With its world-class education at lower costs, affordable living expenses, generous scholarships, and opportunities to work after study, Germany is an attractive study-abroad destination. In 2022-2023 4,58,210 international students were studying in the country and this number is only expected to rise.
If you are planning to study in Germany, learning the German language can open doors to a world-class education and a rich cultural experience. Imagine walking through the bustling streets of Berlin, conversing with locals, or attending a lecture in a centuries-old university in Heidelberg. These experiences become significantly more enriching when you speak the local language.
"But isn't German a difficult language to learn?" you might wonder. Contrary to popular belief, learning German is not as daunting as it seems. With the right approach, it can be mastered. In this comprehensive guide for beginners, we will help you understand how to start learning the language. We will provide you with a step-by-step guide and also give you an overview of the structure of the language, quashing all your fears regarding its difficulty.
Table of Contents:
With its world-class education at lower costs, affordable living expenses, generous scholarships, and opportunities to work after study, Germany is an attractive study-abroad destination. In 2022-2023 4,58,210 international students were studying in the country and this number is only expected to rise.
If you are planning to study in Germany, learning the German language can open doors to a world-class education and a rich cultural experience. Imagine walking through the bustling streets of Berlin, conversing with locals, or attending a lecture in a centuries-old university in Heidelberg. These experiences become significantly more enriching when you speak the local language.
"But isn't German a difficult language to learn?" you might wonder. Contrary to popular belief, learning German is not as daunting as it seems. With the right approach, it can be mastered. In this comprehensive guide for beginners, we will help you understand how to start learning the language. We will provide you with a step-by-step guide and also give you an overview of the structure of the language, quashing all your fears regarding its difficulty.
The Importance of Learning German Language
As the world’s 12th most spoken language, German is the official language in Germany as well as Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Belgium and Luxembourg and is one of the top languages spoken in Europe.
Learning German could be a game-changer for students who are looking to study in Germany because knowing how to speak German will allow you to:
1. Benefit from a larger number of academic programs
Most universities in Germany offer degrees in German. Thus, having fluency in this language will enable you to take advantage of these courses, which are often either free or at a low cost.
Not sure how to apply for such courses? Reach out to the top study abroad consultants in Dubai and our experts will guide you through the process of getting you your dream admission.
2. Interact with Local Students and Faculty
Having a working knowledge of German enables you to collaborate more effectively with fellow classmates and professors, enhancing your academic and social experiences.
3. Live Day-to-Day Life Easily
Be it ordering your food, understanding the local transport, or everyday tasks, knowing the language can make your day-to-day life a whole lot easier.
4. Increase Your Job Prospects
Germany is one of the economic powerhouses and is home to many multinational businesses. The German language gives you an upper hand to grab job opportunities in markets like engineering, technology, science, automotive, and finance.
5. Understand German Literature and Philosophy Better
Germans are famous for their brilliant literature and contributions to philosophy. Fluent German gives you exposure to Kant, Nietzsche, Goethe, and Kafka in their native tongue. This can give you a better understanding and respect for their thoughts and writing.
6. Personal Development
Learning to speak a new language like German helps in broadening your horizons and forces you to go beyond the usual thinking. It helps in developing your personality, adaptability, and intercultural understanding.
Not only, this can help you build your self-esteem but it also gives you a feeling of accomplishment as you constantly improve your language.
Learning German: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Have Clear Goals
If you want to learn a new language then you need to set clear goals as to how you would proceed. For example, if you want to learn German then you should know what you expect and what is the purpose behind learning the new language.
The purpose could be to learn German to pursue education in Germany (academic opportunities) to enhance career prospects or to establish good connections with people and German culture. It is a common belief that if you can set your goals, achieving your objective becomes easy.
2. Have a Study Plan
If you can stick to a study plan then achieving your objective will be an easy task. While learning a new language it is important to practise grammar exercises, learn new words, build vocabulary, and practice comprehension.
It is equally important to practise listening, reading, and speaking the new language. All this may be overwhelming so have a study plan in place. Remember consistency is the key behind success.
3. Build Your Basics
You should begin with learning basic words and vocabulary. For this, you can make use of flashcards, language learning apps, and online resources especially those available on YouTube etc.
Understand and learn basic greetings, slang, etc. This will help you develop a basic understanding of the language quickly.
4. Immerse Yourself into the World of German Language
Immerse yourself into the new language and culture as much as you can. It will not only help you familiarise yourself with the language but will help you slowly establish your hold on the language.
You can make use of German media in the form of news, TV shows, music, movies, podcasts, textbooks, and audiobooks and explore German traditions, literature, music, and cuisine.
5. Read, Read, and Read
To easily learn any new language, it is recommended to read. Read German as much as possible and you will be amazed how easily you will be able to recognize words and learn German.
Reading will help you to expand your vocabulary, improve grammar, and to understand German. Moreover, reading newspapers and magazines will help you to keep yourself updated on the events happening in Germany.
6. Practise Speaking the Language
To get more hold on the language it is important to listen and speak the new language. You can get this opportunity in the form of speaking to native people of Germany, online language learning courses and programs, and language courses.
As mentioned earlier, make use of podcasts, audiobooks, etc, to familiarise yourself with the correct pronunciation.
7. Write Regularly
Writing is an essential skill to learn any new language. Writing short sentences in German will help you establish a hold on the language by enhancing the language learning rules, building a strong vocabulary, and understanding grammar rules help you to improve your language proficiency.
This will help you improve your listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills, including pronunciation and comprehension.
Understanding the Structure of German Language
As a part of the Indo-European language family German belongs to the West Germanic branch. The language has similarities with languages like English and Dutch which are also Germanic languages.
Let us understand the structure of the German language in detail. This will help you prepare better for your study in Germany.
1. Start with the Alphabet
a. Vowels
Letter | A | E | I | O | U |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pronunciation | Ah | Ay | Ee | Oh | Oo |
b. Consonants
Letter | B | C | D | F | G | H | J | K | L | M | N | P | Q | R | S | T | V | W | X | Y | Z |
Pronunciation | Bay | Tsay | Day | Eff | Gay | Hah | Yot | Kah | Ell | Em | En | Pay | Ku | Air | Ess | Tay | Fow | Vay | Iks | Ypsilon | Tset |
c. Special Characters
Character | Ä | Ö | Ü | ß |
Pronunciation | Ae | Oe | Ue | Ess-tset |
2. Nouns and Gender
In the German language there are 3 genders assigned to nouns:
Masculine
Feminine
Neuter
Mastering these is a bit difficult as there are no strict rules regarding the assigning of gender. But the more you expose yourself to the German language, the better you will understand it.
Masculine Nouns | Feminine Nouns | Neuter Nouns | |
Description | Masculine nouns are introduced by the articles "der" (definite) and "ein" (indefinite). | Feminine nouns are introduced by the articles "die" (definite) and "eine" (indefinite). | Neuter nouns are introduced by the articles "das" (definite) and "ein" (indefinite). |
Examples | For example: - "der Baum" (the tree) - "ein Apfel" (an apple) - "der Stuhl" (the chair). | For example: - "die Blume" (the flower) - "eine Gitarre" (a guitar) - "die Straße" (the street). | For example: - "das Auto" (the car) - "ein Pferd" (a horse) - "das Fenster" (the window). |
Common Patterns | - Ends with -er: "der Spieler" (the player), "der Arbeiter" (the worker). - Male beings or animals: "der König" (the king), "der Vogel" (the bird) - Days, months, and seasons: "der Dienstag" (Tuesday), "der Oktober" (October), "der Frühling" (spring). | - Ends with -e: "die Brücke" (the bridge), "die Torte" (the cake). - Female beings or animals: "die Königin" (the queen), "die Biene" (the bee). - Ships, countries, and languages: "die Bismarck" (a ship), "die Schweiz" (Switzerland), "die Sprache" (language). | - Ends with -chen or -lein (diminutive): "das Häuschen" (the little house), "das Kätzchen" (the kitten). - Abstract concepts or substances: "das Vertrauen" (trust), "das Silber" (silver). - Weather-related terms: "das Regen" (rain), "das Eis" (ice). |
3. Understand Cases and Declensions in the German Language
Now let us understand the grammatical cases the German language employs. There are 4 such cases:
i. Nominative
ii. Accusative
iii. Dative
iv. Genitive
These show the function of a noun and pronoun in any sentence. Declensions make sure that articles, adjectives, and pronouns are adapted to the case, number, and gender of the noun they are related to. In order to write correct sentences in German, you need to understand cases and declensions.
Subject Pronoun | Verb Ending (Regular Verbs) | Example (lernen - to learn) |
ich | -e | ich lerne (I learn) |
du | -st | du lernst (you learn) |
er/sie/es | -t | er/sie/es lernt (he/she/it learns) |
wir | -en | wir lernen (we learn) |
ihr | -t | ihr lernt (you all learn) |
sie/Sie | -en | sie/Sie lernen (they/you learn) |
4. Understand Tenses in German
There are six tenses in the German language :
German Tense | English Equivalent |
Präsens | Present tense |
Präteritum | Simple past (Imperfect tense) |
Perfekt | Present perfect |
Plusquamperfekt | Past perfect |
Futur I | Future tense |
Futur II | Future perfect (with "will" and "have") |
5. Verb Conjugation in German Language
Verb conjugation in the German language involves altering the verb form to reflect the subject pronoun and the tense. Knowing how to conjugate verbs is the key to building complex sentences in German.
Here, we will demonstrate regular verb conjugation in the present tense, one of the most important things to learn if you want to master the German language.
Regular Verb Conjugation
Regular verbs follow a predictable pattern of conjugation. Regular verbs by and large end in -en or -(e)n, and to conjugate them in the present tense, you chop off the infinitive ending and replace it with endings that match the subject pronoun.
Below is a table showing the conjugation of two regular verbs, "lernen" (to learn) and "machen" (to do/make), in the present tense:
Subject Pronoun | Verb Ending (Regular Verbs) | Example (lernen - to learn) | Example (machen - to do/make) |
ich | -e | ich lerne (I learn) | ich mache (I do/make) |
du | -st | du lernst (you learn) | du machst (you do/make) |
er/sie/es | -t | er/sie/es lernt (he/she/it learns) | er/sie/es macht (he/she/it does/makes) |
wir | -en | wir lernen (we learn) | wir machen (we do/make) |
ihr | -t | ihr lernt (you all learn) | ihr macht (you all do/make) |
sie/Sie | -en | sie/Sie lernen (they/you learn) | sie/Sie machen (they/you do/make) |
How to Conjugate
Identify the infinitive form: Take the verb in its base form, e.g., "lernen" or "machen."
Remove the infinitive ending: Drop "-en" or "-n" from the end of the verb.
For "lernen," you get "lern-"
For "machen," you get "mach-"
Add the appropriate ending: Attach the ending that corresponds to the subject pronoun.
6. Mastering Pronunciation and Phonetics
Like any other language, German language pronunciation is also unique. The more you expose yourself to it, the better you will become at speaking the German language.
You will find certain unique sounds like “ü” in fünf. Initially, you may find it daunting but with practice, you will be able to master this language.
Let us understand word stress in the German language. There are several stress patterns in the German language that impact what a word conveys.
Rule | Examples | Explanation |
1. Standard Stress | Haus (house), Tisch (table), Mutter (mother) | Most German words place the primary stress on the first syllable. |
2. Compound Words | Brotzeit (snack), Eisenbahn (railroad) | In compound words, the main stress is on the first part, with a secondary stress on the second part. |
3. Foreign Words or Exceptions | Kino (cinema), Hotel (hotel) | Words borrowed from other languages may keep their original stress patterns. |
7. Understanding Word Order in the German Language
The word order in the German language is different as compared to English. The verb is generally at the sentence’s end. The place of noun phrases changes according to their function in the sentence. It is important that you understand the word order correctly to ensure that your sentences convey the right meaning.
English Structure | Example | German Structure | Example |
Subject + Verb + Objects + Additional verbs | I want to give my friend a gift. | Subject + Verb + Objects + Additional verbs | Ich möchte meinem Freund ein Geschenk geben. |
How to Build German Language Vocabulary?
Expanding your vocabulary is essential for mastering and communicating effectively in any language. To build your German vocabulary:
Regularly expose yourself to the language by reading texts in the language, watching German shows, listening to native music, etc.
Try engaging with native speakers of the language.
Refer to several free online resources, courses, and apps that can help you improve your German vocabulary.
Conclusion
If you aspire to study in Germany, you should consider learning the language. In this guide, we covered the step-by-step plan that can help you learn the language. We also understood in detail the structure of the German language. If you need any assistance with your study abroad journey or process you can reach out to Admissiongyan, the top study abroad consultants in Dubai. Contact our experts at Admissiongyan today to turn your study abroad dreams into reality with expert guidance and personalised support.
Comments