'Rätsel' Definition

What is the meaning of the German word 'Rätsel'?

Home > German Language > What is the meaning of Rätsel?

The word 'Rätsel' is a German word that can mean 'Puzzle' in English. You can find example sentences below to help you understand how to use the word in context.

Definition of 'Rätsel' in English

Das Rätsel - The puzzle

noun , neuter

Related Words

Verschwundenen

German Challenges

Beginner

Conjugate the modal verb "sollen" to fit the sentence below. Important to note that we are using the third person plural or formal address here.

Sie sollen das Buch lesen.

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The correct form for 'sollen' in the third person singular or formal address is 'sollen'. The full translation of the sentence is "You should read the book" or "They should read the book". Fun fact - this sentence would also be correct with 'soll' if we were using the third person singular 'sie' to mean 'she'.
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Intermediate

Which word best completes the sentence to mean 'cabin'?

Im Wald gab es eine kleine Hütte, in der ein alter Mann lebte.

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In this sentence, 'Hütte' is the correct term to use in German to denote a 'cabin', 'hut', or 'cottage'. 'Hütt' doesn't exist in German, 'Hütten' would be the correct plural form, and 'Hüte' translates to 'hats', which doesn't make sense in this context.
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Beginner

Conjugate the modal verb "können" to fit the sentence below

Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.

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The correct form for "können" in the first person singular is "kann".
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Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the definite article "the" in the accusative case for a Masculine noun.

Sie trinkt den Tee.

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In the given sentence, "Sie trinkt den Tee," the word "Tee" is a masculine noun. In German, "Tee" is "der Tee" in the nominative case. In the accusative case, for masculine nouns, the definite article changes from "der" to "den." Therefore, the correct sentence is "Sie trinkt den Tee," which translates to "She drinks the tea" in English. Remembering these definite article changes in the accusative case is crucial for accurate sentence construction. Practice using the correct article forms for masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns to improve your German language skills.
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Intermediate

Which word best completes the sentence to mean 'capture' or 'record'?

Ich hoffe, einige wunderschöne Landschaftsbilder aufnehmen zu können.

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'Aufnehmen' is the correct German verb to use in this context, which translates to 'to capture' or 'to record' in English. Specifically, it's referring to capturing or recording landscape images, perhaps with a camera. The other options ('einnehmen', 'unternehmen', 'nehmen') are other verbs that do not fit in this context.
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Beginner

Which word correctly indicates the thing being searched for?

Er macht sich auf die Suche nach Bienen.

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'Nach' is a preposition in German and in this context, it is used to express the thing being searched for, translating to 'for' in English. Other prepositions like 'im' (in), 'bei' (at) or 'von' (from) would not convey the correct meaning in this specific context.
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Intermediate

Which auxiliary verb correctly completes the sentence to fit the context given?

Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren.

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When using the verb 'fahren' in the German past tense, 'sein' is the correct auxiliary verb to indicate movement or travel, such as in 'Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren' which means 'I traveled to Berlin'. The choice of 'sein' over 'haben' is pivotal in such contexts because 'fahren' is an intransitive verb that implies a change of location, a state where 'sein' is appropriate to express the action. However, in the sentence 'Ich habe das Auto gefahren' ('I have driven the car'), it uses 'haben' because it emphasizes the action of driving a specific object – the car. Understanding the nuances of 'haben' and 'sein' helps in accurately conveying past actions and is essential for fluency in German.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "erinnern" to mean "to remember"?

Erinnern Sie sich an meinen Namen?

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The correct preposition to use with "erinnern" to convey the meaning of "to remember" is "an", making the expression "sich erinnern an". The sentence "Erinnern Sie sich an meinen Namen" means "Do you remember my name".
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Intermediate

Which auxiliary verb correctly completes the sentence to fit the context given?

Ich habe einen Kuchen gebacken.

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'Backen' is a transitive action verb, hence it requires 'haben' to form the perfect past tense. So, the correct sentence is 'Ich habe einen Kuchen gebacken', which means 'I baked a cake'. 'Sein' is typically used with intransitive verbs which involve a change in state or movement, which is not the case with 'backen'. Understanding the differential usage of 'haben' and 'sein' is crucial to forming accurate sentences in German.
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Intermediate

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the possessive adjective 'sein' in the genitive case.

Die Katze seiner Schwester ist süß.

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The genitive case form of the possessive adjective 'sein' corresponding to a feminine noun is 'seiner'. In the sentence 'Die Katze seiner Schwester ist süß', 'seiner' is used to show possession, indicating that the sister is the owner of the cat. The noun 'Schwester' is feminine and singular; therefore, 'sein' takes the form 'seiner' to match the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.
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