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German language

German is the first language of almost 100 million people worldwide and the most widely spoken native language in the European Union. Proof of proficiency in German is a prerequisite for getting German citizenship.

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All Content on this topic

Deutschland Bevölkerungsentwicklung Symbolbild Neugeborene

Germany: Lucifer not an acceptable baby name

You can't just name your child whatever you like in Germany. Godsgift is OK; devilish monikers are not.
SocietyOctober 26, 2017
Günter Grass mit Pfeife 2009

German-language winners of the Nobel Literature Prize

There have been 114 winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature to date, with 13 from the German-speaking world.
LiteratureOctober 5, 2017
Basic German Words Du

Learning German through art photography

The photographer and author of the @basicgermanwords Instagram account artistically promotes language learning.
CultureSeptember 27, 2017
Basic German Words Leise

A creative take on 'basic German words'

Martin Widenka's popular @basicgermanwords Instagram account artistically promotes language learning.
CultureSeptember 27, 201715 images
Woman at Oktoberfest with beer

10 Bavarian expressions for Oktoberfest

Even if you speak German, you'll need this local dialect when visiting the Oktoberfest in Munich.
CultureSeptember 15, 201710 images
DW Euromaxx Zuschaueraktion "Lieblingswort"

The Joys of German. What's Your Favorite Word? 

We wanted to know your favorite German word. You can find out here whether you were picked in the draw.  
CultureAugust 25, 2017
Gartenzwerg mit Deutschlandflagge

Is learning German now all the rage?

Germany is one of the most popular countries for immigrants, but how popular is the German language?
CultureAugust 22, 201705:07 min
Logo German Book Prize 2017

German Book Prize announces longlist

The jury selected 20 titles from a total of 200 to compete for the most prestigious German-language literary award.
LiteratureAugust 15, 2017
Duden

German language officially gets 5,000 new words

The official dictionary of German, Duden gets an update, adding 5,000 new words taken from contemporary society.
CultureAugust 7, 2017
Jan Wagner

Top German literature prize goes to poet Jan Wagner

Poet Jan Wagner garners the Georg Büchner Prize, the most important literary accolade for the German language.
LiteratureJune 20, 2017
Deutschland Migranten Integration Deutsch-Kurse

Learning German as a refugee

The number of German courses for refugees has sharply risen. The German language is a key to success for many of them.
SocietyJune 10, 2017
Leipzig, Deutschkurs für Flüchtlinge - Lehmbangruppe Language institute

Elderly refugees face challenges in German language courses

Refugees in Germany have to attend obligatory language courses. Learning a new language can be hard for the elderly.
SocietyApril 11, 2017
Sprachkurs Migranten Symbolbild

Refugee language programs wasteful, say auditors

The labor office countered the critique, saying it was based on an impossibly short timeframe.
PoliticsMarch 28, 2017
Meet the Germans with Kate, Idioms part 2 (DW)

German idioms you'll want to start using now

Do you "spider" or "talk around the hot porridge"? In German, you can.
CultureMarch 22, 201704:31 min
Chile Newspaper Condor

5 German-language media resources in non-German countries

For International Mother Language Day, here are five German-language media resources in non-German countries.
CultureFebruary 21, 2017
Logo for DW German TV channel

More cultural content on DW's German-language TV channel

As of February 6, Deutsche Welle's German-language program will see its cultural content boosted. Here's how.
CultureFebruary 6, 2017
VW shares

Language row at heart of VW share sale

A German foundation has announced it's sold all its shares in domestic carmaker VW - here's why.
BusinessDecember 22, 2016
Mennonites in Mexico

How a dictionary can expand standardized variants of German

Some people may not believe that the German spoken in Namibia or Mexico are standards, but they are. Here's why.
CultureDecember 8, 2016
Screenshot Webseite Migrantenschreck.eu (migrantenschreck.eu)

Website sells weapons against refugees

Despite considerable publicity, an odious German-language portal mixing racism and firearms is still online.
PoliticsDecember 3, 2016
A boy at the dinner table with his parents,Copyright: CC-PD

Word of the Week: Zappelphilipp

This quirky German word is for kids who just can't sit still. Does that apply to you?
CultureNovember 10, 2016

The Top 10 German-language hits from Germany

Rammstein, Tokio Hotel, and more – we present the Top 10 German-language hits from Germany.
September 23, 2016
Bildergalerie Schnurrbart Tom Selleck

Strange German words for body parts

Germans have creative ways to talk about the body. Here are some of our favorite German words for body parts.
LifestyleAugust 17, 201610 images
Still zu Follow the Hashtag #Whatmakesyougerman

Follow The Hashtag: #WhatMakesYouGerman

Waiting at a red light at 3am while no other cars are coming? Arriving five minutes early and walking around the block to ring the bell exactly on time? DW's Jan Bruck went to find out #WhatMakesYouGerman.
Digital WorldAugust 5, 201602:28 min
Berlin - Deutscholympiade Copyright: Wolfram Kastl/dpa |

German language learners compete at Berlin 'Olympics'

Every two years, young people from more than 60 countries participate in a very special German language contest.
July 20, 2016
Dieu Linh Bui from Vietnam, winner of Goethe-Institut competition, Copyright: Goethe-Institut Hanoi / Laura Nagel

What's your favorite place in Germany?

People from 100 countries told the Goethe-Institut about their favorite places in Germany. One of them stood out.
July 5, 2016
Symbolbild Wort des Jahres

7 German Words of the Year

"Refugees" is Germany's Word of the Year 2015. Here's a look at other words chosen in the past.
December 11, 20157 images
Deutschland Deutschkurs für Flüchtlinge in Bonn Lehrerin Alev Erisöz Reinke mit Radwan Ajouz

Refugees learn by doing on German language course in Bonn

DW joins a class for asylum seekers on a practical exercise aiming to combine lessons about German - and Germany.
December 5, 201512 images
Syrian refugee children in a classroom, Copyright: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images

Goethe-Institut reaffirms commitment to refugees

15.4 million people worldwide are learning German. Increased interest in the language is a boost for the Goethe-Insitut.
December 3, 2015
Child sitting on a stack of books, Copyright: Fotolia/olly

11 great German-language authors: Here are the German Book Prize winners

These 11 German-language authors have been awarded Germany's most prestigious literature prize in the past decade.
CultureOctober 13, 201511 images
Hand on a red book, Copyright: LoloStock - Fotolia.com

Who are the very best German-language authors?

The most prestigious literature prize for the German language is awarded ahead of the Frankfurt Book Fair.
October 12, 2015
Startseite des Internetportals Dekoder Russische Medien Übersetzung Screenshot Webseite

A different kind of Russian media

Dekoder.org is an online platform that publishes German translations of Russian media stories
September 15, 2015

The Top 10 German-language hits from Germany

Singing in German need not be a barrier to global success, as proved by Kraftwerk, Trio, Tokio Hotel and Rammstein.
MusicAugust 21, 201510 images
Mohamed Mahmoud Screenshot

German-language "Islamic State" video aimed at recruits

German Mideast expert says militants aren't likely to harm Merkel, but should be taken seriously.
August 6, 2015
Stationery, pencils, Copyright: Fotolia.com

Krimskrams

How many knickknacks are in your house?
July 9, 2015
Papierblume

Word of the week: Stilblüte

They don't need water to survive and bring at least as much joy as real flowers.
March 30, 2015
Brad Pitt has been nominated for the "Keeper of the German Language" title.

And the nominees are...

Brad Pitt has second love: and her name is Germany.
December 19, 2014
Symbolbild Schengener Abkommen Visum Europa Reisefreiheit

German-language test no more

The European Court of Justice has overturned a German law requiring foreign spouses from certain non-EU countries to take a language test before receiving a visa. The ruling primarily affects Germany's Turkish minority.
July 10, 2014
12.2012 DW Shift Ranking

Shift Ranking of February 17: Countries With Most German Language Speakers

1. Germany (75m German language speakers) / 2. Austria (7,4m) / 3. Switzerland (4,5m) / 4. USA (1,3m) / 5. Brazil (900,000) / source: World Almanac
February 17, 2014
Close up photo of an arm with goosebumps on it Photo: Carmen Jaspersen/dpa

Gänsehaut

Brrr, it's cold out here!
February 14, 2014
Porträt - Maximilian Schell

Maximilian Schell dies, aged 83

One of Austria's most famous actors, Maximilian Schell, has passed away. Schell became the first German-language actor to win an Oscar in the post-war era for his role in the 1961 film "Judgment at Nuremberg."
February 1, 2014
Bread on a stick, Copyright: Marina Lohrbach

Word of the Week

If only I could find the right stick....
September 3, 2013

Shift Ranking of September 2: German language brand pages on Facebook with the most likes

1. Amazon.de (2.7m local Fans) / 2. McDonald's Deutschland (2.1m) / 3. stylefruits (2.0m) / 4. kinder Riegel (1.7m) / 5. H&M (1.5m) / Source: SocialBakers
September 2, 2013
A bride with light skin and red hair kisses a dark-skinned groom with black hair. (Photo: Gina Smith)

Sprechen Sie deutsch?

The EU questions Germany's rules for spouse immigration, like the German language test.
August 10, 2013

Gender talk

German is a gender-specific language, but one university is ignoring the grammar rules.
June 7, 2013
Marshmellow chocolate sweets

Say what?

Sometimes even words that appear harmless have a discriminatory aftertaste.
January 15, 2013
Someone holding a board on which 'Deutsch' is written Copyright: N-Media-Images #31468105 Autor N-Media-Images Portfolio ansehen Bildnummer 31468105 Land Deutschland Repräsentative Kategorie Gegenstände Pfeil Druckprodukte Pfeil Schild Konzeptionelle Kategorie Business Pfeil Businesskonzepte Pfeil Herausforderung Keywords ["abendschule","ausbildung","ausl\u00e4nder","bildung","deutsch","deutschkurs","deutschland","deutschunterricht","erlernen","frage","fragen","fremdsprache","german","integration","international","kommunikation","kommunizieren","kurs","kurse","lehrer","lektion","lernen","reden","schild","schrift","schule","schulklasse","schultafel","sch\u00fcler","sprache","sprachen","sprachkurs","sprachtraining","sprachunterricht","sprechen","tafel","unterricht","unterrichten","verstehen","verst\u00e4ndigung","volkshochschule","w\u00f6rterbuch","\u00fcbersetzen","\u00fcbersetzer","\u00fcbersetzung"] abendschule ausbildung ausländer bildung deutsch deutschkurs deutschland deutschunterricht erlernen frage fragen fremdsprache german integration international kommunikation kommunizieren kurs kurse lehrer lektion lernen reden schild schrift schule schulklasse schultafel schüler sprache sprachen sprachkurs sprachtraining sprachunterricht sprechen tafel unterricht unterrichten verstehen verständigung volkshochschule wörterbuch übersetzen übersetzer übersetzung Keywords anzeigen

Just say 'du'

In German, choosing between the informal 'du' and the formal 'Sie' can be tricky.
January 5, 2013
A hand on a German textbook REUTERS/Andrea Comas

German classes

At Hamburg's adult evening education center, German language classes are in high demand.
August 19, 2012

Gender lingo

A German linguist explains why it is necessary to make women more visible in communication.
March 8, 2012
Michael Stavaric

Chamisso Prize

Czech-born author Michael Stavaric claims coveted Chamisso Prize for non-native writers.
February 29, 2012
Two girls with headscarves look at their laptops

Going to study or working as an au pair

Some half a million foreigners begin studies at a European university every year. Germany is one of the most popular countries. More than 240,000 foreigners are currently studying at German schools.
January 11, 2012