German B2 grammar-specific translations

Das Passiv im Präteritum

Express completed actions in the passive.

Das Auto kann hier nicht repariert werden. – The car cannot be repaired here.

Das Passiv im Perfekt

Express completed actions in the passive.

The past tense form of the passive voice used for stories, narratives, or reports. It is formed by placing the simple past of the auxiliary verb werden ("wurde", "wurdest", "wurde", "wurden", etc.) in position 2 and the past participle of the actual main verb at the absolute end of the sentence (e.g., Das Gebäude wurde im Jahr 1920 gebaut).

Das Projekt ist trotz des geringen Budgets erfolgreich umgesetzt worden. – The project has been successfully implemented despite the low budget.

Präpositionen mit Genitiv

Use prepositions such as „wegen“, „trotz“ and „während“ correctly.

Pronouns and adverbs that express a total absence of people, things, or places, thereby completely negating the sentence. Key examples include: niemand (no one), nichts (nothing), nirgends or nirgendwo (nowhere), and nie or niemals (never).

Während des Films ist er einfach auf dem Sofa eingeschlafen. – He simply fell asleep on the sofa during the movie.

Relativsätze im Genitiv

Express possession and belonging in relative clauses.

Special prepositions used in formal German and written language that strictly demand the genitive case (2nd case). The most common examples include: wegen (reason: wegen des Wetters), trotz (concession/counter-reason: trotz der Kälte), während (duration), and innerhalb/außerhalb (location).

Das ist das Medikament, dessen Nebenwirkungen noch untersucht werden. – That is the medication whose side effects are still being investigated.

Das Zustandspassiv

Describe states using „sein + Partizip II“.

Subordinate clauses that describe a noun in more detail, where the relative pronoun stands in the genitive case to express possession or a fixed belonging. The forms are "dessen" for masculine/neuter and "deren" for feminine/plural (e.g., Das ist der Mann, dessen Auto gestohlen wurde).

Alle Fragen zu diesem Thema sind nun abschließend geklärt. – All questions on this topic have now been conclusively clarified.

Konjunktiv I: Indirekte Rede

Report what other people have said using the subjunctive I.

The statal passive does not focus on the ongoing process of an action, but rather on the finished result or condition remaining after an action has occurred. It is formed with the conjugated auxiliary verb "sein" in the present or past tense and the past participle of the main verb (e.g., Das Fenster ist geöffnet / Die Tür war geschlossen).

Der Projektmanager hat mir erklärt, die Verhandlungen seien auf einem guten Weg. – The project manager explained that the negotiations are on track.

Irreale Konditionalsätze in der Vergangenheit

Describe past situations that did not happen.

The formal grammatical form of indirect speech used almost exclusively in written media such as newspapers, news broadcasts, or scientific reports. It objectively distances the speaker from the content being reported (e.g., Er behauptet, er habe kein Geld erhalten).

Ich wäre gestern gekommen, wenn meine Exfreundin nicht da gewesen wäre. – I would have come yesterday if my ex-girlfriend hadn't been there.

Irreale Konditionalsätze mit Modalverben

Express past possibilities and conditions with modal verbs.

Conditional sentences (if-clauses) that refer to the past. Since the past is over, the condition has become impossible and entirely unrealistic. This structure is formed using the subjunctive II of haben/sein in the past tense ("hätte"/"wäre") + the past participle (e.g., Wenn ich gelernt hätte, hätte ich bestanden).

Wegen des Streiks hätten wir auf die Bahn umsteigen sollen. – Due to the strike, we should have switched to the train.

Irreale Vergleiche mit „als ob“

Express situations and comparisons that do not reflect reality.

Conditional sentences in the past that additionally contain a modal verb. This structure utilizes a unique feature at the end of the sentence: the so-called "double infinitive" consisting of the main verb and the modal verb, while the auxiliary verb "hätte" stands before them (e.g., Wenn ich das hätte machen müssen, wäre ich unglücklich gewesen).

Du redest mit mir, als ob ich ein kleines Kind wäre. – You talk to me as if I were a little child.

Funktionsverbgefüge

Use common noun-verb combinations correctly.

The reciprocal pronoun used to express a mutual relationship or a joint action between two or more people (meaning "each other" or "one another"). It can stand alone (Wir lieben einander) or be firmly combined with a preposition (Sie sprechen miteinander / Sie denken aneinander).

Wir sollten das Problem dringend in Angriff nehmen. – We should urgently tackle the problem.

„Indem“, „ohne zu“ & „ohne dass“

Express manner and the absence of actions.

Temporal subordinate conjunctions. "Sobald" expresses that a main clause begins the exact second the action of the subordinate clause is completed (Sobald ich ankomme, rufe ich dich an). "Solange" describes a simultaneity spanning the entire duration of two processes (Solange es regnet, bleiben wir drinnen).

Die Kinder haben im Garten gespielt, ohne dass die Eltern sie beaufsichtigt haben. – The children played in the garden without the parents supervising them.

Negationswörter

Use words such as „niemand“, „nichts“, „nirgendwo“ and „nie“.

Subordinate clauses for circumstances. "Indem" describes the exact method or means by which a goal is achieved (Man lernt eine Sprache, indem man sie viel spricht). "Ohne zu" (used when the subject is identical) and "ohne dass" (used when the subjects are different) describe the absence of an expected accompanying action.

Ich kann meine Brille nirgends finden. – I can't find my glasses anywhere.

„Ein­ander“ mit & ohne Präpositionen

Express reciprocal actions and relationships.

Subordinate clauses that describe a hypothetical, unreal situation contrasting with reality. They are introduced by the conjunction "als ob" (as if), and the verb stands at the end of the clause in the subjunctive II mood (e.g., Er tut so, als ob er alles wissen würde / Er spricht, als ob er der Chef wäre).

Sie schlafen schon seit Monaten miteinander. – They have been sleeping together for months already.

„Sobald“ & „solange“

Express temporal relationships between actions.

The past tense form of the passive voice used primarily in spoken language. It is formed with the present tense of sein ("ist", "sind", etc.) in position 2, the past participle of the main verb at the end, and the shortened word "worden" as the final element (e.g., Das Haus ist erfolgreich renoviert worden).

Sobald es dunkel wird, schließen wir alle Fenster. – As soon as it gets dark, we close all the windows.