Better German Podcast

🌤️ German Weather Words You’ll Actually Use Talking about the weather is one of the easiest ways to start speaking German — and in this episode, you’ll learn the core words and simple sentence patterns to do exactly that. From “the sun is shining” to “it’s raining right now”, I break it down step by step so you can start forming your own sentences immediately. 🎯 Join the Free Workshop: How to Actually Learn German If you want to go deeper and see exactly how to apply this method step by step: 👉 bettergerman.info/workshop Even if you’re a complete beginner, there are questions for your level — and you’ll still get clear guidance on what to do next. 🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode hot, cold, wet, dry“Es gibt viel Wind”“Es gibt viele Wolken”It rainsIt’s raining🎓 Get Talking German Course Ready to stop guessing and start speaking? Here is our German for Beginners & Restarters course: 👉 bettergerman.info/course ⭐ Get Episodes Early (VIP) Want early access to new episodes and a say in what comes next? Join the VIP membership: bettergerman.info/vip 🎧Mentioned in this episode ➝ Episode 64 — How to Actually Practice Words If you want to remember and use the words from this episode, go back and listen to Episode 64. It shows you how to turn vocabulary into real speaking. 🔗 Full Transcript & Episode Page 👉 bettergerman.info/65 ✨ Join The Better German Podcast Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

🌟Welcome to Better German Podcast Plus🌟 Welcome! There's now a Plus version of the Better German podcast — and in this episode, you'll see what's different and how it can help you actually start using German. In this short welcome episode, you'll see exactly what you now have access to — and how to get the most out of it from the start. 🎓 Get Talking German Course If you want full structure and guidance beyond the podcast: 👉 bettergerman.info/course 🔑 What You Get with Better German Plus This is not a replacement for the main podcast; it's an upgrade. Inside the Plus tier, you now get: 📌 Important Note If you haven't already: 👉 Start at Episode 1 of the main podcast There is a clear learning path. The episodes are built like a course, and each one builds on the last. ✨ Join The Better German Podcast Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

What Does Real Practice of German Actually Look Like? In this episode, you'll learn why most learners stay stuck — even after years of studying — and what to do instead. This is not about memorizing word lists or doing endless exercises. It's about how to turn words into something you can actually use . You'll learn a simple, repeatable way to practice vocabulary so that it sticks — and more importantly, so that you can speak with it . If you've ever felt like you “know” words but can't use them, this episode will fix that. 🎯 Join the Free Workshop: How to Actually Learn German If you want to go deeper and see exactly how to apply this method step by step, check out my workshop: 👉 bettergerman.info/workshop Even if you're a complete beginner, there are questions for your level — and you'll still get clear guidance on what to do next. 🔑 What You'll Learn in This Episode 🎓 Get Talking German Course Ready to stop guessing and start speaking? Here is our German for Beginners & Restarters course: 👉 bettergerman.info/course 🎧Mentioned in this episode 👉Episode 5 - Introduction to Articles ✨ Join The Better German Podcast Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

What do you actually say at breakfast in German? In this episode, you'll learn the most important German words for breakfast — from Breakfast and Breakfast Buffet to eggs, bread, coffee, and more. You'll also see how German builds long words by combining smaller ones, and why some everyday words work differently than in English. This episode is about understanding what you'll actually hear and say in real life — especially in places like hotels, cafés, and bakeries. 🎯 Find out your REAL German level Not what certificate you have — where you actually stand today. Take the free Better German Placement Test and get a personal response from me with your real level and your best next step. Even if you’re a complete beginner, there are questions for your level — and you’ll still get clear guidance on what to do next. 👉 bettergerman.info/test 🔑 What You'll Learn in this Episode Breakfast + BuffetParadeiser')-chen ✨ Join The Better German Podcast Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

In this episode, you’ll learn how “haben” (engl. "to have") works in real sentences! And you will learn how to add objects to a sentence (what are you having) - and what change is happening with the article "der". This is a very basic episode to make slightly longer sentences in German. If you want to stop guessing and start forming correct sentences, this is one of the first building blocks. 🎯 Find out your REAL German level Not what certificate you have — where you actually stand today. Take the free Better German Placement Test and get a personal response from me with your real level and your best next step. 👉 bettergerman.info/test 🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode ✨ Join The Better German Podcast Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

Many learners believe that self-paced courses are the problem. They assume they need discipline, pressure, or a classroom environment to finally succeed with German. But the real issue is something else entirely. In this episode, I talk about a conversation from one of my recent workshops with a learner who believed he couldn’t succeed in a self-paced course. His experience is actually very common: people force themselves through classes for months or even years — and still never reach the point where they can actually speak German. So what’s really going on? We look at why many traditional courses struggle to produce real results, why motivation disappears when learning stops making sense, and why learning at your own speed is not the problem — it’s often the solution. Free Live German Workshop How to Actually Learn German https://bettergerman.info/workshop Get Talking German Course German for Beginners & Restarters https://bettergerman.info/course Key Topics in This Episode • Why many learners believe self-paced courses don’t work • What really happens when people force themselves through classes • The difference between motivation and discipline in language learning • Why people naturally learn at different speeds • Why group classes often cannot adapt to individual learning speed • How learning can become easier when the process actually makes sense • What it really means to “learn to communicate” in German Mentioned in This Episode How to Actually Learn German – Free Live Workshop https://bettergerman.info/workshop Get Talking German My step-by-step course for Beginners & Restarters who want to start speaking German in a natural and practical way. https://bettergerman.info/course ✨ Join The Better German Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

Many learners see ä, ö, and ü and immediately feel confused. What are those two dots? Are they new letters? Are they just decoration? In this episode, we look at German umlauts in a very practical way. You'll hear how they sound, how they relate to the normal vowels a, o, and u , and why they often appear when words change form — for example, when a noun becomes plural. Most importantly, you'll practice the sounds out loud with real examples so you can start getting used to hearing and saying them. If you want to follow along more easily, download the free cheat sheet with all the example words mentioned in the episode. 👩🏻‍💻Free Workshop https://bettergerman.info/workshop 🗣️Get Talking German Course https://bettergerman.info/course ⬇️Download the Umlaut Cheat Sheet https://bettergerman.info/umlaut Key Topics in This Episode ä, öüa → ä, o → ö, and u → üMann → Männer, Buch → Bücher Mentioned in This Episode Episode 18 — The German AlphabetGet Talking German Course You May Also Like → https://podcast.bettergerman.info→ https://bettergerman.info/workshop ✨ Join The Better German Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

Description Why do so many people study German for years and still feel stuck? In this episode, Susi looks at one surprising problem with how many German courses are structured. You’ll hear why the starting point matters much more than most learners realize—and how approaching German differently can change the entire learning experience. Free Live German Workshop: https://bettergerman.info/workshop Get Talking German Course: https://bettergerman.info/course Key Topics in This Episode Mentioned in This Episode Get Talking German (Course) Learn German in a way that helps you start speaking step by step. https://bettergerman.info/course You May Also Like ✨ Join The Better German Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

Part 2 of this mini-series looks at the most common obstacles that quietly stop learners from making progress — and what you can do instead. We talk about misunderstood words, skipping steps, unrealistic expectations, and why practice really matters. A bonus tip at the end shows you how to keep German interesting so you don’t quit. 🔑 In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why misunderstood words can block learning • How skipping steps creates frustration • Why “total immersion” is mostly a myth • Why a native speaker isn’t automatically a good teacher • How to set realistic expectations • Why practice is not optional • How to keep German interesting 🔗 Mentioned in this episode: • Study Technology by L. Ron Hubbard https://www.appliedscholastics.org/ • How long does it take to learn German? — Ep 29 https://bettergerman.info/29 • How much practice do we need? — Ep 28 https://bettergerman.info/28 • Get Talking — German course https://bettergerman.info/course 🎓 Start learning German with me: 👉 https://bettergerman.info/course ✨ Join The Better German Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

Many people start learning German motivated — and then hit a point where they think: “I can’t do this. It’s too hard.” In this episode, Susi explains why that happens and what you can do to prevent it, so you can keep going and make real progress. This is Part 1 of a two-part series and covers tips 1–5. 🔑 In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why your personal “why” is essential • Why everything you learn needs a clear purpose • Why learning only for tests causes frustration • How a realistic schedule keeps you from giving up • Why beginners must first build a core vocabulary 🔗 Mentioned in this episode: • Good habits for learning German — Episode 54 https://bettergerman.info/54 • How much practice do we need? — Episode 28 https://bettergerman.info/28 • How long does it take to learn German? — Episode 29 https://bettergerman.info/29 • Study Technology by L. Ron Hubbard - https://www.appliedscholastics.org/ • Next episode: Tips 6–10 + bonus (Part 2 – episode 56, upcoming) 🎓 Start learning German with me: 👉 Get Talking – German course https://bettergerman.info/course ✨ Join The Better German Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

Learning German usually doesn’t fail because German is hard — it fails because the habits don’t work. In this episode, Susi talks about realistic learning habits that actually help you make progress in German, whether you’re restarting, learning on the side, or finally want to do it properly this time. No gimmicks, no unrealistic promises — just what actually works. 🎬 Free PDF: Learn German with Movies & TV 📘 German Articles Guide (Der · Die · Das) with the mentioned list of nouns 🎧 Full episode page: 🔎 Key Topics • Why motivation alone doesn’t work • How much weekly time actually makes a difference • What to focus on first (and what to ignore early on) • Vocabulary, practice, and media — how they work together • Subtitles: when they help and when they don’t • When structure and courses actually matter 🔗 Mentioned Links & Resources • Nicos Weg – Full Movie with multiple subtitles • Learn German with Movies & TV – Free PDF (curated list of YouTube, Netflix, Prime, Disney): • German Articles Guide (Der · Die · Das) with the mentioned list of nouns • Article: Should You Take a German Course or Learn Alone? 📚 German Dictionaries (mentioned in the episode) • Collins German-English Dictionary • LANGENSCHEIDT Dictionary 🎓 Mentioned Course Get Talking: German for Beginners & Restarters Speak German from the first lesson — no grammar terms, no memorizing rules, only practical language you can actually use. https://bettergerman.info/course 👉 You May Also Like • Episode 14: Learn German with Movies (complete guide): https://bettergerman.info/14 • Episode 7: The 7 Best Tips to Learn German: https://bettergerman.info/7 • Episode 4: How to Learn German: https://bettergerman.info/4 📩 Questions, feedback, or topic requests: podcast@bettergerman.info ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review or share it with someone learning German. ✨ Join The Better German Community Find all podcast resources at one place! 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

Summary Get the FREE Restaurant Word List PDF: You can download the PDF with the most useful restaurant vocabulary and example sentences from this episode here: https://bettergerman.info/restaurant In this episode, Susi explains how to talk about restaurants in German in a simple, practical way. You’ll learn how restaurant language actually works in real life, which phrases people really use, and what’s typical in Austria and Germany. The focus is on useful words, natural sentences, and confidence, not textbook rules. Want to finally make progress in German? 🤓 Live courses are starting soon—check them out here: 👉 Better German Courses Key Topics 🔎 Restaurant German • What restaurant vocabulary you really need • Typical Austrian and German food you’ll see on menus • Polite and natural phrases for ordering and paying • Small cultural details that make restaurants easier to navigate Mentioned Episodes (all episodes can be found at bettergerman.info/# of the episode) Ep 57: Restaurant Practice & Conversation (coming soon) You May Also Like: Ep 30: “To Be” in German Ep 8: How Much Grammar Do We Need? Other Resources Listen to all published episodes at: https://bettergerman.info/53 Check out our YouTube channel for visual lessons. Subscribe for free. ✨ Join The Better German Community Think you’re “bad at languages”? You’re not—the method was just wrong. Join the Better German Community and learn German in a way that finally makes sense. 📰 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox! 🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love. 💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video. 📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On: https://www.instagram.com/susi_blumel/https://www.facebook.com/61580057243680https://www.youtube.com/@Better-Germanhttps://www.tiktok.com/@susibettergermanhttps://de.pinterest.com/susibettergerman/⭐ Enjoyed this episode? If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

This episode makes German verbs that change their form (irregular verbs / starke Verben) super easy. There is a free PDF to follow along (and practice further). 📥 Download Part 2 of the FREE German Verbs Guide: https://bettergerman.info/verbs2 Susi shows that German grammar doesn’t have to be complicated and teaches a simple, structured method for learning verbs like fahren (to drive) and sprechen (to speak). By focusing on groups and easy vowel changes (like “a → ä” or “e → i”), you’ll learn faster and speak German more fluently. Want to actually learn German? For a very short time there is a one time only 50% discount for the Better German Course available. Limited spots, only until the 7th of December! More info here: 🔥 Pre-Sale Now Open: Get Talking — German for Beginners and Restarters

If you’re ready to finally speak with confidence — not just “know things” — this course is built for you. Clear explanations, practical exercises, and the kind of guidance that actually gets you talking. Pre-sale is live now, and it’s the perfect moment to jump in before doors fully open. In Episode 51 of the Better German Podcast, host Susi Blumel walks you through the 7 ways of practicing German even when you are not a native speaker yourself. She busts the myth that only native speakers can teach you well. and why it’s absolutely not required for becoming a confident German speaker. Instead, you’ll hear what actually matters when you’re learning: clarity, structure, practice, and saying things out loud until they stick. Simple, practical, and freeing!

Grab the free PDF for this episode here: https://bettergerman.info/clothes This guide gives you all the clothing vocabulary from episode 46 so you can follow along as Susi practices it in real sentences. In this special 50th episode of the Better German Podcast, Susi Blümel brings the clothes topic back to life — not just listing the words, but showing you how to use them in clear, everyday sentences. You’ll practice clothing items, colors, and simple descriptions, while Susi highlights the key grammar you need, like articles and plurals. By the end, you’ll feel confident using these clothing words naturally when you speak.

Grab the free PDF for this episode here: https://bettergerman.info/sie This guide walks you through all the different uses of “sie” in one place. Work through the examples, follow along with Susi in the episode, and test yourself with short sentences so each meaning sticks for good. It's straightforward, practical, and finally makes this tiny troublemaker easy to handle. In episode 49 of the Better German podcast, Susi Blümel explains the different meanings of the little word sie — it can mean "she," "they," "it," or the polite "you." Susi shows you easy ways to tell which one is meant, using simple examples and everyday sentences. By the end, you'll finally understand how this one word can mean so many things, and you'll feel much more confident using it when you speak.

Hello!✨Welcome to Episode 48 of the Better German Podcast, where host Susi Blümel dives into one of the biggest challenges every learner faces: Why it’s so hard to remember German words — and what you can do to make them stick finally. She also shares some exciting updates about the show: new weekly episodes, a growing team, and easier access to free PDF companion guides — now available to everyone, not just community members! The Better German Community is still open for you to join anytime — a friendly space to learn, practice, and connect with others who love the language as much as you do.✨

📥Here you'll find the PDF that accompanies this episode: https://bettergerman.info/adjectives Ready to put your German adjectives into action? In this episode, Susi builds on the vocab from Episode 44 and helps you master words like groß (big), alt (old), kalt (cold), warm (warm, and more—this time in full sentences you can actually use.✨