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Course path · A1

German A1: Foundations

Real German from the first lesson: greetings, numbers, and the gender and case patterns that make the rest of the language click — including why bitte does four different jobs, and why you have hunger but the cold happens to you in the dative.

Target language
German
Explained in
English
CEFR level
A1
Structure
21 modules · 85 lessons

Course journey

Every module has a place in the story.

Follow the authored sequence from the opening lesson through the final chapter. Preview lessons remain open before enrollment.

  1. Module 01

    First Sounds

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. The Vowels and the UmlautsLocked
      About 15 minTell long vowels from short ones, and make the three umlauts that decide singular from plural.
      Locked
    2. The Letters That Surprise YouLocked
      About 15 minRead a German word aloud on sight, including the two different ch sounds.
      Locked
    3. Where the Stress FallsLocked
      About 14 minStress German words on the right syllable, including the long ones made of other words.
      Locked
    4. Why German Sounds HarshLocked
      About 14 minHear the two things that give German its reputation, and use them to catch word boundaries.
      Locked

  2. Module 02

    Building Blocks

    2 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Making Things PluralLocked
      About 16 minRecognise the five German plural patterns, and use the one article that covers all of them.
      Locked
    2. The Subject PronounsLocked
      About 15 minUse the full set, and untangle the three different things sie can mean.
      Locked

  3. Module 03

    Getting Started

    3 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Greetings & IntroductionsFree preview
      About 12 minGreet someone, introduce yourself, and judge when du becomes Sie.
      Launch →
    2. Numbers 0-20Free preview
      About 12 minSay your age, ask what something costs, and understand the answer.
      Launch →
    3. Days & Telling TimeLocked
      About 12 minArrange a specific day and time, and confirm the arrangement.
      Locked

  4. Module 04

    The Core Machinery

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Gender & the AccusativeLocked
      About 18 minPick the right article for a noun, and change it correctly when the noun becomes the object.
      Locked
    2. Sein & HabenLocked
      About 16 minUse sein and haben confidently, and stop translating English "have" and "be" word for word.
      Locked
    3. The Present TenseLocked
      About 16 minConjugate regular verbs in the present, and recognise the ones that change their vowel for du and er.
      Locked
    4. Word OrderLocked
      About 18 minKeep the verb in second position, and send it to the end after weil and dass.
      Locked

  5. Module 05

    Everyday Basics

    3 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. The CaféLocked
      About 12 minOrder food and drink and pay, handling the whole exchange in German.
      Locked
    2. Family & PeopleLocked
      About 12 minDescribe your family and explain who someone is to you.
      Locked
    3. Food & ShoppingLocked
      About 12 minShop for what you need, with quantities and prices.
      Locked

  6. Module 06

    Describing & Everyday Life

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Describing People & ThingsLocked
      About 15 minDescribe things with adjectives after sein, where German asks for no ending at all.
      Locked
    2. The Weather & SeasonsLocked
      About 14 minTalk about the weather with the impersonal es, and name the seasons and months.
      Locked
    3. House & HomeLocked
      About 16 minDescribe where you live and say what is in it with es gibt, which takes the accusative.
      Locked
    4. Clothes & ShoppingLocked
      About 15 minBuy clothes, give your size, and use tragen — one of the vowel-changing verbs.
      Locked
    5. Jonas, 1: A New CityLocked
      About 12 minRead a short first-person account and answer about what it says.
      Locked

  7. Module 07

    Getting Things Done

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. The Body & HealthLocked
      About 15 minSay what hurts, using either the compound noun or the weh tun construction.
      Locked
    2. Transport & TicketsLocked
      About 16 minBuy a ticket and say how you travel, using mit plus the dative.
      Locked
    3. Hobbies & Free TimeLocked
      About 14 minTalk about your free time with spielen, which — unlike Spanish and French — covers everything.
      Locked
    4. Work & StudiesLocked
      About 17 minSay what you do, and use können and müssen — which send the second verb to the end.
      Locked

  8. Module 08

    Plans & Past

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Making PlansLocked
      About 14 minTalk about the future the way German actually does — with the present tense.
      Locked
    2. Talking About the PastLocked
      About 19 minUse the Perfekt, choosing between haben and sein and sending the participle to the end.
      Locked
    3. Invitations & ArrangementsLocked
      About 14 minInvite someone with möchten, accept or decline, and settle the details.
      Locked
    4. Possessives & DemonstrativesLocked
      About 16 minSay whose something is — where German, unlike French, does tell you the owner.
      Locked

  9. Module 09

    Precision & Detail

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Object PronounsLocked
      About 18 minReplace a noun with a pronoun, choosing between the accusative and dative sets.
      Locked
    2. Comparatives & SuperlativesLocked
      About 15 minCompare with -er als, and pick out the best with am -sten.
      Locked
    3. Quantity & DegreeLocked
      About 14 minChoose between sehr and viel, and say how much of something there is.
      Locked
    4. Wissen & KennenLocked
      About 15 minChoose between wissen and kennen — two verbs where English has only know.
      Locked
    5. Jonas, 2: The NeighboursLocked
      About 12 minFollow a narrative across several people and answer from the text.
      Locked

  10. Module 10

    Numbers, Dates & Instructions

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Numbers, Money & PricesLocked
      About 16 minCount past twenty, where German says the units before the tens, and handle a price.
      Locked
    2. Ordinals, Dates & BirthdaysLocked
      About 15 minGive a date, say which floor you want, and wish someone a happy birthday.
      Locked
    3. Giving InstructionsLocked
      About 16 minTell someone what to do — the imperative, in du, ihr and Sie.
      Locked
    4. Reflexive VerbsLocked
      About 17 minDescribe your routine with reflexive verbs, and choose between mich and mir.
      Locked

  11. Module 11

    Out and About

    3 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Places in TownLocked
      About 12 minSay where something is and describe the area you live in.
      Locked
    2. Asking for DirectionsLocked
      About 12 minAsk the way and follow directions given back to you.
      Locked
    3. Daily RoutineLocked
      About 12 minDescribe your day, sending separable prefixes to the end where they belong.
      Locked

  12. Module 12

    Verbs That Change

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Verbs That Change for du and erLocked
      About 16 minUse strong verbs whose stem vowel changes in the du and er forms only.
      Locked
    2. The Verbs That RefuseLocked
      About 15 minUse the handful of German verbs that follow no pattern at all.
      Locked
    3. Happening Right NowLocked
      About 14 minSay what is happening at this moment in a language with no continuous tense.
      Locked
    4. Have To, Want To, CanLocked
      About 16 minUse modal verbs, and put the infinitive where German insists it goes.
      Locked
    5. Jonas, 3: The First Week at WorkLocked
      About 13 minRead a routine in the present tense and answer about sequence and time.
      Locked

  13. Module 13

    Who You Are and Where You're From

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Spelling It OutLocked
      About 14 minSay the alphabet, spell your name, and ask someone to spell theirs.
      Locked
    2. Where You're FromLocked
      About 15 minSay where you are from, what nationality you are, and what languages you speak.
      Locked
    3. Filling In the FormLocked
      About 14 minGive the details a form or a receptionist asks for.
      Locked
    4. Asking, Not Only AnsweringLocked
      About 16 minBuild a question and put the verb where German puts it.
      Locked

  14. Module 14

    Saying No Properly

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Saying NoLocked
      About 15 minNegate a sentence with nicht, and put it where German puts it.
      Locked
    2. nicht or keinLocked
      About 16 minChoose between the two German negators, which is the choice everything else depends on.
      Locked
    3. Nothing, Nobody, NeverLocked
      About 15 minUse the negative words, and use only one per sentence.
      Locked
    4. Disagreeing and DecliningLocked
      About 14 minTurn something down politely, and use doch, which English has no word for.
      Locked

  15. Module 15

    Somewhere to Stay

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Checking InLocked
      About 15 minBook a room, check in, and understand what you are being asked.
      Locked
    2. Asking for ThingsLocked
      About 14 minAsk for what the room is missing, and report what is not working.
      Locked
    3. Where Things AreLocked
      About 16 minPlace an object in space, and pick the case that says it is not moving.
      Locked
    4. Colours and MaterialsLocked
      About 14 minDescribe an object precisely enough to identify it.
      Locked
    5. Jonas, 4: The WaterLocked
      About 13 minFollow a problem and its fixes, and answer about cause and order.
      Locked

  16. Module 16

    Getting By

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Please and Thank YouLocked
      About 12 minAsk for something politely and answer when somebody thanks you.
      Locked
    2. Excuse Me and SorryLocked
      About 12 minGet someone's attention, apologise, and get past somebody in a doorway.
      Locked
    3. I Don't UnderstandLocked
      About 12 minSay you have not understood, and ask for the sentence again in a form you can use.
      Locked
    4. Asking for HelpLocked
      About 12 minAsk for help, ask whether something exists nearby, and say you are lost.
      Locked

  17. Module 17

    How You Feel

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Hungry, Cold and in a HurryLocked
      About 12 minSay you are hungry, cold, thirsty or in a rush, using the construction German actually uses.
      Locked
    2. How Are YouLocked
      About 12 minAnswer the greeting question with something other than the word fine.
      Locked
    3. Happy, Tired and WorriedLocked
      About 12 minDescribe a mood with the right verb, and put the adjective in the right place.
      Locked
    4. Saying WhyLocked
      About 12 minGive a reason, and soften a refusal so it does not sound blunt.
      Locked

  18. Module 18

    Signs, Menus and Messages

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Signs and NoticesLocked
      About 12 minRead the words on doors, streets and shop windows without stopping to translate.
      Locked
    2. Reading a MenuLocked
      About 12 minWork out how a menu is organised, so you order a meal rather than three starters.
      Locked
    3. Numbers You Read, Not HearLocked
      About 12 minRead a price, a date and a timetable without getting the figure wrong by a factor of a thousand.
      Locked
    4. Writing a Short MessageLocked
      About 12 minWrite a text or a note that reads like a person wrote it.
      Locked
    5. Jonas, 5: The MarketLocked
      About 13 minRead a scene with dialogue in it and answer about what was meant.
      Locked

  19. Module 19

    Reading Real Things

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Reading a NoticeLocked
      About 14 minGet the facts out of a sign on a door without translating every word.
      Locked
    2. Reading a MessageLocked
      About 14 minRead a short note or card from a friend and work out what you are being asked.
      Locked
    3. Reading a Small AdLocked
      About 14 minRead an advert or a price list and get the price, the size and the catch.
      Locked
    4. Reading a Ticket and a FormLocked
      About 14 minFind the platform, the time and the seat, and know which box wants your surname.
      Locked

  20. Module 20

    When Someone Speaks to You

    4 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. Catching a NameLocked
      About 15 minGet a name right when somebody spells it out for you.
      Locked
    2. Catching a PriceLocked
      About 15 minHear what you owe, and what you are getting back.
      Locked
    3. Catching a Day and a TimeLocked
      About 15 minCome away from an arrangement knowing which day and what time.
      Locked
    4. Understanding What You're Asked to DoLocked
      About 15 minDo the right thing when somebody tells you to, without needing the whole sentence.
      Locked

  21. Module 21

    Ohne Hinzusehen

    5 lessons

    Lesson sequenceOpen chapter
    1. From the Definition, Not the EnglishLocked
      About 14 minProduce a noun and its article from a German definition, with no English on the screen.
      Locked
    2. Where German Keeps the Words ApartLocked
      About 15 minHear the hard onset German puts in front of a vowel, and stop linking words the way a Romance language would.
      Locked
    3. Du or SieLocked
      About 15 minGive an instruction to a friend and to a stranger, where German changes the verb itself rather than a pronoun in front of it.
      Locked
    4. Saying It UnaidedLocked
      About 16 minProduce whole sentences with the support removed one step at a time, ending with nothing on screen at all.
      Locked
    5. Jonas, 6: A YearLocked
      About 13 minRead the close of the story and answer about how things changed from the first installment.
      Locked