Jens Olesen
Oct 176 min read
Jens Olesen
Oct 105 min read
Jens Olesen
Jul 235 min read
Jens Olesen
Jul 74 min read
Jens Olesen
Jun 199 min read
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Hello! I'm Jens. I'm the founder and director of Olesen Tuition- one of London's leading German language schools. I'm an Oxford-educated German tutor with over 25 years of teaching experience, and I have successfully taught thousands of clients at all levels. In this blog, you will find my tips on how to learn German, all based on my first-hand experience of helping my students become fluent in German. Their clever questions have inspired many posts on this blog. I regularly write posts explaining the infamous German grammar and shed light on nuanced distinctions in the language.
So, if you're looking for answers to particular questions or want to improve your German more generally, you have come to the right place! I also publish posts that might be of interest to those who are learning other languages, such as an A-Z guide to grammar terminology, an explanation of the different language levels from A1 to C2, reviews of the most popular online dictionaries and language learning apps, and I offer some insights on how to learn vocabulary.
Using my blog is easy. Search for answers to your German grammar questions by typing your questions in the site search below or using the menu with the main topics. Please leave me comments and any questions, and I'll get back to you. After all, your question might inspire a new post. And don't forget to subscribe to this blog to receive my latest posts. Happy reading!
✨ Exciting News! ✨ Brand-New Blog Series: Essential German Words and Phrases 🇩🇪
We're thrilled to announce our brand-new blog series: Essential German Words and Phrases. Whether you're brushing up on your German or starting from scratch, this series has got you covered!
🚀 New posts drop every Tuesday at 3 PM—perfect for your afternoon language boost!
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Follow our weekly journey and become a pro at navigating conversations in German, from everyday chats to impressing your in-laws.
💬 Subscribe to our blog, share our posts with a friend who’s learning German and let’s get you fluent in German!
General Guides to Learning German
- How to learn German properly: a German tutor's guide
- Can I learn German in 3 months? A realistic guide
- How long does it take to learn German?
- The ultimate guide to learning German
- German for kids: tips and resources for kids to learn German
- how to learn German for academic purposes
- The 5 most common mistakes in German and how to avoid them
- 5 interesting facts about the German language
- 10 essential grammar topics students at B1 and B2 level must master
- 10 most important German grammar topics for C1 and C1 students
- the ultimate guide to excelling in the A1 Goethe exam
- German grammar guide for the A1 exam
- your guide to preparing for the Goethe A2 exam
- German grammar guide for the A2 exam
- German grammar guide for the B1 exam
Posts for Beginners in German
- what students learn in the first ten weeks of my beginner German courses
- differences between the English and the German alphabet
- a beginner's guide to German pronunciation
- how to say dates and months in German?
- how to discuss daily routines in German?
- how to give directions in German?
- how to order a meal in German?
- how to check into a hotel in German?
- how do you say...in German? Helpful words and phrases
- how to say please and thank you in German
- how to introduce yourself in German
- understanding "es gibt" in German and how to use it
- 10 grammar rules beginners must learn
- a beginners guide to German word order
- a beginner's guide to German articles
- beginner's guide to nominative and accusative in German
- a beginner's guide to German genders
- a beginner's guide to adjective declensions in German
GCSE German
- How to get a 9 in GCSE German
- Excelling in GCSE German: an essential guide
- Top tips and resources for success in your GCSE German exams
- How to navigate the biggest challenges in doing GCSE German
- how to write excellent essays in the GCSE German writing exam
- how to prepare for the listening, reading, writing papers in GCSE German
- GCSE German reading exercise: Mein Taylor Swift Konzertbesuch
- GCSE German reading comprehension text: Mein Schultag in Deutschland
- GCSE German reading exercise: Mein Besuch bei meinem Austauschschüler
- GCSE German reading comprehension text: Deutsche Feste und Traditionen
- GCSE German reading comprehension text: Jugendliche und Soziale Medien
- GCSE German reading comprehension text: Ein Besuch mit Freunden im Kino
- how to prepare for the GCSE German speaking exam
- mastering translations in GCSE German
- 10 most important GCSE German grammar topics to revise
A-Level German
- How to get an A* in A-level German
- Top tips and resources for A-level German success
- A-level German language test: Is your German at the required level?
- The 10 most important German grammar topics for A-level German
- How to write excellent A-level German essays
- How to prepare for the A-level German speaking exam
- How to prepare for the A-level German IRP
- How to prepare for the A-level German listening, reading, writing paper
- A-Level German reading comprehension text; Taylor Swift also Geschäftsfrau
- A-Level German reading comprehension text: Deutschland und die Vergangenheitsbewältigung
- A-Level German reading comprehension text: Verschiedene Familienformen in Deutschland
- A-Level German reading comprehension text: Deutschlands Rolle in der EU
- A-level German revision guide on Der Besuch der alten Dame
- A-level German revision guide: Der Vorleser
- A-level German revision guide: Die Verwandlung
- A-level German revision guide: Das Leben der Anderen
- A-level German revision guide: Goodbye Lenin
- A-level German revision guide: Sophie Scholl-die letzten Tage
Facts about the German Language
- interesting facts about the German language
- the fascinating world of the German language
- 10 mistakes German native speakers make in their own language
- is the German language hard to learn?
- how many words does the German language have?
Adjectives
- adjective ending rules in German
- comparatives and superlatives in German
- viel vs. viele- the difference in German
Adverbs
- Adverbs in German: Add Nuance to Your Expressions
- Tekamolo- how to structure adverbs in German sentences
- am meisten vs. meistens in German
- sehr vs. viel- how to use them in German
Nouns
- how to use articles and cases in German
- struggling with the accusative and dative case in German?
- German verbs with the accusative, dative case and both cases
Prepositions
- two-way prepositions in German
- accusative prepositions in German
- dative prepositions in German
- genitive prepositions in German
- temporal prepositions im, am, um
- seit vs. vor- the difference in German
- the difference between aus and von in German
- the difference between an and auf
- how to express emotions using vor and aus in German
- spatial prepositions an, auf, in, nach, zu in German
- verbs with prepositions in German
- German nouns and adjectives with prepositions
Pronouns
- on how to use "du", Sie" and "ihr in German
- reflexive pronouns in German
Verbs
- conjugation of German verbs in the present tense
- difference between müssen and brauchen
- the difference between möchten and mögen
- German verbs with the accusative and dative case
- negation of German verbs or adjectives
- Präteritum/imperfect tense in German
- Plusquamperfect/past perfect tense in German
- future tense (Futur I) in German
- the difference between Partizip I and II in German
- reported speech (Konjunktiv I) in German
- conditional (Konjunktiv II) in German
Word Order
- German coordinating conjunctions
- the most common German subordinate clause conjunctions
- compound conjunctions in German
- the difference between weil, da, denn
- als vs. wenn vs. wann in German
- conditional clauses in German
- the difference between obwohl and trotzdem in German
- nachdem vs. danach, bevor vs. vorher
- infinitive clauses in German
- direct and indirect questions in German
Confusing German words and phrases
- false friends in English and German
- how to say I'm hot and I'm cold in German
- Happy Valentine's day in German
- Happy Mother's day in German
- how do you say "Merry Christmas" in German?
- German sayings and proverbs and what they actually mean
- best German songs to improve your German
Exercises
- German verb conjugations in the present tense
- German perfekt tense exercises
- German word order exercises for A2/B1 level
- German word order exercises on weil, da, denn
- Exercises on the German als, wenn, wann
- German word order exercises on um...zu and damit
- German cases exercises for A1-C1 level
- German adjective declension exercises A2-C1 level
- Exercises on the German two-way prepositions
- Exercises on German accusative prepositions
- A1 German reading comprehension text: Mein normaler Tag im Büro
- A1 German reading comprehension text: Herr Meyers neue Wohnung
- A1 German reading comprehension text: Ein Abend im Restaurant
- A1 German reading comprehension text: Ein Termin beim Arzt
- A2 German reading comprehension text: Abendessen im Restaurant Krone
- A2 German reading comprehension text: Die Esskultur in Deutschland
- A2 German reading comprehension text: Einkaufen im Supermarkt
- A2 German reading comprehension text: Die Fußball-EM in Deutschland
- B1 German reading comprehension text: Eine Reise nach Köln
- B1 German reading comprehension text: Die 10 einflussreichsten deutschen Künstler
- B1 German reading comprehension text: Die einflussreichsten deutschen Erfinder
- B1 German reading comprehension text: Wohin fahren Deutsche in Urlaub?
- B2 German reading comprehension text: Was ist moderne Esskultur?
- B2 German reading comprehension text: Die Erfolgsgeheimnisse der Hidden Champions
- B2 German reading comprehension: Made in Germany
- B2 German reading comprehension text: Arbeiten in Deutschland
- C1 German reading comprehension text: Die Faszination des Tatorts
- C1 German reading comprehension text: Die 10 einflussreichsten deutschen Philosophen
- C1 German reading comprehension text: Die Deutsche Bahn steht in der Kritik
- C2 German reading comprehension text: Der Aufstieg der AfD
- C2 German reading comprehension text: Kants kategorischer Imperativ
Essential German Words and Phrases
- essential German words and phrases for supermarket shopping
- useful German phrases for shopping in a German-speaking country
- must-know German phrases for travellers
- helpful vocabulary for restaurant visits in German
- mastering doctor's appointments in German
- German vocabulary for going to the pharmacy
- essential words for registering to reside in a German-speaking country
- German words and phrases for the office and at work
- crucial German phrases for meeting the in-laws
German Names of...
- Guten Appetit: German names of the 50 most common vegetables
- Discovering the German names of the 50 most common fruits
- German names of the 50 most common foods
- German names of 50 body parts
- German names of 50 car components
- German names of the 50 most common professions
- German names of 50 Taylor Swift terms
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