📕 Lesson 20: Erinnerungen und Wünsche — Memories & Wishes

Memories are treasure, and wishes give us hope. Learn how to talk about childhood memories and future wishes in German!

🎬 Lesson Video

1. 🗣️ Erinnerungen und Wünsche — Memories and Wishes

Deutsch	Pronunciation	English
die Erinnerung	[diː ɛɐˈɪnəʁʊŋ]	the memory
sich erinnern an (+ Akk)	[zɪç ɛɐˈɪnɐn an]	to remember
vergessen	[fɛɐˈɡɛsən]	to forget
der Wunsch	[deːɐ vʊnʃ]	the wish / desire
sich wünschen	[zɪç ˈvʏnʃən]	to wish (for)
träumen von (+ Dat)	[ˈtʁɔʏmən fɔn]	to dream of
die Kindheit	[diː ˈkɪnthaɪt]	childhood
früher	[ˈfʁyːɐ]	earlier / in the past
damals	[ˈdaːmaːls]	back then / at that time
die Vergangenheit	[diː fɛɐˈɡaŋənhaɪt]	the past
die Zukunft	[diː ˈtsuːkʊnft]	the future
das Erlebnis	[daːs ɛɐˈleːpnɪs]	the experience (event)
die Erfahrung	[diː ɛɐˈfaːʁʊŋ]	the experience (life / work)
das Gefühl	[daːs ɡəˈfyːl]	the feeling
die Sehnsucht	[diː ˈzeːnzʊxt]	longing / nostalgia
vermissen	[fɛɐˈmɪsən]	to miss (someone/something)
zurückdenken an (+ Akk)	[tsuˈʁʏkˌdɛŋkən an]	to look back on

💡 Tip: "Erfahrung" means life or work experience, while "Erlebnis" means an enjoyable experience or specific event.

2. 📖 Vocabulary: Childhood and Family

Deutsch	Pronunciation	English
aufwachsen	[ˈaʊfˌvaksən]	to grow up
das Spielzeug	[daːs ˈʃpiːltsɔʏk]	toy
der Lieblings...	[deːɐ ˈliːplɪŋs...]	favourite... (prefix)
der beste Freund / die beste Freundin	[deːɐ ˈbɛstə fʁɔʏnt] / [diː ˈbɛstə ˈfʁɔʏndɪn]	best friend (m/f)
gemeinsam	[ɡəˈmaɪnzɑm]	together / joint
das Abenteuer	[daːs aˈbɛntɔʏɐ]	adventure
das Fest	[daːs fɛst]	celebration / festival
das Geschenk	[daːs ɡəˈʃɛŋk]	gift / present
der Geburtstag	[deːɐ ɡəˈbʊʁtsˌtaːk]	birthday
Weihnachten	[ˈvaɪnaxtən]	Christmas
feiern	[ˈfaɪɐn]	to celebrate
die Schule	[diː ˈʃuːlə]	school
der Lehrer / die Lehrerin	[deːɐ ˈleːʁɐ] / [diː ˈleːʁəʁɪn]	teacher (m/f)
die Hausaufgabe	[diː ˈhaʊsʔaʊfˌɡaːbə]	homework
die Note	[diː ˈnoːtə]	grade / mark (school)
streng	[ʃtʁɛŋ]	strict

💡 Tip: "Lieblings..." attaches directly to the following word without a space! For example: Lieblingsessen (favourite food), Lieblingsfach (favourite subject).

3. 📝 Grammar: Subordinate Clauses with "als" (Past)

"als" for One-Time Events in the Past

⚠️ Note: We use als for single/one-time events in the past (NOT wenn). Use wenn for repeated events or in the present/future tense.

The Rule

Main Clause	Subordinate Clause with "als"
I was happy	als ich ein Kind war — when I was a child
We drove to the sea	als ich zehn Jahre alt war — when I was ten
She cried	als der Film endete — when the film ended
He called me	als er zu Hause ankam — when he arrived home

Verb Position

In subordinate clauses with als, the verb goes to the end of the clause!

Example	Structure
Als ich klein war, spielte ich gern draußen.	als + subject + ... + verb at the end
I felt free als ich im Urlaub war.	Main clause + als + subject + ... + verb at the end

Comparison: als vs. wenn

als (Past — one time)	wenn (Repeated or Present/Future)
Als I was a child, I had a dog. (single continuous phase)	Wenn you are sick, stay home. (if — repeated)
Als I turned 18, I got a car. (specific moment)	Wenn I have time, I like to read. (habit)
Als we were in Paris, we visited the Eiffel Tower. (one specific trip)	Wenn we travel, we are always happy. (repeated)

More Examples

Deutsch	English
Als ich klein war, hatte ich Angst im Dunkeln.	When I was little, I was afraid of the dark.
Als der Unterricht endete, gingen wir nach Hause.	When the lesson ended, we went home.
Als ich das erste Mal flog, war ich sehr aufgeregt.	When I flew for the first time, I was very excited.
Als er die Wahrheit erfuhr, war er traurig.	When he learned the truth, he was sad.
Als wir uns kennenlernten, waren wir 20.	When we met, we were 20.

Anna: Do you remember when we were children?

Ben: Yes, I remember fondly. We always played in the park.

Anna: True! When I was little, I often went for walks with my grandpa.

Ben: I remember our bike tours. Those were great experiences.

Anna: Yes, and when we were 15, we went on our first trip — without parents!

Ben: That was exciting! I wish I could be that free again.

Anna: What do you wish for the future?

Ben: I wish for a trip around the world. And you?

Anna: I dream of my own house with a big garden.

Ben: That sounds lovely! I hope our wishes come true.

Anna: I hope so too!

5. ✏️ Exercises

Exercise 1: "als" or "wenn"?

Decide!

Sentence	als / wenn
_____ I was little, I had a red ball.	_____
_____ I have time, I read a book.	_____
_____ we were on vacation, it rained a lot.	_____
_____ he is sick, he stays in bed.	_____
_____ the film was over, we went home.	_____
_____ it's my birthday, I invite friends.	_____
_____ I turned 16, I got my first phone.	_____

Exercise 2: Form sentences with "als"

Connect the sentences!

Two Sentences	Sentence with "als"
I was 10. I got a dog.	_ ich 10 , __ ich einen Hund.
Summer was over. We drove home.	_ der Sommer vorbei , __ wir nach Hause.
I met my friend. We hugged.	_ ich meinen Freund , __ wir uns.
I was little. I was afraid of dogs.	_ ich *war,* __ ich Angst vor Hunden.

Exercise 3: Wishes

Write sentences with "Ich wünsche mir..." or "Ich träume von..."!

Wish	Sentence
a new car	Ich wünsche _____
world peace	Ich träume _____
a good job	_____
a trip to Japan	_____
health for the family	_____

Exercise 4: Memories

Answer the questions!

Question	Answer (with "als")
What did you like to play when you were little?	_____
How was your first day of school?	_____
What did you do on your last birthday?	_____

💡 Homework: Write a paragraph (50-60 words) about your childhood memories. Use "als" in at least 3 sentences and talk about your wishes for the future.