Free German Lessons for Beginners
German lessons with audio
On this page, you will find a list of free online lessons.
Additional links can be found on the individual pages.
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German has complex grammar that’s different from English. If you don’t learn it the right way, you could waste a lot of time studying.
ABC – The German Alphabet
Let’s start with some really German basics. Listen to the German alphabet.
We have 26 letters and three umlauts (Ä,Ö,Ü). Some letters are pronounced very similar to the English pronunciation, but some others are a little different.
How to pronounce the German umlauts: ä, ö, ü
Here I want to show you how to pronounce the German umlauts. These can be tough for new learners to get, but don’t worry: I take it slowly and give plenty of examples.
Follow the link and listen to the lesson.
German Articles der, die, das
The German articles give many students a headache. When do we use der, die or das?
Follow the link and listen to the audio samples then you can practice using the question and answer technique.
Afterwards I explain to you how you can recognize the correct article based on the word endings. Finally, I created a quiz that you can use to test yourself.
Important German words and phrases
If you want to learn German, you’d do well in learning a few basic phrases that you can use to communicate. Here I want to show you some of the most important phrases you’ll need to start speaking German!
Follow the link to listen to these phrases.
Conjugation of sein and haben
On this page I have the most beginner-friendly guide to the two most important verbs in German: sein and haben. Follow the link and listen to the examples:
Telling the time in German
On this page, I teach how to tell the time in German. I will show you seven different ways to tell different times, including how to use the 24-hour system. Follow the link and listen to the examples.
By the way, how would you define the best German lessons for beginners?
Well, for one thing, it has to be fun and effective, right?
It must motivate you to keep going and not give up as soon as you run into a little problem. My basic German lessons and method offer all of this.
I always try to make my lessons fun and I have a lot of audio examples, which increases effectiveness.
Counting in German: from 1 to 999,999
Counting is one of the first things children learn to do when they are growing up. You might think it’d be too hard to count to 999,999 but don’t worry! Once you’ve learned the pattern, it’ll get easy, just like in English.
Follow the link and learn to count in German.
German-English cognates: Words and Structures that are similar in German and English
Despite how different they are, German and English also have some similarities. In this lesson, I try to bring a few to your attention. This might help you realize German is way less scary than you might have thought!
Follow the link and listen to the examples.
>>> Words and structures that are similar in German and English
The German Verb: sein (to be)
In this lesson I cover the word: ist (is) which is a form of to be. We usually use it with singular nouns or with the personal pronouns er, sie, es.
You’ll also learn how to conjugate the word sein.
The Plural Article die
It won’t be that complicated this time. The plural article always stays the same. Listen to the examples and then try to answer the questions.
Indefinite Articles: ein, eine
In German we have two indefinite articles: ein and eine.
Follow the link and listen to the examples several times before trying to answer the questions.
Colors in German / Fruits in German
Learn the colors like rot, orange, blau, gelb, grün, braun, lila and some fruits in German. Here you can find examples with audios.
Personal Pronouns Part 1 and
Conjugation of the Word spielen
On this page I introduce you to the personal pronouns: ich, du, er, sie and es. You’ll also learn how to conjugate the word spielen (to play).
Personal Pronouns Part 2 and
Conjugation of the Word schlafen
On this page I introduce you to the personal pronouns: wir, ihr and sie.
You’ll also learn how to conjugate the word: schlafen (to sleep).
Personal Pronouns Part 3 and
Conjugation of the Words: lieben and hassen
On this page I repeat all personal pronouns: ich, du, er, sie es, wir, ihr and sie.
Listen to the example sentences with the verbs: lieben and hassen and then try to answer the questions.
Personal Pronouns Part 4
Conjugation of the Words: trinken, stehen and können
Here I cover a word that can be confusing for some learners: sie, sie and Sie.
You can also see examples with verbs like trinken, stehen and können.
Personal Pronouns Part 5
Conjugation of sein
On this page I will teach you how to use the words er, sie and es instead of the noun and article.
Follow the link to listen to example sentences.
Conjugation of the verb like in German
On this lesson I show you how to use the verb like in German. You will learn how to talk about what you like, and what you don’t like in German.
Follow the link to listen to the examples.
How old are you? But in German!
Here I show you how to tell your age in German in a way that’s easy and funny, so you have no trouble remembering it.
Follow the link and listen to the examples.
The difference beween nicht and kein
On this page, I explain the difference between kein and nicht, where to place them in a sentence, and how the word ending of kein changes in the four different cases.
The modal verb können in German
Here I show you how to use one of the most common verbs in German: the verb können, which you can use to talk about things you are able to do. You can learn with very simple sentences.
Follow the link and listen to the examples.
Basic German phrases: ‘My name is…’ and more
On this page, I list some of the most important basic phrases you need to learn to speak German. Follow the link to listen to the phrases.
Possessives in German, Part 1
Singular: mein/meine, dein/deine, sein/seine, ihr/ihr
On this page, I show you how to use the singular possessive pronouns. Basically, My, Your, His, and Her, but in German!
Follow the link and listen to the examples.
Possessives in German, Part 2
Plural: unser/unsere, euer/euere, and ihr/ihre
Here I show you more possessive pronouns: plural this time. Basically, Our, Your (plural), and Their in German.
Follow the link and listen to the examples.
Happy Birthday and other special day phrases
On this page, I list a few phrases you might need for birthdays and holidays! Listen to the examples following the link.
Excuse me and other important phrases in German
“Excuse me” is one of those few phrases it’s useful to know first in any language you learn. On this page, I teach you how to say it in German, together with other important questions and ways of requesting help, because you never know when you’ll need it!
Follow the link and listen to “Excuse me” and more phrases.
Cheers in German
On this page, I teach you how to say some easy phrases that revolve around toasts, cheers, and other joyful things to say to other people.
Follow the link and learn how to say ‘Cheers’ in German.
>>> Cheers in German
European Countries and their Capital Cities
In this lesson, I go over a few capital European countries and their capital cities. You can listen to these names in example sentences.
Follow the link to learn German countries and their capitals.
Punctuation marks in German
Here I show you the punctuation marks and teach you their names in German. It’s the perfect cheat sheet before an exam or a dictation: you can listen to all of them here.
Follow the link and learn the punctuation marks in German.
Days of the Week in German
In this lesson, I show you the names of the days of the week in German. In order to make it better, and to teach more German, I’ll show you a composition about the days of the week from one of my students.
Follow the link and listen to the days of the week in German.
Fun German Words that you don’t know
On this page, I show a few of my favorite unique German words. Some are hilarious; I’ve added some pictures to illustrate and audios for pronunciation. Follow the link and listen to the pronunciation.
German Idioms and Expressions
Here, I list some fun German idioms you should probably know about. I also included fun pictures to illustrate and audio so you can learn the pronunciation.
Follow the link and listen to some German idioms.
German Vocabulary with Pictures and Pronunciation
Here, I list some German words and vocabulary. I’ve also included audio so you can learn the pronunciation of these words.
Follow the link and listen to some German vocabulary.
chen in German — Diminutives
Here, I explain how to make diminutives in German using the particle chen. I explain the changes that happen in words when you make a diminutive. I’ve also included how a few short nicknames that are very common.
Follow the link and learn about diminutive in German.
How do you say thanks in German
On this page, I show you 21 ways to say thank you, and you’re welcome in German. I also explain what each expression means literally and the right context to use each. You can listen to the phrases, so you can master the pronunciation.
Follow the link and listen to ways of saying thanks in German.
Good morning in German
This is the perfect post for moments where you want to make an impression. Here, I show you 45 ways to say good morning in German. I explain what each of them means and what would be the right (and wrong!) contexts to use them. I also included audio for pronunciation!
Follow the link and learn 45 ways of saying good morning in German.
How to say hello in German the cool way
Here I show you the best ways to say hello in German like a native. I go over each expression, showing what each of them means and the right (and wrong!) contexts to use them. I also included audio for pronunciation!
Follow the link and learn 7 ways to say hello in German that sound cool.
Months in German
In this lesson, I teach the months of the year, but not only that. I go over the characteristics we associate with the people that are born on each month, and a fun rhyme to go along with it. You will learn not only the months, but a ton of German culture.
Follow the link and listen to the German month rhymes.
>>> Months in German
States of Germany
Here, I show the states of Germany. I also go over some of the most famous landscapes you can find in the capital cities of some of these states, and what you should look out for if you visit.
Follow the link and learn more about Germany’s states and what you can see on each of them.
Romantic German Phrases — nice things you could say to your sweetheart
Do you want to impress your significant other? What if you try telling them something romantic in German? On this page, I put together a list with some compliments in German and some nice quotes to impress that special someone. I’ve included the translation and the audio, so you can learn the pronunciation.
Learning Tip: Vocabulary Learning Tip
On this page, I share one of the best tips I know of to learn German. It’s easy, simple, and it can help you get your brain started in German. I’ve also included a special treat: an audio track of the description of the tip, but in German!
Follow the link and learn how to learn better.
Reviews
Occasionally, I come across a tool that is so good I simply need to share it with my students. This is what happened with LingQ. On these pages, you can read my impressions of the app and learn why it’s such a great tool to learn German.
In Spanish
Estoy en proceso de traducir este sitio al español. Si hablas español, puedes encontrar gran parte de mis lecciones y materiales aquí:
Here are some basic lessons to get started:
🔗 Dive Into German ABCs
🔗 der, die, das (Secret Decoded)
🔗 Unravel 'is' in German
🔗 Master 'sein' and 'haben'
🔗 Explore Umlauts Ä, Ö, Ü
...
For more depth, try these selected intermediate lessons:
🔗 Spice Up With Adjectives
🔗 Tense Mastery: Past to Future!
🔗 Crack Prefixes & Verbs
🔗 Clarify 'das' vs 'dass'
...
Blog Articles e.g.
🔗 German Work Permit: What You Need to Know and Do in Advance!
🔗 Palaces and Castles in Germany from Neuschwanstein (Cinderella’s) to Frankenstein’s Castle
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