Wer bin ich? Who am I?
Your first step into German. Five short sessions, real sentences, and your first real introduction — all in about an hour of focused time.
By the end of this unit, you'll be able to
- Introduce yourself in German — name, age, where you're from, what you do
- Ask someone else the same questions, politely or casually
- Understand a short introduction from a native speaker
- Read a simple "about me" profile written in German
Das Alphabet & die Aussprache — The alphabet & pronunciation
Two minutes that make every later session easier: the German letters (including the four English doesn't have), why nouns are always capitalised, and how to actually type ä, ö, ü and ß. Nothing here is graded — tap 🔊 on anything to hear it.
🔤 The German alphabet
German uses the same 26 Latin letters as English, but several are pronounced differently. Tap a letter to hear it in a real German word (the classic „A wie Apfel" spelling style).
🔡 The four letters English doesn't have
Three are umlauts (a vowel with two dots — the sound shifts), and one is the ß (called Eszett or scharfes S, a sharp "s"). Tap each to hear it.
🔠 Every noun is capitalised
In German, every noun starts with a capital letter — not just names and sentence-starts, but all of them, anywhere in the sentence. It's the single most visible feature of written German.
⌨️ Typing ä, ö, ü and ß
| Your device | How to get ä ö ü ß |
|---|---|
| Add German layout (recommended) |
Adds a dedicated key for each of ä ö ü ß. Windows: Settings → Time & Language → Language → add German. Mac: System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → +German. Then switch layouts with ⊞ Win+Space (Win) or ⌃+Space (Mac). |
| Mac (no layout change) |
Hold ⌥ u, release, then the vowel → ä ö ü. And ⌥+s → ß. |
| Windows (US-International) |
Type " then the vowel → ä ö ü. And AltGr+s → ß. |
| Phone / tablet | Long-press the base letter on the on-screen keyboard, then slide to the accented one: long-press a → ä, o → ö, u → ü, s → ß. |
| Anywhere (fallback) |
Type the two-letter spelling: ae oe ue for the umlauts, ss for ß. schoen = schön, Strasse = Straße. Accepted here — but the German keyboard is much better. |
This page stays open under Before you begin on the unit map — come back any time.
Hallo, ich bin… — Hello, I am…
🔓 Mystery sentences
Here's a real German introduction — the kind you'd hear at a café in Berlin. Don't try to understand everything. Just notice the words that already make sense, and tap any word for a hint.
🔍 Spot the pattern
Three people are introducing themselves. Look at the highlighted word in each — bin, bist, ist. They're all forms of "to be." Notice how they change.
"Ja, ich bin Sarah."
Now here's where it gets interesting — German uses a brand-new form when "we" is the subject. You haven't seen it yet, so take any guess (or skip the guess and just reveal it). The goal isn't to be right — it's to feel where the pattern goes next.
🛠 Pronouns & sein
You spotted three forms. Here's what German is actually doing: it gives every "person" — I, you, he, she, we — its own pronoun, just like English. Let's lay them out.
Meet der, die, and das
Before we get to pronouns, a quick heads-up: every German noun has a gender. There are three articles for "the" — we'll color-code them throughout this unit so you can spot patterns at a glance.
For now, just notice the colors when they appear. They'll start doing real work in the next unit (A1.2), when we learn what changes about der/die/das depending on how a noun is used in the sentence.
Tip: learn every noun together with its article — der Tisch, not just "Tisch." The color cue helps it stick.
Personal pronouns
These are the German equivalents of I, you, he, she, etc. Recognize them quickly — every sentence has one.
| German | English | Sounds like | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | I | "ish" | |
| du | you (casual, one person) | "doo" | |
| er / sie / es | he / she / it | "air / zee / ess" | |
| wir | we | "veer" | |
| ihr | you all (casual) | "eer" | |
| sie / Sie | they / you (formal) | "zee" |
Sie (formal "you") is the only pronoun always capitalized — it dresses up for work.
Casual vs. formal — du or Sie?
English uses "you" for everyone. German splits this in two — and getting it right matters socially.
du — casual
- Friends, family, kids
- Colleagues you're close with
- Pets and animals
- Anyone clearly your age or younger in a casual setting
Sie — formal
- Strangers, shopkeepers, officials
- Older adults you don't know
- Professional settings, your boss
- Always capitalized: Sie
Rule of thumb: when in doubt, start with Sie. A German will offer to switch to du when they're ready — it's even a small ritual ("Wir können uns duzen").
The verb sein — to be
The most important verb in German. It's irregular (just like English "to be") — memorize all six forms and you'll use them every single day.
| Pronoun | sein | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | bin | I am | |
| du | bist | you are | |
| er / sie / es | ist | he / she / it is | |
| wir | sind | we are | |
| ihr | seid | you all are | |
| sie / Sie | sind | they / you (formal) are |
Get comfortable with the singular three first. The plural row is a free win: wir sind and sie sind are identical.
See it in action
Translation: "Hi! I'm Anna. And you?" — "I'm Tom. You're from Berlin, right?" — "Yes, exactly. My friend is also from Berlin. We're both students."
⚡ Practice
Six short rounds, mixed formats. Don't worry about being perfect — a wrong answer just flags what to come back to.
Complete each sentence with the correct form of sein.
Which pronoun fits the verb form?
Below are 10 sentences. Some use the wrong form of sein; some are perfectly correct. Click every wrong sein form you can spot — the counter tracks how many you've found. Clicking a correct one will just nudge you.
Which form of sein goes with this pronoun? All six pronouns — note that wir and sie/Sie share the same form.
Real sentences you might actually say. Same gap-fill, but each one is something you'd hear in a café or on the train. Tap 🔊 to hear it.
Introduce yourself in three short sentences using sein. We won't grade this — just see it on the page.
Session 1 complete
You can now introduce yourself with ich bin… and recognize the six forms of sein in conversation. That's a real skill — well done.
Want to revisit something? The pronouns and sein tables are always in the left rail.
Woher kommst du? — Where are you from?
🔓 A first conversation
In Session 1 you learned sein — to be. Now meet German's other everyday workhorse verb. Here are two people meeting for the first time. You already know some of this — tap any word for a hint.
🔍 Spot the pattern
Three people are talking about what they have. Look at the highlighted word in each — habe, hast, hat. They're all forms of "to have." Notice how they change — just like sein did.
"Ja, ich habe Hunger."
And just like with sein, German uses one form for "we." You've met this rhythm before — take a guess (or just reveal it).
🛠 haben & W-questions
You spotted three forms of haben. Here's the complete set — and then the six little question words that unlock real conversations.
The verb haben — to have
The second most important verb in German (after sein). It's slightly irregular — watch du and er/sie/es drop the b.
| Pronoun | haben | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ich | habe | I have | |
| du | hast | you have | |
| er / sie / es | hat | he / she / it has | |
| wir | haben | we have | |
| ihr | habt | you all have | |
| sie / Sie | haben | they / you (formal) have |
Same freebie as sein: wir haben and sie haben are identical — and both match the base verb haben.
• Ich habe Hunger. = "I have hunger." → I'm hungry.
• Ich habe Durst. = "I have thirst." → I'm thirsty.
• Ich habe Angst. = "I have fear." → I'm scared.
Think of it as owning your state — very German.
The W-question words (your survival set)
Six little words that start almost every question. They all begin with W — like English question words begin with Wh.
| German | English | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wie? | How? | Wie heißt du? — What's your name? | |
| Wo? | Where? (location) | Wo wohnst du? — Where do you live? | |
| Woher? | Where from? | Woher kommst du? — Where are you from? | |
| Was? | What? | Was machst du? — What do you do? | |
| Wer? | Who? | Wer bist du? — Who are you? | |
| Wie alt? | How old? | Wie alt bist du? — How old are you? |
See it in action
Translation: "Hi! What's your name?" — "I'm Tom. Where are you from?" — "I'm from Vienna. Do you have time for a coffee?" — "Yes, gladly! I have time."
⚡ Practice
Six short rounds mixing haben and the W-questions. A wrong answer just flags what to review.
Complete each sentence with the correct form of haben.
Which form of haben goes with this pronoun?
Here's the answer. Which W-question word produced it?
Below are 10 sentences. Some use the wrong form of haben; some are correct. Click every wrong haben form you can spot — the counter tracks how many you've found.
Real questions and answers you might actually use. Fill the gap with the right form of haben. Tap 🔊 to hear it.
Write three questions you could ask a new person, using the W-words. We won't grade this — just see it on the page.
Session 2 complete
You can now use haben in all six forms and ask the essential W-questions. You're ready to hold a real first conversation — name, origin, age, and all.
Want to revisit something? The haben and W-question cards are always in the left rail.
Zahlen und Alter — Numbers and age
🔓 Numbers are everywhere
Your age, a price, a phone number, a date — none of it works without numbers. The good news: once you own 1–12, the rest of German's numbers fall into place almost mechanically. Tap any number to hear it spoken aloud.
🔍 Spot the pattern
Look at how the bigger numbers are built. The teens and the twenties each follow one simple rule — see if you can catch it.
The teens (13–19)
= the digit + zehn (ten). Like English "-teen".
The twenties (21–29)
= ones + und + tens — but the ones come first!
So — putting that rule to work — what do you think 22 is? (Hint: two… and… twenty.)
🛠 Numbers 1–31
1–12 — memorize these (all irregular)
These twelve are the foundation. Everything above 12 is built from them.
13–19 — digit + zehn (with 2 quirks)
20–31 — ones + und + tens (reversed)
• ß after a long vowel or a diphthong (two vowels gliding together, like ei, au, eu): dreißig (the ei is a diphthong), Straße.
• ss after a short vowel: dass (that — short "a"), isst (eats).
Among the tens (20, 30, 40…) only dreißig takes the ß.
Putting numbers to work — age
The formula never changes: Ich bin [number] Jahre alt. Swap the number, keep the rest.
⚡ Practice
Five short rounds on numbers and age. A wrong answer just flags what to review.
Write each number as a German word (lowercase is fine). German has 4 special letters: ä, ö, ü, ß. If you don't have them on your keyboard, you can type ae, oe, ue, ss instead.
Which German word matches the numeral?
Below are 10 number spellings. Some are wrong; some are correct. Click every misspelled number — the counter tracks how many you've found.
Write the age as a German word. Tap 🔊 to hear the whole line.
Write your own age and one other person's age in German. We won't grade this — just see it on the page.
Session 3 complete
You can now count to 31 and tell anyone how old you (or anyone else) are. Numbers will come back for time, prices and dates — you've built the foundation.
Want to revisit something? The numbers card is always in the left rail.
Meine Welt — My world
🔓 Who are these people?
Here's a small family. You already know at least two of these words from earlier sessions — can you guess the rest? Tap any word to hear it spoken aloud.
🔍 Spot the pattern
Every German noun has a gender — der (masculine), die (feminine), or das (neuter). And job titles have a neat trick. Look:
So — using that -in rule — what's the female form of der Student?
🛠 Family & professions
Family & people — the core 10
Colours show the gender: der · die · das. Learn each noun with its article — they're a package deal.
| German | English | |
|---|---|---|
| die Mutter | mother | |
| der Vater | father | |
| die Schwester | sister | |
| der Bruder | brother | |
| die Frau | woman / wife | |
| der Mann | man / husband | |
| das Kind | child | |
| der Freund / die Freundin | friend (m / f) | |
| die Familie | family | |
| der Hund | dog |
Professions — the survival 8
Most jobs add -in for the female form. Tap to hear both.
| Masculine | Feminine | English | |
|---|---|---|---|
| der Ingenieur | die Ingenieurin | engineer | |
| der Lehrer | die Lehrerin | teacher | |
| der Arzt | die Ärztin | doctor | |
| der Student | die Studentin | student | |
| der Koch | die Köchin | cook / chef | |
| der Programmierer | die Programmiererin | programmer | |
| der Rentner | die Rentnerin | retiree | |
| der Maler | die Malerin | painter / artist |
Putting it all together — the full intro
Five lines — and that's a complete self-introduction. You already know every piece.
⚡ Practice
Five short rounds on family, gender and jobs. A wrong answer just flags what to review.
Tap the correct article for each noun.
Write the missing form. Remember the -in rule.
Below are 10 noun + article pairs. Some use the wrong article; some are correct. Click every wrong article.
Fill the gap with the right word. Tap 🔊 to hear the whole line.
Build a mini profile for an imaginary person — name, age, origin, city and job. German only. We won't grade it.
Session 4 complete
You can now name your family, talk about jobs (with the right gender), and string together a full five-line introduction. One session to go — then it all comes together.
Want to revisit something? The family & professions cards are always in the left rail.
Das bin ich! — That's me!
🔓 Read a real introduction
No new words here — just proof of how far you've come. Read Max's introduction (tap any word you've forgotten), then answer one question about it.
So — did you catch the details? What does Max do for a living?
🔍 Spot the pattern
So far you've made W-questions (Wie? Woher?). But how do you ask a simple yes/no question? Compare each statement with its question:
Statement
Yes/no question
So — flip this one — how do you turn Sie kommt aus Berlin. into a question?
🛠 Questions & the full intro
Yes/no questions — the inversion rule
Move the verb to position 1. That's the whole rule.
| Statement | Question | |
|---|---|---|
| Du bist müde. | Bist du müde? | |
| Er hat einen Hund. | Hat er einen Hund? | |
| Sie kommt aus Berlin. | Kommt sie aus Berlin? |
Answering — yes & no
• kein negates a noun — Ich habe keinen Bruder. (I have no brother.)
• nicht negates everything else — Ich bin nicht müde. (I'm not tired.)
kein changes its ending with gender (kein / keine / keinen…) — you'll drill that full pattern in A1.2. Here, just pick kein vs nicht.
Quick replies: Ja, genau! (yes, exactly!) · Nein, leider nicht. (no, unfortunately not).
The master introduction template
Every line uses grammar you already own. This is your A1.1 finish line.
⚡ Practice
Five rounds pulling together the whole unit. Finish these and A1.1 is yours.
Turn each statement into a yes/no question — write the verb that moves to the front.
Here's the question. Tap the answer that actually works.
Below are 10 sentences mixing sein and haben. Some use the wrong verb form; some are correct. Click every wrong one.
Tap the negative that fits. Remember the rule: kein- before a noun, nicht for everything else. (The kein ending is shown for you — you'll learn to build it in A1.2.)
The finish line: write your own 6–8 sentence introduction in German, using everything from A1.1. We won't grade it — this one's for you.
A1.1 complete — Erster Schritt!
You did it — all five sessions of Wer bin ich? You can now introduce yourself fully, ask and answer real questions, count to 31, and talk about your family and work. That's a genuine first conversation in German.
Next up: A1.2 — Die Welt um mich herum. Your reference cards stay available any time you revisit a session.
Woher kommst du? — Where are you from?
Same shape as Session 1
Every session in this unit follows the same four-phase rhythm: 🔓 Unlock → 🔍 Discover → 🛠 Build → ⚡ Sprint. Once you complete Session 1, this session unlocks with full content.