Learning German usually doesn’t fail because German is hard — it fails because the habits don’t work. In this episode, Susi talks about realistic learning habits that actually help you make progress in German, whether you’re restarting, learning on the side, or finally want to do it properly this time. No gimmicks, no unrealistic promises — just what actually works.

🔎 Key Topics

• Why motivation alone doesn’t work

• How much weekly time actually makes a difference

• What to focus on first (and what to ignore early on)

• Vocabulary, practice, and media — how they work together

• Subtitles: when they help and when they don’t

• When structure and courses actually matter

🔗 Mentioned Links & Resources

• Article: Should You Take a German Course or Learn Alone?

📚 German Dictionaries (mentioned in the episode)

• Collins German-English Dictionary 

• LANGENSCHEIDT Dictionary

🎓 Mentioned Course

Get Talking: German for Beginners & Restarters

Speak German from the first lesson — no grammar terms, no memorizing rules, only practical language you can actually use.

👉 You May Also Like

• Episode 14: Learn German with Movies (complete guide): https://bettergerman.info/14

• Episode 7: The 7 Best Tips to Learn German: https://bettergerman.info/7

• Episode 4: How to Learn German: https://bettergerman.info/4

📩 Questions, feedback, or topic requests:

podcast@bettergerman.info

⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review or share it with someone learning German.

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PDF for the episode: https://bettergerman.info/restaurant

In this episode, Susi explains how to talk about restaurants in German in a simple, practical way. You’ll learn how restaurant language actually works in real life, which phrases people really use, and what’s typical in Austria and Germany. The focus is on useful words, natural sentences, and confidence, not textbook rules.

• What restaurant vocabulary you really need

• Typical Austrian and German food you’ll see on menus

• Polite and natural phrases for ordering and paying

• Small cultural details that make restaurants easier to navigate

(all episodes can be found at bettergerman.info/# of the episode)

Ep 57: Restaurant Practice & Conversation (coming soon)

Ep 30: “To Be” in German

Ep 8: How Much Grammar Do We Need?

✨ Join The Better German Community 
      Think you’re “bad at languages”? You’re not—the method was just wrong. Join the Better German Community and learn German in a way that finally makes sense.

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       Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox!

🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes
      New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love.

💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself
      We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video.

📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On:

      If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

This episode makes German verbs that change their form (irregular verbs / starke Verben) super easy.

There is a free PDF to follow along (and practice further). 📥 Download Part 2 of the FREE German Verbs Guide: https://bettergerman.info/verbs2 

Susi shows that German grammar doesn’t have to be complicated and teaches a simple, structured method for learning verbs like fahren (to drive) and sprechen (to speak). By focusing on groups and easy vowel changes (like “a → ä” or “e → i”), you’ll learn faster and speak German more fluently.

If you’re ready to finally speak with confidence — not just “know things” — this course is built for you. Clear explanations, practical exercises, and the kind of guidance that actually gets you talking. Pre-sale is live now, and it’s the perfect moment to jump in before doors fully open.
 
In Episode 51 of the Better German Podcast, host Susi Blumel walks you through the 7 ways of practicing German even when you are not a native speaker yourself. She busts the myth that only native speakers can teach you well.  and why it’s absolutely not required for becoming a confident German speaker. Instead, you’ll hear what actually matters when you’re learning: clarity, structure, practice, and saying things out loud until they stick. Simple, practical, and freeing!

Grab the free PDF for this episode here: https://bettergerman.info/clothes
This guide gives you all the clothing vocabulary from episode 46 so you can follow along as Susi practices it in real sentences.

In this special 50th episode of the Better German Podcast, Susi Blümel brings the clothes topic back to life — not just listing the words, but showing you how to use them in clear, everyday sentences. You’ll practice clothing items, colors, and simple descriptions, while Susi highlights the key grammar you need, like articles and plurals.

By the end, you’ll feel confident using these clothing words naturally when you speak.

Grab the free PDF for this episode here: https://bettergerman.info/sie
This guide walks you through all the different uses of “sie” in one place. Work through the examples, follow along with Susi in the episode, and test yourself with short sentences so each meaning sticks for good. It's straightforward, practical, and finally makes this tiny troublemaker easy to handle.

In episode 49 of the Better German podcast, Susi Blümel explains the different meanings of the little word sie — it can mean "she," "they," "it," or the polite "you." Susi shows you easy ways to tell which one is meant, using simple examples and everyday sentences. By the end, you'll finally understand how this one word can mean so many things, and you'll feel much more confident using it when you speak. 

Hello!✨Welcome to Episode 48 of the Better German Podcast, where host Susi Blümel dives into one of the biggest challenges every learner faces: Why it’s so hard to remember German words — and what you can do to make them stick finally.

She also shares some exciting updates about the show: new weekly episodes, a growing team, and easier access to free PDF companion guides — now available to everyone, not just community members!

The Better German Community is still open for you to join anytime — a friendly space to learn, practice, and connect with others who love the language as much as you do.✨

📥Here you'll find the PDF that accompanies this episode: https://bettergerman.info/adjectives

Ready to put your German adjectives into action? In this episode, Susi builds on the vocab from Episode 44 and helps you master words like groß (big), alt (old), kalt (cold), warm (warm, and more—this time in full sentences you can actually use.✨

📥Here you'll find the PDF that accompanies this episode: https://bettergerman.info/clothes
 Download this free PDF and practice the clothing words from Episode 46. Learn the clothes words as you follow along with the episode and start using them in sentences—quick, simple, and effective!

In Episode 46, host Susi Blümel expands your German vocabulary with a focus on clothing words. From shirts and coats to trousers and dresses, you’ll learn the most useful nouns, how their plurals work, and where English and German differ in surprising ways. Susi also shares practical tips to make these words stick and explains how to practice them in real life.

📥Here you'll find the PDF that accompanies this episode: https://bettergerman.info/verbs1.
Download this free PDF and practice the verbs from Episode 45 step by step. Learn the forms, follow along with the podcast, and create your own sentences. Quick, simple, and effective—start speaking with confidence today! 

In this episode of Better German , host Susi Blümel tackles one of the most essential building blocks of the language: verbs in the present tense. Susi shows you the main patterns of regular verbs, step by step, and explains the verb endings you need to know. With easy examples, she helps you understand the rules and use them in your own sentences. By the end, you'll see that verbs in the present are not as hard as they seem—and you'll feel ready to use them in daily conversations with more confidence.

📥Here you find the PDF that goes with this episode: https://bettergerman.info/adjectives
Download this free guide and practise the 16 core German describing words from Episode 44 — with examples, pronunciation tips, and short exercises that help you actually use them in real sentences.

In this episode of Better German, host Susi Blümel walks you through essential adjectives like big, small, old, young,  and more — the words that give your German colour and personality. She explains how to pronounce them (including the German r) and shows simple sentences so you can start using these words right away. By the end, you’ll feel more comfortable describing things in German and be ready for the next part of the adjective series.

📥Here you’ll find the PDF that accompanies this episode: https://bettergerman.info/numbers
Download this free PDF and practice the numbers step by step. Count with the podcast, spot the patterns, and use German numbers with confidence. 

In episode 43 of the Better German Podcast, host Susi Blumel breaks down everything you need to know about German numbers. She guides listeners through counting from 1 to 100, explains the difference between “eins” and “ein,” and introduces patterns for numbers above 20. She also previews upcoming episodes on adjectives, ordinal numbers, and dates. This episode is perfect for beginners or anyone wanting to brush up on their German number skills.

In this episode of Better German , Susi Blumel helps you start using color words in real sentences. You'll learn how to ask, What color is...? and how to answer with simple phrases. You can also get a free PDF with all the examples—available in the Better German Community , a friendly place to learn and practice together. It's a fun and easy way to start speaking more German!

In this episode of Better German, host Susi Blumel explores the often confusing concept of “false friends”—German words that look or sound like English ones but mean something entirely different. With relatable stories and examples like Gift , become , and Rat , Susi highlights how these tricky pairs can lead to misunderstandings. She shares practical tips for spotting and mastering false friends, including smart vocabulary-building strategies and the importance of a good dictionary. The episode also gives a shoutout to the free Better German Community—which is completely free to join and is an encouraging space for learners to connect and keep growing!

✨ Join The Better German Community 
      Think you’re “bad at languages”? You’re not—the method was just wrong. Join the Better German Community and learn German in a way that finally makes sense.

📰  Sign Up for Our Newsletter
       Get Tips & Updates Straight To Your Inbox!

🌍 Explore Our Podcast Episodes
      New to the podcast? Head over to our podcast homepage to find other episodes you’ll love.

💬 Come See Our Approach For Yourself
      We believe in real understanding, not just memorizing grammar rules—come see how we do in this YouTube Video.

📲 Stay Connected and Follow Us On:

      If you liked what you heard, give us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or share it with a fellow learner!

In this episode of Better German teaches listeners the German words for basic colors. She shares updates about her teaching, new online courses, and the free Better German community. Susi provides a clear, repeat-after-me pronunciation guide for a range of color words, tips for memorizing and practicing vocabulary, and practical exercises to help learners integrate these new words into everyday use. Bonus resources, including a handy printable PDF with color vocabulary, are available in the Better German community which is completely free to sign up.

In Episode 39 of the Better German Podcast, host Susi Blümel returns from a break to introduce the Better German Community—a new space created for German learners. 

The community offers courses, but also a range of resources, including live Zoom classes on vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, conversation, and fluency, along with a MatchUp feature to connect learners for practice. In this episode, Susi dives into the importance of conversation practice in learning German, sharing practical tips on how beginners can start with a study partner. She also emphasizes the value of keeping early conversations correction-free to build confidence and make learning enjoyable. Additionally, Susi invites listeners to join one of her free Zoom conversation classes to put these skills into action. The next episode will focus on German pronunciation—stay tuned!

In episode 38 of the Better German Podcast, host Susi Blumel introduces an upcoming German beginner course and discusses a new frequency for podcast episodes. The main focus of the episode is a word list covering family members in German, with translations and helpful illustrations. Learn German repeating those words! Here you can get the list of words used with translation and an illustration.

Episode 37 is the third and final part of a mini-series introducing German cases. It briefly recaps the first two episodes, which covered the definition and importance of cases, names of cases, and how verbs determine cases. The focus of this episode is on how German prepositions determine cases, with examples provided for clarity. It also explains special prepositions that require different cases depending on context. Get the free PDF German Case Essentials here.

In this episode, you will learn the names and basic usages of each of the four cases of the German language.

In episode 35 of the Better German Podcast , I am going to give you an introduction to German cases. And we are discussing here the very basics - what are cases at all? Why do we have them? Other languages ​​get along just fine without them, so what are they really?