In this one stop shop on the German accusative case, you'll get a summary and detail on 1) What it is 2) When to use it and 3) What the special accusative case forms of certain words are. There's a clear explanation of the German case endings and my handy all-in-one table German case endings table. We'll finish with some take-away tips in summary. Let's get started! Los … [Read more...]
German nominative case (made clear)
In this post, you'll discover 1) What the German nominative case is 2) When to use the nominative case and 3) What the special nominative case forms of certain words are, including a clear explanation of the German case endings and my handy all-in-one table German case endings table. We'll finish with some take-away tips in summary. Let's get started! What is the … [Read more...]
Goethe-Institut German A1 exam explained
If you want the Goethe-Institut German A1 exam clearly explained, you’re in the right place. In this post we’ll unpick the format of this important beginner German language exam. We’ll get clear on just what the A1 test German exam itself involves. The focus is on the exam for adults (sub-titled Start Deutsch 1). We won't look at the beginners’ exam aimed at children and young … [Read more...]
Must-know German opinion phrases for agreeing and disagreeing
As a beginner in German, it’s a great feeling just to have the most basic exchanges: to say a little about yourself and your surroundings, ask some practical questions. But as you start to improve, you’ll soon want to have more meaningful conversations. You’ll want to share your interests, enthusiasms, likes and dislikes. And to find out about what matters to your conversation … [Read more...]
German job interview phrases to set you up for success
You’ve got an interview for a job in German? Well done! But are you clued up on what's expected and is your German interview-ready? I've done four or five interviews in German. Sometimes I got the job, sometimes I didn't. Here are some of the German job interview phrases and tips that I wish I’d had from the start. Basic German job interview vocabulary "You can’t start … [Read more...]
German plurals: the ultimate guide
Here’s your essential guide to how to make German plurals. Plurals? Well, we’re talking “nouns”. That's to say, naming words for a living being, place, thing or idea. “Noun” in German is das Hauptwort, das Nomen or das Substantiv. If you’re just referring to one Nomen (being, thing and so on), you use the singular form (der Singular). Refer to more than one and … [Read more...]
German grammar guide: topics you need to know (with key terms)
Here is your overview German grammar guide with links to my essential guides to individual topics. As we go, I'll bust the jargon and explain English and German grammatical terms you need. The final section below includes links to level-by-level breakdowns of the grammar you'll typically meet as you move from beginner, to upper beginner, to intermediate German learner and … [Read more...]
Learn German grammar: why and how?
“Do I need to learn German grammar”? "Is German grammar important?" Those are question we often ask ourselves as beginner - and intermediate - German learners. The answer is “yes, but”. This post explains why grammar matters but also how it can get in the way if you don’t approach it right. "Ok, so if I really do need it, how do I learn German grammar?" You’ll discover the … [Read more...]
The Goethe-Institut German A2 exam explained
If you want the Goethe-Institut German A2 exam clearly explained, you're in the right place. In this post we'll unpick the format of this important "upper beginner" German language exam. We'll get clear on just what the A2 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 … [Read more...]
The 50 most common German adjectives
Learning the most frequent German words is makes tactical sense when you're starting to learn the language. Below, you'll find a full list of the fifty most common German adjectives. Adjectives are words that describe what somebody or something is like, for example old, young, intelligent, red, tired. For example “Der Mann ist alt” (the man is old), "Das Buch ist neu" (The book … [Read more...]