Proverbs are popular sayings that provide a little dose of wisdom—a truth that is, sometimes, so obvious that it’s overlooked.  If you really want your language skills to shine, knowing some popular German proverbs is a great way to start. And of course, it will also help you fit in with the German locals and better understand their culture! In Germany, there’s a great variety of wisdom-infusing sayings—whether we’re talking about a lot of sausages, some bears and rabbits running around in forests, or some serious-sounding, deep stuff!  As we say, "There is no time like the present." So let’s get to it. These thirty popular German proverbs will add versatility and color to your spoken language, so that even locals will mistake... Show more

Have you ever visited a city filled with an eclectic mix of cultures, history, and wonderful sights, as well as a vibrant creative life? If the answer is no, then you should start thinking about a trip to the German capital. Even John F. Kennedy, the U.S. President, loved it!  "All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin. And therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words, ‘Ich bin ein Berliner!’ " But really, why should you visit Berlin? Imagine a hub of history, art, music, and graffiti that attracts millions of tourists annually. Sounds pretty good, right? Follow our Berlin travel guide and rest assured you’ll have an incredible experience.  We’ll keep it short by describing only the top ten places to... Show more

German learners often have to put up with native speakers who only ever speak English to them. After all, if you go up to a stranger in Berlin and start speaking English only, there’s a good chance you’ll hear English in response – often quite fluent English at that! But it’s not enough that you have to speak excellent German in order to get people to speak German with you at all. You’ve got to speak the right amount of English as well. Hence, our English words in German list.  You see, if you’re going to take part in German society at this point in the 21st century, you’ve got to reckon with the fact that Germans are international enough to already speak English at a high level. German-speakers from Cologne to Zurich can... Show more

"Culture" is a tricky word. It often comes up when talking about a foreign country, and all the different rituals and handicrafts immediately spring to mind. Woven baskets! Wooden shoes! Pretzels! The truth is, you have just as much culture as anybody else in the world. Culture is all about what you perceive as normal and what your society expects as a baseline—and that can be surprisingly different from place to place. We’ve created this guide to get you up to speed on the German culture basics and to give you a better understanding of life in German-speaking countries. Let’s dive in. Table of Contents Values and Beliefs Religions in Germany Family and Work Art Food German Beer Traditional Holidays ... Show more

Congratulations, you’ve joined the club! By just opening this article, you’ve become a learner of German. Excited? Well, that’s how easy it really is. Lots of people say that learning German is hard, but it’s really just something you have to approach methodically. And that’s because of German grammar. While German vocabulary is based on roots and quite logical, and German pronunciation is easy to master with a few new lip shapes, the grammar tends to prove difficult for learners (though some say that it’s getting simpler over time). So now that you’re learning German, what exactly is it that you need to pay attention to? How complex are the different parts of German grammar, and what is it going to take to master them? It’s time... Show more

German is a language with a long history of great writing. It’s no wonder that there are a lot of excellent quotes that have been passed down through the centuries! In order to help you become a more eloquent German speaker, GermanPod101 has compiled a list of the best German quotes in several different categories.  As you study these quotes, you’ll also start to make important connections concerning the grammatical structures being used. The end result? You’ll pick up German grammar without even realizing it! Table of Contents Quotes About Success Quotes About Life Quotes About Time Quotes About Love Quotes About Friendship Quotes About Food Quotes About Health Quotes About Language Learning ... Show more

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 might be one of those folks who wishes they knew German. But wanting to know German is different from learning German or wanting to learn German. The people who just long for the day when they know German are usually the ones asking "Is German hard to learn?" But here’s the thing. Every language out there is hard in one way or another, even the ones that are close to your native language. Whether the difficulty comes at the beginning of the journey or in the middle, you’re never going to get off easy. The challenge is the fun of it! And besides, do you really have that much to worry about when it comes to learning German?  Table of Contents Is it Hard to Learn German? The Hardest Parts of German The Easiest Parts... Show more

Make no mistake—people have been complaining about the difficulty of the German language for centuries. Mark Twain did it then, and you’re probably doing it now. It seems like the harder a language is, the more pressure we put on ourselves to get it exactly right. That’s even more true when the locals tend to speak English quite confidently.  But as the Europe of today becomes more and more multicultural, the stigma of "perfect German or bust" is slowly falling away. There’s no need to paralyze yourself with doubt concerning common German mistakes or creating the perfect German sentence, because others in your community are probably dealing with language struggles of their own.  So if you want to improve your German, you can start... Show more