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'Ist' Definition

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

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

Definition of 'Ist' in English

Sein - To be

verb

The verb 'ist' is a conjugated form of 'sein,' which means 'to be' in German. It is used to indicate a state of being, existence, or identification.

Example Sentences:

  • Es ist Sommer. - It is summer.

💡 Silly memory trick! Think of the phrase 'Ist it' as 'Is it.' This can help you remember that 'ist' means 'is' in English.

Related Words

Ist Es Gestern

German Challenges

Intermediate

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

Meine Schwester ist zum Supermarkt gegangen.

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'Gehen' indicates movement, so 'sein' is often used as the auxiliary verb in its past tense. Therefore, 'Meine Schwester ist zum Supermarkt gegangen' ('My sister went to the supermarket') is the appropriate sentence. While 'haben' is used with most past tense verbs in German, 'sein' is used with certain intransitive verbs that indicate a change of location or state, like 'gehen'. It's these nuances that can help make your German more fluent and accurate.
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Intermediate

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

Ich warte auf den Bus

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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 "Ich warte auf den Bus" means "I am waiting for the bus." The other prepositions cannot be used to express the act of waiting for something or 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

Which form of the verb 'fühlen' correctly completes the sentence?

Ich gehe heute nicht zur Arbeit, weil ich mich nicht gut fühle.

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'Fühle' is the correct first-person singular form of the verb 'fühlen', which translates to 'feel' in English. In the context of this sentence, 'fühle' is used to express how the speaker is feeling physically. The other options are other forms of 'fühlen', but they are not correct in this context. 'Fühlt' is third-person singular, 'gefühlt' is the past participle used for perfect tense, and 'fühlte' is simple past tense.
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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 "schreiben" to mean "to write to"?

Sie schreibt einen Brief an ihren Freund.

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The correct preposition to use with "schreiben" to convey the meaning of "to write to" is "an", forming the phrase "schreiben an". The sentence "Sie schreibt einen Brief an ihren Freund" translates to "She is writing a letter to her friend." The other prepositions are not used to express the act of writing to someone.
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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

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

Er mag Wienerschitzel, es ist sein Lieblingsessen.

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The correct form for 'mögen' in the third person singular is 'mag'. For the sentence "Er mag Wienerschitzel, es ist sein Lieblingsessen.", the full translation is "He likes Wienerschitzel, it's his favourite food."
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "suchen" to mean "to search for"?

Ich suche nach meinen Schlüsseln

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The correct preposition to use with "suchen" to convey the meaning of "to search for" is "nach", creating the expression "suchen nach". So, the sentence "Ich suche nach meinem Schlüsseln" means "I am searching for my keys". The other prepositions cannot be used to express the act of searching for someone or something. Fun Fact: 'Suchen nach' requires the dative case.
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Beginner

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

Ich habe dir bereits die Einladung gegeben

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The dative case form of the personal pronoun 'du' (you) is 'dir'. In the sentence, 'dir' is used as the indirect object, receiving the action of the verb. Here, the verb 'gegeben' ("given" - to give) requires an indirect object to indicate to whom the book is given. 'Du' changes to 'dir' in the dative case to reflect its role as the recipient of the action in the sentence.
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Beginner

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

Kannst du das Buch sehen?

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The word "Buch" is a neuter noun. In German, "Buch" remains "das Buch" even in the accusative case. Therefore, the correct sentence is "Kannst du das Buch sehen?" which translates to "Can you see the book?" in English.
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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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