The idea
For an object already named, recall its German article: der Schlüssel becomes er, die Tasche becomes sie, das Heft becomes es. Human reference has additional natural-gender and context considerations.
One contrast, not a prediction about every learner
Mandarin third-person singular pronouns written 他, 她 and 它 share the pronunciation tā. German spoken er, sie and es differ, and for ordinary inanimate noun references their choice follows German grammatical gender rather than a single general it form.
Individual experience, dialect and other languages you know can change which comparisons help. Use the contrast to notice a German choice; do not treat it as a label for a whole group of people.
Repair the transfer
Die Tasche ist schwer. Es liegt im Flur.Die Tasche ist schwer. Sie liegt im Flur.For an object already named, recall its German article: der Schlüssel becomes er, die Tasche becomes sie, das Heft becomes es. Human reference has additional natural-gender and context considerations.
Examples
- Der neue Schlüssel ist klein, aber er öffnet beide Türen.The new key is small, but it opens both doors.
- Die rote Tasche ist schwer, deshalb lasse ich sie hier.The red bag is heavy, so I leave it here.
- Das Heft ist fast voll, aber es reicht noch für heute.The notebook is almost full, but it is still enough for today.
- Die Lampe flackert, obwohl sie ganz neu ist.The lamp flickers although it is brand new.
- Der Karton steht im Weg; bitte stelle ihn neben das Regal.The box is in the way; please put it beside the shelving unit.
- Das Fenster klemmt, deshalb öffnen wir es vorsichtig.The window sticks, so we open it carefully.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic German voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No German device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Do not generalize a source-language pattern to every German sentence. For an object already named, recall its German article: der Schlüssel becomes er, die Tasche becomes sie, das Heft becomes es. Human reference has additional natural-gender and context considerations.
Try it yourself
Korrigiere: Die Tasche ist schwer. Es liegt im Flur.
Show answer or example answer
Die Tasche ist schwer. Sie liegt im Flur.
Die Tasche ist schwer. Sie liegt im Flur. For an object already named, recall its German article: der Schlüssel becomes er, die Tasche becomes sie, das Heft becomes es. Human reference has additional natural-gender and context considerations.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: The new key is small, but it opens both doors.
Show answer or example answer
Der neue Schlüssel ist klein, aber er öffnet beide Türen.
Der neue Schlüssel ist klein, aber er öffnet beide Türen. For an object already named, recall its German article: der Schlüssel becomes er, die Tasche becomes sie, das Heft becomes es. Human reference has additional natural-gender and context considerations.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: The box is in the way; please put it beside the shelving unit.
Show answer or example answer
Der Karton steht im Weg; bitte stelle ihn neben das Regal.
Der Karton steht im Weg; bitte stelle ihn neben das Regal. Keep the meaning of the whole sentence while using the German pattern.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
Korrigiere: Die Tasche ist schwer. Es liegt im Flur.
Die Tasche ist schwer. Sie liegt im Flur.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: The new key is small, but it opens both doors.
Der neue Schlüssel ist klein, aber er öffnet beide Türen.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: The box is in the way; please put it beside the shelving unit.
Der Karton steht im Weg; bitte stelle ihn neben das Regal.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write three German sentences of your own that follow the pattern of “Die Tasche ist schwer. Sie liegt im Flur.”. Check each one for the Mandarin Chinese habit this lesson corrects, then read them aloud.