German · A1 · Family moment
Try It Yourself in German
Use simple German phrases to celebrate your child's growing independence and offer gentle support. The verb können means “can” or “to be able to.”
What you'll learn
- Talk about what you and your child can do.
- Ask simple questions with “Can you ...?”
- Use nicht to say what someone cannot do.
German phrases for try it yourself
Du kannst Fahrrad fahren.
You can ride your bike.
Fahrrad fahren is the natural German expression for riding a bike; you do not need to say “your.”
Kannst du Nudeln kochen?
Can you cook pasta?
Start with Kannst du to ask your child about an ability.
Ich kann dir helfen.
I can help you.
Helfen takes the dative form dir, meaning “you” here.
Du kannst deine Tasche packen.
You can pack your bag.
Deine Tasche means “your bag.” Use a warm tone to encourage your child.
Kannst du das allein machen?
Can you do this alone?
Allein means “alone” or “by yourself.”
Ich kann deinen Helm nicht finden.
I cannot find your helmet.
Kann ... nicht means “cannot.” Finden stays at the end.
Wir können heute nicht draußen spielen.
We cannot play outside today.
Use können with wir (“we”). Heute means “today.”
Du kannst ein Spiel aussuchen.
You can choose a game.
Aussuchen means “to choose” or “to pick out.” Here, kannst offers your child a choice.
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
das Fahrrad
bike; bicycle
Learn it in the phrase Fahrrad fahren (“to ride a bike”).
die Nudeln
pasta; noodles
This is a plural noun. Nudeln kochen means “to cook pasta.”
die Tasche
bag
Tasche is feminine, so “your bag” is deine Tasche.
der Helm
helmet
As the object of finden, “your helmet” becomes deinen Helm.
draußen
outside
Draußen spielen means “to play outside.”
das Spiel
game
Ein Spiel means “a game.”
Saying what someone can do
Können changes with the subject. In a simple statement, put the correct form after the subject and the action verb in its base form at the end. Use du when speaking to one child.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I can | ich kann | Ich kann dir helfen. |
| You can | du kannst | Du kannst deine Tasche packen. |
| We can | wir können | Wir können draußen spielen. |
Asking “Can you ...?”
For a yes/no question, put kannst first, then du. The action verb stays at the end.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Question pattern | Kannst du ... + base verb? | Kannst du Nudeln kochen? |
| Short positive answer | Ja, ich kann ... | Ja, ich kann das. |
Saying “cannot”
Use nicht to make the sentence negative. In these examples, nicht goes before the final action verb or before the activity phrase draußen spielen.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I cannot | ich kann ... nicht + base verb | Ich kann deinen Helm nicht finden. |
| We cannot | wir können ... nicht ... + base verb | Wir können heute nicht draußen spielen. |
More examples
Du kannst das!
You can do it!
A short, encouraging phrase. German does not need machen here.
Kann ich dir helfen?
Can I help you?
A gentle offer of support. Put kann first to make a question.
Wir können zusammen spielen.
We can play together.
Zusammen means “together.”