“It was Professor Plum, in the billiard room, with the candlestick!”
Do you remember playing Clue?
The name of the game was figuring out whodunnit, but it was fun just to move around the board and take those secret passageways. …
Pepper, chili powder, Italian herbs, tamarind, salt and ginger.
Do you know what these seasonings have in common?
You can use them all year round! And just like the seasons we all experience, they come and go in our …
A stethoscope and a white coat do not a doctor make.
And fluency in German isn’t just about knowing how to say “Danke” or “Sprechen Sie Deutsch?”
In fact, there’s much more that goes into specializing in medicine—and mastering the …
Can you “stick it” with your German?
Gymnasts use this term to describe what happens after they perform their stunts. You execute your routine, you land and then you raise your hands in victory.
In order to “stick …
You know how to say “hello” in German.
But do you know how to say it in all the other languages spoken in Germany?
In Turkish, you would say “Merhaba,” Polish speakers use the word “cześć,” the Kurds greet you …
Proper etiquette dictates we say “bless you” (or in German, “Gesundheit,”) after someone sneezes. In return, they say “danke” (thank you). Did you know that practice is based on fear of The Plague?
To this day, we …
Duck herding, extreme ironing or even Hikaru Dorodango (dirt polishing): you’ve probably never participated in any of these activities, but did you know they’re actual hobbies?
Yes, it’s true.
See, the great thing about hobbies is that it doesn’t really …
Hey, you! Congratulations!
Or, as they say in Germany, “Herzlichen Glückwunsch!”
That’s right, you deserve some congratulations.
I don’t know you, but I know it’s true.
Whoever and wherever you are, there’s a lot you’ve had to accomplish to get …
Imagine your furniture filling out a questionnaire that asked: “Are you male, female or neuter?”
Your chair would check the box next to “male.”
Meanwhile, the painting you have hanging above your fireplace would check “neuter.”
But the fireplace itself …
Turn off your iPads, put down your cellphone, close your laptop—
No, wait!
Before you do that, first order one of these amazing German grammar books.
That’s right. We said books.
Not the latest app, or the newest website.…
What has a head and a tail but no body?
Did you guess a coin?
You’re right!
Past presidents and leaders might have their faces plastered across various types of currency, but in this article, we’re going to …
Can you decipher this secret code?
“Kdzqmhmf Fdqlzm hr etm!”
(Hint: We substituted each letter for the previous letter in the alphabet.)
Did you crack the code?
If you decode it correctly, you can read the secret message: “Learning …
Everyone talks to themselves.
It’s okay, you can admit it. Whether you voice your thoughts aloud or keep them confined to the space between your ears, you participate in a lot of self-talk.
We all do it!
But did you …
Things that aren’t for the faint of heart:
Skydiving.
Deep-sea diving.
Ice swimming.
And… German possessive pronouns.
Do you have what it takes to own this tricky part of speech?
Possession is nine-tenths of the law in the …
Ever wanted a glimpse of the past? Watching old movies should satisfy your fix.
Black and white or fully in color, these films show us what came before.
Because without the past, there wouldn’t be a future—or a present.
The …
“The important thing is never to stop questioning.”
This quote comes from the famous Albert Einstein, according to Creating Minds, a site dedicated to promoting creativity.
Of course, having been born in Württemburg, Einstein would have said it …
Here’s something to make you feel old.
Did you know that online learning has been around for over 20 years already?
These days, you’re just not getting a full education unless you’re on the internet.
That definitely includes your …
A new house, a new town and new faces…
Moving can be both scary and exciting!
If you’re preparing to move—or just want to unpack a new type of German vocabulary—our list of terms for moving in German is …
Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a curious student who wished to learn German.
With a trusty German textbook in one hand and FluentU in the other, this knowledge-seeking apprentice journeyed far and wide, becoming …
It’s good to be extra!
Everyone loves a little drama.
The folks behind the language learning sitcom “Extr@” definitely agree.
Their characters are always getting into silly situations and miscommunications as they grapple with language barriers and cultural exchanges…
Peter Piper may have picked a peck of pickled peppers…
But how many happy hens did Hans feed?
German is a hard language to pronounce, from the individual sounds to those crazy long compound nouns. Even individual words …
Take a look at your outfit.
Do you have on Levi jeans? How about Puma or Adidas footwear?
If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, you’re actually wearing brands that came from the same location as dirndls and …
What’s a six-letter word, starting with “f,” that describes your destiny as a German learner?
Did you guess “fluent?”
Crossword puzzles are a great way to practice German and build your vocabulary. The more you play with words and ponder …
In the fashion world, you’re either in or out.
Just ask Heidi Klum!
The clothing we wear says something about us, whether we realize it or not. Even your most basic clothing choices—jeans vs. sweatpants, skirt vs. suit—makes …
Can you name the German letters that don’t appear in English?
Well, there’s the vowel/umlaut combos, ä, ö and ü…
Then there’s that fancy-looking letter ß…
Good for you.
But can you type them?
If your fingers’ muscle memory …
Four years goes by fast.
It feels like you just started high school and suddenly you’re supposed to decide what to do with the rest of your life.
What those four years hold for you is anyone’s guess.
However, …
Beer, barmaids and sausage.
That’s the stereotypical German trio associated with Oktoberfest.
However, there’s a lot more to the famous German holiday than most people think.
And in fact, if you plan on attending Oktoberfest—or if you’re just brushing up …
Welcome to the language lost and found.
What are you looking for?
Did you misplace a stockpile of German vocabulary?
Or has your conjugation knowledge up and disappeared?
Maybe all that and more?
We’re here to help.
Relearning German …
How do you picture the “college experience?”
Maybe it’s groups of friends lounging on a lawn. Or frantic students cramming a study guide in the cafeteria. Or crowds around a keg in a dirty apartment.
But that’s just one type …
Picture this.
You’ve just started on your homework. You come to a question and you stop.
Yup, you’re stumped.
You can’t remember what your teacher said about this. Your textbook is a blur. You put your pencil down, defeated.
And …
There’s a saying in German: “Aller Anfang ist schwer.” (“All beginnings are hard.”)
But there’s another one, too: “Anfangen ist leicht, Beharren eine Kunst.” (“To begin is easy, to persist is an art.”)
Talk about a contradiction!…
What is the longest word you can think of?
Imagine a word that is 63 letters long. Yes, 63 individual letters.
Rindfleischetikettierungsueberwachungsaufgabenuebertragungsgesetz.
That may seem longer than all of Germany’s beautiful rivers combined, but its meaning, “law delegating beef label …
The language you use may be smaller than you realize.
Whether you’re texting your BFF or expertly crafting your next tweet, abbreviations, or Abkürzungen in German, come in handy all the time.
Think about it.
When was the last …
They’re any Scrabble player’s secret weapon.
Those tiny, two-letter words.
Am… is… do… on…
I could keep going. There are quite a few words you can create in English with only two letters.
Same goes for German. Which ones can …
Family gatherings are the subject of many books, reality TV shows and films.
Around them, you can be yourself without fear of being judged.
They’re made up of all different sizes, types and personalities.
And most importantly, family is there …
Language is all about naming the world around us.
Communication is an agreement of terms.
Somewhere along the line, a group of people agreed to call that a vase, and this a plant.
Take a look at the room around …
Have you ever tried learning a new dance?
From the intricate footwork to the movement of your body, each particular dance requires much of those involved, and can be both physically and mentally taxing.
You need to keep time in …
Cooking and baking are a crucial part of any culture.
And German-language culture is no exception.
From bratwurst to black forest cherry cake, it offers a variety of sweet, salty and savory foods.
Whether you enjoy cooking or …
Do you know how to ask to go to the bathroom in German?
It’s okay if the answer is no.
Maybe you know how to introduce yourself, and you can tell everyone how old you are and where you …
Language is all about expression.
What’s the use of speaking if you can’t say how you feel?
Whether you’re trying to say, “I’m tired,” “I’m stressed,” or “I’m having a bad day,” you need the verbs “to be” and “to …
Sometimes we need a little spontaneity in our lives.
You know—buying a jacket you don’t really need. Taking a long drive for no reason. Maybe even booking a last-minute trip to Berlin.
But then there are times for planning …
I tried hard not to laugh, I really did.
You might not believe that and you probably won’t believe what I’m about to tell you—but it happened.
I went for my morning coffee, as usual, at my favorite coffee shop—you …
Hey, German learners: are you up for a challenge?
Want to flex those memorization muscles and take your vocabulary skills up a weight class?
We’ve got just the thing.
More than 100 of the most commonly used German …
I will jog a mile today.
I will finally write that novel.
I will drop off my shirt at the dry cleaners and get the car serviced and deep clean the attic and…
We’ve all got our own ideas of …
Think hard about your favorite game as a kid.
Did it go something like this?
“Do you have any . . . Jacks?”
“Yes.”
“How about any . . . hmm, fours?”
“Nope—go fish.”
Even if Go Fish wasn’t something …
