german_sentence_builder

Übung
4·3
Example:
Change the following infinitives to imperatives that address people in general. The
information in parentheses tells where the action takes place. Add any necessary words.
aufmachen (at the border)
Gepäck aufmachen!
1. zurückbleiben (on the platform as a train arrives)
2. anfassen (a sign on a museum exhibit)
3. anstellen (an announcement about where to line up)
4. aussteigen (an announcement to get off the streetcar)
Imperatives with wir
Most commands are given to the second person pronoun you. But in both English and German
it is possible to include yourself in the command and thereby make it seem a bit more polite. In
fact, it sounds more like a suggestion than an imperative. In English, this is done by beginning a
verb phrase with let’s:
Let’s get something to eat.
Let’s leave soon.
The German version of this type of command is equally simple. The present tense conjugation
of a verb in the first person plural (wir) with the verb preceding the pronoun is all that is
required:
Essen wir im italienischen Restaurant!
Kaufen wir einen neuen Wagen!
Fahren wir jetzt ab!
verb 1 wir 1 complement 1 !
Gehen 1 wir 1 nach Hause 1 !
Let’s go home.
Let’s eat at an Italian restaurant.
Let’s buy a new car.
Let’s leave now.
A similar expression is formed by using the verb lassen (to let). It can include the speaker or
not, as we shall see below, but must conform, regardless, to the second person pronoun required
by the circumstances: informal or formal, singular or plural. Therefore, a distinction is made
among the du-, ihr-, and Sie-forms. First, let us look at the basic imperative, meaning let, not let’s
(i.e., not including the speaker). For example:
Lass ihn ausreden! (du)
Lasst die Kinder spielen! (ihr)
Lassen Sie sie warten! (Sie)
Let him finish speaking.
Let the children play.
Let them wait.
34 Practice Makes Perfect German Sentence Builder