Learn German : Essentials (2023)

How to learn German by yourself? Start with an easy and free online course!

We have adopted an objective and efficient approach to learn how to speak a language easily and quickly: we suggest you to start bymemorizing words, phrases and practical expressionsthat you can use in everyday life and that will be useful whentraveling.
Getting used to pronounce words out loud, numbers for instance, is an easy exercise that you can practice often and at anytime throughout the day.
It will help you to get used to the sounds of your chosen language and thus make it more familiar.
And once your vacation begins, in Berlin, Hamburg or in another city in which German is the official language, you will be surprised how familiar and easy to understand it will seem.
Furthermore, using a pocket dictionary is always useful, particularly during a trip. It enables you to find the translation of new words and enrich your vocabulary.

Why speak German while traveling?

This is the most spoken language in Europe

No less than 100 million people around the world master German. In addition to being Goethe’s mother tongue, it is the official language of several countries, including Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Austria, and it is also spoken in some parts of Africa and certain communities in north America. As you can see, speaking this language is firstly a way to access a diversity of cultures, but also a way to increase your business opportunities both in European and African countries and in some American communities.
The official language of the world's fourth-largest economy and the leading power in Europe is also the one of many classics of world literature such as the works of Goethe, the Grimm brothers, Thomas Mann and the winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature Heinrich Böll and Herta Müller.

A major language on the Internet

There is another reason why learning this language is useful: the Internet. We are in the digital age and domains with the ".de" extension (referring to Germany) is the most present on the web, just after the ".com" domains. Having access to such content can prove very useful when you want to expand your search capabilities or find information that is not widely known in other languages.
Germany's annual contribution to science and research is another interesting motivation. Did you know that every year one in ten books published in the world is written in this language? This country is among the leaders in research and innovation, occupying the third place in patent applications worldwide.
Germany's annual contribution to science and research is another interesting motivation. Did you know that every year one in ten books published in the world is written in this language? This country is among the leaders in research and innovation, occupying the third place in patent applications worldwide.

(Video) Learn German in 25 Minutes - ALL the Basics You Need

Make a success of your stay in Germany

Whether you are going to spend a few days with friends for a leisure trip or if you are on a business trip, nothing will be more useful to you than to be able to slip a few words in the language of your interlocutors, who will appreciate your effort and will be certainly more willing to help.

How to succeed in having good pronunciation within a week to a month?

It's easy: all the letters are pronounced
Thepronunciationof German is fairly faithful to its writing: you can rely on the texts to pronounce this language correctly. You will need to learn some rules to have a good accent (for example, to know where to place the tonic accent), but in general it will not be too difficult for you to understand, despite some subtleties on syllables like "sch" or the "-e " in the end of a word — subtleties that may make Germans laugh when they hear you, but will not prevent them from grasping the meaning of your words, neither from appreciating your efforts to learn their language.
We invite you to listen to the pronunciation of the letters by clicking on the following link: German alphabet with audio.

What are the best websites to progress quickly?

100% Autonomous Learning - Online Resources

German courses by Deutsche Welle (DW)
Level: beginner to advanced (A1 to C).
Services:Deutsche Welle (DW) is an international broadcasting service in German. You will not have anything to pay; everything is free. You will find a very rich and varied set of resources, such as vocabulary sheets with audio, videos, interactive exercises, evaluation tests and the best news in the language.
Our opinion: the quality and wealth of this 100% free website will allow you to go through all the stages of your learning without ever getting bored. This site is undoubtedly the best we can recommend you.

Deutsch lernen
Level: for people who already have the first notions.
Services: exercises and summaries related to grammar and conjugation
Services: exercises and summaries related to grammar and conjugation.
Our opinion : this site is very focused on writing and formal rules (verbs and conjugations, declinations, names and articles, adjectives, numbers, pronouns, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, passives...). It is not really advisable for complete beginners, but it will be very useful as soon as you have some basic grammatical knowledge. In fact, you will not find a better free resource to do exercises. And it is very pleasant to use.

Resources to go further

Online dictionary Reverso
Level: all levels.
Services: online dictionary.
Our opinion: the interest of this dictionary is not to provide only a simple translation, but also a whole "cloud" of results.

(Video) 100 Phrases Every German Beginner Must-Know

Your comments are welcome!

(Video) Learn German For Beginners 🇩🇪 The Complete Course (Level A.1) | Get Germanized

Rhina: Omg! This is absolute gold. These resources are going to help me so much! Thank you! Do not worry :P I'm not always this excited about some vocabulary and sound samples, but right now I began my university journey! As someone who wants to study tech in Germany I recently started my language journey. Which is absolute incredible, but my books still need to be delivered so at home I kinda have no resources, except the internet, to intensify my German knowledge. So here I am! Learning from your site :) That's where my excitement comes from! THANK YOU!

Idhwen: HI!! I'm Idhwen, and I'm just starting to learn German. I found this site VERY helpful.Thank you! :D

Rohel Aijaz: Hallo! Ich bin Rohel. I'm from Pakistan and I started learning German a few months ago. I came upon this website and I really appreciate your efforts. It's too user-friendly. I'll continue using this website.

Kristie: We use this in our classroom! It would be nice if we could slow the pronunciation of the German words down...

(Video) Learn German While You Sleep 😀 130 Basic German Words and Phrases 🍻 English German

Cindy : It was so much fun learning how count, colors and so on.It was helpful that I can hear the word pronounce as often as I need to. Are there other vocabulary lessons? It was much more fun than duolingo. Thanks

Alexander: It would greatly help if an audio pronunciation of the German words could be provided. It will go a long way to help

Dasilva Lorenco: CONGRATULATIONS 4 YR JOB: I lived, worked and studied English language (Non academic curse)in Cambridge/UK and I consider yr job very didactic and v/ interesting 4 everyone to start a new language. I agree with with the concept basic of basics to start because if you dont understand the basic words and expressions WHY we start immediatly learn grammar? ....The Classic process ist very borring to start if you need the language immediatly ....and became just a frustrating time.Greating for all yr time!Im John/ Mainz/ DE

stebra90: Hi.Upon visiting your site, I thought I had found a solution, to improve my German.A voice then says "Guten Tag" -- and I am informed that this is "Hello".Even with my very mediocre and rusty German, I know that "Guten Tag" means "Good Day", and doesn't mean "Hello".I couldn't imagine a worst start.Auf Wiedersehen.Loecsen :The expressions given in each language are not literal translations from another language; they are the expressions that would normally be used in particular situations that people find themselves in when traveling. The translators, all of whom are professionals, have not always chosen the grammatically closest translation, because that would not necessarily be the one used most often when you’re there!

Jessica: Best thing ever my kids love it!

(Video) 10 GERMAN PHRASES Every Traveler Should Know! (Basic German)

Faith Tobi: Great site, great job! i visited your website for the first time today cause i wanted to learn German language for free and i found your website very helpful. well doneFrom Nigeria.

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FAQs

How do I start learning German by myself? ›

The best way to learn German at home for beginners: 6 steps to get you started
  1. Set yourself a goal. ...
  2. Start off on the right foot. ...
  3. Turn learning German into a habit. ...
  4. Practise speaking German with online tutoring. ...
  5. Learn new vocab in meaningful chunks. ...
  6. Make studying German rewarding. ...
  7. Dive into German culture with TV.
27 Mar 2020

Can German be self taught? ›

Yes you can. It's very enjoyable to learn something on your own, since it gives you a fantastic sense of achievement. Learning German by yourself is a great way to take charge of your own learning speed and the way in which you decide to learn.

Can I learn German in 1 year? ›

It is estimated that a total of 30 weeks or 750 classroom hours are necessary to learn German. But you could complete those 750 hours in a matter of months or over the course of many years.

What is the hardest language to learn? ›

1. Mandarin Chinese. Interestingly, the hardest language to learn is also the most widely spoken native language in the world. Mandarin Chinese is challenging for a number of reasons.

How long does it take to be fluent in German? ›

So, how long do you need to learn German if you want to reach this level of fluency? According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI), you'll need about 750 hours of study to become fluent in German. This means that if you study 12-15 hours a week, you'll be able to speak like a pro in just a year!

Can I learn German in 3 months? ›

You need more than 3 months to be fluent. But even with such a short time, if you adjust your strategy, you can actually learn German and get really close to being fluent.

How can I become fluent in German fast? ›

7 tips on speaking German fluently and confidently
  1. Listen in. Every good conversation starts with good listening. ...
  2. Learn the genders. German has three genders, so it's important to learn nouns along with their gender. ...
  3. Hack your memory. ...
  4. Turn up the volume. ...
  5. Record yourself. ...
  6. Create a personal phrasebook. ...
  7. Speak up.

Can I learn German in 6 months? ›

The average language you need to know 2,000–3,000 words to be fluent. That not including grammar and idiums. Therefore if you wish to learn 2,500 words in 6 month (180 days) you need to learn about 14 words per day.

Is Duolingo good for German? ›

The app guides you to learn in a natural way through exposure, which works well for English native speakers who are studying German because the two languages are quite closely related. Duolingo German is also good for those who like to jump in at the deep end.

What is the most effective way to learn German? ›

Best Way to Learn German. As with any language, the fastest and best way to learn German is through total immersion, preferably through living in a German-speaking country.

Why is it so difficult to learn German? ›

But what makes German so hard to learn? The only reason that German seems so difficult to people is that it has grammar rules that other languages don't. German is a language with relatively high “inflection,” meaning that the words in a sentence change based on their grammatical roles.

Is B1 German fluent? ›

The B Levels: Conversational

B1 German speakers have no problem understanding the main points of a conversation when clear standard German is used, especially when the topic is something familiar like school or work.

Is B2 German enough? ›

B2 is the first level that means that you can speak really fluent and understand 80% of the situations that you find yourself in repeatedly. You can prepare yourself for the exam and even see a sample of the language level here.

Is B1 German hard? ›

Hi, B1 is the beginning of the Intermediate level as a Deutsch speaker. So, by this time you should be able to carry out basic level conversations and form simple sentences since you would have already completed A2. B1 takes you further deeper in verbs and complex sentence structure.

What is the world's easiest language? ›

15 of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers - ranked
  • Frisian. Frisian is thought to be one of the languages most closely related to English, and therefore also the easiest for English-speakers to pick up. ...
  • Dutch. ...
  • Norwegian. ...
  • Spanish. ...
  • Portuguese. ...
  • Italian. ...
  • French. ...
  • Swedish.
24 Oct 2021

How many languages make a polyglot? ›

The term “polyglot” is often used to describe people who can speak more than three languages. If you speak two languages you're bilingual, if you speak three you're trilingual. If you speak more, you may be considered a polyglot.

What is the 7 hardest language to learn? ›

  1. Mandarin. Number of native speakers: 1.2 billion. ...
  2. Icelandic. Number of native speakers: 330,000. ...
  3. 3. Japanese. Number of native speakers: 122 million. ...
  4. Hungarian. Number of native speakers: 13 million. ...
  5. Korean. Number of native speakers: 66.3 million. ...
  6. Arabic. Number of native speakers: 221 million. ...
  7. Finnish.
28 Sept 2022

Is A1 German enough? ›

Levels A1 and A2: These levels provide you with basic knowledge of the German language. If you have no previous knowledge, attending an A1 course is highly recommended. Levels B1 and B2: Here is where you will learn German at an advanced level.

How long is A1 German? ›

How long does it take to learn German?
Assess your current level & test your German online!Intensive course (20 lessons/week)
A1beginner8 weeks
A2elementary8 weeks
B1intermediate8 weeks
B2upper intermediate10 weeks*
2 more rows

What level of German is required to work in Germany? ›

If you´d like to work in Germany you´ll get by if your German is on level B1/B2 (online test). The certificate issued by GLS is recognized by many employers and even some universities in Germany. More about the GLS German language certificate.

Can I learn B2 German in 1 month? ›

You can't reach b2 level in one month coz for clearing one level it takes 2 months maximum so for clearing b2 level it will take some time have patience.

Do most Germans speak English? ›

Long story short: You can survive in Germany without knowing the German language; most Germans speak English, the train usually runs announcements in English and in restaurants or bars, waiters and waitresses often speak English, especially in the city center.

Can I learn German A1 in 1 month? ›

How long does it take to become fluent in German A1? According to the Goeth Institut and as mentioned earlier, it takes at least 2-3 months of learning German A1 on a daily basis.

What is B2 German level? ›

The Goethe-Zertifikat B2 is a German exam for young people and adults. It certifies that candidates have acquired advanced language skills and corresponds to the fourth level (B2) of the six-level scale of competence laid down in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Can I learn German in 4 months? ›

As others have said, with excellent motivation, excellent teachers, and 100% immersion, you might reach B1 in four months. That is something like: high intermediate vocabulary, good command of basic grammar, and ability to ask questions about the language, and understand the answers, in German.

Is French easier than German? ›

Nitty-gritty things like these can make getting started a bit of a challenge – but between the two, French will be a little easier, with (slightly) fewer endings to learn. That said, experts largely agree that the more German you learn, the easier it gets, while French gets more complicated the deeper you dive in.

How hard is B2 German? ›

99.9999% of all of the work that goes into your exam grade should come before you even sign up for the exam. No amount of cramming can make you B2 in a month. For me, it took 2 years of self-study to reach B2. And it's those 2 years—not the 2 weeks of prep I did for the exam—that earned me great scores.

How many hours is A2 German? ›

150 hours of lessons. A2: approx. 150 hours of lessons. B1: 300 hours of lessons.

How many words of German do you need to know to be fluent? ›

How many words do you need to be fluent in German? To be fluent in German, a speaker needs to know around 10,000 words.

Can I pass A1 German with Duolingo? ›

Can we learn enough German language in Duolingo to clear A1 and A2? Yes you can. Duolingo is a great tool for vocabs and basics learning, if you use Duolingo web version you can read grammar reviews written by contributors and there is a discussion space for each exercise.

What level of German is Duolingo? ›

Whether you're a total beginner or you're looking to brush up, Duolingo's German course is definitely one of the best options currently available. The course is now hitting the same heights as the French and Spanish courses — which Duolingo reckon can get you to a B2 level on the CEFR.

Can I learn German in 4 years? ›

In short, yes of course it is. I don't usually subscribe to the exact levels people talk about when they tell you how many hours to study in a specific language (because what is “study” right there?), but reaching C1 level in 4 years doesn't seem overly cumbersome at all.

Is C1 German hard? ›

It's incredibly hard to achieve. There is C1 'on paper' - it's relatively easy to pass an online exam that will tell you that your German is at 'C1' level after X number of hours study. Don't be fooled, it's generally far from that. What are the subjects in German?

What should I learn first in German? ›

People say it's all about mastering the basics. So, if you're wondering how to learn the German language if you're a complete beginner, we recommend you start with the alphabet. The German language has 26 letters, just like English.

How can I practice German everyday? ›

We have 15 German study tips for you.
  1. Create a study plan and set goals. ...
  2. Study regularly to improve your German. ...
  3. Remove all possible disruptive factors while learning. ...
  4. Always learn German words with their correct article. ...
  5. Create some helpful study tools. ...
  6. Invent some simple memory hooks and outwit your brain.

Why do Germans Sound harsh? ›

A major cause of it sounding harsh is the “ch” sound, especially when it occurs far back in the throat, the sort of “ach” sound. Also, the fact that words that in English start with a “St” sound, in German often start with “Scht…” sounding like “sht”, can make it sound harsh.

What is the longest word in German? ›

The longest word in the standard German dictionary is Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung – which is the word for motor vehicle liability insurance. But at 36 letters, it's rather puny. Rechtsschutzversicherungsgesellschaften, a touch longer at 39 letters, is the language's longest non-dictionary word.

What is the hardest part of learning German? ›

Pronunciation

The 'r' sound is, to me, the most difficult in German and often the dead giveaway of a native English speaker. If we take a simple word like aber, the tendency of a native English speaker is to say, 'abER', pronouncing the hard 'r' as one would in English.

Can I reach B1 in German in 3 months? ›

In all, that comes to about 200 hours total, meaning that to reach a B1 level in German in 3 months, you should study the language for about ~2 hours and 10 minutes each day. It's a high goal, but if you have sufficient motivation, you can definitely reach it.

Can Germans have A2 without A1? ›

Yes you can. It is not necessary that one has to appear for the A1 exam first. One can appear for any of the German exam levels directly. I hope that my answer helps you.

Is A2 German hard? ›

German A2 exam pattern is quite simple. As it's a language, there are 4 modules- Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. It is a 60 points exam and you have to score a minimum 36 points (60%) to pass the exam.

How long does it take to get B1 in German? ›

The German B1 level, also known as the intermediate level, It will take you at least 80 hours per week (a total of 4 weeks) to finish your German B1. According to Goeth Institut, you'll take at least 350 and 650 45-minute units of teaching depending on what you have retained from your previous A1 to A2 level.

How hard is C2 German? ›

The C2 level exam: Think “very hard” & multiply that by a thousand. The Common European Framework of References for Languages level C2 is one of the hardest possible examinations you can do in any language.

How many words are in A1 in German? ›

The official German A1 vocabulary includes, according to the German Goethe Institut, 650 words – that's the bad news. Wow, that's a lot, you may think. The good news is: You're already on the way, and we're am here to help you.

Can I learn B1 German in a year? ›

They say that you need to have completed at least 350 45-minute German lessons/practice sessions to reach B1, which would take roughly a year and a half since most people can't take a lesson every single day in a row.

How many words are in A2 in German? ›

The Goethe Institut says you need about 1,300 words for A2 as against about 2,400 words for B1.

Is Goethe B1 easy? ›

Without a doubt, yes. I'm currently learning German myself, and after 4 months or so I managed to get to the B1 level all by myself. Sure, I still make lots of mistakes but that's part of learning.

Is German easy for Indians? ›

As per English-speaking people, German language is one of the easiest languages to learn and also the second most spoken foreign language in Europe. You can attend German language classes in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, or any other well-developed city.

Is German easy to learn? ›

Getting Great at German

German might not be as familiar to English speakers as Spanish, but it's still one of the easiest languages to learn. Like Spanish, it's also a phonetic language, which makes pronunciation easy to figure out.

Is German hard to learn? ›

With plenty of straightforward rules, German is not actually as hard to learn as most people think. And since English and German stem from the same language family, you might actually be surprised at the things you pick up without even trying! And on top of it all, it's definitely a useful one, too.

Is German easier than French? ›

Nitty-gritty things like these can make getting started a bit of a challenge – but between the two, French will be a little easier, with (slightly) fewer endings to learn. That said, experts largely agree that the more German you learn, the easier it gets, while French gets more complicated the deeper you dive in.

Why is German popular in India? ›

German is the second most popular foreign language in India after French. One main reason is the “First Move advantage.” It is because their government initiated to promote German in India several decades back. The first “Max Mueller Bhavan” was inaugurated in Kolkata in 1957.

Will learning German help me get a job? ›

In a country like India, someone who knows both German and English will have better employment prospects. In India, the demand for German language experts is on the rise. The German companies in India pay German-speaking employees premium salaries. It is because of how strong language has become.

Which Indian language is similar to German? ›

Linguistic experts have found several similarities between German and Sanskrit, the language Indian languages such as Hindi are derived from.

How can I become fluent in German fast? ›

7 tips on speaking German fluently and confidently
  1. Listen in. Every good conversation starts with good listening. ...
  2. Learn the genders. German has three genders, so it's important to learn nouns along with their gender. ...
  3. Hack your memory. ...
  4. Turn up the volume. ...
  5. Record yourself. ...
  6. Create a personal phrasebook. ...
  7. Speak up.

Can I learn German in 6 months? ›

The average language you need to know 2,000–3,000 words to be fluent. That not including grammar and idiums. Therefore if you wish to learn 2,500 words in 6 month (180 days) you need to learn about 14 words per day.

Is B2 German hard? ›

It is not at all difficult to pursue B2 level with graduation. I finished my C2 when I was in my second year of graduation. I used to take breaks for the courses only during my exam months and did not take admission during those times.

How do you say ABC in German? ›

In German, the letters of the Alphabet are pronounced like this, and can be spelt phonetically as such:
  1. A = ah.
  2. B = bay.
  3. C = tsay.
  4. D = day.
  5. E = ay.
  6. F = eff.
  7. G = gay.
  8. H = hah.

What is the longest word in German? ›

The longest word in the standard German dictionary is Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung – which is the word for motor vehicle liability insurance. But at 36 letters, it's rather puny. Rechtsschutzversicherungsgesellschaften, a touch longer at 39 letters, is the language's longest non-dictionary word.

What is the hardest part of learning German? ›

Pronunciation

The 'r' sound is, to me, the most difficult in German and often the dead giveaway of a native English speaker. If we take a simple word like aber, the tendency of a native English speaker is to say, 'abER', pronouncing the hard 'r' as one would in English.

Which foreign language is in high demand? ›

In fact, it's estimated that around 220 million people also speak French as a second language, and that number is projected to rise to 750 million by 2050, possibly even overtaking English and Mandarin.

How many languages is a polyglot? ›

The term “polyglot” is often used to describe people who can speak more than three languages. If you speak two languages you're bilingual, if you speak three you're trilingual. If you speak more, you may be considered a polyglot.

Can an English speaker understand German? ›

Can English speakers understand German? No is the short and correct answer. However, English is largely a Germanic language, or started that way, so there are constructions and words in German that will be familiar. Even so, the present-day languages are very different.

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