German · A1 · Milestone
First Learning Milestone in German
Celebrate your first learning milestone by reviewing everyday German for school, reading, snacks and playtime.
What you'll learn
- Talk about familiar parts of your day together.
- Use words for my, your and our.
- Make a polite request and ask a simple question.
- Review colours, numbers and location words.
German phrases for first learning milestone
Guten Morgen! Wir gehen zu Fuß zur Schule.
Good morning! We walk to school.
Zu Fuß means 'on foot' and makes it clear that you are walking.
Du bist mein Lesepartner.
You are my reading partner.
For a girl or woman, say: Du bist meine Lesepartnerin.
Ich möchte einen Apfel.
I would like an apple.
Ich möchte is a polite way to say what you would like.
Du hast zwei Wackelzähne.
You have two loose teeth.
Wackelzähne is the everyday word for children's loose or wobbly teeth.
Meine Tasche ist hier; deine Tasche ist dort.
My bag is here; your bag is there.
Use meine and deine with the feminine noun Tasche.
Dein Bleistift ist grün.
Your pencil is green.
Grün means 'green'. It has no added ending here, after ist.
Kannst du dieses Wort lesen?
Can you read this word?
Kannst comes first in this question; lesen goes at the end.
Unser Spiel ist startklar.
Our game is ready.
Startklar means 'ready to start'—a cheerful choice for playtime.
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
die Schule
school
Zur Schule means 'to school'. Zur combines zu and der.
der Lesepartner / die Lesepartnerin
reading partner
Use Lesepartner for a boy or man and Lesepartnerin for a girl or woman.
der Apfel
apple
The plural is die Äpfel.
der Wackelzahn
loose tooth
The plural is die Wackelzähne. After zwei, use the plural.
die Tasche
bag
Learn the noun with its article, die.
der Bleistift
pencil
This means a regular pencil; a coloured pencil is der Buntstift.
das Wort
word
Dieses Wort means 'this word'.
das Spiel
game
Unser Spiel means 'our game'.
hier / dort
here / there
Practise by pointing to objects nearby and farther away.
Everyday verb forms
German verbs change to match the subject. Du is the informal 'you' for one person, including your child.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| We walk / go | wir gehen | Wir gehen zu Fuß zur Schule. |
| You are | du bist | Du bist mein Lesepartner. |
| You have | du hast | Du hast zwei Wackelzähne. |
| One thing is | singular noun + ist | Unser Spiel ist startklar. |
My, your and our
These words change their endings to match the noun. In the subject phrases below, masculine and neuter nouns use mein, dein or unser; feminine nouns add -e.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | dein Bleistift | Dein Bleistift ist grün. |
| Feminine | meine Tasche / deine Tasche | Meine Tasche ist hier; deine Tasche ist dort. |
| Neuter | unser Spiel | Unser Spiel ist startklar. |
A polite request
Use ich möchte for 'I would like'. The thing you would like is the direct object. With masculine Apfel, ein becomes einen.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I would like an apple | ich möchte + einen Apfel | Ich möchte einen Apfel. |
Asking with can
For a yes/no question with können ('can'), put kannst before du. Put the main verb in its base form at the end.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Can you …? | Kannst du + object + base verb? | Kannst du dieses Wort lesen? |
More examples
Guten Morgen! Deine Tasche ist hier.
Good morning! Your bag is here.
Combine a greeting with a helpful everyday statement.
Mein Bleistift ist grün.
My pencil is green.
Swap dein for mein to talk about your own pencil.
Kannst du lesen?
Can you read?
The same question pattern works without an object.