'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

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

Das Kind spielt

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The word "Kind" is a neuter noun. In German, "Kind" is "das Kind" in the nominative case, as it is the subject of the sentence. The correct sentence is "Das Kind spielt," which translates to "The child plays" in English.
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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

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "erinnern" to mean "to remember"?

Erinnern Sie sich an meinen Namen?

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The correct preposition to use with "erinnern" to convey the meaning of "to remember" is "an", making the expression "sich erinnern an". The sentence "Erinnern Sie sich an meinen Namen" means "Do you remember my name".
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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

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

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

Ich gebe dem Kind das Spielzeug.

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The sentence "Ich gebe _________ Kind das Spielzeug" uses the dative case to indicate that "Kind" is the indirect object of the verb "geben" (to give). The correct definite article for neuter nouns in the dative case is "dem," so the sentence reads "Ich gebe dem Kind das Spielzeug," translating to "I give the toy to the child" in English.
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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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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "warten" to mean "to wait for"?

Peter hat auf seine Freundin gewartet.

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The correct preposition to use with "warten" to convey the meaning of "to wait for" is "auf", making the expression "warten auf". The sentence "Peter hat auf seine Freundin gewartet" means "Peter waited for his girlfriend." The other prepositions cannot be used to express the act of waiting for someone. Did you know? Prepositions in German can change the case of the noun that follows them. In the case of "warten auf", the preposition "auf" requires the noun to be in the accusative case.
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Beginner

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

Du darfst das Fenster öffnen.

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The correct form for "dürfen" in the second person singular is "darfst". In German, the verb "dürfen" (to be allowed to, can) is conjugated differently depending on the subject. For the second person singular, such as when addressing someone directly with "you" in English, "dürfen" is conjugated as "darfst." This form applies in sentences like "Du darfst das machen" (You are allowed to do that). This conjugation is part of the pattern in German where most verbs change their endings based on the subject's person and number, ensuring that the verb agrees with its subject. Remembering these conjugation patterns is crucial for correctly constructing sentences in German.
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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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