👋 Willkommen!¶
A compact, well-organized reference for learners of German. This site collects concise grammar notes, vocabulary lists by topic, practice material, and curated resources — designed for quick lookup and revision.
📋 Overview¶
- 🔤 Alphabet Learn the German alphabet, sounds, and special characters (ä, ö, ü, ß).
- 📖 Grammar Covers the core building blocks: articles, nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, syntax, and more.
- 📘 Vocabulary Themed word lists for everyday life: people, travel, work, food, technology, politics, and beyond.
- 📝 Exam Exercises, translations, sample texts, and exam preparation materials for listening, reading, writing and speaking.
- 🪪 Citizenship German history, politics, and society — useful for integration courses and official tests.
- 🔗 Resources External references, tools, and further study materials.
📜 Brief History¶
German is a West Germanic language with roots stretching back to Proto-Germanic, the ancestor of languages like English, Dutch, and Swedish. Its development is commonly divided into key historical periods:
- Old High German (c. 750–1050 AD): This period began after the Second Germanic Sound Shift, resulting in different regional dialects but no standardized written form.
- Middle High German (c. 1050–1350 AD): A time of literary flourishing, characterized by epic poetry and courtly romances.
- Early New High German (c. 1350–1650 AD): The language began to unify, largely due to Martin Luther's translation of the Bible (1522). His use of a readily understood East Central German dialect was crucial in establishing the basis for today's standardized written language, known as Standard German or Hochdeutsch (High German).
Today, German is a major global language, holding the distinction of being the most widely spoken native language within the European Union.
🌍 German speaking countries¶
German is an official language in six European countries, forming the core of the German-speaking world:
| Country | Status |
|---|---|
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Official |
| 🇦🇹 Austria | Official |
| 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein | Official |
| 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Co-Official (along with French and Italian) |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | Co-Official (along with French and Luxembourgish) |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | Co-Official (German-speaking Community) |
It also holds recognized regional or minority language status in several other countries, including Italy (South Tyrol), Poland, and Denmark.
Significant German-speaking minority communities exist outside of Europe, largely due to emigration over the centuries. The largest communities are found in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina.
❗ Notes¶
✨ This is a personal project, created and maintained by me. ⚠️ While I strive for accuracy, mistakes may exist. 💡 Help, corrections, and feedback are always very welcome!
⚖️ License¶
This project is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). See the LICENSE file for details.