Learn German for Beginners: The Ultimate 76-Lesson Course

In this series, you'll master German pronunciation. Proper pronunciation is essential in German, and in this series, you'll learn it in a fast, comprehensive, and easy way.

In this first lesson, you'll learn about the building blocks of the German pronunciation system that will help you in future lessons.

Exciting, right?! Let's start.

In this lesson, you'll learn the top 5 German pronunciation mistakes to avoid. These are common mistakes that students of German tend to make. So pay close attention and make sure that you don't make these same mistakes too.

Are you ready? Then let's get started!

In this lesson, you'll learn all 17 German vowel sounds.
a, a:, œ, eː, øː, ɛ, ɛ:, ə, iː, yː, ɪ, ʏ, ɔ, oː, uː, ʊ

With these sounds, you can pronounce any vowel that could possibly appear in German! Some vowels may be hard for you to distinguish, especially for English speakers, so make sure you listen carefully!

Are you ready???

In this lesson, you'll learn 10 German consonants.

b, tʃ, d, f, g, h, dʒ, k, l, m

These consonant sounds are identical to the ones in English, so they should already be familiar to you.

Are you ready? Then let's get started!

In this lesson, you'll learn 10 German consonants.
n, ŋ, p, s, ʃ, ʒ, t, v, j, z

These consonant sounds are identical to the ones in English, so they should already be familiar to you.

Are you ready? Then let's get started!

In this lesson, you'll learn 5 German consonants.
pf, ʁ, ʀ, r, ts

These consonant sounds do not appear in English, so they'll be trickier than the last lot. Be sure to practice them because these are the unique sounds that learners often get wrong!

Are you ready? Then let's get started!

In this lesson, you'll learn 3 new German consonants.
ç, x, ʔ

When you listen to a German conversation, at a certain point you might think that somebody may be a bit sick, clearing his or her throat. But in fact, they are consonant sounds in the German language. These sounds don't appear in English, so they'll be trickier than the last lot. Be sure to practice them because these are the unique sounds that learners often get wrong!

Are you ready? Then let's get started!

The focus of this lesson is mastering diphthongs and combinations with the letter S in German.

A "diphthong" (Greek: di meaning "two," and phthongos meaning "sound"), also called a "gliding vowel," is a unitary vowel that changes quality during its pronunciation. Diphthongs occur in many languages, also in English and German. English examples for diphthongs are "eye," "cow," and "boy." How about in German?

Let's see!

In this lesson, we'll cover stress, rhythm, and intonation in German. Stress, refers to the prominence or relative emphasis placed on certain syllables in a word. When you say "unbelievable" in English for example, do you notice how "lie" is accentuated? That's because it's pronounced longer, and louder than all of the other syllables. This happens all the time in English, and also in German.

In the previous lessons, you've learned all the core elements of German pronunciation. In this lesson, we'll bring everything together and practice making complete sentences in German!

You might know all the parts and pieces, but can you speak German with a natural accent? If you've been quiet up until now, be sure to speak out loud after each example!

We're making the jump to real phrases that you might use in Germany. Let's go!

In this series, we’re going to learn basic German expressions. It’s super easy and it only takes three minutes!

In this lesson, you’re going to learn how to introduce yourself in German. We’ll start speaking right away, but first it is important to clarify that in German there is a difference between the formal and the informal language. What's the diffrence? Let's find out.

In the last lesson, we learned how to introduce ourselves in German. Today we’re going to learn how to use good manners as we thank people.

Fertig?

Are you ready? Los! So let’s start!

In the last lesson, we learned how to be grateful to people by saying Danke. In this lesson we’ll learn some of the most common greetings used in Germany.

Fertig? Are you ready? Los! So let’s start!

In the last lesson, we learned the most common forms of greetings in German. Do you remember them?

In this lesson we’re going to learn a very useful phrase: “Do you speak English?” If you find yourself in a situation where you need assistance in English, this phrase can be a lifesaver. And because you’re asking it in German, you can be sure that everyone will understand what you’re saying, even if their answer is no.

In the last lesson, we learned the phrase Entschuldigen Sie, sprechen Sie Englisch? "Excuse me, do you speak English?" We mentioned the word Entschuldigen Sie, which means "excuse me" in formal German.

In this lesson we’re going to learn how to use Entschuldigen Sie and other words when apologizing in German. 

Are you ready? Let's start.

In the last lesson, we learned some words used when apologizing in German, including Entschuldigung and es tut mir leid. In this lesson we are going to learn numbers in German.

Yes, numbers! Zahlen! From one to ten. And you are going to learn them in only three minutes, drei Minuten!

Are you ready? Let’s start!

In the last lesson, we learned the numbers from one to ten. Have you forgotten?

Here I'll tell you again:
Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun, zehn!!

And now let’s continue from eleven.

In the last lesson we learned how to count in German. I hope you spent some time practicing the numbers, because they will come in handy today. Now, we’re going to learn how to go shopping in Germany! But before we go, you need to know how to say “How much is it?”

In the last lesson we learned the phrase wie viel kostet das? How much is it? In this lesson let’s see how we could answer that question by counting Euros in German. In Germany the currency is the EURO.

Please pay attention to this word's pronunciation. Are you ready? Let's start!

In the last lesson we learned how to count euros. Did you practice at home?

In this lesson, we're going to learn other useful tips to talk about your schedule - for example, if a friend asks you "What are you doing this weekend?"

Let’s start!

In the last lesson, we learned how to talk about your plans. 

In this lesson, we are going to deal with the verb to be in German, sein. We will also discuss how to talk about your nationality.

When you meet a new person in Germany, they might ask you "Welcher Nationalität sind Sie?" which is the equivalent of "Where do you come from?" So, what will you say? Let's see!

In the last lesson, we learned how to talk about nationality. This is the second part of our lesson on the verb sein, which is "to be".

This verb is also used to talk about location, to say things like "I am in the street" or "He is in the room", so it's very useful!

When you want to know where something or someone is, you use the verb sein in German. For example, when someone asks you on the phone Wo bist du? That means "Where are you?" in an informal way. Let's break it down!

In the last two lessons, we learned the main usages of the verb sein, which means “to be” in German.

Today we will use this verb to talk about your age. Ready? Let's start.

In today’s lesson we are going to learn how to talk about things you own by using the verb haben, “to have.”

Hast du ein Auto? “Do you have a car?” Hast du ein Auto?

Let’s take a closer look at this question.

In our previous lessons, we learned how to use the verbs sein and haben. 

In this lesson, we’re going to learn how to turn these two verbs into their negative forms in order to say "I'm not" and "I don't have."

Let's take an example!

In the last lesson, we learned how to use the verb haben, "to have," in the negative form.

In this lesson, we will start to learn about German adjectives and how to use them properly.

You will see that for adjectives, things in German are not as simple as in English.

Let's study the basic rules!

In the last lesson, we learned how to use German adjectives easily.

In this lesson we will start a series of lessons dedicated to the most common German verbs, the ones you will certainly hear all the time! The first verb in our series will be gehen, which means "to go". Of course we will use this word along with many different destinations.

In the last lesson, we learned how to use the verb gehen which means "to go" in German.

In this lesson, we will continue our lesson series dedicated to very common German verbs.

The second verb in our series is machen, which means "to do." But as in English, you’ll see that the meaning of this verb is quite broad and it can be found in many different situations.

In the last lesson, we learned how to use the verb machen which means "to do" in German.

In this lesson, we will learn how to use lieben, the most romantic German verb, which is also the third verb in our series dedicated to the most common German verbs.

Lieben means "to love" in German, so in this lesson we are going to see how to use it correctly. We’ll also learn how to make a difference between lieben to love and mögen to like. Let’s go! Los geht’s!

In the last lesson, we learned how to use the verb lieben.

In this lesson, we will learn how to use kommen, the fourth verb in our series dedicated to the most common German verbs.

Kommen means "to come" in German, and we use it a lot! So let’s go! Los geht’s!!

In the last lesson, we learned how to use the verb kommen.

In this lesson, we will jump into our series dedicated to question words in German. First will be the one that is most commonly used to ask a question in German, and that is "What." So imagine you want to ask your friend "What are you doing?" How will you do it?

In the last lesson, we learned how to ask "What" questions in German. This time, we are going to ask "where" questions. Imagine you're calling your friend and want to know where he is now, what will you say?

In the last lesson, we learned how to ask "Where" questions in German.

This time, we are going to ask questions with the interrogative word "When?" Let’s go! Los geht’s!

In the last lesson, we learned how to ask "When" questions in German. This time, we are going to ask questions with the interrogative word "Who?" Imagine you want to ask your friend who the attractive girl just behind him is. What will you say then?

In the last lesson, we learned how to ask "Who" questions in German. This time, we are going to ask questions with the interrogative word "Why?" Imagine your boss is giving you a call because you are not at work today... He will certainly ask you Warum sind Sie heute nicht im Büro? What will you say?

In this lesson, listen to a conversation set in a bookstore. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation set in a restaurant. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a phone call to the doctor's office. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a journal entry being read out loud. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about a photograph. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about going to the movies. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about buying a shirt. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation set in a burger shop. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about baking a cake. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about making plans. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation between a student and a teacher. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation set in a restaurant. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about choosing a place to wait. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about making vacation plans. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about breakfast. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation set in a department store. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about age. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation set in a clothing boutique. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about who's attending a party. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

In this lesson, listen to a conversation about arranging furniture in a room. Look at the image, listen to the question, listen to the dialogue and answer the question. Learn new vocabularies too! This is perfect for absolute beginners.

Listen to a conversation in a jewelry store. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about rearranging an office. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about grocery shopping. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a weather report. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about redesigning a business card. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about getting directions. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about choosing drinks for a meeting. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation set in a computer store. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about a travel schedule. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about ordering pizza. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about a restaurant's opening hours. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about choosing a delivery time. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about when and which medicines to take for an illness. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about someone's family. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about choosing a pair of glasses. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!

Listen to a conversation about changing a dentist appointment. This Language Listening Comprehension Series tests you on your listening and makes sure you understand every word. Plus, you'll learn new words and phrases. Perfect for Beginners!