Discover a completely free way to study a language with the best Youtube channels to learn German!
Best Youtube Channels to Learn German for Beginners Onwards:
1. GermanPod101: 4/5
GermanPod101 is a Youtube channel based on the popular language app and has quickly become one of the best Youtube channels to learn German. The channel consists of several playlists that cover different aspects of language learning including German grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. The videos are well produced with easy-to-follow subtitles, engaging slideshow presentations and fun graphics to help you follow along. The great news is, GermanPod101 posts at least twice a week, which means there’s always new content to watch!
2. Learn German with Herr Antrim
Herr Antrim is a high school German teacher with over a decade of teaching experience. On his channel he organises his videos according to ability level: from A1 up to B2, so you can choose which is best for you. Herr Antrim posts regularly and began posting on Youtube over 4 years ago, so there are hundreds of videos to choose from! He also teaches everything in English, making it much easier to follow for beginner students.
3. SmarterGerman
SmarterGerman teaches you German in a fun and interactive way. Michael, the host, gives you a lot of advice on language learning, and how to tackle those tricky elements of German pronunciation or grammar. He also helps you to learn harder concepts by making them easy to understand, and more engaging with music and songs.
4. Lingoni: Learn German with Jenny
Jenny is an experienced teacher and language learner who targets students with A1 – B1 level German. On Lingoni, you'll find lots of short videos explaining different elements of the language, from grammar and vocabulary to pronunciation tips. She explains everything slowly and clearly, and always includes a wealth of examples to help you learn. Luckily, Jenny uploads regularly and is gaining subscribers quickly too! Jenny is certainly one to watch.
5. Easy German
Easy German is a channel that aims to teach people real German, i.e. how it’s spoken in the streets of Berlin. The two hosts, Janusz and Cari, go out into the city and ask locals questions about daily life and common topics such as where they go on vacation and what their view on politics is. Each video has subtitles in both German and English so you can follow along and practice your comprehension, as well as develop your vocabulary.
6. Coffee Break Languages: 4/5
Coffee Break Languages is a Youtube channel created by a famous podcast of the same name, which can also be used to improve your German. The channel can be quite overwhelming as it features many languages and playlists, however, there are separate playlists you can find for German, such as Q&A German, German on the Go, Coffee Break German and more. It has hundreds of videos that include subtitles in German and English too, making it one of the best Youtube channels to learn German for beginners.
7. Learn German with Anja
Learn German with Anja has more than 700k followers and is one of the best Youtube channels to learn German. Anja’s success lies in the graphics she uses to make the videos super engaging for viewers. She also uploads very regularly which means there’s always a video to watch!
8. Easy Online German
Easy Online German is an old school resource to help you learn German. The host treats her channel almost like an online classroom covering tricky elements of German grammar, pronunciation, and comprehension. Unfortunately, lessons can get a little repetitive, but this could be useful if you prefer a methodical learning approach.
9. Deutsch Fur Euch
Deutsch Fue Euch is another top contender for the best Youtube channel to learn German. The host offers lessons in English and caters mainly to absolute beginners. Videos are categorised into levels between A1-B1, so you can watch yourself progress as you move through her channel. While much of the content is for newbies, there are some videos that are great for intermediate learners too, especially the fictional stories she tells!
10. Learn German
Learn German is a Youtube channel that aims to teach German to students of all levels (between A1- C2). The videos are all filmed without a host, and only using videos, images and animation. Many people will find this method less engaging, however, if you are a visual learner then this might help you understand the topics you are learning better. Learn German covers lessons on every aspect of language learning like reading and listening comprehension, grammar help and pronunciation.
11. Learn German Through Music
Learn German Through Music is a Youtube channel that offers fun learning materials for beginners, but primarily for children. As the name suggests, it teaches you concepts of the German language including elements of grammar (conjugations) and vocabulary (days of the week, months of the year etc) through songs. We’d say that this is one of the best Youtube channels to learn German, especially for children or those who learn best through songs and repetition. Unfortunately, the creators of this channel haven’t posted a video in two years, however, there is still lots of material to use.
12. LanguageSheep
LanguageSheep is a channel that mainly focuses on German pronunciation. This is a really useful channel to use during your language learning because German pronunciation can be tricky! If you want to successfully pronounce the “ch” sounds, this is the channel for you. Unfortunately, this channel only focuses on pronunciation, and they don’t post too regularly either, so you’ll need to use this as a supplementary resource only.
13. Wanted Adventure
Wanted Adventure is another channel hosted by a non-native German speaker. Dana is an American woman who moved to Prague and later to Germany after she relocated with her husband. She has been making videos on the German language ever since! She makes videos on German life and society and often compares it to that of the USA.
14. Learn German with DW
DW, or Deutsche Welle, is a public broadcasting company that produces language learning material on their website, as well as their Youtube channel. The channel posts educational videos ranging from A1 – B2 ability levels, and some for very advanced students as well. On the channel, you'll find a series of different podcasts to help you learn German for different scenarios, for example, German at school, at work or in social situations. These are some of the best quality videos we've seen and videos are uploaded at least once a day
Best Youtube Channels to Learn German for Intermediate Speakers and Above:
15. Deutsch Mit Marija
Marija Dobrovolska is a Latvian ethnic Russian living in Germany. She speaks multiple languages and provides an excellent approach to language learning. Marija's Youtube channel covers intermediate and advanced lessons covering complex grammar aspects, unusual vocabulary and even German literature. She also holds live streams occasionally which are great for interacting with her and asking any questions that you might have. With a huge range of materials to offer, Deutsch Mit Marija is one of the best Youtube channels to learn German, especially if you have a good foundation of the language.
16. Authentic German Learning
The host of Authentic German Learning, Mark Rosler, posts videos on anything and everything: as long as it’s in German. He speaks slowly and carefully, making sure he enunciates all of his words even for lower-level viewers. This channel is great for those who want to expand their vocabulary and learn how to discuss topics that are taught outside of the regular classroom. The downside is that Mark hasn’t posted in over a year, so we’re not sure whether he will choose to continue his Youtube channel.
17. Don't Trust the Rabbit
Trixie, the host of Don't Trust the Rabbit, talks about the German language, as well as German culture and society. She has videos on the etymology of different German words, and about cognates between German and English. She often discusses language learning techniques and cultural aspects of German rather than actually teaching German. Unfortunately, she doesn’t post too frequently, maybe once every couple of months, and her videos are quite short.
18. Get Germanized
Get Germanized is a fun channel that aims to teach you German in a fun way! The videos vary from German language lessons and tips on learning German itself to videos on German society and culture including what movies to watch or books to read. We’d recommend this channel for intermediate or advanced speakers as the vocabulary can be complicated and there are no subtitles.
19. BibisBeautyPalace
While this may not be a language learning channel, BibisBeautyPalace is a very popular blog that also happens to be one of the best Youtube channels to learn German, if you’re an intermediate speaker or above. The hosts post videos about their daily life, makeup tutorials, pranks, holiday videos and even interviews with celebrities. It may not be an ideal channel to help you learn the difference between hard concepts of German grammar, but it will improve your comprehension hugely.
20. VlogDave
VlogDave is a vlogging channel following a man called Dave, who speaks German very clearly. Unlike many language Youtube channels, Dave's channel focuses entirely on filming vlogs and documenting his life in German. The videos are aimed at students who want to study casually. His videos are extremely well-edited and crafted and he always has German and English subtitles available.
21. Rewboss
Rewboss is the ideal Youtube channel for anyone hoping to brush up on their knowledge of German culture and society. The host is a British man, Andrew Bossom, who has been living in Germany for the past two decades. He makes fun and informative videos on everyday situations and cultural differences. He doesn’t necessarily teach German as a foreign language, however, you can learn a lot through his videos. Unfortunately, he isn’t a German native speaker, but for cultural insights, his videos are worth checking out.
22. Sallys Welt
Sallys Welt is a Youtube channel that combines her love for food with her love for learning German! Sally makes tons of different types of food from dinner foods, to elaborate cakes and candies, and even quick meal recipes. Everything is in German so you can learn vocabulary and phrases ideal for cooking and food. Unfortunately, there are no subtitles in English or German so make sure you listen carefully so you know what to put in your recipes!
Best Youtube Channels to Learn German for Advanced Speakers
23. TEDx Talks in German
Everyone’s heard of Ted Talks – conferences where people share anything, from a unique experience to a scientific breakthrough. Well now, you can also learn German through a TedX Talk. This is a great way to practice harder topics with tough vocabulary. The speakers are native speakers of German, and they often use colloquialisms and speak very quickly, so this one is for confident German speakers only.
24. Paluten
If you're a keen gamer, this is the Youtube channel for you! Paluten is a very successful gamer in the world of Minecraft, but his channel occasionally dips into other games too. Similarly to some of the other channels I mentioned above, this isn’t exactly a learning channel, however, it does effectively teach you German through immersion and helps you practise your listening and comprehension skills outside of your normal “classroom environment”.
25. Clixoom Science and Fiction
Clixoom Science and Fiction does exactly what it says on the box: immerses you in the German language by presenting topics including physics, astronomy, artificial intelligence and geography. As the terminology is very specific, we’d recommend this mainly for advanced speakers, though intermediate learners could get by using the subtitles.
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Kris is the founder of Actual Fluency, and has spent the last 8 years becoming an expert in language learning software, methods, and techniques.
He lives in Denmark and speaks 5+ languages at varying levels. His other interests are Wine, Online Marketing, and Travelling.