This introduction covers Übersetzen ins Englische — Translating German into English within German to English translation technique for GCSE German. Revise German to English translation technique in Reading and Translation into English for GCSE German with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 1 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

🔄 Übersetzen ins Englische — Translating German into English

In the reading paper you translate a marked German passage into English. The skill is translating the MEANING, not word-for-word — and German word order means you will often need to reorder the sentence into natural English. Account for every key idea and you score the marks.

Practice questions for German to English translation technique

On AQA German Paper 3, how is the German-to-English translation task marked?

A. The passage is split into short sections, each worth marks for conveying the meaning accurately.
B. You must translate the whole passage perfectly to receive any marks.
C. Marks are awarded only if your English uses formal, literary language.
D. Each individual German word is marked — one mark per correct word.

1 markfoundation

Translate this sentence into English: **Meine Schwester wohnt in Köln und sie spielt gern Fußball.**

3 marksfoundation

Quick recall flashcards

Translate: 'Ich bekomme ein Geschenk.'

'I receive / get a present.' NOT 'I become a present.' — bekommen = to get/receive, never 'to become'. This is the most dangerous false friend in AQA translation.

Translate: 'Es gibt viele Möglichkeiten.'

'There are many possibilities / options.' Es gibt = 'there is' (singular) or 'there are' (plural) — choose which fits the noun that follows. Never translate literally as 'It gives'.

Übersetzen ins Englische — Translating German into English