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'Um' Definition

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

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

Definition of 'Um' in English

Um - Around

preposition

The preposition 'um' is commonly used in German to indicate movement around a location or direction. It can be translated as 'around' in English in this context.

Related Words

Bezaubernd

German Challenges

Beginner

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

Das Haus des Kindes ist groß

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The genitive case is used for possession. The correct definite article for neuter nouns in the genitive case is "des." Thus, the sentence should be "Das Haus des Kindes ist groß", which translates to "The child's house is big" in English.
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Beginner

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

Ihr dürft nicht rauchen.

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The correct form for 'dürfen' in the third person plural for a negative statement is 'dürfen'. The full translation is "You (plural) may not smoke".
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Beginner

What is the correct form of the definite article "the" in the genitive case for the feminine noun "Mutter" (mother)?

Das Auto der freundlichen Dame ist blau.

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The correct form of the definite article for feminine nouns in the genitive case is "der". The sentence is indicating possession and thus, it needs to use the genitive case. The complete sentence is: "Das Auto der freundlichen Dame ist blau", which translates to "The friendly lady's car is blue"
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "hängen" in this sentence?

Die Schlüssel hängen am Kleiderhaken

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The correct preposition to use with "hängen" is "an", resulting in "hängen an". Therefore, "Die Schlüssel hängen am Kleiderhaken" means "The keys are hanging on the clothes hook". Note that "an dem" gets shortened to "am".
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Beginner

Which coordinating conjunction fits best in this sentence?

Er spricht nicht nur Deutsch, sondern auch Französisch.

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The coordinating conjunction that is used to show a contrasting idea or correction is 'sondern', which means 'but/on the contrary'. 'Sondern' is used specifically after a negation to introduce an alternative or a contrasting statement, implying a correction or refinement of what was negated. It's similar to "but rather" or "but instead" in English.
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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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Beginner

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

Ich kann Deutsch sprechen.

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The correct form for "können" in the first person singular is "kann".
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Intermediate

Which preposition correctly pairs with the verb "kaufen" to mean "to buy for"?

Ich kaufe ein Geschenk für meine Freundin

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The correct preposition to use with "kaufen" to convey the meaning of "to buy for" is "für", making the expression "kaufen für". The sentence "Ich kaufe ein Geschenk für meine Freundin" means "I am buying a gift for my girlfriend." The other prepositions cannot be used to express the act of buying something for someone. Remember: In German, prepositions can change the case of the noun that follows them. In the case of "kaufen für", the preposition "für" requires the noun to be in the accusative case.
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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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Intermediate

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

Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren.

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When using the verb 'fahren' in the German past tense, 'sein' is the correct auxiliary verb to indicate movement or travel, such as in 'Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren' which means 'I traveled to Berlin'. The choice of 'sein' over 'haben' is pivotal in such contexts because 'fahren' is an intransitive verb that implies a change of location, a state where 'sein' is appropriate to express the action. However, in the sentence 'Ich habe das Auto gefahren' ('I have driven the car'), it uses 'haben' because it emphasizes the action of driving a specific object – the car. Understanding the nuances of 'haben' and 'sein' helps in accurately conveying past actions and is essential for fluency in German.
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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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