Practice How to Describe Something in German

Expand your vocabulary with our core 2000 words e-book. It's free and packed with essential expressions that you'll use on a daily basis. Start building your vocabulary today. Click the link in the description below to download your free German e-book before it's gone. Do you know how to describe something in terms of its good and bad qualities in German? Welcome to the three-step German practice by GermanPod101.com. In this lesson, you'll practice describing things using common adjectives to talk about their good and bad qualities. Let's look at the main dialogue. Two people are having a conversation. Metz, dieser Tennisball wirkt hart. Ist der nicht zu fest? Metz, this tennis ball seems hard. Isn't it too firm? Nein, er ist weich und springt gut. No, it's soft and bounces well. Hart, fest, weich, gut. Klingt gut. Ist der teuer? Sounds good. Is it expensive? Ein bisschen, aber die Qualität ist sehr gut. A bit, but the quality is very good. Gut, teuer, gut. Let's review the key grammar point from this lesson. To describe something in German, use this simple structure. Noun or pronoun plus sein plus adjective. This pattern lets you talk about the qualities of a person or object, what it's like right now. For example, er ist weich. It is soft. Used for masculine nouns like dabei. Die Qualität ist sehr gut. The quality is very good. A feminine noun with an adjective phrase. The adjective always stays in its basic form after sein. It doesn't change for gender or number in the sentence pattern. This structure works with all kinds of descriptive words like hart, hard, weich, soft, teuer, expensive, fest, firm, gut, good, langsam, slow, sauber, clean, alt, old and more. Now, let's try using some of these and more adjectives to describe things in German. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? The rug is soft. The correct answer is weich because it means soft. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? The lamp is expensive. The correct answer is teuer because it means expensive. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? This book is good. The correct answer is gut because it means good. And scramble the words to make a sentence. Ready? This chair is sturdy. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? The elevator is slow. Der Aufzug ist langsam or schnell. The elevator is slow. Langsam is the correct answer because it means slow. Schnell means the opposite, fast. Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. Ready? The kitchen is clean. Sauber is the correct answer because it means clean. Schmutzig means the opposite, dirty. Let's translate some sentences into German. Translate the dog is old into German. Der Hund, the subject meaning the dog, a masculine noun, followed by ist, the third person singular form of sein, meaning is. Next, alt, meaning old. Alt is used here as an adjective meaning old. The dog is old. Translate the car is big into German. Das Auto, the subject meaning the car, a neuter noun, followed by ist, the third person singular form of sein, meaning is. Next, groß, meaning big. Groß is used here as an adjective meaning big. The car is big. Translate the pillow is hard into German. Das Kissen, the subject meaning the pillow, a neuter noun, followed by ist, the third person singular of sein, meaning is. Next, hart, meaning hard. Hart is used here as an adjective meaning hard. The pillow is hard. Listen to me as I speak. Which adjective is used in the sentences? Let's listen one more time. Did you hear weich? Weich means soft. We use weich to describe the texture or feel of the rug. How about? Let's listen one more time. Did you hear fest? Fest means firm or sturdy. We use fest to describe how stable or solid the chair is. Next, One more time. Did you hear sauber? Sauber means clean. We use sauber here to describe the condition of the kitchen. And One more time. Did you hear hart? Hart means hard. We use hart to describe how the pillow feels. Thank you for watching. Now you know how to describe something in terms of its good and bad qualities in German. And now you can move on to the next lesson in the pathway. Bis bald!