Skip to main content
Humanities LibreTexts

10.6.1.7: Narration/Erzählung

  • Page ID
    108512
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    ( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

    \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

    \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

    \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

    \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

    \(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)

    Adverbs:Das Adverb - Narration

    Adverbs provide information about how, where, when, to what degree, or how often an action takes place. They modify verbs or adjectives or other adverbs. They are also used to connect thoughts (and sentences) to form longer narratives, such as establishing a chronological sequence or cause-and-effect relationships. Keep in mind that the verb comes immediately after a sentence-initial adverb of time – and that, unlike in English, is NOT separated by a comma!

    Eines Morgens trinken die alte Hexe und die böse Königin Kaffee und essen Mohnstriezel. Auf einmal sagt die alte Hexe: "Ich habe neulich im Internet gesurft und habe ein Bild von unserem Schloss gesehen. Wusstest du, dass es hier eine Folterkammer gibt? Mit einem Skelett?" One morning the old witch and the evil queen are drinking coffee and eating a poppy seed pastry. Suddenly, the old witch says: the other day I was surfing in the Internet and saw a picture of our castle. Did you know there is a torture chamber here? With a skeleton?

    adv_03_01_pensive-witch.gif

    For chronological accuracy, German relies more heavily on adverbs than on verb tenses. People in Germany will be quite confused if you misuse adverbs. Using adverbs accurately is an important step toward being able to communicate effectively in German.

    1. To begin with ...

    (zu)erst => at first   damals => back then
    anfangs => in the beginning   einmal => one time
    am Anfang => in the beginning   neulich => the other day
    eines Morgens => one morning   eines Tages => one day
    eines Abends => one evening   früher => back in the day

    die böse Königin Tja, es ist mir zu Ohren gekommen, am Anfang waren nur wir, die Märchenfiguren, im Schloss. Aber eines Tages hat der Karikaturist eine Folterkammer und ein Skelett gezeichnet, was unsere Autoren ganz lustig gefunden haben! Tja, über Geschmack lässt sich nicht streiten. Well, as I heard it through the grapevine, at first, we - the fairy tale characters - were the only ones in this castle, but one day the cartoonist drew a torture chamber and a skeleton, which our authors found really funny! There is no accounting for taste.

    2. Action in the middle

    dann => then mittlerweile => meanwhile
    zunächst => next, then als nächstes => then
    danach => afterwards bald/kurz darauf => soon/shortly (thereafter)
    anschließend => afterwards daraufhin => as a result
    auf einmal => suddenly plötzlich => suddenly
    nachher => afterwards später => later on
    vorher => beforehand da => at that moment
    bis dahin => up until then immer noch => still
    inzwischen => in the meantime unterdessen => meanwhile
    jetzt => now      

    adv_03_02_skeleton-hanno.gif

    die alte Hexe Auf einmal taucht ein Skelett in unserem Schloss auf und niemand informiert uns? Suddenly a skeleton appears in our castle and nobody informs us?
    die böse Königin Siehst du, so ist das. Danach mussten unsere Autoren seine Anwesenheit natürlich erklären, und für ihn eine Lebensgeschichte erfinden. Das haben sie mittlerweile gemacht, und jetzt werden wir beide dafür ausgenutzt, diesen Charakter darzustellen. See how it is here? Then, of course, our authors had to explain his presence and come up with a life story for him. They've done that in the meantime, and now we are both being exploited to present this dude.

    3. Concluding adverbs

    schließlich => eventually, in the end   zuletzt => at last, last
    zum Schluss => in the end   seitdem => since then
    am Ende => at the end        

    die alte Hexe Naja, was können wir tun? Schließlich müssen wir machen, was sie uns vorschreiben. Oh well, what can we do? In the end, we have to do what they dictate us to do.

    Adverbs as conjunctions

    Apart from these time-markers, you can also use adverbs to connect sentences: either similarly to coordinating and subordinating conjunctions or just thematically across sentence boundaries (in narration, for example).

    1. Additional information

    außerdem => besides, moreover, what's more

    2. Explanation

    deswegen => that's why   aus diesem Grund => therefore
    darum => therefore   deshalb => therefore, thus
    daher => therefore   eigentlich => actually, for all intents and purposes

    3. Contrast

    dennoch => nevertheless   stattdessen => instead of that
    trotzdem => in spite of that  

    die alte Hexe Na und? Wer war er denn? So? Who was he then?
    die böse Königin Aha, laut der Geschichte war er ein revolutionärer Dichter in Ostberlin in den 60er Jahren. Aus diesem Grund wurde er von der Staatspolizei verfolgt. Er hätte eigentlich ins Exil gehen können, aber er wollte lieber in Deutschland bleiben. Später wurde er verhaftet und hier eingesperrt. Außerdem - was unseren Autoren ganz gelegen kam - hat man ihn nach der Wende völlig vergessen, und so ist es dann passiert, dass er jetzt in unserer Folterkammer einfach - sozusagen - herumgammelt! Ahha, ich bin so geistreich! Aha, according to the story, he was a revolutionary poet in East Berlin in the 60s. Because of this he was pursued by the State police. He actually could have gone into exile, but he wanted to stay in Germany. Later he was arrested and locked up here. What's more - and this is quite convenient for our authors - they just forgot about him after the system change, and so it happened that he is now - so to say - hanging around in our torture chamber! Ah, I am so witty!

    This page titled 10.6.1.7: Narration/Erzählung is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Zsuzsanna Abrams and co-workers (Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning) .

    • Was this article helpful?