'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

Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the personal pronoun 'ich' in the dative case.

Die Mutter kauft mir ein Geschenk

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The dative case of the personal pronoun 'ich' (I) is 'mir'. In the sentence "Die Mutter kauft mir ein Geschenk," 'mir' is used as the indirect object, receiving the action of the verb. Here, the verb 'kaufen' (to buy) requires an indirect object to indicate to whom the gift is bought. 'Ich' changes to 'mir' in the dative case to reflect its role as the recipient of the action in the sentence.
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Beginner

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

darf ich hier sitzen?

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The correct form for 'dürfen' in the first person singular for a question is 'darf'. The full translation is "May I sit here?.
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Intermediate

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the personal pronoun 'mein' in the genitive case.

Der Hund meines Nachbarn ist sehr freundlich

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The genitive case form of the possessive pronoun 'mein' (my) corresponding to a masculine or neuter noun is 'meines'. In the sentence 'Der Hund meines Nachbarn ist sehr freundlich', 'meines' is used to show possession, indicating that the neighbor is the owner of the dog. 'Mein' changes to 'meines' in the genitive case to express this possession.
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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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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "interessieren" to mean "to be interested in"?

Sie interessiert sich für Kunst.

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The correct preposition to use with "sich interessieren" to convey the meaning of "to be interested in" is "für", forming the phrase "sich interessieren für". The sentence "Sie interessiert sich für Kunst" translates to "She is interested in art." The other prepositions are not used to express the concept of being interested in something or someone.
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Intermediate

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

Er hat nur wenig Geld in seiner Tasche.

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In this context, 'wenig' is used as a pronoun that means 'little' in English. The word 'wenig' does not change based on declination in this context. When used with countable objects in a negative context, 'wenig' typically indicates a smaller than expected quantity. The other options are grammatically incorrect declinations of 'wenig' and do not fit in this particular sentence.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "träumen" to mean "to dream of"?

Sie träumt jede Nacht von ihrem Urlaub

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The correct preposition to use with "träumen" to convey the meaning of "to dream of" is "von", making the expression "träumen von". The sentence "Sie träumt jede Nacht von ihrem Urlaub" means "She dreams about her holiday every night".
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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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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "liegen" in this sentence?

Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch

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The correct preposition to use with "liegen" is "auf", making the expression "liegen auf". The sentence "Das Buch liegt auf dem Tisch" means "The book is on the table". Did you know? Prepositions in German can change the case of the noun that follows them. In the case of "liegen auf", the preposition "auf" requires the noun to be in the dative case.
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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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