Chapter 1: Basics

Source: "Complete 5 Minute German A1 Course" (YouTube)

Click any 🔊-style icon to hear German pronunciation, spoken by your browser's built-in voice.

Grammar

1. The German Alphabet

30 characters: the 26 Latin letters + Ä, Ö, Ü, ß.

Letter	Pronunciation	Example	Meaning
{{ row.letter }}	{{ row.sound }}	{{ row.example }} —	{{ row.meaning }}

2. Sounds & Pronunciation

2.1 Vowels vs. consonants

Vowels: A, E, I, O, U, Ä, Ö, Ü (8 total). Consonants: every other letter.

2.2 Vowel length rule

Length	Rule	Example
{{ row.rule }}	{{ row.desc }}	{{ w.label }}

Minimal pair: {{ w.label }} ({{ w.desc }})

2.3 Individual letter/character pronunciation

Letter	Position	Sound	Examples
{{ row.rule }}	{{ row.position }}	{{ row.sound }}	{{ ex.de }} ({{ ex.en }})

2.4 Character combinations

Combo	Sound	Examples
{{ row.combo }}	{{ row.sound }}	{{ ex.de }} ({{ ex.en }}) —

Memory tip: for both ei/ai and ie, the pronunciation follows the sound of the second letter (ei → i-sound, ie → e-sound).

Helpful tip: to hear any German word, go to translate.google.com, set English → German, type the word and click the speaker icon on the German side.

Practical German

3. Greetings & Farewells

German	Meaning	Notes
{{ row.de }}	{{ row.en }}	{{ row.note }}

Sample dialogue — Frank & Julia

{{ line.speaker }} {{ line.de }} — {{ line.en }}

4. Basic Phrases

German	Meaning	Notes
{{ row.de }}	{{ row.en }}	{{ row.note }}

5. Introducing Yourself

Term	Meaning
{{ row.de }}	{{ row.en }}

Sentence templates (replace the bracketed part with your own info)

{{ row.label }}: {{ row.template }}

Worked example — Usama Ehsan, from Pakistan, living in Berlin, a student

{{ row.step }} {{ row.de }} — {{ row.en }}

Try it yourself

Name

Country (in German)

City

Profession — leave blank for "Student(in)"

male / Student female / Studentin

{{ row.label }} {{ row.de }} — {{ row.en }}

Next: Chapter 2 — Numbers 1–20 →