This topic covers essential German phrases, greetings, polite expressions, and sentence connectors used in Junior Cycle written tasks like emails, notes, and blogs. The examination tests your ability to choose the correct register, structure sentences with accurate word order, and apply German spelling and capitalisation rules.
Greetings, Openings, and Sign-offs
Choose an opening and ending that suit the reader and task. For a personal email, use Liebe Anna, and Viele Grüße.
| Purpose | Informal (friend or peer) | Formal (adult stranger / official) |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Lieber Lukas, (male) / Liebe Julia, (female) / Hallo, | Sehr geehrter Herr Meier, / Sehr geehrte Frau Weber, |
| First line | wie geht es dir? Danke für deine E-Mail. | vielen Dank für Ihre E-Mail. |
| Sign-off | Bis bald! / Viele Grüße / Dein Seán (male) / Deine Aoife (female) | Mit freundlichen Grüßen |
After a greeting ending in a comma, start the next line lower-case unless the word normally takes a capital, such as a noun or the formal pronoun Sie: Liebe Anna, danke für deinen Brief.
Polite Expressions, Requests, and Register
Choosing between informal du and formal Sie sets your register. Use du for friends, classmates, and family members. Use Sie for teachers, officials, and adult strangers; age alone does not determine whether to use Sie. Always capitalise Sie, Ihnen, and Ihr when writing formally.
- bitte: Means please in a request and you are welcome when responding to thanks.
- danke / vielen Dank / herzlichen Dank: Expresses gratitude ranging from thanks to many thanks.
- Entschuldigung: Use for excuse me or minor mishaps when getting someone's attention.
- Es tut mir leid: Expresses genuine regret or sympathy (I am sorry).
- Ich möchte... / Ich hätte gern(e)...: Polite phrases meaning I would like, which sound much better than blunt demands with ich will.
- Könnten Sie bitte... / Kannst du bitte...: Sets up a polite question (Could you please...).
Sentence Connectors and Word Order
Linking your sentences improves your writing flow and lifts your expression marks in extended tasks.
- Coordinating conjunctions (und, aber, oder, denn) join clauses without changing their usual word order, keeping the verb in position 2: Ich lerne Deutsch, denn es macht Spaß. You can also combine simple clauses easily: Ich mag Mathe, aber ich finde Deutsch interessanter.
- Subordinating conjunctions (weil, dass) kick the verb to the end. After weil or dass, place the conjugated verb last. This is the verb that changes with the person: Ich mag Sport, weil Fußball spannend ist.
- Inversion (V2 rule): If you start a sentence with a time phrase or an opinion, put the verb straight after it in second position: Meiner Meinung nach ist die Schule toll.
Introducing Yourself, Forms, and Everyday Words
Many exam tasks require sharing basic personal details about yourself in simple, accurate sentences:
- Ich heiße... (My name is...)
- Ich bin ... Jahre alt. (I am ... years old.)
- Ich wohne in... (I live in...)
- Ich habe einen Bruder / eine Schwester. (I have a brother / sister.)
Official forms ask for precise details, not full sentences. Be ready to fill in fields like Vorname: Aoife; Nachname: Murphy; Geburtsdatum: 14.05.2012; alongside Adresse / Anschrift (address) and Reiseziel (destination).
For school and everyday messages, remember key classroom nouns: der Kuli (pen), das Heft (copybook), das Buch (book), die Tafel (board), and die Vokabeln (vocabulary). Useful informal written phrases include Das macht Spaß (That is fun) and Schreib mir bald! (Write back soon!).
Key terms
- Register
- The style and formality of language chosen to suit the reader, switching between informal (du) and formal (Sie).
- Coordinating conjunction
- A linking word like und, aber, oder, or denn that connects two clauses without altering regular position 2 verb word order.
- Subordinating conjunction
- A connector like weil or dass that sends the conjugated verb to the very end of the subordinate clause.
- Inversion (V2 Rule)
- The rule where the conjugated verb stays in position 2 even when an element other than the subject begins the sentence.
- Noun Capitalisation
- The mandatory German spelling rule requiring every noun to start with a capital letter.
Check yourself
Which salutation opens an informal letter or email to a female friend named Sophie?
Liebe Sophie,
Where does the conjugated verb go in a sentence starting with 'Weil...'?
It is placed at the very end of the clause.
What information does the form heading 'Geburtsdatum' require?
Date of birth.
What word order rule applies when a sentence begins with 'Meiner Meinung nach...'?
Inversion applies; the conjugated verb must follow immediately in position 2.