Learn German Quickly

Learn How to Speak German - Pay Attention to Details

If you want to learn German quickly, you should strive for precision when communicating in German. Why? Because the German language is structured this way and if you omit this precision or details when speaking German, then an important part of your communication will be missing. This is especially important when using German verbs. Take care to choose the right verb for the right situation.

In English we just go places whereas in German you have to state HOW you are going to get to a place and use the appropriate verb for the appropriate situation. See the following examples:

I'm going to the bus stop.
Ich gehe zur Bushaltestelle. (gehen = to walk)

I'm going to Düsseldorf.
Ich fahre nach Düsseldorf. (fahren = to drive or ride in a vehicle)

I'm going to Greece.
Ich reise nach Griechenland. (reisen = to travel some distance for a period of time)

I'm going to Brazil.
Ich fliege nach Brasilien. (fliegen = to fly on an airplane)

Notice that using the right verb describes precisely HOW you are going to get to a particular place. Never assume that you can use the verb gehen in German as the same way you would use go in English. Because if you say "ich gehe nach Berlin" and you are over 500 km away in Munich then your German friend will think that you are walking 500 km to Berlin (and of course he/she will have a good laugh). Remembering to stay precise when you are expressing yourself in German will help you to learn German quickly and not get quizzical looks or smirks from your German friends.

Learn German Quickly

Learn German Quickly

Learn German Quickly - How to PUT up with German

It's fascinating how the words that make up a language can define your reality. Let's take verbs as an example. In English the verb put can refer to a object, person or thing no matter its place or position in space.

In German to put an object, person or thing is relative to its position and place in space. The German language has a more exacting and informative way of describing reality. Thus, there are variations of the verb put used to describe the position of the object, person or thing in space:

legen (to lay something horizontally on a surface),

setzen (to set or sit something on a surface),

stehen (to stand something vertically on a surface) and

stecken (to stick something into a container)

Here are some Examples:

I put the baby in the crib.
Ich lege das Baby auf das Kinderbett.

I put the pillow on the sofa.
Ich setze das Kissen auf das Sofa.

I put the sports trophy on the shelf.
Ich stehe das Siegeszeichen auf das Regalbrett.

I put the turkey into the oven.
Ich stecke den Truthan in den Ofen.

This can seem to make learning German quickly an unfeasible task. But when you stop to think about it, English has the same precision to indicate "putting" things such as when we "lay", "stand", "stick", or "set" something on or in a surface. But we usually opt for the all purpose and more vague word "put".

Learn German Quickly

Learn German Quickly

Learn German Quickly - It's A Good Thing to Do

Recently in the news, I came upon an article by Steve McGookin titled, "Happy countries, committed workers" about a study done by Dr. Garry Gelade to determine the factors that produce committed workers. I was struck by the fact that Denmark and the Netherlands scored high (i.e. they had contented workers.

I also noticed that both countries had multilingual employees and German was one of the spoken "second" languages as the article states,

"Denmark has high numbers of multilingual staff: 80%of the Danish workforce speak English, 53% speak German and 11% speak French."

and

"The literacy rate in the Netherlands is unusually high, about 99%, while much of the Dutch workforce is multilingual. Most Dutch are fluent in English, and more than half speak German fluently, and a quarter French."

Learning German quickly would be a useful thing to do since more Central and Eastern European countries (where German often surpasses English as the second most spoken language) have joined the EU. Thus whether you are planning on going skiing in the Swiss Alps, clubbing in Berlin or sampling the high culture of imperial Vienna, a little Deutsch will go a long way.

Learn German Quickly