Category: Learning German

Bitte is used a lot in German. The many meanings of Bitte include: Please You’re welcome Here you go (when handing something over) May I help you? Pardon? The challenge is determining what the speaker or writer means when using the word: It all depends on the context, tone, and […]

Courtesy is important no matter what country you’re visiting. In Germany however there is greater emphasis on formalities and speaking to people in die Höflichkeitsform: addressing acquaintances, colleagues and people you don’t know with Sie as opposed to du/ you, which is reserved more for family and close friends.  The […]

The word Freund in German is at times ambiguous since it can mean either friend or boyfriend. The same with Freundin, which can mean either a female friend or a girlfriend. The use of der Freund/ die Freundin relies on contextual cues to give you an accurate meaning. Consider the […]

Learning how to you ask about someone’s name or inquire about the family in German is a great way to get to know people. Even if you just want to learn to make small talk these kinds of questions will come up. Rules for addressing people in German tend to […]

The German words for many parts of the body are similar or identical to English: der Arm, die Hand, der Finger, das Haar, das Kinn. (English is, after all, a Germanic language.) But of course they’re not all that easy, and you still need to learn the genders of even the easy ones. (Don’t ask […]

German adjectives, like English ones, usually go in front of the noun they modify: “der gute Mann” (the good man), “das große Haus” (the big house/building), “die schöne Dame” (the pretty lady). Unlike English adjectives, a German adjective in front of a noun has to have an ending (-e in the examples above). Just what that ending will be […]

Give and Take – The Accusative Case Command Forms geben – nehmen geben (give)/es gibt (there is/are)nehmen (take)/er nimmt (he takes) In this lesson you’ll learn how to express in German the concepts of giving (geben) and taking (nehmen). This involves the grammatical elements known as the accusative case (the […]

Principal Parts: lassen, ließ, gelassen The German verb lassen is a very useful irregular (strong) verb with the basic meaning of “to allow” or “to let.” But it has many other meanings and is used often in everyday German. Common Verb Combinations The verb lassen is also found in several […]

Ich mag Deutsch besser. (I like German more.) What’s wrong with the above statement? Actually nothing. But if you would say that to a German speaker, they would immediately know that you are a novice. There are more refined ways to state your preferences that will make your speech more […]

‘Staircase jokes’ and ‘world pain’ perfectly describe those unexplainable emotions that English has no words for.1. Weltschmerz – world painA state of depression at how the world keeps falling short of expectations. Example: After watching the news, all Megan could feel was Weltschmerz. She should stick to looking at pictures […]