Learning German: the mistakes to expect, by first language
Some German difficulties hit everyone. Others depend on the language you grew up with. Start with the ones every learner meets, then open the page for your first language.
Hard for every German learner
Noun gender (der/die/das)
German gender is largely unpredictable and must be learned with each noun. Learn the article WITH the word.
Case endings (Nom/Akk/Dat/Gen)
Articles and adjectives change with case. Watch the verb/preposition — it decides the case.
Verb to the end in subclauses
After weil/dass/wenn the conjugated verb goes to the very end. English keeps it next to the subject.
Verb-second in main clauses
The conjugated verb is always the 2nd element, even when something else starts the sentence.
Separable verbs
aufstehen → "ich stehe … auf". The prefix flies to the end.
Adjective endings
Adjective endings depend on gender, case AND the article type.
German for speakers of…
🇬🇧 English speakers
Cases change the article (English lost them) · +4 more
🇫🇷 French speakers
Gender flips from French — plus a neuter · +4 more
🇮🇹 Italian speakers
Gender flips from Italian — plus a neuter · +4 more
🇷🇺 Russian speakers
Articles exist (Russian has none) · +4 more
🇨🇳 Chinese speakers
Words change shape (Chinese words don’t) · +4 more
🇹🇷 Turkish speakers
Articles + gender (Turkish has none) · +4 more
🇧🇷 Portuguese speakers
Gender flips from Portuguese — plus a neuter · +3 more
🇸🇦 Arabic speakers
Three genders + case vs one "al-" · +3 more
🇰🇷 Korean speakers
Articles + gender + plural (Korean has none) · +3 more
🇮🇩 Indonesian speakers
Articles + gender (Indonesian has none) · +3 more
🇮🇳 Hindi speakers
Articles feel invisible · +2 more
Keep going
- 40 natural German expressions, by situation
- 30 real-life German speaking scenes with translations
- All language pairs
Questions about learning German
What is hard about learning German?
Noun gender (der/die/das): German gender is largely unpredictable and must be learned with each noun. Learn the article WITH the word. Case endings (Nom/Akk/Dat/Gen): Articles and adjectives change with case. Watch the verb/preposition — it decides the case. Verb to the end in subclauses: After weil/dass/wenn the conjugated verb goes to the very end. English keeps it next to the subject. Verb-second in main clauses: The conjugated verb is always the 2nd element, even when something else starts the sentence. Separable verbs: aufstehen → "ich stehe … auf". The prefix flies to the end. Adjective endings: Adjective endings depend on gender, case AND the article type.
Does my first language change which German mistakes I make?
Yes. Your first language shapes the mistakes you make: its sounds, word order and grammar leak into German. That is why WordSlick shows different traps for, say, English speakers and French speakers, and coaches each one separately.
Can I practise speaking German with an AI tutor?
Yes. AskSlick, WordSlick’s AI tutor, holds German conversations at your level, role-plays real situations and corrects you gently, explaining in your own language.