German is a language that might take you a bit to find your footing in. But once you have a handle on the basic structure, it’s much like any other language. If learning German is your goal, you will benefit from knowing a prominent language of business and culture in the EU and beyond. After English, German is the most widely spoken language of the European Union, and is the official language of Germany and numerous other countries, including Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Poland and parts of Italy.
There are some sneaky rules in German involving conjugating verbs and how they are affected by the order in the sentence. Word order shifts more in German than it does in English, so it is definitely something that will need practice. While the word order in a simple sentence is the same in both English and German, the verb is always second in a conjugated German sentence. The rules only build and become more intricate from there.
Let Rosetta Stone help you tackle the tricky vocabulary of the German language. With 25+ years experience developing language programs that build confidence, you’ll learn the foundations of the German language and will develop vocabulary presented in an order designed to ensure better understanding of how to communicate effectively in German.
German Common Words
For new language learners, there are some basic beginner building blocks that are a great place to start. These are common German words and greetings that are essential to know when starting out. Use this list of basic words to begin building your German word bank:
- Hallo = Hello.
- Guten Morgen = Good morning.
- Guten Tag = Good day.
- Ja = Yes.
- Nein = No.
- Bitte =Please.
- Danke = Thank you.
The more you practice, the more natural the various words and expressions in German will begin to feel. Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion® methodology teaches you the language, beyond the words. You’ll be prepared to use your new language in your everyday life, which is the most effective way of learning. It’s not just about the features, but what you’re able to do because of them, which gives you the ability to handle situations in German with confidence.
Getting your German pronunciation right relies on immediate feedback. Using Rosetta Stone’s patented speech-recognition engine makes this possible. TruAccent™ is embedded into each and every lesson. This helps you to conform your accent to that of native German speakers. TruAccent can be an amazing tool to help you learn to speak and understand German.
Once German learners have conquered the basics that make up the building blocks of speaking the language, you will move on to longer phrases in German conversations. Rosetta Stone’s 10-minute language lessons are built in just this way, which naturally leads to the ability to comfortably and confidently speak German.
Try Our Award-Winning App
Surround yourself with German whenever, wherever with the Rosetta Stone app .
Download a unit and knock it out on the train or a flight. Select a 5-10 minute lesson and sneak it in while you wait in line or for your ride to show up. And explore dynamic features, like Seek and Speak, where you can point at an object in the real world and get a translation .
The best part? You don’t have to choose between app or desktop. Both come with your subscription and sync, so you can switch between devices seamlessly.
