German Language Game - How German Works - Linking Nouns




Quick German Language Game
: Linking Nouns
Test yourself on how to create German compound words, using eight nouns to combine.

In his usual humorous way, Mark Twain said about German compound words: "These things are not words, they are alphabetical processions. ... They block a [new student's] way. He cannot crawl under it, or climb over it, or tunnel through it. So he resorts to a dictionary, but there's not help there." ("The Awful German Language")

Don't let him throw you. Knowing a couple of rules, and with a little practice, you can ace the basics of German compound words. 
Learn and practice 8 words and how they combine into new words:

  • der Apfel - the apple
  • der Saft - the juice
  • die Gäste - the guests
  • das Zimmer - the room
  • die Nacht - the night
  • das Leben - the life
  • das Boot - the boat
  • die Fahrt - the trip

Quick Tips for Linking Nouns:
1) When putting nouns together to form a new noun, it's the gender (der, die, das) of the LAST noun that tells you the gender of the new noun.
2) Some nouns require a connector (adding s, es, ens, or the plural form of the first noun).
3) Finally, pay attention to the whole sentence (i.e. does the noun function as a subject or an object of the sentence).

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Posted 16:27PM on August 06 2014 by Ulrike Rettig
Categories: German | Tags: German, German compound words, German online game, German quick language game, How german works, Linking nouns