German · B1 · Everyday language
Creative Ways Forward in German
Use these phrases to encourage your child while making things, working with others and solving everyday problems. Practise adjective endings after dative prepositions, especially when there is no article.
What you'll learn
- Describe materials, tools and helpful conditions for everyday projects.
- Use strong adjective endings in the dative without an article: -em, -er and -en.
- Add the dative plural ending -n to nouns where required.
- Use mit, aus and in naturally in practical conversations.
German phrases for creative ways forward
Du kannst die Pinsel mit warmem Wasser auswaschen.
You can wash the brushes with warm water.
Mit takes the dative. Wasser is neuter, so warm becomes warmem without an article.
Du hast diese Meinungsverschiedenheit mit großer Geduld gemeistert.
You handled that disagreement with great patience.
Geduld is feminine, so use großer after mit. Eine Meinungsverschiedenheit meistern means to handle a disagreement successfully.
Wir können das Modell mit starkem Kleber reparieren.
We can repair the model with strong glue.
Kleber is masculine. Without an article, the dative adjective takes -em: mit starkem Kleber.
Du kannst aus altem Papier ein neues Notizbuch basteln.
You can make a new notebook from old paper.
Aus takes the dative and identifies the material. Papier is neuter, giving aus altem Papier.
Du kannst dein Schaubild mit bunten Stiften beschriften.
You can label your diagram with colourful pens.
In the dative plural, bunt becomes bunten and Stifte becomes Stiften.
Du kannst mit guten Freunden über das Problem sprechen.
You can talk about the problem with good friends.
Mit guten Freunden is dative plural: both the adjective and the noun need an ending. Über das Problem means about the problem.
Bei schlechtem Wetter kannst du drinnen üben.
In bad weather, you can practise indoors.
German uses bei for weather conditions. Bei takes the dative; Wetter is neuter, so use schlechtem.
Mit frischer Farbe sieht dein altes Regal viel heller aus.
With fresh paint, your old shelf looks much brighter.
Farbe is feminine, so use frischer after mit. Heller means brighter or lighter in colour.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
der Pinsel; die Pinsel
paintbrush; paintbrushes
The singular and plural forms are identical. Auswaschen means to wash something out thoroughly.
die Meinungsverschiedenheit
disagreement
Used when people have different opinions; it does not necessarily mean a heated argument.
die Geduld
patience
Usually used without an article in expressions such as mit großer Geduld.
der Kleber
glue
A common everyday word for glue used in craft projects.
das Papier
paper
Usually singular when referring to the material: aus altem Papier.
das Schaubild
diagram; explanatory chart
Beschriften means to add labels or writing to something.
der Stift; die Stifte
pen or pencil; pens or pencils
Stift is a general term. For felt-tip pens specifically, use Filzstifte.
die Farbe
paint; colour
In mit frischer Farbe, Farbe refers to paint.
Strong adjective endings in the dative
When an adjective comes before a noun with no article, it uses strong endings. In the dative, use -em for masculine and neuter nouns, -er for feminine nouns and -en for plural nouns.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | adjective + -em | mit starkem Kleber — with strong glue |
| Neuter | adjective + -em | aus altem Papier — from old paper |
| Feminine | adjective + -er | mit großer Geduld — with great patience |
| Plural | adjective + -en | mit bunten Stiften — with colourful pens |
Dative plural noun endings
Dative plural nouns usually add -n as well as taking an adjective ending. Do not add another -n if the plural already ends in -n or -en. Plurals ending in -s do not add -n.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Add -n | Stifte → Stiften; Freunde → Freunden | mit guten Freunden — with good friends |
| Already ends in -n | Scheren → Scheren | mit scharfen Scheren — with sharp scissors |
| Plural ends in -s | Fotos → Fotos | mit alten Fotos — with old photos |
Choosing the preposition
Mit, aus and bei always take the dative. Learn these useful combinations for describing tools, materials and conditions.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tools, materials or manner | mit + dative | mit warmem Wasser — with warm water |
| Material something is made from | aus + dative | aus altem Papier — from old paper |
| Weather conditions | bei + dative | bei schlechtem Wetter — in bad weather |
More examples
Wir können die Schachtel mit buntem Papier bekleben.
We can cover the box with colourful paper.
Papier is neuter, so the adjective takes -em after mit.
Mit guter Zusammenarbeit schaffen wir das.
With good teamwork, we can manage it.
Zusammenarbeit is feminine, giving mit guter Zusammenarbeit.
Du kannst aus alten Kartons eine Burg bauen.
You can build a castle from old cardboard boxes.
Alten has the dative plural ending -en. Kartons keeps its -s plural and does not add -n.