German has three steps for comparing things: Positiv, Komparativ and Superlativ. Add -er for the second step and -sten for the third, then learn the few exceptions, and you can compare almost anything.

Step 1: The Positiv

The Positiv is simply the normal adjective: schnell (fast), alt (old), klein...

English has three words for what German does with two: since, for and ago. In this lesson you learn when to use seit and when to use vor, which key features each one has, and how to stop picking the wrong one.

Why Since, For and Ago Confuse English Speakers

In English, "since", "for" and "ago" all...

There is so much you can do with money: invest it, win it, lose it or give it to somebody. This lesson teaches you 20 important German verbs you can use with Geld, each with an example sentence. At the end you get a bonus list of everyday slang words for money.

First: Banknoten and Münzen

Money (G...

Seit, zwischen, über and von ... an are the four time prepositions you need for A2, and seit is the trickiest. Most of them are similar to English, but seit works differently, because it can express a duration and a point in time.

Overview

German has not only ja and nein but also doch, which you use when you want to say "on the contrary". This lesson explains doch as an adverb, the answer you give to a negative question or statement when the answer is yes.

When Do You Use Doch?

You answer yes/no questions and statements with ja, nei...

Together with the five prepositions from A1.1, these four give you all nine German time prepositions for A1. Here you learn in, vor, nach and für, which case each one takes, and how vor can mean both before and ago.

The Four Prepositions

To make an appointment or talk about a schedule you need at least one of these five time prepositions. These are all the time prepositions (temporale Präpositionen) you need for A1.1. There is nothing more at this level.

The Five Prepositions

With gehören, gefallen, schmecken and passen the thing is the subject and the person is in the dative. These verbs can be confusing, especially gefallen, because the structure is different from English. All four require the Dativ.

Gehören (to belong)

Gehören is a regular verb. You mostly use it fo...

These are the 20 most important and most common German separable verbs, each with an example sentence. Separable verbs (trennbare Verben) are essential at every level. In each example the prefix stands at the end of the sentence, as the rule says. Use the list below to learn them in context.

The 2...

A separable verb splits apart in a main clause, but it stays together in a subordinate clause. This is Part 2 of the separable verbs series. You learn the three situations that decide what happens to the prefix: main clauses, subordinate clauses (Nebensatz) and sentences with modal verbs.

Situatio...