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Lesson 14.56A1

Basic Jobs & Occupations

அடிப்படை தொழில்கள்

Naming your job is part of every self-introduction — and German, like Tamil, usually doesn't need an article in front of the profession itself.

Grammar Comparison

இலக்கண ஒப்பீடு

No article needed before a profession

German

Ich bin Lehrer. (I am a teacher — NOT 'Ich bin ein Lehrer')

Tamil

நான் ஆசிரியர். (I teacher — no article needed either, since Tamil has no articles at all)

German usually drops the indefinite article ein/eine when stating a profession after sein ('to be') — Ich bin Lehrer, not Ich bin ein Lehrer. This is one of the few places German's grammar simplifies down to Tamil's own habit, since Tamil never uses articles in the first place. Watch for the exception: the moment you add a describing adjective, the article returns — Ich bin ein guter Lehrer ('I am a good teacher').

Vocabulary

சொற்கள்

GermanPronunciationTamilEnglish
der Lehrer / die Lehrerindair LAIR-er / dee LAIR-er-inஆசிரியர்āsiriyarteacher
der Arzt / die Ärztindair ahrtst / dee AIRTS-tinமருத்துவர்maruthuvardoctor
der Student / die Studentindair shtoo-DENT / dee shtoo-DEN-tinமாணவர்māṇavarstudent
der Ingenieur / die Ingenieurindair in-jen-YER / dee in-jen-YER-inபொறியாளர்poṟiyāḷarengineer
Was bist du von Beruf?vahs bist doo fon beh-ROOFஉன் தொழில் என்ன?un thoḻil eṉṉa?What's your job?