'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

Beginner

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

Er muss nach Hause gehen.

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The correct form for 'müssen' in the third person singular is 'muss'. For the sentence "Er muss nach Hause gehen", the full translation is "He has to (must) go home."
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Intermediate

Which word correctly indicates multiple entities?

Im Theater sehen sie einige seltsame Kreaturen auf der Bühne.

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'Kreaturen' is the correct plural form of the noun 'Kreatur', which means 'creature' in English. In the context of the sentence, the plural is needed to refer to multiple strange entities on the stage. The other options are incorrect; 'Kreatur' is singular and doesn't match the context of indicating multiple entities. 'Kreatüre' and 'Kreature' are simply not correct forms of the noun in German.
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Intermediate

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

Die Kinder haben im Park gespielt.

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In the case of 'spielen' which is an action verb, we typically use 'haben' as an auxiliary verb when forming the past tense. Thus, 'Die Kinder haben im Park gespielt' (The children played in the park) is the correct sentence. 'Sein' is usually used with verbs that depict movement or state change, which is not the case with 'spielen'. Understanding the appropriate usage of 'haben' and 'sein' forms a fundamental part mastering past tense in the German language.
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Beginner

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

Siehst du ihn da drüben?

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The accusative form of the personal pronoun 'er' (he) is 'ihn'. In the sentence "Siehst du ihn da drüben?" 'ihn' is used as the direct object, being the person seen (the one affected by the action of the verb). Here, the verb 'sehen' (to see) requires a direct object to complete its sense. 'Er' changes to 'ihn' in the accusative case to reflect this role.
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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

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

Könntest du mir bitte das Salz reichen?

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The dative case form of the personal pronoun 'ich' (you) is 'mir'. In the sentence "Könntest du mir bitte das Salz reichen?" ('Could you please me pass the salt?'), 'mir' is used as the indirect object, receiving the action of the verb. Here, the verb 'reichen' (to pass) requires an indirect object to indicate to whom the salt is passed. 'Ich' changes to 'mir' in the dative case to reflect this role.
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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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Beginner

Which coordinating conjunction fits best in this sentence?

Es regnet, aber wir werden trotzdem spazieren gehen

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The coordinating conjunction that is used to show contrast is 'aber', which means 'but'. In this example "aber" introduces a contrasting statement to "Es regnet," showing an intention to act despite the rain.
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Intermediate

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

Ich bin nach Hause gelaufen.

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'Laufen' is an action verb that indicates movement, thus it generally requires 'sein' as the auxiliary verb when forming the past tense. So, the correct sentence would be 'Ich bin nach Hause gelaufen', which means 'I ran home'. 'Haben' would generally be incorrect in this context. Understanding the appropriate application of 'haben' and 'sein' with different verbs is fundamental in constructing accurate sentences in the German language.
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Beginner

What is the right form of the definite article "the" in the genitive case for a Masculine noun?

Das Buch des Mannes ist sehr interessant.

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The appropriate definite article for masculine nouns in the genitive case is "des." Hence, the sentence should be "Das Buch des Mannes ist sehr interessant," which in English means "The man's book is very interesting."
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