Table of contents
Five books to build your German
German and English share many roots, which makes a lot of vocabulary familiar. What takes practice is grammar: noun genders, word order and cases. These books give you the vocabulary and sentence patterns to practise those points.
Where to start
Vocabulary first. Start with the Essential German Words Book and learn each noun with its article: der, die or das.
Then the verbs. Continue with the German Verbs Book and pay attention to where the verb goes in each example sentence.
Useful expressions. The German Daily Phrases Book gives you ready-to-use sentences for everyday situations.
Longer sentences. With the German Connectors Book you can join two ideas and notice how some connectors send the verb to the end. The German Adverbs Book, at intermediate level, helps you add time, place and manner.
Tips for English speakers
- Verb second. In a normal German statement the verb is the second element, even if the sentence starts with a time expression.
- Compound nouns. Long words like Wochenende (weekend) are often two simple words joined together; split them to understand them.
- Read aloud. German spelling is regular, so reading the examples aloud quickly improves your pronunciation.
Frequently asked questions
Are the books free? Yes. Read them online or download the PDF without signing up.
What level are they? Four books are for beginners and the adverbs book is intermediate.
Do they include translations? Yes. Every German example comes with its English translation.