Learn German
by playing
German has a reputation for being hard, mostly because of its genders (der, die, das). Piquoli teaches every noun with its article and has you repeat it until it feels natural, with a recorded German voice.
Why learn German with Piquoli?
- ✓The most widely spoken native language in the European Union.
- ✓Der, die, das learnt with every word, so you never have to guess.
- ✓Many words close to English (Haus, Hand, Wasser): a head start.
- ✓Grammar explained in English, with an example after every answer.
- ✓More than 3,800 words and sentences from level A1 to C1, in 68 themes.
A few words to start with
| English | German |
|---|---|
| hello | hallo |
| thank you | danke |
| dog | der Hund |
| house | das Haus |
| Where is the station? | Wo ist der Bahnhof? |
What makes German hard, and how Piquoli helps
German has three genders, and they rarely follow logic: “das Mädchen” (the girl) is neuter. The only method that works is learning each noun with its article, so Piquoli never shows you a noun on its own.
Long compound words look scary (“Hausaufgaben”: homework), but they break down into words you already know. Meeting the basic words across many themes teaches you to spot the pieces and guess the meaning.
The verb moves depending on the sentence. Building sentences piece by piece gets you used to where it goes, without rules to recite.
What you learn, level by level
Piquoli follows the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). You start with the essentials and move up at your own pace.
The basics: introducing yourself, greetings, numbers, colours, family, food, home.
Everyday life: shopping, travelling, health, work, weather, asking the way.
Telling stories and giving opinions: plans, memories, hobbies, news, feelings.
Society topics: economy, media, environment, science, law, business.
Expert level: debate, arts and literature, philosophy, nuanced vocabulary.
Ten minutes a day, the right way
Learning a language is not an hour of revision on Sunday: it is a little every day. Piquoli is built for that. A game lasts a few minutes, the daily goal tells you when you have done enough, and your day streak makes you want to come back tomorrow.
Behind the games, spaced repetition decides what you review: a missed word comes back soon, a well-known word comes back less and less. You spend your time on what you do not know yet, not on what you already know.
Each word is practised in several ways: reading it, hearing it, recognising it, writing it, using it in a sentence. That variety is what makes it stick for good.
6 games to learn German
Flashcards
Spaced repetition: the words you find hard come back more often, the ones you know come back less.
Matching game
Match each word with its translation, as fast as you can.
Sentences
Build or write the translation of everyday sentences.
Listening
Hear a word and find it: to train your ear to the pronunciation.
Dictation
Listen to a sentence and write it without mistakes.
Memory
Find the word / translation pairs in as few moves as possible.
Questions about learning German
How long does it take to learn German with Piquoli?
With ten minutes a day, the essential words of level A1 stick quickly. Piquoli currently covers from level A1 to C1: enough to hold a simple everyday conversation.
Can I learn German for free?
Yes: the “Basics” and “Colours” themes are free forever, and the 7-day trial opens all of Piquoli, with no card needed. After that, the subscription starts at €3.99 a month.
Does Piquoli replace a German course?
Piquoli is ideal for vocabulary, listening and everyday sentences, and it works very well alongside a course or school: it makes you review every day what you would otherwise forget.
Start for free
The “Basics” and “Colours” themes are free forever, and the trial gives you 7 days of full access, with no card needed. On Mac, Windows, or straight in your browser.
€29.99 a year (−37%) or €3.99 a month, cancel anytime