Posts tagged: German

German

9 Fun Facts About The German Alphabet

Have you ever wondered why some German words seem to go on forever and what these strange dots over the vowels mean? While many people may be familiar with the English alphabet, the German alphabet has several distinct features. In this post, we will explore nine fun facts about the German alphabet, highlighting its history,…

exercises

3 Simple Rules of German Negation: How To Position “Nicht” in A Sentence

German syntax can be quite daunting. There are many moving parts. It can be helpful to split things up into smaller more manageable bits. Earlier today for example a question came up on the newsletter about the correct placement of the so-called Negationspartikel nicht in a sentence. So here are 3 very simple rules (and some exceptions)…

German

Howdy! This is Texas German

Have you ever wondered how many German dialects there are? Between the breezy Northern Platt and the homely Southern Boarisch, it’s actually quite difficult to come up with a definite number. Theoretically there are as many dialects as there are German speakers. Especially when you travel farther away from Europe, it’s remarkable how local communities over time created…

German

82 Essential German Travel Phrases And Words For Daily Survival

Planning a visit to Germany or Austria? Already there perhaps? Most people you’re going to meet in Germany will be able to communicate in English to some extent, but what if you’d like to try your hand at expressing yourself in German? In today’s article we’re looking at the most basic German phrases you’re going…

German

5 Best German-English Dictionaries Online, Offline, Apps & Add-Ons

Whenever people ask me which online German-English dictionary is the best, whether to use an app, a browser extension, an offline lookup tool or just go full retro and lug around a paper dictionary, I always answer: “Whatever works for you is best.” Most online dictionaries today are high quality and will translate most words…

German

3 Quick Ways To Get Into German Dialects

German is a language spoken by over 100 million people in the world, but did you know that Hochdeutsch is only one out of hundreds of dialects? Our country might be small, but its fractured history has led to the development of many varied regional identities and dialects. The German you are learning in Duolingo,…

German

5 Ways To Learn German With Spotify

Spotify is a well-known music subscription service, popular for its huge catalog and user-curated playlists. But did you know that it can also be a great tool for learning German? Even with a free account (advertising-based) you can use the following 3 tips to learn German with Spotify. 1. Listen To German Music: Browse, Explore & Discover!…

German

Never Get Lost In Our German Learning Dungeons Again With These New Maps

Recently, I’ve heard from some readers that they were getting lost in the mazes of Genowrin and Shanima. For those who don’t know these books, they are part of an interactive German learning adventure, where the reader has to choose one’s path through the story by jumping in between pages, selecting dialogue options and navigating through forests, dungeons…

Culture

7 Strange German Superstitions And Slightly Crazy Cultural Beliefs

A Badly Timed “Happy Birthday” in Germany Brings Bad Luck No Eye-Contact While Clinking Glasses = 7 Years Of Bad Lovemaking Lighting Your Cigarette With a Candle Causes a Sailor to Die Crossing Your Fingers Means You’re Lying Cover Your Mouth While Yawning, Lest Demons Enter Your Soul Leaving Without Goodbye Is Something That Bad…

Culture

7 German TV Series To Make You Laugh And Learn The Language In No Time

Tired of struggling with irregular verbs and breaking your head over declension rules? Why not put your textbook aside for a while and watch some German TV series? Even if you don’t understand everything at first, you’ll be surprised how much you can glean just from body-language, mimicry and context. In this post, I’d like to…

German

Café in Berlin Review for German Learners by Herr Antrim: “Really Easy to Read!”

A few weeks ago we offered language bloggers and YouTubers around the world to choose any book from our library and we’d send it to them, free of charge.  Today, I was pleasantly surprised to see that German teacher Levi Antrim (perhaps better known as Herr Antrim) put together a little book video review for the “Café in Berlin” book…