Using paper in class | Learn German in English

About This Lesson

Use Using paper in class to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Ich habe vergessen, mein Notizbuch mitzubringen.

ikh HAH-buh fehr-GESS-un, mine noh-TEETS-bookh MIT-tsoo-BRING-un. I forgot to bring my notebook.

Du kannst dieses Papier benutzen.

doo KAHNST DEE-zuhs pah-PEER buh-NOOT-sun. You can use this paper.

Danke. Ich möchte die neuen Wörter schreiben.

DAHN-kuh. ikh MURKH-tuh dee NOY-un VUR-ter SHRY-bun. Thank you. I want to write the new words.

Gute Idee. Ich schreibe sie auch.

GOO-tuh ee-DAY. ikh SHRY-buh zee owkh. Good idea. I will write them too.

Können wir sie nach dem Unterricht prüfen?

KUR-nun veer zee nahkh daym OON-ter-rikht PROO-fun? Can we check them after class?

Wir können sie zusammen lesen.

veer KUR-nun zee tsoo-ZAH-mun LAY-zun. We can read them together.

Word by Word

Ich “Ich” means “I” here: the speaker is talking about themself. It commonly comes before the verb in a simple statement, as in “Ich habe vergessen”. Use it when describing your own action or situation.

habe “Habe” means “have” here and helps form the statement about forgetting in the past. It is the form used with “Ich” in “Ich habe vergessen”. A reusable pattern is “Ich habe ...”, followed by what you have done or experienced.

vergessen “Vergessen” means “forgotten” in “Ich habe vergessen, mein Notizbuch mitzubringen.” It is used with “haben” to describe the completed act of forgetting. A useful pattern is “Ich habe vergessen, ...”, followed by the action that was forgotten.

mein “Mein” means “my” here and shows that the notebook belongs to or is associated with the speaker. It appears directly before “Notizbuch” in “mein Notizbuch”. Use it before a thing you identify as yours.

Notizbuch “Notizbuch” means “notebook”, the item the speaker forgot to bring. In “mein Notizbuch”, it names the specific learning item. You can reuse it when talking about writing notes or bringing a notebook to class.

mitzubringen “Mitzubringen” means “to bring along” in “mein Notizbuch mitzubringen”. The form contains the idea of bringing something with you and follows “vergessen” in this sentence. A useful pattern is “vergessen, ... mitzubringen” when someone fails to bring a needed item.

Du “Du” means “you” here, addressing one person directly in the classroom. It is used at the beginning of “Du kannst dieses Papier benutzen”. Use it when speaking informally to one person.

kannst “Kannst” means “can” here and gives permission or presents an available option: “Du kannst dieses Papier benutzen.” It is used with “Du” and is followed by an action in the form “... kannst ... benutzen”. Use this pattern to tell someone what they are able or allowed to do.

dieses “Dieses” means “this” here and points to the particular paper being offered. It appears before “Papier” in “dieses Papier”. Use “dieses” before a specific nearby item when offering or identifying it.

Papier “Papier” means “paper”, the material the learner can use instead of a notebook. In “dieses Papier”, it refers to the particular paper available in the classroom. Use it when talking about writing on paper or using a sheet of paper.

benutzen “Benutzen” means “use” here in “dieses Papier benutzen”. It is the action that follows “kannst” in the sentence. A reusable pattern is “Du kannst ... benutzen” when telling someone they can use an object.

Danke “Danke” means “thank you” and expresses gratitude for the offered paper. It stands alone at the beginning of the reply. Use it to thank someone for help, an object, or an offer.

möchte “Möchte” means “would like” or “want to” here: the speaker expresses a wish to write the new words. It is followed by the action “die neuen Wörter schreiben”. A useful pattern is “Ich möchte ...”, followed by an action or thing the speaker wants.

die “Die” marks “the” in “die neuen Wörter”, referring to specific new words. It comes before the describing word and the noun. Use it when talking about particular things that are identifiable in the situation.

neuen “Neuen” means “new” here and describes the words recently encountered in class. In “die neuen Wörter”, it appears between “die” and “Wörter”. Use this word before a noun when identifying something as new in the situation.

Wörter “Wörter” means “words”, specifically the new vocabulary the speaker wants to write. It appears in “die neuen Wörter” and is later referred to by “sie”. Use it when talking about individual words or vocabulary items.

schreiben “Schreiben” means “write” here in “die neuen Wörter schreiben”. It follows “möchte” as the action the speaker wants to do. A useful pattern is “Ich möchte ... schreiben” when saying what you want to write.

Gute “Gute” contributes the meaning “good” in “Gute Idee”, an approving response to the suggestion. It comes directly before “Idee” in this short expression. Use “Gute Idee” when you agree that someone’s suggestion is sensible.

Idee “Idee” means “idea” in “Gute Idee”. The phrase expresses approval of the plan to write the words. Use it when discussing or approving a suggestion.

schreibe “Schreibe” means “write” here: the speaker says they will write the words as well. It is used with the subject “Ich”, which is understood in “Ich schreibe sie auch”. A useful pattern is “Ich schreibe ...” when stating that you write or will write something.

sie “Sie” means “them” here and refers back to “die neuen Wörter”. It is the thing being written and later read. Use it to refer back to several already-mentioned items instead of repeating the noun.

auch “Auch” means “too” or “also” here and adds that the second speaker will do the same thing. In “Ich schreibe sie auch”, it applies to the speaker’s writing. Use it to show that another person or action is included as well.

Können “Können” means “can” here and introduces a question about whether the two people are able to check the words. It comes first in “Können wir sie nach dem Unterricht prüfen?” because this is a question. A useful pattern is “Können wir ...?”, used to ask whether a shared action is possible.

wir “Wir” means “we” here and includes both people in the proposed activity. It follows “Können” in “Können wir sie ... prüfen?”. Use it when referring to yourself together with one or more other people.

nach “Nach” means “after” here and places the checking later than the class. It appears in the time expression “nach dem Unterricht”. A useful pattern is “nach dem ...” when saying that something happens after an event or period.

dem “Dem” means “the” in “nach dem Unterricht”, identifying the class that has finished. It appears after “nach” in this time expression. Reuse “nach dem ...” before an event or activity that happens earlier.

Unterricht “Unterricht” means “class” or “instruction” here, referring to the language lesson. In “nach dem Unterricht”, it identifies the time after the lesson. Use it when talking about attending, having, or finishing a class.

prüfen “Prüfen” means “check” here in “sie ... prüfen”. It is the shared action proposed after class and follows “Können wir”. A useful pattern is “Können wir ... prüfen?” when asking to check something together.

zusammen “Zusammen” means “together” here and shows that the two people will read as a group. It appears before “lesen” in “sie zusammen lesen”. Use it to describe an activity done with another person or group.

lesen “Lesen” means “read” here in “Wir können sie zusammen lesen”. It is the action the two people can do together with the words. A useful pattern is “Wir können ... lesen” when suggesting or describing a shared reading activity.

Grammar Points

vergessen, ... mitzubringen

Ich vergesse, mein Notizbuch mitzubringen.

ikh fehr-GESS-uh, mine noh-TEETS-bookh MIT-tsoo-BRING-un.

I forget to bring my notebook.

After vergessen, use zu with the second verb. In separable mitbringen, zu goes between the parts: mitzubringen.

German Vocabulary

benutzen verb

buh-NOOT-sun to use

Danke intj

DAHN-kuh thank you

dieses det

DEE-zuhs this

du pron

doo you

ich pron

ikh I

mein det

mine my

mitzubringen verb

MIT-tsoo-BRING-un to bring

neuen adj

NOY-un new

Notizbuch noun

noh-TEETS-bookh notebook

Papier noun

pah-PEER paper

vergessen verb

fehr-GESS-un to forget

Wörter noun

VUR-ter words

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I forgot to bring my notebook.

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Ich habe vergessen, mein Notizbuch mitzubringen.

You can use this paper.

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Du kannst dieses Papier benutzen.

Good idea. I will write them too.

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Gute Idee. Ich schreibe sie auch.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

paper

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Papier

notebook

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Notizbuch

this

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dieses

to forget

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vergessen