Bite 17: Talking About Your Day – German Sentence Structure
German in 100 bites by Dr. Mitar Pitzek
Bite 17:
Talking About Your Day – German Sentence Structure
(A1 Level)
Before We Dive In
You walk into your favorite Viennese café, the barista smiles and asks:
„Wie war dein Tag?“ – “How was your day?”
You freeze. You know the words. But how do you put them in the right order?
You’re not alone – and you’re in the right place!
In this Bite, we’ll give you the tools to talk about your day in German – with confidence and the correct sentence structure. Whether you’re describing your morning coffee or your weekend plans, mastering word order is key.
1. Your Daily Routine – A Quick Recap
Let’s start with simple sentences:
- Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. (I get up at 7.)
- Ich frühstücke und dann gehe ich zur Arbeit. (I have breakfast and then go to work.)
So far, so good! But what happens when you want to add time, place, or other details? That’s where sentence structure matters.
2. German Sentence Structure – The Basics
In German, the verb always comes in second position in a main clause. That means:
Subject – Verb – Everything else
- Ich mache jeden Morgen Yoga. (I do yoga every morning.)
But if you start your sentence with something else – like a time or place – the subject moves after the verb: Time – Verb – Subject
- Am Abend lese ich ein Buch. (In the evening, I read a book.)
Place – Verb – Subject
- In der Küche trinkt meine Mutter Kaffee. (In the kitchen, my mother drinks coffee.)
This is called “inversion” – and it’s very common in spoken and written German.
3. Useful Phrases for Talking About Your Day
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Am Morgen | In the morning |
| Am Nachmittag | In the afternoon |
| Am Abend | In the evening |
| Zuerst / Danach / Dann / Später | First / After that / Then / Later |
| zu Hause | at home |
| in der Arbeit / in der Uni | at work / at university |
| Ich stehe auf | I get up |
| Ich dusche | I shower |
| Ich arbeite | I work |
| Ich entspanne mich | I relax |
| Ich gehe schlafen | I go to bed |
4. Practice Time – Put It All Together!
Try to describe your typical day in 3–5 short sentences. Use time phrases, inversion, and some of the verbs above:
Example:
- Am Morgen stehe ich um 7 Uhr auf.
- Dann dusche ich und frühstücke in der Küche.
- Am Abend sehe ich fern oder lese ein Buch.
You can even try writing a short paragraph and read it out loud – it’s great practice for speaking, too!
5. Vienna Tip: Start a Language Routine
Consistency is key! Why not combine your German learning with your daily activities?
- Write your morning routine in German in a journal.
- Use time on the U-Bahn to review sentence structures.
- Go for a walk in Augarten and describe what you see – auf Deutsch, natürlich!
Summary
Talking about your day in German helps you practice both vocabulary and sentence structure.
- The verb is always in second position.
- If you start with a time or place, remember to invert the subject and verb.
- Use real-life activities to anchor your learning – Vienna is full of inspiration!
Pro Tip from Dr. Mitar Pitzek
“When you start a sentence with a time or place, always remember: the verb stays second – not the subject!”
So instead of:
- Am Morgen ich trinke Kaffee. ❌ Say:
- Am Morgen trinke ich Kaffee. ✅
It may feel strange at first, but with time, it becomes second nature.
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