In this post we’ll get to grips with German infinitives. What do we actually mean when we talk about the infinitive of a German verb? When do you use the infinitive in German and can you use it on its own as a bare infinitive or do you have to use the zu infinitiv (Infinitiv mit zu)? How similar are German and English here? Eh? Read on! All will be revealed, with lots of … [Read more...]
German relative pronouns and relative clauses made clear
German relative pronouns cause some students a headache simply because they haven’t taken time to understand how the relative clause sentence pattern works and what it's for. Don’t make that mistake! In this post, you’ll find a clear explanation with the jargon busted and lots of clear examples. All the way through, we'll highlight what's similar to English. To finish, we’ll … [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...]
German future tense (Futur I): top dos and don’ts
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
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 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...]