This key facts covers Key rules at a glance 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 3 of 4 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📌 Key rules at a glance
- Meaning not word-for-word: translate the idea, not each individual word
- Verb-final clauses (weil/dass/wenn): reorder into natural English — subject → verb → rest
- Watch false friends: bekommen = get/receive; also = so/therefore; das Gift = poison
- Keep the tense: perfect tense → English past; werde → will
- Separable verbs: aufstehen → "get up" (prefix + stem = one verb meaning)
- Account for every element: do not drop a noun, adjective or time phrase
- Place names: use the English form where one exists (Köln → Cologne, München → Munich)
Practice questions for German to English translation technique
On AQA German Paper 3, how is the German-to-English translation task marked?
Translate this sentence into English: **Meine Schwester wohnt in Köln und sie spielt gern Fußball.**
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'.