Illustration of the A2 German word “ob”, which translates to “whether, if”. A diver balancing on a high board over a pool, suspended in mid-air as they ponder a fork in the path below.
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ob is one of the A2 words in the free course — with this picture, the audio, and spaced repetition.

ob

whether, if

/ɔp/

Examples — ob in a sentence

Ich frage mich, ob er kommt.

I wonder whether he is coming.

Er weiß nicht, ob es regnen wird.

He doesn't know if it will rain.

How to remember it

OB sounds like 'orb' – wondering whether to choose the red orb or the blue orb.

More A2 words

Illustration of the A2 German word “oft”, which translates to “often”. A clock face where the hour hand spins rapidly, leaving a glowing trail of many overlapping sunrises in its wake.
oft

/ɔft/

Tap to see details

often

Examples

Wir sehen uns oft am Wochenende.

We often see each other on weekends.

Sie liest oft Bücher im Bett.

She often reads books in bed.

Illustration of the A2 German word “das Partizip II”, which translates to “past participle”. A floating grammatical signpost in a dreamscape, with 'ge-' written in stardust, turning finished actions into beautiful, glowing paper birds.
das Partizip II

/paʁtiˈt͡siːp t͡svaɪ̯/

past participle

Examples

Wir lernen heute das Partizip II der starken Verben.

Today we are learning the past participle of strong verbs.

Das Partizip II wird oft im Perfekt verwendet.

The past participle is often used in the perfect tense.

Illustration of the A2 German word “seit”, which translates to “since, for (time)”. A patient tortoise lounges beside a giant hourglass nearly run out, a long cobweb stretching from its shell to the glass, grinning at how long it has waited.
seit

/zaɪ̯t/

since, for (time)

Examples

Ich lerne seit drei Monaten Deutsch.

I have been learning German for three months.

Er wohnt seit 2010 in Köln.

He has lived in Cologne since 2010.

Illustration of the A2 German word “selten”, which translates to “rarely”. A wide-eyed owl gasps in astonishment as a single shy, sparkling comet streaks past — a sight so rare it nearly topples backward off its branch.
selten

/ˈzɛltn̩/

rarely

Examples

Sie geht selten ins Kino.

She rarely goes to the cinema.

Wir essen selten Fleisch zu Hause.

We rarely eat meat at home.

Illustration of the A2 German word “das Smartphone”, which translates to “smartphone”. A cheerful smartphone with big cartoon eyes leaps up excitedly, its screen beaming a huge grin, as colorful app-bubbles burst joyfully out of the top.
das Smartphone

/ˈsmaʁtfoːn/

smartphone

Examples

Ich habe mein Smartphone verloren.

I lost my smartphone.

Kannst du dein Smartphone bitte ausschalten?

Can you please turn off your smartphone?

Illustration of the A2 German word “der Smiley”, which translates to “smiley, emoji”. A giant round golden smiley face the size of a sun beaming in the sky, with a tiny delighted rabbit riding on the tip of its enormous curved grin like a swing.
der Smiley

/ˈsmaɪ̯liː/

smiley, emoji

Examples

Er schickte mir einen lustigen Smiley.

He sent me a funny smiley.

Ein Smiley kann Gefühle ausdrücken.

A smiley can express feelings.

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oft — often

oftPartizip IIseitseltenSmartphoneSmileyAll German word pages

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