Translation Both Ways: German and English
Practise German to English and English to German translation accuracy.
Practise it before the paper, not after
Free, interactive practice on the words and structures the examiner keeps asking for.
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CCEA translation practice
Translation is about meaning and accuracy. In German, word order, verb form and case can all change the final mark.
Key German
These sentence starters are useful in both translation directions.
Meaning and accuracy
A good translation keeps both the message and the grammar.
Check the meaning
Which option means I live?
- ich wohne
- ich fahre
- ich lerne
- ich möchte
Match German to meaning
- ich wohne
- ich fahre
- ich lerne
- ich möchte
- I live
- I travel
- I learn
- I would like
German word order
When translating into German, do not copy English word order blindly. Check the verb and any second verb element.
Complete the notes
Complete the translations: _____ means I live. _____ means I travel. _____ means I learn. _____ means I would like.
Build the translation
Order the German sentence: I would like to learn German.
- Ich
- möchte
- Deutsch
- lernen
Two accurate choices
Which TWO translation checks are useful?
- Check the verb form.
- Check word order.
- Ignore articles every time.
- Leave out unfamiliar-looking words.
Spot the evidence
Tap the TWO strong translation habits.
- Check the verb
- Keep the meaning
- Drop every article
- Copy English order every time
Choose the translation check
Pick the problem to fix.
- I live is written ich wohnen.
- I would like to learn German needs lernen at the end.
- The English says train but the German says Auto.
Translate with accuracy
Translate these ideas into German, then explain one accuracy choice you made.
- I live in a town
- I would like to learn German
- Explain one verb or word-order choice