LernLaterne

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German

Learn German

Explore the language of Goethe, Grimm’s fairy tales and conversations from Berlin to the Alps. A few words can bring you closer to the people and their stories.

Illustration for German

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German at a glance

Speakers
90–110 million (L1) + 10–20 million (L2)
Countries and regions
Germany, Austria, Switzerland...
Writing system
Latin
Native name
Deutsch
Indo-EuropeanGermanicWest GermanicGerman

Broad estimates; highlighted countries show selected regions of use, not where everyone speaks the language.

Map data: Natural Earth · public domain

What is German — and why is it worth learning?

German belongs to the Germanic language family and shares many roots with English and the Scandinavian languages. Around 100 million people speak German as a native language, and millions more as a second or foreign language. In science, business, and culture, the language plays a central role in Europe.

Anyone learning German can not only live and work in German-speaking countries but also read original texts — from Goethe and Schiller to Kafka and Hesse, through to contemporary literature and journalism.

Learning German with comprehensible input

LernLaterne follows the principle of comprehensible input: you read and listen to texts that match your level and learn vocabulary and grammar in context. Stories train reading comprehension and expand your vocabulary step by step. Dialogs show how German sounds in everyday life. Branching stories connect reading with choices, and the vocabulary section helps you look up individual words with examples from the texts.

Whether you are just starting out or already reading confidently at B2: choose your level, find a text that interests you — and get started.