Structured Course

Based on Schritte Plus Neu textbook series

Chapter 1 of 714%

A1.1 — Lektion 1

Guten Tag

Good Day

Learn how to greet people, introduce yourself, and ask basic questions in German. This foundational chapter covers the alphabet, personal pronouns, and the verb 'sein' (to be).

Learning Objectives

Greet people at different times of day
Introduce yourself and ask someone's name
Spell your name using the German alphabet
Use personal pronouns (ich, du, er, sie)
Conjugate the verb 'sein' in present tense
Ask and answer W-Fragen (wh-questions)

Vocabulary (20 words)

— Hello

— Good morning

— Good day

— Good evening

— Bye (informal)

— Goodbye (formal)

— I

— you (informal)

— he

— she / they

— to be called

— to come (from)

— to live / reside

— to be

— the name

— the street

— the city

— the country

— the language

— please / you're welcome

Konjugation von 'sein' (Conjugation of 'to be')

The verb 'sein' (to be) is irregular and must be memorized. It changes form for each personal pronoun: ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist, wir sind, ihr seid, sie/Sie sind.

Ich bin Studentin. (I am a student.)

Du bist aus Indien. (You are from India.)

Er ist Lehrer. (He is a teacher.)

W-Fragen (Wh-Questions)

German question words start with 'W': Wie (how), Wo (where), Woher (from where), Was (what), Wer (who). In W-Fragen, the verb comes in second position: W-Wort + Verb + Subjekt.

Wie heißen Sie? — Ich heiße Maria. (What is your name?)

Woher kommen Sie? — Ich komme aus Pakistan. (Where are you from?)

Wo wohnen Sie? — Ich wohne in Berlin. (Where do you live?)

Personalpronomen (Personal Pronouns)

German has formal and informal forms of 'you'. 'Du' is informal (friends, family). 'Sie' (capitalized) is formal (strangers, officials, teachers). Verb endings change with each pronoun: ich -e, du -st, er/sie/es -t, wir -en, ihr -t, sie/Sie -en.

Ich wohne in München. Du wohnst in Hamburg. (I live in Munich. You live in Hamburg.)

Er kommt aus der Türkei. Sie kommt aus Syrien. (He comes from Turkey. She comes from Syria.)

Wir lernen Deutsch. Sie lernen auch Deutsch. (We learn German. They also learn German.)

Im Deutschkurs (In the German class)

Lehrerin

Guten Morgen! Willkommen im Deutschkurs. Ich bin Frau Weber.

Good morning! Welcome to the German course. I am Mrs. Weber.

Ali

Guten Morgen, Frau Weber. Ich bin Ali.

Good morning, Mrs. Weber. I am Ali.

Lehrerin

Freut mich, Ali. Woher kommen Sie?

Pleased to meet you, Ali. Where are you from?

Ali

Ich komme aus Pakistan, aus Lahore.

I come from Pakistan, from Lahore.

Lehrerin

Sehr gut! Und wo wohnen Sie jetzt?

Very good! And where do you live now?

Ali

Ich wohne jetzt in München, in der Goethestraße.

I live now in Munich, on Goethe Street.

Zwei Studenten lernen sich kennen (Two students get to know each other)

Priya

Hallo! Ich heiße Priya. Und du?

Hello! My name is Priya. And you?

Mehmet

Hi, ich bin Mehmet. Woher kommst du?

Hi, I am Mehmet. Where are you from?

Priya

Ich komme aus Indien, aus Mumbai. Und du?

I come from India, from Mumbai. And you?

Mehmet

Ich komme aus der Türkei. Ich wohne jetzt in Berlin.

I come from Turkey. I live now in Berlin.

Priya

Cool! Ich wohne auch in Berlin. Tschüss, bis morgen!

Cool! I also live in Berlin. Bye, see you tomorrow!

Exercises (8)

1.How do you say 'What is your name?' formally in German?

mcq

2.Ich ___ Ali. (I am Ali.)

fill blank

3.Woher ___ du? (Where are you from?)

fill blank

4.Which greeting is appropriate in the evening?

mcq

5.'Du' is the formal way to address someone in German.

true false

6.Match: 'Wo wohnen Sie?' means...

matching

7.Er ___ aus Deutschland. (He is from Germany.)

fill blank

8.What is the correct conjugation: 'Du ___ Studentin.'

mcq

Cultural Note

In Germany, there is an important distinction between formal and informal address. You use 'Sie' (formal you) with strangers, officials, and in professional settings. 'Du' (informal you) is used with friends, family, and children. In a language course (Deutschkurs), the teacher usually uses 'Sie' with adult students. Among young students, 'du' is common. When in doubt, always start with 'Sie' — the other person will suggest 'du' if appropriate. This is called 'das Duzen anbieten' (offering the informal address).

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