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'Etwas' Definition

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

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

Definition of 'Etwas' in English

Etwas - Something

pronoun

The pronoun 'etwas' is commonly used in German to refer to an unspecified or unknown thing. It can be translated as 'something' in English.

💡 Silly memory trick! To remember 'etwas,' think of it as 'a few things.' It represents an unknown or unspecified thing, so it could be thought of as a few possibilities or options.

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German Challenges

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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Beginner

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the genitive case for the neuter noun "Haus" (house)?

Die Farbe des Hauses ist rot.

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The correct definite article for neuter nouns in the genitive case is "des." Hence, the sentence should be "Die Farbe des Hauses ist rot," which means "The color of the house is red" in English.
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Beginner

Conjugate the modal verb "mögen" to fit the sentence

Du magst Schokoladeneis.

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In German, the verb "mögen" (to like) in the second person singular (informal) form is "magst." Therefore, the correct translation of "You like chocolate ice cream" into German is "Du magst Schokoladeneis."
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Intermediate

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

Das Kind hat das ganze Eis aufgegessen.

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The verb 'essen' (to eat) usually requires 'haben' to form the perfect tense, as it's a transitive verb which means it requires an object for the action. Hence, 'Das Kind hat das ganze Eis aufgegessen', which means 'The child ate all the ice cream', is the correct sentence. The usage of 'haben' is key to accurately presenting this action in the past tense.
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Beginner

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the dative case for a Feminine noun.

Ich helfe der Frau

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In German, the dative case form of the feminine article "die" is "der." For example, in the sentence "Ich helfe der Frau," which translates to "I help the woman" in English, the word "Frau" (woman) is in the dative case as the indirect object of the verb "helfen" (to help), so the article changes from "die" to "der."
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Intermediate

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

Was ist Ihr Lieblingsrestaurant, in dem Sie gegessen haben?

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For the verb 'essen' (to eat), 'haben' is the correct auxiliary verb in the past tense. So the appropriate sentence is 'Was ist Ihr Lieblingsrestaurant, in dem Sie gegessen haben?', which means 'What is your favorite restaurant in which you have eaten?'. In this case, 'essen' refers to an action involving a personal experience, thus 'haben' is used. This distinction is essential for conveying the intended action and for achieving fluency in German.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "kämpfen" to mean "to fight for"?

Er kämpft um seine Rechte.

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The correct preposition to use with "kämpfen" to convey the meaning of "to fight for" is "um", making the expression "kämpfen um". The sentence "Er kämpft um seine Rechte" means "He is fighting for his rights." The other prepositions are not suitable to express the act of fighting for something. An alternative that also works is "für" - "Er kämpft für seine Rechte".
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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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Advanced

Which is the correct form of the adjective 'geheimnisvoll' in the dative masculine case?

Er lebt in einem kleinen Dorf neben einem großen, geheimnisvollen Wald.

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'Geheimnisvollen' is the correct adjective declination in this case. It is used in the masculine dative singular form of the adjective 'geheimnisvoll', which translates to 'mysterious' in English. The adjective is modified to express the gender, number, and case of the noun it is describing, in this case, 'Wald' (forest). Using other form are incorrect in this context.
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb 'sprechen' to mean 'to talk about'?

Sie spricht immer von ihrem Bruder

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The correct preposition to use with 'sprechen' to convey the meaning of 'to talk about' is 'von'. The phrase formed is 'sprechen von'. The sentence 'Sie spricht immer von ihrem Bruder' translates to 'She always talks about her brother.' The other prepositions cannot be used to express the concept of talking about something. Note that 'sprechen von' requires the dative case.
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German Topics

Prepositional Verbs Accusative Prepositions Modal Verbs Cases Summary Accusative Case Dative Case Genitive Case Auxiliary Verbs Personal Pronouns Cases Dative Prepositions Coordinating Conjunctions Subordinating Conjunctions

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