German Translation Exam Challenges – Translating the Basic German Sentence Pattern and Variations

 

 

Do you have to learn to translate from German into English in a hurry? Maybe your academic career depends on it. Some programs require that you pass a German translation exam. To get a head start, read on for some tips on how the German basic sentence pattern works.

When you approach a German sentence, it's easy to assume that you can just translate from left to right. It seems the logical thing to do -- but unfortunately it often gets you into hot water, especially when it happens during a German translation exam. To get around that problem, it helps to know how a basic German sentence is put together.

The Basic German Sentence Pattern:

Here's the basic pattern of a German sentence:

____ V(infl) (____) (____) (____) (...) (V(rest))

Let me explain:

We have here slot 1 before V(infl), several optional slots after V(infl), and then V(rest), which is also optional.

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Here's how it works:

In a very basic sentence, slot 1 is occupied by the subject of the sentence.

V(infl) means the inflected part of the verb. Which means, the part that changes endings depending on what the subject is. V(rest)) means the rest of the verb. This is actually optional. Not every verb has a "rest." Many verbs just have the inflected part. So a simple sentence could be as follows:

"Die Katze schnurrt." "The cat purrs/is purring"

However, if there's more to the verb, as in "hat geschnurrt," then "hat" is the part of the verb that changes based on what the subject is, and "geschnurrt" is the rest of the verb.

Where is the subject?

Most German sentences don't actually have the subject at the beginning of the sentence. That first slot can be occupied by just about any other part of the sentence.

If a part other than the subject is in that slot, the subject will always move to the slot right behind V(infl). So that's where you can find it when you are translating a sentence and are wondering where the subject could possibly be.

So what else can be in that slot?

Let me count the possibilities for you:

1) Subject

2) Direct Object

3) Indirect Object

4) Prepositional Phrase (generally with adverbial function)

5) Adverbs

6) Whole Adverbial Clauses

7) Parts of Vrest

That's right. Practically anything is game for that slot. That position basically highlights that information -- or rather, "topicalizes" it. This means it indicates that this is known information that the rest of the sentence will elaborate on.

For example:

"Den Hund hat the Katze angefaucht." "It was the dog that the cat hissed at"or... "The cat hissed at the dog."

You can tell that the dog is the object because of the article "den."

Knowing how the sentence pattern works, along with paying attention to the verb and knowing cases and gender, really helps identify what's what in the sentence during a German translation exam.

What if there is ambiguity?

In case you wondered, there are very few trick sentences. If there would be ambiguity between the subject and the object, you can usually count on them being in the traditional place.

"Die Katze jagte die Maus unters Sofa." means "The cat chased the mouse under the sofa."

Sure, theoretically, it could also mean "The mouse chased the cat under the sofa." But how likely is that? Not very. Just go with the most normal meaning, and you'll be right 99% of the time. And for most German Translation Tests, that's plenty good enough.

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