Both "machen" and "tun" are usually translated as "to do" in English, but in German they are almost never interchangeable. So when do you use "machen" and when do you use "tun"? This lesson answers that question with practical examples from daily life, gives you a simple rule of thumb, and finishe...

"Antworten" and "beantworten" look almost identical, and they are two of the German verbs that learners confuse most often. The good news: the difference is easy to learn once you know what each verb connects to. This lesson shows you exactly how to tell them apart and when to use which one. One o...

Which meaning does "noch" actually have in this sentence? "Noch" is one of the most frequently used German words, and its different meanings are a common headache for learners. This lesson explains the 4 main situations in which "noch" changes its meaning and how to recognize each one. Even the me...

Ever wondered what those little German abbreviations in emails, letters and forms actually mean? This lesson covers the most important abbreviations for written German. You will learn what they stand for, when to use them, and how they appear in example sentences from everyday life in Germany. You...

Almost 25% of all German verbs from A1 to B1 level are separable verbs (trennbare Verben), so learning the most important ones pays off quickly. In the video you learn the Top 50 German separable verbs, grouped by prefix, and each group starts with the most important meanings of that prefix. Grab ...

According to the official Goethe word list, German has 121 irregular verbs at the A1-B1 levels, but you do not need to learn them all at once. This lesson focuses on the Top 40 irregular verbs for B1, and knowing these 40 will help you get through almost any B1 text or conversation. Below you will...

The tiny word "nach" shows up everywhere in German — as a preposition, as a verb prefix, and inside fixed expressions — and each role gives it a completely different meaning. Once you can recognize which job "nach" is doing in a sentence, a word that looks confusingly flexible becomes much easier ...

"Modalpartikeln" are the small words like "doch," "mal" and "ja" that you hear all the time in spoken German. But what do they actually mean? They can change the meaning of an entire sentence: they express feelings, emphasize intentions, show approval or disapproval, and strengthen or soften state...