Deutsch Üben — Free German Grammar Practice Online

Q: What's the difference between der, die, and das?

Der, die, and das are the three German definite articles, equivalent to 'the' in English. They indicate grammatical gender: der is masculine, die is feminine, and das is neuter. Every German noun belongs to one of these three genders, which you need to memorise alongside the word itself.

Q: How do I know when to use haben or sein in the Perfekt?

Use haben for most verbs, especially transitive ones that take a direct object. Use sein for verbs expressing movement from one place to another (gehen, fahren, laufen) and verbs expressing a change of state (werden, sterben, einschlafen). A handful always use sein: bleiben, passieren, gelingen.

Q: How do I form the Partizip II?

For regular verbs add ge- before the stem and -t at the end (machen to gemacht). Irregular verbs often change the stem and end in -en (gehen to gegangen). Verbs ending in -ieren take no ge- (telefonieren to telefoniert). Separable verbs put ge- between prefix and stem (aufmachen to aufgemacht). Verbs with inseparable prefixes take no ge- (bezahlen to bezahlt).

Q: Are the apps really free?

Yes. Every app on Deutsch Üben is completely free to use, with no paywalls, no subscriptions and no account required.

Q: Which app should I start with?

Beginners should start with German Articles, since knowing der/die/das is foundational to German grammar. Then add Deutsches Partizip for the past tense, and Akkusativ oder Dativ once you reach A2 to B1 to master the case system.

Why practice German grammar online?

German grammar has a reputation for being difficult — and for good reason. Unlike English, German assigns a grammatical gender to every noun, declines articles across four cases, and forms the past tense differently depending on whether a verb expresses movement, state change, or neither. These aren't rules you can memorise in an afternoon; they require repeated, active practice to become instinctive.

Short, focused drilling sessions are one of the most effective ways to build this kind of automaticity. Research in language acquisition consistently shows that spaced repetition — seeing the same material again and again, with intervals — outperforms passive study like reading grammar books. The apps on Deutsch Üben are built around this principle: 10-word or 10-verb sessions, unseen items first, accuracy tracked per word so you know exactly where to focus.

Everything runs in your browser with no account needed. Progress is saved locally on your device, so you can pick up exactly where you left off.

What is CEFR? Understanding A1 to C2

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is the international standard for describing language ability. All vocabulary and content on Deutsch Üben is organised by CEFR level so you can practise at exactly the right difficulty.

A1 — Beginner

Everyday nouns and basic verbs. Family, food, numbers, colours, greetings.

A2 — Elementary

Familiar topics: shopping, travel, work, simple past tense, daily routines.

B1 — Intermediate

Independent use. Society, health, culture, opinions, abstract concepts.

B2 — Upper Intermediate

Complex topics, nuanced vocabulary, professional and academic contexts.

C1 — Advanced

Flexible, precise language. Academic writing, formal register, specialised fields.

C2 — Mastery

Near-native proficiency. Rare, highly formal, philosophical and theoretical vocabulary.

Most language courses and exams (Goethe-Zertifikat, TestDaF, TELC) use CEFR levels as their reference point. Knowing your level helps you choose the right material and track real progress.

German grammar: where to start

1. Learn articles with every noun

The single most important habit for German learners: never learn a noun without its article. Not just Hund — der Hund. Not just Katze — die Katze. Retrofitting articles onto vocabulary you already know is far harder than learning them together from the start. Use the German Articles app to drill this from day one.

2. Recognise gender patterns in word endings

While German gender isn't fully predictable, word endings are reliable clues. Nouns ending in -ung are almost always die (Wohnung, Zeitung, Meinung). Nouns ending in -chen or -lein are always das (Mädchen, Fräulein). Nouns ending in -er are often der (Lehrer, Computer). Learning these patterns reduces how much you need to memorise individually.

3. Master the Perfekt early

The Perfekt is the primary past tense in spoken German — you'll use it constantly in conversation. Two things to master: choosing between hat and ist, and forming the correct Partizip II. The rule of thumb: verbs expressing movement from A to B (gehen, fahren, laufen) or a change of state (werden, sterben, einschlafen) use ist. Everything else generally uses hat. Drill both with the Deutsches Partizip app.

4. Don't skip the cases

German has four grammatical cases — nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive — and articles change form in each one. The good news: nominative and accusative are similar, and genitive appears far less in spoken language. Focus on mastering nominative, accusative, and dative first, and use the declension reference card in the German Articles app as a quick reminder during practice.

Common questions

What's the difference between der, die, and das?

Der, die, and das are the three German definite articles, equivalent to "the" in English. They indicate grammatical gender: der is masculine, die is feminine, and das is neuter. Every German noun belongs to one of these three genders, which you need to memorise alongside the word itself. Gender also affects how adjectives and pronouns change in a sentence.

How do I know when to use haben or sein in the Perfekt?

The general rule: use hat (haben) for most verbs, especially transitive ones that take a direct object. Use ist (sein) for verbs expressing movement from one place to another (gehen, fahren, laufen, fliegen, reisen) and verbs expressing a change of state (werden, sterben, wachsen, einschlafen, aufwachen). A handful of verbs always use sein regardless: bleiben, passieren, gelingen, scheitern. When in doubt, haben is the safer guess — it covers the majority of verbs.

How do I form the Partizip II?

For regular verbs: add ge- before the stem and -t at the end (machen → gemacht, kaufen → gekauft). For irregular verbs: the stem often changes and the ending is -en (gehen → gegangen, schreiben → geschrieben — these must be memorised). For verbs ending in -ieren: no ge-, ends in -t (telefonieren → telefoniert). For separable verbs: ge- goes between prefix and stem (aufmachen → aufgemacht). For verbs with inseparable prefixes (be-, er-, ver-): no ge- added (bezahlen → bezahlt).

Do I need to create an account?

No. All apps on Deutsch Üben work without any login or account. Your progress — including which words you've seen and your accuracy per word — is saved automatically in your browser's local storage on your device. It persists between sessions as long as you don't clear your browser data.

Are the apps really free?

Yes, completely free. No paywall, no premium version, no hidden cost. All content across A1 to C2 is accessible to everyone. The apps are supported by non-intrusive advertising. If you find them helpful and want to support the project, a donation option will be available in the future.

Which app should I start with?

If you're a beginner (A1–A2), start with German Articles — knowing der/die/das is foundational to everything else in German grammar. Once you're comfortable with basic vocabulary, add Deutsches Partizip to start building your past tense. Use German Time in parallel — telling the time is a practical A1 skill you'll need quickly in real conversations. Once you reach A2–B1, Akkusativ oder Dativ will help you master the case system, which is essential for forming correct sentences. Deutsche Konjugation is useful at every level — it drills verb endings and tenses from A1 present tense up to advanced subjunctive forms.