'Ein' Definition

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

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

Definition of 'Ein' in English

Ein - A/an

article

The article 'ein' in German is equivalent to the English indefinite article 'a' or 'an', depending on the gender and declination of the following noun. It signals that the noun it precedes is singular and masculine or neuter.

Example Sentences:

  • Er hört ein Geräusch im Inneren der Villa. - He hears a noise inside the villa.

German Challenges

Intermediate

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

Er hat einen Brief geschrieben.

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For the verb 'schreiben' (to write), 'haben' is the correct auxiliary verb in the past tense, not 'sein'. So the correct sentence is 'Er hat einen Brief geschrieben' which means 'He has written a letter'. When you use 'schreiben', it is about an action that has been done, in this case, writing a letter, thus 'haben' is used. Understanding this distinction is crucial in conveying the intended action in the German language.
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Beginner

Which word is correctly declined in the nominative singular case?

Der Wald ist grün und voller Leben.

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In this specific context, 'Wald' is the correct noun as it is in nominative singular form. This case is used for the subject of a sentence. In this context, it means 'forest'. The other options 'Wälder' (plural), 'Walde' (singular in dated dative form), or 'Waldes' (genitive) do not fit into the sentence properly.
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Beginner

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the genitive case for a Neuter noun?

Wegen des Wetters bleiben wir zu Hause

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The phrase indicates possession, using the genitive case. The correct definite article for neuter nouns in the genitive case is "des." Hence, the sentence should be "Wegen des Wetters bleiben wir zu Hause," which means "Because of the weather, we are staying at home" in English.
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Intermediate

Which form of the noun 'Geist' best completes the sentence?

Ich bin nicht sicher, ob das ein Geist ist.

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'Geist' in this context is a German noun that translates to 'ghost' or 'spirit' in English. The other options, like 'Geistes' (genitive singular), 'Geiste' (dative singular), or 'Geisten' (dative plural), do not fit the grammatical structure of the sentence.
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Beginner

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

Kannst du das Buch sehen?

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The word "Buch" is a neuter noun. In German, "Buch" remains "das Buch" even in the accusative case. Therefore, the correct sentence is "Kannst du das Buch sehen?" which translates to "Can you see the book?" in English.
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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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Beginner

Which verb completes the sentence to mean 'wear'?

Sie trägt immer schöne Kleider.

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In the context of the sentence, the word 'trägt' is a German verb that means 'wears' in English. The subject 'sie' (she) and the context of clothes makes 'trägt' the only suitable choice among the given options since all the other options are not connected with the context.
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Beginner

Which form of the verb 'fühlen' correctly completes the sentence?

Ich gehe heute nicht zur Arbeit, weil ich mich nicht gut fühle.

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'Fühle' is the correct first-person singular form of the verb 'fühlen', which translates to 'feel' in English. In the context of this sentence, 'fühle' is used to express how the speaker is feeling physically. The other options are other forms of 'fühlen', but they are not correct in this context. 'Fühlt' is third-person singular, 'gefühlt' is the past participle used for perfect tense, and 'fühlte' is simple past tense.
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Intermediate

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

Die Katze hat den ganzen Tag geschlafen.

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Although 'schlafen' is an intransitive verb, it uses 'haben' as the helping verb in the perfect tense because it does not indicate a change of state or location. The correct sentence is 'Die Katze hat den ganzen Tag geschlafen', which means 'The cat slept the whole day'. Understanding this distinction is important for accurately expressing actions in German. Note that this is different to 'einschlafen' which means 'to fall asleep'. This uses 'sein' because it indicates a change of state.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "fahren" to mean "to drive through"?

Er fährt durch die Stadt.

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The correct preposition to use with "fahren" to convey the meaning of 'to drive through' is 'durch'. Therefore, the sentence 'Er fährt durch die Stadt' translates to 'He drives through the city'. The use of 'durch' is required to convey the action of moving through a location in German.
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