Asking About Homework | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: In a language classroom, one adult asks what homework to complete and when to bring the answers back..

EN → DE / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Asking About Homework to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Was soll ich als Hausaufgabe machen?

vahs zohl ikh ahls HOWS-owf-gah-buh MAKH-en What should I do for homework?
B

Beginne mit dieser Übung.

beh-GIN-uh mit DEE-zuh UE-boong Start by completing this exercise.
A

Welche Seite soll ich nehmen?

VEL-khuh ZY-tuh zohl ikh NAY-men Which page should I use?
B

Nimm die Seite mit den kurzen Fragen.

nim dee ZY-tuh mit dayn KOORT-sen FRAH-gen Use the page with the short questions.
A

Wann soll ich sie fertig machen?

vahn zohl ikh zee FER-tikh MAKH-en When should I finish it?
B

Mach sie vor dem Unterricht fertig.

makh zee fohr daym OON-ter-rikht FER-tikh Finish it before class.
A

Kannst du später meine Antworten ansehen?

kahnst doo SHPAY-ter MY-nuh AHNT-vort-en AHN-zay-en Can you look at my answers later?
B

Bring sie mir, wenn du fertig bist.

bring zee meer, ven doo FER-tikh bist Bring them to me after you finish.

Word by Word

Was “Was” asks what task the speaker should do in “Was soll ich als Hausaufgabe machen?”. It is useful for asking about an unknown thing or task, as in “Was soll ich ... machen?”.
soll “soll” expresses what the speaker is expected or supposed to do in “Was soll ich als Hausaufgabe machen?”. This form comes from “sollen” and is used here with “ich”; the pattern “Was soll ich ... machen?” is useful when asking for instructions.
ich “ich” means “I” and names the person who will do the homework in “Was soll ich als Hausaufgabe machen?”. It is used as the subject before the action, as in “ich ... machen”.
als “als” means “as” in “als Hausaufgabe” and presents the work as homework or as an assigned purpose. The pattern “als + noun” can describe what something is assigned or used as.
Hausaufgabe “Hausaufgabe” means “homework” in “Was soll ich als Hausaufgabe machen?”. In this classroom situation, it names the work to complete outside the lesson; “als Hausaufgabe” is a useful expression for work assigned as homework.
machen “machen” means “do” in “Hausaufgabe machen”, so the phrase means to do or complete homework. The reusable pattern is “etwas machen”, with the thing being done after the verb.
Beginne “Beginne” gives the direct instruction “start” in “Beginne mit dieser Übung.”. This form comes from “beginnen”; “Beginne mit ...” is useful when telling someone what to start with.
mit “mit” means “with” and introduces the starting point in “Beginne mit dieser Übung.”. The pattern “Beginne mit + noun” tells someone which task or item to start.
dieser “dieser” means “this” in “mit dieser Übung” and points to the particular exercise being discussed. The phrase “mit dieser Übung” is useful when directing someone to start with one specific exercise.
Übung “Übung” means “exercise” in “Beginne mit dieser Übung.”. It names the classroom task that should be started first; “mit dieser Übung” can be used when referring to a specific exercise.
Welche “Welche” means “which” in “Welche Seite soll ich nehmen?” and asks the listener to select one page. The pattern “Welche + noun?” is useful when choosing between known options.
Seite “Seite” means “page” in “Welche Seite soll ich nehmen?”. Here it is the page the learner needs to select; “die Seite mit ...” identifies a page by what it contains.
nehmen “nehmen” means “use” or “take” in “Welche Seite soll ich nehmen?”, with a page as the object to choose. The pattern “Welche ... soll ich nehmen?” is useful when asking which item to use.
Nimm “Nimm” gives the instruction “use” or “take” in “Nimm die Seite mit den kurzen Fragen.”. This form comes from “nehmen”; “Nimm die Seite ...” is useful when directing someone to a particular page.
die “die” means “the” in “die Seite” and introduces the specific page being recommended. In “Nimm die Seite mit den kurzen Fragen”, it helps identify which page to use.
kurzen “kurzen” means “short” in “den kurzen Fragen” and describes the questions on the page. This form comes from “kurz” and is used before “Fragen” in this expression; adjectives can describe a noun in the same position.
Fragen “Fragen” means “questions” in “die Seite mit den kurzen Fragen.”. It refers to the questions contained on the selected page; “mit den kurzen Fragen” identifies the page by its content.
Wann “Wann” means “when” in “Wann soll ich sie fertig machen?” and asks for the time or deadline for completing the work. The pattern “Wann soll ich ...?” is useful when asking when something is expected.
sie “sie” refers to the homework in “Wann soll ich sie fertig machen?” and to the answers in “Bring sie mir, wenn du fertig bist.”, so it means “it” in the first context and “them” in the second. Its meaning depends on the noun it refers back to.
fertig “fertig” means “finished” or “complete” in the construction “sie fertig machen”. Together, “sie fertig machen” means to finish the task; “etwas fertig machen” is a reusable pattern with the task as the object.
Mach “Mach” gives the instruction to finish the work in “Mach sie vor dem Unterricht fertig.”. This form comes from “machen”; the full pattern “Mach sie ... fertig” tells someone to complete it.
vor “vor” means “before” in “vor dem Unterricht” and sets the deadline before class. The expression “vor dem Unterricht” is useful when describing something that must happen before a lesson.
dem “dem” is the form of “the” used in the time expression “vor dem Unterricht”. It belongs with “Unterricht” and helps form the phrase meaning “before class”.
Unterricht “Unterricht” means “class” or “lesson” in “vor dem Unterricht.”. It provides the time reference for the homework deadline; “vor dem Unterricht” means before the class takes place.
Kannst “Kannst” means “can” or “are able to” in “Kannst du später meine Antworten ansehen?”. This form comes from “können” and is used here with “du”; “Kannst du ...?” is useful for asking whether someone can do something.
du “du” means “you” and names the person being asked in “Kannst du später meine Antworten ansehen?”. It is used for one person addressed directly, as in the pattern “Kannst du ...?”.
später “später” means “later” in “Kannst du später meine Antworten ansehen?” and places the review at a time after now. It can be used before the action to say that something will happen later.
meine “meine” means “my” in “meine Antworten” and shows that the answers belong to the speaker. This form comes from “mein”; the phrase “meine Antworten ansehen” is useful when asking someone to review one’s answers.
Antworten “Antworten” means “answers” in “meine Antworten ansehen.”. It refers to the learner’s responses to the exercise; “meine Antworten” is a reusable phrase for answers belonging to the speaker.
ansehen “ansehen” means “look at” or “review” in “meine Antworten ansehen”. It is the action the other person is asked to perform; the pattern “etwas ansehen” keeps the thing being reviewed after the verb.
Bring “Bring” gives the instruction “bring” in “Bring sie mir, wenn du fertig bist.”. This form comes from “bringen”; “Bring sie mir” is useful when telling someone to deliver something to you.
mir “mir” means “to me” in “Bring sie mir” and identifies the person who should receive the answers. The pattern “Bring ... mir” can be used when asking someone to bring an item to the speaker.
wenn “wenn” means “when” in “wenn du fertig bist” and introduces the time at which the answers should be brought. The expression “wenn du fertig bist” is useful for saying that one action should happen after someone finishes.
bist “bist” means “are” in “wenn du fertig bist”, describing the person addressed as finished. This form comes from “sein” and is used with “du”; in the pattern “du ... bist”, it appears at the end of this subordinate clause.

Grammar Points

Imperativ für du: Verbstamm (+ -e)

Beginne mit dieser Übung.

beh-GIN-uh mit DEE-zuh UE-boong

Start with this exercise.

German uses a special imperative form for a direct command to one person: beginne is the command form of beginnen.

mit + Dativ

mit dieser Übung

mit DEE-zuh UE-boong

with this exercise

The preposition mit always takes the dative case; dieser changes to dieser before the feminine noun Übung.

German Vocabulary

als prep
ahls as; for

als Hausaufgabe

beginnen verb
beh-GIN-en to begin; to start Beginne

Beginne mit dieser Übung.

dieser det
DEE-zuh this

dieser Übung

Hausaufgabe noun
HOWS-owf-gah-buh homework; homework assignment

als Hausaufgabe

ich pron
ikh I

Was soll ich als Hausaufgabe machen?

machen verb
MAKH-en to do; to make

Hausaufgabe machen

mit prep
mit with

mit dieser Übung

nehmen verb
NAY-men to take; to use Nimm

Nimm die Seite mit den kurzen Fragen.

Seite noun
ZY-tuh page

Welche Seite soll ich nehmen?

Übung noun
UE-boong exercise

mit dieser Übung

was pron
vahs what

Was soll ich als Hausaufgabe machen?

welche det
VEL-khuh which

Welche Seite soll ich nehmen?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

What should I do for homework?

Show AnswerWas soll ich als Hausaufgabe machen?

Start by completing this exercise.

Show AnswerBeginne mit dieser Übung.

Which page should I use?

Show AnswerWelche Seite soll ich nehmen?

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

this

Show Answerdieser

exercise

Show AnswerÜbung

to do; to make

Show Answermachen

homework; homework assignment

Show AnswerHausaufgabe