📦 Alternatives to the Passive Voice

Das Buch wird gelesen. - The book is being read.

Let's explore a few alternatives for expressing this differently:

➡️ sich lassen + Infinitiv

Das Buch lässt sich lesen.

🔹 replaces the classical Passive with the modal verb können: Das Buch kann gelesen sein.

➡️ sein + zu + Infinitiv

Das Buch ist zu lesen.

🔹 a replacement for the passive with modal verbs können, sollen, dürfen, and müssen: Das Buch muss gelesen sein.
In the sentence “Das Treffen ist nicht zu vermeiden,” sein+zu+Infinitiv would replace the passive voice with the verb dürfen: “Das Treffen darf nicht vermieden werden.”

➡️ sein + adjective ending in -bar, -lich, or -abel.

Das Buch ist lesbar.

🔹 This adjective indicates that something can be done. Using the passive voice, such sentences would be formed with the modal verb können.

🔹 All these adjectives have one thing in common: they originate from verbs. Let's look at some examples:

Die Krankheit ist heilbar. — The disease is curable.
Instead of: Die Krankheit kann geheilt werden. — The disease can be cured.

🦊 Active to Passive Voice

Today, we will discuss how to rephrase a sentence from active voice to passive voice:

Active Example:
🔗 Die Firma “Gima” baut hier ein neues Haus. - The company "Gima" is building a new house here.

Passive Example:
🔗 Ein neues Haus wird hier von der Firma “Gima” gebaut. - A new house is being built here by the company "Gima."

1️⃣ The passive voice is formed using the verb werden and the past participle (Partizip II)
📍wird gebaut

2️⃣ In the passive voice, the object always becomes the subject and is put in the Nominative case.
📍Ein neues Haus

3️⃣ If the doer of the action is mentioned, in the passive voice it becomes an object and is expressed through the preposition “von” if it is an intermediary and through “durch” if it is the cause.
📍von der Firma “Gima”

Example:
Active 🔗der Arzt operiert den Kranken. - The doctor operates on the patient.
Passive 🔗der Kranke wird vom Arzt operiert. - The patient is operated on by the doctor.

‼️ However, if the active voice sentence is constructed using the impersonal pronoun man, in the passive voice it is simply omitted:
Example:
Active 🔗 In Bayern trinkt man viel Bier. - In Bavaria, they drink a lot of beer.
Passive 🔗In Bayern wird viel Bier getrunken. - In Bavaria, a lot of beer is drunk.

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📍In, An, Auf with Natural Scenery in German

Remembering how to use the most famous German prepositions with natural objects can be tricky, so pay close attention!

🌸 In - When referring to forests, mountains, and deserts:

🔹+ Akkusativ
🔹WOHIN? (Where to?)

▫️Ich gehe in den Wald. (I'm going into the forest.)
▫️Sie geht ins Gebirge. (She's going to the mountains.)
▫️Wir fahren in die Wüste. (We're heading to the desert.)

🔹+ Dativ
🔹WO? (Where?)

▫️Ich wandere im Wald. (I'm walking in the forest.)
▫️Sie ist im Gebirge. (She's in the mountains.)
▫️Wir sind in der Wüste. (We're in the desert.)

🌸 An - Pertaining to bodies of water and the shores surrounding them:

🔹+ Akkusativ
🔹WOHIN? (Where to?)

▫️Ich fahre ans Meer. (I'm going to the sea.)
▫️Er geht an den See. (He's going to the lake.)
▫️Sie fährt an den Strand. (She's going to the beach.)
▫️Wir gehen an die Küste. (We're going to the coast.)

🔹+ Dativ
🔹WO? (Where?)

▫️Sie sind am Meer. (They're at the sea.)
▫️Wir sind am See. (We're at the lake.)
▫️Ich liege am Strand. (I'm lying on the beach.)
▫️Er entspannt sich an der Küste. (He's relaxing at the coast.)

🌸 Auf - In relation to the nouns "island" and "countryside":

🔹+ Akkusativ
🔹WOHIN? (Where to?)

▫️Ich fliege auf die Insel. (I'm flying to the island.)
▫️Sie fährt auf das Land. (She's going to the countryside.)

🔹+ Dativ
🔹WO? (Where?)

▫️Sie sind auf der Insel. (They're on the island.)
▫️Wir sind auf dem Land. (We're in the countryside.)

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🌟 Are you ready to take your German language skills to the next level?

Today, let's dive into the intriguing world of German phrases using "hin" and "her". These small but mighty components can change the direction of your sentences, quite literally!

🔹 "sieh nicht hin!" - Don't look there!
🔹 "hin und zurück" - There and back
🔹 "Die U-Bahn fährt den ganzen Tag hin und her" - The subway goes back and forth all day
🔹 "Wie weit ist es (bis) dahin?" - Is it far (to that place)?
🔹 "Bist du auch daher?" - Are you also from there?
🔹 "Wo soll ich das hernehmen?" - And where should I get that from?
🔹 "Ich habe es zum ersten Mal hinbekommen!" - I managed it for the first time!
🔹 "Geh bitte hinein!" - Go in there! (Come in!)
🔹 "Komm bitte heraus!" - Come out of there! (Come out!)
🔹 "Kommen Sie (he)rein!" - Come in!
🔹 "Raus (hier)!" - Out of here!

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📝 Sätze mit hin / her

Heute beschäftigen wir uns mit Phrasen, die die Bestandteile hin / her enthalten:

📍sieh nicht hin! - Don't look there!
📍hin und zurück - there and back
📍Die U-Bahn fährt den ganzen Tag hin und her - The subway goes back and forth all day
📍Wie weit ist es (bis) dahin? - How far is it to there?
📍Bist du auch daher? - Are you also from there?
📍Wo soll ich das hernehmen? - Where am I supposed to get that from?
📍Ich habe es zum ersten Mal hinbekommen! - I managed to do it for the first time!
📍Geh bitte hinein! - Please go inside!
📍Komm bitte heraus! - Please come out!
📍Kommen Sie (he)rein! - Come in!
📍Raus (hier)! - Out (of here)!

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📝 Cheat Sheet
"Ich bin", "mir ist", "Ich habe", "es geht mir" – all these constructions can help us express our feelings/states, but when and which one is better to use? Let's figure it out!

🟡 "Ich bin" is used if we want to describe a state with an adjective or a noun preceded by an adjective and the preposition "in":

- Ich bin gelangweilt. - I'm bored.
• Ich bin hungrig. - I'm hungry.
• Ich bin in guter Laune. - I'm in a good mood.

❗️ In this case, be careful with such commonly used phrases as "I'm hot" / "I'm cold".
We can say, for example, "Ich bin heiß", meaning we feel hot, but the interlocutor may perceive the phrase as "I am hot" in the sense of sexual attractiveness.

🟡 "Mir ist" is used to describe a feeling with an adjective:

• Mir ist heiß. - I'm hot.
• Mir ist kalt. - I'm cold.
• Mir ist langweilig. - I'm bored.
• Mir ist schwindelig. - I feel dizzy.

🫴🏻 Compare: "Mir ist schwindelig" (I feel dizzy) and "Ich bin schwindelig" (I am dizzying). Completely different meanings, right? 😏

🟡 "Ich habe" is used to describe feelings, we use a noun with that (which, again, may be preceded by an adjective):

• Ich habe schlechte Laune. - I'm in a bad mood.
• Ich habe Hunger. - I'm hungry.

🟡 "Es geht mir" is used only to describe how we are doing:

• Es geht mir gut. - I'm fine.
• Es geht mir schlecht. - I'm not doing well.
• Es geht so. - It's so-so.

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😎 Abbreviations

Abbreviations are found in many texts and even in social media posts. To make it easier for you to understand, I have compiled a list of the main abbreviations with their meanings.

z.B. (zum Beispiel) - for example
usw. (und so weiter) - and so on
bzw. (beziehungsweise) - or rather, that is
od. (oder) - or
u.a. (und andere) - and others
p.P. (pro Person) - per person
z.T. (zum Teil) - partly
Nr. (Nummer) - number
ggf. (gegebenenfalls) - if necessary
d.h. (das heißt) - that means
v.a. (vor allem) - above all

❓ Did you know these abbreviations?

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😲 Differentiating Fears

To denote fear in the German language, there are numerous words: Schreck, Angst, Furcht, Bange, Grauen, and others. Today, we'll discuss how they differ from each other and in which situations they are used.

• der Schreck — horror, fright
(sudden and fleeting fear)

Als Fiona Shrek gesehen hat, hat sie großen Schreck bekommen. — Seeing Shrek, Fiona got really scared.

• die Angst — fear
(a more prolonged feeling, not always justified)

Ihn ergriff eine unbegründete Angst. — He was seized by an unfounded fear.

• die Furcht — fear, dread, apprehension
(strong fear, has an external cause)

Wenn ich eine Schlange sehe, empfinde ich Furcht. — When I see a snake, I feel fear.

• die Bange — anxiety, fear
(anxiety about someone or something)

Keine Bange, ich helfe dir. — Don't worry, I will help you.

• das Entsetzen — horror, shock
(unpleasant shock from an unexpected event)

Er war sprachlos vor Entsetzen. — He was speechless with horror.

• das Grauen — horror, mixed with disgust
(strong fear when encountering something gruesome)

Er empfindet immer noch Grauen, wenn er sich an diese Geschichte erinnert. — He still feels disgust when he remembers that story.

• der Grusel — creepiness
(typically describes horror movies or scary stories)

Manchmal schauen wir abends Gruselfilme. — Sometimes we watch horror movies in the evening.

• die Scheu — shyness, timidity
(a mix of fear and shyness, makes us avoid certain situations: scheuen)

Sie scheut öffentliche Reden. — She avoids public speaking.

❓Did you know the difference between these words?

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🦉 Verben mit Genitiv

📌 bedürfen - to need something
Example:
📎 Er bedurfte der Ruhe. - He needed rest.

📌 entbehren - to be deprived of something
Example:
📎 Diese Behauptung entbehrt jeder Grundlage. - This assertion is without any basis.

📌 sich enthalten - to abstain from something
Example:
📎 Er enthält sich des Alkohols. - He abstains from alcohol.

📌 sich entwöhnen - to wean oneself off something
Example:
📎 Sie entwöhnte sich ganz des Rauchens. - She completely weaned herself off smoking.

📌 sich vergewissern - to make sure of something
Example:
📎 Ich muss mich seiner Zuverlässigkeit vergewissern. - I must make sure of his reliability.

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🔥 Adverbs of Place in German Language

Let's start the weekend with simple, short words that are quick and easy to remember - German adverbs of place:

● hier — here
● da — there (close to the listener)
● dort — there (further away)
● draußen — outside
● drinnen — inside
● innen — inside (more formal or technical)
● außen — outside (more formal or technical)

Vielleicht sollte jemand hier draußen warten. — Maybe someone should wait out here.

● rechts — on the right
● links — on the left
● oben — above, up
● unten — below, down
● überall — everywhere

Ich habe überall nach Ihnen gesucht. — I looked for you everywhere.

● irgendwo – somewhere
● nirgendwo — nowhere
● nirgends — nowhere (synonymous with nirgendwo)
● wo — where
● vorne — in front
● hinten — behind, at the back

Ich habe vorne und hinten Augen. — I have eyes in the front and the back.

● obenan – at the top, in the first place
● obenauf — on top
● nebenan – next door
● auswärts — outwards, away

Ja, die lagen gleich obenauf. — Yes, they were right on top.

These adverbs of place are fundamental for expressing location and direction in German, enabling clear and precise communication about where things are or where actions are taking place.

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🕊 Verben mit Dativ

Today, let's talk about verbs that are governed by the Dative case:

📌 gefallen (gefiel, hat gefallen) - to please someone, to be liked by someone
Examples:
🔗 Meinen Freunden hat dieser neue Film gar nicht gefallen. - My friends did not like this new movie at all.

📌 glauben (glaubte, hat geglaubt) - to believe someone
Examples:
🔗 Du hast mich betrogen, und ich glaube dir nicht mehr. - You deceived me, and I no longer believe you.

📌 passieren (passierte, ist passiert) - to happen to someone
Examples:
🔗 Diese Geschichte ist mir vor zwei Jahren passiert. - This story happened to me two years ago.

📌 ähneln (ähnelte, hat geähnelt) - to resemble someone, to be similar
Examples:
🔗 Erik ähnelt seinem Bruder so, als ob sie Zwillinge wären. - Erik resembles his brother so much, as if they were twins.

📌 begegnen (begegnete, ist begegnet) - to meet someone by chance
Examples:
🔗 Im Urlaub bin ich ihm erst kürzlich begegnet. - On vacation, I only recently met him by chance.

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👇 Demonstrative Pronouns in German

Demonstrative pronouns point to a specific person or object, replacing the definite article. Accordingly, we use either an article or a demonstrative pronoun.

Two groups of demonstrative pronouns are distinguished:

1️⃣ group: dieser, -e, -es (this); jeder, -e, -es (every); jener, -e, -es (that); solcher, -e, -es (such)

These pronouns have the same endings as the definite articles in all cases.
The pronoun jeder (every) deserves special attention; in the plural, it takes the form alle (all).

- Ich verkaufe diesen Drucker. (I am selling this printer.)
- Er mag solche Bilder nicht. (He doesn't like such paintings.)
- Sie sammelt alle Ideen zu diesem Thema. (She collects all ideas related to this topic.)
- Jeder Mensch möchte glücklich sein. (Every person wants to be happy.)
- Jenes Auto ist neu. (That car is new.)

2️⃣ group: der/die/dasselbe (the same), der/die/dasjenige (that)

These demonstrative pronouns consist of two parts: an article and an adjective. Both parts change according to cases and numbers, just like the definite article and the weak declension adjective.

- Er trägt immer dieselbe Hose. (He always wears the same pants.)
- Das ist dasjenige Kleid wie bei meiner Schwester. (That is the same dress as my sister's.)
- Ich habe denselben Wunsch wie du. (I have the same wish as you.)

👉 Read more - https://deutsch.wtf/demonstrative-pronouns/

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📈 Describing Graphs and Charts in German 📈

Today, we're breaking down words and expressions for describing graphs:

📍Das Thema der Grafik ist … - The theme of the graph is …
📍Die Grafik gibt die Auskunft über … - The graph provides information about …
📍Die Daten stammen aus dem Jahr ... - The data is from the year ...
📍Die Angaben basieren auf einer repräsentativen Umfrage unter ..., die in der Zeit vom ... bis zum ... durchgeführt wurde. - The information is based on a representative survey among ..., which was conducted from ... to ...
📍Das Diagramm liefert Informationen über … - The diagram provides information about …
📍Aus der Statistik ist zu ersehen, dass ... - The statistics show that ...
📍Aus dem Diagramm geht hervor, dass ... - The diagram indicates that ...
📍Aus der Tabelle ergibt sich, dass ... - The table suggests that ...
📍Es fällt auf, dass ... - It is noticeable that ...
📍Aus der Grafik geht leider nicht hervor, wie ... - Unfortunately, the graph does not show how ...

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👉 How to choose the correct article

🤝 The Preposition “mit” in German

The preposition mit often denotes a means or method. This preposition always requires the dative case.

🌟 Some expressions with mit:
mit Anlauf – with a run-up
mit Ausdruck – with expression
mit Auszeichnung – with distinction
mit Freude – with joy
mit Mühe – with difficulty
mit Sachkenntnis – with expertise
mit äußerster Strenge – with utmost strictness
mit allem Komfort – with all comforts
mit einem Absatz – from a new paragraph
mit jmds. Einwilligung – with someone's consent

mit jmds. Erlaubnis – with someone's permission
mit einem Schlag – in one fell swoop
mit einem Schwung – with a swing
mit dem Verstand – with intellect
mit einem Wort – in a word
mit der Zeit – over time
mit Vergnügen – with pleasure
mit Verspätung – with delay
mit Vorbehalt – with reservations
mit allen Mitteln – by all means

👉 137 German Prepositions - master them all NOW

🙋‍♀️ See You Soon! Farewells for Every Occasion

Saying goodbye might just be an everyday formality, but it holds more meaning than we often think. It's not just a word but a wish, a hope to meet again. Here's how you can bid adieu in German, tailoring your farewell to the situation or the time you expect to see each other again.

- man sieht sich — see you around
- wir telefonieren — we'll call each other
- bis dann — until then
- bis bald — see you soon
- bis später — see you later
- bis gleich — see you in a bit
- bis zum nächsten Mal — until next time

For those times you're planning ahead:

- bis nächste Woche — see you next week
- bis morgen — see you tomorrow
- bis heute Abend — see you this evening

To leave someone with good wishes:

- mach's gut — take care
- ich wünsch' dir was — all the best
- schöne Grüße an deine Frau (an deinen Mann) — say hi to your wife (husband)
- schönen Tag noch — have a nice day
- schönen Abend — have a nice evening

And for those longer goodbyes:

- schönes Wochenende — have a nice weekend
- Alles Gute — all the best
- komm gut heim (komm gut nach Hause) — get home safely

For group farewells:

- kommt gut heim — everyone get home safely

And, of course, the classics:

- Tschüß! — Bye!
- Auf Wiedersehen! — Goodbye!
- Tschau/ciao! — Ciao! (particularly popular among the youth)
- Ich möchte mich verabschieden — I would like to say goodbye
- Schönen Tag noch! — Have a good day!
- Schönen Abend! — Have a good evening!
- Gute Nacht! — Good night!
- Mach's gut! — Take care!
- War schön dich zu sehen! — It was nice seeing you!
- Auf Wiederhören! — Goodbye! (used only in phone conversations)

Whether it's a brief encounter or a long-term departure, these phrases will help you say goodbye in a way that's just right for the moment.

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