A1 band — 21 topics
Survival patterns: articles, present tense, questions, negation, basic cases, and word order you need for first conversations.
German grammar
German GrammarFree · A1–C192 cheatsheets
Grammar reference library
Clear examples first, rules second — from A1 to C1. Find your level and start with one topic today.
Choose your path
Pick your CEFR level
Each level has its own hub with study packages — tenses, cases, word order, and more.
A1
Foundations
Articles, word order, present tense
21 cheatsheetsOpen →
A2
Expanding
Past, cases, modal verbs
21 cheatsheetsOpen →
B1
Intermediate
Passive, relatives, subjunctive
19 cheatsheetsOpen →
B2
Upper-inter.
Conditions, mood, nominalization
21 cheatsheetsOpen →
C1
Advanced
Formal style, reported speech
10 cheatsheetsOpen →
Recommended starts
High-traffic topics learners open first — or pick a level in the contents panel.
Make it stick
Turn grammar rules into real German you can speak
Register free to tap any word in podcasts and articles for AI explanations, save vocabulary, and track progress.
- Tap any German word for instant AI explanations in context
- Save vocabulary and review with spaced repetition
- Sync your progress across phone, tablet and web
Writing + study paths from this grammar hub
Curated next steps: move from rules to real output and listening loops.
German writing studio (A1–C1)
Sentence flow, formal register, and revision checklists that pair with grammar topics.
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Learn German hub
Study paths, transcript drills, and listening practice pages that glue skills together.
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German podcasts for beginners
Curated entry episodes with transcripts — good listening loops after a grammar block.
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B1 listening practice
Longer stretches of natural speech with reading support — bridges B1 grammar to real usage.
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Apply grammar in context
After each cheatsheet, practise in listening and reading, then lock it in with review.
Extended study guide & FAQ(optional)
German grammar reference library
This public library contains 92 German grammar pages from A1 through C1. Each cheatsheet begins with a tight rule set (tables, lists, and short examples), then opens into a long study companion: listening loops, reading loops, common pitfalls, writing drills, and spaced-repetition habits written for self-study — so the same URL works as a quick reminder or a 30-minute lesson.
Use the pages alongside German podcast episodes with transcripts and reading articles: grammar sticks when you meet the same frame in authentic audio and print. The hub lives at /grammar; every topic has a stable /grammar/slug URL, canonical metadata, and structured data for search.
A2 band — 21 topics
Past in speech (Perfekt), dative, modals, comparatives, subclauses, separables — the machinery of everyday stories.
B1 band — 19 topics
Passive, relatives, polite Konjunktiv II, zu-infinitives, genitive touchpoints, Präteritum for modals — newspaper German starts here.
B2 band — 21 topics
Plusquamperfekt, unreal conditions, adjective endings, two-way prepositions, indirect speech intros, concessive chains, nominal style — essay and op-ed German.
C1 band — 10 topics
Konjunktiv I reporting, nominal compression, reduced relatives, stance markers, formal prepositions — precision for work, study abroad, and exams.
How to use these pages (30-minute loop)
- Skim the rule block once — do not memorise isolated words yet.
- Say every bold German example aloud; exaggerate endings so your mouth learns muscle memory.
- Write three original sentences that obey only this rule (different vocabulary from the page).
- Listen for the pattern in a transcript: pause, replay, shadow.
- Revisit on day 3 and day 10 with a blank page — if you cannot reproduce the rule in one English sentence, repeat the loop.
What you can learn here (scope)
- Word order, verb position, questions, negation, coordination vs. subordination.
- Tenses: Präsens, Perfekt, Präteritum (esp. modals), Plusquamperfekt, passive and alternatives.
- Cases, pronouns, adjective endings, two-way prepositions, fixed verb–preposition chunks.
- Register moves: Konjunktiv I/II, reported speech, connectors, nominal style, stance markers (C1).
- Study skills baked into each page: pitfalls, drills, podcast/article integration, spaced repetition.
Grammar + comprehensible input
Rules describe what native speakers compress into fast speech. Transcripts slow the signal back down: you see articles, endings, and clause tails exactly where the speaker produces them. When a cheatsheet feels abstract, search an episode title you enjoy, open the transcript, and grep mentally for that structure — then save one sentence to your vocabulary memory so the pattern has a personal anchor.
For reading, articles recycle the same connectors and case government as podcasts, but spelling stays visible — ideal for adjective endings, nominalisations, and formal prepositions. Alternate days: audio-first one day, print-first the next, same CEFR band, so the same grammar meets two modalities.
| Time / week | Grammar focus | Listening + reading |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 hours | One new cheatsheet + one review page from last week | Two short episodes OR one article; re-use grammar in a diary entry |
| 4–6 hours | Two new topics in the same level band + one bridging topic (e.g. A2 → B1) | Three episodes + one longform article; note 10 unknown collocations |
| 7+ hours | Parallel tracks: one “mechanics” topic + one discourse topic (connectors, stance) | Daily transcript + weekly written summary in German with self-correction |
Exam and classroom alignment
Goethe, telc, and ÖSD tasks reward the same patterns you see here: letter/email scaffolds (B1), argument structure (B2), and neutral reporting (C1). These pages are not a full exam course — they are a grammar spine. Pair them with timed writing prompts and official sample papers; use Podtext audio for the listening stamina layer.
Accessibility & offline use
Cheatsheets are plain HTML with high-contrast tokens in the app shell. Pages you have opened may stay available offline on many devices, so you can revise on a commute without hunting Wi-Fi. Font sizes follow your browser zoom; headings stay hierarchical for screen readers.
FAQ
Is this grammar section free? Yes. Every cheatsheet is a public page with stable URLs — no paywall, no forced account. Optional registration unlocks AI word lookup in episodes and articles, flashcards, and progress sync — not the grammar text itself.
Which level should I start with? Start where production still breaks: if articles or word order slow you down, stay in A1–A2 until automatic, then climb toward B2 and C1 for writing and formal listening. The per-topic study companion suggests drills tuned to your band.
Why is each page so long now? Short rules help scanning; long guidance helps doing. Skim the top when you only need a reminder; work the companion when you have study time.
How does this connect to Podtext listening and reading? Pick one grammar page, then search episodes or articles for vocabulary from the examples. Hearing the same structure in context is the fastest bridge from rule to habit — the companion sections spell out how.
Can I reuse this content? Personal study: yes. Republishing large excerpts elsewhere: please link to Podtext instead so learners always get updates and consistent URLs.
Library version: extended study companions ship with every topic. Counts reflect published rows in podcasts_grammar_topic (plus merged appendices at seed time).