My life in the future (AQA GCSE German): Revision Notes
My life in the future
Mein Leben in der Zukunft
Useful vocabulary
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Traum | dream |
| besitzen | to own |
| erfahren | to experience |
| gelingen | to succeed |
| heiraten | to marry |
| hoffen | to hope |
| schaffen | to manage/achieve |
| sich freuen auf | to look forwards to |
| wählen | to choose |
| werden | to become |
These vocabulary words are essential building blocks for discussing your future aspirations. Pay special attention to gelingen and sich freuen auf as these have unique grammatical structures that we'll explore later.
Expressing your future plans and dreams
When talking about your hopes and aspirations for the future, German offers several ways to express yourself. You can use simple future structures, conditional statements, and purpose clauses to communicate your plans effectively. The key is understanding which structure fits your intended meaning - whether you're stating a definite plan, expressing a wish, or describing a hypothetical situation.
Key Phrases for Future Plans
Here are essential expressions you'll need when discussing your future:
- Ich freue mich auf die Zukunft. (I'm looking forwards to the future.)
- Ich würde nie heiraten. (I would never get married.)
- Mein Traum ist es, im Ausland zu leben. (My dream is to live abroad.)
- Ich hoffe, ich werde es schaffen. (I hope I'll succeed.)
- Ich hoffe, es gelingt mir. (I hope I'll manage it.)
Grammar focus: Future and conditional structures
Understanding the distinction between different future and conditional structures is crucial for accurate expression in German. Each structure serves a specific communicative purpose and follows particular grammatical rules.
Future tense formation
The future tense in German is formed using werden + infinitive. The infinitive always goes to the end of the sentence:
- Ich werde ins Ausland fahren. (I will travel abroad.)
Notice how the infinitive fahren moves to the very end of the sentence. This is a fundamental rule of German sentence structure that applies to all future tense constructions.
Conditional structures
For hypothetical situations or polite expressions, use würde + infinitive:
- Ich möchte ins Ausland fahren. (I would like to travel abroad.)
This construction is particularly useful when expressing wishes or preferences about your future, as it sounds more polite and less definitive than the simple future tense.
Critical Grammar Point: "gelingen"
The verb gelingen is particularly tricky because it works as an impersonal verb, similar to gefallen. You must use es as the subject and put the person in the dative case.
Correct: Es gelingt mir (I succeed/manage)
Incorrect: Ich gelinge
Zu + infinitive clauses
These clauses are essential for expressing purpose or intention. They translate to "in order to" or simply "to" in English and add sophistication to your German expression.
Formation rules
Remember to include a comma after the main clause, then add zu + infinitive at the end:
- Es ist mein Traum, reich zu werden. (It's my dream to become rich.)
- Ich hoffe, in Deutschland zu leben. (I hope to live in Germany.)
Modal Verbs Exception
When using modal verbs, you need an infinitive at the end but no zu:
- Sie muss hart arbeiten. (She has to work hard.)
This is a common mistake area - modal verbs break the usual zu + infinitive pattern.
Example sentences with translations
Understanding these structures becomes clearer when you see them in context. Here are practical examples that demonstrate how German speakers naturally express future plans and dreams.
Present Plans and Hopes
- Ich interessiere mich für Fremdsprachen und möchte in der Zukunft im Ausland leben. (I'm interested in foreign languages and would like to live abroad in the future.)
- Es ist mein Traum, andere Kulturen zu erfahren. (It's my dream to experience other cultures.)
Future Aspirations
- Ich will nicht heiraten, weil mir Freiheit wichtiger ist als eine Partnerin und Kinder. (I don't want to get married because freedom is more important to me than a partner and children.)
Translation practice
German to English:
- Ich hoffe, es gelingt mir, meinen Traum zu verwirklichen.
- Sie möchte das Leben in Amerika erfahren.
English to German:
- I'm looking forwards to my future career.
- My dream is to become wealthy.
Answers:
German to English:
- I hope I'll succeed in realising my dream.
- She would like to experience life in America.
English to German:
- Ich freue mich auf meine zukünftige Karriere.
- Mein Traum ist es, reich zu werden.
Pronunciation Tips
- Zukunft - emphasise the first syllable: ZU-kunft
- erfahren - the 'er' is pronounced like 'air': air-FAH-ren
- gelingen - hard 'g' sound: guh-LING-en
- schaffen - sharp 'sch' sound like 'sh' in English
Key Points to Remember:
- Future tense uses werden + infinitive, with the infinitive going to the end of the sentence
- Würde + infinitive creates conditional statements for polite or hypothetical expressions
- Zu + infinitive clauses need a comma before them and express purpose or intention
- Gelingen is an impersonal verb that takes the dative case - think of it like gefallen
- Modal verbs take infinitives at the end but don't need zu