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      Dreams and future goals: 'aus', 'wenn' + word order

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use my linguistic knowledge to decipher new words, use 'aus' to say where I am from and use 'wenn' to express my dreams and goals.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. Some sound-symbol correspondences are written differently, but sound the same as each other, e.g., [eu] and [äu].
      2. Use your previous knowledge to decipher the meaning of new vocabulary, including compound words and large numbers.
      3. 'Aus' means 'from' when used with a country or city to describe origins. 'Von' means 'from' with starting points.
      4. Use 'wann' to ask 'when' in a question. Use 'wenn' to say 'when' in a present tense statement.
      5. Depending on the context, 'wenn' can also mean 'if'. It triggers word order 3: 'Ich schwimme im Meer, wenn es warm ist.'

      Keywords

      • Aus - preposition meaning 'from' when used with a country or city name to describe origin; used with the dative case

      • Wenn - conjunction meaning 'when' or 'if'; triggers word order three

      • Word order three - after certain conjunctions, the verb is sent to the end of the sentence or clause

      Common misconception

      'Wenn' can be used in question words to ask 'When?'.

      Use the question word 'Wann?' to ask 'When?' in German. Use 'wenn' to say 'when' in a present tense statement.

      Teacher tip

      Encourage students to create their own flashcards to support the regular revision of vocabulary.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which sound-symbol correspondence is the same as [eu] as in Deutsch?

      er
      Correct answer: äu
      ei
      ie
      au

      Q2.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:Baustelle (f),building site
      Correct Answer:Anwalt (m),lawyer
      Correct Answer:Firmen (fpl),companies
      Correct Answer:Reise (f),journey, trip
      Correct Answer:gleich,same
      Correct Answer:einmal,once

      Q3.
      Fill in the missing word: 'werden' is an auxiliary verb meaning 'to become' and is used to form the tense.

      Correct Answer: future

      Q4.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:kaum,hardly
      Correct Answer:verlassen,to leave, leaving
      Correct Answer:immer,always
      Correct Answer:verdienen,to earn, earning
      Correct Answer:unterrichten,to teach, teaching
      Correct Answer:fernsehen,to watch television, watching television

      Q5.
      In which word does the sound 't' have a similar sound-symbol correspondence to 'Z', as in 'Zug'?

      Tag
      Tisch
      Correct answer: Kombination
      laut

      Q6.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:typisch,typical
      Correct Answer:Butterbrot (nt),sandwich
      Correct Answer:genug,enough
      Correct Answer:Hausaufgaben (fpl),homework
      Correct Answer:wandern,to hike, hiking
      Correct Answer:fleißig,hardworking

      4 Questions

      Q1.
      Which of the following statements about the use of the word 'wenn' is correct?

      Correct answer: 'Wenn' means 'when' or 'if' in a present tense sentence.
      'Wenn' is used in a question to mean 'when'.
      'Wenn' can be used in a question or in a statement to mean 'when'.

      Q2.
      What is the correct translation of 'I am coming home from the church.'?

      Ich komme von die Kirche nach Hause.
      Ich komme aus der Kirche nach Hause.
      Correct answer: Ich komme von der Kirche nach Hause.

      Q3.
      Which word in the following sentence has made the verb go to the end? 'Ich bleibe zu Hause, wenn es kalt ist.'

      Correct Answer: wenn

      Q4.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:bauen,to build, building
      Correct Answer:Freizeit (f),free time
      Correct Answer:Karriere (f),career
      Correct Answer:studieren,to study, studying
      Correct Answer:Traum (m),dream
      Correct Answer:pro,per

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