German Vocabulary: Colors and Shapes in a German Lesson Plan
Getting Started
German language learners must learn basic vocabulary including colors and shapes as a foundation for learning grammar and syntax. Before class begins, print out enough copies of the German Word List Shapes and Colors Vocabulary List for each student. At the beginning of class, read over the German vocabulary list with the students by reading each vocabulary word aloud and having the entire class repeat after you. Once the students are confident in their knowledge of the majority of the vocabulary, move onto the “Was sind die Farben und die Formen?” activity.
Was Sind die Farben und die Formen?
The “Was sind die Farben und die Formen?” (What are the colors and the shapes?) activity teaches German students to ask and answer questions about shapes and colors. Before class begins, create multiple decks of cards with images of shapes of various colors. For example, one card may display a blue square and another a purple pyramid.
Divide the class into small groups of two to three students. Each student should take turns asking the other students in the small groups the questions about the colored shape cards. For example, the first student might hold up the card of the green cone and ask Was ist die Farbe? “What is this color?” to which the other students would reply Die Farbe ist grün “The color is green.” The first student would then ask Und was is die Form? “And what is this shape?” to which the other students would answer Sie ist ein Kegel “It is a cone.”
Die Fragen und die Antworten – Questions and Answers
- Was ist die Farbe? – What is this color?
- Die Farbe ist… – The color is…
- Sie ist… – It (the color) is…
- Was ist die Form? – What is this shape?
- Die Form is… – The shape is…
- Sie ist… – It (the shape) is…
Die Farben
Colors in German and English:
- beige – beige
- blau – blue
- braun – brown
- gelb – yellow
- gold – gold
- grau – gray
- grün – green
- karmesinrot – crimson
- lila – purple
- magenta – magenta
- orange – orange
- rosa – pink
- rot – red
- schwarz – black
- silber – silver
- türkis – turquoise
- violet – violet
- weiß – white
Color-related words:
- dunkel – dark
- hell – light
- pastellfarben – pastel
Die Formen
Shapes in German and English:
- der Halbkreis – semicircle
- der Kegel – cone
- der Kreis – circle
- der Punkt – dot, point
- der Rhombus – rhombus, diamond
- der Stern – star
- das Viereck – square
- der Würfel – cube
- der Zylinder – cylinder
- das Achteck – octagon
- das Fünfeck – pentagon
- das Herz – heart
- das Dreieck – triangle
- das Oval – oval
- das Sechseck – hexagon
- das Quadrat – square
- das Rechteck – rectangle
- das Zickzack – zigzag
- die Halbkugel – hemisphere
- die Kugel – sphere
- die Pyramide – pyramid
- die Spirale – spiral
Printable Download
The accompanying printable vocabulary sheet of colors and shapes in German is available for download at German Word List Shapes and Colors Vocabulary List.
