How to get fluent, with Dr Popkins

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In-depth explorations, actionable tips and inspiring conversations for language learners who REALLY want to get fluent…..plus a little bit of fun along the way.

German future tense (Futur I): top dos and don’ts

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Dr P searches for the German future tense

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...]

How to learn German fast

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Learn German fast Dr P has his eye on the clock

So, you want to learn German fast? There’s no hiding it, getting really good at German is a big undertaking that takes a lot of time: maybe 350 hours study for a basic, functional “working knowledge” at the “lower intermediate” level (sometimes called “B1”) and at least 600 hours to get even more fluent across a wider range as an “upper intermediate” speaker (B2).  It also … [Read more...]

German genitive case: the only guide you’ll ever need

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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...]

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