Natural meaning: Do not use more resources, effort, or complexity than necessary. The older spelling muß is normally written muss in modern German.
Tap any German word in the table to hear it separately.
Imagine a huge toolbox, but the job needs only one small wrench.
Wenig = little · viel = much. The contrast is the key to remembering the sentence.
| German | Pronunciation | English | Grammar / memory |
|---|---|---|---|
| /vas/ | what / that which | Here: “what / whatever” | |
| /mɪt/ | with | preposition + dative | |
| /ˈveːnɪɡəm/ | little / few | dative of wenig; capitalized because used as a noun | |
| /ɡəˈtaːn/ | done | past participle of tun | |
| /ˈveːɐ̯dn̩/ | be / become | used to form the passive | |
| /kan/ | can | 3rd person singular of können | |
| /mʊs/ | must / needs to | old spelling; modern: muss | |
| /nɪçt/ | not | negation | |
| /mɪt/ | with | same word again | |
| /ˈfiːləm/ | much / a lot | opposite of Wenigem | |
| /ɡəˈtaːn/ | done | repeat = easy anchor | |
| /ˈveːɐ̯dn̩/ | be / become | passive infinitive |
Tip: type one perfect sentence, then press Enter. A correct repetition is counted automatically.
Tap the chunks in the correct order.
Match German with English. Try to clear all eight cards.