The best way to learn German is by letting go and allowing your subconscious to do all the work.  That might sound a bit too sci-fi for you, but it’s kind of true.  Think about how German teens nowadays learn English—they sleep through English class in school, then come home and stay up late watching Minecraft videos in English on YouTube.  Then the world praises Germany for being a multilingual country—but you can do it, too! All you need is a good recommendation.  In this article, you’ll find ten different German YouTube channels covering a wide range of interests. At the same time, you’ll also see the Internet’s best free German educational resources to help give you a leg up when you’re not quite ready for late-night... Show more

https://www.youtube.com/embed/kIA_3g6dcV4 Germany is a predominantly Christian nation, with over half of its population identifying as Christian. As such, it should come as no surprise that Christian holidays, such as Dreikönigsfest (Epiphany), are widely celebrated here. In this article, you’ll learn all about the Epiphany holiday in Germany. Because this is such a special occasion in the country, exploring its origins and traditions will help you become better acquainted with German culture as a whole.  Let’s get started. 1. What is Epiphany All About? Epiphany is a religious Feiertag (holiday) on which Christians commemorate the three wise men who followed a bright star to find Baby Jesus. This is an... Show more

You already know you need to learn about German pronouns. They're a small but absolutely indispensable part of learning a new language. Congratulations - you mostly know them already! German pronouns are almost the same as the English ones, with just a couple more here and there. You know, plural second person, formal address, all that good stuff like in other European languages. The only difficult part is, well, the grammar. Each pronoun has several different forms based on what case it's in. You not only need to know what that means, but you also need to get used to actually making those changes during natural speech. Since cases are the key to really understanding German pronouns, let's start with those. Table of... Show more

What would you say to lift the spirits of a special person you know? No doubt, you have dozens of kind words that come to mind in English, but do you know many compliments in German? A compliment can be described as a polite expression of praise, admiration, encouragement or congratulations. It’s sometimes used in absolute sincerity and sometimes to flatter, but either way, human beings love to receive compliments! Table of Contents The Importance of Compliments Compliments you always want to hear Conclusion 1. The Importance of Compliments Giving and receiving compliments is so important in society, that you can be considered rude if you’re a person who never acknowledges anyone. We all need to hear words of affirmation to... Show more

Anger is a natural response to pain of some sort; when you’re angry, you’re angry with a cause and want someone to pay! It’s so much harder when you’re traveling, because your routines are off-kilter, there’s culture shock to deal with and the smallest problems can seem overwhelming. How do you handle someone who’s just pushed your last button? At home, we often have a go-to person who is good at calming us down, but emotions are tricky to deal with in a foreign country. Sometimes people may treat you unfairly, but you’re completely baffled as to why. You have to remember that people in think differently to how you do and it’s not impossible to inadvertently cause offense. Don’t stress about it too much, because you’ll adapt! Once you... Show more

What is the most defining moment you will face this year? From memories that you immortalize in a million photographs, to days you never wish to remember, one thing's for certain: big life events change you. The great poet, Bukowski, said, "We are here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well, that death will tremble to take us." The older I get, the more I agree with him! Talking about significant events in our lives is part of every person's journey, regardless of creed or culture. If you're planning to stay in for more than a quick visit, you're sure to need at least a few 'life events' phrases that you can use. After all, many of these are shared experiences, and it's generally expected that we will show up with good manners... Show more

Do you want to speak good German? You’ve got to live it. As long as you stick to your self-study books and your classes, you’ll make consistent progress—at a snail’s pace. You need to really fuel your German learning with something else. You need immersion. Basically, the more German you see and hear throughout the day, the more your mind is going to stay in German-acquisition mode and keep making new connections. And when you’re constantly seeing new German around you, you have limitless opportunities to review what you covered during your actual study time. One of the best ways to keep the German faucet flowing is by getting really sucked into a great movie or TV show. And since we’re writing this article in 2019, the biggest... Show more

German conjunctions give sentences life and make the language come alive. In the German sentences using conjunctions below, you can see that all of the conjunctions are necessary for the sentence to give you a bigger picture of the situation. Du bist wirklich sehr hübsch, aber ein bisschen zu klein. You’re really pretty but a bit too small. Ich musste zu meiner Frau nach Hause, weil sie krank ist. I had to go home to my wife because she is sick. Er hat nicht auf seine Eltern gehört, deshalb hat er Hausarrest. He didn’t listen to his parents and therefore he is on house arrest. Throughout this article, you’ll see even more German conjunctions examples like the ones above. If you’re wondering how to learn German conjunctions... Show more

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about German people? You’ve probably heard things like "German people are always on time," and "They’re direct and have good manners." Well, I would say this is almost always the case. But now the question is: What are these so-called good manners and what does German etiquette look like? Almost every nation defines this a little bit different. Let’s just take some Asian countries, such as China, for example. While in most European countries, you can’t burp, smack, or slurp at the table, in most Asian cultures this is called good etiquette. This means that the food was tasty and that you’re satisfied. But when doing this at the table of a German family, this would be... Show more

Have you ever heard about the German bureaucracy? Well, if you haven’t heard about it yet, we can tell you that Germany is a true king when it comes to bureaucracy. This includes filling out forms, and what else? You will have to confirm a lot of deadlines! This is one of the reasons you should learn the days of the week in German, and have a good grasp of the calendar dates in German. You’ll get instructions either from a German office authority or when you receive letters. But in every case, there will be some kind of instructions on a deadline that you need to fulfill. From sending information back to bringing documents to German officials, you’ll be given plenty of dates both verbally or in writing. To make sure that you understand... Show more