Learn German

Updated October 29, 2026

WanderMundo is an AI language learning app where you learn German with short lessons, real conversations with an AI tutor and graded stories. Start on the free plan in your browser, with no download and no credit card, and say your first sentences today.

What you'll learn in the first 30 days

The German course has 10 units from A1 to A2. You introduce yourself with sein and heißen, meet der, die and das, order with ich möchte, and in unit 5 tell what happened yesterday with ready-made chunks like ich war, ich hatte and ich habe gegessen. A2 covers word order, the Perfekt with haben and sein, and modal verbs.

Each unit has four lessons of 3 to 5 minutes, so one lesson a day takes you through the first five A1 units in about a month. The table below lists them exactly as they appear in the course, with the grammar tip card each unit teaches and one of its lesson titles.

German course, A1 (your first month)

UnitTopicGrammar tipSample lesson
Unit 1Hello and who I amMeet sein and heißenNames with ich heiße
Unit 2What I likeLikes with gern and noun articlesSpot der / die / das
Unit 3Numbers, age and havingHave with haben; age with seinAge: Jahre alt
Unit 4Ordering food and drinksOrder with ich möchteAsk was kostet?
Unit 5Telling what happened yesterdayYesterday in ready-made chunksI was: ich war

German course, A2 (what comes next)

UnitTopicGrammar tipSample lesson
Unit 6Family and possessivesMy family, your familyMeet mein / dein
Unit 7Everyday verbs and word orderThe verb takes second placeKeep the verb second
Unit 8Completed actions with habenBuild the regular PerfektBuild ge-…-t
Unit 9Where I went and how it wasMovement with sein; war and hatteGo: gegangen / gefahren
Unit 10Plans and possibilitiesFuture plans and modal verbsCan: kann + infinitive

Unit names are taken from the WanderMundo course. Content may grow over time.

How a lesson works

Every unit opens with a tip card: one grammar point in plain English, plus one memorable trick for remembering it. In unit 7, for example, the tip card teaches the most useful German rule: the verb takes second place. Heute lerne ich Deutsch (Today I learn German) moves ich after the verb because heute came first. The trick: count to two, and the verb sits there.

Then you practice with eight exercise types, mixed so you read, listen, write and speak in every lesson:

  • Tap the pairs: match words to their meaning.
  • Build the sentence: put word tiles in order.
  • Listen and pick: hear a sentence and choose what it means.
  • Listen and type: write what you hear.
  • Say it: read a sentence out loud with the microphone.
  • Fill the blank: complete a sentence with the missing word.
  • Fix the mistake: spot and correct a typical learner error.
  • Translate: turn an English sentence into German.

Practice chat at the end of each lesson

Each lesson ends with a short practice chat with the AI tutor, built around what you just learned. You answer by typing or speaking, and when you make a mistake you see a correction card with the right sentence and a one-line reason in your own language.

There are no hearts or lives. Mistakes never block you; they come back later and are saved to Review, where saved words also become flashcards. Path lessons are free and unlimited on every plan.

Speak from day one

German word order clicks faster when you build sentences out loud rather than only reading them. In Talk you chat with the tutor by text, microphone or a live voice call. You can pick a scenario like ordering at a restaurant, checking into a hotel or asking directions, or just have a free conversation. Beginners get tap-to-answer reply ideas and slow audio.

Walk & Talk works in German too: a hands-free spoken lesson of 10 to 60 minutes with headphones, with warm-up, grammar, drills, a short story and a role play. Voice commands like "slower", "repeat that", "pause" and "how do you say..." keep it going without touching your phone.

Listen to graded German stories

Listening helps with sounds like ü, ö and ch that English doesn’t have. Listen has podcast-style story episodes graded by level, with a read-along transcript in German, English or both, and speeds from 0.6x to 1.25x. Beginner episodes include English support that fades as your level goes up.

Track your level

Not sure where to start? Take the free placement test (about 8 minutes). It gives an estimated level from A1 to C2 and drops you at the right place in the course. It is an estimate, not an official certificate. You can also simply pick your level and start.

6 German starter phrases

The guide is approximate: "kh" is the soft ch sound made at the roof of your mouth (as in ich), ö is like saying "ay" with rounded lips, and capitals show stress. ß in heiße sounds like a double s.

GermanSay it likeEnglish
Hallo! / Guten Tag!HAH-lo / GOO-ten tahkHi! / Good day!
Ich heiße Sam.ikh HY-seh samMy name is Sam.
Freut mich.froyt mikhNice to meet you.
Danke schön.DAHN-keh shöönThank you very much.
Ich möchte einen Kaffee, bitte.ikh MÖKH-teh EYE-nen KAH-feh BIT-tehI would like a coffee, please.
Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof?ent-SHOOL-dee-goong vo ist dair BAHN-hohfExcuse me, where is the train station?

Free vs Pro

The free plan includes every Path lesson, unlimited, plus 15 tutor messages and 3 minutes of live voice a day, one 10-minute Walk & Talk session a day, Listen, Review and the placement test. You do not need a credit card to sign up and there are no ads.

Pro adds unlimited text conversation with the tutor, 30 minutes of live voice a day and Walk & Talk sessions up to 60 minutes. See pricing.

Want a full plan? Read best way to learn german, see learn german app, or start with how to learn a new language.

Who it's for

  • Total beginners
  • People moving to or working in Germany, Austria or Switzerland
  • Learners who know grammar but can’t speak yet
  • Busy people with 5 to 15 minutes a day

Who it's not for

  • People who need an official certificate (levels are estimates)
  • Learners who want a human teacher
  • Anyone looking for a course beyond A2 in German today

Frequently asked questions

Can I learn German for free?

Yes. WanderMundo's German course lessons are free and unlimited, and the free plan adds 15 tutor messages and 3 minutes of live voice a day. No credit card, no ads, nothing to download.

How long does it take to learn German?

The US Foreign Service Institute estimates about 36 weeks (900 class hours) for English speakers to reach professional working proficiency in German. Everyday conversation comes much sooner with daily speaking practice.

Is German hard for English speakers?

German is moderately hard for English speakers. It shares many words with English (Haus, Wasser, gut), but it has three genders, four cases and strict word order. The FSI puts it a step above French or Italian.

Can I learn German with an app?

An app can take you a long way if you speak every day. WanderMundo combines short lessons, a tutor that corrects you and graded listening; adding real conversations with people later makes it even stronger.

What should I learn first in German?

Start with sein, heißen and haben, learn each noun with der, die or das, and order with ich möchte. Then learn ich war and ich hatte so you can tell what happened, as in units 1 to 5 of the course.

Related guides

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