Basic possession and ability | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use Basic possession and ability to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ich habe das hier.

ikh HAH-buh dahs HEER. I have this one.

Ich habe es nicht.

ikh HAH-buh ess nikht. I do not have it.

Ich kann es machen.

ikh kahn ess MAH-khen. I can do it.

Ich kann es nicht machen.

ikh kahn ess nikht MAH-khen. I cannot do it.

Kannst du mir helfen?

kahnst doo meer HEL-fen? Can you help me?

Kannst du das machen?

kahnst doo dahs MAH-khen? Can you do this?

Word by Word

Ich Ich means “I” and is the person doing or having something in the dialogue. It is the subject in Ich habe das hier and Ich kann es machen. Use Ich at the start when talking about your own possession or ability.

habe In Ich habe das hier and Ich habe es nicht, habe expresses possession: “have.” It is the form of haben used with Ich. A useful reuse pattern is Ich habe followed by the thing you have.

das In Ich habe das hier, das points to the item being referred to, meaning “this” or “that item.” Its meaning is clarified by hier, which identifies the item as the one here. Use das hier when pointing out or selecting a nearby item.

hier Hier means “here” and helps identify which item is meant in Ich habe das hier. It adds a location or pointing meaning to das. Use hier when referring to something in the current place or at hand.

es Es means “it” and refers to the thing or task already understood in the conversation. In Ich habe es nicht, it is the thing that is not possessed; in Ich kann es machen, it is the thing that can be done. Use es for an understood item or task when its name does not need to be repeated.

nicht Nicht means “not” and makes the statement negative in Ich habe es nicht and Ich kann es nicht machen. Before the final action word in Ich kann es nicht machen, it shows that the action cannot be carried out. Use nicht to negate a possession or action.

kann In Ich kann es machen, kann expresses ability: “can” or “am able to.” It is the form of können used with Ich, and machen appears at the end of this verb phrase. Use Ich kann followed by an action to say that you are able to do it.

machen Machen means “do” in Ich kann es machen. Here it is the action word placed at the end after kann, while es identifies what is being done. Use the pattern kann es machen when saying that someone is able to do the understood task.

Kannst Kannst asks whether the person addressed is able to do something in Kannst du mir helfen? and Kannst du das machen? It is the du-form of können and comes first because these are questions. Use Kannst du followed by an action or request when asking one person whether they can do something.

du Du means “you” and identifies the one being asked in Kannst du mir helfen? and Kannst du das machen? It refers to one person addressed directly in the dialogue. Use Kannst du at the beginning of a question about that person’s ability.

mir Mir means “to me” in Kannst du mir helfen? and identifies the person who should receive help. It is the form of ich used for “to me” here, while helfen describes the help. Use Kannst du mir helfen? when directly asking someone for assistance.

helfen Helfen means “help” in Kannst du mir helfen? The form helfen appears at the end after Kannst du, and mir identifies the person receiving the help. Use Kannst du mir helfen? as a direct request for assistance.

Grammar Points

mir helfen

mir helfen

meer HEL-fen

to help me

German uses the dative form mir with helfen, rather than the accusative form mich.

nicht + Verb

nicht machen

nikht MAH-khen

not do; not make

nicht negates the verb or verb phrase and usually appears directly before the infinitive here.

German Vocabulary

das pron

dahs this

Kannst du das machen?

das hier phrase

dahs HEER this one

Ich habe das hier.

du pron

doo you

Kannst du mir helfen?

es pron

ess it

Ich habe es nicht.

habe verb

HAH-buh have

Ich habe das hier.

helfen verb

HEL-fen help

Kannst du mir helfen?

hier adv

HEER here

Ich habe das hier.

ich pron

ikh I

Ich habe das hier.

machen verb

MAH-khen do; make

Ich kann es machen.

mir pron

meer me

Kannst du mir helfen?

nicht adv

nikht not

Ich habe es nicht.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I have this one.

Show Answer

Ich habe das hier.

I do not have it.

Show Answer

Ich habe es nicht.

I can do it.

Show Answer

Ich kann es machen.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

here

Show Answer

hier

have

Show Answer

habe

do; make

Show Answer

machen

not

Show Answer

nicht