Nominativ (subject)
The thing/person doing the action.
Definite
der (m.) · die (f.) · das (n.) · die (pl.) Indefinite
ein (m.) · eine (f.) · ein (n.) · — (pl.) Der Mann liest. (The man is reading.) Cambridge IGCSE German 0525
🇩🇪 IGCSE German Reference Sheet 2026
Verb conjugations, the four cases, word order rules, modal verbs and topic vocabulary — your complete Cambridge IGCSE German 0525 reference for 2026 listening, reading, writing and speaking.
Cases & Articles Verb Tenses Word Order Topic Vocabulary
Our reference sheets are free to download — save this one as PDF for offline revision.
Aligned with the latest 2026 syllabus and board specifications. This sheet is prepared to match your exam board’s official specifications for the 2026 exam series.
All the Core Cambridge IGCSE German Grammar & Vocabulary in One Place
Cambridge IGCSE German (0525) tests four skills — listening, reading, speaking and writing — across five broad topic areas. This reference sheet brings together every essential tense, the four cases, key word order rules and topic vocabulary you need, plus exam technique for each paper.
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All four cases (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv) with article tables
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All exam tenses: present, perfect, imperfect, future, conditional
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Word order rules: TMP, V2, verb to end with subordinating conjunctions
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Exam technique for listening, reading, writing and speaking
The Four German Cases
Cases are the heart of German — get articles, adjectives and pronouns right.
Akkusativ (direct object)
The thing/person receiving the action — also after certain prepositions.
Definite
den (m.) · die (f.) · das (n.) · die (pl.) Indefinite
einen (m.) · eine (f.) · ein (n.) · — (pl.) Akk. prepositions
durch · für · gegen · ohne · um (DOGFU) Ich sehe den Mann. (I see the man.) Dativ (indirect object)
The recipient — to whom / for whom — also after certain prepositions and verbs.
Definite
dem (m.) · der (f.) · dem (n.) · den (pl.) + -n on noun Indefinite
einem (m.) · einer (f.) · einem (n.) · — (pl.) Dat. prepositions
aus · außer · bei · mit · nach · seit · von · zu (always Dativ) Dat. verbs
helfen · danken · folgen · gefallen · gehören · gratulieren · antworten Ich helfe dem Mann. (I help the man.) Genitiv (possession)
Possession — 'of the' — and after certain prepositions.
Definite
des (m./n.) · der (f.) · der (pl.) + -s/-es on m./n. noun Gen. prepositions
trotz · während · wegen · (an)statt das Auto des Mannes (the man's car) Two-Way Prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen)
Take Akkusativ for movement (Wohin?) and Dativ for location (Wo?).
an · auf · hinter · in · neben · über · unter · vor · zwischen Movement (Akk.)
Ich gehe in die Stadt. Location (Dat.)
Ich bin in der Stadt. Verb Conjugations
Endings change for person and number — irregular (strong) verbs change their stem too.
Present Tense (Präsens)
What you do now — also used for near future with a time expression.
Regular (machen)
ich mache · du machst · er/sie/es macht · wir machen · ihr macht · sie/Sie machen Strong vowel change (fahren)
ich fahre · du fährst · er fährt · wir fahren · ihr fahrt · sie fahren Strong (sehen)
ich sehe · du siehst · er sieht · wir sehen · ihr seht · sie sehen Perfect Tense (Perfekt)
Spoken/everyday past — used in conversation and informal writing.
Formula
haben/sein (present) + past participle (at the END) Regular ge-...-t
machen → gemacht · spielen → gespielt Strong ge-...-en (often vowel change)
lesen → gelesen · schreiben → geschrieben · trinken → getrunken Use SEIN with
Verbs of motion (gehen, fahren, kommen, fliegen) and change of state (werden, sterben, bleiben) Imperfect (Präteritum / Imperfekt)
Written past tense — used in narratives. SEIN, HABEN and modal verbs use Präteritum even in speech.
Regular (machen)
ich machte · du machtest · er machte · wir machten · ihr machtet · sie machten Sein
war · warst · war · waren · wart · waren Haben
hatte · hattest · hatte · hatten · hattet · hatten Future Tense (Futur)
Will / going to.
Formula
werden (present) + infinitive (at the END) Ich werde morgen Fußball spielen. Often replaced by present + time word: 'Morgen spiele ich Fußball.'
Conditional (Konjunktiv II)
Would — wishes, polite requests, hypotheticals.
Most common form
würde + infinitive — Ich würde gerne nach Berlin fahren. Sein/haben/modals
wäre · hätte · könnte · möchte · sollte · würde Modal Verbs (present)
Pair modal + infinitive (at the end). Hugely useful for top-band writing.
können (can)
kann · kannst · kann · können · könnt · können müssen (must)
muss · musst · muss · müssen · müsst · müssen wollen (want to)
will · willst · will · wollen · wollt · wollen sollen (should)
soll · sollst · soll · sollen · sollt · sollen dürfen (be allowed to)
darf · darfst · darf · dürfen · dürft · dürfen mögen (like)
mag · magst · mag · mögen · mögt · mögen Ich kann gut Deutsch sprechen. Separable Verbs
Prefix splits off in present/Präteritum and goes to the end.
aufstehen → Ich stehe um sieben Uhr auf. anrufen, ausgehen, einladen, zurückkommen, anfangen, mitkommen, fernsehen In perfect: ge- goes between prefix and stem — aufgestanden, eingeladen, ferngesehen.
Word Order — The German Sentence Code
Get word order right and you immediately sound advanced.
V2 Rule (Main Clause)
The conjugated verb is ALWAYS in second position.
Subject + verb + ... — Ich spiele jeden Tag Fußball. Time + verb + subject + ... — Jeden Tag spiele ich Fußball. If anything else comes first, the subject is bumped after the verb.
TMP — Time, Manner, Place
When more than one adverbial phrase, order is Time → Manner → Place.
Ich fahre [morgen] [mit dem Bus] [nach Berlin]. Subordinating Conjunctions — Verb to the End
After these conjunctions, the verb moves to the end of the clause.
weil (because) · dass (that) · wenn (when/if) · ob (whether) · als (when, past) · obwohl (although) · damit (so that) · während (while) · bevor · nachdem · seitdem Ich gehe nicht, weil ich krank bin. (Note: bin at end.) Coordinating Conjunctions — No Word Order Change
These don't affect word order.
und · aber · oder · denn · sondern (Akronym ADUSO) Question Word Order
Yes/no
Verb + subject + ... — Spielst du Fußball? W-question
W-word + verb + subject + ... — Wann spielst du Fußball? W-words
wer · was · wann · wo · wohin · woher · warum · wie · wie viel(e) · welcher Adjective Endings (Strong, Mixed, Weak)
Endings depend on the article in front. Learn the table — examiners notice.
After definite article (der/die/das) — Weak
Singular Nom.
der nette Mann · die nette Frau · das nette Kind Singular Akk.
den netten Mann · die nette Frau · das nette Kind Singular Dat.
dem netten Mann · der netten Frau · dem netten Kind Plural
die/den netten Männer/Männern Pattern: -e in 5 spots (Nom. all sing. + Akk. f./n. sing.); -en everywhere else.
After indefinite article (ein/eine) — Mixed
Sing. Nom.
ein netter Mann · eine nette Frau · ein nettes Kind Sing. Akk.
einen netten Mann · eine nette Frau · ein nettes Kind Sing. Dat.
einem netten Mann · einer netten Frau · einem netten Kind No article — Strong (uses article endings)
guter Wein (m. Nom.) · gute Milch (f. Nom.) · gutes Bier (n. Nom.) · gute Weine (pl.) Pronouns & Possessives
Personal Pronouns
Nominativ
ich · du · er/sie/es · wir · ihr · sie/Sie Akkusativ
mich · dich · ihn/sie/es · uns · euch · sie/Sie Dativ
mir · dir · ihm/ihr/ihm · uns · euch · ihnen/Ihnen Possessive Articles
mein · dein · sein · ihr · sein · unser · euer · ihr/Ihr Take same endings as ein-/kein-.
Negation
nicht
Negates verbs/whole sentences. Ich gehe nicht ins Kino. kein
Negates nouns. Ich habe kein Auto. (Endings like ein-.) Useful Question Words
wer (who) · was (what) · wann (when) · wo (where) · wohin (where to) · woher (where from) · warum (why) · wie (how) Five Cambridge IGCSE German Topic Areas (2026)
Build vocabulary banks for each — examiners reward range and accuracy.
1. Everyday activities
Home life, school, food and drink, health and fitness.
Sub-themes
das Zuhause, der Tagesablauf, die Schule, die Fächer, die Mahlzeiten, die Gesundheit, der Sport Key verbs
aufstehen, frühstücken, lernen, spielen, essen, Sport machen 2. Personal and social life
Self, family and personal relationships, holidays and special occasions.
Sub-themes
die Familie, die Freunde, Feste, Urlaub, Charakter, Aussehen Key verbs
sich verstehen mit, sich streiten, feiern, in Urlaub fahren 3. The world around us
Home town and local area, the natural environment, people, places and customs.
Sub-themes
meine Stadt, das Viertel, Geschäfte, Verkehrsmittel, Umwelt, Klima Key verbs
wohnen, recyceln, verschmutzen, schützen, mit dem Bus fahren 4. The world of work
Continuing education, careers and employment, language and communication in the workplace.
Sub-themes
Berufe, das Praktikum, die Universität, die Zukunft, Geld, Sprachen Key verbs
arbeiten, verdienen, studieren, werden, hoffen 5. The international world
Tourism at home and abroad, life in other countries, world events and issues.
Sub-themes
Tourismus, deutschsprachige Länder, Nachrichten, Armut, Medien Key verbs
reisen, besuchen, entdecken, sich informieren, verstehen Useful Phrases & Connectives for Top Marks
These give your writing and speaking sophistication — drop several into every essay/conversation.
Opinion Phrases
Ich denke, dass... · Ich glaube, dass... · Meiner Meinung nach... · Ich finde... · Ich bin der Ansicht, dass... Ich bin (nicht) einverstanden · Mir scheint, dass... Connectives
und · aber · oder · denn · sondern · weil · dass · obwohl · damit · trotzdem · zum Beispiel · außerdem Sequencing
zuerst · dann · danach · später · schließlich · am Anfang · am Ende Time Markers
gestern · heute · morgen · letztes Wochenende · nächstes Jahr · vor zwei Jahren · während · seit Higher-Level Phrases
Es ist wichtig, dass... · Wenn ich Zeit hätte... · Was mich interessiert, ist... · nicht nur... sondern auch... · Es lohnt sich, ... zu (+ infinitive) Exam Technique — All Four Skills
Different papers need different strategies. Match yours to the question type.
Listening (Paper 1)
~50 minutes. Multiple-choice and short-answer questions.
Read all questions BEFORE the audio plays · Predict vocabulary · Listen for negatives, time markers, qualifiers You hear each section twice. Use the second listen to confirm details, not start from scratch.
Reading (Paper 2)
~1 hour. Short tasks and a longer text response.
Skim for gist → scan for specific information → read carefully for inference Beware false friends; pay attention to negation (kein/nicht) which flips meaning.
Speaking (Paper 3)
Role play + topic presentation + general conversation.
Role play tip
Prepare 2 sentences per cue. Use 'Ich möchte gerne...', 'Könnten Sie...', polite Sie forms Presentation
Plan a 1–2 minute presentation with intro, 3 ideas with examples, conclusion. Use a range of tenses + modal verbs. Conversation
Aim for at least one example each of: opinion, past tense, future tense, justification (weil-clause) Writing (Paper 4)
Short and longer written tasks.
Plan: introduction · 2–3 main points (each in different tense) · conclusion Range = different tenses · varied vocabulary · connectives (weil, dass, obwohl) · opinion + justification · conditional (würde + infinitive) Re-read your work: check word order (V2, verb-final), capital letters on nouns, case endings.
How to Use This Reference Sheet
Boost your Cambridge exam confidence with these proven study strategies from our tutoring experts.
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Speak Out Loud Daily
Even 10 minutes of speaking in German daily — about your day, opinions, plans — builds the fluency examiners reward in Paper 3.
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Build Topic Vocabulary Banks
For each of the 5 topics, build a list of 30+ words organised by sub-theme. Always note der/die/das with each new noun.
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Master Word Order Early
V2 rule, TMP order, and verb-final after weil/dass/obwohl. These three rules cover 90% of word-order errors at IGCSE.
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Listen to German Daily
Use Deutsche Welle's slow news, podcasts (e.g. Coffee Break German) or short YouTube videos. Ear training is the most-skipped revision step.
Reference Sheet FAQ
Quick answers about this free PDF and how to use it for exam revision and active recall.
Is the IGCSE German Reference Sheet 2026 free to download as a PDF?
Yes. This Tutopiya formula sheet is free to use and you can download it as a PDF from this page for offline revision. There is no payment or account required for the PDF download.
What German topics and equations does this formula sheet cover?
This page groups key German formulas in one place for revision. Master Cambridge IGCSE German (0525) with this 2026 reference sheet. Covers verb conjugations, the four cases, word order, modal verbs, the five topic areas and exam technique for listening, reading, writing and speak… Always cross-check with your official syllabus and past papers for your exam session.
Can I use this instead of the official exam formula booklet in the exam?
No. In the exam you must follow only what your exam board allows in the hall—usually the official formula booklet or data sheet where provided. This page is a revision and teaching aid, not a replacement for board-issued materials.
Who is this formula sheet for (Secondary)?
It is written for students preparing for assessments at Secondary in German, including classroom revision, homework support, and independent study. Teachers and tutors can also share it as a quick reference.
How should I revise with this formula sheet?
Work through past paper questions, quote the correct formula before substituting values, and check units and notation every time. Pair this sheet with timed practice and mark schemes so you see how examiners expect working to be set out.
Where can I get more help with German revision?
Explore Tutopiya’s study tools, past paper finder, and revision checklists linked from our tools hub, or book a trial lesson with a subject specialist for personalised support alongside this formula reference.
Need Help with IGCSE German Cases & Speaking?
Practice Cambridge-style role plays, presentations and writing tasks with a native or near-native German tutor. We focus on cases, word order, tense range and exam technique.
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This reference sheet aligns with Cambridge Assessment International Education IGCSE German (0525) syllabus content for 2026 examinations.
Always include examples of past, present AND future tenses, plus at least one weil-clause (subordinate clause) in long writing answers.