German collections

Listening

Start Understanding Spoken German

Build listening confidence one step at a time, from supported dialogue to short natural exchanges.

A1 → B12 chapters 10 steps90 min

View learning path

What you'll be able to do

Identify who is speaking and what they want.
Catch key details without translating every word.
Retell the main idea in three simple sentences.
Use transcripts and context to check what you heard.
Move from supported listening to a short natural exchange.

Your learning path

01

Listen with support

0/5 complete

02

Follow longer natural exchanges

0/5 complete

Practice pack · Klaro original draft

Step 9 of 10 · Practice pack · ~12 min study

Your 20 useful phrases and practice pack

Choose five entries, change a detail, then use them in a short exchange.

Practice pack · Klaro original draft

Original phrase pack — 20 entries

Choose five entries, change a detail, then use them in a short exchange.

20 entries · 3 questions

Phrase pack · Klaro original draft

Original phrase pack — 20 entries

Choose five entries, change a detail, then use them in a short exchange.

Clarification and repair

#	German	Natural English meaning	Use and register
1	Entschuldigung, ich habe das nicht verstanden.	Sorry, I didn't understand.	polite; repair a missed message
2	Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen?	Could you repeat that, please?	polite; request repetition
3	Könnten Sie bitte langsamer sprechen?	Could you speak more slowly?	polite; request a slower pace
4	Was bedeutet das?	What does that mean?	neutral; ask about meaning
5	Wie sagt man das?	How do you say this?	neutral; point to an object
6	Könnten Sie das aufschreiben?	Could you write it down?	polite; confirm a name or address
7	Meinen Sie morgen?	Do you mean tomorrow?	polite; check a date
8	Habe ich das richtig verstanden?	Did I understand correctly?	neutral; verify an instruction
9	Den ersten Teil habe ich verstanden.	I understood the first part.	neutral; identify where help is needed
10	Könnten Sie mir ein Beispiel geben?	Could you give me an example?	polite; make an explanation concrete
11	Einen Moment bitte.	One moment, please.	polite; buy thinking time
12	Ich kenne das Wort dafür nicht.	I don't know the word for it.	neutral; describe instead of stopping

Longer turns and storytelling

#	German	Natural English meaning	Use and register
13	Zunächst einmal …	First of all…	neutral; begin a longer turn
14	Es war so: …	What happened was…	neutral; introduce a story
15	Zuerst dachte ich …	At first, I thought…	neutral; set up a contrast
16	Dann ist etwas Unerwartetes passiert.	Then something unexpected happened.	neutral; advance a story
17	Am Ende hat es geklappt.	In the end, it worked out.	neutral; finish a story
18	Der Hauptgrund ist …	The main reason is…	neutral; justify an opinion
19	Zum Beispiel …	For example…	neutral; make an abstract point concrete
20	Andererseits …	On the other hand…	neutral; introduce another perspective

Short reading · Klaro original

Listen, check, retell

Hör zuerst zu, ohne mitzulesen. Versuche, die Situation zu verstehen. Hör noch einmal zu und notiere drei Einzelheiten. Prüfe mit dem Text, was du nicht verstanden hast. Schließe den Text und erkläre die Hauptidee laut.

English meaning

First, listen without reading. Try to understand the situation. Listen again and write down three details. Use the transcript to check the part you missed. Finally, close the text and explain the main idea aloud.

Self-check

Read once, hide the paragraph and answer. Then check the key. This is a practice activity, not a CEFR assessment.

What is the first goal?
Show answer
Understand the situation.
How many details should you note?
Show answer
Three.
What should you do after closing the text?
Show answer
Explain the main idea aloud.

Transfer task

Choose one linked resource. Say who is speaking, the main point and two details; mark any guessed detail as uncertain.

Reference card

Use Sie / Ihnen / Ihr with an adult stranger or in a formal service/work interaction unless you agree to use du. Du / dir / dein fits friends and informal contexts. Learn the noun with its article. Ich hätte gern… makes a useful polite request. These examples focus on Germany; everyday vocabulary and pronunciation also vary across Austria and Switzerland.

If a transcript is gated, the free route is: replay a short section, identify the main idea and move to a supported resource earlier in this sequence. A paid transcript is never required to finish the original practice task. Start with 2–5 minutes of longer audio and increase the segment only when you can retell it.