Relationships (AQA GCSE German): Revision Notes
Relationships (Beziehungen)
Essential vocabulary for relationships
Understanding how to talk about relationships is crucial for expressing your feelings about family, friends, and social connections in German. These vocabulary items form the foundation for discussing interpersonal dynamics and will help you navigate conversations about the people in your life.
| German | English | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| die Beziehung | relationship | Unsere Beziehung ist sehr gut. (Our relationship is very good.) |
| der Streit | argument | Wir hatten einen Streit. (We had an argument.) |
| der Unterschied | difference | Es gibt große Unterschiede zwischen uns. (There are big differences between us.) |
| das Verständnis | understanding | Ich habe viel Verständnis für sie. (I have a lot of understanding for her.) |
| kompliziert | complicated | Meine Familie ist kompliziert. (My family is complicated.) |
| schwierig | difficult | Er ist ein schwieriger Mensch. (He is a difficult person.) |
| stolz auf | proud of | Ich bin stolz auf meinen Bruder. (I'm proud of my brother.) |
| auskommen mit | to get on with | Ich komme gut mit ihr aus. (I get on well with her.) |
| leiden | to suffer/stand | Ich kann ihn nicht leiden. (I can't stand him.) |
| sich fühlen | to feel | Ich fühle mich glücklich. (I feel happy.) |
| sich verstehen mit | to get on with | Wir verstehen uns gut. (We get on well together.) |
| streiten | to argue | Meine Eltern streiten oft. (My parents often argue.) |
These relationship terms are particularly useful when writing about family dynamics and friendships in German compositions. Focus on memorising the verbs with their prepositions, as these combinations are essential for natural-sounding German.
Using "gefallen" - expressing likes and dislikes
The verb "gefallen" is particularly important when discussing what you like about relationships and people. This verb presents a unique challenge for English speakers because it works completely differently from the English equivalent "to like."
Key grammar rule: The person who likes something becomes the indirect object (using dative case: mir, dir, ihm, ihr, uns, euch, ihnen), while the thing being liked becomes the subject.
Pattern: [Thing liked] + gefällt/gefallen + [person in dative]
Worked Example: Using "gefallen" correctly
- Sport gefällt mir sehr. (I like sport very much - literally "Sport pleases to me very much")
- Diese Jungen gefallen mir nicht. (I don't like these boys)
- Die Party hat mir gut gefallen! (I really liked the party!)
Notice how the German structure is completely inverted compared to English!
Pronunciation tip: Remember that "gefallen" uses a short 'a' sound, similar to the 'a' in "cat".
Using reflexive verbs in relationships
Reflexive verbs are essential for expressing feelings and actions that relate back to yourself. These verbs are particularly common when discussing relationships because we often talk about how we feel or how we get along with others.
Reflexive pronouns: mich (myself), dich (yourself), sich (himself/herself/itself), uns (ourselves), euch (yourselves), sich (themselves)
Grammar tip: The reflexive pronoun usually comes directly after the conjugated verb in German.
Common reflexive verbs for relationships:
- sich fühlen (to feel): Ich fühle mich sehr glücklich. (I feel very happy.)
- sich verstehen (to get along): Sie versteht sich gut mit ihm. (She gets along well with him.)
- sich streiten (to argue): Wir streiten uns nie. (We never argue.)
Reflexive verbs in German often correspond to non-reflexive verbs in English. This is why direct translation doesn't work - you need to learn the German patterns separately.
Describing family relationships
When talking about family dynamics, you'll often combine the vocabulary above with specific relationship terms. The key is to build more complex sentences that express both facts and feelings about your family members.
Worked Example: Family relationship sentences
- Ich verstehe mich nicht gut mit meinem Vater. (I don't get on well with my father.)
- Meine Schwester ist manchmal schwierig. (My sister is sometimes difficult.)
- Unsere Beziehung ist kompliziert. (Our relationship is complicated.)
Each sentence combines a relationship verb with a family member and an opinion or feeling.
Writing about friendships
When describing friendships, focus on activities, feelings, and reasons. The main cause of strong friendship descriptions in German is using connecting words like "weil" (because) to explain your opinions and create more sophisticated sentences.
Worked Example: Friendship descriptions with reasons
- Es gefällt mir, mit netten Freunden zusammen zu sein, weil wir immer Spaß haben. (I like being with nice friends because we always have fun.)
- Meine jüngere Schwester kann ich nicht leiden, denn sie ist so laut. (I can't stand my younger sister because she's so noisy.)
Notice how these sentences provide both the opinion AND the reason.
Using "weil" and "denn" to give reasons makes your German sound much more natural and sophisticated. Studies show that students who use these connecting words score higher in speaking and writing assessments.
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Pronunciation guide:
- "Beziehung" - bay-TSEE-ung (stress on the second syllable)
- "gefallen" - guh-FAL-len (short 'a' sound)
- "schwierig" - SHVEE-rikh (rolled 'r' at the end)
Grammar reminders:
- Remember that "gefallen" always requires dative pronouns
- Reflexive verbs need the correct reflexive pronoun for each person
- Use "weil" or "denn" to give reasons for your opinions about relationships
Translation practice
Worked Example: Translation Practice
German to English:
- Ich fühle mich sehr glücklich mit meinen Freunden.
- Sport gefällt mir nicht, aber meine Schwester liebt es.
English to German: 3. I get on well with my parents. 4. The party didn't please me because it was too loud.
Answers:
- I feel very happy with my friends.
- I don't like sport, but my sister loves it.
- Ich verstehe mich gut mit meinen Eltern.
- Die Party hat mir nicht gefallen, weil sie zu laut war.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use "gefallen" with dative pronouns (mir, dir, ihm, ihr, uns, euch, ihnen) to express likes and dislikes
- Reflexive verbs need reflexive pronouns (mich, dich, sich, uns, euch, sich) that match the subject
- Build complex sentences by giving reasons with "weil" or "denn"
- Practice describing both positive and negative aspects of relationships
- Remember that German word order changes when using "weil" - the verb goes to the end of the clause