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arbeiten versus funktioneren
When should you use 'arbeiten' and when should you use 'funktionieren'?
All the answers are in this episode!
You'll learn these two verbs in the context of wine harvest, too, because it's wine harvest time.
Learning to differentiate synonyms in German works really well when you use context.
This way you can easily build a picture in your mind that will help you for all of your German learning.
If it helps, you can even draw yourself a little sketch of a scene you'll hear in this episode.
A…
How to Pronounce and Use hätte in German
Knowing how to pronounce hätte correctly in German is one thing. Using it correctly is another.
In today's German lesson you'll learn both how to say hätte correctly and how to use it in a few specific phrases.
Imagine how confident you'll feel knowing exactly what to say and pronouncing everything correctly. This will be a step up for your German.
Plus you'll learn how to say "shoulda, woulda, coulda" in German, which uses hätte, and will surely impress your German friends the next time they…
What does "wäre" mean and how do you use it in German?
This episode will take the fear out of using wäre in German.
All it means is "would be," but would be has nothing to do with reality. It actually has to do with things which are unreal.
Something that isn't true now, but would be nice or would be nuts or would be fantastic.
This grammar topic is known as the "Konjunktiv II." We'll use only the present tense today.
If this is brand new for you, it's best to take it one step at a time. The first step are the very straight-forward sentences (or…
What's the difference between meinen, bedeuten, and heißen?
Synonyms in German function differently--they overlap differently--than in English.
Well, of course they do, right? Because it's a different language.
A lot of German learners - A1, A2 and B1-level learners confuse the verbs meinen, bedeuten, and heißen because in English they all mean "to mean."
bedeuten = to mean
heißen = to mean (also means "to be called," which you'll hear as well today)
meinen = to mean
UGH!
The good news is, there are ways to tell them apart and you'll learn them in…
How do you pronounce "Ferien" and "feiern" in German?
Summer vacation (or summer holidays) are drawing to a close for loads of people in the northern hemisphere.
So what are these called in German?
Das sind die Ferien.
And why is that word so frequently confused with "feiern"?
Because they are so similar.
In this episode of the GermanWithNicole.com podcast you'll learn how to pronounce these two words, which article you should use with Ferien (it's simpler than you might think), and a couple of example sentences so you can remember which word …
What is A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 in German learning?
In this 5th episode of the GermanWithNicole.com Podcast you'll learn what these designations mean for German learning.
You've surely seen this alphabet-number combination on German learning materials and maybe you've seen or taken a German language assessment test and received one of these combinations as a result. “You can take a class at the A2 level.”
But what does it mean?! And why should you care?!
Hint: Understanding these combinations will make your German learning life sooooo much eas…
When should I read Harry Potter in German?
In this episode of the GermanWithNicole.com Podcast you'll discover when a good time is to start reading Harry Potter in German.
You'll also hear why that's a good time to start it.
We'll break down only the first two sentences of the book, both in English and in the German translation, to support this, and we'll have some fun along the way.
Think of this episode like a special map for German learning. ;-)
Giving credit where credit is due:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Page 5 …
How (Not) to Learn German Part 2 of 2
In Part 1, we explored the three most problematic approaches to learning German.
In Part 2 here today, we'll explore solutions to those three problematic approaches. They're all easier than you think, easily actionable, and will get you further in German than you might have thought possible.
If you're frustrated with German, if you haven't made progress like you wanted, and you just don't know what to do differently, this episode is for you.
Be sure to subscribe to automatically recei…
How (Not) to Learn German Part 1 of 2
Consider your strategy and overall approach to German.
If you have been working on German for a while and are only treading water, this episode will help you figure out which parts of your learning approach are getting in your way.
You'll hear three of the most common, problematic approaches I've seen in the last 11 years of teaching German and 18 years of teaching a foreign language.
This is part 1 of 2 because part 2 will then guide you into more constructive territory for German learning. …
Erst Ordnung schaffen - First Create Order
«Erst Ordnung schaffen.»
the stylist proclaimed as she clipped a section of my hair to the side and combed the section she was about to cut.
Erst Ordnung schaffen.
First, create order.
At that moment the hairstylist probably had no clue what an impact she would have on my life.
Her comment was my official introduction to the German sense of order.
In this first episode of the GermanWithNicole.com Podcast you'll hear how one of my private lesson clients created order and how it has chan…