AnnaMarie Houlis
Learning a language takes time. Learning German… can take even more time.
Oscar Wilde famously said, “Life is too short to learn German.”
In Mark Twain’s 1880 “That Awful German Language,” essay in A Tramp Abroad, he writes: “My philological studies have satisfied me that a gifted person ought to learn English (barring spelling and pronouncing) in 30 hours, French in 30 days and German in 30 years.”
It’s no secret that German is a tough language to learn. But German can be a very useful language to speak and understand. Around 130 million people worldwide speak it as their mother tongue. German is the official language of not just Germany, but also Austria, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland.
Moreover, about 7.5 million people in 42 countries belong to a German-speaking minority. And it’s the second-most spoken language in Europe, after Russian.
Fortunately for you, there is a wealth of awesome apps to help you learn German.
Full disclosure: This post has at least one affiliate link.
Best Apps for Learning German
Here are 15 of the best apps for learning German.
1. Ling
Ling takes a gamified approach to learning German for language learners of all levels: beginner intermediate, upper intermediate, advanced, and expert.
It takes a four-pronged approach to helpings users master the German language: vocabulary, grammar, speaking and listening, and reading and writing. With more than 200 lessons and thousands of prompts, it’s a great way to learn get deep dive into the nuances of the German language.
2. Rocket German
Rocket German courses include levels one, two and three to take you from a beginner learner to an advanced conversational German speaker.
There are three different packages for purchase. The best value package includes 389 hours of lesson time, with 6,782 voice recognition phrases, 87 audio lessons, 96 language lessons, 96 culture lessons, 87 practice conversations, and three Survival Kits.
3. Babbel
Babbel is a well-known language-learning app for every level learner. The app quizzes you on your level and places you into the correct course. From there, you can practice German with speech recognition technology, lessons, games, podcasts and even live classes.
For more advanced German learners, Babbel also offers a business German course.
4. Duolingo
Duolingo is one of the most popular language-learning apps on the market with over 49 million active monthly users. The app offers learners gamified, bite-sized lessons in several languages, including German.
Duolingo combines AI and language science to help you form a habit of language learning with fun features, thought-inducing challenges and reminders to keep going.
5. Lingoda
Lingoda offers online language courses, any time, anywhere in English, French, Spanish and German. You can find live classes online around the clock, since Lingoda teachers are located all over the world.
Take a placement test to find out your course level, and get started with your first class. You can choose a date and time that works best for you since there are several of the same class on different days at various times. While you can take each class at your own pace, you still follow a structured course.
6. Dorothy
Dorothy is a memorization tool that uses advanced algorithms to determine when you should study something—and then it quizzes you at optimal times. Dorothy leverages spaced repetition to engage your brain in active recall.
Whenever you learn a word or phrase in German, simply open up the site and add a question for it. Dorothy will notify you when it’s time to open up the site again and study it.
7. HelloTalk
HelloTalk is a language exchange app that supports over 150 languages with more than 30 million members all over the world. You can connect with German speakers in any corner of the globe. Just type a message in your mother tongue and translate it to German or try typing directly in German. The message recipient can edit your messages so you know what to write differently next time.
You can also send each other voice notes. If you can’t understand a German voice note someone sends you, don’t worry. You can transcribe the voice note into text, and then translate it from German to your native language. Voice and video calls are also options.
8. Rosetta Stone
The German accent can be hard. Rosetta Stone uses a TruAccent® speech recognition tool to help you perfect your pronunciation. Its Dynamic Immersion® method allows you to see, listen, speak, read and write in German with new words and phrases that are put in context for you. You can even practice with professional coaches to expand your vocabulary, perfect your grammar and more.
9. Memrise
Memrise uses an immersive learning technique that is twice as fast as learning in a regular classroom setting. The app gives you endless useful German phrases that you can use in everyday life. Memrise has thousands of video examples, as well, so you can see how phrases are used in different contexts.
But it’s not all about absorbing the language. Gamified quizzes will also test what you learn as you learn it.
10. Busuu
Busuu encourages you to practice German for at least 10 minutes per day. Just 22 hours of Busuu Premium equates to a college semester of language study.
The app offers you snackable lessons about everyday life, work and travel. Plus, you can practice with native speakers. There are 120 million Busuu users worldwide with whom you can chat and practice your German language skills.
11. Pimsleur
Pimsleur is a language-learning app that gives you 30-minute core lessons. These include reading lessons, voice coaching, speaking challenges and more. Digital flashcards and speed round games make learning German fun and engaging. You’ll earn new skill badges after each lesson and can build your learning streak if you hit your daily goals.
12. Tandem
Tandem is another language exchange app. It doesn’t teach you German through courses. Rather, it connects you to other Tandem users, who are native in German and who share similar interests. You can text, voice message and video call with these users to practice German and teach your mother tongue to them.
13. LingoPie
Lingopie is for all levels of learners. It’s a video-based learning app with a database of over 1,000 television shows and movies. So instead of binging on Netflix, you can watch Lingopie to learn German while watching.
With LingoPie, you can play the show or movie at different speeds, watch with subtitles (in English and/or in German) and even mark words. Those words will be saved on flashcards so you can keep studying them later.
14. Google Translate
Okay, Google Translate isn’t exactly a language-learning app, but it is an app that can help you learn a language. You can use Google Translate to translate anything you want to say by text or voice and then read or listen to the translation. You can even use the in-app camera to scan and translate text, which comes in handy when you’re reading things like menus.
15. ChatGPT
Again, ChatGPT isn’t exactly an app for learning languages, per say. However, you can certainly use the platform to learn languages—and you can do so in a number of ways. For example, you can simply use ChatGPT as a conversation partner by asking it questions in German or asking for answers in German. You can also ask it to make German translations for you or even generate a curriculum or prompts to help you practice German.
9 Tips for Studying German
There are a wealth of language-learning apps from which to choose to help you learn or improve your German. Whichever one you choose, keep these nine tips in mind to enhance your studying.
1. Practice every day.
The more you practice German, the fast you’ll learn it and the easier it’ll become. You should try to practice German every day, even if it’s only for a few minutes.
2. Immerse yourself in German.
Immersion is key to learning any language. But if you’re not traveling to or living in a German-speaking place, it can be difficult to immerse yourself in the language. You can, however, read German news articles, listen to German music and watch German television and movies.
3. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
Many learners get nervous to practice German with native speakers because they’re afraid to make mistakes. But you will never learn German if you don’t try.
4. Ask questions to native speakers.
If you don’t understand a word or a phrase in German, ask about it. If you are chatting with a native speaker in a language exchange app, ask the person with whom you’re messaging. If you’re taking an online class, ask your German instructor to clarify the word or phrase for you.
5. Use spaced repetition.
Spaced repetition is a science-backed method of effective studying. The Dorothy app uses this method of studying to help you study your specific German words and phrases so you don’t forget them.
6. Study in a quiet place.
Don’t try to study German somewhere where you are bogged down with distractions. Sit somewhere you can give your German study materials your full attention.
7. Try out different apps.
Not every app will work for everybody—whether it’s about your learning style, your budget or another factor. You’re spoiled for choice of German language-learning apps. Try out different options to find what works best for you.
8. Speak German out loud.
As it turns out, what you say out loud has a better chance of landing in your long-term memory than what you just think.That’s why people tend to say other people’s names aloud when they introduce themselves. So don’t just read German textbooks, but try to talk as much as you can, too.
9. Visit Germany! (Or a German-speaking country.)
Of course, full-on immersion is an awesome way to learn a language. And, if you visit Germany or another country that speaks German like Switzerland or Austria, you’ll be surrounded by it. Even spending just a few days doing daily-life things like grocery shopping or ordering at a cafe in a German-speaking place can make a huge difference.