Learn German fast by learning common scenarios.
Skip the "the cat drinks milk" phase. Type the moment you're about to walk into, like a Berlin bakery or a Munich train platform, and GigaLearner writes the German you'll actually hear and say. Hit play, slow it to 0.75×, parrot away.
Why scenarios beat word lists.
Real lines, not random words
You learn the exact German for the moment you're in, in the order it actually comes up.
Hear it the way it's said
One natural voice explains in English and speaks the German. Too fast? Slow it to 0.75× and say it back.
Consistent, once you know the rules
German spelling is very regular. "ei" is always "eye", "ie" is always "ee". Hear each line, slow it down, and the long words stop being scary.
5 more common German scenarios to rehearse first.
The situations that come up on day one. Each line below is the one you'll need. GigaLearner writes the whole conversation around it, so you know what the other person will say back.
- PLATFORM, HAMBURG
Checking your train
Rehearse this →Fährt dieser Zug nach München?"Does this train go to Munich?" - APOTHEKE, COLOGNE
A headache at the pharmacy
Rehearse this →Ich brauche etwas gegen Kopfschmerzen."I need something for a headache." - OFFICE, FRANKFURT
Running late for work
Rehearse this →Entschuldigung, ich bin etwas zu spät."Sorry, I'm a little late." - RESTAURANT, MUNICH
Paying the bill
Rehearse this →Können wir bitte zahlen?"Can we pay, please?" - STREET, VIENNA
Finding the station
Rehearse this →Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof?"How do I get to the station?"
German in 30 seconds.
- Spoken in
- Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and parts of Belgium and Italy.
- Written in
- The Latin alphabet, plus ä, ö, ü and ß.
- The tricky bit
- Sie or du? Sie for strangers, shop staff and colleagues until they offer du. Nouns are always capitalised, which actually helps you spot them.
- Quick win
- "Ich hätte gern…" ("I'd like…") is the polite way to order anything.
Three steps. Zero flashcard guilt.
Type the moment
Anything that's about to happen, like checking your train. No ideas? Tap a template like At the restaurant.
GL writes the script
Seconds later: the conversation that usually goes down, line by line in German and English.
Tweak it, then hear it
Harder, easier, or what happens next. Then add voice, slow it to 0.75× and parrot away. Nobody's listening. Probably.
German questions, answered.
How fast can I learn German?
Fluency takes years, and no app can honestly promise otherwise. Getting through the moments you're nervous about takes days: rehearse a scenario a few times before it happens and the lines stick. Start with the 6 on this page.
How do I get the German pronunciation right?
German spelling is very regular. "ei" is always "eye", "ie" is always "ee". Hear each line, slow it down, and the long words stop being scary.
Which German does GigaLearner teach?
Standard German. Put your scenario in Vienna or Zürich and the lesson notes the local words you'll hear.
Is it free?
You start free with 3 minutes of lesson audio and 20 lessons, no card needed. Pro is $9.99 a month or $89.99 a year for 30 minutes of audio and up to 500 lessons every month, in every language.
Is there an app?
GigaLearner works in your browser on phone, tablet and computer today. The iPhone and Android apps are coming soon.