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- Official language of both Germany, Austria, Belgium and  Luxembourg
- One of the official languages in Switzerland
- Native language of more than 90 million speakers
- Around 130 million people worldwide speak German as their mother tongue
- Languages with the most native speakers worldwide
- One of the main cultural languages of the Western World
countries/regions where it is spoken as a first/native language
- SVO: subject, verb, object

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German Orthography

- Alphabet displayed above
- German alphabet consists of 26 characters, similar to the English alphabet
- Four additional special characters: Umlaute (ä, ö, ü), and Eszett (ß)
- ä, ö, ü are commonly found in other languages, ß is only used in the German Language

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The German alphabet is part of Germanic language that's origins trace back to early 700s. German contains the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet and adds the extra letters ä, ö, ü and ß. All German letter have upper and lowercase version except for ß. The letter ß will never be at the start of a word.

German is sometime s viewed by non-native German speakers as a harsh sounding language.

The German language is a more consistent phonetically language than English.

Learn German Alphabet Pronunciation

Some German Letters are pronounce way different then their English counterparts. For example, the German W sounds like English V, and German V sounds like the English F. Most of the time the S in German sounds like Z in English when placed at the beginning of a word followed by a vowel. Learn German Alphabet letters g, ch, and r are pronounce mostly in the back of the throat. The pronunciation of some of these German letters do not have an English counterpart (Like "ü" for example").

Learn German Alphabet Diphthongs and Grouped Consonants

Diphthongs are combinations of two vowels(and only vowels) that are combined and sounded together. Consonants can be grouped together this way as well. Instead of each letter being pronounced separately, the two letters have combined pronunciation and sound. Example of German Alphabet Diphthongs and Group Consonants below.

To do the extra German letters without using German keyboard. Alt code can be used. Alt code is when you press then hold down the Alt key on your keyboard then type in numbers on your num pad then release the alt key.

The German Alphabet plays a very important role in learning German, especially when it comes to pronunciation. So make sure to practice pronouncing the German Alphabet multiple times often. Whenever you can.
Interested in further study into German or confused on where to start? I recommend reading our German Beginners Guide

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Learn German Alphabet - German Language Alphabet Letters & Chart

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The German alphabet is part of Germanic language that's origins trace back to early 700s. German contains the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet and adds the extra letters ä, ö, ü and ß. All German letter have upper and lowercase version except for ß.

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- Angst
- Kindergarten
- Fahrenheit
- Diesel
- Doppelgänger
- Delicatessen

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This video samples some of Germany's traditional folk music.

- Folk music has always been popular in Germany
- Folk music was seen as a symbol of nationality and pride
- Yodeling: most widely known form of European folk music

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Ingredients
- potatoes
- flour
- eggs
- breadcrumbs
- salt
- nutmeg
- water
- butter
- onions

Recipe

1. Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain; transfer to a large bowl.

2. Mash potatoes. Stir in flour, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and nutmeg. Shape into sixteen (2-in.) balls.

3. In a Dutch oven, bring 12 cups water to a boil. Carefully add dumplings. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 7-9 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean.

4. Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, heat butter and onion over medium heat. Heat 5-7 minutes or until butter is golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in bread crumbs. Serve with dumplings.

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Ingredients

3 pounds medium potatoes (about 10), peeled and quartered

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup dry bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

12 cups water

BROWNED BUTTER SAUCE:

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions

Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain; transfer to a large bowl.

Mash potatoes. Stir in flour, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and nutmeg. Shape into sixteen (2-in.) balls.

In a Dutch oven, bring 12 cups water to a boil. Carefully add dumplings. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 7-9 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of dumplings comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, heat butter and onion over medium heat. Heat 5-7 minutes or until butter is golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in bread crumbs. Serve with dumplings.

Nutrition Facts

2 dumplings with 2 tablespoons sauce: 367 calories, 14g fat (8g saturated fat), 100mg cholesterol, 524mg sodium, 51g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 5g fiber), 9g protein.

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3 pounds medium potatoes (about 10), peeled and quartered 1 cup all-purpose flour 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 2/3 cup dry bread crumbs 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 12 cups water BROWNED BUTTER SAUCE: 1/2 cup butter, cubed 1 tablespoon chopped onion 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; add water to cover.

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- The German language has three genders: male, female and neuter (acts as a neutral)
- Nouns are capitalized, no exceptions

The longest German word:
“Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung”, refers to regulation on the delegation of authority concerning land conveyance permissions

Terms that only exist in the German language:
- "fremdschämen" refers to shame felt on another person’s behalf
- "fernweh" (having the travel bug, lusting after adventure)

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Franz Xaver Winterhalter, Elisabeth of Austria

- Franz Xaver Winterhalter was extremely popular
- He painted all royalty of Europe
- He portrayed his subjects in the best way possible
- Empress Elisabeth of Austria was not only considered one of the most beautiful monarchs in Europe, but most beautiful women of her time

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Like every other country, Germany, even when it was still the patchwork of sovereign rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, produced artists who stand out from their colleagues and whose most famous works are highly recognized. Here are six to know:

Albrecht Dürer, Self-portrait

At first glance, one may think the subject of this painting is Jesus Christ, as it seems to resemble Salvator Mundi portraits. However, it is instead a self-portrait of the Renaissance painter Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), though he was thinking of the Savior when painting this work. The pose that the Nuremberg painter assumes was reserved for portraits of only Christ and kings at the time. However, Dürer was not lacking in self-confidence and considered himself a "divine artist" who was endowed with creative power by God. Another important detail is Dürer's clothing, as such a fur-trimmed cloak was only reserved for the urban elites, especially council members. Dürer reached this position in 1509, which is why the dating of the painting to 1500 is probably a later change.

Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, Goethe in the Campagna

The Hessian artist family Tischbein had produced so many painters that they, like the Brueghels, had to be given nicknames in order to tell them apart. As a rule, they were named after their main places of work ("Kasseler Tischbein", "Lübecker Tischbein", "Leipziger Tischbein", Hanauer Tischbein"). However, one of them got his nickname due to his most famous painting: at the beginning of 1787, Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein (1751-1829) met Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who was traveling through Italy. After their initial meeting in Rome, Tischbein accompanied the poet, who usually traveled alone, to Naples. The classicist portrait shows the poet in front of the Campagna landscape populated by ruins. In 1982 Andy Warhol would reuse Goethe's profile from the portrait for one of his famous screen prints. Tischbein therefore would be known as "Goethe Tischbein."

Carl Spitzweg, The Poor Poet

Unlike the princely poet Goethe, the poet takes on a less glorious existence in Carl Spitzweg's (1808-1885) most famous painting. Instead of indulging in the luxury of a trip to Italy, this poet spends the cold winter days in his poor attic. Since he has no money for heating material, other than his own, apparently less successful works, the stove stays cold, so that he has to crawl into his makeshift bed with his coat and nightcap. To protect against moisture, he has stretched a demolished umbrella over it the roof. The Poor Poet from 1839 was Spitzweg's first masterpiece, which depicts the quirks of his Biedermeier contemporaries with sensitive humor. First presented at the Munich Art Association, The Poor Poet is Spitzweg's most famous and popular work today, but received such bad reviews at the time that the painter only signed his work with initials in the future.

Caspar David Friedrich, Wanderer Above the Sea of ​​Fog

An icon of romantic painting and one of the most famous German paintings of all time is Caspar David Friedrich's (1774-1840) Wanderer above the Sea of ​​Fog from 1818. Here, the painter, who himself suffered from depression, combined the great artistic themes of the epoch with depictions of landscapes, religion, the afterlife and loneliness. The painting appears like the visualization of the German terms "Wanderlust" (desire to travel) and "Weltschmerz" (world-weariness), which were coined during the Romantic era and have found their way into many other languages. But Friedrich's work also has a political component, represented by the wanderer who wears an old German uniform, which emerged during the wars of liberation as an alternative to French Empire fashion.

Franz Xaver Winterhalter, Elisabeth of Austria

Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873), born in the Black Forest, painted all the crowned heads of Europe. Completely untouched by the artistic developments of Realism and Impressionism, he was a representative of salon painting who mastered the art of portraying his subjects in the best possible light - a skill that contributed immensely to his popularity. For the royal lady who was the model for Winterhalter's most famous portrait, however, any embellishment was not necessary. Empress Elisabeth of Austria was not only considered the most beautiful monarch in Europe, but also one of the most beautiful women of her time - an image that Elisabeth cultivated by not allowing herself to be photographed after the 1870s and implementing an intense beauty regimen. Winterhalter's portrait was created in 1865 and shows the Empress in a dress by Charles Frederick Worth and with the diamond stars in her hair that her husband, Emperor Franz Joseph I, had given her.

Franz Marc, Blue Horse I

The Munich painter Franz Marc (1880-1916) is best known for his animal motifs, because for him animals were the epitome of the innocence of nature and the harmony of creation. He was particularly fond of horses. At the same time as he turned to animal motifs, Marc began to explore color theory. In his color theory, blue stood for spiritual masculinity. A large part of Marc's horse pictures show the noble steeds in blue, as in his famous work Blue Horse I from 1911, which he showed at the first exhibition of Der Blaue Reiter, the group he founded with Wassily Kandinsky. Like so many works by the avant-garde artists of the time, Franz Marc's blue horse was viewed negatively by the general public and critics, but today is one of the most reproduced works of art ever.
Discover more art history articles on Barnebys Magazine!

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The 6 Most Famous German Paintings | Barnebys Magazine

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Like every other country, Germany, even when it was still the patchwork of sovereign rulers of the Holy Roman Empire, produced artists who stand out from their colleagues and whose most famous works are highly recognized. Here are six to know: At first glance, one may think the subject of this painting is Jesus Christ, as it seems to resemble Salvator Mundi portraits.