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LEARN GERMAN: THE ULTIMATE

GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS

Starting out learning German can seem frightening at first. Words can fill the

entire length of a piece of paper, and pronouncing letters you've never even

heard of can feel like an impossible task.

Can anybody say words like Freundschaftsbeweis or Lebensabschnittsgefährte?

And why would you want to?

Grasping new concepts like word genders, learning new word order, and the

invasion of inflected speech can leave you questioning your desire to learn to

speak German.

In this article, I'm going to tell you why German is a language that opens up a

world of possibilities.



You'll learn how this Indo-European language is going to make a difference in

your life and why it's actually not as hard to learn as you might think.

I’m going to reveal everything I’ve discovered about how to learn German as a

beginner, so you can benefit from my experience and start your journey to speak

German off on the right path.

German was my 8th foreign language, so I think you'll see I've learned a few

things along the way about what it takes to learn a new language successfully.

This article will give you all the information you need to know about this rich and

beautiful language as well as how to start learning it.

Here’s what we’ll cover. If you’ve ever asked yourself any of the following

questions, then this article is what you're looking for.

Why Should I Learn German?

What Are The Key Features of the German Language?

What Do I Need to Know About German Culture?

Is German Hard to Learn?

How Can I Get to Grips With German Grammar?

What Pitfalls Should I Watch Out For as a Beginner Learning German?

How to Learn to Speak German as a Beginner

What Are the Best Resources for Learning German?

https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/how-i-learnt-seven-languages/



WHY SHOULD I LEARN GERMAN?

There are lots of different reasons you might be motivated to learn German.

You live in Germany or hope to move there

You have family or friends who speak German

You’re planning to visit Germany or another German-speaking country

Your significant other is a German-speaker

You’re intrigued by German Culture or History

Whatever your reason, you should be excited!

German is a fascinating and rewarding language to learn. By learning even basic

German, you’ll open a world of opportunities for yourself.

Perhaps you're already motivated to learn German, but here are a few more

reasons learning this beautiful language could be a life changing experience for

you:



1. German Is A Popular Language

When you think of learning German, you might think you're learning a language

only 81 million people speak in some small country in Europe.

Well, you'd be wrong, because it's spoken all over the world, often in the most

unusual places.

Including foreign speakers, German has up to 220 million speakers worldwide.

Opening up your networking possibilities to such a large group of people can

mean new opportunities for jobs, travel, friends, personal growth, love, and much

more.

Aside from Germany, German is also the main language in:

Austria

Switzerland

South Tyrol

Parts of Belgium

And it's also recognised as a minority language in:

Czech Republic

Brazil

Italy

Poland

Denmark

Hungary

Russia

Namibia

And many others countries ...



On the map below, the countries shown in bright red represent countries where

German is the official primary or co-primary language. However, German is also

recognised as a minority language in all of the regions marked in pink because of

the large German-speaking communities who live there.

Estimates tell us that German is the native language of about 95 million people,

up to 25 million speak it as their second language, and there could be as many as

100 million foreign speakers.

German is not only the most widely spoken language in the European Union, it's

also one of the most widely taught in Europe and the USA.

This means it's a great language to learn because you'll find opportunities to use

it all over the world!



2. Learning German Can Change Your Life In Many Ways

If you love to travel, German will help you get by all across the globe. The ability to

speak German while travelling opens up new experiences in all of the countries

highlighted on the map above. In German-speaking countries, natives can often

steer you towards insider tips and top suggestions for things to do that wouldn't

be possible if you didn't speak the language.

Learning German can do wonders for your career. With one of the strongest

economies in the world, Germans are all about efficiency, working hard, and

saving money. They love to plan and organise their lives to be comfortable,

sustainable, and cost-effective. Their workplace is similarly structured, with health

insurance, pension plans, and long paid vacation periods being standard.

Countries like Germany and Switzerland have some of the highest standards of

living in the world, which makes German speaking countries attractive places to

live. If you're a professional working in an on-demand field, some German

language skills might just open up new career opportunities for you.

Learning German makes it much easier to learn additional languages. Having a

knowledge of one foreign language makes it much easier to grasp the concepts of

others. Once you start learning about new grammatical structures, their

differences, and similarities, you will have an easier time adapting and applying

your learning methods to other languages. Even if you don't continue to learn

other languages after German, you'll find that German still helps you understand

some basic vocabulary in a lot of other foreign languages. Many Indo-European

languages have words that are spelt similarly, or share the same roots so you'll be

able to decode simple words in related languages like Dutch or Danish.

Enjoy Authentic German Culture. Germany has a rich cultural history, and learning

the language will allow you to appreciate some of its finest masterpieces in their

original state. Some of the greatest philosophical and literary works in the world

were written in German and some of the most famous classical music composers

come from Germany. German culture has had a tremendous impact on the rest

of the world.



WHAT ARE THE KEY FEATURES OF

THE GERMAN LANGUAGE?

In this section, you’re going to learn about the key linguistic features of German

and what they mean for you as a beginner learner:

1. What is German? A Linguistic Background

2. The German Cases

3. German Verbs

4. German Prefixes and Suffixes

5. The Sounds of German

https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/learn/german#german_background

https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/learn/german#german_cases

https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/learn/german#german_verbs

https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/learn/german#german_suffixes_prefixes

https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/learn/german#german_pron



1. What Is German? A Linguistic Background

German belongs to the West Germanic group of Indo-European languages,

alongside English and Dutch. That means we have some similarities to get started

and form a basic understanding.

The first recordings of the German language start with the Romans in the first

century BC. From this time until the 6th century AD, there was a single Germanic

language with almost no dialects. Different dialects and forms of German first

appeared later on.

Nowadays, like English, German has many different dialects in different regions.

Most of these dialects belong to either High German or Low German, differing by

their pronunciation.



2. The German Cases

German is an inflective language, which means words differ according to their

grammatical gender. There are three different possibilities:

masculine

feminine

neuter

These just have to be learned by heart, but sometimes there is a logical

correlation. For example:

Not too difficult so far, right?

Nouns are then inflected based on one of the four cases:

nominative

accusative

dative

genitive.



This is one of the main differences between German and English. Learning to use

the correct ending is not always easy for us English speakers, and takes time and

practice to get used to. In the grammar section of this article, you'll read about

cases in more detail and learn how they work.

Don't fear, there are clear rules for when to use each case and no strange

exceptions like in English.

3. German Verb Tenses

German has six verb tenses: four derived from auxiliary verbs and two tenses

without. This sounds complicated but fortunately, the tenses are actually quite

straightforward and have a lot in common with English.

The two finite tenses (those formed with just a single verb) are the present

tense (Präsens) and the simple past tense (Imperfekt).

To use these tenses, you simply conjugate the verb you want to use, for example:

Present: ich laufe (I run/walk)

Simple Past: ich lief (I ran/walked)

The four verb tenses which use auxiliary verbs are the future (Futur), the present

perfect (Perfekt), the past perfect (Plusquamperfekt), and the future perfect (Futur

perfekt). They're formed as follows:

Future

werden + the infinitive (base form) of the main verb

Example: Ich werde Basketball spielen - I will play basketball

Present Perfect

present tense of haben or sein + the past participle of the main verb



Examples:

Ich habe Fußball gespielt - I played football

Ich bin um 7 Uhr nach Hause gekommen - I came home at

seven o'clock.

Past Perfect:

simple past tense of haben or sein + the past participle of the main

verb

Examples:

Ich hatte meine Hausaufgaben gemacht - I had done my

homework.

Als ich an der Bushaltestelle ankam, war der Bus schon

losgefahren. - When I arrived at the bus stop, the bus had

already left.

Future Perfect

werden + past participle of main verb + the infinitive

of haben or sein

Example:

Ich werde gelaufen sein - I will have run

As you can see, each tense has a clear pattern and the structures are quite similar

to English, it's just a case of learning the German

verb conjugations and participles, which is quite simple.

It will take a little time to get used to everything, but once you've grasped the

concept, it's easy to put into practice.

For now, don't worry about memorising each tense and instead just focus on

trying to notice and recognise them while reading and listening.



4. German Prefixes and Suffixes

Understanding prefixes and suffixes will also be an important part of learning

German.

A prefix is a root or combination of letters that gets added to the beginning of the

word, while a suffix is added at the end of a word.

An example of a prefix in English would be im-. By adding it to the beginning of

words, you can change their meaning. For example, 'probable' can become

'improbable'.

German has even more of these patterns! These prefixes and suffixes can

completely change or add something to the meaning of a base word in German

and even create new words.

Take the verb brechen (to break), for example.

We can add a prefix and suffix to create an adjective: zerbrechlich (fragile).

Or we can apply different changes to turn it into a person: Verbrecher (criminal).

Again, this can seem intimidating at first but it actually makes learning German

vocabulary easier!

Once you know the suffixes and prefixes you'll have hundreds of extra words at

your fingertips without having to learn them all from scratch!

This is just another reason learning German vocabulary is easier than it might

seem at first glance.



5. The Sounds of German

The German alphabet is almost the same as the English one, but with a few extra

letters:

German uses umlauts, ä, ö, ü.

There is also an ß, or “Ess-tset”, which is just a fancy 's'.

Most of the sounds in the German alphabet are similar to sounds in English, with

a few exceptions, like the rolled -r, or -ch ending.

The German 'R'

There are two common pronunciations for the German 'r':

consonantal

vocalic

The consonantal 'r' is one of the hardest sounds to learn in German. It's kind of

like gargling without water.

Let's take the word 'drei' (three), for example. The rolling sound is created at the

back of the vocal tract by creating a narrow passage with the tongue.

The vocalic 'r', on the other hand, is spoken very softly, more like a vowel. A

vocalic 'r' is common with 'er' endings, like in Schwester (sister). Here the 'r' is

barely noticeable, as it is unstressed.



In fact, it doesn't really sound like what we would think of as an 'r' sound at all,

more like an 'ah' (Sch-ves-tah).

The German '-ch'

There are two possible pronunciations for the -ch sound in German.

The word 'Drachen' (dragon) is a good example of the first one. Following the

vowels 'a', 'au', 'o', and 'u', it's spoken like a Scotsman saying Loch Ness:

This sound comes from the back of the tongue touching the soft palate.

The other sound is created when -ch follows 'e', 'ei', 'eu', 'ä', 'i', 'äu' and 'ö', or after

a consonant, as is 'ich' (I), and 'Mädchen' (girl).

In this case, we articulate the -ch towards the front of the mouth. It's almost like a

cross between -sh and a -ch in English.

Start by making the English -sh, but then instead of allowing air to flow at the side

of the tongue, push the air over the top of the tongue, which is close to the roof of

your mouth.

Getting The Hang Of German Pronunciation

Although many sounds may be similar, their correlations are different and need

to be learned and practised. It's important to learn the German alphabet at the

very beginning. This way you can develop the habit of correct pronunciation.

If you are just starting out learning your first foreign language, you'll find it useful

to become acquainted with the International Phonetic Alphabet, or IPA for short.



It's made up of phonemes, or unique individual sounds, which help as a great aid

in pronunciation. Dictionaries usually have an IPA spelling of the word.

If we want to pronounce the German word for apples, Äpfel: /ˈɛpfəl/, for example,

the IPA (/ˈɛpfəl/) can be very helpful.

This is especially useful when you need to figure out which of the 'r' or 'ch' sounds

a word uses.

As a native English speaker, German pronunciation can seem difficult in the

beginning.

We are used to making certain movements with our mouths and tongues when

we speak and we've been training ourselves to do this ever since we first started

talking.

When you begin to learn German, you're starting that process all over again with

a new set of sounds so it's natural that it will take you some time to really get the

hang of them.

This is where phonetic practice with a native German speaker becomes very

important. A native speaker can help you train those difficult sounds and teach

you the intricacies of pronunciation.

The more you speak, the easier it will become.

Even without perfect pronunciation, most Germans will be able to understand

you with an accent, so don't let difficult sounds get in the way of practising the

language.

Note from Olly: Huge thanks to Gabriel from the Sprachheld blog for contributing

the audio recordings in this post!

https://www.sprachheld.de/



WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

ABOUT GERMAN CULTURE

What Is German Culture?

When you think of German culture, what comes to mind?

Octoberfest? Beer? Currywurst and other meats? Giant pretzels? Punctuality and

organisation? Like any country, Germany has a lot of stereotypes.

However, Germany has a rich culture that has touched many of our lives at some

point. German philosophers, writers, musicians, inventors, media, and society

have all been inspiring the world for centuries.



The Land of Poets and Thinkers

Germany has a literary background that goes all the way back to the middle ages.

If you're interested in literature you may be familiar with Hermann Hesse,

Heinrich Böll, and Herta Müller; all Germans who have won Nobel prizes for their

work.

I'm sure most people have heard of the Brothers Grimm, who wrote many

Folklore masterpieces, such as “Rapunzel”, “Rumpelstiltskin”, “Hanzel and Gretel”,

“Cinderella”, “Sleeping Beauty”, and “Snow White”, just to name a few.

Schiller, Goethe, and Lessing are some of the other most famous German authors

and influential thinkers of the modern era.

Those who understand German can also read the original works of some of the

world's most brilliant philosophers. Germans philosophers have been shaping the

way we perceive life for centuries:



Leibniz was one of the three advocates of rationalism

Kant brought us his Critique of Pure Reason in the 18th century, which influenced

German idealism in the 19th century

Schopenhauer built on Kant's work and introduced us to philosophical pessimism

Nietzsche provided us with many important ideas including the radical critique of

truth in favour of perspectivism

Of course, you can read translated versions, but having a knowledge of the

German language and culture will allow you to have an even deeper

understanding of the material.

Philosophy might not really be your cup of tea, but if that's the case there are still

lots of other fascinating elements of German culture to explore.

Germany's Great Composers

Germany is home to the world's most famous classical composers, including

Beethoven, Schumann, Händel, Bach, Haydn, Schubert, Wagner, and Brahms, to

name just a few.



It was also a German - Wolkenstein - who revolutionised classical music in the

14th century. He collected and shared the classical techniques he learned

throughout his European journeys, which played a significant role in the

development of future composers.

The Neue Deutsche Welle in the 1970s brought us a new form of German rock

music. This underground movement was a mix of punk and new wave music,

which introduced us to artists like Nena and Falco.

Germans were also very influential in the development of electronic music. The

band Kraftwerk, for example, was one of the first bands to play only on electronic

instruments. Today, Germany continues to have one of the largest electronic

music scenes in the world.

Many of our Christmas songs also come from German. “Silent Night” (Stille Nacht)

and “O Christmas Tree” (O Tannenbaum) are well known in their English

translations.

These are just a few examples of the many ways in which Germans have had an

impact on the world of music. Germany is also well known for its Schlager and

folk music, synthpop, punk, heavy metal, and even hip hop.



German Innovators and Inventors

Innovative Germans have brought us a wide array of discoveries, from cell theory

to jeans, and so much in between.

Gutenberg, for example, is accredited with the invention of movable type and the

development of the printing press.

Albert Einstein provided us with many of our current theories in physics and

Leibniz with new mathematical concepts.

Germans have played a significant role in developments in medicine, biology,

chemistry, sociology, and astronomy as well.



German Media and Society

Germany may have a history of Nazism and extreme right-wing conservatism, but

modern day Germany has changed tremendously.

The country is now a multicultural centre with a wide variety of lifestyles and

ethnocentric backgrounds mixed together.

Today, around 20% of the population originates from outside of Germany. Civil

unions, disability rights, and a high level of gender equality are the result of

tolerance and cultural integration.

Germans love to travel and are some of the top spenders in the world when it

comes to holidays. Six weeks of paid holiday is normal in Germany. Germans use

this to see and experience the rest of the world, improving their multicultural

status.

Although it might not seem obvious, Germany is also home to some of the largest

media conglomerates in the world.



It has Europe's largest television market and best-selling newspapers.

It's no wonder that Germany holds one of the world's most significant book fairs

given that German publishers release nearly 60,000 new publications each year.

As a German learner, you certainly won't find yourself short of reading material!

IS GERMAN HARD TO LEARN?

Compared with some other European languages, German seems to have a

developed a reputation for being notoriously difficult to learn.

But in fact, once you overcome the unfamiliarity, you'll find that German isn't as

hard as you might think.



German Isn't As Hard As You Might Think

English is a Germanic language, and both English and German come from the

Indo-European language family.

This means our languages aren't actually as different as they seem.

Old English had a grammar very similar to German

Our alphabets are almost the same, with a few small differences

We share many of the same words (e.g. 'House'/'Haus')

At first glance, German might seem like an intimidating language. But once you

break it down into its components, you realise it's actually very logical.

German has adopted a lot of words from the English language, making a lot of

vocabulary self-explanatory for English speakers.

English is believed to have the largest vocabulary of all languages, with over one

million words in the dictionary, and counting. German has at least 140 thousand

words, but not nearly as many as English, making it much easier to learn.

Even though there are lots of very long words in German, these are always just a

combination of shorter, simpler ones, which makes them easy to learn. Not to

mention all the words German and English share in common.



Misconceptions About German

If we look at some of the most common misconceptions about German, you'll see

just why this wonderful language isn't as a tricky as it might seem.

1. It's Full of Long Words

Some people might see long German words full of consonants and feel too

frightened to even attempt pronouncing them.

However, most German words aren't that long. The most common words are

pretty short, and even the long words that look confusing can be broken down

into short easy words.

Long words in German are mostly compound words created by combining two or

more shorter words together. This is something we have in English as well, just

not to the same extent as German.



English words like 'swimsuit' (swim suit) and 'bedroom' (bed room) are examples

of a similar phenomenon.

As you'll soon see, long words in German are nothing to be overly worried about!

2. It's A Harsh Sounding Language

Another misconception is that German is a harsh language.

Many people have the impression that German is a rough language, spoken from

the throat, but it isn't actually like that.

The sounds don't all come from the throat, rather from certain lip and tongue

movements.

Once you start to practice speaking German, you'll realise that it's actually quite

simple to pronounce.

3. The Grammar Is Difficult

German grammar actually has a lot more in common with English than some

other languages.

The cases may seem confusing at first, but there are only 4 of them. In

comparison, Finnish has 26!

German also shares an alphabet with English, unlike Greek, Russian, Chinese and

many other languages.



Since German and English both come from the same language family, the

similarities are greater than the differences.

What Do German and English Have In Common?

Many of the most common words in English are of Germanic descent.

I have and ich habe, for example, are very similar, which makes these types of

word combinations easy to remember.

Learning simple German sentences will be encouraging in the beginning. Take a

look at these phrases:

Ich bin ein Amerikaner (I am American)

Ich wohne in Deutschland (I live in Germany)

They're not so different from English, right? The word order is the same and even

some of the words are quite similar. Phrases like this take almost no effort to

learn and will have you practising the German language in no time.

There are hundreds of words that are spelt the same and have the same meaning

in both German and English. Here are some great examples of words shared by

both languages:



This makes it easy to start learning German vocabulary quickly.

You can instantly grow your German vocabulary, just by making or finding a list of

all the common words.

There are also “false friends”, or words that are spelt similarly but have different

meanings.

Take 'fabric' and 'fabrik', for example.

Both words sound the same but have different meanings. Fabrik in German

means factory, whereas the word for 'fabric' is actually Stoff.

That said, a few simple memory tricks can make these correlations fun and easy

to learn. Create an image in your mind of a fabric factory, for example. That way,

whenever you see the word 'Fabrik', you'll also think of a factory.

There are also similarities in German and English grammar.

The past tense forms of the English word 'drink', for example, are:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Frequency_lists#German



'drank'

'drunk'

We see that the German version follows almost the same pattern and gives us:

trink

trank

getrunken

Many German verbs follow patterns that we are used to in English, making the

grammar that much easier.



HOW CAN I GET TO GRIPS WITH

GERMAN GRAMMAR?

German grammar may seem intimidating as a beginner.

Sentence structure, verb conjugations, and case endings can appear

overwhelming.

However, German grammar isn't as complicated as it looks.

Unlike English grammar, German grammar has few exceptions to its rules, and its

explanations are straightforward and simple.

This section is a comprehensive overview of the basics of German grammar which

will show you why German isn't so difficult and how you should go about tackling

it. Here's what we'll learn about:

1. German Word Gender and the Case System



2. Prepositions and Word Endings

3. Compound Words and How They're Formed

4. Conjugating German Verbs

5. Why German Grammar Is Easier Than English Grammar

1. Word Gender and the Case System

German is an inflected language. That means every noun is associated with a

masculine, feminine, or neutral gender article.

Instead of just having one word for 'a' or 'the', Germans have multiple

possibilities.

This can be one of the most confusing parts of learning German when you're just

getting started. How do you know whether to use der, die, or das?

The grammatical gender of each word is best learned with the word itself.

Although many correlations are obvious, most genders have to be learned

together with the new vocabulary.

The cases, on the other hand, follow specific rules. The table below shows how

the article 'the' changes for each of the genders, as well as for each case.

As we can see, the nominative and accusative cases are almost the same, with the

exception of der becoming den'.



The dative case is slightly more different, with the masculine and neutral articles

becoming dem, feminine becoming der, and plural den'.

In a German sentence:

The subject of the sentence (i.e. the person doing the action) is in

the nominative case

The direct object, or object receiving the action, takes on the accusative case

An indirect object, which is passively affected by the action in the sentence takes

on the dativecase

The genitive is used to show possession, for example, where we would use the

word of in English

If you're new to cases, this probably sounds very difficult but you'll find that once

you start practising it's quite straightforward.

The more exposure you get to the language, the better you'll become at choosing

the right genders and cases to use.

2. Prepositions and Word Endings

In German, certain prepositions are associated with the accusative and dative

cases. As your German improves you'll come across more and more of these.

Dual prepositions can take either the accusative or dative case. These include:

an (at)

auf (on)

hinter (behind)

in (in)

neben (next)



über (over/above)

vor (in front)

zwischen (in between)

For static, non-moving subjects, the dative case is used, for example:

“Dein Essen steht auf dem Tisch” (Your food is on the table).

In this instance:

Dein Essen (your food) is the subject, in the nominative case

Der Tisch (the table), takes the dative form, in this case, dem, because it is

stationary and not moving

Let's look at another example:

“Ich habe dein Essen auf den Tisch gestellt” (I put your food on the table)

We now have:

ich (I) as the subject

dein Essen (your food) as the direct object

den Tisch as the indirect object.

Since this sentence involves a motion, your food being put somewhere, the table

takes on the accusative form.

There are also some special dative prepositions, which always take on the dative

case, regardless of motion. These are:

aus (out)

außer (except)

bei (at)

mit (with)

nach (after)

seit (since)

von (from)



zu (to)

The best way to learn these is to pay attention to how they're used when you see

them in sentences.

Instead of trying to memorise rules, focus on noticing the patterns of the cases

and prepositions in sentences you read and hear.

Then try to copy these patterns when you're creating your own sentences!

Of course, you'll make lots of mistakes in the beginning but that's ok. Just keep

learning from your mistakes and the structures will become more natural the

more you practice.

3. Compound Words and How They're Formed

It's easy to get intimidated by long German words. They seem to take up half the

page and at first glance, you think 'I'll never be able to pronounce that.'

But actually, pronouncing such words is quite simple. It's just a case of knowing

how to approach it.

Let's look at one of the longer words in German - Freundschaftsbeweis, which

means 'a demonstration of friendship'.

It might seem overwhelming at first, but it's actually not.

If we break this word up into its individual elements, we see that it's made up of

small words, which would look like this:



None of the individual words is particularly difficult to pronounce. Think of such

words as sentences written without spaces, and approach them by breaking them

up into pieces.

4. Conjugating German Verbs

In English, we conjugate verbs by adding an ending for regular verbs or changing

the word for irregular verbs.

For example, in English we conjugate the verb 'to be' as follows:

I am

You are

He/she/it is

We are

You (plural) are

They are



German also conjugates verbs, and the word sein (to be) is conjugated similarly:

Ich bin (I am)

Du bist (you are)

Er/sie/es ist (he/she/it is)

Wir sind (we are)

Ihr seid (you plural are)

Sie sind (they are)

As we can see, both the English and German equivalents follow very similar

patterns.

English and German both conjugate verbs in the past tense as well. Although

German conjugates verbs to a further extent than English, the conjugations often

follow rules and are easy to learn.

Get a good book with clear explanations and exercises, then practice the

conjugations a lot. Try to identify the conjugations when you're listening or

reading and when you speak, try your best to use them.

This kind of constant exposure to the language will help you memorise them in

time.

5. German Grammar Is Easier Than English Grammar

Believe it of not, there are some things about German that are easier than

English!

In German, for example, there are no continuous tenses.



In English, we have the present tense, as well as the present continuous. For

example:

I eat meat (present simple)

I am eating meat (present continuous)

The first sentence is a generalisation, whereas the second sentence describes a

one-time event happening at the moment.

In German, however, both sentences are the same:

Ich esse Fleisch

The meaning is then determined by the context in which the sentence appears.

German grammar may seem scary at first but this is because it's unfamiliar.

While it may take you some time to get a handle on German grammar, it's

reassuring to know that it's very regular and there are very few exceptions to the

rules, unlike in English which is full of them!



4 PITFALLS TO WATCH OUT FOR AS

A BEGINNER LEARNING GERMAN

Learning your first foreign language is always the hardest. It's hard to know where

to start or which approaches really work.

What prevents people from learning a language is normally not the difficulty of

the language itself. It's the fact that they don't know how to learn a language.

Through trial and error when learning German, you'll learn what works and,

importantly, what doesn’t work.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid some of the common mistakes many new

language learners make:



1. Don't Skip the Alphabet

Learning the alphabet and pronunciation of individual letters is often overlooked

by new learners because it seems boring and too simple.

Although it's great to dive right in by learning key phrases at the beginning, don't

forget to learn the pronunciation of the alphabet.

The German alphabet is similar to the English alphabet, which at first glance,

might seem like there's nothing new to learn.

However, German pronunciation is slightly different and takes practice to get

used to. English speakers often have trouble losing their accent because they

didn't take the time to learn the basics.

2. Don't Get Worked Up About Pronunciation

After you've learned the basics of pronunciation, don't dwell too much on sounds

that give you difficulty in the beginning.

Practice is key to improving fluency, so find a way to improvise a rolled 'r', and at

some point, it will come naturally.

Focus more on the sounds you are able to get right and use this as

encouragement to continue learning. In the beginning, it's about familiarising

yourself with the language, not perfect pronunciation.



3. Don't Hesitate to Start Speaking German

Many people are hesitant to start speaking a foreign language in the beginning.

If you are unsure how to pronounce certain words, which grammar to use, or

confused about an adjective ending, you might feel like you're not ready to start

speaking German yet.

However, it's important to start speaking in the beginning and accept that you're

going to make mistakes.

Instead of becoming discouraged by your mistakes, see them as an opportunity

to improve your language skills. Chances are, people aren't judging you as harshly

as you imagine!



4. Focus On The Language, Not The Resources

When you start to learn German as your first foreign language, you might not

know the best approach to take.

Should you learn German online? Or with a book? Should you sign up for a class?

There are countless ways to learn, no matter where you are in life. Take the time

to find something you like and enjoy using, then get started!

Focus on learning the language rather than always looking for the perfect

resource - there is no easy solution.

Learning a new language can be hard to grasp at first, but it should also be fun.

So if your current approach leaves you feeling unmotivated, switch things up a bit.

Try a new method, teacher, or approach, and remember that learning German

should be enjoyable.



6 STEPS TO LEARN HOW TO SPEAK

GERMAN AS A BEGINNER

Step 1: Get a Good German Textbook

The first step in learning German is to get yourself a good German textbook. The

reason for this is simple: a good textbook will contain everything you need to

know as a beginner.

That's why textbooks are the perfect tool for learning the foundations of the

language. And there are hundreds of German textbooks out there to choose

from!

When you're trying to find the right one for you, there are quite a few options to

consider.

Determine which level of book you need. Languages usually start with A1, for

beginners, and go up to C2, for advanced students.



Why are you learning German? Do you want to learn the basics for a trip? Do you

hope to use German for business? Are you aiming for all-around fluency?

Look for a textbook that contains plenty of dialogues. You’re going to need lots of

input via reading and listening in order to move beyond beginners German and

grow your vocabulary. Dialogues are great for this because they simulate the kind

of conversations you're likely to have when you use German.

Look inside the book first and see if the material is written in a straightforward

way that's easy to understand.

Make sure the book is comprehensive but also includes enough descriptive

details.

If possible, check out the textbooks in a bookshop before you buy anything, and

choose one you like the look and feel of.

It's not a bad idea to have more than one German book to use as a reference.

That way, if you don't understand a concept in one book, you can look it up in one

of your other books for a different explanation.



Step 2: Learn the Fundamentals of German

When you're just starting out learning German, take the time to learn the basics.

Figure out how German pronunciation works and focus on learning the basic

phrases you're likely to use in your first conversations.

These are core skills you can practice in the beginning that get you exposure to

the language, without the frustration of learning any difficult new concepts.

Phrases like “Guten Tag” (good day), “Wie geht's?” ( how are you), and “Wie heißt

das?” (What is that called?) are easy to remember, commonly used, and get you

speaking right from the beginning.



Step 3: Memorise Key German Phrases

Once you've gotten to know the fundamentals, it's time to start learning some

phrases.

There are certain key words and phrases that will give you a huge head start in

conversational German. Learn these first and you'll be surprised how much you

can communicate in a short period of time.

It's also a good idea to write down any relevant new vocabulary you encounter,

not forgetting to take note of the word's gender.

You don't need to learn every word, but when you come across something you

can imagine yourself using in a conversation, take note of it.

You'd be surprised how a few key phrases can have you leading a conversation in

no time.

It's also useful to take note of polite forms of speech. For example:

Ich will ein Bier (I want a beer) sounds impolite in German



Ich hätte gern ein Bier, Bitte (I would like to have a beer, please) is considered

polite

If this already seems too difficult in the beginning, remember that there is always

an easier way to say something. “Ein Bier, Bitte” (one beer, please) is much easier

to remember.

Step 4: Don’t Get Too Hung Up On German Grammar

When learning a new language, it's easy to get hung up on grammar.

Grammar is important and you will need to focus on it more as you progress.

But as a beginner, you shouldn't spend inordinate amounts of time studying

grammar books. Don't worry if you make grammatical mistakes.

Instead, focus on exposing yourself to German as much as possible and paying

careful attention to the patterns you start to recognise.

If you do this, you'll soon start to notice the main grammatical structures

becoming clear.



Try and pick up the grammar through context and use these patterns you identify

as clues.

Of course, you will make mistakes in grammar. Even native speakers mess up

their grammar sometimes.

Just try to stay focused on continuing to practice what you're able to understand

and build up your language knowledge on the basis you already have.

Step 5: Speak German From the Beginning

There's no better way to learn a language than exposure and practice!

Try to find native speakers, fellow learners or friends who you can speak German

with.

Look for German events in your community, such as a Stammtisch (a type of

informal German meet-up), that can offer an opportunity for language

practice. The Goethe Institute can be another great place to meet German

speakers and fellow learners.

https://www.goethe.de/ins/de/en/index.html



Alternatively, you can search online for language meet-up events or look for

conversation exchange partners on sites

like conversationexchange.com and italki.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES FOR

LEARNING GERMAN

Now that you're ready to start learning German, these are my recommended

resources to learn as quickly as possible.

German Courses Online

German Uncovered - My exclusive new German course for beginners teaches you

German through the power of story. If you're looking for the most fun, effective

way to learn German, based on the methods I have personally developed of 15

years of teaching and learning, you'll love German Uncovered.

Learn to Read German

German Short Stories for Beginners - One of the best ways to improve your

German and expand your vocabulary is to read German books. I wrote a series of

short stories designed especially for beginners. If you enjoy reading, you'll love

these stories, which are packed with special features to help you understand and

- above all - enjoy reading German! Available on Amazon Kindle and

paperback: CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

http://meetup.com/

http://www.conversationexchange.com/

https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkidirect

http://germanuncovered.com/

http://amzn.to/1RWoRzs

http://amzn.to/1RWoRzs



Learn to Speak German

italki - This is my favourite website for finding teachers and affordable tutors to

help practise my German. I use iTalki literally every day to get that all-important

speaking practice that helps me stay fluent.

German Audio Materials for Listening Practice

Conversations - Do you struggle to understand fast, spoken German?

Conversations helps you understand real German & transform your listening skills

in less than 90 days.

Glossika - Glossika Mass Sentences is an incredible resource for serious German

learners who want to learn to understand and speak their new language quickly. I

use Glossika with every new language I learn, and it helps me get used to all the

different sounds and grammatical structures of the language.

FluentU - FluentU is an extensive library of German videos, with interactive

bilingual subtitles, looping functionality, a hover-dictionary ... and much more! If

you love watching German TV and movies, you'll love FluentU.

Learn to Write in German

HelloTalk - HelloTalk is one of the few language learning apps I actually use and

recommend! With a user base of millions of people, you can quickly find friends to

start practising with! It's worth upgrading to the paid version of the app to get

access to all the cool translation features.

https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/italkidirect

https://learn.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/german-conversations-sales-page17551034

https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/glossika

https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/fluentudirect/

https://iwillteachyoualanguage.com/hellotalk



NOW YOU'RE READY TO START

LEARNING GERMAN!

Follow these tips and you'll be speaking German in no time!

Start with the basics and find native speakers to practice with. If you put in the

time and effort, your fluency will gradually improve.

Remember that learning a new language takes time, and practice and exposure

are the best ways to improve your skills. Have patience with the learning process

and try not to get hung up on difficult grammatical concepts in the beginning.

With the ability to speak German, you'll be able to get around effortlessly, not only

in Germany but many other countries. There are entire German-speaking

communities in many places you wouldn't expect all around the world!

Learning German will allow you to better understand the original works of some

of the world's greatest philosophers, scientists, authors, artists, and musicians.

You'll have a better understanding of German culture and gain new insight into

your own.

When you learn German, you're learning more than just a new language.

You're learning to think about the world in a new way, you're learning how culture

plays an important role in the development of a language, and you're opening up

your mind to new possibilities.

Whether you're interested in travel or work opportunities, expanding your

networking options, learning about culture and society, or just language in

general, the German language has something to offer everyone.



I hope you’ve found this post helpful!

If you have a friend learning German, please take a moment to share this post

with them, it would mean a lot to me! (You can click here to send a Tweet!)

http://ctt.ec/0WEw1

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LEARN GERMAN: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR …Upgrades/HowtoLearnGerm… · LEARN GERMAN: THE ULTIMATE ... living in the world, which makes German speaking countries ... some German language