German Learning - Der Froschkönig

I’m trying a new method after a while. I used ChatGPT to convert and analyze this old German tale. Then I will listen to the audiobook again and again. (This is the audiobook: link )

Prompt: When I send you a german paragraph, show me the translation while teaching me German grammar

Improved Prompt: When I provide you with a paragraph in German, I would like you to translate it into English while also teaching me about German grammar. In your response, please provide a detailed translation of the paragraph, explaining the grammar rules and structures used in each sentence. This should include information about verb conjugation, noun declension, word order, and any other relevant grammar topics. Please ensure that your explanation is clear and easy to understand, providing examples and clarifying any exceptions or special cases. Your goal is to help me improve my understanding of German grammar through the translation process.

Please note that your response should be flexible enough to accommodate different types of German paragraphs, allowing for various grammar topics to be covered. Your explanations should be informative and educational, encouraging an enhanced understanding of the language.

Der Froschkönig

In den alten Zeiten, wo das Wünschen noch geholfen hat, lebte ein König, dessen Töchter waren alle schön, aber die jüngste war so schön, dass selbst die Sonne, die doch so vieles gesehen hat, sich verwunderte, so oft sie ihr ins Gesicht schien.

Translation: In the old times, when wishing still had power, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful. However, the youngest was so beautiful that even the sun, which has seen so much, marveled every time it shone upon her face.

Grammar Breakdown:

Relative Clauses:
- “wo das Wünschen noch geholfen hat”: This clause is introduced by “wo”, meaning “when” in this context. The verb “hat” pairs with “geholfen” to indicate the perfect tense, translating to “had helped”.
- “dessen Töchter waren alle schön”: Here, “dessen” is a relative pronoun referring to the king, which translates to “whose”.
Adjective Inflection:
- “die jüngste”: “Jüngste” translates to “youngest”. The “-e” ending signifies that the noun it modifies (daughter) is feminine and in the nominative case.
Modal Verbs:
- “hat”: In the phrase “wo das Wünschen noch geholfen hat”, this is an auxiliary verb used with “geholfen” (helped) to form the perfect tense.
Conjunctions:
- “aber”: A coordinating conjunction meaning “but”, used here to introduce contrast.
- “so”: In “so schön”, it serves as a comparative conjunction, meaning “so” or “such”.
Reflexive Verbs:
- “sich verwunderte”: A reflexive verb meaning “was astonished”. The reflexive pronoun “sich” correlates with the subject “die Sonne”.

Let me know if you’d like to focus on any other aspects or if you have further questions!

Nahe bei dem Schlosse des Königs lag ein großer dunkler Wald, und in dem Walde unter einer alten Linde war ein Brunnen. Wenn nun der Tag recht heiß war, so ging das Königskind hinaus in den Wald. Dann setzte es sich an den Rand des kühlen Brunnens, und wenn es Langeweile hatte, so nahm es eine goldene Kugel, warf sie in die Höhe und fing sie wieder; und das war ihr liebstes Spielwerk.

Translation: Close to the king’s castle, there was a large, dark forest, and in the forest, beneath an old linden tree, there was a well. When the day was really hot, the royal child would go out into the forest. Then she would sit on the edge of the cool well, and if she was bored, she would take a golden ball, throw it up into the air, and catch it again; and that was her favorite toy.

Grammar Breakdown:

Prepositions and Locative Cases:
- “Nahe bei dem Schlosse”: “Nahe bei” is a prepositional phrase meaning “close to.” “Dem Schlosse” is dative because “bei” requires the dative case.
- “in dem Walde”: “In” can govern either accusative or dative. Here, it’s dative (dem Walde) because it indicates a location where something exists rather than movement.
Relative Clauses:
- “der Tag recht heiß war”: “der” refers to “Tag” and begins a relative clause that provides additional information about the day.
Conjunctions:
- “und”: This is a coordinating conjunction meaning “and.”
- “wenn”: A subordinating conjunction meaning “when” or “if”, used to describe conditions or circumstances.
Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns:
- “setzte es sich”: This is a reflexive verb construction. “Es” is the pronoun representing the “Königskind” (royal child), and “sich setzen” means “to sit oneself down.”
Imperfect Tense:
- “war”, “ging”, “setzte”, “hatte”, “nahm”, “warf”, and “fing”: These verbs are in the imperfect tense, commonly used for past events in narration.
Infinitive Clauses:
- “warf sie in die Höhe und fing sie wieder”: “warf” and “fing” are verbs indicating the actions the royal child took with the ball. The infinitive “werfen” means “to throw”, and “fangen” means “to catch”.
Noun Gender and Cases:
- “ein großer dunkler Wald”: “Wald” is masculine (der Wald). The adjective “großer” is in the nominative masculine form to agree with “Wald.”
- “einer alten Linde”: “Linde” is feminine (die Linde). “Einer” and “alten” are in the dative feminine form because of the preposition “unter.”
Diminutives:
- “Spielwerk”: This isn’t a direct diminutive but rather a noun derived from “spielen” (to play). It means “toy” in this context.

This paragraph paints a serene picture, setting a calm before the eventful story unfolds. It showcases many typical structures in German grammar. If you have further questions or want to delve deeper into any aspect, let me know!

“Nun trug es sich einmal zu, dass die goldene Kugel der Königstochter nicht in ihr Händchen fiel, das sie in die Höhe gehalten hatte, sondern vorbei auf die Erde schlug und geradezu ins Wasser hineinrollte. Die Königstochter folgte ihr mit den Augen nach, aber die Kugel verschwand, und der Brunnen war tief – so tief, dass man keinen Grund sah. Da fing sie an zu weinen und weinte immer lauter und konnte sich gar nicht trösten.”

Translation: Once it happened that the golden ball of the princess did not fall into her little hand, which she had held up high, but instead struck the ground and rolled straight into the water. The princess followed it with her eyes, but the ball disappeared, and the well was deep - so deep that one couldn’t see the bottom. She then began to cry and cried louder and louder and couldn’t console herself at all.

Grammar Breakdown:

Reflexive Verbs and Phrases:
- “es sich zutragen”: This is a reflexive phrase that means “it happened.” In this context, “Nun trug es sich einmal zu” can be translated as “Once it happened.”
- “sich trösten”: Means “to console oneself.” In the sentence, “konnte sich gar nicht trösten” means “couldn’t console herself at all.”
Relative Clauses:
- “das sie in die Höhe gehalten hatte”: This is a relative clause providing more information about “ihr Händchen” (her little hand). “Das” is a relative pronoun referring back to “Händchen,” and “hatte” works with “gehalten” to form the past perfect tense.
Conjunctions:
- “sondern”: This is a coordinating conjunction that means “but” or “but rather.” It’s used here to introduce contrast between the expected action (the ball falling into her hand) and what actually happened.
- “dass”: Introduces a subordinate clause. In this paragraph, it’s used twice: once to introduce the main event (the ball not falling into her hand) and later to describe the depth of the well.
Adverbs:
- “geradezu”: This adverb means “straight” or “directly.” It emphasizes the direct path the ball took into the water.
Imperfect Tense:
- “fing an” and “konnte”: These verbs are in the imperfect tense, a tense often used for narration in German literature. “Fing an” is from “anfangen” (to begin), and “konnte” is the imperfect form of “können” (can).
Comparative Constructions:
- “so tief, dass”: This construction means “so deep that,” emphasizing the depth of the well.
Diminutive Form:
- “Händchen”: This is a diminutive form of “Hand” (hand). In German, the suffix “-chen” is added to nouns to indicate something is smaller or endearing.

This paragraph provides a clear narrative sequence and employs a rich descriptive language. It’s a great paragraph to analyze for understanding German grammar intricacies. Let me know if you have any questions or need further clarification on any points!

“Und wie sie so klagte, rief ihr jemand zu: „Was hast Du vor, Königstochter, Du schreist ja, dass sich ein Stein erbarmen möchte.“ Sie sah sich um, woher die Stimme käme, da erblickte sie einen Frosch, der seinen dicken hässlichen Kopf aus dem Wasser streckte.”

Alright, let’s break this paragraph down:

Translation: “And as she lamented, someone called out to her: ‘What are you doing, king’s daughter? You’re crying out so that even a stone might pity you.’ She looked around to see where the voice came from, and she saw a frog stretching its thick, ugly head out of the water.”

Now, let’s delve into the grammar:

Conjunctions and Word Order:
- “Und” is a coordinating conjunction meaning “and.” German sentences often start with such conjunctions.
- “wie” translates to “as” in this context, introducing a subordinate clause. The verb, “klagte,” is moved to the end of this subordinate clause because of the word order rule in German subordinate clauses.
Modal Verbs:
- “möchte” is the subjunctive form of the modal verb “mögen” which means “to like” but here it means “might” indicating possibility or wish. It’s used with the verb “erbarmen” (to pity) to express the idea of “might pity.”
Infinitive Constructions:
- “Was hast Du vor” translates as “What are you doing?” Here, “vorhaben” is a separable verb which, when used in a question, gets separated with “vor” positioned at the end. But in this instance, it’s just “hast Du vor” without the main verb because it’s inferred.
Relative Clauses:
- “der seinen dicken hässlichen Kopf aus dem Wasser streckte” is a relative clause. The relative pronoun “der” (which refers to the frog, “Frosch”) introduces more information about the noun it refers to.
Adjectives and Declension:
- “hässlichen” is the declined form of “hässlich” (ugly). Since “Kopf” is masculine (der Kopf) and in the accusative case here, the adjective takes the “-en” ending. This is an example of adjective declension, where the ending of the adjective changes based on the gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies.
Reflexive Verbs:
- “sich umsehen” means “to look around.” It’s reflexive, meaning the action is something the subject does to herself. In the sentence, “Sie sah sich um,” it’s in the simple past, so “sah” is the past tense of “sehen” (to see) and “sich um” is the reflexive part indicating “around.”
Noun Declension:
- Words like “Königstochter” (king’s daughter) are compound nouns. They’re created by combining two nouns. The gender of the compound noun is determined by the last noun in the compound. In this case, “Tochter” (daughter) is feminine, so “Königstochter” is also feminine.

Remember, German grammar has a lot of moving parts, but as you continuously practice and delve deeper into these concepts, they’ll start to become more intuitive. Let me know if you’d like to dive into any other sentences or if you have further questions!

“Ach, Du bist es, alter Wasserpatscher“, sagte sie. „Ich weine über meine goldene Kugel, die mir in den Brunnen hinabgefallen ist.“ „Sei still und weine nicht“, antwortete der Frosch. „Ich kann wohl Rat schaffen, aber was gibst Du mir, wenn ich Dein Spielwerk wieder heraufhole?”

Translation: “Ah, it’s you, old water-splasher,” she said. “I’m crying over my golden ball, which has fallen down into the well.” “Be quiet and don’t cry,” replied the frog. “I can probably help, but what will you give me if I fetch your toy back up?”

Grammar Breakdown:

Interjections and Exclamations:
- “Ach”: This is an exclamation, often used to express surprise or realization.
Diminutive and Compound Words:
- “Wasserpatscher”: A compound word made up of “Wasser” (water) and “Patscher” (a playful term for someone who splashes), roughly translating to “water-splasher.”
Past Perfect Tense:
- “hinabgefallen ist”: This is the past perfect form of “hinabfallen” (to fall down). The verb “ist” (is) is used as an auxiliary with the past participle “hinabgefallen” to indicate that the action has been completed.
Imperative Form:
- “Sei still”: “Sei” is the imperative form of the verb “sein” (to be). Here, it’s used as a command to mean “be quiet.”
Subordinating Conjunctions and Relative Pronouns:
- “die”: In “die mir in den Brunnen hinabgefallen ist”, “die” is a relative pronoun referring back to the “goldene Kugel” (golden ball). The clause provides additional information about the ball.
- “wenn”: This is a subordinating conjunction meaning “if”, introducing a conditional clause about fetching the toy.
Modal Verbs:
- “kann”: This is the verb “können” in its present form, meaning “can” or “to be able to”. Here, “Ich kann wohl Rat schaffen” can be translated as “I can probably help” or “I might be able to advise.”
Reflexive Pronouns:
- “mir” in “die mir in den Brunnen hinabgefallen ist”: Here, “mir” (to me) is a dative reflexive pronoun indicating possession or association with the subject “Ich” (I). The ball has fallen into the well, affecting the princess.
Possessive Pronouns:
- “meine” and “Dein”: “Meine” (my) refers to the golden ball belonging to the princess, while “Dein” (your) refers to the toy belonging to the same. They both match in gender and case with the nouns they modify.

This passage provides a vivid dialogue, highlighting the interaction between the princess and the frog. By understanding the grammar structures here, you can better appreciate the dynamics of German conversational narratives. Let me know if you’d like any further elaboration or clarification!

“Was Du haben willst, lieber Frosch“, sagte sie. „Meine Kleider, meine Perlen und Edelsteine, auch noch die goldene Krone, die ich trage.”

Translation: “What you desire, dear frog,” she said. “My clothes, my pearls and precious stones, even the golden crown that I wear.”

Grammar Breakdown:

Relative Clauses and Future Tense:
- “Was Du haben willst”: The word “was” here introduces a relative clause that refers to the unspecified thing(s) the frog might want. The verb phrase “haben willst” is a future construction using the modal verb “wollen” (to want) combined with “haben” (to have).
Vocative Expressions:
- “lieber Frosch”: The word “lieber” is an endearing adjective meaning “dear”, and it’s being used in the vocative case here to directly address the frog.
Possessive Pronouns:
- “Meine”: This possessive pronoun means “my” and denotes ownership. It agrees in gender and case with the nouns it modifies: “Kleider” (clothes, plural), “Perlen” (pearls, feminine) and “Edelsteine” (precious stones, masculine plural).
Conjunctions:
- “auch”: This conjunction means “also” or “even” and emphasizes inclusion.
Present Tense:
- “trage”: The verb “tragen” (to wear) is in the present tense. “Die goldene Krone, die ich trage” describes the golden crown the princess is currently wearing.

This snippet from “Der Froschkönig” shows the princess offering her most prized possessions in exchange for the frog’s help. It demonstrates several elements of German grammar, especially in how possession and offers are framed in the language. If you’d like any more explanations or another breakdown, let me know!

“Der Frosch antwortete: „Deine Kleider, Deine Perlen und Edelsteine, und Deine goldene Krone, die mag ich nicht; aber wenn Du mich liebhaben willst, und ich soll Dein Geselle und Spielkamerad sein, an Deinem Tischlein neben dir sitzen, von Deinem goldenen Tellerlein essen, aus Deinem Becherlein trinken, in Deinem Bettlein schlafen. Wenn Du mir das versprichst, so will ich hinuntersteigen und Dir die goldene Kugel wieder heraufholen.”

Translation: “The frog replied: ‘Your clothes, your pearls and precious stones, and your golden crown, I do not desire; but if you will love me and let me be your companion and playmate, sit beside you at your little table, eat from your little golden plate, drink from your little cup, and sleep in your little bed. If you promise me this, I will go down and fetch your golden ball back up for you.‘”

Grammar Breakdown:

Nominative Pronouns:
- “Der Frosch”: This is the subject of the sentence, so it’s in the nominative case.
Possessive Pronouns:
- “Deine” and “Dein”: These possessive pronouns both mean “your.” They modify and agree in gender and case with the nouns they’re attached to.
Negation:
- “nicht”: This word means “not” and is used to negate a verb or noun. Here it negates the verb “mag” (like) to convey that the frog does not want the princess’s possessions.
Conjunctions:
- “aber”: This conjunction means “but” and is used to contrast the frog’s initial refusal with his actual demands.
- “wenn”: This word means “if” and introduces a conditional clause.
Modal Verbs and Future Construction:
- “willst” and “will”: Both are forms of the verb “wollen” (to want). The first is used with “liebhaben” (to love) in a future construction, indicating a future intention or wish. The second states the frog’s intention to fetch the ball if the conditions are met.
Infinitive Clauses:
- “hinuntersteigen” and “heraufholen”: Both are infinitive forms of verbs, meaning “to descend” and “to fetch up” respectively. They are used at the end of the sentence after the modal verb “will” (want), a common structure in German.
Diminutives:
- Words like “Tischlein”, “Tellerlein”, “Becherlein”, and “Bettlein” are diminutives. The “-lein” suffix is used to indicate something is small or endearing.

This passage gives insight into the frog’s true desires. He’s not interested in material wealth but in companionship and love. The grammar used here, especially the conditional statements and use of diminutives, helps convey both the frog’s demands and the intimate, familiar setting he envisions. Would you like to delve deeper into any particular aspect?

„Ach ja“, sagte sie. „Ich verspreche Dir alles, was Du willst, wenn Du mir nur die Kugel wiederbringst.“ Sie dachte aber: „Was der einfältige Frosch schwätzt, der sitzt im Wasser bei seinesgleichen und quakt, und kann keines Menschen Geselle sein.“

Translation: “Oh yes,” she said. “I promise you everything you want if you just bring back my ball.” But she thought to herself: “What silly nonsense the simple-minded frog is talking! He sits in the water with his own kind, croaking, and can’t possibly be a human’s companion.”

Grammar Breakdown:

Interjections and Exclamations:
- “Ach ja”: These are interjections, expressing a reaction or emotion. “Ach” is an exclamation of exasperation, while “ja” (yes) conveys agreement.
Direct Speech:
- The first two sentences are in direct speech, indicated by the quotation marks.
Conditional Statements:
- “wenn”: This conjunction means “if” and introduces a conditional clause. It’s followed by the verb “wiederbringst” (bring back), which is a separable prefix verb.
Conjugated Verbs:
- “verspreche”: This verb means “promise” and is conjugated in the first person singular form. “Denke” (think) and “schwätzt” (talks) are also conjugated verbs.
Indirect Speech and Subjunctive:
- “Sie dachte aber”: This means “But she thought.” The word “aber” (but) is used as a conjunction to introduce a contrast. The following sentences express what the princess thought, making it indirect speech. The verb “schwätzt” (talks) is in the subjunctive mood, which often happens in indirect speech to express the speaker’s attitude or doubt.
Pronouns:
- “Was” (what) and “der” (the) are relative pronouns introducing clauses. “Was der einfältige Frosch schwätzt” is a relative clause modifying “Was” (what), while “der sitzt” modifies “Frosch” (frog).
Adjectives and Comparatives:
- “einfältige”: This adjective means “simple-minded” and agrees in gender and case with “Frosch” (frog).
- “seinesgleichen”: This word means “his own kind” and is a comparative form of “seine” (his). It indicates that the frog belongs to a group similar to him.
Conjunctions and Subordinating Conjunctions:
- “und”: This conjunction means “and” and is used to link similar ideas.
- “aber”: This conjunction means “but” and is used to introduce contrasting information.
- “und kann”: This is a conjunction (and) followed by a verb (can), indicating ability or possibility.

This paragraph highlights the princess’s disbelief in the frog’s request. Despite her promise, she doubts the frog could ever be a human companion. The use of direct and indirect speech, as well as conditional statements, helps emphasize the princess’s thoughts and feelings. If you’d like to dive deeper into any particular aspect, please let me know!

Der Frosch, als er die Zusage erhalten hatte, tauchte seinen Kopf unter, sank hinab und über ein Weilchen kam er wieder heraufgerudert, hatte die Kugel im Maul und warf sie ins Gras.

Translation: The frog, having received the promise, dipped his head under the water, sank down, and after a while came back up, paddling, had the ball in his mouth and threw it onto the grass.

Grammar Breakdown:

Nominative Pronouns:
- “Der Frosch”: The subject of the sentence, so it’s in the nominative case.
Participle phrases:
- “als er die Zusage erhalten hatte”: This phrase introduces the main clause. “Als” (when) is a subordinating conjunction, “er” (he) is the subject, “die Zusage” (the promise) is the direct object in the accusative case, and “erhalten hatte” (had received) is a compound verb in the past perfect tense, which is formed by using the auxiliary verb “haben” (had) and the past participle “erhalten” (received).
Verbs and Actions:
- “tauchte”, “sank”, “kam”, “hatte”, “warf”: These are all conjugated verbs in the past tense (simple past) that narrate the frog’s actions.
- “tauchte seinen Kopf unter”: This phrase means “dipped his head under”. The verb “tauchte” (dipped) is used transitively with “seinen Kopf” (his head) as the object in the accusative case. “Unter” (under) is a preposition indicating where the action took place.
- “sank hinab”: This means “sank down”. “Hinab” is an adverb modifying the verb “sank”, adding direction to the action.
- “kam wieder heraufgerudert”: This means “came back up paddling”. “Wieder” (again) is an adverb, while “heraufgerudert” (paddled up) is a separable prefix verb in the past participle form. The prefix “herauf-” indicates the direction of the action.
- “hatte die Kugel im Maul”: This means “had the ball in his mouth”. “Die Kugel” (the ball) is the object in the accusative case, “im” is a contraction of “in dem” (in the) and indicates where the ball is, and “Maul” (mouth) is the object in the dative case.
- “warf sie ins Gras”: This means “threw it onto the grass”. “Sie” (it) is the object in the accusative case, “ins” is a contraction of “in das” (onto the), and “Gras” (grass) is the object in the accusative case.
Time Expressions:
- “über ein Weilchen”: This means “after a while”. “Über” (after) is a preposition, and “ein Weilchen” (a little while) is a diminutive form of “eine Weile” (a while).

In this paragraph, the story describes the frog’s actions in fulfilling his promise to the princess. The verbs and time expressions used here help convey the sequence of events and the frog’s determination to keep his word. If you have any further questions or need clarification on any specific points, please let me know!

Die Königstochter war voll Freude, als sie ihr schönes Spielwerk wiedererblickte, hob es auf und sprang damit fort. „Warte, warte“, rief der Frosch. „Nimm mich mit, ich kann nicht so laufen wie Du.“ Aber was half ihm, dass er ihr sein „Quak, Quak“ so laut nachschrie, als er konnte! Sie hörte nicht darauf, eilte nach Haus und hatte bald den armen Frosch vergessen, der wieder in seinen Brunnen hinabsteigen musste.

Translation: The king’s daughter was full of joy when she saw her beautiful toy again, picked it up, and ran off with it. “Wait, wait,” called the frog, “Take me with you, I can’t run like you.” But what use was it for him to shout his “croak, croak” as loudly as he could! She didn’t listen, hurried home, and soon forgot the poor frog who had to descend back into his well.

Grammar Breakdown:

Nominative Pronouns:
- “Die Königstochter”: The subject of the sentence, in the nominative case.
- “der Frosch”: The subject of the sentence, in the nominative case.
Accusative Pronouns:
- “es”: It’s the direct object in the accusative case. Refers to the golden ball.
Dative Pronouns:
- “ihm”: It’s the indirect object in the dative case. Refers to the frog.
Verbs and Actions:
- “war”: Was (past tense of sein - to be).
- “erblickte”: Saw (past tense of erblicken - to see).
- “hob … auf”: Picked up (past tense of aufheben - to pick up).
- “sprang … fort”: Ran off (past tense of fortspringen - to run off).
- “rief”: Called (past tense of rufen - to call).
- “nimm … mit”: Take with (imperative form of mitnehmen - to take with).
- “kann”: Can (present tense of können - to be able to).
- “half”: Helped (past tense of helfen - to help).
- “schrie … nach”: Shouted after (past tense of nachschreien - to shout after).
- “hörte … darauf”: Listened to (past tense of daraufhören - to listen to).
- “eilte”: Hurried (past tense of eilen - to hurry).
- “hatte … vergessen”: Had forgotten (past tense of vergessen - to forget).
- “musste … hinabsteigen”: Had to descend (past tense of hinabsteigen - to descend).
Time Expressions:
- “als”: When (subordinating conjunction).
- “bald”: Soon (adverb).
Adjectives:
- “voll Freude”: Full of joy.
- “schönes Spielwerk”: Beautiful toy.
- “armer Frosch”: Poor frog.

In this paragraph, the story tells us how the princess, once she got her ball back, ran off without fulfilling her promise to the frog. It provides insight into the princess’s character and sets up the conflict for the next part of the story. The verbs and adjectives are essential in this passage as they add emotion to the scene, making it more engaging for the readers.

Am andern Tage, als sie mit dem König und allen Hofleuten sich zur Tafel gesetzt hatte und von ihrem goldenen Tellerlein aß, da kam, „plitsch, platsch, plitsch, platsch“, etwas die Marmortreppe heraufgekrochen, und als es oben angelangt war, klopfte es an der Tür und rief: „Königstochter, jüngste, mach mir auf!“

Translation: The next day, as she sat at the table with the king and all the courtiers and ate from her golden plate, there came a “splish, splash, splish, splash,” something creeping up the marble stairs, and when it had reached the top, it knocked at the door and called, “King’s daughter, youngest, open the door for me!”

Grammar Breakdown:

Nominative Pronouns:
- “sie”: She is the subject of the sentence in the nominative case. Refers to the king’s daughter.
- “etwas”: Something is the subject of the sentence in the nominative case.
Accusative Pronouns:
- “es”: It’s the direct object in the accusative case. Refers to the something that was creeping up.
Verbs and Actions:
- “gesetzt hatte”: Had sat (past perfect tense of setzen - to sit).
- “aß”: Ate (past tense of essen - to eat).
- “kam”: Came (past tense of kommen - to come).
- “heraufgekrochen”: Crept up (past participle of heraufkriechen - to creep up).
- “angelangt war”: Had arrived (past perfect tense of anlangen - to arrive).
- “klopfte”: Knocked (past tense of klopfen - to knock).
- “rief”: Called (past tense of rufen - to call).
- “mach … auf”: Open (imperative form of aufmachen - to open).
Time Expressions:
- “Am andern Tage”: The next day.
- “als”: When (subordinating conjunction).
Prepositions:
- “mit”: With (preposition).
- “an”: At (preposition).
- “von”: From (preposition).
- “die”: The (definite article).
- “und”: And (coordinating conjunction).
Adjectives:
- “Marmortreppe”: Marble stairs.
- “goldenen Tellerlein”: Golden plate.
- “jüngste”: Youngest (superlative adjective).
Onomatopoeic words:
- “plitsch, platsch”: Splish, splash (onomatopoeic words representing the sound of footsteps in water).

This paragraph describes the arrival of the frog, who comes to claim the princess’s promise. The actions and the sounds of the frog moving towards the princess are described vividly through the use of verbs, adjectives, and onomatopoeic words. The use of prepositions and time expressions is also essential in this passage as they help establish the sequence of events. The grammar structures in this paragraph are key in building suspense and anticipation for the unfolding story.

Sie lief und wollte sehen, wer draußen wäre. Als sie aber aufmachte, so saß der Frosch davor. Da warf sie die Tür hastig zu, setzte sich wieder an den Tisch, und es war ihr ganz angst.

Translation: She ran and wanted to see who was outside. But when she opened the door, the frog was sitting there. Then she hastily closed the door, sat down again at the table, and she was very afraid.

Grammar Breakdown:

Nominative Pronouns:
- “sie”: She is the subject of the sentence in the nominative case. Refers to the king’s daughter.
- “es”: It is the subject of the sentence in the nominative case. Refers to a feeling of fear.
- “der Frosch”: The frog is the subject of the sentence in the nominative case.
Accusative Pronouns:
- “die Tür”: The door is the direct object in the accusative case.
Verbs and Actions:
- “lief”: Ran (past tense of laufen - to run).
- “wollte sehen”: Wanted to see (past tense of wollen - to want + infinitive of sehen - to see).
- “aufmachte”: Opened (past tense of aufmachen - to open).
- “saß”: Sat (past tense of sitzen - to sit).
- “warf zu”: Closed (past tense of zutun - to close; here “warf zu” is used to express the action of closing quickly).
- “setzte”: Sat (past tense of setzen - to sit).
- “war”: Was (past tense of sein - to be).
Adjectives:
- “hastig”: Hasty.
- “ganz”: Very.
- “angst”: Afraid.
Prepositions and Conjunctions:
- “und”: And (coordinating conjunction).
- “aber”: But (coordinating conjunction).
- “da”: Then (adverb).
- “wieder”: Again (adverb).
- “an”: At (preposition).
Subordinating Conjunction:
- “als”: When.
Negation:
- “so”: Thus (conjunction, indicating a result).

This paragraph describes the princess’s reaction to the frog’s arrival. The actions of the princess and her feelings are described using verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. The use of prepositions and conjunctions is crucial in this paragraph as they help establish the sequence of events and the logical relationships between the actions. The grammar structures in this paragraph are key in depicting the princess’s surprise and fear at the sight of the frog.

to be continued…