| Frequently Asked Questions about German |
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| die Marienkäfer |
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1. What do der, die and das mean?
Der, die and das are three forms of the English word "the." It is a marker for the students that the word is a noun. In German, all nouns begin with a capital letter.
2. Why are some words capitalized and others are not? Are they wrong if my child forgets?
Nouns in German are capitalized, regardless of the place in the sentence. Verbs and adjectives begin with a lowercase letter, unless they are the first word in the sentence. Capitalizatiobn is stressed in 4th grade. If your child forgets capitalization rules, the word is wrong.
3. What are those two dots over some letters?
The two dots are called Umlauts. They change the pronunciation of words and are only found over a, o, or u. If an Umlaut is not written on a word that requires one, it is considered wrong. |
