Have you ever heard about the Italian people using their hands, feet, and all the other parts of their body while they’re talking? Your answer is: Yes? No worries if you haven’t heard this about German people. The only reason for this is that we’re not that expressive with our body gestures and body language like other nations are. But have you heard about German eye contact? They like to keep eye contact at all times. Here’s a little side story to help you visualize nonverbal communication in German: My grandparents travelled in Africa for three months in 2012. Does that sound odd? It gets better! My grandparents don’t speak any French or English at all. All they know is German. After they came back home, I was impressed and... Show more

German slang and German internet words can be tough to understand. But no worries, as we’ll guide you through some of the most used expressions and words, so that you can impress your German friends with some stuff that will make you sound like a native speaker. Just to show you a quick example of how hard it can be to understand German slang, take a look: Der Lauch ist heute auf keinstem am Start. Literally, this means something like: “This leek will not be at the start for sure.” Let’s break this down for you. Der Lauch is used these days to describe a skinny person who doesn’t lift weights, and lifting weights is getting really popular nowadays in Germany. Auf keinstem is a short version of the expression auf keinen Fall... Show more

There are some untranslatable German words that need to be explained. To be fair guys, the English language is quite easy to learn. This comes from the general structure of your language. For example, compared to many other languages you don't have genders, there is just 'the'. Also, the conjugation of verbs follows some easy rules compared to other languages like French or Spanish. There are more good examples, but let's focus on German now. In fact, the German language is much more complex than English, and several other languages. But, despite this fact, in German we only have around 300.000 to 500.000 words in our dictionaries and in the English language there are up to 800.000. So congratulations, you win. (But this isn’t the... Show more

So how exactly do you say “My name is,” in German? And more importantly, why should you know this? If you travel, you’re probably going to end up making small talk at some point. And if you’re studying another language and traveling to the place where they speak that language, this is going to happen a lot. It’s happened to me many, many times. I’ve been very lucky to travel a lot, to countries all over the world. It turns out that no matter where you go, you’re going to find people who are interested in your story. Especially in Germany, because there aren’t tons of foreigners who end up speaking German at a high level. They want to know who you are, where you’re from, and why you’re learning their language. Natural... Show more

We know from experience that learning a new language can be time-consuming, hard, and sometimes frustrating. But with German movies, this won’t be the case. For this reason, we always suggest that our learners make the process fun by doing something they like—and everybody likes to watch a good movie. So why not combine watching a movie with learning a new language? Even experts say that watching movies and series is a great way to improve language skills quickly. When looking for a good movie to watch, remember that fantastic movies extend beyond Hollywood. To drive this point home, consider that Oscars are even awarded to the best movie from a foreign country—and Germany won this prize more than once so far. But even on platforms like... Show more

Father's Day, celebrated in most countries around the world, is a special day set aside to honor one's father (or father-figure). There's something about the love and care of a father that's unmatched by anything else, so it's important to show appreciation and gratitude to them on this day. In Germany, this is called Vatertag, and you'll soon find that celebrations in Germany are pretty unique compared to celebrations elsewhere. At GermanPod101.com, we hope to make learning about Vatertag in Germany fun, and provide you with great insight into German culture. For in knowing a country's culture, you can master the language in context of the bigger picture. Let's get started, and delve into Vatertag Deutschland ("Father’s Day... Show more

Learning a language from home can be stressful and frustrating, but with the help of German TV Shows, you can improve in less time than you imagined. Language learners and experts alike say that watching movies and series is a great way to improve your language skills. And the good thing about this is that you can do it by watching the type of movies or TV shows that you actually like. Each country produces TV shows in the genres of drama, crime, comedy, sci-fi, cooking, nature, and many more. Germany is certainly no different, with plenty of good German TV shows for language-learning. By watching television shows or movies in German, you’re allowing yourself to learn while having a lot more fun, and this is a big advantage for... Show more

So you’re ready to move to Germany with the Germany job seeker visa? You’re ready to finally work in Germany? This is a country that has so many different sides to show, and so many different accents, cultures, and landscapes. It reaches from the Baltic Sea and flatlands in the north to the Alps with Bavarian culture, to the forests and lakes in the south. In between, you have many big cities such as the capital Berlin, the finance and logistics centre of Europe Frankfurt, one of the biggest city complexes named Ruhrpott in the west, and the fastest growing city in Germany: Leipzig. When moving to a new country, you’ll have an explosion of feelings. On the one hand, you’re excited to meet new people, get to know the culture,... Show more

Do you often feel lonely and sad? Do you long for romance and are willing to do whatever it takes to meet that special person? Speaking another language could revolutionize your love life! So, why wait? Learning how to say ‘love’ in German could be just what you need to find it. Or perhaps you were lucky, and have found your German partner already. Fantastic! Yet, a cross-cultural relationship comes with unique challenges. Learning how to speak your lover’s language will greatly improve your communication and enhance the relationship. At GermanPod101, our team will teach you all the words, quotes and phrases you need to woo your German lover with excellence! Our tutors provide personal assistance, with plenty of extra material available... 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