Self-studying German works best when you know exactly what to learn next and can see your progress build from week to week. Below is the complete DeutschLearner A1–B2 curriculum roadmap—connecting 67 grammar chapters, 5,200+ vocabulary flashcards, 1,250 dictionary paradigms, 16 graded readings and 7 guided conversations into 24 clear milestones.
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Stage 1: A1 Foundations — First sentences, articles & core verbs
At A1, focus on building simple statements, questions and requests while learning every noun together with its article (der, die, das) and plural form.
| Milestone | Grammar guide | Context & vocabulary | Practice drill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Noun gender & plurals | Articles & plurals · Gender rules | A1 essentials list | Practise articles |
| 2. Present tense & sein / haben | Present tense · sein · haben | Introductions dialogue | Practise present tense |
| 3. Verb-second (V2) & questions | Word order & questions | Greetings reading | Practise word order |
| 4. Nominative vs Accusative | Nominative · Accusative | Restaurant dialogue | Practise accusative |
| 5. Negation (nicht vs kein) | Nicht or kein? · Possessives | Who is who? reading | Practise negation |
| 6. Modal & separable verbs | Modal verbs · Separable verbs | Buying tickets dialogue | Practise modals |
Stage 2: A2 Everyday Confidence — Dative, past events & connected clauses
At A2, you move beyond single present-tense clauses: you describe past experiences in Perfekt, distinguish location (Wo?) from destination (Wohin?), and explain reasons with weil, dass and wenn.
| Milestone | Grammar guide | Context & vocabulary | Practice drill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. The Dative case & verbs | The dative · Dative verbs · Dative prepositions | A2 essentials list | Practise dative |
| 8. Two-way prepositions | Location vs destination · All 9 prepositions | Decorations reading | Practise two-way prepositions |
| 9. Spoken past (Perfekt) | Perfekt with haben · Perfekt with sein | Grandparents reading | Practise Perfekt |
| 10. Subordinate clauses & connectors | Weil, dass & wenn · Denn, weil & deshalb | Different appetites reading | Practise clauses |
| 11. Adjective endings & comparisons | Adjective endings · Comparisons | Whose doll is it? reading | Practise adjectives |
| 12. Reflexive verbs & relative clauses | Reflexive verbs · Relative clauses | Getting ready reading | Practise relative clauses |
Stage 3: B1 Independent Speaker — Nuance, passive voice & narrative past
At B1, you handle workplace and everyday challenges, express hypothetical wishes with Konjunktiv II, understand written narratives in Präteritum, and use the passive voice and genitive case.
- Hypotheticals & politeness: Konjunktiv II (wäre, hätte, würde) — Practise B1 conditionals
- Passive voice: Present passive, past passive & passive with modals — Practise passive
- Genitive & weak nouns: Genitive case & weak masculine nouns (n-declension) — Practise genitive
- Verbs with prepositions: Fixed verb-preposition pairs & da- and wo- compounds — Practise verb prepositions
- B1 context & vocabulary: B1 focus vocabulary, First week at work reading & Arrange a repair conversation
Stage 4: B2 Upper-Intermediate — Formal register, reported speech & precision
At B2, you unpack dense professional and journalistic German, report claims neutrally, and express subtle degrees of certainty and counterfactual past outcomes.
- Past conditionals & modal deductions: Past Konjunktiv II, modal deductions & double infinitives — Practise B2 past conditionals
- Reported speech: Konjunktiv I present, reported past & claims with sollen/wollen — Practise Konjunktiv I
- Academic & nominal style: Participle attributes, nominal style, dessen/deren & noun–verb combinations — Practise B2 style
- B2 context & vocabulary: B2+ focus vocabulary & Planning a team project conversation
Why create a free DeutschLearner account?
You can study every guide and exercise on DeutschLearner without signing up. Creating a free account (with Google Sign-In or email) adds three practical benefits for long-term learners:
- Cross-device cloud sync: Practise vocabulary on your phone during a commute and continue grammar or reading on your laptop without losing your streak.
- Permanent spaced-repetition memory: Your due review times for 5,200+ vocabulary cards are backed up in your account so clearing browser data never resets your review schedule.
- Personal mistake bank: Missed grammar rules and conversation turns stay queued in your account until you master them across multiple examples.