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Chapter 8 of 17 · Explore the German path

Words · Chapter 8 of 17

The words a fable is made of

Sixteen naming words and six describing words furnish almost every scene in a first book. You also meet im and zum, two short pairs that German squeezes into one word.

≈ 4 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter
  • Sixteen naming words — the cast and the scenery — furnish nearly every scene in the first book.
  • Six describing words cover the rest; their endings are bookkeeping.
  • imim“in the” and zumtsoom“to the” are two words squeezed into one.
  • in den Waldin dayn valt is moving into it; im Waldim valt is already there.

Sixteen naming words a fable keeps using

These are the animals and places a first book puts on almost every page. Say each one aloud; you have met the sounds already.

der Hunddair hoont“the dog” · die Katzedee KAT-suh“the cat” · der Vogeldair FOH-gul“the bird”
der Fuchsdair fooks“the fox” · die Mausdee mowss“the mouse” · der Bärdair bair“the bear”
der Hasedair HAH-zuh“the rabbit” · der Wolfdair volf“the wolf”
der Walddair valt“the forest” · der Baumdair bowm“the tree” · das Hausdass howss“the house”
der Wegdair vayk“the path” · die Sonnedee ZON-uh“the sun” · der Winddair vint“the wind”
der Tagdair tahk“the day” · das Wasserdass VAS-uh“the water”

Six describing words

A describing word tells you what a thing is like. Six of them cover most of what a fable needs.

großgrohss“big” · kleinkline“small” · altalt“old”
gutgoot“good” · glücklichGLEWK-lich“happy” · traurigTROW-rich“sad”

They sit in front of the noun, exactly where English puts them.

The same word, different coats

Watch one describing word change shape as the words around it change. Its meaning stays the same every time.

großgrohss“big”
der große Baumdair GROH-suh bowm“the big tree” · ein großer Baumine GROH-suh bowm“a big tree”
The endings are bookkeeping — read past them to the naming word. After istist there is no ending: Der Bär ist groß.“The bear is big.”

Two words squeezed into one

German squashes some short pairs into a single word. Knowing the join saves you hunting for a word that is not there.

in demin daym
imim“in the”
zu demtsoo daym
zumtsoom“to the”
amam“at the” and vomfom“from the” work the same way.

Moving there, or already there

The same place word can mean going somewhere or being there already. The little word in front tells you which.

in den Waldin dayn valt“into the forest”
moving — the movement lands in the forest
The receiving-end dendayn again.
im Waldim valt“in the forest”
already inside — no movement
After inin or aufowf“on”, a demdaym means nobody is moving.

Read the phrase, then say where it puts you

  1. der alte Wolf

    Ignore the ending on the describing word.

    Show answer +
    der alte Wolfdair AL-tuh volf“the old wolf”
  2. in den Wald or im Wald — which is a movement?
    Show answer +
    in den Waldin dayn valt“into the forest” moves; im Waldim valt“in the forest” is standing still.
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