Not sure whether to begin with A1 foundations, A2 past tenses, B1 subordinate clauses or B2 formal structures? Work through the eight diagnostic questions below. Decide on your answer before opening each explanation. When the questions start feeling unfamiliar, that level is a practical place to begin.
This self-check is a study-planning guide for choosing exercises on DeutschLearner; it is not an official CEFR exam or language certificate.
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Part 1 · A1 foundations check
At A1, you build simple statements and questions, conjugate common present-tense verbs and distinguish basic nominative subjects from masculine accusative objects.
Question 1 (A1 · Articles & accusative): Ich suche ___ Bahnhof. (der Bahnhof — I am looking for the train station.)
Ich suche den Bahnhof. — Answer: den
Der Bahnhof is masculine. Because it is the direct object of suchen, masculine der changes to accusative den. Review the accusative case.
Question 2 (A1 · Word order): Morgen ___ wir nach Berlin. (fahren — Tomorrow we are travelling to Berlin.)
Morgen fahren wir nach Berlin. — Answer: fahren
In a German statement, the conjugated verb stays in second position. Because Morgen occupies the first position, the verb fahren comes immediately before the subject wir. Review word order & questions.
If A1 felt tricky: Start with German articles, present tense, A1 vocabulary and the A1 introductions conversation.
Part 2 · A2 everyday grammar check
At A2, you talk about past events in Perfekt and Präteritum, use dative and two-way prepositions, and connect clauses with weil, dass and wenn.
Question 3 (A2 · Perfekt auxiliary): Gestern ___ sie früh nach Hause gegangen. (Yesterday she went home early.)
Gestern ist sie früh nach Hause gegangen. — Answer: ist
Gehen describes a change of location and forms the Perfekt with sein (sie ist gegangen), not haben. Review Perfekt with sein.
Question 4 (A2 · Two-way prepositions): Die Tasse steht schon auf ___ Tisch. (der Tisch — The cup is already standing on the table.)
Die Tasse steht schon auf dem Tisch. — Answer: dem
The sentence describes an existing location (Wo? — where?), so the two-way preposition auf takes the dative case: masculine der Tisch becomes auf dem Tisch. Review two-way prepositions.
If A2 is your focus: Practise the dative, subordinate clauses, adjective endings and A2 vocabulary essentials.
Part 3 · B1 intermediate check
At B1, you express unreal conditions with Konjunktiv II, use passive voice, link events with nachdem and obwohl, and manage verbs with fixed prepositions.
Question 5 (B1 · Verbs with prepositions): Wir freuen uns sehr ___ das Wochenende. (We are really looking forward to the weekend.)
Wir freuen uns sehr auf das Wochenende. — Answer: auf
Sich freuen auf (+ accusative) means to look forward to something in the future, whereas sich freuen über refers to something present or past. Review verbs with prepositions.
Question 6 (B1 · Concession & word order): Obwohl es stark ___, gehen wir spazieren. (regnen — Although it is raining heavily, we are going for a walk.)
Obwohl es stark regnet, gehen wir spazieren. — Answer: regnet
Obwohl introduces a subordinate clause, sending its conjugated verb regnet to the end of the first clause, while the main clause starts immediately with gehen. Review obwohl and trotzdem.
If B1 is your focus: Explore Konjunktiv II, present passive, B1 readings and B1 vocabulary.
Part 4 · B2 upper-intermediate check
At B2, you handle past counterfactuals, reported speech (Konjunktiv I), subjective modal deductions, participle attributes and formal nominal style.
Question 7 (B2 · Past Konjunktiv II): Wenn ich früher losgefahren wäre, ___ ich den Zug noch erreicht. (If I had set off earlier, I would still have caught the train.)
Wenn ich früher losgefahren wäre, hätte ich den Zug noch erreicht. — Answer: hätte
Erreichen forms the perfect with haben, so an unreal past main clause uses hätte … erreicht. Because the wenn-clause comes first, hätte stands immediately after the comma. Review past Konjunktiv II.
Question 8 (B2 · Genitive relative clauses): Das ist die Kollegin, ___ Vorschlag gestern angenommen wurde. (That is the female colleague whose proposal was accepted yesterday.)
Das ist die Kollegin, deren Vorschlag gestern angenommen wurde. — Answer: deren
The antecedent die Kollegin is feminine singular, so the genitive relative pronoun meaning “whose” is deren (not dessen). Review dessen and deren.
If B2 is your focus: Dive into Konjunktiv I, formal nominal style, B2 readings and the B2 team-project conversation.