Kilo Lingo

Learn German

German, starting with the article, not the alphabet.

A 100-word frequency starter. You cannot learn a German noun without its article, so this course teaches der, die and das from the first lesson rather than treating gender as an advanced topic.

Designed by linguists and built with data.

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Quick taster

3-word session

A quick mix of exercises - recognise, recall, type and build each word. Miss one and it comes back round until it sticks.

Graded reader

Der Mann und das Kind

Only words the course has taught

. : . .

The man is here. The child comes and says: that is good. But we have no time.

Tap any word for its word page

Read German from the first week.

One graded reader written entirely inside the first 100 words, so you read real German sentences without a dictionary at your elbow.

Browse German stories

Grammar that treats you like an adult.

Der Hund beisst den Mann and den Hund beisst der Mann are different events. The article carries the case, and the case carries the meaning. The guides teach that first.

Explore German grammar

The definite article

der Mann

the man - One word, six forms

nominative
der Mann
accusative
den Mann
dative
dem Mann
genitive
des Mannes
plural nom.
die Maenner

English has one the and German has six, because the article is carrying the case. Der Hund beisst den Mann and den Hund beisst der Mann are different events.

Built for German, specifically

Not one course photocopied six times. Each language gets the tools its own difficulties actually call for.

The first 100 words by frequency

Der, die, das, und, sein, in, ein, zu, haben, ich and their neighbours: the words that carry most of any simple German sentence.

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Der, die, das explained properly

Why German has six forms of the where English has one, and why learning a noun without its article is learning nothing.

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The four cases, in priority order

Nominative and accusative first because they carry most of what a beginner reads, dative next, genitive last. Not four equal columns on day one.

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The six modal verbs as a block

Koennen, muessen, duerfen, sollen, wollen, moegen. They misbehave in the same way as each other, so they are cheaper to learn together.

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A graded reader you can actually finish

One story under a strict 100-word ceiling, so every word in it is a word you have met.

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German by the numbers

Counted from the course, not rounded up for the brochure.

words in the course
100

words in the course

grammar guides
3

grammar guides

graded reader
1

graded reader

Or wander in sideways

The course is the spine, but every part of it stands on its own.

StoriesGrammarGamesWord listsPronunciationTeaching resourcesBooksLeaderboardToolsThe article systemThe four casesStart the course

Start German at word one.

Every lesson is free to read, and stays that way. Plus is what remembers them for you: free for a week, then $5 a month - one subscription for every course on the site, not just German.

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