'Helfen' Definition

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

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The word 'Helfen' is a German word that can mean various things in English, such as 'help' or 'to help'. Below are a few of the different meanings of the word 'Helfen', with examples sentences to help you understand how to use the word in context.

Definitions of 'Helfen' in English

Helfen - To help

verb

The verb 'helfen' means 'to help' in German. It is a commonly used verb to offer assistance or support.

💡 Silly memory trick! To remember 'helfen,' think of it as 'help' with an 'H' twist. The 'H' can stand for 'help' and 'helfen' in German.

Helfen - To help

verb

The verb 'helfen' means 'to help' in German. It is commonly used to express assisting someone or something in need.

Example Sentences:

  • Niklas beschließt, dem Wald zu helfen, und beginnt sein Abenteuer. - Niklas decides to help the forest and begins his adventure.

💡 Silly memory trick! To remember 'helfen,' think of 'helping' a friend 'helfen' with their 'helfen' homework. The repetition can make it easier to remember.

German Challenges

Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "glauben" to mean "to believe in"?

Viele Kinder glauben an den Weihnachtsmann

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The correct preposition to use with "glauben" to convey the meaning of "to believe in" is "an", making the expression "glauben an". The other prepositions cannot be used to express the act of believing in someone or something. The full sentence means "Many children believe in Father Christmas"
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Intermediate

What is the correct form of the indefinite article "a" in the genitive case for the feminine noun "Stadt" (city)?

Die Schönheit einer Stadt ist atemberaubend

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The correct indefinite article for feminine nouns in the genitive case is "einer." Thus, the sentence should be "Die Schönheit einer Stadt ist atemberaubend," which translates to "The beauty of a city is breathtaking" in English.
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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

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the possessive pronoun 'mein' in the dative case.

Ich schreibe meinem Onkel einen Brief

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The dative case form of the possessive pronoun 'mein' (my) when used with a masculine noun is 'meinem'. The definitive masculine noun 'Onkel' changes the possessive pronoun 'mein' to 'meinem' in the dative case to reflect its role as the recipient of the action in the sentence 'Ich schreibe meinem Onkel einen Brief', translating to 'I write a letter to my uncle' in English.
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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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Beginner

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

Ich helfe ihm immer, wenn er Hilfe braucht.

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The dative case form of the personal pronoun 'er' (he) is 'ihm'. In the sentence, 'ihm' is used as the indirect object, receiving the action of the verb. 'Er' changes to 'ihm' in the dative case to reflect its role as the recipient of the action in the 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?

Sie sind gestern sehr schnell gewachsen.

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'Wachsen' indicates a change of state (to grow) which typically requires 'sein' as the auxiliary verb in past tenses. Hence, 'Sie sind gestern sehr schnell gewachsen' (They grew very quickly yesterday) is the correct sentence. 'Haben' could be used with 'wachsen' in certain dialects or colloquial usage, but is generally considered less standard. Mastering the appropriate usage of 'haben' and 'sein' enhances the precision of expressing states and actions in the German language.
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Beginner

Which coordinating conjunction fits best in this sentence?

Ich möchte Milch kaufen, denn ich habe keine zu Hause.

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The coordinating conjunction 'denn' is used to provide a reason or explanation for the action or state described in the main clause. In this case, the desire to buy milk is explained by the fact that there is no milk at home. Note - 'weil' can also fill this role, but doesn't fit in this sentence grammatically as the verb would need to move to the end.
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Beginner

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the indefinite article "a/an" ("eine") in the dative case for a feminine noun.

Ich schenke einer Freundin eine Blume.

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The sentence indicates the indirect object in the dative case. We are giving a flower to a friend (female). The correct form of the indefinite article for feminine nouns in the dative case is "einer." Therefore, the sentence should be "Ich schenke einer Freundin eine Blume," which means "I give a flower to a friend (female)" in English.
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