Das Futur I is the German future tense. You’ll usually first meet die Zukunft, as it’s also known, as you move into the intermediate or B1 level. But how do you form the Futur I correctly and where does it go in the sentence? In this post, you’ll discover all you need to know about the German future tense including common pitfalls you need to avoid to get it … [Read more...]
German listening practice on steroids (neglected technique)
Getting good German listening practice is essential if you want to get fluent. Even if you “know” lots of words and grammar, can read, write and even say quite a lot, listening often seems to lag behind. It’s really frustrating when you still can’t understand your favourite shows or movies. How embarrassing in a live conversation when you can’t catch the responses to your … [Read more...]
German cases made simple (goodbye to endless tables)
You won’t get far into your German learning journey without noticing some words change their form in ways that seem strange for an English native. Meet the four German cases! There’s no denying that the extra “moving parts” complicate German for learners but, if you take time to understand how the system works, you’ll see that the cases can be conquered :) Hold on, though! … [Read more...]
Six German vocabulary keys to unlock your word power
At first sight, you’ll probably recognise a lot fewer words in a German text than a Spanish or French one. Add to that those super-long words the language seems to love and you could be forgiven for thinking that German vocabulary is just impossible. Not so! If you discover just a little about where German gets its words from (and how longer words are formed) you'll see that … [Read more...]
German genitive case: the only guide you’ll ever need
In this example-packed post you’ll discover how to form the German genitive case and what it’s used for. There are some nifty genitive-avoiding workarounds too! Genitive-avoiding? Yep, the first of three good pieces of news about the case is that it’s by far the least-used of German's four cases. Even in higher registers of written German, the … [Read more...]
The German imperfect tense: form and uses made clear
In this post you'll find all you need to know about how to form and use the German imperfect tense (also called the simple past tense or the preterite) or, in German, das Präteritum or das Imperfekt. The imperfect or preterite is one of the three tenses used to talk about the past in German. The others are the perfect and the pluperfect (the "past in the past"). In English, … [Read more...]
The Goethe-Institut German B1 exam explained
If you want the Goethe-Institut German B1 exam clearly explained, you're in the right place. In this post we'll unpick the format of this important "intermediate" German language exam. We'll get clear on just what the B1 test German exam itself involves. That'll help you decide whether it's for you. You'll get a better sense of what you need to achieve to pass this intermediate … [Read more...]
Joining it up: how conjunctions can transform your intermediate German
If you're already a solid beginner in German and looking to become move into intermediate, one of the things you have to learn to do is understand and use longer, more complex sentences. To transform your German as you burst into intermediate, you're going to need conjunctions. But what exactly are conjunctions? This post explains all. Let's look at the most useful German … [Read more...]
Motivation for intermediate (B1) German: enjoying the highs and getting through the lows
After the initial excitement of starting to learn German, you'll already have found that your motivation goes up and down. That's true at all levels. But what are the specific highs and lows that you're likely to encounter as a lower intermediate (B1) German learner? In this post, let's look at the good bits (things to look forward to( and the not so good bits (and how you … [Read more...]
Intermediate B1 German vocabulary and grammar: what and how?
What new vocabulary and grammar do you need to move from upper beginner (A2) to lower intermediate (B1) German? Maybe you want to improve your German for work or pleasure. You may even need to pass a German B1 exam. If so, you're in the right place for some actionable information on the B1 German vocabulary and grammar that you need and how to master it. We've already done a … [Read more...]