German Learning & Studying Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary you need to talk about the process of studying itself: lernen for the general act of studying, üben for practising a skill, and wiederholen for going over material again. One trap for English speakers is erfahren, which also means "learn" but in the sense of finding something out through experience, not through study, so it's a false match with lernen despite the shared translation.
Learn these 20 words
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All 20 words
- lernenA1
learn, study
Wie lange lernen Sie schon Deutsch? — How long have you been learning German?
plural: die Vokabeln
vocabulary word
Wir lernen jeden Tag neue Vokabeln. — We learn new vocabulary words every day.
repeat
Können Sie das bitte wiederholen? — Can you please repeat that?
discover
Ich habe in deinem Brief noch ein paar Fehler entdeckt. — I discovered a couple of errors in your letter.
- erfahrenB1
experience, learn
Wann erfahren wir das Ergebnis der Prüfung? — When will we learn the result of the exam?
plural: die Fehler
mistake, error
Ich glaube, da haben Sie einen Fehler gemacht. — I think you made a mistake there.
plural: die Konzentrationen
concentration
Beim Lernen brauche ich viel Konzentration. — When studying, I need a lot of concentration.
plural: die Lerner
male learner
Sie ist eine fleißige Lernerin. — He is a diligent male learner.
plural: die Lernerinnen
female learner
Sie ist eine fleißige Lernerin. — She is a diligent female learner.
plural: die Methoden
method
Weißt du eine gute Methode, um schnell gut Deutsch zu lernen? — Do you know a good method to learn German quickly and well?
- testenB1
test
Testen Sie unsere Angebote kostenlos. — Test our offers for free.
- übenB1
practice
Ich lerne gerade Gitarre spielen. Ich übe jeden Tag zwei Stunden. — I'm currently learning to play guitar. I practice two hours every day.
plural: die Übungen
exercise, practice
Diese Übung war sehr schwer. — This exercise was very difficult.
plural: die Wiederholungen
repetition, review
Eine Wiederholung der Prüfung ist möglich. — A repetition of the exam is possible.
elementary / rudimentary
Diese elementaren Kenntnisse sind sehr wichtig. — These elementary skills are very important.
plural: die Eselsbrücken
mnemonic
Eine Eselsbrücke hilft dir, schwierige Vokabeln zu merken. — A mnemonic helps you remember difficult vocabulary.
language acquisition
Der Spracherwerb beginnt in der Kindheit. — Language acquisition begins in childhood.
competency acquisition
Der Kompetenzerwerb durch praktische Übungen ist sehr effektiv. — Competency acquisition through practical exercises is very effective.
herbology
Die Kräuterkunde war im Mittelalter ein wichtiges Wissensgebiet. — Herbology was an important field of knowledge in the Middle Ages.
plural: die Lernzuwächse
learning gain/progress
Der Lernzuwachs der Schüler wurde durch Tests gemessen. — The learning gain of the students was measured by tests.
How to learn this set
Several nouns here are built from Erwerb (acquisition): Spracherwerb and Kompetenzerwerb both attach a field to that root, so once you know Erwerb means "acquisition," you can guess related compounds you haven't met yet. Note that der Lerner and die Lernerin are just the male and female forms of the same word, so learn them as a pair rather than two separate items. For Eselsbrücke, memorize the gender die despite the entry showing der Eselsbrücke as a common learner error, since it literally means "donkey bridge" and the image itself is a decent mnemonic for remembering the word "mnemonic."
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between lernen and erfahren?
Lernen means to study or acquire a skill through deliberate effort, like lernen for a test. Erfahren means to learn as in find out or come to know through experience, like erfahre news. They are not interchangeable even though both translate as learn.
What is the difference between üben and wiederholen?
Üben means to practice, doing something repeatedly to get better at a skill, like üben Klavier. Wiederholen means to repeat or review material you already covered, like wiederholen Vokabeln before a test. Practice builds a skill, repetition refreshes memory.
Is Fehler masculine or neuter?
Der Fehler is masculine. It stays der in the plural too: die Fehler, so watch the article, not the noun ending, to track number.
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