German (from English)

1. Introduction to German

German (Deutsch) is spoken by over 100 million people as a first language & is the most widely spoken native language in the European Union. It is the official language of Germany, Austria, & Liechtenstein, & one of the four official languages of Switzerland.

Why Learn German?

• Career opportunities — Germany has one of the world's largest economies; German proficiency is valued in engineering, science, business, & academia.
• Cultural access — German literature, philosophy (Kant, Nietzsche, Hegel), music (Bach, Beethoven, Brahms), & film are deeply influential.
• Travel — navigating the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) is far richer with language skills.
• Academic advantage — German is the second most commonly used scientific language globally.
• Gateway language — knowing German makes learning Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, & Danish significantly easier.

What Kind of Language Is German?

German is a West Germanic language closely related to English. Many core English words share Germanic roots (Water/Wasser, House/Haus, Garden/Garten, Father/Vater). Key features to know from day one:

• Nouns are always capitalized — every noun, always.
• There are three grammatical genders: masculine (der), feminine (die), neuter (das).
• German has four grammatical cases that affect article & adjective forms.
• Word order is flexible but rule-governed — verbs have fixed positions.
• German is highly phonetic — it is spelled almost exactly as it sounds.

Realistic Expectations

The U.S. Foreign Service Institute classifies German as a Category II language — approximately 750 class hours for professional working proficiency. Consistent daily study of 30–60 minutes will produce meaningful progress within weeks.

The DACH Varieties

2. Pronunciation & Alphabet

German pronunciation is highly consistent — each letter represents the same sound in virtually every word. German uses the standard 26-letter Latin alphabet plus four additional characters: ä, ö, ü (umlauts) & ß (Eszett/sharp S).

The Alphabet — Letters & Sounds

Letter(s)	Approximate Sound	Example	Meaning
A / a	Like 'ah' in 'father'	Auto	car
Ä / ä	Like 'e' in 'bed'	Ähre	ear (of grain)
B / b	Like English 'b'; at end of word like 'p'	Buch	book
C / c	Like 'k' before a/o/u; like 'ts' before e/i	Computer	computer
D / d	Like English 'd'; at end of word like 't'	Danke	thank you
E / e	Long: like 'ay'; short: like 'e' in 'bet'	essen	to eat
F / f	Like English 'f'	Frau	woman/Mrs.
G / g	Like English 'g' in 'go'; at end of word like 'k'	Garten	garden
H / h	Like English 'h'; silent after a vowel	Haus	house
I / i	Like 'ee' in 'see'	ich	I
J / j	Like English 'y' in 'yes'	Jahr	year
K / k	Like English 'k'	Kind	child
L / l	Like English 'l'	Liebe	love
M / m	Like English 'm'	Mutter	mother
N / n	Like English 'n'	Nacht	night
O / o	Like 'oh' but shorter & rounder	Ort	place
Ö / ö	Pursed lips, say 'e' — like French 'eu'	schön	beautiful
R / r	Guttural, from the back of the throat	rot	red
S / s	Before vowels: like 'z'; elsewhere: like 's'	Sonne	sun
ß	Like 'ss' — used after long vowels & diphthongs	Straße	street
T / t	Like English 't'	Tisch	table
U / u	Like 'oo' in 'moon'	und	&
Ü / ü	Pursed lips, say 'ee' — like French 'u'	über	over/above
V / v	Like English 'f'	Vater	father
W / w	Like English 'v'	Wasser	water
Z / z	Like 'ts' in 'cats'	Zeit	time

Key Consonant Combinations

Combination	Sound	Example	Meaning
ch (after a/o/u)	Like 'ch' in Scottish 'loch'	Buch	book
ch (after e/i/ä/ö/ü)	Soft hiss from middle of mouth	ich	I
sch	Like English 'sh'	Schule	school
sp (at start)	Like 'shp'	sprechen	to speak
st (at start)	Like 'sht'	Stadt	city
tsch	Like English 'ch' in 'church'	Deutsch	German
pf	Both sounds together — 'p' + 'f'	Pferd	horse
qu	Like 'kv'	Quelle	source

Key rules: German 'W' = English 'V' sound. German 'V' = English 'F' sound. German 'Z' = 'ts'. German 'J' = 'Y'. Train yourself on umlauts (ä, ö, ü) early — they appear constantly.

3. Grammar Foundations

German grammar has a reputation for difficulty, but its rules are consistent & logical. Mastering a few key concepts early will unlock your ability to construct correct sentences quickly.

Grammatical Gender

Every German noun has one of three genders: masculine (der), feminine (die), or neuter (das). Gender must generally be memorized with the noun.

Memory strategy: Always learn the article with the noun. Never memorize "Hund" — memorize "der Hund." This habit saves enormous effort once cases are introduced.

Ending	Usually...	Examples
-er, -en, -el	Masculine	der Lehrer (teacher), der Wagen (car)
-ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -tion	Feminine	die Zeitung (newspaper), die Freiheit (freedom)
-chen, -lein (diminutives)	Neuter	das Mädchen (girl), das Büchlein (small book)
-ium, -um, -ment	Neuter	das Gymnasium, das Argument

Definite Articles (The) — All Cases

Gender	Nominative	Accusative	Dative	Genitive
Masculine	der	den	dem	des
Feminine	die	die	der	der
Neuter	das	das	dem	des
Plural (all)	die	die	den	der

Indefinite Articles (A / An) — All Cases

Gender	Nominative	Accusative	Dative	Genitive
Masculine	ein	einen	einem	eines
Feminine	eine	eine	einer	einer
Neuter	ein	ein	einem	eines
Plural	—	—	—	—

Personal Pronouns

Person	German	English
1st singular	ich	I
2nd singular (informal)	du	you
2nd singular (formal)	Sie	you (polite)
3rd singular masc.	er	he
3rd singular fem.	sie	she
3rd singular neuter	es	it
1st plural	wir	we
2nd plural (informal)	ihr	you (plural)
2nd plural (formal)	Sie	you (formal plural)
3rd plural	sie	they

Use du with friends, family, & children. Use Sie (always capitalized) with strangers, professionals, & anyone older unless invited otherwise.

Noun Plurals — Common Patterns

German plurals are irregular & must be memorized. Common patterns:

Pattern	Singular	Plural	Notes
-e ending	der Tisch	die Tische	Common for masculine nouns
-er ending (often with umlaut)	das Kind	die Kinder	Common for neuter nouns
-en / -n ending	die Frau	die Frauen	Very common for feminine nouns
-s ending	das Auto	die Autos	Mostly loanwords
Umlaut only	der Vater	die Väter	Vowel change only
No change	das Mädchen	die Mädchen	Words ending in -chen/-lein

4. Common Sentence Structures

The V2 Rule — Verb Always Second in Main Clauses

In a German main clause, the conjugated verb is always the second element. The first element can be the subject, an object, or a time/place expression — but the verb must be second.

Position 1	Position 2 (Verb)	Rest of Sentence
Ich	trinke	jeden Morgen Kaffee. (I drink coffee every morning.)
Jeden Morgen	trinke	ich Kaffee. (Every morning I drink coffee.)
Kaffee	trinke	ich jeden Morgen. (Coffee, I drink every morning.)

Time — Manner — Place (TMP) Order

When multiple adverbials appear, the default order is: Time first, then Manner, then Place.

Ich fahre morgen (time) mit dem Bus (manner) in die Stadt (place).
→ I am going into the city tomorrow by bus.

Questions — Yes/No & W-Questions

Yes/No Questions — simply invert the subject & verb:
Trinkst du Kaffee? — Do you drink coffee?
Bist du müde? — Are you tired?

Question Word	Meaning	Example	Translation
Wer	Who	Wer ist das?	Who is that?
Was	What	Was machst du?	What are you doing?
Wo	Where (location)	Wo wohnst du?	Where do you live?
Wohin	Where (direction)	Wohin gehst du?	Where are you going?
Woher	Where (from)	Woher kommst du?	Where are you from?
Wann	When	Wann kommst du?	When are you coming?
Warum	Why	Warum weinst du?	Why are you crying?
Wie	How	Wie geht es dir?	How are you?
Wie viel	How much	Wie viel kostet das?	How much does that cost?
Welch-	Which	Welches Buch liest du?	Which book are you reading?

Negation — nicht & kein

• nicht — negates verbs, adjectives, & nouns with definite articles. Placed after the direct object & before adjectives/adverbs: Ich schlafe nicht. (I'm not sleeping.)
• kein — negates nouns that would use ein/eine: Ich habe kein Auto. (I don't have a car.)

Subordinate Clauses — Verb to the End

In subordinate clauses (introduced by dass, weil, wenn, ob), the conjugated verb moves to the very end.

Ich weiß, dass er kommt. — I know that he is coming.
Ich gehe nicht, weil ich müde bin. — I'm not going because I'm tired.

5. Everyday Vocabulary

Focus on the most frequently used words first — the top 500–1,000 words cover roughly 80% of everyday speech.

Numbers 0–1,000,000

Number	German	Number	German
0	null	10	zehn
1	eins / ein-	11	elf
2	zwei	12	zwölf
3	drei	13	dreizehn
4	vier	20	zwanzig
5	fünf	21	einundzwanzig
6	sechs	30	dreißig
7	sieben	100	hundert
8	acht	1,000	tausend
9	neun	1,000,000	eine Million

Pattern 21–99: units before tens, joined with -und-: einundzwanzig (21), dreiundvierzig (43).

Days, Months & Seasons

Weekday	German	Month	German
Monday	Montag	January	Januar
Tuesday	Dienstag	February	Februar
Wednesday	Mittwoch	March	März
Thursday	Donnerstag	April	April
Friday	Freitag	May	Mai
Saturday	Samstag	June	Juni
Sunday	Sonntag	July	Juli
		August	August
		September	September
		October	Oktober
		November	November
		December	Dezember

Season	German	Expression	Translation
Spring	der Frühling	im Frühling	in spring
Summer	der Sommer	im Sommer	in summer
Autumn	der Herbst	im Herbst	in autumn
Winter	der Winter	im Winter	in winter

Colors

Color	German	Color	German
red	rot	orange	orange
blue	blau	purple	lila / violett
green	grün	pink	rosa
yellow	gelb	brown	braun
white	weiß	black	schwarz
gray	grau	gold	golden

Essential Nouns by Category

Family

English	German	English	German
mother	die Mutter	father	der Vater
sister	die Schwester	brother	der Bruder
daughter	die Tochter	son	der Sohn
grandmother	die Großmutter	grandfather	der Großvater
wife	die Frau	husband	der Mann
child	das Kind	baby	das Baby

Food & Drink

English	German	English	German
bread	das Brot	water	das Wasser
meat	das Fleisch	coffee	der Kaffee
fish	der Fisch	tea	der Tee
vegetable	das Gemüse	beer	das Bier
fruit	das Obst	wine	der Wein
soup	die Suppe	juice	der Saft
cake	der Kuchen	milk	die Milch

6. Verb Conjugations

Regular Verb Conjugation — Present Tense

Remove the infinitive ending -en & add the appropriate ending:

Pronoun	Ending	machen (to do)	spielen (to play)	kaufen (to buy)
ich	-e	mache	spiele	kaufe
du	-st	machst	spielst	kaufst
er/sie/es	-t	macht	spielt	kauft
wir	-en	machen	spielen	kaufen
ihr	-t	macht	spielt	kauft
sie/Sie	-en	machen	spielen	kaufen

sein (to be) — All Tenses

Pronoun	Present	Past (Präteritum)	Perfect
ich	bin	war	bin gewesen
du	bist	warst	bist gewesen
er/sie/es	ist	war	ist gewesen
wir	sind	waren	sind gewesen
ihr	seid	wart	seid gewesen
sie/Sie	sind	waren	sind gewesen

haben (to have) — All Tenses

Pronoun	Present	Past (Präteritum)	Perfect
ich	habe	hatte	habe gehabt
du	hast	hattest	hast gehabt
er/sie/es	hat	hatte	hat gehabt
wir	haben	hatten	haben gehabt
ihr	habt	hattet	habt gehabt
sie/Sie	haben	hatten	haben gehabt

7. Common Phrases & Dialogues

Greetings & Farewells

German	English
Guten Morgen	Good morning
Guten Tag	Good day / Hello (formal)
Guten Abend	Good evening
Hallo / Hi	Hello / Hi (informal)
Tschüss / Tschau	Bye (informal)
Auf Wiedersehen	Goodbye (formal)
Bis später	See you later
Bis morgen	See you tomorrow
Gute Nacht	Good night

Introductions & Basic Conversation

German	English
Wie heißen Sie? / Wie heißt du?	What is your name? (formal / informal)
Ich heiße…	My name is…
Wie geht es Ihnen? / Wie geht es dir?	How are you? (formal / informal)
Mir geht es gut, danke.	I'm fine, thank you.
Woher kommen Sie? / Woher kommst du?	Where are you from?
Ich komme aus…	I come from…
Wo wohnen Sie? / Wo wohnst du?	Where do you live?
Ich wohne in…	I live in…
Sprechen Sie Englisch?	Do you speak English?
Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.	I speak a little German.
Können Sie das wiederholen?	Can you repeat that?
Ich verstehe nicht.	I don't understand.
Bitte	Please / You're welcome
Danke (schön)	Thank you (very much)
Entschuldigung / Entschuldigen Sie	Excuse me / I'm sorry

Sample Dialogue — At a Restaurant

German	English
Einen Tisch für zwei, bitte.	A table for two, please.
Was darf ich Ihnen bringen?	What can I bring you?
Ich hätte gerne…	I would like…
Was empfehlen Sie?	What do you recommend?
Die Speisekarte, bitte.	The menu, please.
Ich bin Vegetarier/Vegetarierin.	I am vegetarian. (m/f)
Die Rechnung, bitte.	The bill, please.
Das war sehr lecker.	That was very delicious.

8. Apps & Tools

• LingQ — best for reading & listening, particularly for intermediate learners. Combines a multilingual dictionary, native-speaker audio, & an integrated SRS. Supports EPUB import. Recommended for tablet use. Reach B1 before relying on it heavily.
• Anki — the most effective memorization tool available, using the SM2 or FSRS algorithm. Applicable to any memorization-heavy subject. Review the AnKing YouTube channel for setup guidance.
• Language Reactor — excellent for consuming YouTube videos & generating SRS cards from subtitles.
• Slowly — find a German pen pal & practice writing; a good long-term complement to formal study.
• Kobo — the most widely used e-reader in Germany. Also available in the US. Pair with Calibre (free) for e-book file management & device syncing.
• Duolingo — gamified & good for habit-building; best used as a supplement, not a primary course.

9. Books

Beginner & Intermediate Reading

• Project Gutenberg — free German e-book database
• Short Stories in German for Beginners (2018) — Olly Richards
• Short Stories in German — Intermediate (2018) — Olly Richards
• 101 Conversations in Intermediate German (2021) — Olly Richards
• Momo (1973) — Michael Ende
• Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen (1997) — J.K. Rowling (excellent for intermediate learners)

Graphic Novels

• Maus: A Survivor's Tale, Vol. 1 (1986) — Art Spiegelman
• Maus: A Survivor's Tale, Vol. 2 (1992) — Art Spiegelman

Classic German Literature

• Faust: Eine Tragödie (Teile I & II) — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1808/1832)
• Die Leiden des jungen Werthers — Goethe
• Die Räuber — Friedrich Schiller
• Woyzeck — Georg Büchner
• Die Verwandlung — Franz Kafka
• Der Prozeß / Das Schloss — Franz Kafka
• Berlin Alexanderplatz (1929) — Alfred Döblin
• Der Zauberberg (The Magic Mountain) (1924) — Thomas Mann
• Buddenbrooks — Thomas Mann
• Doktor Faustus (1947) — Thomas Mann
• Die Blechtrommel (The Tin Drum) (1959) — Günter Grass
• Demian (1919) / Siddhartha (1922) — Hermann Hesse
• Zur Genealogie der Moral — Friedrich Nietzsche
• Also sprach Zarathustra (1883) — Friedrich Nietzsche
• Effi Briest (1895) — Theodor Fontane
• Die Marquise von O… — Heinrich von Kleist
• Simplicius Simplicissimus — Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen

10. Audio & Listening

• Beginner — DW — Deutsch lernen (Easy German Audio)
• Beginner — Super Easy German (YouTube Playlist)
• Beginner — Slow Easy German (YouTube Playlist)
• Intermediate — Easy German — street interviews with German & English subtitles
• Intermediate — Kurzgesagt — Dinge Erklärt — animated explainer videos in German
• Advanced — TED(x) Talks in German

11. Courses & Tutors

Online Tutors

• iTalki — recommended platform for one-on-one lessons. Recommended tutors: Erkan, Jonathan aus Frankfurt, Daniel aus Berlin, Patrick aus Hannover, Jennifer aus Kassel.
• Preply — comparable to iTalki.

Institutional Courses

• Goethe-Institut Online — structured courses from the official German cultural institute.
• Volkshochschule (VHS) — affordable in-person & online classes available across Germany (vhs.de). Branches: Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich. May require German residence permit.
• Schritte Plus — Deutsch als Fremdsprache — free online structured course access.

Textbooks

• Neue Horizonte — David Dollenmayer (well-regarded structured textbook)

12. Films

Watching German-language film is one of the most effective ways to build listening comprehension & cultural understanding simultaneously.

Classic Silent Film Era (1913–1932)

• Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920) — Robert Wiene
• Nosferatu (1922) — F.W. Murnau
• Dr. Mabuse (1922) — Fritz Lang
• Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (1924) — Fritz Lang
• Der letzte Mann (The Last Laugh) (1924) — F.W. Murnau
• Faust (1926) — F.W. Murnau
• Metropolis (1927) — Fritz Lang
• Spione (Spies) (1928) — Fritz Lang
• Pandoras Box (1929) — Georg Wilhelm Pabst
• Die Frau im Mond (Woman in the Moon) (1929) — Fritz Lang
• Menschen am Sonntag (People on Sunday) (1930) — Robert Siodmak

Classic & Contemporary German Cinema

• M (1931) — Fritz Lang
• Im Westen nichts Neues (All Quiet on the Western Front) (1930/1979)
• Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972) — Werner Herzog
• Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant (1972) — R.W. Fassbinder
• Angst Essen Seele Auf (1974) — Rainer Werner Fassbinder
• Stroszek (1977) — Werner Herzog
• Die Ehe der Maria Braun (1979) — Rainer Werner Fassbinder
• Woyzeck (1979) — Werner Herzog
• Nosferatu — Phantom der Nacht (1979) — Werner Herzog
• Das Boot (1981) — Wolfgang Petersen
• Mephisto (1981) — István Szabó
• Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo (1981) — Ulrich Edel
• Fitzcarraldo (1982) — Werner Herzog
• Europa, Europa (1990) — Agnieszka Holland
• Stalingrad (1993) — Joseph Vilsmaier
• Lola Rennt (Run Lola Run) (1998) — Tom Tykwer
• Good Bye Lenin! (2003) — Wolfgang Becker
• Der Untergang (Downfall) (2004) — Oliver Hirschbiegel
• Im Westen nichts Neues (2022) — Edward Berger (Netflix — Academy Award winner)

German Netflix Series

• Dark — highly acclaimed sci-fi thriller in German
• Babylon Berlin — Weimar Republic crime drama
• How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) — modern comedy-drama
• Biohackers — science thriller

Use Language Reactor to add dual subtitles & pop-up definitions while watching.

13. Music

Contemporary German Bands & Artists

Immersive listening supports tonal & phonological awareness. Use Spotify lyrics for passive study.

Antilopen Gang · Danger Dan · Kraftklub · Juju · Apache 207 · Ohrbooten · AnnenMayKantereit · Clueso · Mark Forster · Max Giesinger · Von Wegen Lisbeth · Silbermond · Anna Depenbusch · Nena · Faber · Sido · SDP · Alligatoah · Giant Rooks · Ion Miles · Die Lieferanten · Miwata · Capital Bra · Madsen · JEREMIAS

German Multi-Genre Spotify Mega Playlist — a broad playlist spanning modern pop, rap, indie rock, alternative, & hip hop. Good for staying connected to contemporary German music culture.

Classical Music

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750, Eisenach)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791, Salzburg)
• Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827, Bonn)
• Franz Schubert (1797–1828, Vienna)
• Robert Schumann (1810–1856, Zwickau)

14. YouTube & Video

Interactive Learning Series

• Ticket nach Berlin — Goethe-Institut video series with free PDF worksheets. Create an account to access materials.

YouTube Playlists by Level

• A1 Easy German A1 Playlist
• A2 Easy German A2 Playlist
• B1 Easy German B1 Playlist
• C1 Easy German C1 Playlist
• All Kurzgesagt — Dinge Erklärt
• All TED(x) Talks in German

15. Instagram

Filling your feed with German content is low-effort, high-frequency language exposure.

16. Dictionaries

• dict.cc — comprehensive German-English dictionary with community examples & audio.
• LEO Dictionary — widely trusted, with grammar tables & forum discussions.
• Duden — the definitive German-language monolingual dictionary (authoritative source).

17. Grammar Books & Workbooks

• Hammer's German Grammar & Usage — Martin Durrell. The definitive English-language German grammar reference. Highly recommended for serious learners.
• Neue Horizonte — David Dollenmayer. Structured textbook for beginners & intermediate learners.
• Schritte Plus — Deutsch als Fremdsprache — free online access; structured course material.
• Deutsch lernen mit DW — free structured online courses from Deutsche Welle, A1 through C1.

18. Study Schedule & Strategy

Core Principles

• Study every day, even if only briefly. Consistency outweighs session length.
• Prioritize speaking & listening before reading & writing.
• Commit to one course or textbook before switching to another.
• Grammar study should complement input (reading/listening), not replace it.

Sample Beginner Plan — 4–5 hours/week

Day	Activity	Duration
Monday	Anki review + 1 grammar topic	30–40 min
Tuesday	Anki review + listening (Easy German / DW)	30 min
Wednesday	Anki review + speaking practice / iTalki lesson	45–60 min
Thursday	Anki review + reading (short story or graded text)	30 min
Friday	Anki review + vocabulary list review	30 min
Saturday	Extended input — German TV series or film	60+ min
Sunday	Light review or rest	15–20 min

Progression Roadmap — A1 through B1

Level	Timeline	Focus
A1 Absolute Beginner	Months 1–2	Alphabet, basic greetings, numbers, present tense regular verbs, simple vocabulary (family, food, colors)
A2 Elementary	Months 3–4	Past tense (Perfekt), modal verbs, separable verbs, basic sentence structures, expanding vocabulary
B1 Intermediate	Months 5–8	Subordinate clauses, dative/genitive cases, Konjunktiv II, reading native-level short texts, sustained conversation

19. Scholarships

Germany-Specific

• CBYX for Young Professionals ⭐ — Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange. Highly recommended for anyone with a serious interest in Germany. The author is an alumnus of the high school version of this program & can speak to the application experience.

Multi-Country Scholarships Including Germany

• Fulbright Scholarship
• Rotary Club Scholarship

Other International Scholarships

• YES Abroad
• NSLI-Y

20. Miscellaneous

• Tim Ferriss — How to Learn (but Not Master) a Language in 1 Hour
• A Review of German Grammar — Dartmouth
• German Slang Words & Phrases
• 111 German Idioms — Germans are particularly fond of idiomatic language.
• Library Genesis — free e-book repository; filter by German & EPUB format for LingQ-compatible texts.
• r/LearnGerman — active community for questions, resources, & study advice.
• Germany Visa Information / Skilled Worker Visa Docs

For feedback, additional resources, or questions: stevelegg2000@gmail.com