Senses and perceiving
Sinne und Wahrnehmung
- Describe taste, smell, sight, sound and touch
- Compare things
- The comparative
This lesson introduces German vocabulary and grammar for describing senses and perceptions. Students learn sensory-related verbs, adjectives, and the comparative form to compare sounds, tastes, textures, and colors in practical contexts. Essential phrases and dialogues help practice comparisons like "Das Kissen ist weicher als der Stuhl." and verb conjugations for 'riechen,' 'sehen,' and 'hören' accompany exercises to reinforce learning.
Vocabulary (18) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Assign the words to the categories "Senses and perception" and "Properties of objects" to better understand their meaning.
Sinne und Wahrnehmung
Eigenschaften von Gegenständen
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Sauer
Sour
2
Das Geräusch
The noise
3
Hart
Hard
4
Salzig
Salty
5
Laut
Loud
Übung 5: Conversation exercise
Anleitung:
- Describe the opposite in the pictures using comparatives (more than, as, less than). (Describe the opposite in the pictures using comparatives (more than, as, less than).)
- Ask the person sitting next to you, if they prefer sweet or salty food, sweet or bitter drinks,... (Ask the person sitting next to you, if they prefer sweet or salty food, sweet or bitter drinks,...)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Kaffee ist bitterer als Tee. Coffee is more bitter than tea. |
|
Ein Apfel ist härter als eine Banane. An apple is harder than a banana. |
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Blumen riechen besser als Socken. Flowers smell better than socks. |
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Salziges Essen schmeckt genauso gut wie süßes Essen. Salty food tastes as good as sweet food. |
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Bevorzugen Sie den Geruch von Kaffee oder Tee? Do you prefer the smell of coffee or tea? |
|
Ich bevorzuge den bitteren Geruch von Kaffee. I prefer the bitter smell of coffee. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Ich ___ den Duft der Blumen im Garten.
(I ___ the scent of the flowers in the garden.)2. Du ___, dass die Sonne heute heller als gestern ist.
(You ___ that the sun is brighter today than yesterday.)3. Er ___ das laute Geräusch von der Baustelle.
(He ___ the loud noise from the construction site.)4. Wir ___ die frische Luft nach dem Regen.
(We ___ the fresh air after the rain.)Exercise 8: A Walk in the Park
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Riechen - to smell
Präsens
- ich rieche
- du riechst
- er/sie/es riecht
- wir riechen
- ihr riecht
- sie/Sie riechen
Sehen - to see
Präsens
- ich sehe
- du siehst
- er/sie/es sieht
- wir sehen
- ihr seht
- sie/Sie sehen
Hören - to hear
Präsens
- ich höre
- du hörst
- er/sie/es hört
- wir hören
- ihr hört
- sie/Sie hören
Scheinen - to shine
Präsens
- ich scheine
- du scheinst
- er/sie/es scheint
- wir scheinen
- ihr scheint
- sie/Sie scheinen
Exercise 9: Der Komparativ
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The comparative
Show translation Show answerser, rer
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Sehen to see Share Copied!
prasens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| (ich) sehe | I see |
| (du) siehst | You see |
| (er/sie/es) sieht | he/she/it sees |
| (wir) sehen | we see |
| (ihr) seht | you see |
| (sie) sehen | they see |
Hören to hear Share Copied!
prasens
| German | English |
|---|---|
| ich höre | I hear |
| du hörst | you hear |
| er/sie/es hört | he/she/it hears |
| wir hören | we hear |
| ihr hört | you hear |
| sie hören | they hear |
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Understanding Senses and Perceiving in German
This lesson focuses on how to describe sensory perceptions and compare qualities of objects using basic German language structures. You will learn vocabulary related to the senses—such as hearing (hören), smelling (riechen), tasting (schmecken), and seeing (sehen)—as well as adjectives describing characteristics like soft (weich), dark (dunkel), bitter (bitter), and loud (laut).
Key Language Elements
- The comparative form is introduced, which is essential to compare objects and sensations. For example, Das Kissen ist weicher als der Stuhl. (The pillow is softer than the chair.) or Die Zitrone schmeckt saurer als die Orange. (The lemon tastes more sour than the orange.)
- Practical phrases and dialogues help you apply comparing fruit, clothing textures, and sounds in daily situations.
- Verb conjugations for sensory verbs like riechen (to smell), sehen (to see), and hören (to hear) are practiced through fill-in exercises and a short story to reinforce usage.
Learning Highlights
You will become comfortable discussing and comparing sensory experiences in German, learning not just vocabulary but also sentence structures for comparisons. This is foundational for effective communication about daily observations, preferences, and descriptions.
Differences Between German and English Sensory Description
German senses often correspond closely to English but sometimes differ in expression. For example, in German, you say Die Musik ist lauter als... to mean "The music is louder than..." where the adjective laut functions similarly to English. However, comparative endings differ (lauter vs. English "louder"). Also, the verbs hören, sehen, and riechen are used actively with the subject doing the sensing, similar to English but with distinct conjugations.
Useful phrases include:
– Wie schmeckt die Zitrone? (How does the lemon taste?)
– Der Apfel ist süßer als die Birne. (The apple is sweeter than the pear.)
– Ich höre das Geräusch vom Verkehr. (I hear the noise of the traffic.)
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