Lessons for English speakers

Learn to read German

A short, active path into reading German: decode nine real words from a ten-rule sound table, learn where the verb goes and why der becomes den, then read a fable whose pronunciation and English begin hidden.

13 core sections · ≈ 33 min + 4 optional lookups · ≈ 53 min with everything

Where the verb goes

≈ 3 min

What you'll learn

In a German statement the doing word is the second slot — not the second word, the second slot.
Whatever goes first, the doing word comes straight after it and the doer slides in behind.
A second doing word goes to the very end of the sentence and waits there.
German has no word for “do”: no “do you see?”, no “I do not see”.
So read to the end of a German sentence before you decide what it says.

Slot one, slot two — and what happens when something else goes first

	slot 1	slot 2	then	then
English	I	see	the dog
German	Ichich“I”	seheZAY-uh“see”	den Hunddayn hoont“the dog”
English	Now	I	see	the dog
German	Jetztyetst“now”	seheZAY-uh“see”	ichich“I”	den Hunddayn hoont“the dog”

In the first pair the languages agree. In the second, English pushed the doing word to third place; German refused — seheZAY-uh held slot two and ichich slid in behind. “Now see I the dog” is the ordinary way to say it, not poetry. (dendayn is “the” too; the next step explains it.)

The second verb waits at the end, and there is no “do”

I want to see the dog.

Ichich willvil den Hunddayn hoont sehen.ZAY-en

“I want the dog see”: the second doing word went to the end and waited. And willvil“want” means “want”, never the English “will”.

I do not see the dog.

Ichich seheZAY-uh den Hunddayn hoont nicht.nicht

No “do” at all, and nichtnicht“not” sits late, as the last step promised.

Six question words

English	German
what	wasvass“what”
who	wervair“who”
where	wovoh“where”
where to	wohinvoh-HIN“where to”
why	warumva-ROOM“why”
how	wievee“how”

All six begin with w, said “v”. wovoh asks where something is; wohinvoh-HIN asks where it is going. A question is a question word with the doing word straight behind it — or, with no question word, the doing word itself goes first. Still no “do”.

Where are you going?

Wohin gehst du?

voh-HIN gayst doo

Question word, then gehstgayst“go”, then dudoo“you”. Three words against four, because German has no “do”.

Find the doing word, then read the line

Jetzt sehe ich den Fuchs.
Word by word: “Now see I the fox”.
Show answer +Hide answer −
Jetzt sehe ich den Fuchs.yetst ZAY-uh ich dayn fooks“Now I see the fox.”
Ich will den Baum sehen.
The last word is the second doing word, waiting.
Show answer +Hide answer −
Ich will den Baum sehen.ich vil dayn bowm ZAY-en“I want to see the tree.”
Wo ist mein Hund?
Show answer +Hide answer −
Wo ist mein Hund?voh ist mine hoont“Where is my dog?”