Did you know that Germans aren't that punctual? They have a reputation for always being on time, sure. But the Deutsche Bahn, the German train system, has more delayed trains than you might imagine. Given that fact, and all the other pressures of modern life, you'll need to be quite aware of the time in Germany. Do you know how to ask for it? Or, perhaps, how to talk about time in general?  This article is more than just a phrasebook for telling time in German. Time touches a lot of facets of everyday life and language, and the phrases you learn here are things that you can carry over into the rest of your German studies. Table of Contents Asking Others for the Time Hours in German Minutes and Seconds ... Show more

What's that word? It's on the tip of your tongue! Put plain and simply, there's just no getting around the fact that you need a good vocabulary if you're going to speak good German. We've got that for you. Right here, stripped-down, are the top 100 German nouns, broken down into different categories so that you can easily find what you need. Basically, the perfect German nouns list for any beginner. If you're wondering why there are so many capitalized words on the list, it's because every noun in German is capitalized. Now, let's go! Table of Contents Nouns You Need for Travel Relaxing at Home Big Ideas In the Classroom University Life Hard at Work Sit Down for a Meal All About You Your... 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

Did you know that every minute of the day, one billion tons of rain falls on the earth? Hard to believe, considering the climate crisis! Of course, all that rain is not equally shared across the planet. So, would you mention this fascinating fact to your new acquaintance? Well, small talk about local weather is actually a great conversation-starter. Everyone cares about the weather and you’re sure to hear a few interesting opinions! Seasons can be quite unpredictable these days and nobody knows the peculiarities of a region better than the locals. GermanPod101 will equip you with all the weather vocabulary you need to plan your next adventure. The weather can even be an important discussion that influences your adventure plans. After... Show more

Ever felt a little lost for words when speaking German? Chances are, you were missing an adjective. You can’t get very far when describing something if you’re limited to only a handful of adjectives, at most. "He’s a tall, muscular, bald guy…okay, I can say he’s tall…how about ‘bald?’" That sentence can’t even get off the ground. But here, with the information in this article, you’ll be able to learn German adjectives and confidently describe pretty much anything you need to, without breaking a sweat. Because 100 German adjectives is a lot! In our German adjectives lesson, before our list, you’ll find the following information on how to use German adjectives: German adjectives rules German adjectives word order German... 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

Imagine that you’re traveling to good old Germany, and you want the real experience (not just staying in a hotel or hostel like everyone else). Well, this is fair enough, and we definitely encourage going for the full Germany experience. But first, you’ll need to know some basic family terms, like how to say "father" in German. Why is it so important to know the words for family members in German? Imagine the following situation: --- You arrive at your freshly booked Airbnb, and your host welcomes you with a nice dinner. But there’s one hitch: you find yourself eating with his parents, some friends, his cousin, and his grandmother, too. Your host starts to introduce everyone, pointing to each person as he states their name: Ich möchte... Show more