German Grammar Hub

Understand German Grammar Faster

Browse the grammar system by level and category, then open clear explanations with practical examples.

388 Total Rules
71 Chapters
6 CEFR level
Start Here Open Vocabulary Open Idioms & Phrases
Understand German Grammar Faster

New to German Grammar?

Start with the basics and build your foundation step by step.

Start Here
Active filters: CEFR level: A1
A1 Case System Verified

German Direct Objects: Who or What? (Akkusativ)

The Accusative case marks the direct object, but only masculine articles change their ending to -en.

  • • Used for the direct object (the receiver of the ac...
  • • Only masculine articles change: {der|m} becomes {d...
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Case System Verified

German Accusative Articles: a, an (einen, eine, ein)

In the Accusative case, only masculine articles change by adding an '-en' ending to mark the direct object.

  • • Only masculine 'ein' changes to 'einen' in the Acc...
  • • Feminine 'eine' and neuter 'ein' stay exactly the...
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Prepositions Verified

For You! German Accusative Preposition (für)

`für` is a strictly Accusative preposition used for recipients, time duration, price, and specific purposes.

  • • Always use Accusative case after `für`.
  • • Changes only affect masculine nouns (`der` to `den...
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Prepositions Verified

German Preposition: 'Through' (durch + Accusative)

Always use the accusative case after `durch` to describe moving through a space or using a medium.

  • • Always uses the accusative case for the following...
  • • Means 'through' in a physical, digital, or causal...
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Prepositions Verified

Without (ohne): The Accusative Preposition

Always pair `ohne` with the Accusative case to describe things that are missing or excluded.

  • • Always use the Accusative case after 'ohne'.
  • • Masculine articles change from 'der' to 'den'.
11 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Prepositions Verified

Using 'gegen': Against & Around (gegen)

Always follow `gegen` with the Accusative case to express opposition, physical contact, or approximate time.

  • • Always use the Accusative case after the prepositi...
  • • Means 'against' for physical contact, opposition,...
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Conjunctions & Connectors Verified

Connecting Ideas: 'And' (und)

Use `und` as 'Position Zero' glue to connect ideas simply without changing your verb placement.

  • • Connects words, phrases, or full sentences without...
  • • Occupies 'Position Zero', so the verb remains in i...
11 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Conjunctions & Connectors Verified

Choosing Alternatives: 'oder' (Or)

Use `oder` to connect alternatives without changing the sentence's basic word order.

  • • Used to offer choices between words or full senten...
  • • Translates directly to 'or' in English.
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Conjunctions & Connectors Verified

The Word for 'But': Using 'aber' in German

Use `aber` to connect contrasting ideas while keeping normal word order and always adding a comma before it.

  • • Connects two main clauses with a contrast.
  • • Always preceded by a comma in German.
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Verb Moods Verified

German Modal Verb: können (can/be able to)

Use conjugated 'können' in position 2 and keep the main verb in the infinitive at the end.

  • • Können expresses ability, possibility, or informal...
  • • The vowel changes from 'ö' to 'a' in singular form...
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Verb Moods Verified

German 'Must': Using the Verb 'müssen'

Use `müssen` for things you have no choice but to do, and always end your sentence with the action.

  • • Expresses strong necessity or obligation.
  • • Stem changes from 'ü' to 'u' in singular forms.
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Verb Moods Verified

Polite Wishes with 'möchten' (would like)

Always use `möchten` for polite requests and wishes to avoid sounding demanding or rude in German.

  • • Use `möchten` to say "would like" politely in any...
  • • The forms for `ich` and `er/sie/es` are identical:...
12 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Verb Moods Verified

The 'Modal Sandwich': Verb at the End

The conjugated modal verb sits in second position, while the main verb stays in the infinitive form at the very end of the sentence.

  • • Modal verb goes in Position 2.
  • • Main action verb goes to the end.
12 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Word Order Verified

German Negation: Putting 'nicht' at the End

To negate a whole action or verb in German, place `nicht` at the very end of the sentence.

  • • Place `nicht` at the end to negate the entire verb...
  • • It always follows the conjugated verb in position...
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Noun Gender Verified

Saying 'No' to Nouns: Negation with 'kein'

Use `kein` for 'no' or 'not a' when negating nouns; use `nicht` for verbs and adjectives.

  • • Use `kein` to negate nouns with indefinite article...
  • • It declines exactly like `ein`, just add a 'k' to...
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Noun Gender Verified

German Noun Genders: Der, Die, Das

Nouns have fixed genders determined by endings; learn the article as part of the word itself.

  • • German has three genders: Masculine (der), Feminin...
  • • Gender is about the word's ending and category, no...
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Noun Gender Verified

Foreign Plurals: Museums, Topics & Internships

Words ending in -um, -ma, or -us usually have irregular plurals like -en, -a, or -men instead of the standard -s.

  • • -um words often change to -en or -a
  • • -ma words usually change to -men
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule
A1 Pronouns Verified

Formal German: Using 'Sie' and Pronouns Correctly

Mastering formal anaphora makes your German sound professional, fluid, and respectful by correctly replacing nouns with gendered pronouns.

  • • Anaphora replaces nouns with pronouns to avoid rep...
  • • Always capitalize the formal 'Sie' and its forms l...
10 examples 8 exercises 8 FAQ
Read rule

Why Learn German Grammar?

Grammar is the foundation of language fluency. Without understanding grammar patterns, you can memorize vocabulary but struggle to form correct sentences. Here's why structured grammar study matters:

Build Accurate Sentences

Move beyond memorized phrases. Understand the rules so you can create original, correct sentences in any situation.

Pass Language Exams

Grammar is tested in every major language exam — IELTS, DELE, DELF, JLPT, HSK, TOPIK, and more. Our CEFR-aligned curriculum maps directly to exam requirements.

Understand Native Speakers

Knowing grammar helps you parse complex sentences, understand nuance, and follow conversations even when speakers use advanced constructions.

Progress Faster

Students who study grammar systematically reach fluency faster than those who rely on immersion alone. Structure accelerates learning.

How Our German Grammar Course Works

1

Choose Your Level

Start with your CEFR level — from A0 Zero Point to C2 Mastery. Not sure? Begin at A0 and progress at your own pace.

2

Study Structured Chapters

Each chapter covers a grammar topic with clear explanations, pattern tables, and real-world example sentences.

3

Practice with Exercises

Test your understanding with interactive exercises — fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice, sentence building, and translation practice.

4

Track & Progress

Your progress is saved automatically. Complete chapters, unlock new levels, and watch your grammar mastery grow.

Frequently Asked Questions About German Grammar

SubLearn covers 388 German grammar rules organized across 6 CEFR proficiency levels (from A1 to C2), spanning 71 structured chapters. Each rule includes clear explanations, real-world examples, and interactive practice exercises.

Our German grammar curriculum covers CEFR levels from A1 to C2. Each level is designed to match your current proficiency — beginners start with basic sentence patterns at A1, while advanced learners tackle nuanced structures at C1-C2.

Yes! All German grammar rules, explanations, and examples are completely free to access. You can browse the full curriculum, read detailed explanations, and practice with exercises at no cost.

Grammar is organized into 71 thematic chapters following the CEFR framework. Each chapter groups related rules together — for example, verb tenses, sentence structure, or particles — so you can learn related concepts in a logical sequence.

Yes! Create a free account to track which grammar rules you've studied, see your progress across all CEFR levels, and pick up exactly where you left off. Your learning progress syncs across devices.

Explore Grammar in Other Languages

Learning multiple languages? Check out our grammar guides for other languages:

Amharic Amharic Arabic Arabic Armenian Armenian Azerbaijani Azerbaijani Bengali Bengali Bulgarian Bulgarian Burmese Burmese Chinese Chinese Croatian Croatian Czech Czech Danish Danish Dutch Dutch English English Estonian Estonian Filipino Filipino Finnish Finnish French French Georgian Georgian Greek Greek Gujarati Gujarati Hindi Hindi Hungarian Hungarian Indonesian Indonesian Italian Italian Japanese Japanese Kannada Kannada Kazakh Kazakh Khmer Khmer Korean Korean Lao Lao Latvian Latvian Lithuanian Lithuanian Malay Malay Malayalam Malayalam Marathi Marathi Mongolian Mongolian Nepali Nepali Norwegian Norwegian Persian Persian Polish Polish Portuguese Portuguese Punjabi Punjabi Romanian Romanian Russian Russian Serbian Serbian Slovak Slovak Slovenian Slovenian Spanish Spanish Swahili Swahili Swedish Swedish Tamil Tamil Telugu Telugu Thai Thai Turkish Turkish Ukrainian Ukrainian Urdu Urdu Uzbek Uzbek Vietnamese Vietnamese