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Reading · C2 · Text 11

Familie

79 words1 min read100% known at C2

Manchmal ist auch der Vater oder die Mutter nicht mehr da.

Sometimes the father or mother is no longer there either.

Zu einer Familie braucht es noch ein Kind, zwei Kinder, drei oder sogar mehr.

A family also needs a child, two children, three, or even more.

Das sind die Eltern der Mutter oder des Vaters.

These are the parents of the mother or the father.

Man kann auch noch Onkel und Tanten zu einer Groß-Familie zählen.

You can also count uncles and aunts as part of a big family.

Das sind die Brüder und Schwestern von Vater oder Mutter.

These are the brothers and sisters of the father or mother.

Manchmal gibt es in einer Familie einen neuen Papi oder eine neue Mami.

Sometimes a family gets a new dad or a new mom.

Manchmal haben nicht alle Geschwister denselben Papi oder dieselbe Mami.

Sometimes not all siblings have the same dad or the same mom.

18 words above C2

die Eltern← die Eltern
parents plural only A1/ˈɛltərn/
die Mutter← die Mutter
mother plural: Mütter mother; Mother; Mum; Mom: one's mother; nut (for a bolt) B1/ˈmʊtər/
der Vater← der Vater
father plural: Väter B1/ˈfaːtər/
das Kind← das Kind
child plural: Kinder kid; child (young person); child; offspring (person with regard to his or her parents; also a baby animal or young animal, especially as the second… A1/kɪnt/
die Kinder← das Kind
children plural of Kind kid; child (young person); child; offspring (person with regard to his or her parents; also a baby animal or young animal, especially as the second… A1/kɪnt/
die Geschwister← die Geschwister
siblings plural only sibling B1/ɡəˈʃvɪstər/
die Onkel← der Onkel
uncles plural of Onkel uncle B1/ˈɔŋkəl/
die Tanten← die Tante
aunts plural of Tante aunt; woman, broad B1/ˈtantə/
die Brüder← der Bruder
brothers plural of Bruder brother; Brother (title of respect) B1/ˈbruːdɐ/
die Schwestern← die Schwester
sisters plural of Schwester sister; nurse; by extension used to refer to any medical staff that is not a doctor (usually, but not necessarily, confined to female staff); nurse;… B1/ˈʃvɛstɐ/
die Groß-Familie← die Groß-Familie
extended family also written Großfamilie
der Papi← der Papi
dad (colloquial) plural: Papis daddy B2/ˈpapi/
die Mami← die Mami
mom (colloquial) plural: Mamis mom, mum B2
nicht mehr da← nicht mehr da sein
no longer there, absent phrase
braucht es← brauchen
it needs 3rd person singular of brauchen to need, to be in need of, to require; to need to, to have to A1/ˈbʁaʊ̯xən/
zählen
to count regular verb to count (to determine the number of objects in a group); to count (to recite numbers in order); to have, comprise, span (some numerical value) B1/ˈtsɛːlən/
dieselbe
the same (feminine) demonstrative pronoun
denselben← derselbe
the same (masculine accusative) demonstrative pronoun the same; selfsame; idem B1

Grammar in this text

Es braucht + accusative object

Zu einer Familie braucht es noch ein Kind, zwei Kinder, drei oder sogar mehr.

The verb 'brauchen' is used with the impersonal subject 'es' and an accusative object. This structure expresses a need or requirement.

Possessive genitive with prepositions

die Eltern der Mutter oder des Vaters

The genitive case is used after certain prepositions (here 'der' and 'des') to show possession. Note the masculine genitive singular 'des Vaters' with the -s ending.

Demonstrative pronouns 'derselbe' and 'dieselbe'

Manchmal haben nicht alle Geschwister denselben Papi oder dieselbe Mami.

The demonstrative pronouns 'derselbe' (masculine) and 'dieselbe' (feminine) mean 'the same'. They agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they modify. Here 'denselben' is masculine accusative and 'dieselbe' is feminine accusative.

Negation with 'nicht mehr'

Manchmal ist auch der Vater oder die Mutter nicht mehr da.

The phrase 'nicht mehr' means 'no longer' and is used to negate a state or action that used to be true. It is placed before the adverb 'da'.

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Text from Familie — Klexikon, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. See sources.

Translation, glossary and grammar notes are machine-generated and inherit the same licence.