Free resources
German for the situations you actually meet
Everything here is free to read on the page. If you want a file to print or import, I send a download link to your email.
Grammar cheatsheets
The grammar you keep looking up, one page each.
- German cases and article declensionThe four cases and how to find them, the article tables, the three facts that carry most of the weight, and the dative verbs that catch English speakers.A1–B1PDF
- German word orderVerb second, the sentence bracket, verb last in subordinate clauses, TeKaMoLo, two objects, and where nicht goes.A1–B2PDF
- haben or sein in the PerfektA short closed rule: which verbs take sein, why everything else takes haben, and the one overlap that flips.A1–A2PDF
- German adjective endingsWeak, mixed and strong on one page, plus the one rule underneath all three tables.A2–B1PDF
- German prepositions by caseAccusative, dative, genitive and the two-way prepositions, with the Wohin/Wo test and the contractions you see everywhere.A1–B1PDF
- German verb conjugationPresent tense, stem changes, the irregular four, the modals, the strong verbs worth memorising, the Partizip II and the Präteritum.A1–B1PDF
- German noun gender by endingThe compound rule, the endings that are safe to bet on, the tendencies, and an honest note on how much they actually cover.A1–B1PDF
- German pronouns and the n-declensionThe personal pronoun table in three cases, and the masculine nouns that add -en in every case but the nominative.A1–B1PDF
Word lists
Around 40 words for one situation, with translations and audio.
- Small talkThe words that carry a chat at the door, in the lift, at the bakery.A1CSV · ANKI
- Grocery shoppingSupermarket, bakery and butcher: what is on the shelf and what the cashier says.A1CSV · ANKI
- Public transportTrains, trams and buses, from buying the ticket to hearing the delay announced.A1CSV · ANKI
- Eating outBooking a table, reading the menu, ordering, and paying separately.A1CSV · ANKI
- DrivingOn the road and at the petrol station, plus the words on the fine you hope never comes.A2CSV · ANKI
- At the doctorMaking the appointment, describing what hurts, and understanding the prescription.A2CSV · ANKI
- Finding an apartmentListings, viewings and the contract: cold rent, warm rent, deposit and the rest.A2CSV · ANKI
- Bank and moneyOpening an account, transfers, fees, and the reminder letter that follows an unpaid bill.A2CSV · ANKI
- Bureaucracy and paperworkThe Bürgeramt, the Ausländerbehörde and the tax office: forms, deadlines and stamps.B1CSV · ANKI
- Work and officeFrom the application to the probation period: contracts, colleagues, meetings and pay.B1CSV · ANKI
- Phone and internetSigning up, topping up, and explaining the outage to the hotline.A2CSV · ANKI
- Post and parcelsSending a parcel, missing the delivery, and picking it up at the neighbour’s.A2CSV · ANKI
- Clothes and sizesTrying things on, asking for another size, and taking it back on Monday.A1CSV · ANKI
- Travel and hotelsFrom the check-in desk to the room key, plus the words for when the flight is late.A2CSV · ANKI
- Kids, Kita and schoolThe Kita place, the parents’ evening, and the note you send when your kid is ill.B1CSV · ANKI
- Weather and seasonsWhat the forecast says, and what people say about it at the bus stop.A1CSV · ANKI
- EmergenciesCalling 112, saying what happened, and reporting it at the police station.A2CSV · ANKI
- Repairs and choresThe heating dies, the drain blocks, and the bins go out sorted by colour.B1CSV · ANKI
- Numbers and countingOne to a million, plus halves, percentages and the units on the price tag.A1CSV · ANKI
- Time and datesTelling the time, naming the day, and being punctual — which here means early.A1CSV · ANKI
- Family and peopleWho is who, from your in-laws to the neighbour you only nod at.A1CSV · ANKI
- Body and feelingsNaming the part that hurts, and the mood that comes with it.A2CSV · ANKI
Scripts
What to say at an appointment, and what they might answer.
Browse the scripts