In a separable verb the prefix changes the meaning, and in most sentences it jumps to the end. This is Part 1 of the separable verbs series. You learn what a separable verb (trennbares Verb) is, how to conjugate it, where the prefix goes in statements and questions, and which prefixes tell you whe...

Nicht stands in front of the part of the sentence you want to negate, except when you negate the verb. This is Part 2 of the series on the position of nicht. Part 1 explains the rules, and here you get all 8 situations with example sentences, plus the exception for sentences with two verbs.

The Tw...

TeKaMoLo is not a strict rule, but a tendency, and it is only one of three tendencies that decide where words go in a German sentence. This is Part IV of the German sentence structure series. You learn the position of the subject, verb, objects and adverbial phrases in one complete sentence, why t...

Das Märchen von Nian: the Chinese New Year legend, told entirely in German. This short story explains where the customs of the Chinese New Year come from, and it is a perfect listening exercise for B1 learners. The whole story is spoken in German, and English subtitles are available in the video.

Sollen is the last of the six German modal verbs — the one you reach for when an obligation comes from someone else's expectation, not your own necessity. In this lesson, we cover the conjugation of sollen, its main uses, and how it differs from the stronger müssen.

Conjugation of Sollen

ich soll,...

Once a German verb has both a dative and an accusative object, word order comes down to one simple question: are they nouns or pronouns? In this lesson, we cover the basic noun-object order, what changes once pronouns are involved, and a memory hack to keep both rules straight.

The Basic Rule: Dat...

The moment you add a word like weil (because) or dass (that) to a German sentence, the verb picks up and moves all the way to the end. In this lesson, we cover what a Nebensatz is, the 7 most common subordinating conjunctions, and how a subordinate clause combines with a main clause.

What Is a Neb...

In a German main clause, the conjugated verb stands in position 2 in statements and W-questions, and in position 1 in yes-or-no questions. In this lesson Luzi explains the three types of main clauses (Hauptsatz) with examples, shows you how to count the positions, and ends with the bonus tip TeKaM...

Which pet do Germans love the most, the cat or the dog? This lesson counts down the ten most popular pets (beliebteste Haustiere) in Germany and teaches you their German names. A bonus tip shows you how to say male and female animals.

Haustier = House + Animal

Das Haustier (pet) is made of das Hau...

Even if you do not celebrate Christmas, these 20 words are useful to know. Weihnachten is Christmas, and this lesson covers decorations, traditions, food and drinks you find at a German Christmas market.

Decorations and Traditions