German
As you may have heard, German is tough to learn. It’s just one of those languages that have so many irregular verbs and obscure exceptions that it’s hard to wrap your head around it all. But there are plenty of other languages like that. The truth is, German isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. Sure, there are some tricky parts here and there, but learning German doesn’t have to be an excruciating process if you know what to look out for!
Why learn German
The real question you have to ask yourself is whether or not German will be helpful in your life. If you’re planning on relocating to Germany, then that may be a good enough reason. It’s also worth considering if you have friends, native speakers, or family members who speak German and will help you with learning it. Otherwise, how often do you expect to visit Germany?
How long does it take to learn German?
This is a tricky question to answer. Everyone learns differently, and some can pick up a new language faster than others. However, it generally takes around 100 hours of study time before students have a handle on basic grammar rules.
Common myths about learning German
1. Learning German is easy. It’s a common misperception that, since English and German share a lot of roots, they should be easy to learn together. This isn’t true at all—while one can pick up individual words or phrases pretty quickly, it takes a long time to become fluent in a language. So if you’re looking for an easy language, look elsewhere!
2. Germans are always friendly. While Germans have a reputation for being polite and friendly, you shouldn’t expect your new friends to open their homes to you immediately after meeting them—especially not if you just met them on vacation.
3. The German accent is cute. The truth is, most people outside of Germany find it annoying!
4. You don’t need help from a tutor/teacher/language exchange partner when learning German.
How To Start Learning And Speaking German
Learning a language takes time, and it can indeed be challenging. But with commitment, passion, and patience, you can pick up a new language in no time. To start learning German, you don’t need to take classes or pay for expensive software; all you need is some basic information about getting started speaking a foreign language!
The first step is being consistent with your studies and practicing often. Don’t try to learn everything at once; focus on one skill at a time and practice until you master it before moving on. If you are having trouble getting motivated, try taking small steps like watching movies or listening to music in German. You will learn vocabulary without even realizing it! We recommend you contact our professional translators to get the German translation.
Resources and links to help you get started
Rosetta Stone is a fun and effective language-learning system with courses in many languages. It’s generally considered one of the best programs for getting started in a new language. If you’re looking for a print resource, Berlitz is an excellent option, especially their German Phrase Book & Dictionary, which covers essential vocabulary like greetings and basic needs like bathrooms. For listening practice, check out Deutsche Welle.
German grammar is too complex, and the rules are often ambiguous.
German grammar is complex, can get frustrating at times, and will probably take a while to master. Most learners struggle with grammatical cases. So, learning the German language will not be a piece of cake. But once you’ve understood how useful they are, you’ll see why it’s worth the work. German is one of the few languages where pronunciation makes sense.
The following list of English language words contains many common errors in German. An English idiom may relate to a phrase in German, but they literally can be way different. Because English and German belong to the same language family, over 80% of everyday English expressions are also of German origin. It’s not a complete list, but it should give you an idea of what to look out for when reading or writing German. Understanding English grammar can be highly beneficial to understanding German grammar.
Examples
For example, the English idiom “piece of cake” refers to something we did with ease and joy. In German, it is “Das schaffe ich mit links,” which in English means “I could do that with my left hand only.” Another reason you might struggle with German is because nouns in German have grammatical gender (feminine, masculine, and neuter).
- Ach! (Oh!) Used to express surprise or dismay.
- Achtung! (Attention) It can mean “be careful” or “lookout!”
- Alles Klar! (Everything okay?) It can also mean “I’m fine.”
- Allein (Alone) A term used to describe someone who lives alone.
- Am Ende (At the end) is Used to indicate the final point of something.
Five reasons why learning German is complex.
Learning a popular language can be hard. It takes time, effort, and patience. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
1. German has more speakers than any other European language. There are over 80 million native German speakers worldwide. That makes it the second most spoken language in Europe (after Russian).
2. German is similar to English. Both languages use the Latin alphabet, so it’s relatively easy to learn the basics.
3. German grammar is simple. Unlike French, Italian or Greek, German does not have irregular verbs.
4. German pronunciation is easy. Most vowels are pronounced similarly to English, and consonants are pretty straightforward.
5. German language is rich in culture. From literature to art, film, and history, Germany offers plenty of material to study.
German is impossible to master, even for native speakers.
Learning a new language is difficult. Especially when we try to learn them in a fast-paced environment, either before or after work or even in the middle of other tasks; however, if you already know English, this may suffice: To begin with, over 40% of German terms have at least one English word with the same meaning. That’s nearly half of all the words you could ever learn! Secondly, English and German stem from the same language family, so approximately 80% of everyday English phrases are of German origin.
FAQs
The only reason German appears to be so tricky is that it includes grammatical rules that other languages lack. German has a lot of “tone of voice,” which means that the words in a phrase alter depending on their grammatical roles.
While German is tough to learn, it is beneficial to your mental health. Learning a foreign language improves your cognitive capacities and sharpens your thinking, according to scientific research.
German is more complex than Spanish, making the latter more straightforward to master. Even though Spanish is easier to learn than German, the scope of the two languages is what distinguishes them. Germany has several universities that provide world-class education.
The best way to learn German is to start now. You can take advantage of all the free resources available online. Start with Duolingo. It’s one of the most popular apps on smartphones. Duolingo will help you build your vocabulary and improve your listening skills. You’ll learn new phrases every day.
Duolingo is great for beginners. The app is designed to make it easier for anyone to learn a foreign language. You won’t find an app like this one. Duolingo is free, but you can upgrade to a premium membership for $15 per month.
