The Secret of the German Language Lesson 6: Today will be a good day. Today those little orphaned...

The Secret of the German Language

• Lesson 6:• Today will be a good day.• Today those little orphaned endings will be

adopted.• This shows the humanity of the German case

system.• And this time Daddy Warbucks isn’t needed to

adopt little orphaned endings.


• Do you remember when endings are orphaned?

• There are three positions only.• Which types of words orphan their endings?• Ein- words are the only ones to orphan their

endings.• So who would be generous enough to adopt

these poor stray little orphan endings?


• Drum roll, please . . .• Adjectives.• That’s right, adjectives are the most generous

words on planet German.• Adjectives want to adopt any orphaned

endings.• In fact, a line of adjectives will all share an

orphan ending, making his life just swell.

R E S EN E S EM R M N+n

S+s R S+s R

-e

-en

masculine feminine neuter plural

adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)

Accusative(Direct Object)

Dative(Indirect Object)

Genitive(Possessive)

So if you see these symbols, ein- words orphan their endings in those three cases. You might have a sentence like:Ein Mann ist hier.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Ein Mann ist hier. So the –r that is normally there:Der Mann ist hier.Dieser Mann ist hier. etc.That –r has been orphaned.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Ein Mann ist hier. But along comes a generous adjective like groß. The adjective wants to adopt that little orphaned ending:Ein großer Mann ist hier.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Ein großer Mann ist hier.In fact, if there are more adjectives, they all want to adopt:Ein großer, netter, schöner Mann ist hier.Don’t you feel better now?


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




This happens with the two S cases as well:Ein Kind ist hier. Ein doofes Kind ist hier.Ich habe ein Spielzeug. Ich habe ein neues Spielzeug.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




So let’s try a few:

Sein__ schön__ Frau ist jung.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Sein__ schön__ Frau ist jung.

In this case there is no orphan ending and no adoption. Just the regular crooked line rule.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Did you get this? The first ending (e) is the E from RESE. The second is the adjective ending from the crooked line.

Seine schöne Frau ist jung.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Okay, how about this one?

Herr Schmidt schlägt d__ faul__ Kind (n.) mit dem Lineal.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




This doesn’t use ein- words. It uses der-words. Therefore no orphaned ending and no adoption. Just the crooked line rule.Herr Schmidt schlägt d__ faul__ Kind (n.) mit dem Lineal.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Did you get this?

Herr Schmidt schlägt das faule Kind mit dem Lineal.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




But if we do use ein- words, things change:

Herr Schmidt schlägt kein__ faul__ Kind (n) mit dem Lineal.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Here we have an orphaned ending and a generous adjective to adopt it.

Herr Schmidt schlägt kein__ faul__ Kind (n) mit dem Lineal.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Did you get this?

Herr Schmidt schlägt kein faules Kind mit dem Lineal.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Here’s another one:

Unser__ hässlich__ Lehrer schaut ein__ hübsch__ Kätzchen an.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Did you get this?

Unser hässlicher Lehrer schaut ein hübsches Kätzchen an.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Here’s another:

Mein__ nett__ Mutter gibt mein__ verrückt__ Bruder ein__ gelb__ Blume.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Nothing was orphaned this time.

Meine nette Mutter gibt meinem verrückten Bruder eine gelbe Blume.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




One more:

D__ grün__ Apfel dein__ älter__ Schwester ist verdorben.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




That’s genitive and nothing was orphaned.

Der grüne Apfel deiner älteren Schwester ist verdorben.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Okay, can you handle some translations?

Her blue pencil is gone (use weg)


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Good thing she has more than one pencil. Did you get the orphaned ending and the adopted ending?

Ihr blauer Bleistift ist weg.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




How about this one:

The happy boy saw his old girlfriend.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




No wonder he’s happy.

Der glückliche Junge hat seine alte Freundin gesehen.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Here’s a real challenge:

This nice teacher reads a good story to every young child. (Write as: This nice teacher reads every young child a good story)


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




Must have been a Sabine und Michael story!

Dieser nette Lehrer liest jedem jungen Kind eine gute Geschichte.


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




One final shot:

A nice girl’s big dog is sweet.

Do you know how to change that?


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




The big dog of a nice girl is sweet

Der große Hund eines netten Mädchens ist süß.No orphaned endings here.


• And now today’s tip:• Words that end in –schaft, -ung and –tät are

always feminine:• Freundschaft• Zeitung• Universität


S+s R S+s R

-e

-en


adjectiveEndings

Nominative(Subject)




The Secret of the German Language Lesson 6: Today will be a good day. Today those little orphaned...

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