How to use German Declensions [The Better Way] | German with Laura

[@GermanwithLaura]

Click here for the PDF! >> germanwithlaura.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/All-In-One-Declension-Chart-Patterns-Cheat-Sheet.pdf

[@BrunoBuckley-hi7dn]

15 years living in Germany.... never has this been better explained. Where were you 15 years ago Laura?? A dozen German teachers, thousands in Euros, HOURS spent only to suffer the frustration causing me to feel so defeated and discouraged!!! Ausgezeichnet!!! Vielen danke Laura!!!

[@GermanwithLaura]

You are in good company with the frustrations you mentioned (most often it's the methods being taught, NOT the learner!), but luckily there is a better way. :) So glad it's coming together now. Onward and happy learning!

[@husseinali3499]

Hallo, I'm a TA at an Egyptian university. I've benefited a lot not only in German, but also your teaching way from which I've picked up some ideas even for teaching Arabic. You're so talented. I really appreciate this.

[@GermanwithLaura]

I'm so glad that you have found it helpful!

[@garyturner3801]

I just discovered you. You're an outstanding communicator!

[@simonoates2584]

This 11 video playlist is absolutely gold. A great teacher makes all the difference. Thank you.

[@GermanwithLaura]

Thanks for your kind words!

[@africubanbronco6784]

Literally, those charts were so confusing. The one that you made is very simple. Thank you.

[@kinkfuzz]

This is quite literally the best language instruction I've ever seen. Not only are her modules clearly articulated but the logic is also plainly explained. I'm SO excited that I found you, Laura! I have been in Stuttgart communicating with poor grammar and finding your videos has led me to believe declensions were my main struggle. I'd string together a sentence without proper case or declensions and I'd be ignored or asked to speak English ... which is frustrating as someone trying to learn German. That said, if someone spilled word soup in my lap in English I'd probably do the same. lol I'm so grateful to have found your modules after years of getting nowhere with DuoLingo and Babel etc. This is exactly what I was missing.

[@GermanwithLaura]

So glad to have you!

[@mihalachevalentinflorian3378]

Laura, thank you for your wonderful content, its a life saver. I have a basic question if you can spare a few seconds please: Sie liest ihr Buch. Sie isst ihren Apfel. The second phrase noun case is in dative so ihr-e-n for the declension. Why not apply the same logic for ihr Buch? Would it be wrong to say: Sie liest ihren Buch?

[@geoffreyrosina926]

Laura. I have been studying German for a number of years and never understood the reasons behind the rules. I feel like a veil has been lifted. You have a real gift for teaching. Wish I knew about you years ago!

[@GermanwithLaura]

SO wonderful to hear! Thanks for sharing.

[@thomasburns6323]

Laura, you are so talented!! Love your teaching persona. You're a natural, but you also provide an extremely well thought out and masterfully organized lesson.

[@nelzsignature3022]

Your teaching method is super,God bless you Laura

[@susanford2388]

You are a breath of fresh air. Der, Die, Das, den, dem, denen OMG! Mein kopf tut sehr weh. oder meinem kopf tut weh. Vielen dank

[@uweheins7954]

Mir platzt der Kopf, vom vielen lernen :-) mein Kopf tut weh oder mein Kopf tut sehr weh, sind Formulierung beim Arzt Dr. oder wenn die Kinder kommen und von Kopfschmerzen sprechen

[@joyelhaestherrajan3725]

Hey u r the best....u covers all my doubts confusions nd everything....i love u for ur efforts nd the way of teaching by ur heart ❤️💯

[@lupeigarest]

You are such a clever teacher, thank you so much!

[@jean-lais]

Life saver. Thank you for uploading. Keep it up.

[@timtam.skates]

this video is literally a life saver omg THANK YOU

[@kiowhatta1]

Thank you so much Laura for creating this course. Currently, I spend 1 hour a week skyping with a native German speaker, every day I complete a lesson or two on either Duolingo, Deutsche Welle, and/or Language transfer, plus I am now doing your course. I've essentially wasted 8 years simply learning vocabulary and random grammar rules, and am still barely A2! So I realise I need to immerse myself in learning German grammar. When I went to school here in Australia, we weren't even taught grammar, we were intuitively expected to absorb it if that makes sense. Perhaps you can suggest a good balance of different aids, as well as how long each day is healthy. Vielen Dank für deine Helfen!

[@GermanwithLaura]

So excited to have you! One of the beauties of my courses is that they are self-paced. Only you can know how much information is too much in a day. Just don't allow yourself to get overwhelmed with it because that will make it so much harder to retain. Review as often as needed. As for other aids, I'd highly recommend listening to music in German and also watching shows in German (audio, subtitles, or both!). As you get further along in your study and through my courses, I'd also recommend starting with some easy reader books. But again, don't overwhelm yourself. You can absolutely do this!

[@VP-yp8ip]

This is great video. I have a clear way to differentiate nominative, accusative, and dative cases. Thank you so much for this helpful video.

[@binnihala2199]

Wow ma’am I’m so blessed to have find you.. you’re the best.. best of the best

[@maamriabassem3818]

Amazing explanation from an amazing teacher🥰🥰, the best hands down, now German seems way within reach 😁😁…

[@sera4821]

Declensions have been kicking my arse on Duolingo. So glad I found your videos.

[@__jake.m]

This was unbelievably good. Thank you so much! Danke schön!

[@chris-terrell-liveactive]

I'm seriously impressed with your explanations. I learned the grammar originally via these tables, which worked well for me as a very visual learner, but your your table is even better. My German has been messed up by having learned Dutch and I want to regain the German but find how to keep it separate in my head (any hints?). Subscribed and considering your courses in a few months. Danke vielmals!

[@jeffgoldsmith9619]

You are a great teacher and explain things very clearly. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to have someone explain how grammar works in English. That being said, for a country that prides itself on being practical and efficient, Deutsch is the most unpractical language on the planet. There is no reason for all of the different articles and and changes to adjective endings based on gender. Assigning genders to words is pointless and only makes things overly complicated.

[@GermanwithLaura]

Thanks for your feedback! I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they eventually shift away from using gendered nouns. English used to have the genders as well. Language is an ever changing art. :-)

[@mohamedyazit7149]

This is GOLD. Vielen dank!

[@cyberp1ss]

Omg Laura, thank you so much for this, I knew there was some sort of logic behind all those declensions, you teach it in such an easy-going and easy to comprehend way, you're the best

[@ragdedude83]

Oh, my, god, this video changed my life. Holy cow you are a god send 🥰

[@analuciabeoutis366]

Best language teacher in the entire world 🫶🏽!!!

[@siddhanttripathi5224]

your chart hack was super awesome

[@dr.asandohlouis4918]

I am addicted to your videos. You are such a passionate expert. I’m already one month old into learning German but having discovered you few days ago, a lot has changed. Thank you Laura Please I can’t find the link to sign up.

[@GermanwithLaura]

I'm so glad you found me! Here is that link. :-D germanwithlaura.com/unlocking-german-grammar/

[@Via.Dolorosa]

really cool explanation !

[@kcsizzle23]

Your videos are fire! Thank you.

[@martinnolan4016]

Ich muss doch sagen, dass diese Erklärung einfach toll ist. Your teaching style reminds me of the late, Richard Feynman and his learning technique: "the art of explaining". Ich danke dir im voraus...

[@kellymcbright5456]

Wow! Though i am still a little bit doubtful, i would say: if Your table proved to be correct, You would deserve a nobel prize. I had some clue of such simple rule when i once watched old english grammar and noticed some regularity like this, but was uncertain...

[@davidhuber7552]

Ich bin Amerikaner, der die deutschen Wortendungen gemeistert hat. Danke schön für die ausgezeichnete Erklärung.

[@katrinahopkins1657]

This is just sooo good, thank you Laura!! I have started Duolingo and many others but always give up when it gets to the grammar which is never explained systematically and logically. I am doing your mini-course, and I would like to subscribe to your online course but would like more detail of the contents. Where can I find this please?

[@GermanwithLaura]

germanwithlaura.com/german-foundations/

[@BiologyLectures]

@@GermanwithLaura Hello Laura thank you very much for your great work. Your videos are extremely helpful. Could you pleas explain each cases in this sentence: Sara brauchte nur einen kleinen Koffer fur ihren Urlaubin Berlin. Which case is Fur ihren Urlaub ? Thanks a million in advance

[@jacques8762]

Fantastic. Thank you so very much.

[@studioselva_]

You are great!

[@thefreelancer7683]

You are a lovely communicator

[@magnus00125]

This is my first time learning an inflected language... I make many mistakes in German grammar because it's very nuanced. But it's interesting to study it because the grammar is so conservative..

[@homaghezel6908]

Thanks a Lot.

[@oshahott2532]

Omg yes!! Don't get me wrong, seeing a chart where it is spelt out is great and all, but when you have that information it just doesn't help you when you're actually speaking the language. Give me just the endings and when to use them and I'll be able to add them in while I'm actually forming sentences!

[@mariafergadi-giannakopoulo6260]

Very helpful ! But where is the link for the PDF?

[@GermanwithLaura]

germanwithlaura.com/declension/

[@alpacino9177]

sehr nützlich; danke!

[@terryatkinson5894]

Fantastic video again! But I can't find the pdf containing the all-in-one declensions chart. Please could someone assist me?

[@GermanwithLaura]

The downloadable link needs to be fixed on our website, but here is the article with the chart: germanwithlaura.com/declension/ -Nicole, GwL Team

[@minookalantari]

Thank you 😊

[@nikthetrickster9948]

Hello. This was a really well explained video and proved to be really useful. In fact, it helped me not be scared of German declensions hahaha. Just one thing I didn't understand, might have flew over my head...atop the chart there are little flags, what's the difference between the black flag and the non coloured flag? Thanks again!

[@GermanwithLaura]

Hey there, the dark flag is indicating the strong declension while the white flag is for the weak declension. :-)

[@happygirl963]

Hi Laura thank you so muchh for the video. I can't help but to wonder what does the crossed flags mean in the all in one declensions chart? Thank you :))

[@GermanwithLaura]

The crossed out flag means there is no declension. This only applies for declension pattern #2 where you're using an 'ein-word determiner' with the masculine/nominative, neuter/nominative, and neuter/accusative cross sections. :-)

[@kimsteininger]

Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

[@mayaagnes4445]

Vielen dank

[@jayfetterman7601]

In the last example you pointed out the Dative example and declensions but I noticed the accusative declension wasn't explained. Would it be correct to say the "e" in eine is neuter? Also why are the flags bold and some are not?

[@GermanwithLaura]

I'm sorry for that! The "eine Jacke" is actually in the feminine/accusative slot. Jacke is a feminine noun and the 'e' on 'eine' is the strong declension for fem./acc. The black flag indicates the strong declension while the white flag indicates the weak declension.

[@Jimmie567]

My questions is this, Laura,,Am i correct when regarding a subordinate clause, the verb prefix would occupy the end of the clause, while the verb occupys its begining?.

[@GermanwithLaura]

Great question! This goes deeper then is possible to discuss here, but I will say this: When you are using a subordinate clause, all of your verbal information will actually come at the end of the clause. Hope this helps! - Nicole, GwL Team

[@mannypeguero3318]

What do the flags mean on the chart?

[@GermanwithLaura]

They are explained in section 3 of this article -> germanwithlaura.com/declension/ Happy learning!

[@laurencerogissart35]

Hi, I want to suscribe to your online courses. Question : which level is it ? Does it go until B2 ? Do you explain the genetif ? Thank you 👍

[@GermanwithLaura]

The courses I have produced so far fall outside of the A1, B2, etc. framework. I cover essential grammar topics that you need to master in order to pass any of those levels and otherwise teach meta principles on HOW to learn German (in accordance with the 'give a man a fish vs. teach a man to fish' adage). I don't yet include the genitive in a course (because it's very rarely used in speech), but you can read the guide I wrote on the genitive here: germanwithlaura.com/genitive-case/

[@sueraine3217]

I'm still confused about which 'ein' word determiners require Pattern #2. Is it just the three sites shown on the All IN One Chart or does it apply to all indefinite articles whatever the gender and case?

[@GermanwithLaura]

It only applies when you have both an ein word determiner AND are in one of the three following slots: masculine/nominative, neuter/nominative, neuter/accusative. Ein-word determiners will take declensions as usual in any other slot.

[@ameliagfawkes512]

I learned these charts by heart: Der, Die, Das, etc, except Gen came before Dative. Impossible to change that after 40 years. Otherwise, very clear. Big mistake to try to learn any language without knowing how it's put together.

[@analuciabeoutis366]

Please, where can I find the PDFs? I can’t find the link 😿

[@GermanwithLaura]

The downloadable link needs to be fixed, but you can see the declension chart in this article if that helps! germanwithlaura.com/declension/ -Nicole, GwL Team

[@davestarr519]

Why have I only just watch this? Thanks😊

[@sofiaaldonz8637]

Sentence 3, why jenem armen, frierenden Mann Given sentence, Please explain the endings. Wohnst du in einem der grössten Schattenlöcher der Schweiz. Thank you.

[@GermanwithLaura]

In sentence 3, the Mann is our dative object. So the determiner needs to take the strong 'm' declension, and any adjectives (if there are any) need to take the weak 'n' declension. It would be exciting if I lived in Switzerland, but sadly, I do not!

[@tutornotepad]

I think the only way I can learn declensions is to read a lot and understand what I read. I especially love listening to music while listening to the lyrics.

[@rdentonsunshine]

Where is the course English Grammar for German Learners?

[@GermanwithLaura]

It got rebranded, but here it is! germanwithlaura.com/unlocking-german-grammar/

[@msulemvn]

sehr einfach

[@AndrisGameDev]

Hey Laura! When I first saw your ultimate declensions table I thought that it is really smart and useful. I still think that, but at the same time, I think now that it is only good to prepare for tests or self-checks. It is really cool to memorize a single declension table instead of many, but even tho you compress a lot of data into it, you have now a pretty complex algorithm to actually use it. So in practice, it is really useful to check our writing or fill grammar tests during an exam, but it is not useful when we would like to speak. We just don't have the time to uncompress the data from this single chart. When we speak, having the 10 different charts without a complex algorithm to know what we should pick is the way to go. We have to repeat a lot of example sentences using those and develop a feeling for them just as native speakers also do not use any declension tables at all. When somebody learns German as a second language I think using your single ultimate chart is actually counter-productive when we talk about speaking because it slows down the process, we cannot generate output by using that chart as fast as we could with the collection of those simpler to understand charts - and at the end of the day none of them can be used while we speak, but yours is still way slower - and progressing with those many tables is actually easier to comprehend and give some time to actually practice the conjugation. So there is a reason why this kind of ultimate conjugation chart was not used before. At least this is my opinion and experience about it. Still, it is wonderful to memorize things for grammar tests when we have more time to think about the output! Do you have a different experience with your students?

[@GermanwithLaura]

Firstly, I would say, as always, to each their own. Everyone needs to find the system that works best for them. That being said, whether you are using the expanded charts traditionally taught or my condensed chart, they are all just study aids. You wouldn't be using them directly in a conversation. It's really important to also use the declensions chart in conjunction with the declension patterns guide. They cannot work alone. I would argue that the expanded charts do more of the work for you, and so you will have a harder time learning by doing. I have seen great success with my students using this method. :-) I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.

[@sermetalp6633]

DAS IST DAS!!!!!!

[@yigitcan824]

Hallo Ich lerne Deutsch. I wonder sth about declension of adjectives in German. For example, I saw following sentences in the dictionary Ich bin verheiratet. Ich bin geschieden. Here is there any declension? Or we just put an adjective without applying any declension and why. Would it be possible for you to clear up my confusion? Tschüss

[@GermanwithLaura]

Only adjectives that precede nouns need to be declined. Otherwise, such as in these examples, they remain in what I call their 'root' forms.

[@yigitcan824]

@@GermanwithLaura I've got that. Danke schön. Servus!

[@tobiask8490]

thanks for the video, but its too much talk about how good the system is, too little explanation of the system

[@GermanwithLaura]

It wasn't meant to be a thorough discussion of how to work with German declensions --it's just to get you started! I delve into the necessary details (over the course of several modules) in my paid course 'German Foundations'. But check out my free mini-course first: classroom.germanwithlaura.com/unlocking-german-grammar?coupon=GET-STARTED

[@esinn.7488]

Wait, WHAT? You just unlocked 8 months of not understanding this for me.

[@GermanwithLaura]

HOORAY!

[@thursoberwick1948]

I've been doing German for twenty years now and still can't memorise them. If I mumble while speaking German, I can just about get away with it.

[@ivan4398]

Im so happy to be Ukrainian just for having 9 or so cases in my mother tongue

[@tedarcher9120]

So sad I had to figure this out for myself in Uni

[@GermanwithLaura]

Sorry if you had a less than helpful learning experience at university, but great job pressing in and getting it sorted all on your own! - Nicole, GwL Team

[@natavanhuseynova4959]

👌🤗💖💐

[@lewis72]

It's all superfluous really. English manages without it. I mean, where's the confusion in "I walk the dog in the park" ? It's obvious who's doing what and only 1 word for "the" is needed.

[@alonsog3565]

Well, that's English. This is German. Languages are not what's "needed". They are what's used, and the specific ways people have of communicating shapes how they see the world. Also, it's not a matter of confusion, but of sentence construction. Thanks to declensions, in German, I can say "The cat ate the dog" and mean "The dog ate the cat". Why? Because I want to emphasize that the cat was what the dog ate. Hence, I put it first. In English, I can't do that. We use the passive voice. Different languages work differently.

[@lewis72]

@@alonsog3565 The declensions argument doesn't account for the 3 genders that a noun can have. I know many other languages have gendered nouns but they're superfluous really. Apparently present in Old English but then collective nouns are also superfluous, they just add style to the language.

[@alonsog3565]

@@lewis72 ​The declensions argument doesn't account for it because that wasn't the point. And it's not an argument, it's an explanation. I don't know what you mean by superfluous. This just sounds like complaining about how German isn't like English.

[@lewis72]

@@alonsog3565 "This just sounds like complaining about how German isn't like English." - Which is exactly what I was doing.

[@alonsog3565]

@@lewis72 Oh, well, you can complain all you want. It's fine if you feel frustrated, I get it. Just don't try to justify you frustration as though it was German to blame. Each language works differently and what we perceive as quirks are nothing more than differences that make sense when you think about them in their context, which in this case is German grammar.

[@lolaloco100]

The content was indeed very helpful. Many thanks. But please consider talking a bit less, you talk tooo much about irrelevant stuff 😅

[@GermanwithLaura]

I'm so glad it was helpful! And I'm grateful to say that I have been steadily working on being more succinct. :-)

[@zacharypayne4080]

How would you explain this to someone who can't read? Or to an eight year old? All these technical terms are confusing..I'm waiting for this to click..I am a master of guitar and Know how to reach an idiot that can't read music so the same could be done women have a knack for complacating simple things..

[@ragdedude83]

Oh, my, god, this video changed my life. Holy cow you are a god send 🥰