Improve your German skills

German Learning Tips

• Spelling and pronunciation in German are consistent and uniform.
• Nouns are divided into three genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter.
• In the phrase ‘Der Mann läuft’ you will notice the noun is capitalised despite its position in the middle of the sentence. This is standard in German.
• A number of verbs come in two sections: one that comes after the subject and one at the end of the sentence. For example: Der Mann hat einen Apfel gegessen.
• In addition to all the letters of the Roman alphabet, the German alphabet includes the letter ß.
• The vowels in some German words have a mark over them; a pair of dots called an umlaut ¨. This mark clarifies the pronunciation of the word. An umlaut also helps differentiate between words that are identical except for the mark. For example: ein Apfel – zwei Äpfel.
• The spoken German language offers both formal and informal options, the choice of which depends on the age of the speaker and his or her relationship to the person or persons being addressed.