r/German • u/random1093827 • Jun 23 '26
Request Started German a week ago and my brain is close to exploding
Hi, I just started learning German. I learned a bit of German while I was in highschool. An acquaintance of mine invited me to work and live in Germany and he suggested that I take some lessons before coming. It's been 10 hours of 1-1 lessons and we're currently at hobbies. Sometimes I forget how to form sentences and forget basic words. Was there a site or an app that helped you fit the missing piece? And I would like to listen any tips you think might be useful. I'm also not an active reddit user so if I missed any steps while making this post I'm sorry in advance.
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Jun 23 '26
Üben Üben Üben!
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u/IronDoggoX Jun 23 '26
The only richtige Antwort.
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u/Pwffin Learner Jun 23 '26
Perhaps do fewer lessons per week and spend more time revising on your own in between.
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u/random1093827 Jun 23 '26
Are there any sites or apps you would recommend? I am currently using anki and dw learn but can't find sentences for my level on anki just words.
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u/Pwffin Learner Jun 23 '26
I like Deutsche Welle. But go through what you've covered in your lessons and maybe add stuff from Easy German on YouTube.
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u/random1093827 Jun 23 '26
I will check it. Thank you!
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u/vireovirgo Jun 24 '26
You can also start listening to podcasts in German to get used to the language
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u/SirCheeseCakey Jun 24 '26
You got any recs?
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u/vireovirgo Jun 24 '26
German Stories- learn German with stories, learn in your car: German level 1 and you can also just search for German podcast for beginners on Spotify. The recommendations should be enough.
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u/Violaqueen15 Vantage (B2) - <Baden-Württemberg/English> Jun 24 '26
It’s a bit of an investment, but the Handbuch zur Deutschen Grammatik and the accompanying Arbeitsheft (workbook) were extremely helpful for me. If you can buy the Handbuch used (or find a free pdf online somewhere) then it’s a great tool. Otherwise, it’s textbook price 😖
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u/Minijazz Jun 23 '26
Consider re-watching shows you already know in German, The Simpsons, Friends, anything really
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u/redve-dev Way stage (A2) - Polish Jun 30 '26
Trailer Park Boys
So far I mostly learnt "Verpisst dich"
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u/Disastrous_Leader_89 Jun 23 '26
Also on your trek to the grail of German, the biggest problem (to my knowledge) is people trying to translate from German into their language and vice versa. Stop doing that!!! Not helpful. Start with nouns. Noun genders are not always logical. You will get frustrated.
Nouns MUST be learned with their articles or the rest of the grammar changes will be really bad for you. A fix for that is flash cards. Learn 20 words a week or so and then fit them into simple sentences. Accusative and dative noun changes are impossible without knowing those noun articles.
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u/Budget_Strike_9908 Jun 23 '26
Keep in mind, most nouns ending in "ung" or "ang" are "die" nouns.
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u/Rolling-Pigeon94 Jun 24 '26
German is a hard language and takes time to learn it and master it. My partner needed almost a year to learn German to get B2 level and form short, simple sentences. It is one of the hardest languages to learn so give yourself time and patience. Even I struggle with the grammar daily and am half German.
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u/redve-dev Way stage (A2) - Polish Jun 30 '26
If it's hard to learn depends on your native language. English people will have hard time with cases I think
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u/Brief-Persimmon-7037 Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26
I would say it is expected that you would forget how to form sentences or basic words. Hell, after living in England for the past 20+ years, I forget basic words in my own native language!
I learned German as a second foreign language (English first). It takes time, unless you are one of the very few people who are super talented in this area.
In my experience, progress is not linear. It happens in "jumps" after what feels like no progress at all. It might take about a year of regular work to feel some level of confidence. You cannot skip the basics.
Books from which you learn or teachers matter a lot. Some are crap and waste your time. Some are really good. It is important to learn the foundations slowly and steadily, rather than rush to complex stuff.
Not about German, but when I learned English at school, I spent 6 years and learned almost nothing because the teachers were not good (or maybe because I had no motivation). In the university, it was a very different story.
What helped me:
- Reading books which I found interesting. You should have a desire to read on despite difficulties. If you don't like German/ Austrian literature, read books translated into German by authors you like.
- Using German - German dictionary once you have some decent vocabulary. "Langenscheidt Grosswoerterbuch German as a Foreign Language: Deutsch als Fremdsprache" is awesome. Best dictionary ever.
- Watching soap operas in German (don't laugh). German in those series is very simple and standardised (usually).
Also, be prepared when you go to a particular part of Germany to be hit with a heavy dialect and not understand anything for a while. That is normal. I recollect in Hessen they really don't like "en" at the end of verbs 😄If you try Swiss German - that is a level up still.
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u/random1093827 Jun 23 '26
I have the mini version of Langenscheidt I don't know if it would be the same as the one you mentioned but I guess it's a start. I am suuuper anxious about the dialect part. When I'm doing listening exercises there are times when I just stare blankly.
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u/Brief-Persimmon-7037 Jun 23 '26
I would not worry about it. I think Germans are aware of this and will try to speak Hochdeutsch to you when they remember. I just mentioned it to adjust expectations.
I found it quite funny when I was watching German TV(something like RTL7 or similar) and there were subtitles during an interview with a German person from one area for the general audience. Even within the same country, sometimes people struggle to understand each other.
But if you work in a larger city, most Germans speak very good English and are friendly. So you can get away with learning it slowly.
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u/NeatDecision1772 Jun 23 '26
You're in the rough stage now: lost. I learned as a young teen going to a German school: total immersion. I backed into German through English class, but it helped to have a tutor. I would suggest watching German news like Deutsche Welle or ZDFheute to get used to hearing it spoken. There are many YouTube videos in German. One recommended learn nouns with the articles. I also read English books translated to German: Der Kleine Hobbit, Alice Im Wonderland, and kept a list of words I didn't know and looked those up at the end. Important is to learn pronunciation and read aloud to yourself. Easy German is a good channel. If you like singing, singing German songs helps: Ich hab mein Herz in Heidelberg Verloren. Finally, Google translate is indispensable.
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u/Efficient_Meat2286 Vantage (B2) aus 🇳🇵 Jun 24 '26
Mach dir keine Sorgen.
I personally have studied German for 1 year and even I have issues. 1 week is nothing.
Focus on the basics like common nouns, pronouns, conjugation, and such. Only then look for other things.
For a learner, I would also recommend Anki. It is good for spaced repetition.
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u/MichaelAvenaughty Jun 24 '26
Look into Anki. It is a spaced repetition learning tool. There are some pretty good premade decks that you can use to save time. I recommend the Nico’s Weg cards.
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u/Tall-Newt-407 Jun 24 '26
I’ve been learning German for 12 yrs and live in Germany and I still forget words and mess up saying a sentence properly so a week is nothing. Don’t get stress out about it. I think the 1-1 lessons are good. I would also suggest just getting a good textbook that you’re able to do exercises from. Also Graded reader books are good and children books.
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u/PickleChips0010 Native <hochdeutsch/schwizerdütsch> Jun 24 '26
watch german cartoons with german subtitles - it might sound silly but it helped my cousins through and now they are C2
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u/SissaGr Jun 23 '26
German native speaker and teacher here: I feel you 😂 It’s a lot like math and less of a language 😊
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u/random1093827 Jun 23 '26
I am an English teacher and I know 3 languages. I thought it would be a bit easier but man, this is really just like math. I suck at math 😭.
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u/According-Quarter464 Threshold (B1) - <KS, USA - English> Jun 23 '26
I have an app for you that might help a little if you'd like to try it.
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u/Whole_Arrival266 Jun 24 '26
Your brain will not explode. 😂 It’s just fighting for the ease of what you know. Push harder. Push through. Make mistakes and don’t worry about it. Take correction from those who know graciously and just get a tiny bit better each day. Just speak the language. Do it. Do it more! Your brain will hurt but it can handle it. (I’m a German teacher for 36 years).
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u/torontoinsix Way stage (A2) - <USA/English> Jun 24 '26
What would your position be?
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u/random1093827 Jun 24 '26
What do you mean by my position? Like what is my job gonna be?
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u/torontoinsix Way stage (A2) - <USA/English> Jun 24 '26
Yeah, just curious
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u/random1093827 Jun 25 '26
Ah gotcha. I am going to be working in his Cáfe till I find another job. He told me I can keep working there if I can't find a job.
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u/sixtyonesymbols Jun 24 '26
It is very unhealthy to have you brain explode. Don't worry about perfect grammar when practicing speaking. That will come later.
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u/soob31 Jun 24 '26
It’s normal , when I started , I would ask the meaning of the Same Word multiple times. Don’t worry and take your time .
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u/TheDark_street6000 Jun 24 '26
well I was literally the same place as you progressing especially into a2 ! now literally i am passing my b1 exam this weekend with so much confidence in my abilities!! trust me you get used to it by time , personally I believe that immersion is the best thing you can do and since you have a friend i kid you not that's like a cheat code , when I got corrected by my friends I found out that I was more bound to remember that mistake , and finally revise revise and revise , study a bit after you finish the course if not youre bound to forget it !!! best of luck 🙏🙏
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u/zeff_05 Jun 24 '26
If it makes you feel any better, I’m pretty sure most Germans can’t speak Swiss German barely at all. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. That stuff is hard, let your brain sit on this info. Can’t force something like this too hard. Let your mind sit in the environment and it will sort itself out
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u/ChapterNo6040 Jun 24 '26
Try the speakly free trial.
If you like it then you can wait for a promo period to get lifetime access.
Finished the curriculum and I don't regret the investment
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u/cmyk_rgba Jun 24 '26
week one german brain melt is so real lol. the mistake i made was treating it like cramming, doing huge sessions then forgetting everything by the next day. going slower with tiny daily reps actually sticks way better. fwiw i build a language app (vocabbie, so thats mine) and even i capped myself at like 8-10 new words a day in the beginning becuase anything more just turned to mush. it clicks around week 3-4, dont quit before then
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u/_polyglot Jun 25 '26
Totally normal to blank on basic stuff early on, 10 hours is nothing, don't stress. For filling those gaps, Nicos Weg on Deutsche Welle is perfect. It's free and structured. Also, a simple Anki deck with the most common 500–1000 words will make sentence-building way less painful. Just keep showing up, it gets easier 🙏
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u/Safe-Palpitation7163 Jun 26 '26
That's normal. I would recommend a full immersion, if possible for you. Watch TV, play podcasts, see children cartoon (Die Mouse for example). Some things will click after you learn them, be patient, make time to do exercises, use small sentences daily with your neighbors, cashier, etc
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u/Virtual-Freedom3536 Jun 26 '26
Try finding some kids shows in German, Sesame Street and such. You'd be surprised how quick you (potentially) pick it up.
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u/cmyk_rgba Jun 27 '26
haha wait till you hit der/die/das. that's when it really starts to feel personal
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u/elricEdd Jun 27 '26
Qual è il tuo obiettivo? Imparare a parlarlo per un periodo specifico? Oppure vuoi impararlo per parlarlo quotidianamente. Tra una e l’altra cambia la risposta
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u/muehsam Native (Schwäbisch+Hochdeutsch) Jun 23 '26
You started a week ago. That's to be expected.