Learn German plan: articles, cases and word order, step by step
German rewards a good order of learning. Try to learn all four cases in week one and it falls apart; learn nouns without their article and you pay later. This prompt has your todo.is agent build a level-by-level plan for A1 to B1, with daily tasks, word lists by gender and practice that mirrors the Goethe or telc exam if you need one.
The prompt
- Create a plan for me to learn German. I am [CURRENT LEVEL] and I need German for [GOAL], ideally reaching [TARGET LEVEL] by [DATE]. I study [TIME PER DAY] a day. Teach nouns always with der, die, das and the plural, then word order (verb second, verb at the end after weil and dass), separable verbs, the accusative and dative, the Perfekt, and modal verbs. Each day: one grammar point with 4 example sentences, 10 words colour-coded by gender, and a short listening link. Send me an Excel plan with a word tab by gender and a mistakes tab, email it, and every Friday at 17:00 send me a 10-sentence translation drill on WhatsApp that you correct when I reply.
What to change
- [CURRENT LEVEL]: E.g. "total beginner", "A1, finished a course" or "I understand some but cannot speak".
- [GOAL]: E.g. "a job in Munich", "a visa language requirement", "talking with my grandparents".
- [TARGET LEVEL]: E.g. "B1". Add the exam if you need one, like "Goethe B1" or "telc B1".
- [DATE]: E.g. "next June".
- [TIME PER DAY]: E.g. "45 minutes".
Example result
- Learn German: A1 to B1 in 9 months
- Goal: job in Munich · Goethe B1 next June · 45 minutes a day
- A1 (months 1 to 3)
- • Pronunciation: ü, ö, ä, the ch in ich vs Bach, final b/d/g sound like p/t/k
- • Nouns with article and plural: der Tisch, -e · die Lampe, -n · das Kind, -er
- • Gender hints: -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft are feminine; -chen and -lein neuter
- • Verb second: Heute gehe ich ins Büro (not "heute ich gehe")
- • Accusative after haben, brauchen, sehen: Ich habe einen Termin
- • Separable verbs: anrufen → Ich rufe dich morgen an
- A2 (months 4 to 6)
- • Dative for indirect objects and after mit, bei, nach, von, zu, aus, seit: Ich fahre mit dem Bus
- • Perfekt: ich habe gearbeitet, ich bin gefahren (movement and change of state take sein)
- • Modal verbs: können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen, möchten, with the infinitive at the end
- • Verb at the end after weil, dass, wenn: …, weil ich in München arbeite.
- B1 (months 7 to 9)
- • Two-way prepositions (in, an, auf…): wohin? accusative, wo? dative
- • Präteritum of sein, haben and modals; Konjunktiv II for polite requests (Könnten Sie…? Ich hätte gern…)
- • Relative clauses: der Kollege, der neben mir sitzt
- • Exam practice: one Goethe-style reading, listening, writing or speaking task a week
- Sample Friday drill
- 1. I am going to the doctor today because I am ill.
- • Your answer: Ich gehe heute zum Arzt, weil ich bin krank.
- • Correction: …, weil ich krank bin. After weil the verb goes to the end.
- Words tab (example)
- • der Vertrag, Verträge (contract)
- • die Bewerbung, -en (application)
- • das Gehalt, Gehälter (salary)
How to do it with todo.is
- Fill in your level, goal, target level and time per day.
- Paste the to-do on the Today screen in todo.is, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp.
- Your agent emails an Excel plan and sends a translation drill every Friday.
- Reply to each drill. Corrections go into your mistakes tab, and next week's tasks repeat what you got wrong.
Tips for a better result
- Never write a German noun on a card without der, die or das and the plural. Fixing gender later is twice the work.
- Drill word order with short sentences until it feels automatic: verb second, verb at the end after weil and dass.
- Learn the dative prepositions as a chant (aus, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu). It sticks.
- If you need a certificate, check which exam (Goethe, telc, TestDaF) your visa, job or university accepts before you plan.
learn German plan: FAQ
- How long does it take to reach B1 in German? Often around 350 to 650 hours of study in total from zero, depending on the course and practice. With 45 to 60 minutes a day, many learners need 9 to 15 months.
- What is the hardest part of German? For most English speakers, noun genders and the case endings. Learning each noun with its article and drilling cases a few at a time makes it manageable.
- Which German exam should I take? It depends on who asks for it. Goethe and telc certificates are common for work and visas, and TestDaF or DSH are common for universities. Check the official requirement first.
- Can my agent correct my German writing? Yes. Send your sentences or a short text and it explains each correction in English, then tracks your common mistakes.
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