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📝 Lektion 20 Exercises: Erinnerungen und Wünsche (Memories and Wishes)

🎯 Goal: Learn memories and wishes vocabulary, use "als" subordinate clauses for the past, and express wishes using würde + Infinitive.

💡 Tip: - als = a one-time event in the past (when I was little...) - wenn = a recurring event in the past (whenever I was at school...) - würde + Infinitive = a wish/desire (I wish I would...)

Exercise 1: Memory and Wish Vocabulary — Fill in the Blank 🖊️

Choose the right word for each sentence:

die Erinnerung (memory) der Wunsch (wish) das Ziel (goal) die Hoffnung (hope) die Kindheit (childhood) der Traum (dream)
  1. Back in my ______, I played a lot with my friends.
  2. My biggest ______ is a trip around the world.
  3. I have a nice ______ of my first day of school.
  4. My ______ for next year is to learn German.
  5. The ______ that everything will be okay gives me strength.
  6. His ______ is to have his own house one day.

✅ Solution:

  1. Back in my Kindheit (childhood), I played a lot with my friends.
  2. My biggest Traum (dream) is a trip around the world.
  3. I have a nice Erinnerung (memory) of my first day of school.
  4. My Ziel (goal) for next year is to learn German.
  5. The Hoffnung (hope) that everything will be okay gives me strength.
  6. His Wunsch (wish) is to have his own house one day.

Exercise 2: Subordinate Clauses with "als" 🔗

Connect the sentences using "als":

  1. I was small. I played a lot with my grandpa. → Als ich __, _ ich viel mit meinem Opa ___.

  2. We were on vacation. It rained every day. → Als wir __, _ es jeden Tag ___.

  3. I came home. My mother was cooking dinner. → Als ich __, ____ meine Mutter Abendessen.

  4. She heard the news. She was very happy. → Als sie __, ____ sie sich sehr.

  5. We met for the first time. We were both very nervous. → Als wir __, ____ wir beide sehr nervös.

✅ Solution:

  1. Als ich klein war, spielte ich viel mit meinem Opa. (When I was little, I played a lot with my grandpa.)

  2. Als wir im Urlaub waren, regnete es jeden Tag. (When we were on vacation, it rained every day.)

  3. Als ich nach Hause kam, kochte meine Mutter Abendessen. (When I came home, my mother was cooking dinner.)

  4. Als sie die Nachricht hörte, freute sie sich sehr. (When she heard the news, she was very happy.)

  5. Als wir uns zum ersten Mal trafen, waren wir beide sehr nervös. (When we met for the first time, we were both very nervous.)

The Rule:

als + Subject + Verb (at the end of the subordinate clause) + Comma + Main clause The verb in the subordinate clause goes to the end of the clause! "als" is used for a one-time event in the past.

Exercise 3: Expressing Wishes (würde + Infinitive) ✍️

Transform the sentences into wishes using würde + Infinitive:

Original sentence Wish (würde)
1. I have a car. I ___ a car ___.
2. She lives in Berlin. She ___ in Berlin ___.
3. We take a world trip. We ___ a world trip ___.
4. He speaks perfect German. He ___ perfect German ___.
5. You (plural) have more time. You ___ more time ___.
6. I can fly. I ___ ___ ______.

✅ Solution:

Original sentence Wish (würde + Infinitiv)
1. I have a car. I würde gern ein Auto haben.
2. She lives in Berlin. She würde gern in Berlin wohnen.
3. We take a world trip. Wir würden gern eine Weltreise machen.
4. He speaks perfect German. Er würde gern perfekt Deutsch sprechen.
5. You (plural) have more time. Ihr würdet gern mehr Zeit haben.
6. I can fly. Ich würde gern fliegen können.

Conjugation of würde: | Pronoun | würden | |---------|--------| | ich | würde | | du | würdest | | er/sie/es | würde | | wir | würden | | ihr | würdet | | sie/Sie | würden |

Exercise 4: Sharing Memories Dialogue 💬

Complete the dialogue between two friends talking about memories and wishes:

Tobias: Weißt du noch, als wir ___ (sein) Kinder __ (sein)? Mia: Ja, wir ___ (spielen) jeden Tag zusammen im Park. Tobias: __ (erinnern) du dich an unseren Lehrer Herrn Schmidt? Mia: Ja, er ___ (sein) sehr nett, aber auch streng. Tobias: Was __ (machen) du heute gern, wenn du frei ___ (haben)? Mia: Ich __ (würde) gern ans Meer ______ (fahren).

✅ Solution:

Tobias: Weißt du noch, als wir Kinder waren? Mia: Ja, wir spielten jeden Tag zusammen im Park. Tobias: Erinnerst du dich an unseren Lehrer Herrn Schmidt? Mia: Ja, er war sehr nett, aber auch streng. Tobias: Was würdest du heute gern machen, wenn du frei hättest? Mia: Ich würde gern ans Meer fahren.

Complete Dialogue: Tobias: Do you remember when we were children? Mia: Yes, we played together in the park every day. Tobias: Do you remember our teacher Mr. Schmidt? Mia: Yes, he was very nice, but also strict. Tobias: What would you like to do today if you had free time? Mia: I would like to go to the sea.

Exercise 5: Write About Your Memories and Wishes 📝

Answer the following questions in complete sentences (3-5 sentences each):

  1. Was hast du in deiner Kindheit gern gemacht? (What did you like to do in your childhood?)
  2. Welche schöne Erinnerung hast du an deine Schulzeit? (What nice memory do you have of your school days?)
  3. Was würdest du heute anders machen, wenn du könntest? (What would you do differently today if you could?)
  4. Welche Wünsche oder Träume hast du für die Zukunft? (What wishes or dreams do you have for the future?)

✅ Sample Answer:

  1. Was hast du in deiner Kindheit gern gemacht? When I was little, I really liked playing with my brother. We often played soccer in the garden or went bike riding. During the summer holidays we were always at the lake swimming.

  2. Welche schöne Erinnerung hast du an deine Schulzeit? One nice memory from my school days is the trip to the school camp. We hiked in the mountains for a week and sat around the campfire together in the evenings. That was a wonderful time.

  3. Was würdest du heute anders machen, wenn du könntest? If I could, I would start learning German earlier. I would also travel more before I started working. Additionally, I would visit my grandparents more often.

  4. Welche Wünsche oder Träume hast du für die Zukunft? My biggest wish for the future is to live in Germany one day. I want to get my master's degree in Germany and work there. I would also love to travel the whole world and get to know many different cultures.

💡 Extra Tip: The difference between als, wenn, and wann: - als → past, one-time event: Als ich 10 war... (When I was 10...) - wenn → present or future, or repeated past: Wenn ich Zeit habe... (When I have time...), Wenn wir uns trafen... (Whenever we met...) - wann → question about time: Wann kommst du? (When are you coming?)

🎯 Review: New vocabulary — die Erinnerung (memory), der Wunsch (wish), der Traum (dream), das Ziel (goal), die Hoffnung (hope), die Kindheit (childhood), die Vergangenheit (past), die Zukunft (future), die Sehnsucht (longing), der Moment (moment), vergessen (to forget), erinnern (to remember), wünschen (to wish), hoffen (to hope), träumen (to dream)