Free Online German Course for Beginners (A1) on Learn German Online — Private & Group Lessons | Germanlesson.online

Lesson 1: Introducing Yourself

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Let’s listen to a short introductory dialogue. This simple dialogue will be the basis of our first lesson.

Guten Tag! Ich heiße Hanna Parker.

Here is the phrase-by-phrase translation from German to English.

Lesson 2: Talking About Occupations

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to our German lessons! In lesson 1, we learned how to introduce ourselves. Now, let’s expand our conversation.

Dialogue 2: Discussing Occupations

Let’s dive into a conversation about occupations between our characters Frau Schmidt and Hanna Parker:

Guten Tag, Frau Schmidt! Ich bin Ärztin. Und Sie?
Ich bin Lehrerin.

Here is the phrase-by-phrase translation from German to English:

Lesson 3: Talking About Hobbies

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to our German lessons! In lesson 2, we discussed occupations. Let’s now move on to talking about hobbies and introducing new pronouns.

Exploring Hobbies

Continuing our conversation with Frau Schmidt and Hanna Parker:

Guten Tag, Frau Schmidt! Ich lese gerne Bücher. Und Julian?
Er spielt gerne Fußball.

Here is the phrase-by-phrase translation from German to English:

Lesson 4: Introducing 'sie' and 'es'

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to our German lessons! In our previous lessons, we discussed occupations and hobbies. Let’s continue by introducing new pronouns ‘sie’ and ’es’.

Exploring Personal Pronouns

Let’s revisit our conversation with Frau Schmidt and Hanna Parker:

Guten Tag, Frau Schmidt! Mir geht es gut. Und wie geht es Ihnen?
Mir geht es auch gut, danke. Wie geht es deiner Schwester?
Sie ist müde, aber es geht ihr besser heute.

Here is the phrase-by-phrase translation from German to English:

Lesson 5: Introducing 'wir', 'ihr'

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to our German lessons! In our previous sessions, we explored personal pronouns related to well-being. Let’s delve further by introducing new pronouns ‘wir’, ‘ihr’, ‘uns’, and ’euch’.

Continuing the Conversation

Let’s revisit the dialogue between Frau Schmidt and Hanna Parker:

Guten Tag, Frau Schmidt! Uns geht es gut. Und wie geht es Ihnen?
Mir geht es auch gut, danke. Wie geht es deinen Eltern?
Ihnen geht es auch gut. Ihr seid freundlich, und wir mögen euch.

Here is the translation from German to English:

Lesson 6: Exploring Reflexive Pronouns in German

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to our German lessons! In our previous sessions, we’ve expanded our understanding of personal pronouns. Today, we’ll delve into reflexive pronouns and their usage in German sentences.

Introducing Reflexive Pronouns

Let’s start with the concept of reflexive pronouns. These pronouns are used when the subject and object of a sentence refer to the same person or thing. They’re vital for expressing actions that a subject does to themselves.

Lesson 7: Exploring Basic Verbs in German

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to our German lesson on basic verbs! In this session, we’ll be introducing and exploring fundamental verbs in the German language.

Introducing Basic Verbs

Verbs are crucial components of sentences, expressing actions, states, or occurrences. Let’s begin with a dialogue between Herr Schmidt and Lisa, focusing on new basic verbs:

Hallo, Herr Schmidt! Ich lerne Deutsch und lese ein Buch.
Lernst du gerne Deutsch?
Ja, ich lerne gerne neue Sprachen.

Let’s translate the dialogue from German to English:

Lesson 8: German Verbs - Past Tense and Modal Verbs

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to our German course! In this lesson, we’ll dive deeper into verb tenses, exploring the past tense and modal verbs.

Past Tense in German

In German, the past tense is commonly expressed through two forms: the Perfekt and the Präteritum.

Perfekt Tense

The Perfekt tense is formed using the auxiliary verb haben (to have) or sein (to be) along with the past participle of the main verb.

For example:

Lesson 9: German Word Order and Conjunctions

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Willkommen zurück! In this lesson, we’ll explore the essential aspects of German word order and conjunctions.

Word Order in German Sentences

German sentences follow a specific word order: Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). However, this order can change depending on the sentence structure.

Basic Word Order: Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)

Example:

Ich lese ein Buch. (I read a book.)
Der Hund bellt. (The dog barks.)
Sie liest das Buch. (She reads the book.)
Wir essen Pizza. (We eat pizza.)
Ich trinke Kaffee. (I drink coffee.)
Er spielt Fußball. (He plays football.)
Sie hört Musik. (She listens to music.)
Du schreibst einen Brief. (You write a letter.)
Die Kinder sehen einen Film. (The children watch a movie.)

Inverted Word Order

In some cases, particularly in questions or with temporal phrases, the word order can change to Verb-Subject-Object (VSO).

Lesson 10: Understanding Hauptsätze and Nebensätze in German

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the lesson focusing on understanding Hauptsätze (main clauses) and Nebensätze (subordinate clauses) in German!

We have seen Hauptsätze in the previous lesson 9, even if we haven’t named so.

Let’s delve into their differences and the construction of sentences with both types of clauses:

Hauptsätze (Main Clauses)

Hauptsätze are independent clauses that can stand alone as complete sentences. They express a complete thought or idea.

Sentence Structure:

Subject	Verb	Object (if present)	= Complete Sentence (Hauptsatz)
Ich	lese	ein Buch	Ich lese ein Buch.

Example:

Ich lese ein Buch. (I am reading a book.)

Nebensätze (Subordinate Clauses)

Nebensätze are dependent clauses that cannot stand alone as complete sentences. They provide additional information and are linked to the main clause by subordinating conjunctions.

Lesson 11: Understanding German Nominative Case and Gender

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In German grammar, the nominative case is vital as it indicates the subject of a sentence.

Additionally, nouns in German have one of three genders: masculine, feminine, or neuter, which significantly impact articles, adjectives, and pronouns associated with them.

The Function of Nominative Case:

The nominative case primarily identifies the subject in a sentence. The subject noun or pronoun usually performs the action described by the verb.

Examples:

Der Mann liest. (The man reads.)

Here, Der Mann is in the nominative case and functions as the subject performing the action of reading.

Lesson 12: Indefinite Articles in German Nominative Case

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In German grammar, the nominative case is crucial as it identifies the subject of a sentence.

Indefinite articles in the nominative case accompany singular nouns and are used when referring to unspecified or non-specific items or entities.

Let’s ear a dialogue

ein

Ja, das ist ein Hund.
Ist das ein Buch?
Nein, das ist ein Stift.
Ich sehe ein Haus.
Ja, das ist ein Haus.

Here is the phrase-by-phrase translation from German to English.

Lesson 13: Exploring the German Accusative Case

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In German grammar, the accusative case denotes the direct object of a sentence – the noun or pronoun that directly receives the action of the verb.

Understanding and employing the accusative case is crucial for constructing accurate sentences in German.

Let’s start with a little dialogue.

Ja, ich habe den Ball gesehen.
Kannst du die Bücher bringen?
Ja, ich bringe die Bücher gleich.
Wohin legst du die Schüssel?
Ich stelle sie auf den Tisch.

Here is the phrase-by-phrase translation from German to English.

Lesson 14: Personal Pronouns in German

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In German, personal pronouns are words used to replace names or nouns when we refer to people or things. They make sentences simpler and less repetitive.

In English personal pronouns are words like “I,” “you,” “he,” “she,” “it,” “we,” and “they”.

In German, they change slightly depending on their role in a sentence (at the moment we have seen nominative and accusative cases only).

Let’s start hearing a small dialogue.

Lesson 15: Understanding the German Dative Case

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In German grammar, the dative case indicates the indirect object or the recipient of an action.

Understanding the dative case is crucial for conveying relationships between objects and people in sentences.

In German grammar, the accusative and dative cases are two essential grammatical cases that indicate different functions of nouns, pronouns, and articles within a sentence.

Let’s see two simple examples with the more familiar English.

Accusative Case:

Usage: The accusative case typically represents the direct object of a sentence, the noun or pronoun that directly receives the action of the verb.
Example: “She reads the book.” Here, “the book” is in the accusative case because it’s the direct object being read.

Dative Case:

Usage: The dative case denotes the indirect object or the recipient of an action. It often indicates to whom or for whom an action is done.
Example: “She gives the book to him.” In this sentence, “him” is in the dative case because he is the indirect object receiving the book.

A simple demonstrative dialogue

Ich gebe dir das Buch.
Danke! Von wem hast du den Stift?
Er gehört mir.

Here is the phrase-by-phrase translation from German to English.

Lesson 16: German Possessive Pronouns

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Understanding Possessive Pronouns:

In German, possessive pronouns indicate ownership or possession of an item or attribute. They agree with the gender and number of the possessed noun.

Formation of Possessive Pronouns:

Possessive Pronouns Chart:

Possessive Pronouns	Masculine Singular	Feminine Singular	Neuter Singular	Plural
First Person (Singular)	mein (my)	meine (my)	mein (my)	meine (my)
Second Person (Singular)	dein (your)	deine (your)	dein (your)	deine (your)
Third Person (Singular)	sein (his/its)	seine (his)	sein (its)	seine (his/its)
	ihr (her)	ihre (her)	ihr (her)	ihre (her)
First Person (Plural)	unser (our)	unsere (our)	unser (our)	unsere (our)
Second Person (Plural)	euer (your)	eure (your)	euer (your)	eure (your)
Third Person (Plural)	ihr (their)	ihre (their)	ihr (their)	ihre (their)

Usage of Possessive Pronouns:

First Person (Singular):
- Mein Buch (My book)
Second Person (Singular):
- Dein Hund (Your dog)
Third Person (Singular):
- Sein Auto (His car)
- Ihr Haus (Her house)
First Person (Plural):
- Unser Kind (Our child)
Second Person (Plural):
- Euer Garten (Your garden)
Third Person (Plural):
- Ihr Projekt (Their project)

Importance of Possessive Pronouns:

Understanding and correctly using possessive pronouns is essential for indicating ownership or possession in German sentences. They reflect the relationship between the possessor and the possessed object.

Lesson 17: Reflexive Pronouns in German

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 16: Reflexive Pronouns in German

Understanding Reflexive Pronouns:

Reflexive pronouns in German are used when the subject and object of a sentence refer to the same entity or person. They express actions that someone does to themselves.

Formation of Reflexive Pronouns:

Reflexive Pronouns Chart:

Reflexive Pronouns	Singular	Plural
First Person	mich (myself)	uns (ourselves)
Second Person	dich (yourself)	euch (yourselves)
Third Person	sich (himself/herself/itself)	sich (themselves)

Usage of Reflexive Pronouns:

First Person:
- Ich wasche mich. (I wash myself.)
Second Person:
- Du rührst dich nicht. (You don’t move.)
Third Person:
- Er wäscht sich. (He washes himself.)
- Sie freut sich auf das Fest. (She is looking forward to the party.)
- Es putzt sich. (It cleans itself.)

Importance of Reflexive Pronouns:

Understanding and using reflexive pronouns correctly is crucial for indicating actions performed upon oneself in German. They illustrate actions that are reciprocal or directed back to the subject.

Lesson 18: Demonstrative Pronouns in German

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 17: Demonstrative Pronouns in German

Understanding Demonstrative Pronouns:

Demonstrative pronouns in German are used to indicate specific objects or persons. They reflect the gender, number, and case of the noun they refer to.

Formation of Demonstrative Pronouns:

Demonstrative Pronouns Chart:

Demonstrative Pronouns	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter	Plural
Proximal (This/These)	dieser (this)	diese (this)	dieses (this)	diese (these)
Distal (That/Those)	jener (that)	jene (that)	jenes (that)	jene (those)
Neutral (That/Those)	der (the)	die (the)	das (the)	die (the)

Usage of Demonstrative Pronouns:

Proximal (This/These):
- Ich mag diesen Kuchen. (I like this cake.)
- Diese Bücher sind interessant. (These books are interesting.)
Distal (That/Those):
- Jener Mann ist mein Onkel. (That man is my uncle.)
- Jene Blumen sind schön. (Those flowers are beautiful.)
Neutral (That/Those):
- Der Tisch ist neu. (That table is new.)
- Die Frau ist meine Schwester. (That woman is my sister.)
- Das Auto gehört ihm. (That car belongs to him.)

Importance of Demonstrative Pronouns:

Understanding and employing demonstrative pronouns correctly is vital for indicating specific objects or persons in German. They help in emphasizing and distinguishing between objects in conversation or text.

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 1: Introducing Yourself Lesson 2: Talking About Occupations Lesson 3: Talking About Hobbies Lesson 4: Introducing ‘sie’ and ’es’ Lesson 5: Introducing ‘wir’, ‘ihr’ Lesson 6: Exploring Reflexive Pronouns in German Lesson 7: Exploring Basic Verbs in German Lesson 8: German Verbs - Past Tense and Modal Verbs Lesson 9: German Word Order and Conjunctions Lesson 10: Understanding Hauptsätze and Nebensätze in German Lesson 11: Understanding German Nominative Case and Gender Lesson 12: Indefinite Articles in German Nominative Case Lesson 13: Exploring the German Accusative Case Lesson 14: Personal Pronouns in German Lesson 15: Understanding the German Dative Case Lesson 16: German Possessive Pronouns Lesson 17: Reflexive Pronouns in German

Free Online German Mini Course A1: Lesson 1

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In this first lesson of this free German mini course, we will look at the first simple sentence structures, verb conjugations in the present tense, and personal pronouns.

Presentation

Let’s listen to a short introductory dialogue. This simple dialogue will be the basis of our first lesson.

Hallo Toni, ich bin Julia, die neue Deutschlehrerin
Julia du bist meine letzte Chance
Toni du bist ein hoffnungsloser Fall. Ich versuche es aber trotzdem!

And here is the phrase-by-phrase translation from German to Italian.

Free Online German Mini Course A1: Lesson 2

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Lesson 2: Introduction to Additional Personal Pronouns

In our previous lesson, we covered the personal pronouns ich, du, er, sie, es along with some fundamental verbs and their conjugations. Now, let’s dive deeper into personal pronouns and explore the remaining ones.

Adding More Personal Pronouns

In addition to the singular pronouns we’ve already learned, German has plural and formal singular pronouns:

wir - we
ihr - you (plural, informal)
Sie - you (formal, singular or plural)

Usage of Plural and Formal Singular Pronouns

wir - This is used when referring to a group of people that includes oneself.