Learn German with Herr Antrim

Learn German with Herr Antrim Learn German with Herr Antrim offers expert German courses, ebooks, and free resources backed by 15+ years of teaching experience.

Master German with proven strategies and engaging lessons.

09/11/2026

You don’t need perfect grammar before you start speaking German.

A native speaker could probably understand:

🇩🇪 Gestern ich gehe Supermarkt.

It isn’t grammatically correct, but the message is clear. A better version would be:

🇩🇪 Gestern bin ich zum Supermarkt gegangen.
🇺🇸 Yesterday I went to the supermarket.

Learn the correction—but don’t let the fear of making a mistake keep you silent.

Speaking imperfect German is still speaking German.

09/10/2026

You understand German, but why can’t you speak it?

Because understanding and speaking are two different skills:

👂 Listening practices recognition.
🗣️ Speaking requires retrieval.

To practice retrieval, pause after hearing a simple question such as:

🇩🇪 Was hast du heute gemacht?
🇺🇸 What did you do today?

Then answer out loud before you hear anyone else respond.

Don’t just consume more German. Practice pulling German out of your own brain.

09/09/2026

Which German sentence is correct?

A: Heute ich gehe ins Kino.
B: Heute gehe ich ins Kino.

The answer is B:

🇩🇪 Heute gehe ich ins Kino.
🇺🇸 Today I am going to the movies.

When „heute“ takes the first position, the conjugated verb still needs to come second. That pushes „ich“ behind the verb:

Heute | gehe | ich | ins Kino.

Did you choose the correct answer?

09/08/2026

Stop using only „müde“ when you’re tired in German!

🇩🇪 müde = tired
🇩🇪 erschöpft = exhausted
🇩🇪 kaputt = completely worn out (informal)
🇩🇪 Ich bin fix und fertig. = I’m totally exhausted.

After a long day, you could say:

🇩🇪 Ich bin fix und fertig.

Save these expressions for the next time learning German wears you out. 😅

09/06/2026

Why does „halb acht“ mean 7:30 in German instead of 8:30? 🕢

German counts forward to the next hour. „Halb acht“ literally means “halfway to eight,” so it refers to 7:30.

The same pattern works with every hour:

🇩🇪 halb neun = 8:30
🇩🇪 halb zehn = 9:30

Just remember: After „halb,“ Germans name the hour that is coming next.

09/05/2026

„Sowieso“ means something like “anyway,” “in any case” or “regardless.”

🇩🇪 Ich gehe sowieso zum Supermarkt.
🇺🇸 I’m going to the supermarket anyway.

🇩🇪 Das wollte ich sowieso machen.
🇺🇸 I wanted to do that anyway.

🇩🇪 Wir haben sowieso keine Zeit.
🇺🇸 We don’t have time anyway.

Use „sowieso“ when something is already true, already planned or unaffected by the situation.

Bonus: „Sowieso“ is also the title of a great song by Mark Forster. Have you heard it?

09/04/2026

„Gerade“ is a small German word with a lot of power. Depending on the context, it can mean “right now,” “just” or “currently.”

🇩🇪 Ich lerne gerade Deutsch.
🇺🇸 I am learning German right now.

🇩🇪 Er ist gerade nach Hause gekommen.
🇺🇸 He just came home.

🇩🇪 Wir sprechen gerade über deutsche Wörter.
🇺🇸 We are currently talking about German words.

„Gerade“ helps you describe what is happening now, what just happened or what is going on at the moment.

Was machst du gerade?

09/03/2026

Most German learners know „brauchen“ as “to need”:

🇩🇪 Ich brauche Hilfe.
🇺🇸 I need help.

🇩🇪 Wir brauchen mehr Zeit.
🇺🇸 We need more time.

But in negative sentences, you can combine „brauchen“ with a „zu“ infinitive to express “don’t need to” or “don’t have to”:

🇩🇪 Du brauchst das nicht zu machen.
🇺🇸 You don’t need to do that.

🇩🇪 Ich brauche morgen nicht zu arbeiten.
🇺🇸 I don’t need to work tomorrow.

This gives you a useful way to say that something isn’t necessary without always reaching for „müssen.“

09/02/2026

„Schaffen“ is an incredibly versatile German verb. Depending on the context, it can mean “to manage,” “to get something done” or “to succeed at doing something.”

🇩🇪 Ich schaffe das.
🇺🇸 I can manage that. / I can do it.

🇩🇪 Hast du die Hausaufgaben geschafft?
🇺🇸 Did you manage to finish the homework?

🇩🇪 Wir schaffen es nicht pünktlich.
🇺🇸 We won’t make it on time.

„Schaffen“ covers many everyday situations where English speakers might say “make it,” “handle it,” “finish it” or “pull it off.”

Du schaffst das! 💪

09/01/2026

„Trotzdem“ means “nevertheless,” “despite that” or, more naturally in English, “anyway.”

🇩🇪 Es regnet. Trotzdem gehe ich spazieren.
🇺🇸 It is raining. I’m going for a walk anyway.

🇩🇪 Ich bin müde. Trotzdem muss ich arbeiten.
🇺🇸 I’m tired. Nevertheless, I have to work.

Notice that the conjugated verb comes immediately after „trotzdem.“ This word helps you connect contrasting ideas and move beyond short, separate German sentences.

Finish this sentence in German: Ich bin müde. Trotzdem …

Address

Edwardsville, IL
62025

Telephone

+13142520628

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Learn German with Herr Antrim posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Learn German with Herr Antrim:

Shortcuts

Share

Category