Senses and perceiving

Introduction to Senses and Perceiving in German

This lesson focuses on expressing sensory experiences and comparing qualities using the comparative form in German. You will learn key vocabulary related to the senses and perceptions as well as adjectives describing object properties. The aim is to help you describe differences in taste, sound, texture, color, and more—essential skills for everyday conversations.

Key Vocabulary Categories

Senses and Perception

• das Geräusch – the noise/sound
• die Stille – silence
• hören – to hear
• riechen – to smell
• schmecken – to taste
• sehen – to see

Object Properties

• bitter – bitter
• dunkel – dark
• hart – hard
• weich – soft

Understanding the Comparative Form

The comparative in German is used to compare two things, often describing how one is "more" or "less" of a quality than another. The typical structure is: adjective + -er + als (than).

Examples:

• Die Musik hier ist lauter als im Café nebenan. (The music here is louder than in the café next door.)
• Der Apfel schmeckt süßer als die Birne. (The apple tastes sweeter than the pear.)
• Das Kissen ist weicher als der Stuhl. (The pillow is softer than the chair.)

Practical Dialogues for Everyday Contexts

The lesson includes dialogues that help you use comparatives when talking about:

• Comparing fruit in a supermarket by taste and appearance
• Describing clothes by texture and color in a store
• Talking about music volume comparisons in an apartment setting

Example Dialogue Excerpt

Wie schmeckt die Zitrone? Die Zitrone ist saurer als die Orange.
This means: "How does the lemon taste? The lemon is more sour than the orange." Such simple comparisons help express preferences clearly.

Verb Conjugation Focus

Important sensory verbs like riechen (to smell), sehen (to see), and hören (to hear) are conjugated in the present tense and used actively.

• ich rieche, du riechst, er/sie/es riecht
• ich sehe, du siehst, er/sie/es sieht
• ich höre, du hörst, er/sie/es hört

Notes on Language Differences

While English uses «more» before adjectives to compare, German typically adds the suffix «-er» to the adjective and follows it with «als» (than). For example, English says "more sour," but German says "saurer als." Also, some sensory verbs in German are used more explicitly, such as riechen (to smell) and sehen (to see), reflecting direct experience.

Useful phrases include:

• "Das Geräusch ist lauter als..." (The noise is louder than...)
• "Das Kissen fühlt sich weicher an als..." (The pillow feels softer than...)
• "Die Musik hier ist leiser als..." (The music here is quieter than...)

This lesson will empower you to describe your environment, compare objects and experiences, and use sensory language naturally in German.