7 common mistakes German learners make

Most beginners hit the same handful of obstacles. Knowing them in advance saves months of frustration.

The big seven

• Learning nouns without der/die/das — always learn the article.
• Translating word-for-word from English instead of learning patterns.
• Skipping pronunciation and guessing the special letters.
• Studying in long, rare bursts instead of a little every day.
• Only reading — never speaking or listening.
• Avoiding mistakes so much you never actually speak.
• Chasing rare vocabulary before mastering the common words.

The most important fix of all: speak early and let yourself make mistakes. Errors are how the language settles in.