noun (the most general) coming last.
der Tee (the tea) + die Tasse (the cup) = die Teetasse (the tea cup)
das Haus (the house) + die Tür (the door) = die Haustür (the front door)
Connecting Elements
Sometimes, connecting elements are added between the constituent words to make pronunciation easier or to clarify the meaning. Common connecting elements include “-s-», “-es-», “-n-», “-en-», “-er-” and “-e-».
die Liebe (the love) + das Lied (the song) = das Liebeslied (the love song) (connecting element: -s-)
die Sonne (the sun) + der Schein (the shine) = der Sonnenschein (the sunshine) (connecting element: -n-)
das Kind (the child) + der Garten (the garden) = der Kindergarten (the kindergarten) (connecting element: -er-)
Gender of Compound Nouns
As mentioned earlier, the gender of the last noun (the head noun) in the compound determines the gender of the entire compound noun. This is very important for using the correct articles and adjective endings.
der Tisch (the table) + die Lampe (the lamp) = die Tischlampe (the table lamp) (feminine, because «Lampe» is feminine)
das Auto (the car) + der Fahrer (the driver) = der Autofahrer (the car driver) (masculine, because «Fahrer» is masculine)
Examples of Compound Nouns in Sentences
Der Buchladen ist geöffnet. (dare booh-lah-den ist ge-öf-net) – The bookstore is open.
Ich habe den Türschlüssel verloren. (ihh hah-be den tüür-shlüs-sel fer-lo-ren) – I have lost the door key.
Die Zimmernummer ist 123. (dee tsim-mer-noo-mer ist ain-hun-dert tsvai-oon-dreißig) – The room number is 123.
Der Sonnenschein ist herrlich. (dare zon-nen-shine ist her-lihh) – The sunshine is wonderful.
Common Types of Compound Nouns
Noun + Noun: Buchladen (bookstore), Haustür (front door), Teetasse (teacup)
Adjective + Noun: Hochhaus (high-rise building), Großvater (grandfather), Schwarzbrot (black bread)
Verb + Noun: Fahrkarte (train ticket), Schlafzimmer (bedroom), Lesesaal (reading room)
Benefits of Compound Nouns
Conciseness: They allow you to express complex ideas in a single word.
Precision: They can be very specific and descriptive.
Vocabulary Expansion: Learning how to form and recognize compound nouns significantly expands your vocabulary.
Word Bank
Zusammengesetztes Nomen (tsoo-zah-men-ge-zehts-tes no-men) – Compound Noun
das Buch (das booh) – the book
der Laden (dare lah-den) – the shop
die Tür (dee tüür) – the door
der Schlüssel (dare shlüs-sel) – the key
das Zimmer (das tsim-mer) – the room
die Nummer (dee noo-mer) – the number
die Liebe (dee lee-be) – the love
das Lied (das leet) – the song
die Sonne (dee zo-ne) – the sun
der Schein (dare shine) – the shine
das Kind (das kint) – the child
der Garten (dare gar-ten) – the garden
Exercises
Combine the following words to create compound nouns:
die Schule (the school) + der Hof (the yard)
das Wohnen (living) + das Zimmer (the room)
der Berg (the mountain) + die Spitze (the top)
Determine the gender of the compound nouns you created in Exercise 1.
Translate the following phrases into German using compound nouns:
The schoolyard is big.
The living room is comfortable.
The mountain top is covered in snow.
The train station is crowded. (der Bahnhof – train station)
Break down the following compound nouns into their constituent parts and translate each part:
das Feuerzeug (the lighter)
die Geburtstagskarte (the birthday card)
das Schwimmbad (the swimming pool)
Create five original sentences in German using compound nouns.
Congratulations! This concludes our 18-chapter journey through German grammar. You now have a foundational understanding of the key concepts, including noun cases, verb conjugations, adjective agreements, prepositions, relative clauses, the subjunctive mood, and compound nouns.
Remember that consistent practice and immersion are essential for continued progress. Keep practicing, keep exploring, and keep enjoying the process of learning German! Viel Erfolg weiterhin! (Much success going forward!)
Chapter 19: Common German Idioms (Redewendungen)
Idioms are phrases or expressions whose meanings cannot be understood from the literal meanings of the individual words. They add color and personality to a language, but they can also be confusing for learners. This chapter will introduce you to some common German idioms, along with their meanings and examples of how to use them.
What are Idioms?
Idioms are fixed expressions that have a figurative meaning that is different from the literal meaning of the words they contain. They are often culture-specific and can provide insight into a language’s history and way of thinking.
Why Learn Idioms?
Improved Comprehension: Recognizing idioms will help you understand spoken and written German more accurately.
More Natural Speech: Using idioms in your own speech will make you sound more fluent and natural.
Cultural Understanding: Idioms reflect cultural values and attitudes.
Enrichment of Language: Idioms add richness and expressiveness to your vocabulary.
Common German Idioms
Here are some common German idioms, with their meanings and examples:
Da steppt der Bär! (dah shtepht dare bair) – «The bear is dancing there!»
Meaning: There’s a real party going on; it’s a lively and exciting event.
Example: Auf der Party steppte der Bär! (auf dare par-tee shtep-te dare bair) – The party was really rocking!
Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen (dayn nah-gel auf dayn kopf tref-fen) – «To hit the nail on the head.»
Meaning: To be exactly right; to identify the core of a problem or issue.
Example: Du hast den Nagel auf den Kopf getroffen! (doo hast dayn nah-gel auf dayn kopf ge-trof-fen) – You hit the nail on the head!
Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei. (ah-les hat ain en-de, noor dee voorst hat tsvai) – «Everything has an end, only the sausage has two.»
Meaning: Everything comes to an end; even good things don’t last forever.
Example: Wir müssen jetzt gehen. Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei. (veer mü-ssen yetst gay-en. ah-les hat ain en-de, noor dee voorst hat tsvai) – We have to go now. Everything has an end, only the sausage has two.
Jemandem die Daumen drücken (yay-man-dem dee dau-men drü-ken) – «To press one’s thumbs for someone.»
Meaning: To wish someone good luck;