Learn German — from Zero to Conversational

Complete A1 to B2.2 Curriculum

Course: German

German is the most widely spoken native language in Europe and the language of science, philosophy and engineering. With 100 million native speakers and a powerful economy behind it, German is one of the most valuable languages to learn.

🗣️ 100 million native speakers — most widely spoken native language in the EU.
📊 German grammar is complex with four cases and three genders, but its word formation is very logical. English speakers will find thousands of shared vocabulary roots — progress is steady and rewarding.

Why learn German?

What you get

Grammar you'll master

Das Präsens

German present tense with regular and irregular verbs. Key verbs: sein, haben, werden, können, müssen, wollen.

Ich lerne Deutsch. / Sie hat einen Hund. / Wir können morgen kommen.

Der Artikel & Genus

German has three genders: masculine (der), feminine (die) and neuter (das). Articles change in different grammatical cases.

Der Mann ist nett. / Die Stadt ist groß. / Das Buch ist interessant.

Die Fälle (Cases)

German uses four cases — Nominative, Accusative, Dative and Genitive — which determine article and adjective endings.

Ich sehe den Mann. / Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch.

Das Perfekt

The most common conversational past tense, formed with haben or sein + past participle.

Ich habe Pizza gegessen. / Sie ist nach Berlin gefahren. / Wir haben einen Film gesehen.

Modalverben

Modal verbs (können, müssen, wollen, sollen, dürfen, mögen) modify the main verb and push it to the end of the sentence.

Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. / Du musst früher aufstehen. / Er will reisen.

Satzstellung (Word Order)

German has verb-second order in main clauses and verb-final order in subordinate clauses. This is unique and requires practice.

Heute gehe ich ins Kino. / Ich weiß, dass er morgen kommt.

A taste of the curriculum

Bist du schon mal in Berlin gewesen?

Have you ever been to Berlin? — Perfekt for experience.

Ja! Ich bin letztes Jahr hingefahren. Die Stadt ist wirklich beeindruckend.

Yes! I went there last year. The city is really impressive.

Was sollte man unbedingt sehen?

What should one definitely see? — Modal verb SOLLEN for recommendation.

Du musst das Brandenburger Tor besuchen. Und wenn du kannst, geh auch ins Museum.

You must visit the Brandenburg Gate. And if you can, go to the museum too.

Frequently asked questions

Is German really as hard as people say?﹢

German grammar is more complex than English — especially the case system and word order. But German pronunciation is very consistent (words are said as they're written), and German and English share thousands of cognates like Haus/house and Wasser/water.

How many people speak German?﹢

German has around 100 million native speakers, making it the most spoken native language in the EU. It's official in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium.

What's the hardest part of German grammar?﹢

The four grammatical cases (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv) and their effect on articles and adjective endings are the biggest challenge. LingoNibble introduces them gradually so they become natural.

Why is German useful?﹢

Germany has the largest economy in Europe and German is the language of science, engineering and philosophy. German speakers earn premium salaries in many technical fields.

How long does it take to learn German?﹢

German takes longer than Romance languages for English speakers. Reaching B1 conversational level typically takes 10–15 months with consistent daily practice of 20–30 minutes.

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Sample Vocabulary

Hello

Hallo

Good morning

Guten Morgen

Good day

Guten Tag

Good evening

Guten Abend

Reading Comprehension Stories

Curriculum Overview (60 Units)

1

Unit 1: Greetings & Introductions

Learn formal and informal greetings, introduce yourself, and master basic German V2 sentence structure.

2

Unit 2: Family & Friends

Talk about your family, describe relationships, and master possessive pronouns (mein, dein, sein, ihr).

3

Unit 3: Food & Drink

Master A1 Food & Drink vocabulary and grammar (Accusative Direct Objects (einen, eine, ein)).

4

Unit 4: Daily Routine & Time

Master A1 Daily Routine & Time vocabulary and grammar (Separable Verbs (aufstehen, einkaufen)).

5

Unit 5: Living & Home

Master A1 Living & Home vocabulary and grammar (Definite & Indefinite Articles in Nominative vs Accusative).

6

Unit 6: Leisure & Hobbies

Master A1 Leisure & Hobbies vocabulary and grammar (Modal Verbs (können, wollen, mögen)).

7

Unit 7: Shopping & Clothes

Master A1 Shopping & Clothes vocabulary and grammar (Demonstrative Pronouns (dieser, diese, dieses)).

8

Unit 8: City & Navigation

Master A1 City & Navigation vocabulary and grammar (Dative Prepositions (mit, nach, zu, aus, bei, von)).

9

Unit 9: Weather & Seasons

Master A1 Weather & Seasons vocabulary and grammar (Impersonal Subject 'es' & Weather Expressions).

10

Unit 10: Vacation & Travel

Master A1 Vacation & Travel vocabulary and grammar (A1 Capstone Review & Travel Verb Synthesis).

11

Unit 11: Spoken Past with 'haben' (Perfekt)

Master the spoken past tense using 'haben' + Partizip II to talk about completed daily activities.

12

Unit 12: Perfekt mit 'sein' & Doctor's Visit

Master Perfekt with auxiliary 'sein' for motion and change of state, and describe a past medical visit.

13

Unit 13: Two-Way Prepositions with Dative (Wo?)

Master the 9 two-way prepositions with Dative case to describe stationary locations (Wo?).

14

Unit 14: Two-Way Prepositions with Accusative (Wohin?)

Master the 9 two-way prepositions with Accusative case to describe movement towards a target destination (Wohin?).

15

Unit 15: Subordinate Clauses with 'weil' (because)

Express reasons using the causal conjunction 'weil' and master verb-final word order.

16

Unit 16: Subordinate Clauses with 'dass'

Express opinions, beliefs, and hopes using 'dass' (that) with verb-final subordinate word order.

17

Unit 17: Adjective Endings with Definite Articles

Master weak adjective endings (-e / -en) following definite articles (der, die, das, den, dem, des).

18

Unit 18: Adjective Endings with Indefinite Articles

Master mixed adjective endings (-er, -e, -es, -en) following indefinite articles (ein, eine, kein, possessives).

19

Unit 19: Modal Verbs in the Past Tense

Express past obligations, abilities, permissions, and intentions using modal verbs in Präteritum (musste, konnte, wollte, durfte, sollte).

20

Unit 20: German A2 Milestone Examination

Consolidate A2 German proficiency across Perfekt, Wechselpräpositionen, Nebensätze (weil/dass), and adjective declensions.

21

Unit 21: Present Passive (Vorgangspassiv)

Learn the passive voice in the present tense (werden + Partizip II) to focus on actions rather than who performs them.

22

Unit 22: Past Passive (Präteritum & Perfekt)

Master past tense passive forms (wurde + Partizip II & ist + Partizip II + worden) for reporting completed past actions.

23

Unit 23: Passive with Modal Verbs & State Passive (Zustandspassiv)

Master Passive with Modal Verbs (muss gemacht werden) and the State Passive (Zustandspassiv: sein + Partizip II).

24

Unit 24: Konjunktiv II Present: Politeness & Wishes

Master present Konjunktiv II using hätte, wäre, and würde + Infinitiv for polite requests, advice, and hypothetical wishes.

25

Unit 25: Genitive: Declension & Possessive

Master the Genitive case declension (des/der), possessive structures, and genitive noun endings (-s/-es).

26

Unit 26: Genitive Prepositions: wegen, während, trotz & statt

Master prepositions that take the Genitive case: wegen, während, trotz, and statt / anstatt.

27

Unit 27: Relative Clauses in Nominative & Accusative

Learn relative clauses in Nominative and Accusative to connect sentences smoothly using relative pronouns.

28

Unit 28: Relative Clauses in Dative with Prepositions

Master relative clauses in Dative and relative clauses introduced by prepositions.

29

Unit 29: Genitive Relative Clauses: dessen & deren

Master Genitive relative clauses using possessive relative pronouns dessen (masculine/neuter) and deren (feminine/plural).

30

Unit 30: German B1.1 Capstone Mastery

Comprehensive mid-B1 exam capstone consolidating Passive voice, Konjunktiv II, Genitive declension, and Relative Clauses.

31

Unit 31: Infinitive Constructions: um zu & ohne zu

Master infinitive structures with zu, um...zu, ohne...zu, and anstatt...zu for expressing purpose and manner.

32

Unit 32: Past Perfect (Plusquamperfekt) & Temporal Conjunctions

Learn the past perfect (Plusquamperfekt) with hatte/war + Partizip II and temporal conjunctions like nachdem, bevor, and während.

33

Unit 33: Future I: Future & Assumptions

Master the future tense (Futur I) using werden + Infinitiv for future plans, promises, and present assumptions.

34

Unit 34: Konjunktiv II of the Past

Master unrealized past conditions, regrets, and missed opportunities using hätte/wäre + Partizip II.

35

Unit 35: Indirect Speech & Konjunktiv I

Learn to report speech, news, and statements indirectly using Konjunktiv I, indirect questions, and subtle modal verbs.

36

Unit 36: Participle I & II as Adjectives

Learn to use active (Partizip I) and passive/completed (Partizip II) participles as attributive adjectives with full declension.

37

Unit 37: Noun-Verb Combinations

Master essential fixed noun-verb combinations (Funktionsverbgefüge) used in professional and academic German.

38

Unit 38: Double Conjunctions: je... desto & weder... noch

Master paired connectors: je...desto, sowohl...als auch, weder...noch, nicht nur...sondern auch, and einerseits...andererseits.

39

Unit 39: Passive Alternatives & Modality

Master alternatives to the passive voice: lassen sich, sein + zu + Infinitiv, and -bar / -lich adjectives.

40

Unit 40: German B1 Capstone Mastery

Comprehensive B1 language exam synthesis integrating Passive, Konjunktiv II, Genitive, Relative Clauses, and advanced discourse connectors.

41

Unit 41: Unit 41: Professional Ethics & Leadership

Master Konjunktiv I for reported speech in leadership and executive contexts.

42

Unit 42: Unit 42: Salary & Performance Negotiation

Negotiate salary raises and bonuses using persuasive formal rhetoric and indirect quotes.

43

Unit 43: Unit 43: Nominalstil in Strategy & Governance

Master Nominalstil (Noun-heavy style) transformations for academic and corporate governance writing.

44

Unit 44: Unit 44: Works Council & Labor Law

Understand industrial relations, trade union collective bargaining, and formal labor law phrasing.

45

Unit 45: Unit 45: Advanced Genitive Prepositions

Master formal prepositions requiring Genitive case in high-level prose and administrative German.

46

Unit 46: Unit 46: Courtroom Advocacy & Jurisprudence

Present courtroom motions, cite witness testimonies in Konjunktiv I, and master legal advocacy.

47

Unit 47: Unit 47: Economic & Financial Reporting

Analyze macroeconomics, fiscal policy, and master proportional correlation structures (Je...desto).

48

Unit 48: Unit 48: Press Conference & Corporate PR

Conduct press briefings, handle hostile queries, and publish formal corporate statements.

49

Unit 49: Unit 49: Formal Debates & Complex Connectors

Master adversative and concessive clause connectors (wenngleich, obgleich, indessen, wohingegen).

50

Unit 50: Unit 50: B2.1 Vantage Milestone Synthesis

Synthesize all B2.1 competencies: Konjunktiv I, Nominalstil, Genitive prepositions, and executive rhetoric.

51

Unit 51: Unit 51: Extended Participle Attributes

Master Extended Participle Attributes (Partizipialattribute) for dense academic and legal German.

52

Unit 52: Unit 52: Bioethics & Academic Debate

Debate cutting-edge bioethical questions using extended participle attributes and high academic register.

53

Unit 53: Unit 53: Modale Infinitive (sein/haben + zu + Infinitiv)

Master Modale Infinitive structures (sein/haben + zu + Infinitiv) as sophisticated passive and active obligation alternatives.

54

Unit 54: Unit 54: Geopolitical Summits & International Law

Conduct diplomatic treaty negotiations, address national sovereignty, and master treaty ratifications.

55

Unit 55: Unit 55: Inverted Conditional Clauses

Master condition clauses without 'wenn' (Invertierte Konditionalsätze) in high-level risk management and formal prose.

56

Unit 56: Unit 56: Executive Crisis Management & Modal Claims

Lead board-level crisis response and master subjective modal verbs (er will / soll getan haben).

57

Unit 57: Unit 57: Pragmatic Modal Particles

Master German Modal Particles (denn, ja, doch, halt, eben, eigentlich, wohl) for nuanced rhetoric.

58

Unit 58: Unit 58: Historiography & Substantivierte Adjektive

Debate historical methodology and master nominalized adjectives (Substantivierte Adjektive).

59

Unit 59: Unit 59: Epistemology & Scientific Theory

Master high-level discourse synthesis, epistemological debate, and inverted sentence cadence.

60

Unit 60: Unit 60: German B2 Grand Masterclass Capstone

Achieve total mastery of B2 German: Konjunktiv I, Nominalstil, Partizipialattribute, and Modale Infinitive.