It’s a beautiful morning in Hamburg. You’re enjoying a nice piece of bread and a coffee at a streetside cafe. Suddenly a German friend of yours enters and you’d like to say hello. But this time, you’ll do it in German. So how exactly do you say “Hello” in German? Greetings are part of every culture, and no matter where you find yourself on the globe, there are plenty of different ways to do it. Each one has its own subtleties, ranging from formality to time of day to location. Fortunately, it’s not confusing in the least. Pretty much everything can be accurately mapped to a phrase or concept we’re familiar with in English. “Hello” in learning German is one of the most important things you’ll learn, so let’s delve into this... Show more

Most everyone is familiar with this day, as it is celebrated nearly everywhere the world. Yet, when exactly is April Fools’ Day? And where did April Fools come from? April Fools’ Day is observed on April 1st every year. This day of jokes and pranks is believed to have stemmed from the 16th-century calendar change in France, when New Year’s Day was moved from April 1 to January 1. This action was taken due to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. However, a few people were resistant to the calendar change, so they continued to observe New Year’s Day on April 1st, rather than the new date. They were referred to as the “April Fools”, and others started playing mocking tricks on them. This custom endured, and is practiced to this day... Show more

Learn a little German everyday with the free German Word of the Day Widget. Check back daily for more vocabulary!Unterarm forearm (noun)Ich habe ein Herz auf meinen Unterarm tätowiert, knapp über meinem Handgelenk.I have a heart tattooed on my forearm just above the wrist.Unterarm und Faustforearm and fistmein haariger Unterarmmy hairy forearmOwn a blog or website? Share free language content with your readers with the German Word of the Day with Audio Widget. Click here for instructions on how to embed and customize this free widget!

Learn a little German everyday with the free German Word of the Day Widget. Check back daily for more vocabulary!bekommen receive (verb)Der Mann bekam Geld.The man received money.Der Mann bekommt Geld.The man receives money.Ich bekam eine Postkarte von meiner Freundin.I received a postcard from my girlfriend.Geld bekommenreceive moneyeine Postkarte bekommenreceive a cardeinen Weckruf bekommenreceive a wake-up callOwn a blog or website? Share free language content with your readers with the German Word of the Day with Audio Widget. Click here for instructions on how to embed and customize this free widget!

Learn 4 tools and techniques to stop translating in your head and start thinking in Going through lessons is enough to get by and learn the basics of , but to truly become fluent you need to be able to think in . This will allow you to have conversations with ease, read smoothly, and comprehensively understand natives. To do this, you need to go beyond just completing daily or weekly lessons. We naturally translate in our heads because it's viewed as the easiest way to learn the definitions needed when learning a language. This way of learning can actually hinder your skills and fluency later on. If your brain has to make neural connections between the word you're learning, what it means in your native tongue, and the physical object... Show more

Your Learning, Streamlined – The New Lesson Interface Your learning is about to get a whole lot easier. More than ever, learners are choosing mobile as the platform to study German. Mobile has always been a part of our DNA. We began our life on your iPod, and have remained by your side ever since. In our 11th year, we’re returning to our roots as a way to learn German on-the-go. How? With a brand-new lesson interface just for you. Hint: It will launch in beta later this month! If you want to secure access to this brand new upgrade, take advantage of the upcoming All Access Pass Sale! Click Here to Get 25% OFF All GermanPod101 Subscriptions! (example taken from japanesepod101.com) It’s built from the ground-up to be a... Show more

Every German learner will have these fears – “I’m not good enough yet.” “I don’t think I’m making any progress.” “What if I never reach my goals?” German learning fears – we all get them from time to time. What are yours? And are they worth being scared of? In this blog post, we’re killing the top 4 German learning fears – 1) what are the fears learners tend to have the most and 2) how you can overcome them! Here are the top 4 language learning fears according to our users: 1. “I’m not good enough to start speaking yet.” Do you feel like you’re not good enough to start speaking yet? It’s a pretty common fear or misconception that most learners have. Here’s how you overcome it: The best way to get good at speaking is to... Show more

Learn a little German everyday with the free German Word of the Day Widget. Check back daily for more vocabulary!Geschenk present (noun)Und das ist dein Geburtstagsgeschenk.And this is your birthday present.An meinem zweiten (2.) Geburtstag war mein Geschenk ein Kuscheltier.On my second (2nd) birthday my present was a stuffed animal.Du musst anwesend sein, um die Vorlesungen hören zu können.You must be present in order to hear the lectures.blaue Schleife auf einer Boxblue bow on boxgroßes Geschenkbig presentSei anwesend.be present.Own a blog or website? Share free language content with your readers with the German Word of the Day with Audio Widget. Click here for instructions on how to embed and customize this free widget!

Learn a little German everyday with the free German Word of the Day Widget. Check back daily for more vocabulary!Blatt leaf (noun)Durch zu viel Wasser wird das Blatt gelb werden.The leaf will turn yellow with too much water.gelbes Blattyellow leafgrünes Blattgreen leafGlühwürmchen auf einem Blattfirefly on a leafOwn a blog or website? Share free language content with your readers with the German Word of the Day with Audio Widget. Click here for instructions on how to embed and customize this free widget!

Learn a little German everyday with the free German Word of the Day Widget. Check back daily for more vocabulary!schießen kick (verb)Der Spieler schießt den Fußball.The player is kicking the soccer ball.den Ball schießenkick the ballOwn a blog or website? Share free language content with your readers with the German Word of the Day with Audio Widget. Click here for instructions on how to embed and customize this free widget!