In German, some verbs separate into two parts when used in present tense. While that might sound weird—to take a word and break it apart even for normal use—we do the same thing in English. In English, they’re called “phrasal verbs.” For example, consider what you do with a library book: do you check it? No. You check it out. You can also check … [Read more...]

Tongue twisters, or Zungenbrecher, are a fantastic way to train your tongue in German pronunciation. It’s not only language learners who use tongue twisters—even speech therapists use them to help train native speakers, so you’re in good company! Just as English-speakers enjoy a good “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers” challenge every … [Read more...]

There is a number of ways to say "I'm sorry" in German. Basically, "Entschuldigung!" means "Excuse me!" or "Apologies!" and "Es tut mir leid" means "I am sorry." If you look a bit closer, "die Entschuldigung"(feminine) is a noun meaning: "the apology", but the root of the word is "die Schuld" = "guilt". "ent-" is a prefix of verbs meaning … [Read more...]

Modal particles are flavoring words that add a deeper element to language. In German, these could be words that soften the harshness of a comment, add a persuasive or suggestive element to a request or otherwise add subtle meaning to a sentence without changing the grammatical context. Most of the time, particles are only used in spoken … [Read more...]

What’s the hardest part of learning German? For English speakers, it is most probably German word order. It’s one of the many obstacles that need to be overcome for German learners. It might seem confusing and bizarre at first, but in time it will eventually begin to click. Learn the rules of German word order and practice them so that you can you … [Read more...]

Using these words will definitely make you sound like a true German! 1. “Krass”, “Hammer”, “Wahnsinnig” and “Geil” Do you have strong feelings about anything and everything? “Krass” can be used whenever you have an extreme emotional reaction towards something. If you love it, it’s krass. If you hate it, it’s krass. If it makes you roll around on … [Read more...]

These expressions will have your mouth watering! It's impossible in one article to discuss all the idioms in German that refer to food. But we can look at some of the most common ones with the literal translation and the meaning. 1. Er glaubt, er bekommt eine Extrawurst Literally: He thinks he gets an extra sausage. Does he think he’s special? … [Read more...]

People are often a little afraid of getting into awkward situations where they have no clue how to express what they want to say. So, by learning how to express things such as your language level or how to ask for clarification and help with understanding or explaining, you can keep the conversation flowing and you open yourself up to a whole new … [Read more...]

An easy, fun way to learn German adjectives! A series of pictures by Delia Tello is so self-explanatory, no translations are needed. … [Read more...]

An easy, fun way to learn German adjectives! A series of pictures by Delia Tello is so self-explanatory, no translations are needed. … [Read more...]