German Unlocked. Your Complete Guide to B2 Proficiency

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© Аlexander Chekhanovski, 2025

© https://stabledifffusion.com, illustrations, 2025

ISBN 978-5-0065-6882-2

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Chapter 1: Hallo! Introduction to German

Willkommen!

Welcome! Learning a new language can feel like a big adventure, and we’re so excited you’re embarking on this journey with us! German might seem a little intimidating at first, with its long words and different sounds, but don’t worry! This book is designed to make learning German fun and accessible, step-by-step. We’ll break down the basics, explore fascinating aspects of German culture, and equip you with the tools you need to start speaking confidently. So grab your favorite beverage, settle in, and let’s begin!

Why Learn German?

German is spoken by over 100 million people worldwide, primarily in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and parts of other European countries. It’s a major language in Europe and the world of business, science, and the arts. Here are just a few reasons why learning German can be a fantastic investment:

Career Opportunities: Germany has one of the world’s largest economies, and many international companies are actively seeking German speakers.

Academic Pursuits: Germany is renowned for its universities and research institutions, offering excellent opportunities for higher education.

Cultural Enrichment: Immerse yourself in the rich history, literature, music, and art of the German-speaking world.

Travel and Exploration: Discover the beauty of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and connect with locals on a deeper level.

Cognitive Benefits: Learning a new language enhances your memory, problem-solving skills, and overall cognitive function.

The German Language Family

German belongs to the Germanic language family, which also includes English, Dutch, Swedish, and Norwegian. This means that you’ll likely find some similarities between German and English, making the learning process a bit easier. However, there are also key differences that we’ll address throughout this book.

Let’s Get Started: Basic Greetings

One of the first things you’ll want to learn are some basic greetings. Here are a few essential phrases:

Hallo! (hah-loh) – Hello! (General greeting, can be used anytime)

Guten Morgen! (goo-ten mor-gen) – Good morning! (Used until about 11 am)

Guten Tag! (goo-ten tahk) – Good day! (Used from late morning to evening)

Guten Abend! (goo-ten ah-bent) – Good evening! (Used from evening until bedtime)

Gute Nacht! (goo-te nahht) – Good night! (Used when going to bed)

Asking How Someone Is

To be polite, it’s good to ask how someone is doing. Here are a couple of ways to ask, depending on whether you’re speaking formally or informally:

Wie geht es Ihnen? (vee gayt es ee-nen) – How are you? (Formal – Use with people you don’t know well, older people, or in professional settings)

Wie geht es dir? (vee gayt es deer) – How are you? (Informal – Use with friends, family, and people you know well)

Here are a few ways to respond:

Mir geht es gut. (meer gayt es goot) – I’m fine.

Nicht so gut. (niht zo goot) – Not so good.

Es geht. (es gayt) – It’s okay. (So-so)

Introducing Yourself

Here’s how to ask someone their name and introduce yourself:

Wie heißen Sie? (vee hai-sen zee) – What’s your name? (Formal)

Wie heißt du? (vee haist doo) – What’s your name? (Informal)

Ich heiße… (ihh hai-se…) – My name is…

And here’s how to express pleasure upon meeting someone:

Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen! (froit mihh, zee ke-nen-tsoo-ler-nen) – Pleased to meet you! (Formal)

Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen! (froit mihh, dihh ke-nen-tsoo-ler-nen) – Pleased to meet you! (Informal)

Saying Goodbye

Here are some ways to say goodbye:

Auf Wiedersehen! (auf vee-der-zay-en) – Goodbye! (Formal)

Tschüss! (chüs) – Bye! (Informal)

Bis bald! (bis bahlt) – See you soon!

Pronunciation Basics

German pronunciation can be tricky, but with practice, you’ll get the hang of it. Here are a few key points to keep in mind:

Vowels:

a: Similar to the “a” in “father”

e: Similar to the “e” in “bed”

i: Similar to the “ee” in “see”

o: Similar to the “o” in “go”

u: Similar to the “oo” in “moon”

ä: Similar to the “a” in “cat” (but a bit more open)

ö: A sound that doesn’t exist in English; try saying “ay” while rounding your lips.

ü: A sound that doesn’t exist in English; try saying “ee” while rounding your lips.

Consonants:

ch: Can be pronounced in two ways:

After “a,” “o,” “u,” or “au,” it sounds like the “ch” in “Bach” (a guttural sound).

After “i,” “e,” “ä,” “ö,” “ü,” or consonants, it sounds like the “h” in “hue.”

sch: Sounds like the “sh” in “shoe.”

ß: Sounds like a double “s” (ss).

r: Often pronounced in the back of the throat (similar to the French “r”).

Tips for Mastering Tricky Sounds

Listen carefully: Pay attention to how native speakers pronounce words. There are many resources online where you can hear German pronunciation.

Practice regularly: The more you practice, the easier it will become to pronounce German sounds correctly.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes: Everyone makes mistakes when learning a new language. The important thing is to keep trying!

Cultural Note: Sie vs. du

One of the first things that might strike you about German is the distinction between formal and informal “you” (Sie vs. du). It’s important to use the correct form to avoid offending someone.

Sie (Formal): Use with people you don’t know well, older people, people in positions of authority (e.g., your boss, a doctor), and in formal settings.

du (Informal): Use with friends, family, people your own age, and people who have specifically told you to use “du.”

When in doubt, it’s always better to err on the side of formality and use “Sie.”

Word Bank

Hallo (hah-loh) – Hello

Guten Morgen (goo-ten mor-gen) – Good morning

Guten Tag (goo-ten tahk) – Good day

Guten Abend (goo-ten ah-bent) – Good evening

Gute Nacht (goo-te nahht) – Good night

Wie geht es Ihnen? (vee gayt es ee-nen) – How are you? (Formal)

Wie geht es dir? (vee gayt es deer) – How are you? (Informal)

Mir geht es gut (meer gayt es goot) – I’m fine

Nicht so gut (niht zo goot) – Not so good

Es geht (es gayt) – It’s okay

Wie heißen Sie? (vee hai-sen zee) – What’s your name? (Formal)

Wie heißt du? (vee haist doo) – What’s your name? (Informal)

Ich heiße… (ihh hai-se…) – My name is…

Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen! (froit mihh, zee ke-nen-tsoo-ler-nen) – Pleased to meet you! (Formal)

Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen! (froit mihh, dihh ke-nen-tsoo-ler-nen) – Pleased to meet you! (Informal)

Auf Wiedersehen! (auf vee-der-zay-en) – Goodbye! (Formal)

Tschüss! (chüs) – Bye! (Informal)

Bis bald! (bis bahlt) – See you soon!

Exercises

How would you greet a friend in the morning?

How would you greet your professor in the afternoon?

How would you ask someone their name in a formal situation?

Practice pronouncing the following words: Hallo, Guten Tag, Tschüss.

Imagine you are meeting a new colleague at work. Write a short dialogue where you greet them, ask how they are, and introduce yourself.

That’s the end of Chapter 1! We’ve covered some essential greetings and introductions, along with a basic overview of German pronunciation and the formal/informal.

Chapter 2: Numbers, Colors, and Days of the Week

In this chapter, we’ll learn how to count, identify colors, and talk about the days of the week and months of the year. These are essential building blocks for everyday conversations.

Counting from 1 to 20

Let’s start with the numbers 1—20. Learning these will make it easier to understand prices, tell the time, and more!

1 – eins (ains)

2 – zwei (tsvai)

3 – drei (drai)

4 – vier (feer)

5 – fünf (fünf)

6 – sechs (zeks)

7 – sieben (zee-ben)

8 – acht (ahht)

9 – neun (noin)

10 – zehn (tsayn)

11 – elf (elf)

12 – zwölf (tsvölf)

13 – dreizehn (drai-tsayn)

14 – vierzehn (feer-tsayn)

15 – fünfzehn (fünf-tsayn)

16 – sechzehn (zehks-tsayn)

17 – siebzehn (zee-b-tsayn)

18 – achtzehn (ahht-tsayn)

19 – neunzehn (noin-tsayn)

20 – zwanzig (tsvan-tsih)

Tips for Remembering Numbers:

Look for patterns: Notice how numbers 13—19 are formed by adding “-zehn” to the base number (with a few slight spelling changes).

Practice regularly: Recite the numbers aloud until you can say them easily.

Use them in context: Count objects around you, practice saying phone numbers, or play number-based games.

Counting by Tens to 100

Now let’s learn the multiples of ten:

20 – zwanzig (tsvan-tsih)

30 – dreißig (drai-sih)

40 – vierzig (feer-tsih)

50 – fünfzig (fünf-tsih)

60 – sechzig (zehks-tsih)

70 – siebzig (zee-b-tsih)

80 – achtzig (ahht-tsih)

90 – neunzig (noin-tsih)

100 – hundert (hoon-dert)

Forming Numbers Between Tens

To form numbers between the tens (e.g., 21, 32, 45), you combine the smaller number with the larger one, but with a twist: you say the ones digit before the tens digit, and you add “und” (and) in between.

For example:

21 – einundzwanzig (ain-oont-tsvan-tsih) – one and twenty

32 – zweiunddreißig (tsvai-oont-drai-sih) – two and thirty

45 – fünfundvierzig (fünf-oont-feer-tsih) – five and forty

Basic Colors (Farben)

Knowing the colors will help you describe things and express yourself more vividly.

Red – rot (roht)

Blue – blau (blau)

Green – grün (grün)

Yellow – gelb (gelp)

Black – schwarz (shvarts)

White – weiß (vais)

Orange – orange (o-ron-zhe)

Purple – lila (lee-la)

Pink – rosa (ro-za)

Brown – braun (braun)

Gray – grau (grau)

Asking About Color

To ask what color something is, you can say:

Welche Farbe ist das? (vel-he far-be ist das) – What color is that?

Days of the Week (Tage der Woche)

Knowing the days of the week is essential for making plans and scheduling appointments.

Monday – Montag (mon-tahk)

Tuesday – Dienstag (deens-tahk)

Wednesday – Mittwoch (mit-vohh)

Thursday – Donnerstag (don-ners-tahk)

Friday – Freitag (frai-tahk)

Saturday – Samstag (zahms-tahk) /Sonnabend (zon-ah-bent) – Note: In some parts of Germany, “Sonnabend” is used more commonly.

Sunday – Sonntag (zon-tahk)

Months of the Year (Monate)

Here are the months of the year in German:

January – Januar (yah-nu-ar)

February – Februar (fay-bru-ar)

March – März (merts)

April – April (ah-pril)

May – Mai (mai)

June – Juni (yoo-nee)

July – Juli (yoo-lee)

August – August (au-goost)

September – September (zep-tem-ber)

October – Oktober (ok-to-ber)

November – November (no-vem-ber)

December – Dezember (de-tsem-ber)

Seasons (Jahreszeiten)

Spring – Frühling (frü-ling)

Summer – Sommer (zo-mer)

Autumn/Fall – Herbst (herpst)

Winter – Winter (vin-ter)

Simple Exercises:

What color is the sky? (Der Himmel ist blau.)

What day is today? (Heute ist…)

What month is it? (Es ist…)

How many apples do you see? (Ich sehe… Äpfel.)

Word Bank

eins (ains) – one

zwei (tsvai) – two

drei (drai) – three

rot (roht) – red

blau (blau) – blue

grün (grün) – green

Montag (mon-tahk) – Monday

Dienstag (deens-tahk) – Tuesday

Januar (yah-nu-ar) – January

Februar (fay-bru-ar) – February

Frühling (frü-ling) – Spring

Sommer (zo-mer) – Summer

Exercises

Count from 1 to 20 out loud.

What color is your shirt/dress/pants?

What is your favorite day of the week and why?

What month is your birthday?

Practice saying the days of the week and months of the year.

Chapter 3: Basic Grammar – Nouns, Articles, and Pronouns

In this chapter, we’ll begin to explore the fundamental building blocks of German grammar: nouns, articles, and pronouns. Understanding these elements is crucial for forming sentences and expressing yourself clearly. German grammar can seem a little daunting at first, but we’ll take it step by step and focus on the essentials.

Nouns (Nomen)

Nouns are words that represent people, places, things, or ideas. In German, all nouns are capitalized. This makes them easy to spot in a sentence! For example:

Mann (man) – Man

Frau (frau) – Woman

Haus (haus) – House

Buch (buuh) – Book

Liebe (lee-be) – Love

Noun Gender: A Key Feature of German

One of the most distinctive features of German is that nouns have a grammatical gender. This means that every noun is either masculine, feminine, or neuter. The gender of a noun doesn’t necessarily correspond to the actual gender of the thing it represents (e.g., “girl” is neuter in German).

There are some patterns that can help you guess the gender of a noun, but often it’s best to simply memorize the gender along with the noun itself.

Definite Articles (Bestimmte Artikel)

The definite article is the word “the” in English. In German, the definite article changes depending on the gender of the noun:

Masculine: der (dare) – the

Feminine: die (dee) – the

Neuter: das (das) – the

Plural (for all genders): die (dee) – the

Examples:

der Mann (dare mahn) – the man

die Frau (dee frau) – the woman

das Haus (das haus) – the house

die Bücher (dee bü-her) – the books

Indefinite Articles (Unbestimmte Artikel)

The indefinite article is the word “a” or “an” in English. In German, the indefinite article also changes depending on the gender of the noun:

Masculine: ein (ain) – a

Feminine: eine (ai-ne) – a

Neuter: ein (ain) – a

Examples:

ein Mann (ain mahn) – a man

eine Frau (ai-ne frau) – a woman

ein Haus (ain haus) – a house

Important Note About Plural: There is no indefinite article in the plural in German. You simply use the plural noun.

Personal Pronouns (Personalpronomen)

Personal pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. Here are the basic personal pronouns in German:

ich (ihh) – I

du (doo) – you (informal, singular)

er (air) – he

sie (zee) – she

es (es) – it

wir (veer) – we

ihr (eer) – you (informal, plural)

sie (zee) – they

Sie (zee) – you (formal, singular or plural)

Simple Sentence Structure: Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)

The basic word order in German sentences is generally Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), just like in English.

Ich (Subject) sehe (Verb) den Mann (Object). – I see the man.

Sie (Subject) liest (Verb) das Buch (Object). – She reads the book.

Word Bank

Mann (mahn) – Man (masculine)

Frau (frau) – Woman (feminine)

Haus (haus) – House (neuter)

Buch (buuh) – Book (neuter)

der (dare) – the (masculine)

die (dee) – the (feminine/plural)

das (das) – the (neuter)

ein (ain) – a (masculine/neuter)

eine (ai-ne) – a (feminine)

ich (ihh) – I

du (doo) – you (informal, singular)

er (air) – he

sie (zee) – she/they/you (formal)

es (es) – it

wir (veer) – we

ihr (eer) – you (informal, plural)

Exercises

What is the gender of the following nouns: Tisch (table), Lampe (lamp), Fenster (window)? (You might need to look them up in a dictionary!)

Fill in the correct definite article (der, die, das):

______ Katze (cat)

______ Hund (dog)

______ Auto (car)

Fill in the correct indefinite article (ein, eine):

______ Apfel (apple)

______ Banane (banana)

______ Computer (computer)

Choose the correct personal pronoun to replace the noun:

Der Mann liest. ______ liest. (The man reads. He reads.)

Die Frau singt. ______ singt. (The woman sings. She sings.)

Das Kind spielt. ______ spielt. (The child plays. It plays.)

Translate the following sentences into German:

I see the house.

She reads a book.

We are learning German. (Use “Deutsch lernen” for “learn German.”)

That’s Chapter 3 done! You’ve learned about nouns, articles, pronouns, and basic sentence structure.

Chapter 4: Verbs – Present Tense

Verbs are the action words in a sentence. They tell us what the subject is doing. In this chapter, we’ll focus on conjugating verbs in the present tense, which is used to describe actions happening now or habitual actions.

Verb Conjugation: The Basics

Verb conjugation means changing the form of a verb to match the subject pronoun. In German, verbs are conjugated based on the person (ich, du, er/sie/es, etc.) and number (singular or plural).

Regular Verb Conjugation

Most German verbs are regular, meaning they follow a predictable pattern of conjugation. Here’s the general pattern:

Find the stem: Take the infinitive form of the verb (the form ending in “-en” or “-n”) and remove the “-en” or “-n” ending. This leaves you with the verb stem.

Add the correct ending: Add the appropriate ending to the stem based on the subject pronoun.

Here’s an example using the verb “machen” (to make/do):

Infinitive: machen (mah-hen)

Stem: mach-

Now, let’s add the endings:

ich mache (ihh mah-he) – I make/do

du machst (doo mahhst) – you make/do (informal, singular)

er/sie/es macht (air/zee/es mahht) – he/she/it makes/does

wir machen (veer mah-hen) – we make/do

ihr macht (eer mahht) – you make/do (informal, plural)

sie/Sie machen (zee/zee mah-hen) – they make/do / you make/do (formal)

Common Regular Verbs

Here are a few more common regular verbs:

wohnen (vo-nen) – to live

spielen (shpee-len) – to play

lernen (ler-nen) – to learn

arbeiten (ar-bai-ten) – to work

Example Conjugations:

wohnen: ich wohne, du wohnst, er/sie/es wohnt, wir wohnen, ihr wohnt, sie/Sie wohnen

spielen: ich spiele, du spielst, er/sie/es spielt, wir spielen, ihr spielt, sie/Sie spielen

Irregular Verb Conjugation

Some German verbs are irregular, meaning they don’t follow the regular pattern. These verbs often change their stem vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms.

Common Irregular Verbs:

sein (zain) – to be

haben (hah-ben) – to have

essen (es-sen) – to eat

trinken (trin-ken) – to drink

sprechen (shpre-hen) – to speak

Conjugations of “sein” and “haben”

These are extremely important verbs, so memorize them!

sein (to be):

ich bin (ihh bin) – I am

du bist (doo bist) – you are (informal, singular)

er/sie/es ist (air/zee/es ist) – he/she/it is

wir sind (veer zint) – we are

ihr seid (eer zait) – you are (informal, plural)

sie/Sie sind (zee/zee zint) – they are / you are (formal)

haben (to have):

ich habe (ihh hah-be) – I have

du hast (doo hahst) – you have (informal, singular)

er/sie/es hat (air/zee/es haht) – he/she/it has

wir haben (veer hah-ben) – we have

ihr habt (eer hahpt) – you have (informal, plural)

sie/Sie haben (zee/zee hah-ben) – they have / you have (formal)

Conjugations of “essen”, “trinken”, “sprechen” As you can see, the du and er/sie/es forms of these verbs change their stem vowel

essen (to eat):

ich esse (ihh es-se) – I eat

du isst (doo isst) – you eat (informal, singular)

er/sie/es isst (air/zee/es isst) – he/she/it eats

wir essen (veer es-sen) – we eat

ihr esst (eer esst) – you eat (informal, plural)

sie/Sie essen (zee/zee es-sen) – they eat / you eat (formal)

trinken (to drink):

ich trinke (ihh trin-ke) – I drink

du trinkst (doo trinkst) – you drink (informal, singular)

er/sie/es trinkt (air/zee/es trinkt) – he/she/it drinks

wir trinken (veer trin-ken) – we drink

ihr trinkt (eer trinkt) – you drink (informal, plural)

sie/Sie trinken (zee/zee trin-ken) – they drink / you drink (formal)

sprechen (to speak):

ich spreche (ihh shpreh-he) – I speak

du sprichst (doo shprihst) – you speak (informal, singular)

er/sie/es spricht (air/zee/es shpriht) – he/she/it speaks

wir sprechen (veer shpreh-hen) – we speak

ihr sprecht (eer shpreht) – you speak (informal, plural)

sie/Sie sprechen (zee/zee shpreh-hen) – they speak / you speak (formal)

Using Verbs in Sentences

Here are some examples of using verbs in simple sentences:

Ich wohne in Berlin. (ihh vo-ne in ber-leen) – I live in Berlin.

Du spielst Fußball. (doo shpeelst foos-bal) – You play soccer.

Er arbeitet in einem Büro. (air ar-bai-tet in ai-nem bü-ro) – He works in an office.

Wir lernen Deutsch. (veer ler-nen doitch) – We are learning German.

Ich bin müde. (ihh bin mü-de) – I am tired.

Sie hat einen Hund. (zee haht ai-nen hoont) – She has a dog.

Word Bank

machen (mah-hen) – to make/do

wohnen (vo-nen) – to live

spielen (shpee-len) – to play

lernen (ler-nen) – to learn

arbeiten (ar-bai-ten) – to work

sein (zain) – to be

haben (hah-ben) – to have

essen (es-sen) – to eat

trinken (trin-ken) – to drink

sprechen (shpre-hen) – to speak

Exercises

Conjugate the following regular verbs in the present tense: kaufen (to buy), tanzen (to dance), hören (to hear).

Conjugate the verbs sein and haben in the present tense.

Fill in the correct form of the verb in the present tense:

Ich ______ (wohnen) in Köln.

Du ______ (spielen) Gitarre.

Er ______ (arbeiten) als Lehrer.

Wir ______ (lernen) Deutsch.

Sie ______ (sein) freundlich.

Ich ______ (haben) ein Auto.

Translate the following sentences into German:

I live in a house.

You speak English.

He works as a doctor.

We are learning German together.

She is happy.

They have a cat.

That completes Chapter 4! You now have a solid foundation in present tense verb conjugation. Next, we’ll tackle some essential phrases and questions!

Chapter 5: Basic Phrases and Questions

This chapter is all about equipping you with practical phrases and questions that you can use in everyday situations. Learning these will help you communicate your needs, ask for information, and start simple conversations.

Polite Phrases: The Essentials

It’s always important to be polite, so let’s start with some essential phrases:

Bitte (bi-te) – Please / You’re welcome

Note: “Bitte” is a versatile word that can mean “please” when asking for something, or “you’re welcome” in response to “Danke.”

Danke (dan-ke) – Thank you

Vielen Dank (fee-len dank) – Thank you very much

Entschuldigung (ent-shul-di-gung) – Excuse me / Sorry

Note: “Entschuldigung” can be used to apologize or to get someone’s attention.

Kein Problem (kain pro-blehm) – No problem

Gern geschehen (gern ge-she-hen) – You’re welcome (more formal than “Kein Problem”)

Asking Questions: Getting Information

Here are some useful questions you can use to get information:

Wie viel kostet das? (vee feel kos-tet das) – How much does that cost?

Wo ist…? (vo ist…) – Where is…?

Example: Wo ist die Toilette? (vo ist dee twah-le-te) – Where is the toilet?

Wie komme ich zu…? (vee ko-me ihh tsoo…) – How do I get to…?

Example: Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof? (vee ko-me ihh tsoom bahn-hof) – How do I get to the train station?

Sprechen Sie Englisch? (shpre-hen zee eng-lish) – Do you speak English? (Formal)

Sprichst du Englisch? (shprihst doo eng-lish) – Do you speak English? (Informal)