German may sound complicated at first. It scares off many learners, especially when they listen to people speaking some of its more complicated dialects. Even as a fluent German speaker, I find it unbelievably hard to understand the Swiss German variety. To this day, I still have to ask if the person can switch to Hochdeutsch (formal German). But some people, including yourself, may end up managing to get the courage to push past the fear and frustration. Once you do, things will get much easier, especially once you start picking up the essential beginner and intermediate German words.  Words will start to make more sense, and you’ll slowly but surely start to figure out that a lot of German vocabulary consists of compound... Show more

Germany is a big country with tons of diversity and an expansive territory. You can take a swim in the North Sea at Germany’s island of Sylt, go skiing in the Bavarian Alps, or even check out Berlin’s East Side Gallery to see some murals from the post-WWII era. All of this and more makes Germany an appealing country to visit as a tourist, especially thanks to the country’s abundance and variety of nature.  One of the most appealing elements of nature—and life in general—is animals. Picking up a few German animal names before your visit is sure to enhance your experience, especially if you plan to spend some time in the great outdoors.  Even if you never set foot in Germany, learning these basic words will take your... Show more

Remember the last time you had to make an important call?  When you had that shaky feeling in your chest…the one you get right after you hear the ring on the other end? Or maybe you’re one of those gifted people who can screw up their courage and take it easy. While we’re slowly ditching what used to be the main function of telephones—voice calling—for things like texting and Facebook, there are still moments when we need to pick up the phone.  This in mind, language learners will still benefit from memorizing a few German phone call phrases in today’s SMS-based world. While in Germany, you’ll have to order food from a new favorite restaurant, call the local barbershop for a reservation, or phone your boss with an urgent... Show more

If you’ve just started learning German, you might be struggling to get past the beginner stage. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by the Germanic umlauts on vowels (ä, ö, ü), or maybe that eszett letter (ß). Perhaps it’s the pace of spoken German that’s made you question your decision to start learning. While there’s definitely truth to those concerns, worry not. There are several short and easy-to-learn words in German that can serve as a springboard while you become familiar with the language.  Memorizing even a few basic German words for beginners will be enough of a stepping stone to help you eventually learn more. This is because many German words are composed of several shorter words that, when combined, have a unique meaning.... Show more

Imagine if everything in language was straightforward and perfect. Like, literally. No typos. No jokes. No slang. Just everyone meaning business. It wouldn’t be much fun, would it? The imperfections found in languages, dialects, and communication in general are what make them fun.  We all like to communicate clearly, but that never allows for any awkward, unforeseen, or weird moments—moments which could be pretty funny, if you think about it. Knowing how flawed our communication is, we try our best to hide our imperfections. As a learner of the language, you can do this well by using German filler words. Table of Contents What are filler words and why do we use them? The Top 10 German Filler Words Pros... Show more

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart." Makes sense, right? When dating a German, it’s easy to get comfortable speaking to your partner in only English, especially as Germany classifies as one of the best non-native English-speaking countries. While this can help you keep a good line of communication, it can easily start to feel a little superficial for your German-speaking partner. From time to time, your relationship could benefit from expressing your love in German, their mother tongue. Speaking your partner’s native language will go right to their heart, and that will make it easier for you to build a connection with them in... Show more

Are you a people-pleaser? Someone who goes out of their way to make others happy and can’t say no to anyone?  Of course, learning a language is all about developing new skills, embracing new experiences, and accepting challenges…so you’ll probably be saying yes quite a lot. Yet, you still need to know how to say no if you want to master the German language! In this article, we’ll look at negation in German. You’ll learn how to make negative sentences, how to answer a yes-or-no question correctly, and how to politely decline an offer or invitation…without making anyone upset. Sure, saying no isn’t easy for some of us. But I assure you it will be (at least from a language-learning point of view!), after you’ve read this.  ... Show more

First of all, what is a verb?  Together with nouns, verbs are the most important part of any sentence. They’re words that we use to describe actions (singen - to sing), states of being (existieren - to exist), or occurrences (entwickeln - to develop). They have to agree with the subject, which represents who or what is performing the action.  Basically, every type of sentence requires a verb to be complete. This is why it’s so important to give them due attention when learning a foreign language—especially German! Today, we’ll talk about German tenses and how to correctly apply them to verbs. German verbs are one of the most challenging aspects of learning this beautifully complex language, but don’t worry. We’ll have a look... Show more

What dedicated language learner could pass up an opportunity to spend endless days studying German and all its nuances? Unfortunately, in our society, time is money and the reality of things can be quite different. Most of us just don’t have the time to study languages at our leisure.  Because time is such a constraint, there’s an important question to ask yourself before beginning to learn this beautiful language: How long does it take to learn German? Mark Twain said: "A gifted person ought to learn English in 30 hours, French in 30 days and German in 30 years." But it might not take quite that long! I’m sure we all instinctively look for the fastest and easiest ways to learn new things. Being efficient with our time allows... Show more

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