Starting to learn German can be an exciting and challenging feat. Understanding how best to learn the German language is crucial to building a solid foundation. The basics of German include vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
The German Academy Zurich has created engaging and effective beginner German language lessons for adults. We also offer more advanced German grammar and vocabulary lessons once you progress!
Study Key Vocabulary
Learning German starts with key vocabulary words. Once you remember common words, it will help you put sentences together and participate in conversations.
Common Phrases and Vocabulary
Lessons typically start with common phrases and vocabulary. For example, you’ll learn ‘Hallo’ (hello), ‘Guten Morgen’ (good morning), and ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ (goodbye). You’ll become familiar with common nouns related to daily life, such as ‘Haus’ (house), ‘Auto’ (car), and ‘Essen’ (food).
Flashcards and Activities
Practice makes perfect. Try using flashcards to memorize new words and reinforce what you’ve learned. Digital flashcard apps can help with repetitive practice.
You can also access our beginner German course material from your laptop, phone, or tablet to practice on the go. This course provides many activities and video lessons to help you memorize and understand new words and phrases.
Practice in Context
Practicing new vocabulary in conversations can help you understand how words fit into different contexts. We offer one-on-one sessions with a German teacher to ensure you can practice speaking with someone in the language and get instant feedback and assistance.
Learn Fundamental Grammar Concepts
Understanding fundamental grammar concepts is essential when you start learning German. Once you grasp these core principles, you’ll have a much easier time forming sentences.
Sentence Structure
Both German and English follow the same standard sentence structure, Subject-Verb-Object order. For example, “Der Hund spielt mit dem Ball” (The dog plays with the ball). However, sentence structure can be flexible, depending on the context.
Articles and Nouns
In German, every noun has a gender: masculine, feminine, or neuter. These nouns affect the articles used with them. Understanding the definite and indefinite articles (such as ‘der,’ ‘die,’ ‘das,’ and ‘ein’) and noun genders is essential when constructing sentences.
Verb Conjugation
Verbs in German can change based on the subject and tense. When you start, you’ll learn the present tense before exploring how regular and some irregular verbs are conjugated. Verb conjugation will help you express actions and states accurately.
Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives have to agree with the noun they describe in gender, number, and case. Meanwhile, adverbs describe how actions are performed and help add detail to sentences.
Practice Pronunciation and Accent
One of the hardest parts for some beginners is mastering pronunciation and accent. This is important because it can significantly impact how effectively you’ll be able to communicate in German.
- Common pronunciation challenges: German vowels can be short or long. For example, ‘bieten’ (to offer) versus ‘bitten’ (to request) differ in vowel length.
- Accent techniques: Watch a German TV show or listen to a podcast to hear how native speakers sound. Try to mimic their pronunciation and adjust your accent to sound more authentic. You can record yourself speaking German to identify areas where your pronunciation may differ.
- Practical application: One of the best forms of practice is having conversations with native speakers or language partners. In our course, you’ll have sessions with a German teacher to practice and receive feedback.
- Reading aloud: Read German texts out loud to practice pronunciation, accent, and rhythm. This can also help reinforce vocabulary and grammar in context.
Learning German
Learning a new language involves many aspects. Starting with key vocabulary and fundamental grammar, then practicing pronunciation and accent, can give you a firm foundation. German Academy Zurich provides excellent courses for beginners–we break these concepts down into easy-to-understand lessons and activities!
