Choosing an Online Course by Priorities | Learn German in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ich vergleiche Onlinekurse, und sie scheinen zu verschiedenen Lernstilen zu passen.

   I'm comparing online courses, and they seem to fit different learning styles.

   Ich

   I

   vergleiche

   compare

   Onlinekurse

   online courses

   sie

   they

   scheinen

   seem

   verschiedenen

   different

   Lernstilen

   learning styles

   zu … passen

   to fit

   More detail

   Ich means “I” here. It is the first-person singular pronoun in the subject position. Compare ich with wir (“we”) when the subject is plural. vergleiche is the present-tense first-person singular form of vergleichen (“to compare”): ich vergleiche. With a third-person plural subject, the form is sie vergleichen. Here, the speaker is comparing the courses. Onlinekurse means “online courses.” It is the plural of Onlinekurs; the compound combines Online with Kurs. German nouns are capitalized, and the plural form is Kurse. sie means “they” here and refers to the online courses identified by the fixed translation. It is a third-person plural subject pronoun. Singular sie can instead mean “she,” while singular es or er may be used for a singular noun according to that noun’s grammatical gender. scheinen is the present-tense third-person plural form of scheinen (“to seem”): sie scheinen. With a singular subject, the form is scheint. verschiedenen means “different” here. It is the inflected form of verschieden. The ending -en is required in this plural dative noun phrase after the preposition zu; the adjective itself does not carry the plural meaning alone. Lernstilen means “learning styles.” It is the dative plural of Lernstil: der Lernstil, die Lernstile, zu verschiedenen Lernstilen. The final -n is the regular dative-plural ending on this noun form. zu passen means “to fit.” Here the second zu is the infinitive marker and passen is the infinitive linked to scheinen. The earlier zu in zu verschiedenen Lernstilen is a preposition, not this infinitive marker. Example: Der Kurs scheint zu passen. — “The course seems to fit.” The two clauses are joined by und: Ich vergleiche Onlinekurse (“I’m comparing online courses”) + sie scheinen zu verschiedenen Lernstilen zu passen (“they seem to fit different learning styles”). Together, the utterance says that the speaker is comparing online courses and that the courses appear suitable for different learning styles. The present tense presents the comparison and the impression as current.

2. Was ist dir am wichtigsten: Feedback, Flexibilität oder Sprechpraxis?

   What matters most to you: feedback, flexibility, or speaking practice?

   Was

   what

   ist dir

   is ... to you

   am wichtigsten

   most important

   Feedback

   feedback

   Flexibilität

   flexibility

   Sprechpraxis

   speaking practice

   More detail

   Was means “what” and asks about a thing or choice. For a person, German uses wer instead. Here, Was is the subject of the question: it asks which option has the relevant quality. ist dir means “is ... to you.” ist is the third-person singular present form of sein (“to be”). dir is the informal singular dative form of du, meaning “to you” or “for you.” In this sentence, dir marks the person whose priorities are being considered. Together with the following adjective, the reusable pattern is Was ist dir wichtig? — “What is important to you?” am wichtigsten means “most important.” It is the superlative form of wichtig (“important”): wichtig → wichtiger (“more important”) → am wichtigsten (“most important”). This am form is used because the adjective stands independently rather than directly before a noun. Example: Dieser Punkt ist am wichtigsten. — “This point is the most important.” Feedback is a neuter loanword for comments or responses that help someone assess or improve something. In this sentence it appears without a visible ending. Example: Ich brauche Feedback zu meiner Aussprache. — “I need feedback on my pronunciation.” Flexibilität is a feminine noun meaning “flexibility,” the ability to adapt or allow variation. Its related adjective is flexibel (“flexible”), but the word in the utterance is the noun. Example: Flexibilität ist für mich wichtig. — “Flexibility is important to me.” Sprechpraxis is a compound noun meaning “speaking practice,” especially practice using spoken language. It is written as one word in German and is feminine: die Sprechpraxis. Example: Ich brauche mehr Sprechpraxis. — “I need more speaking practice.” The colon introduces three alternatives that fill the same role: Feedback, Flexibilität, or Sprechpraxis. Together, Was ist dir am wichtigsten: Feedback, Flexibilität oder Sprechpraxis? asks which of these options matters most to the person addressed: “What matters most to you: feedback, flexibility, or speaking practice?”

3. Ich brauche Feedback, aber mein Zeitplan ändert sich oft.

   I need feedback, but my schedule changes a lot.

   brauche

   need

   Feedback

   feedback

   aber

   but

   Zeitplan

   schedule

   ändert sich

   changes

   oft

   often

   More detail

   brauche is the first-person singular present form of brauchen, “to need.” The subject ich determines this form: ich brauche, while du brauchst means “you need.” Example: Ich brauche Hilfe. — “I need help.” Feedback is a noun meaning comments or responses that help someone assess or improve something. In German it is commonly used as a mass noun: Ich brauche Feedback. — “I need feedback.” The article and noun form can vary when the speaker refers to a specific instance, as in ein Feedback — “a piece of feedback.” aber connects two contrasting main clauses and means “but.” It does not remove the usual verb-second order in the clause after it: aber mein Zeitplan ändert sich oft has the finite verb ändert in the second position of that clause. Example: Ich habe Zeit, aber ich bin müde. — “I have time, but I am tired.” Zeitplan means “schedule” or “timetable.” It is a masculine compound noun: der Zeitplan; its plural is die Zeitpläne. In this sentence, mein Zeitplan is the subject, so the schedule is the thing that changes. Example: Mein Zeitplan ist heute voll. — “My schedule is full today.” ändert sich comes from sich ändern, “to change.” Here ändert is the third-person singular present form because its subject is mein Zeitplan; sich is the reflexive part of the verb. The phrase means that the schedule changes, not that someone explicitly changes it. Example: Der Termin ändert sich. — “The appointment changes.” oft is a frequency adverb meaning “often” or “frequently.” It modifies ändert sich and says that the changes happen repeatedly, without specifying how many. Example: Sie reist oft. — “She often travels.” Together, Ich brauche Feedback states the speaker’s need. aber introduces a contrast, and mein Zeitplan ändert sich oft says that the speaker’s schedule changes frequently. The complete meaning is: “I need feedback, but my schedule changes a lot.”

4. Dann könnte ein flexibler Kurs mit optionalen Live-Sitzungen am besten passen.

   Then a flexible course with optional live sessions may fit best.

   Dann

   then

   könnte

   could; may

   flexibler

   flexible

   Kurs

   course

   optionalen

   optional

   Live-Sitzungen

   live sessions

   am besten

   best

   passen

   fit

   More detail

   Dann means “then” here and links this suggestion to what has just been said. It can also place an event later in time, but that is not the main function in this sentence. Example: Dann beginnen wir. — “Then we’ll begin.” könnte is the third-person singular form of können in the Konjunktiv II. Here it expresses a possible or tentative assessment: the course may fit best, rather than stating that it definitely does. The modal verb is conjugated, while the lexical verb remains an infinitive later in the clause. Example: Das könnte helfen. — “That could help.” flexibler describes Kurs as adaptable. Its base form is flexibel; in flexibler Kurs, the adjective has the masculine nominative ending -er because Kurs is the subject after the indefinite article ein. Example: Ein flexibler Plan ist hilfreich. — “A flexible plan is helpful.” Kurs is a masculine noun meaning “course.” Its plural is Kurse. In this sentence, Kurs is the subject of könnte ... passen, so the course is the thing being evaluated as a possible fit. optionalen means “optional” and modifies Live-Sitzungen. Its base form is optional. The ending -en is required here because mit takes the dative and Sitzungen is plural: mit optionalen Live-Sitzungen. Example: mit optionalen Übungen — “with optional exercises.” Live-Sitzungen means “live sessions.” Sitzungen is the plural of Sitzung; the hyphenated modifier Live- specifies the type of sessions. The whole noun phrase is governed by mit, so it is in the plural dative, although the noun’s visible plural form does not change in this phrase. am besten is the superlative form used adverbially, meaning “best” or “in the best way.” The useful comparison chain is gut → besser → am besten (“good/well” → “better” → “best”). Example: Dieser Termin passt am besten. — “This time works best.” passen means “to fit” or, for a choice such as a course or schedule, “to suit/work.” Its base form is passen, and here it is an infinitive because könnte carries the tense and modality. The subject is ein flexibler Kurs, while am besten states how well it would suit the speaker’s needs. Example: Der Termin passt mir. — “The time works for me.” Together, Dann könnte introduces a tentative conclusion, ein flexibler Kurs mit optionalen Live-Sitzungen identifies the possible choice, and am besten passen says that this choice would suit the needs better than the alternatives. The complete meaning is: “Then a flexible course with optional live sessions may fit best.”

5. Ein Kurs hat sehr gute Bewertungen, aber er bietet nur sehr wenig Sprechpraxis.

   One course has strong reviews, but it has very little speaking practice.

   Kurs

   course

   hat

   has

   gute

   good; strong

   Bewertungen

   reviews

   er

   it

   bietet

   offers; provides

   nur sehr wenig

   only very little

   Sprechpraxis

   speaking practice

   More detail

   Kurs means “course” here. It is a masculine noun: der Kurs, plural die Kurse. In the sentence, Ein Kurs is the subject, meaning one course is being discussed; the indefinite article does not by itself state a numerical count beyond introducing an unspecified course. hat is the third-person singular present form of haben (“to have”): ich habe, du hast, er/sie/es hat, wir haben. Here it states that the course has or receives the reviews mentioned next. Example: Der Kurs hat gute Materialien. — “The course has good materials.” gute describes Bewertungen. Its base form is gut (“good”), and gute is the attributive form used here with the plural noun Bewertungen. sehr gute intensifies the adjective: “very good,” which the fixed translation conveys as “strong.” Example: Sie hat gute Ergebnisse. — “She has good results.” Bewertungen means “reviews” or “ratings” in this context. The singular is die Bewertung, and the plural is die Bewertungen. The noun is the object of hat, so the sentence says that the course has very good reviews, not merely that it is described as good. er is a third-person singular masculine pronoun. Here it refers back to Kurs, matching the fixed translation’s “it.” German pronouns must match the grammatical properties of their antecedent; this form is not chosen because the course is a person. bietet is the third-person singular present form of bieten (“to offer” or “to provide”): ich biete, du bietest, er/sie/es bietet. Example: Der Kurs bietet Übungen. — “The course offers exercises.” In this sentence, the course is the provider of the speaking practice. nur sehr wenig expresses a restricted amount: “only very little.” nur limits the amount, while wenig is used for a small amount of something treated as non-countable here. This does not assert a numeric quantity. Example: Wir haben nur wenig Zeit. — “We have very little time.” Sprechpraxis means “speaking practice.” It is a German compound noun, written as one word and treated as feminine: die Sprechpraxis. The first element relates to sprechen (“to speak”), while Praxis means practice in the relevant sense. Example: Ich brauche mehr Sprechpraxis. — “I need more speaking practice.” Together, Ein Kurs hat sehr gute Bewertungen says that one course has very good reviews. aber introduces a contrast, and er bietet nur sehr wenig Sprechpraxis says that this course provides only a small amount of speaking practice. The complete meaning is: “One course has strong reviews, but it has very little speaking practice.”

6. Wenn Sprechen dein Ziel ist, spielt diese Lücke eine Rolle.

   If speaking is your goal, that gap matters.

   Sprechen

   speaking

   dein Ziel

   your goal

   diese Lücke

   this gap

   spielt … eine Rolle

   matters

   More detail

   Sprechen is a capitalized infinitive used as a noun: “speaking.” German nominalized infinitives are neuter, so this form is treated grammatically like a neuter noun. Compare sprechen “to speak” as the ordinary infinitive: Sprechen ist wichtig. — “Speaking is important.” dein Ziel means “your goal.” dein is the possessive determiner corresponding to “your,” and Ziel is a neuter singular noun. In this clause, Sprechen and dein Ziel are linked by sein (“to be”): the sentence presents speaking as the goal, rather than describing an action directed at the goal. diese Lücke means “this gap.” diese is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative determiner because Lücke is feminine; the phrase is singular and refers to a specific gap in the relevant context. The demonstrative marks it as identifiable or salient, but the fixed sentence does not define the gap more precisely. spielt ... eine Rolle is the reusable German construction “plays a role,” commonly meaning “matters” or “is relevant.” The verb is the third-person singular form spielt of spielen; eine Rolle is the accusative noun phrase. In the fixed sentence, the construction is not about literally performing a role. Example: Der Preis spielt eine Rolle. — “The price matters.” The subordinate clause Wenn Sprechen dein Ziel ist means “If speaking is your goal.” wenn introduces the condition, and German places the finite verb ist at the end of this subordinate clause. The main clause is spielt diese Lücke eine Rolle: because the conditional clause comes first, the finite verb spielt comes before the subject diese Lücke in the main clause. Together, the sentence means: “If speaking is your goal, that gap matters.”

7. Der andere Kurs enthält interaktive Unterrichtsstunden und Kommentare der Lehrkraft.

   The other course includes interactive classes and teacher comments.

   andere

   other

   Kurs

   course

   enthält

   includes

   interaktive

   interactive

   Unterrichtsstunden

   classes

   Kommentare

   comments

   Lehrkraft

   teacher

   More detail

   andere means “other” here. It is the attributive form of the adjective ander-; in der andere Kurs, the adjective follows the definite article der and takes the masculine nominative singular ending -e. Compare the plural form die anderen Kurse. Anders is a related predicative or adverbial form, as in Das ist anders (“That is different”), rather than the base form to substitute directly into this noun phrase. Kurs means “course” here. It is a masculine noun: der Kurs; its plural is die Kurse. Example: Dieser Kurs ist online. — “This course is online.” enthält means “includes” here. It is the third-person singular present form of enthalten (“to include” or “to contain”): er/sie/es enthält. The vowel change from e to ä appears in this form. Example: Der Kurs enthält Übungen. — “The course includes exercises.” interaktive means “interactive” here. Its base form is interaktiv. It describes the plural noun Unterrichtsstunden; because the phrase is a direct object without an article, the adjective has the strong plural accusative ending -e: interaktive Unterrichtsstunden. Unterrichtsstunden means “classes” or, more literally, “lesson periods.” It is the plural of the feminine noun die Unterrichtsstunde. Example: Die Unterrichtsstunden beginnen früh. — “The classes begin early.” Kommentare means “comments.” It is the plural of the masculine noun der Kommentar. In this sentence, it is the second item included by enthält, coordinated with interaktive Unterrichtsstunden. Lehrkraft means “teacher” here. It is a feminine noun: die Lehrkraft; its plural is die Lehrkräfte. In Kommentare der Lehrkraft, der Lehrkraft is a genitive phrase meaning “of the teacher.” The feminine singular genitive form of the article is der, so this der does not mean “the” in the masculine nominative pattern of der andere Kurs. Together, Der andere Kurs is “the other course,” and enthält introduces what that course includes. The two included items are interaktive Unterrichtsstunden and Kommentare der Lehrkraft: interactive classes and comments from the teacher. Thus the whole utterance means: “The other course includes interactive classes and teacher comments.”

8. Wähle den Kurs, der dazu passt, wie du wirklich lernen möchtest.

   Choose the one that matches how you actually want to learn.

   Wähle

   choose

   den Kurs

   the course

   der

   that; which

   dazu passt

   matches that

   wie

   how

   du

   you

   wirklich

   really; actually

   lernen

   learn

   möchtest

   want; would like

   More detail

   Wähle is the singular informal imperative of wählen (“to choose”). The subject du is understood in this command, so German does not state it separately. Example: Wähle ein Buch. — “Choose a book.” den Kurs means “the course” here. Kurs is a masculine noun, and den is the masculine singular accusative form of the definite article because the course is the direct object of wählen: jemanden/etwas wählen means “choose someone/something.” The article identifies the course but does not itself assert a numerical count. der introduces a relative clause and refers back to the masculine singular Kurs. In this clause, der is the subject of passt, so it has nominative form. A relative pronoun’s form reflects its role inside its own clause as well as the gender and number of its antecedent. dazu passt expresses “matches that” or “fits with that.” passen commonly combines with zu or the corresponding adverb dazu: Das passt zu mir. — “That suits me.” Here, dazu points to the way of learning described in the following clause. wie means “how” and introduces an embedded clause describing the manner of learning. It can also introduce a direct question, as in Wie lernst du? — “How do you learn?” In the fixed sentence it is not a standalone question; it begins the part that specifies how the course should match the learner’s wishes. du is the informal singular “you.” It is the subject of both lernen and möchtest in the embedded clause. German uses this form for one person in the informal second-person singular; the formal “you” would use a different form. wirklich means “really” or “actually.” Here it emphasizes the learner’s genuine preferred way of learning. Example: Ich möchte wirklich lernen. — “I really want to learn.” lernen is the infinitive “to learn.” In lernen möchtest, it names the desired activity, while möchtest expresses the desire. The infinitive remains lernen after different subjects: ich möchte lernen — “I want to learn”; sie möchte lernen — “she wants to learn.” möchtest is the second-person singular form of möchten, commonly used for “would like” or “want” with an infinitive. It is historically related to mögen, but in this construction the useful learner pattern is du möchtest + infinitive: Du möchtest reisen. — “You would like to travel.” In the subordinate clause, the finite verb comes at the end, so möchtest follows lernen. Together, der dazu passt identifies the course that matches something, and wie du wirklich lernen möchtest specifies what it matches: the way you genuinely want to learn. The imperative Wähle den Kurs ... then gives the complete instruction: “Choose the course that matches how you actually want to learn.”