Learn German with Leo🦁

2022-05-27 20:43:26 How to (force yourself) to learn German continuously

Moin, friends, I'm sure each of you is familiar with this situation: "I can study German for 2-3 hours today, but the other day I can't make myself do anything at all".

For the study of any foreign language is critical: without regular exercise, all that you learned yesterday, the day after tomorrow is already forgotten. The result is the well-known trampling in place and "I study German so much, but it's useless".

Here is the solution: Create a to-do list for the day!

So simple and obvious that you don't want to take it seriously, am I right? And you should. Watch how it all works.

When I am really tired and don't feel like learning, I try to do the minimum program: learn for just 5 minutes. Just to make a point. What this leads to:

First, 5 minutes is better than nothing at all.

Second, it gets me into the habit of learning a language every day. And in the long run, this is simply the most valuable thing you can gain. When you have a habit, you don't have to prescribe yourself 10,000 kicks to get into something. The habit itself pushes you to get busy.

Now take this to learning German.

Think back to a situation where you didn't feel like doing anything. What is the minimum bar that you personally could set in that situation? What can you do purely for a tick? For example, repeat the old 10 words, listen to 3 minutes of audio, write a message or a note in German. There are many variations and it's important to listen to what you yourself have to say.

Remember the main principle: it is all about getting into the habit of exercising regularly. To get away from the "peaks and pits" system, where we either exercise until we're stupefied or don't exercise at all.

No idea where to get the materials to learn? For this occasion I've been writing my ebooks - from grammar to slang. You can choose any topic for the day from one of the ebooks and learn it. You can find them all in my All-in-One pack.

If you're feeling extra lazy, then I suggest watching a movie in German and taking notes. To get an idea of that, you can refer to my Rapunzel movie course, which can be found below.

When you can get into regularity, you will discover a whole new way to speak German! Öffnen / Wie

2022-05-27 20:05:13 Useful phrases for every day

Annahmen ausdrücken (to express an assumption):

Ich vermute, dass. - I assume that ...

Ich nehme an, dass. - I assume that ...

Ich schätze, dass... - I estimate that ...

Ich könnte mir vorstellen, dass... - I could imagine that ...

Ich kann mir nicht/kaum vorstellen, dass. - I can't imagine that ...

Einwände vorbringen (raise objections):

Gut, aber. - Good, but ...

Na schön, aber... - Fine, but ...

Das kann sein, aber. - That may be, but ...

Da mögen Sie Recht haben, aber... - You may be right, but...

Das stimmt zwar, aber... - That's right, but...

O.K., aber... - OK, but...

Mag wohl sein, aber... - Maybe, but...

Einverstanden, aber... - Agreed, aber...

Sicher, aber denken Sie doch mal daran, dass... - Definitely, but think again about ...

Ihr Argument ist nicht falsch, aber... - Your argument is correct, but ...

Das kommt darauf an, ob../ Das hängt davon ab, ob... - It depends on what ...

Je nachdem, ob... - according to ...,.

Ich frage mich nur, wie... - I only ask myself, how (in what way) ...

Widersprechen (contradict)

Da bin ich mir nicht so sicher - I am not sure about this.

Da muss ich Ihnen widersprechen - I have to disagree with you

Das finde ich gar nicht - I see it very differently

Da habe ich meine Zweifel - Here I have doubts

Im Gegenteil! - On the contrary!

Das hat gar/überhaupt nichts mit dem Thema zu tun! / Das gehört doch nicht
zum Thema! - This is irrelevant to the topic! / This has nothing to do with the topic!

Das Problem liegt ganz woanders! - The problem lies elsewhere!

Ich glaube, das ist ein Missverständnis - I think this is a misunderstanding (mistake). Öffnen / Wie

2022-05-26 14:54:59 HOW DO YOU DEFINE AN ADJECTIVE?
Let's remember the basic endings:

- lich:
freundlich - friendly
sportlich - sporty
glücklich - happy

- isch:
fantastisch - fantastic
exotisch - exotic
optimistisch - optimistic

- sch:
falsch - wrong, mistaken
hübsch - beautiful, pretty, nice

- ig:
richtig - right
dreckig - dirty
lustig - funny, amusing

- lig:
billig - cheap, inexpensive, primitive
langweilig - boring
heilig - holy

- bar:
wunderbar - wonderful
furchtbar - horrible
genießbar - edible

- los:
sinnlos - meaningless
bewusstlos - unconscious
arbeitslos - unemployed

- haft:
ekelhaft - nasty, disgusting
zauberhaft - charming
dauerhaft - durable, solid

- sam:
langsam - slow
seltsam - strange
sparsam - economical, thrifty

- voll:
wertvoll - precious
sinnvoll - expedient, sensible
qualvoll - painful

- reich:
hilfreich - useful
zahlreich - numerous
kalorienreich - calorific

- ant:
interessant - interesting
elegant - elegant
riskant - risky

- al:
fatal - fatal
total - total

- ell:
offiziell - official
originell - original
visuell - visual

- iv:
aggressiv - aggressive
intensiv - intense
kreativ - creative

- ös:
seriös - serious
nervös - nervous
religiös - religious

- ern:
modern - modern
nüchtern - sober

- end:
spannend - exciting, intense
passend - fit
fließend - fluent, flowing Öffnen / Wie

2022-05-25 18:56:06 Top 10 reflexive verbs

Reflexive verbs are formed from the verb itself and the reflexive pronoun "sich". But some of them you just have to remember!

Let's look at the 10 most important reflexive verbs:

sich interessieren - to be interested in

Surprisingly, this is probably the first reflexive verb we learn from teachers and textbooks. It can be useful in almost any situation!

Ich interessiere mich für Geschichte. - I am interested in history.

sich treffen / sich sehen - to meet / see

These two verbs rightly share the second place. They are mainly used for agreements, although they can be used at any time.

Wir werden uns morgen treffen. - We shall meet tomorrow.
Sie sehen sich jeden Tag. - They see each other every day.

sich erholen / sich ausruhen - to rest / relax

These are some of the nicest reflexive verbs, because they are talking about relaxation, which we all need! When you're relaxing, remember that in German it's a reflexive verb, and don't lose the sich!

Hast du dich erholt? - Have you had a rest?
Er ruht sich gerade aus. - He is now relaxing/resting.

sich freuen - to rejoice

Also a very nice verb. But there is a complication with it - its control. It's dual: you can say auf + Akk (to rejoice in something present and coming), or you can say über + Akk (something past or present).

Er hat sich über das Geschenk gefreut. - He was very excited about the gift.

sich kümmern - to care

If about someone, then: sich um + Akk kümmern!

Ich kann mich um dich kümmern. - I can take care of you.

sich bemühen - to try

That's what we do when we learn German!

Ich werde mich sehr bemühen! - I will try hard!

sich beschäftigen - to do

If anything, then: mit + Dativ! The verb is used with almost any kind of activity!

Sie beschäftigt sich gerne mit Kindern. - She is very eager to take care of the children.

sich entscheiden - to decide

For example, to finally decide to learn German.

Ich konnte mich nicht entscheiden - I could not make up my mind

sich gewöhnen - to get used to

This is also a reflexive verb. When we get used to something, the control appears: an + Akk

Habt ihr euch schon an das Leben in Deutschland gewöhnt? - Are you already used to life in Germany?

sich erinnern - to remember / recall

Yes, that's a reflexive verb too. You have to remember that it's used with: an+Akk

Ich erinnere mich gerne an meinen letzten Urlaub. - I eagerly remember my last holiday.

Boost your German with the All-in-One pack! From slang to grammar - everything you need to take your German to the next step! Link below! Öffnen / Wie

2022-05-25 11:13:02 15 tips on how to new learn words effectively!

1. Underline and highlight words

2. Learn the words for 30 minutes at a time, with a 10-minute break.

3. The brighter, more unusual or vulgar the word you memorize, the better.

4. Create sentences from the words

5. Words with pictures are better to remember

6. Imagine the word, say the word, picture the word

7. Sleep. Regular and healthy sleep is the main component of the learning process

8. Repeat:

first time in a few minutes;
second time - after 1 hour;
the third time - after sleeping;
fourth time - after 1 month.

9. Memorize no more than 7 new words at a time

10. Make chains of words. Example: table-chair-girl.

11. Mental attitude: imagine yourself successful, set yourself up for success.

12. Human possibilities are limitless with regular rest and a sense of security;
- to memorize information, imagine it;
- rest with music & a quiet sound of foreign words being pronounced;
- use of words in games, daily activities, etc.

13. Imagine the words you are hearing in music

14. The better the description of the word, the better

15. 50-100 new words in 1 day - possible!

Do you remember new vocabulary easily? Öffnen / Wie

2022-05-24 14:23:06 Der, die, das: How do you determine the gender of a noun?

The gender of nouns can be determined:

=> by the meaning of the word,
=> by the method of word formation (by the form of the word, that is, by the way German noun endings are assigned to the gender).

♂ The masculine gender includes:

male persons - der Mann (man), der Junge (boy)
male animals - der Bär (bear)
sides of the world - der Norden (north)
seasons - der Sommer (summer), der Winter (winter)
month names - der Januar (January), der Mai (May), der September (September)
days of the week - der Montag (Monday), der Mittwoch (Wednesday), der Sonntag (Sunday)
times of day - der Morgen (morning), but die Nacht (night)
precipitation - der Regen (rain), der Schnee (snow)
minerals - der Granit (granite)
stones - der Rubin (ruby)
mountain names - der Harz (Harz)
lake names - der Baikal (Baikal)
spirits - der Wodka (vodka), der Sekt (sparkling wine), but das Bier (beer)
currency units - der Euro (euro), but die Kopeke (penny), die Krone (krone), die Mark (mark)
celestial bodies - der Mond (Moon), but die Venus (Venus), die Sonne (Sun)
names of car brands - der Opel, der BMW

Click the button below and follow the link to continue reading the article! Öffnen / Wie

2022-05-18 17:44:09 Phrases to express surprise or disbelief.

A batch of useful expressions that are sure to come in handy in everyday life!

Let's start with the basic phrases:

Bist du sicher? - Are you sure?

Es ist merkwürdig! - That's weird!

Wirklich? - Is it?

Meinst du das im Ernst? - Are you saying that seriously?

Unglaublich! - Unbelievable!

Das kann nicht wahr sein! - This is impossible!

Ich traue meinen Augen nicht - I don't believe my eyes

Das überzeugt mich nicht! - This will not convince me!

Das ist gelogen! - This is a lie!

Express doubt:

Bist du sicher, dass du das schaffst? - Are you sure you can do it?

Glaubst du wirklich, dass das klappt? - Do you really believe you can do it?

Ich kann mir nicht vorstellen, dass wir das schaffen - I can't imagine that we will manage it.

Ich kenne keinen, dem das gelungen ist - I don't know anyone who has managed it.

Ich bezweifle, dass es eine Lösung gibt - I doubt that there is any solution.

I am indecisive or indifferent:

Es ist mir egal = I don't care

Es betrifft mich nicht = It doesn't concern me

Vielleicht / Möglicherweise = Maybe

Wahrscheinlich = Probably, probably

Wie du willst = As you wish

Ich weiß nicht, was ich tun soll = I don't know what to do

And a tip from Leo: Less hesitation and more learning! Öffnen / Wie

2022-05-17 12:10:05 ​​ Do you have a hobby? Let's try to talk about it in German!

So, what kind of phrases do we need?

1. I have a hobby - Ich habe ein Hobby

2. I'm into music - Ich interessiere mich für Musik

3. My hobby is sport - Sport ist mein Hobby

4. I like to play tennis - Ich spiele Tennis gern

5. On Wednesdays and Fridays I play table tennis - Mittwochs und freitags spiele ich Tischtennis

6. I like knitting - Ich stricke gern

7. In our family we all like to travel - In unserer Familie reisen alle gern

8. We spend our free time on the sports field - Wir verbringen unsere Freizeit auf dem Sportplatz

10. He is into fishing - Das Angeln ist sein Hobby

11. Sein neuester Sport ist Briefmarkensammeln - His latest hobby is stamp collecting

12. Er betreibt das Briefmarkensammeln als Sport - He's into philately

13. I collect stamps - Ich sammle Briefmarken

14. I read with pleasure - Ich lese gern

15. I am a craftsman - Ich mache Handarbeiten

16. I fish - Ich angle gern

17. In summer I swim eagerly - Im Sommer gehe ich gern Schwimmen.

18. I enjoy playing football - Fussballspielen macht Spass.

19. One of my hobbies is writing letters to my friends - Eines meiner Hobbies ist Briefeschreiben an meine Freunde.

20. Sometimes I read so much that I forget my homework - Manchmal lese ich so viel, dass ich die Hausarbeit vergesse.

21. If the weather is bad, I read books or watch TV - Wenn das Wetter schlecht ist, lese ich Bücher oder sehe fern.

22. Once a week I go to handball training - Einmal in der Woche gehe ich zum Handballtraining.

23. My hobby has actually become my profession - Mein Hobby ist eigentlich mein Beruf geworden.

24. My hobby is cooking - Mein Hobby ist Kochen.

25. My big hobby is basically everything that is related to gardening, floristry and decoration - Mein großes Hobby ist im Prinzip alles, was mit Garten, Floristik und Dekoration zu tun hat.

26. But my biggest hobby is painting - Aber mein größtes Hobby ist das Malen.

27. My favourite hobby is trying recipes from all over the world - Mein liebstes Hobby ist Rezepte aus der ganzen Welt auszuprobieren.

28. Currently, my biggest hobby is salsa - Mein größtes Hobby ist zur Zeit Salsa.

29. Cinema is my hobby - Kino ist mein Hobby

Do you have a hobby? Öffnen / Wie

2022-05-16 14:31:03 PERFEKT cheat sheet

How it is formed:
Auxiliary verb haben/sein (in Präsens form) + Partizip II of the main verb

Recall that Partizip II for weak verbs is formed with the prefix -ge and the suffix -t. There is no single formula for strong verbs - you just have to remember them

Ich habe die ganze Woche gearbeitet - I worked all week.
Er ist nach Berlin geflogen - He flew to Berlin.

When to use Perfekt:
Denotes an already completed action, the result of which is relevant in the present

Example:
Ich habe ein neues Auto gekauft.
I bought a new car.

Haben vs. sein: What to put?
Haben is used with most verbs.
Sein is used with the following verbs:
Non-transitive verbs of motion (z.B. fahren, gehen)
Non-transitive verbs of change of state (z.B. aufwachen, einschlafen)
Verbs sein, werden, bleiben, begegnen

What do you need to remember?
The main verb (in Partizip II form) always stays the same, only the auxiliary verb changes

The verb schwimmen is used with either haben or sein - depending on the context. Compare:

Sie sind ans Ufer geschwommen.
They sailed to the shore (the movement was carried out toward a specific goal).
Sie hat mehr als eine Stunde im Pool geschwommen.
She swam in the pool for more than an hour (emphasis on the very fact of the movement, without a specific goal).

Want to learn about other German tenses? Check out the All-in-one pack - link below! Öffnen / Wie

2022-05-15 09:45:19 Colors in German

Without knowing colors it's hard to speak German: you can't tell what color the sky is, what your favorite color is or what colors you like in your clothes. So here's a little list of basic colors for you.

blau - blue
braun - brown
bunt - coloured
dunkel - dark
farbig - coloured
flieder - lilac
gelb - yellow
golden - golden
grau - gray
grün - green
hell - light
hellblau - blue
lila - purple
orange - orange
rosa - rose
rot - red
schwarz - black
schwarz-weiß black and white
silbern - silver
türkis - turquoise
verschiedenfarbig - multicolored
violett - purple
weiß - white

If you add the word "hell" (light) to the beginning, you get light colors. They are always spelled together, for example: hellblau - light blue

The same with "dunkel" (dark) at the beginning of the word, it turns into a dark color: dunkelblau (dark blue).

Der Himmel ist blau. Meine Lieblingsfarbe ist schwarz.
The sky is blue. My favorite color is black.

Bonus: Top 3 idioms with colors!

Er ist Blau.
Meaning: he is drunk.
Literal translation: he is blue

Da kannst du warten bist du schwarz wirst.
Meaning: you can wait till the cows come home
Literal translation: Don't wait, or you'll turn black

Durch die rosa Brille schauen
Meaning: looking through rose-colored glasses.
Literal translation: Look through rose-colored glasses Öffnen / Wie