emphasis> or -<emphasis>lein</emphasis> are attached.</p> <p>Circle the correct definite article before each noun and translate the words on the line that follows.</p> <table frame="none" width="100%"> <title/> <tgroup cols="2"> <colspec colname="col1" colnum="1" colwidth="50%" align="left" rowsep="0" colsep="0"/> <colspec colname="col2" colnum="2" colwidth="50%" align="left" rowsep="0" colsep="0"/> <tbody> <tr> <td><p>1. <emphasis>(der, die, das) Männchen</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>2. <emphasis>(der, die, das) Männlein</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>3. <emphasis>(der, die, das) Fräulein</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>4. <emphasis>(der, die, das) Karte</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>5. <emphasis>(der, die, das) Frau</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>6. <emphasis>(der, die, das) Mädchen</emphasis></p></td> <td><p>________________</p></td> </tr> <tr> <td><p>7. 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