Future career (AQA GCSE German): Revision Notes
Future career
Introduction to talking about careers
When discussing future careers in German, you'll need to master key vocabulary, understand how profession names change based on gender, and learn important grammar rules about articles and prepositions. This topic is essential for expressing your aspirations and discussing work-related plans.
The German language has specific patterns for profession names that differ significantly from English. Understanding these patterns will help you communicate effectively about career goals and workplace situations.
Essential career vocabulary
Here's a comprehensive table of career-related terms you'll need to know:
| German | English | German | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| der Bereich | area/sphere of work | der Arzt / die Ärztin | doctor |
| der Beruf | career | der Autor / die Autorin | author |
| die Firma | firm/company | der Chef / die Chefin | boss |
| die Karriere | career | der Kollege / die Kollegin | colleague |
| gut bezahlt | well paid | der Künstler / die Künstlerin | artist |
| bezahlen | to pay | der Polizist / die Polizistin | police officer |
| gelingen | to succeed | der Schauspieler / die Schauspielerin | actor |
| gründen | to found/set up | der Tierarzt / die Tierärztin | vet |
| verdienen | to earn | der Zahnarzt / die Zahnärztin | dentist |
| werden | to become |
Learning Tip: Notice how many professions in the table show both masculine and feminine forms. This pattern is consistent throughout German, so learning both forms together will help you remember the gender rules more effectively.
Grammar focus: profession genders and articles
Understanding how profession names work in German requires mastering two key concepts: gender formation and article usage. These rules apply consistently across most career vocabulary.
Making professions feminine
Most masculine profession words become feminine by adding -in to the end. Some professions also require an umlaut change in the stem vowel.
Examples of Feminine Formation:
- der Arzt → die Ärztin (doctor)
- der Kollege → die Kollegin (colleague)
- der Künstler → die Künstlerin (artist)
- der Lehrer → die Lehrerin (teacher)
Using articles with job names
Critical Grammar Rule: There's an important rule about when to use articles with profession names:
- No article is used in front of job names when stating what someone is or wants to become
- Use an article only when there's an adjective describing the job
Article Usage Examples:
- "Ich will Arzt sein." (I want to be a doctor) - No article
- "Ich will ein guter Arzt sein." (I want to be a good doctor) - Article needed because of adjective "guter"
Key question and responses
The main question you'll encounter is: "Was willst du später werden?" (What do you want to become later?)
This question uses the verb werden (to become) and is the standard way to ask about future career plans in German.
Sample Response: "Ich möchte Polizistin werden. Die Arbeit ist nicht sehr gut bezahlt, aber der Kontakt zu anderen Menschen interessiert mich."
Translation: I would like to become a police officer. The work isn't very well paid, but contact with other people interests me.
Grammar focus: travelling for work
When discussing work-related travel, you need to understand the difference between nach and in. This distinction is crucial for expressing movement and location correctly.
Using "nach"
Use nach when travelling to a country or city. This indicates movement towards a destination.
- "Ich reise nach Europa." (I am travelling to Europe)
- "Ich reise nach Deutschland." (I am travelling to Germany)
Using "in"
Use in when you are working in a place. The case changes depending on movement:
-
Accusative case when there's movement towards something
-
Dative case when there's no movement or change of location
-
"Ich arbeite in Deutschland." (I'm working in Germany)
-
"Ich reise in die Schweiz." (I'm travelling to Switzerland - with article)
Remember: Countries that take an article (like die Schweiz, die Türkei) use "in" instead of "nach" for travel.
Example sentences with translations
Present and Future Tenses:
- "Ich möchte später Polizist werden." (I would like to become a police officer later)
- "Meine Eltern denken, ich soll Ärztin sein." (My parents think I should be a doctor)
- "In der Zukunft möchte ich Zahnarzt werden." (In the future I would like to become a dentist)
- "Es ist mir wichtig, viel Geld zu verdienen." (It is important to me to earn a lot of money)
Work and Travel:
- "Ich hoffe, in schöner Umgebung zu arbeiten." (I hope to work in nice surroundings)
- "Meine Mutter ist Lehrerin und liebt ihren Beruf." (My mum is a teacher and loves her job)
Pronunciation tips
Pronunciation Guide:
- Karriere - stress the final syllable: ka-ri-EH-re
- Kollegin - stress the second syllable: kol-LEH-gin
- Zahnarzt - compound word: TSAHN-artst
- Remember that ä sounds like the 'e' in "pet"
- The -in ending is pronounced "een"
Translation practice
German to English:
- "In der Zukunft möchte ich Zahnarzt werden."
- "Meine Lieblingsfächer sind Biologie und Chemie."
English to German: 3. "It is important to me to earn a lot of money and dentists are well paid." 4. "I hope to work in nice surroundings and have friendly colleagues."
Answers:
- In the future I would like to become a dentist.
- My favourite subjects are biology and chemistry.
- Es ist mir wichtig, viel Geld zu verdienen, und Zahnärzte sind gut bezahlt.
- Ich hoffe, in schöner Umgebung zu arbeiten und freundliche Kollegen zu haben.
Key Points to Remember:
- Many masculine profession words become feminine by adding -in (and sometimes an umlaut)
- Don't use articles with job names unless there's an adjective describing the profession
- Use nach for travelling to countries and cities, in for working in places
- The key question is "Was willst du später werden?" - practice your response!
- Learn profession vocabulary in pairs (masculine and feminine forms) to remember gender patterns