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Capital and small letters

Groß- und Kleinschreibung

Capital: nouns, names, the start of a sentence, weekdays, months and the polite Sie/Ihr. Small letters: verbs, adjectives and pronouns (ich, du, dein), unless they become nouns (das Lesen).

Rule and examples

All nouns with a capital

In German all nouns are written with a capital: der Hund, die Katze, das Paket, die Freude. Also names (Mia, Gus, Berlin), the start of a sentence, days, months and seasons (der Montag, der Mai, der Winter). Verbs, adjectives and pronouns are written with small letters: Mia spielt im Garten.

Example Der Hund frisst den Knochen. · Im Mai blühen die Blumen.

When small? montags, abends

Time words with -s meaning “always on that day” are written with small letters: montags, dienstags, abends, morgens. But with the noun: am Montag, am Abend, am Morgen. Languages as nouns have a capital: Ich lerne Deutsch. The word Sie in polite address has a capital, du stays small.

Example Ich habe montags Schule. · Am Montag habe ich Schule.

Verbs and adjectives as nouns

A verb or an adjective gets a capital when it becomes a noun. You recognise it by the article or by a word like beim, zum, im, etwas, nichts, viel, alles: das Lesen, beim Essen, zum Schwimmen, etwas Schönes, nichts Neues, alles Gute. Then you write it with a capital.

Example das Lesen · beim Essen · etwas Schönes · alles Gute

Exercises with answers

Try each exercise before opening the answer.

  1. In each sentence one word is spelled wrongly (capital or small letter). Which one?

    Das kind malt ein Bild.

    1. ein
    2. Bild
    3. kind
    4. malt
    Show the answer

    kind

    “kind” is a noun and is written with a capital → “Kind”. Correct: Das Kind malt ein Bild.

  2. In each sentence one word is spelled wrongly (capital or small letter). Which one?

    Die Katze trinkt die milch.

    1. Katze
    2. die
    3. trinkt
    4. milch
    Show the answer

    milch

    “milch” is a noun and is written with a capital → “Milch”. Correct: Die Katze trinkt die Milch.

  3. In each sentence one word is spelled wrongly (capital or small letter). Which one?

    Das Wasser ist Kalt.

    1. ist
    2. Kalt
    3. Wasser
    4. Das
    Show the answer

    Kalt

    “Kalt” is an adjective and is written with a small letter → “kalt”. Correct: Das Wasser ist kalt.

  4. In each sentence one word is spelled wrongly (capital or small letter). Which one?

    Die lehrerin schreibt einen Brief.

    1. lehrerin
    2. schreibt
    3. Brief
    4. einen
    Show the answer

    lehrerin

    “lehrerin” is a noun and is written with a capital → “Lehrerin”. Correct: Die Lehrerin schreibt einen Brief.

  5. In each sentence one word is spelled wrongly (capital or small letter). Which one?

    Der Drache Fliegt über das Haus.

    1. über
    2. Haus
    3. Drache
    4. Fliegt
    Show the answer

    Fliegt

    “Fliegt” is a verb and is written with a small letter → “fliegt”. Correct: Der Drache fliegt über das Haus.

  6. In each sentence one word is spelled wrongly (capital or small letter). Which one?

    Wir Essen einen Apfel.

    1. Essen
    2. Apfel
    3. Wir
    4. einen
    Show the answer

    Essen

    “Essen” is a verb and is written with a small letter → “essen”. Correct: Wir essen einen Apfel.

  7. In each sentence one word is spelled wrongly (capital or small letter). Which one?

    Der bäcker backt das Brot.

    1. bäcker
    2. Brot
    3. das
    4. backt
    Show the answer

    bäcker

    “bäcker” is a noun and is written with a capital → “Bäcker”. Correct: Der Bäcker backt das Brot.

  8. In each sentence one word is spelled wrongly (capital or small letter). Which one?

    Gus bringt das paket.

    1. bringt
    2. das
    3. paket
    4. Gus
    Show the answer

    paket

    “paket” is a noun and is written with a capital → “Paket”. Correct: Gus bringt das Paket.

Practise this topic

42 exercises in the workshop.