Learn German: 7 reasons why It’s a beautiful language

Today’s guest post comes from Lingholic, a website specialized in the art of learning languages. They have contributed to our German Week by sharing the fascinating unique features of the German language. We highly recommend checking out their page for tips, advice, and curiosities about language learning: a true paradise for polyglots!

Anyone who has bravely tried to learn German probably agrees with Mark Twain, who once famously declared: “Never knew before what eternity was made for. It is to give some of us a chance to learn German.”

We are not going to lie: German has a reputation for being difficult. However, its actual difficulty depends on factors like your native tongue and how much you expose yourself to the language daily.

Even practicing just a couple of hours a week can make your learning journey feel endless if you don't practice active speaking. Yet, there is no denying that German is an incredibly powerful language. As the most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe, it opens massive doors. In recent years, jobs for German speakers have exploded across the continent. If you want to do business in Germany, speaking the language is your golden ticket.

To inspire you, here is a breakdown of what makes the German language so unique, surprising, and beautiful.

1. The German alphabet has one extra letter (the "ß")

While German and English both use the Roman alphabet, German features a unique extra consonant: "ß". It is called scharfes s (literally meaning "sharp s") and is pronounced just like a double "s" (like the "ss" in "kiss"). You can see it in common words like beißen (to bite), draußen (outside), and Gruß (greeting).

2. Is German easy to learn? It shares 60% of Its vocabulary with English

If English is your native language (or you already speak it fluently), you have a massive head start. Because they share the same Germanic roots, English and German share about 60% of their vocabulary. You will easily recognize words like arrogant, loyal, triumphant, gold, and hunger—which look and mean the exact same thing in both languages!

3. The German language is spoken across all six continents

In Europe, German is the most widely spoken mother tongue, boasting almost 100 million native speakers. It is the official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Belgium.

But it doesn't stop there. It is a recognized minority language in Russia, Kazakhstan, Namibia, and the southern tip of Brazil. You can also find sizable German-speaking communities in Australia, South Africa, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina.

(Extra Tip: If you are planning to relocate to Austria using your German skills, make sure to check out the official Austria visa requirements).

4. Why every noun in German starts with a capital letter

In German, all nouns, not just proper names, must begin with a capital letter. While some scholars recently proposed abolishing this rule, studies revealed that capitalization actually makes reading much faster and easier for the human brain. For example, in the sentence "Trauben, Birnen und Bananen sind meine Lieblingsfrüchte", you immediately see the nouns capitalized, translating directly to "Grapes, pears, and bananas are my favourite fruits".

5. Get ready for incredibly long German compound words

German is famous for its "compound nouns." This means you can create a brand-new, highly specific word simply by gluing multiple nouns together. This linguistic superpower results in legendary, giant words like Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz (which refers to a beef labeling supervision duty assignment law) or Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft (the association for subordinate employees of the head office management of the Danube steamboat electrical services).

6. Masculine, feminine, and neutral: The 3 German genders

Unlike English, every German noun has a specific grammatical gender. Nouns are divided into masculine, feminine, and neutral, which are represented by the articles der, die, and das.

For instance, der Vater (the father) is masculine, die Mutter (the mother) is feminine, and das Kind (the child) is neutral. Interestingly, the word for girl, das Mädchen, is grammatically neutral rather than feminine!

7. Demystifying German declensions (and the 4 cases)

Unlike most modern Germanic languages, German still uses declensions. While this is usually a feature of Latin or Slavic languages, German kept this structured system. Fortunately, there are only four grammatical cases in German (Nominative, Accusative, Dative, and Genitive), whereas Latin has six.

To see how it works, take the word Schatz (treasure). It changes depending on its role in a sentence: it is der Schatz in the nominative, den Schatz in the accusative, dem Schatz in the dative, and des Schatzes in the genitive.

8. Beware of funny English-German false friends

Since German and English are closely related, there are several "false friends", words that look identical but have completely different meanings. For example, the German word Bad means bathroom, not evil. A Boot in German is actually a boat, not something you wear on your feet. Most importantly, while a gift in English is a lovely present, the German word Gift means poison, so you'd better double-check before offering a "gift" to a colleague!

9. German word order: why the verb goes to the very end

Word order in German is famously rigid. To fully grasp the meaning of a sentence, you have to listen carefully until the very last word. Depending on the grammar rules, especially when using subordinating conjunctions, the main verb is pushed to the absolute end. For example, in the sentence "Sie kommt heute nicht, weil sie krank ist", the literal word-for-word order is "She is not coming today, because she sick is."

10. The subtle expressiveness of the German language

The true beauty of German lies in its precision. It allows you to express incredibly complex emotional and intellectual concepts in a single word—ideas that would require an entire sentence in other languages.

Take the word sich vergegenwärtigen, which means to recall a past memory and actively apply its value to your present moment. Another great word is mitdenken, which describes actively thinking ahead and anticipating the needs of a team working toward a common goal. Finally, Sprachkrise perfectly captures the spiritual or artistic inability to express oneself through language.

Ready to learn German and boost your career?

Learning the German language is a highly flexible, practical, and deeply rewarding experience. Do not let its complex reputation discourage you, you do not need to speak it perfectly to start reaping the benefits. With just a bit of practice, you will open up amazing new professional and personal horizons.

If you want to put your German skills to work and explore new opportunities, make sure to browse our latest job offers for German speakers in Europe today on Europe Language Jobs!