Verbs - Valency Flashcards
Subject
Most German verbs require a subject, this is usually the agent carrying out the action
Eg die Studenten singen
The subject can also be a subordinate clause or infinitive clause. Here the verb takes the third person singular,
Eg dass du hier bist, freut mich
The subject can be understood in certain contexts as in English. In particular with ‘oder’ or ‘und’ where the subject does not need to be repeated.
Eg er kam herein und sah seine Frau
German is stricter in what noun can be a subject of the verb:
In diesem Hotel sind Hunden verboten (this hotel forbids dogs)
Because the hotel is not actually forbidding the dogs
Impersonal es
Many verbs are used impersonally with indefinite subject es:
Verbs referring to weather
Eg es regnet
Verbs used to refer an indefinite agent:
Eg natural phenomena (es brennt)
Eg verbs denoting noises (es klingelt)
Verbs denoting sensations and noises:
Eg es juckt mich (i itch)
Impersonal es can be used with sein/werden as ‘it’
Eg es ist spät
Es can also be used with personal dative and some adjectives expressing sensation
Eg es ist mir kalt
Impersonal passive and reflexive constructions
Es lebt sich gut in dieser Stadt (you can live well in the city)
Es ist vs es gibt
Es gibt is used existence in general
Eg es gibt Tage… (there are days when…)
Or used to point in a general way to permanent existence in a large area
Es gibt der alte Kirchen in unserer Stadt
Es ist/sind indicates presence of something at a particular time and place:
Es war eine Maus in der Küche
Es ist/sind can refer to permanent or temporary presence in a definite or limited place or temporary presence in a large area:
Es war noch ein kleines Café in der Berliner Straße
Note: es ist/sind sentences must indicate place.
Accusative object
Verbs taking the accusative object are called transitive verbs, the accusative object is usually called the direct object
Eg er hat sie besucht
The direct object can be a subordinate clause or an infinitive clause
Eg sie fragte mich, ob X
Eg ich hoffe dich bald Wiedersehen zu können
A few verbs take two accusative objects
Eg Kosten, lehren, abfragen/abhören (to test someone for), fragen and angehen
In German, there are fewer verbs that can be used transitively and intransitively so different or related verbs have to be used, or reflexive verbs
Eg er züchtet Blumen vs die Blumen wachsen im Garten
There are two types of reflexive verbs in German. True reflexive verbs are only ever used with reflexive pronouns. Other transitive verbs are used reflexively with accusative object appearing as a reflexive pronoun.
Eg if the agent is performing action on themselves
Eg ich habe meine Brüder gefragt vs ich habe mich gefragt
Otherwise the reflexive can be used with a subject that is not carrying out the action:
Eg Das erklärt sich leicht
Dative object
The dative object occurs in three main sentence patterns:
Subject + verb + dative object
Subject + verb + accusative object + dative object
Subject + verb + dative object * prepositional object
Many German verbs govern a dative object only
Eg ich danke dir
Many German verbs govern a dative and accusative especially verbs of giving/taking, acts of speaking
Prepositional objects
Many verbs are followed by an object introduced by a preposition. The preposition used is idiomatic and determined by the individual verb
