Hi, I’m Richard from the UK.
I studied linguistics and taught myself German to C2 level.
I’m a translator and I make resources for learning German.
My mission is to teach you how to learn German as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The right methods and mindsets can make you highly fluent in 1,000 hours.
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Latest Posts
- Mastering ‘bei’: A Guide for German Learners
What does “bei” mean in German? This guide covers every meaning of the word “bei” and includes loads of examples to help you master it in every context. - word order – don’t panic!When first learning German, the unusual word order can be overwhelming. It’s so unfamiliar and seems to go against aspects of English (or your own language) that you may have assumed were universal to all languages. But fear not! I assure you that over time you will get used to the word order to the… Read More »word order – don’t panic!
- time-manner-place
In German sentence construction, when adding elements, the preferred order is Time – Manner – Place. Examples illustrate this structure clearly. Additionally, parts of the sentence can be emphasized by rearranging them, while still adhering to the V2 rule. This allows for flexibility without losing grammatical correctness. - forming questions
The text explains the formation of yes/no and w-questions in German. Yes/no questions are constructed by switching the subject and verb, making them simpler than in English. W-questions begin with a question word, followed by the verb and subject. The importance of subject-verb inversion in German is highlighted, especially for Spanish speakers. - V2 ruleOne of the most important rules in German is the Verb-Second (V2) rule. In main clauses, the verb is always the second element, no matter what comes first. Heute ich gehe in den Park.Heute gehe ich in den Park. Today I’m going to the park.“Today go I to the park.” Gestern regnete es stark. It… Read More »V2 rule
- word order 101German word order can feel alien at first. It’s different from English, and if you’re used to English’s relatively flexible rules, you might wonder why German sometimes places verbs in what seems like the wrong spot. But don’t worry! While German word order takes some getting used to, it follows a clear logic. Trust in… Read More »word order 101
- pronouns 101Pronouns are small words that replace nouns, hence why they are called pronouns (pro means for in Latin). For example, if I say, “the boy rode the bike,” in the next sentence I can just say “he” to refer to the boy. This saves me from repeating myself and makes language much more efficient. German,… Read More »pronouns 101
- der-wordsIn determiners 101 we learned how determiners are small words which come before nouns and give additional information about them. We also looked at the most important determiners – the definite and indefinite articles, which are der (the definite article) and ein (the indefinite article). German features a range of determiners which follow the pattern of… Read More »der-words
- determiners and articles 101Nouns in German are often preceded by determiners. These are small words which give extra information about the noun. One important type of determiner are articles. There is the definite article der/die/das, which is equivalent to the in English, and the indefinite article ein/eine, which is equivalent to a/an. Just like in English, der/die/das refers… Read More »determiners and articles 101
- genderUnlike English, nouns in German have gender. This usually has nothing to do with actual physical gender, and can be thought of as simply three different types/colours/flavours. Their distribution is as follows: 45.2% of nouns are feminine, designated by die33.6% of nouns are masculine, designated by der21.2% of nouns are neuter, designated by das The… Read More »gender
- nouns 101Nouns are words referring to objects, things, people, places, plants, animals, concepts, actions and ideas. Nouns in German work very similarly to how they work in English. The main differences are that German nouns have gender (masculine, feminine or neuter) and are always capitalised (unlike English, which only capitalises proper nouns). These are all examples… Read More »nouns 101
- The Ultimate Guide to the German Preposition “zu”
What does “an” mean in German? This guide covers every meaning of the word “an” and includes loads of examples to help you master it in every context. - How to Learn Separable Prefix Verbs (trennbare Verben) the Easy Way
Separable verbs are easy! In this article I show you the most efficient and easiest way to learn the different meanings of separable verbs without getting them confused. - Should you practise speaking or listening? Part 1
In this post I compare different models of language learning and what this means for you and your studying methods. - How to Reawaken Your Language Learning Motivation for 2022
Have you been lazy with your language learning recently? Does your motivation disappear as suddenly as it arrived? Read on… I have a thing or two to tell you. - Is Learning the Gender of German Nouns Necessary?
Learning the gender of nouns is absolutely essential. In this post, I explain why it’s important and how you can learn noun genders easily. - How to Make Friends in Germany
Finding it difficult to make friends in Germany? You’re not alone! In this post I share my tried-and-tested tips for finding your people in Germany. - I want that you learn German
Just a quick post today. I want to teach you a construction that often trips people up. How would you say in German, I want you to jump? It’s not so easy is it? There are seemingly lots of possibilities: Ich will du springen. Incorrect Ich will dich springen. Incorrect Ich will du springst. Incorrect… Read More »I want that you learn German