German learners&#x27; society

Is there a way to say "used to" in German? I used to go swimming, I used to watch Blackadder etc.

Or do you simply say "I did _____"?

Cheers

Reply 1747

wtid

Is there a way to say "used to" in German? I used to go swimming, I used to watch Blackadder etc.

Or do you simply say "I did _____"?

Cheers

You'd just stick in a "früher", because that implies you no longer do so. As in:
"Ich bin früher viel geschwommen" / "Ich habe früher immer Blackadder geschaut".

Reply 1748

Teccy

generalebriety

Ich requires a capital at the start of the sentence. (And, very rarely and not much outside philosophy books, when it's a noun - das Ich.) Not anywhere else.

so if i want to say "Ich.....(go jogging)........und ich... (go swimming) ...." (as in, 2 'ich'es in the same sentence) i don't need a capital for the second ich?

sorry if this question sounds really basic- i'm a complete beginner

Reply 1749

Teccy

so if i want to say "Ich.....(go jogging)........und ich... (go swimming) ...." (as in, 2 'ich'es in the same sentence) i don't need a capital for the second ich?

sorry if this question sounds really basic- i'm a complete beginner

The only words that take a capital letter in German are nouns (anything that takes an article) and proper nouns (names, etc).

Reply 1750

generalebriety

OP

16

^ What hobnob said. (So, in particular, no, 'ich' doesn't take a capital letter unless it's at the start of a sentence.)

Reply 1751

hobnob

The only words that take a capital letter in German are nouns (anything that takes an article) and proper nouns (names, etc).

and certain personal pronouns "Sie" and "Ihr" (or do those count as proper nouns? I don't even know the terminology of English grammar... :rolleyes:

)

Reply 1752

wtid

and certain personal pronouns "Sie" and "Ihr" (or do those count as proper nouns? I don't even know the terminology of English grammar... :rolleyes:

)

Ah, yes, indeed. Well done on remembering the one exception. :biggrin:

By the way, all forms of "du"/"ihr" (as in the plural of "du") as forms of address in letters used to be capitalised as well before the spelling reform.

Reply 1753

hobnob

Ah, yes, indeed. Well done on remembering the one exception. :biggrin:

Reply 1754

Ah, too bad, seems that I can't rep you for that at the moment. I will, though. :wink:

Reply 1755

generalebriety

OP

16

wtid

and certain personal pronouns "Sie" and "Ihr" (or do those count as proper nouns? I don't even know the terminology of English grammar... :rolleyes:

)

Well spotted. :biggrin:

Reply 1756

hobnob

Ah, too bad, seems that I can't rep you for that at the moment. I will, though. :wink:

Danke Elizabth :biggrin:

btw (how do you say that in German?) wie alt bist du? Heute ist meinen Geburtstag (accusative?) und ich muss Arbeiten, boah! Naja...

Reply 1757

wtid

Danke Elizabth :biggrin:

btw (how do you say that in German?) wie alt bist du? Heute ist mein Geburtstag (accusative?) und ich muss Arbeiten, boah! Naja...

No, it's "mein" - nominative. Geburtstag is the subject of the sentence ("heute" isn't a noun, so it can't be the subject, even though its position in the sentence makes it look as though it is). "Arbeiten" shouldn't be capitalised because it's a verb and, as you know, only nouns, proper nouns and Sie/Ihr take a capital letter. :wink:

Not sure what the "boah" is supposed to mean, though...

Edit: Oh, and in case it actually is your birthday today: Congratulations. :biggrin:

Reply 1758

hobnob

No, it's "mein" - nominative. Geburtstag is the subject of the sentence ("heute" isn't a noun, so it can't be the subject, even though its position in the sentence makes it look as though it is). "Arbeiten" shouldn't be capitalised because it's a verb and, as you know, only nouns, proper nouns and Sie/Ihr take a capital letter. :wink:

Not sure what the "boah" is supposed to mean, though...

Edit: Oh, and in case it actually is your birthday today: Congratulations. :biggrin:

Yeah I looked at the position of Heute. How can it not be a noun? :confused:

It's naming a point in time! So is heute never a noun or what?

As for arbeiten, yeah silly mistake. I wish I had more time, but when I'm at work I can't exactly spend lots of time checking back through my post...my boss may get a little annoyed at me doing no work :p:

And finally, yes, it is my birthday so thanks :biggrin:

And boah...well, I dunno, it's just like "pfff" but all Germans I know use it instead, I thought it was common.

(actually this is the "finally"..you didn't answer how old you are, unless you don't want to say :smile:

)

Reply 1759