German from Scratch!

Decided to learn German, but don’t know where to start? Or do you want to brush up on material forgotten since school? Do you want to study independently? Online lessons for learning German have been prepared especially for you.

So, what does the site offer you for successfully learning German from scratch?

First of all, specifically for the beginner level, tutorials on teaching German by A. A. Popov for beginner and intermediate levels have been formatted as online lessons. No prior knowledge is required of you. All language elements are introduced step by step. The most important thing required from you is the desire to learn German. At first, you might feel an aversion to the voiceless German sounds, but over time it will completely or partially disappear. Details about the organization of the German language classes are written in the first introductory text. Doing the exercises is not difficult at all, as there are special forms for text input, as well as answer keys. To view the answer, hover your mouse over the key: . You can peek at the answer only after you have fully completed the exercise! If you have any questions, you can ask them in the comments under the lesson.

Go to → the list of lessons ← (Click)

Is German difficult?

The short answer is no, German is not as scary as people think. Details:

• Read as it’s written – once you learn the letter combinations, you can read any word.
• Latin alphabet – you won’t have to learn a new writing system, just 4 additional characters: ä, ö, ü, ß.
• Shared roots with English – hundreds of similar words: Haus (house), Finger (finger), Butter (butter).

Main difficulties:

• Three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) – and you have to memorize the gender with every single word.
• Four cases – fewer than in Russian (6), but it can be unusual for English speakers.
• Word order – the verb can be pushed to the end of the sentence, and you need to get used to this.
• Compound words – Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz (the law on the delegation of duties for the supervision of beef labeling) – yes, that is one word

Reasons to learn German

• German is not difficult.
  Words are spelled as they sound, you just need to know the letter combinations. You probably won’t even have to learn the alphabet, because it is of Latin origin, which most people already know. And since you know English, this gives you a big advantage. English and German have common roots, meaning a large number of similarities, which will greatly facilitate your study. Moreover, the German lessons on the site are very simple, so if you cannot learn them, congratulations, you are very lazy. *there should be a smiley of Flash the sloth here, but there isn’t one*
• German is the most frequently spoken language in Europe.
  English, French, and German are the 3 working languages of the European Commission. In absolute numbers, German is the second most frequently used. However, if you consider native speakers, German becomes first. Knowing the language gives you about 100 million more people to communicate with. Of course, it’s not a billion like in Chinese, but still
• German is the language of inventors and innovators.
  A large percentage of the world’s most outstanding achievements were first invented in Germany. Over 100 Nobel Prizes went to prominent German scientists for successes in physics, medicine, chemistry, literature, and other fields. And this does not include Austria and Switzerland, 2 other main representatives of the German language. Therefore, if you are going to add a Nobel Prize to your resume, learning German might not be a bad start. Well, or at least you will be able to read their scientific papers.
• German is an important language in the scientific community.
  It is one of the most important languages in global science, especially in the humanities and social disciplines. One of the reasons for this is that the German book market is the 3rd largest in the world, right after Chinese and English. However, a small number of books are translated from German into other languages. Therefore, knowledge of German here is simply necessary.
• German is the key to world-class higher education.
  German universities have an excellent international reputation. Germany consistently ranks among the top five most popular countries for international students – over 370 thousand of them study in German universities annually. Moreover, the German higher education system boasts a high number of universities with very low tuition fees or even completely free. Not surprisingly, scientists and researchers flock there in droves. Sounds like a great investment in the future.
• Germany is the locomotive of the European economy.
  German is an interesting choice not only for researchers but also for business people. Germany is the largest economy in the European Union and the 4th worldwide. It is home to numerous international corporations, and this home always stands at the forefront of new technologies. Communicating with someone in their native language has always been a sign of good manners, and using German with business partners can dramatically increase your chances of effective negotiations and successful professional relationships.
• German companies are global market leaders.
  Do you want to work in a company that is an international market leader? Knowing German can help you open the necessary door. Germany is home to a large number of strong economic players, such as Siemens, BMW, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Adidas, Hugo Boss, Lufthansa... And that’s not all. Meanwhile, Berlin is turning into a hub for innovative startups. Some even call it the Silicon Valley of Europe. Consequently, knowing German provides immense potential to improve your career opportunities.
• German is also a huge online audience.
  You don’t even have to meet these 100 million people in real life. You can do this lying on your favorite couch. German websites make up a huge part of the internet. The German .de domain is one of the largest national domains in the world, with over 17 million registrations. Yes, I’m shocked myself.
• Germans are everywhere.
  Even if you are not going to visit a German-speaking country or you are not eager to chase Germans on the Internet, don’t worry: Germans will find you. If you have traveled, you must have already noticed this phenomenon. German citizens are some of the most insatiable travelers. With six weeks of annual vacation and plenty of spending money , you can run into these “poor guys” anywhere on the globe. Only recently did the lead pass to tourists from China, and before that, Germans were the leaders. Therefore, even a little knowledge of the language can come in handy on the road.
• German culture is part of world heritage.
  Even though Germans have a reputation as analysts and logic lovers, the German-speaking world is also home to outstanding minds in the fields of music, literature, art, and philosophy. It is the language of Goethe, Kafka, Brecht, and Mann. It was the native language of composers Mozart, Bach, Schubert, Beethoven, and Wagner. Revolutionary philosophy was first written in German when Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Heidegger were just starting their creative activities. Learning German gives you the opportunity to appreciate the masterpieces of these creators in the original. Goethe’s “Faust” alone is worth it!
• If none of these reasons work for you, then here is one more: Rammstein.

Interesting facts about the German language

• All nouns in German are capitalized – the only major language with such a rule.
• German doesn’t have a direct equivalent for “please” – bitte is used as “please”, “here you go”, “you’re welcome”, and “pardon?”.
• German gave the world words that cannot be translated with a single word: Schadenfreude (joy at someone else’s misfortune), Wanderlust (a strong desire to travel), Zeitgeist (spirit of the times), Kindergarten (nursery school / kindergarten).
• The longest word actually used in legislation was Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz (63 letters). The law was repealed in 2013 – perhaps they just got tired of pronouncing it.
• German is the only language that has the letter ß (Eszett). It represents a voiceless “s” sound after a long vowel.

Start learning German right now

The German language opens doors to the best education in Europe, careers in international companies, and travel to the most beautiful countries in the world. It takes on average 6–8 months of regular study to learn it from scratch to a confident conversational level. Our lessons will help you walk this path for free and at your own pace. All you need is to start.

Go to → the list of lessons ← (Click)