How fast can an average person learn German?
German is rated as a category 2 language and considered to be similar to English. The FSI estimates that German takes approximately 30 weeks, or 750 classroom hours to learn.
According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI), you'll need about 750 hours of study to become fluent in German. This means that if you study 12-15 hours a week, you'll be able to speak like a pro in just a year!
Learning a new language can be accomplished in a relatively short time if you are taking individual classes. With three 60-minute courses per week, you might be able to learn German in one to two years. This approach is excellent for people with hectic schedules, even if it is more expensive.
Yes, it is possible, that is if you have dedicated many hours of German language learning without distractions. Language experts mention that learning German beginner level (or German A1 level) takes at least 75 hours to fully grasp.
In order to feel comfortable speaking German, you really only need to learn about 3,000 words. In contrast, being fluent in German is defined as understanding 10,000+ words.
Language students who practice a method of complete immersion, with eight hours of practice per day, could learn German to a high level in a matter of months. Those who dedicate at least one hour per day to language learning can achieve an intermediate level within two years.
How Long Does it Take to Get Fluent in German? If you take intensive classes (around 20 hours per week), you can reach the B1 level of day-to-day fluency. Fluency takes more than 3 months, but you can still learn in less time if you adjust your strategy.
How hard is B2 level German? The German language is complex yet highly systematic. For a systematic language, you need a systematic course structure though. If the course material you are using has a thought-out structure, then it shouldn't be difficult.
Even though most of them learn relatively fast and achieve B1/B2 level in about 12 months, just a few of them get to B2 level in 4-8 months. Some character traits make them unique.
Across multiple sources, Mandarin Chinese is the number one language listed as the most challenging to learn. The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center puts Mandarin in Category IV, which is the list of the most difficult languages to learn for English speakers.
How difficult is B1 German?
The B1 level is the most difficult because of the lot of grammar and vocabulary knowledge that you need to grasp. No matter, how difficult or lengthy it looks, learn things slowly and reinforce all you have done as you may go through.
Whether you're a total beginner or you're looking to brush up, Duolingo's German course is definitely one of the best options currently available. The course is now hitting the same heights as the French and Spanish courses — which Duolingo reckon can get you to a B2 level on the CEFR.

Assess your current level & test your German online! | Intensive course (20 lessons/week) | |
---|---|---|
A1 | beginner | 8 weeks |
A2 | elementary | 8 weeks |
B1 | intermediate | 8 weeks |
B2 | upper intermediate | 10 weeks* |
The C2 level exam: Think “very hard” & multiply that by a thousand. The Common European Framework of References for Languages level C2 is one of the hardest possible examinations you can do in any language.
The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is a powerful tool that can be used to improve your German language skills. By focusing on the most important 20% of the language, you can learn German much faster and more effectively.
To be fluent in German, a speaker must know approximately 10,000 words. Learning words out of context can be challenging. You can get by with just words if you don't require lessons. Just pick up a word list or a dictionary and start memorizing everything.
But, if you insist, we can give you a number. The US Foreign Service Institute categorized every language according to their difficulty. Based on how far the language is from English, they assigned approximate times for how long it takes to learn them. For German, they estimate 30 weeks or 750 hours of study.
Depending on the German federal state, level B1 or B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required.
The B levels in the German language is when you really start to use the language independently, requiring little to no help in keeping the conversation going. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) suggests that you need about 750 hours to get to the B2 level.
The German B1 level, also known as the intermediate level, It will take you at least 80 hours per week (a total of 4 weeks) to finish your German B1. According to Goeth Institut, you'll take at least 350 and 650 45-minute units of teaching depending on what you have retained from your previous A1 to A2 level.
How long does it take to get to C1 German?
Based on what I've seen, I believe that learning German to a high level like that generally requires ca. 600 hours if you're a native English speaker. (The FSI estimates 750 hours for an upper C1 level , so I think 600 hours for B2/C1 is reasonable.) Because of this, I would aim for 2 hours of study per day.
- Listen in. Every good conversation starts with good listening. ...
- Learn the genders. German has three genders, so it's important to learn nouns along with their gender. ...
- Hack your memory. ...
- Turn up the volume. ...
- Record yourself. ...
- Create a personal phrasebook. ...
- Speak up.
If you´d like to work in Germany you´ll get by if your German is on level B1/B2 (online test). The certificate issued by GLS is recognized by many employers and even some universities in Germany.
There's no doubt that the C1 exam is difficult, but it's certainly not impossible. I'm someone who still makes grammar mistakes more frequently than I'd like, sometimes uses the wrong words and can't always find the right vocabulary, but, thanks to some good preparation, I managed to pass.
For internationally recognised proof of German language proficiency, we recommend taking our official Goethe-Zertifikat exams, which are available for levels A1 to C2.
Exam Fee | Internal candidates INR | External candidates INR |
---|---|---|
Goethe Zertifikat B2 | 12,000 Modul 3,000 | 16,400 Modul 4,100 |
Goethe Zertifikat C1 | 7,600 | 12,400 |
Goethe Zertifikat C2 | 16,400 Modul 4,100 | 20,800 Modul 5,200 |
Goethe-Test PRO | 4,800 | 4,800 |
Duolingo | CEFR |
---|---|
100-125 | B2 |
Studying in the USA - frequently asked questions
Yes. Many American colleges and universities accept B2 First, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency as proof that you have the right level of English to study one of their courses.
- Afrikaans. Like English, Afrikaans is in the West Germanic language family, once thought of as a Dutch dialect. ...
- French. ...
- Spanish. ...
- Dutch. ...
- Norwegian. ...
- Portuguese. ...
- Swedish. ...
- Italian.
- Mandarin.
- Japanese.
- Arabic.
- Xhosa.
- Russian.
Is Duolingo enough for German B1?
So when you reach level 25 on Duolingo, yes, you could publicly say that you've reached B1.
German A2 exam pattern is quite simple. As it's a language, there are 4 modules- Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. It is a 60 points exam and you have to score a minimum 36 points (60%) to pass the exam.
They say that you need to have completed at least 350 45-minute German lessons/practice sessions to reach B1, which would take roughly a year and a half since most people can't take a lesson every single day in a row.
At Duolingo, we're developing our courses to get you to a level called B2, at which you can get a job in the language you're studying. Reaching that kind of proficiency requires dedication, varied practice opportunities, and a lot of time.
How long to learn German on Duolingo. German learners say that it will take at least 6 to 8 months of learning at least more than the basic A1-B2 level of sentences. However, progressing with your German skills on a popular language app shouldn't be your only choice in learning.
Standard High German, Standarddeutsch: Over time, German writers tried various forms out until eventually it evolved into Standard High German, and you'll recognize it as the variety you're learning on Duolingo.
4 hours a day which amounts to 8 hours a week and finished A2 in 4 months. Later, continued B1 in a similar fashion for 2.5 months. B2 also takes around 3 months if you spend around 8 hours a week.
According to the CEFR, B1 levels means that you: Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc.
In Germany, a student can choose programs wherein the medium of instruction is English to gain an international degree. If you're opting for a German language course, then learning the B1 level is necessary to be eligible for the course.
English test C2 (Proficiency)
Can express themself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.
Which is the hardest German level?
- A1 (Lower Beginner) ...
- A2 (Upper Beginner) ...
- B1 (Lower Intermediate) ...
- B2 (Upper Intermediate) ...
- C1 (Lower Advanced) ...
- C2 (Upper Advanced/Fluent) ...
- Goethe-Zertifikat. ...
- Goethe-Test PRO.
If you're interested in learning a language, there's no better time than now. The challenges and adult responsibilities of your thirties could distract you from the learning process if you let them. These challenges are different from the time you were in your twenties.
And the average speaker uses only 12,000 to 16,000 words in their vocabulary.
A better tactic is to learn 3-6 new German words every day and invest time in understanding them very well. This way, you can learn almost 2000 words a year - 5 words per day x 365 days = 1800+ new words.
According to recent statistics, about 56% of the German population speaks English. It is also ranked 10th in the countries that speak English. If you ask me, Germany is much more rigorously schooled in English.
But why are German words so long? Well, different rules for different languages. In German, there are no noun clusters, the way you can string nouns together in English as modifying words to describe the final noun. The German solution for this is just to string them all together into a word.
But, like much of the world, they are reading less—and much less than they think. In fact, according to Culture Score Index of the UK-based market research firm NOP World, Germany is tied for 22nd with the United States for the amount of time spent reading per week, just 5.42 hours.
In short, yes of course it is. I don't usually subscribe to the exact levels people talk about when they tell you how many hours to study in a specific language (because what is “study” right there?), but reaching C1 level in 4 years doesn't seem overly cumbersome at all. How has learning German benefited you?
How hard is B2 level German? The German language is complex yet highly systematic. For a systematic language, you need a systematic course structure though. If the course material you are using has a thought-out structure, then it shouldn't be difficult.
The Goethe Institut says you need to have studied German for at least 750 hours to get to this point. But realistically, it might take you up to 3 years to reach the C2 level. You shouldn't feel discouraged if you feel like the C2 level is out of your reach, since even native Germans struggle with reaching this level.
What is the shortest time to learn German?
Assess your current level & test your German online! | Intensive course (20 lessons/week) | |
---|---|---|
A1 | beginner | 8 weeks |
A2 | elementary | 8 weeks |
B1 | intermediate | 8 weeks |
B2 | upper intermediate | 10 weeks* |
If you´d like to work in Germany you´ll get by if your German is on level B1/B2 (online test). The certificate issued by GLS is recognized by many employers and even some universities in Germany.
Students at the A-B1 levels in the CEFR language learning system.