German word order is intimidating because it doesn’t follow the word order structure of English sentences. Sometimes a verb comes at the end of a sentence. Sometimes there are extra pieces of information between other words. Sometimes you feel like you have to figure out a puzzle every time you read a sentence. This is because you are trying to translate it word for word as you read it. German is much more fluid if you treat a sentence as one idea rather than trying to translate every word immediately. It’s more useful to look at how a sentence is progressing and where the verb is placed, even if it takes some time to get there.
Here are a few techniques you can use to practice: Translate short sentences Start with short sentences like Heute lerne ich Deutsch. It might look a bit odd because the time element is at the beginning of the sentence. Try reading it out loud several times and notice where the verb is. Then try rewriting the sentence with a different beginning, such as Ich lerne heute Deutsch. Notice how the verb still comes in the second position. This exercise helps you recognize one of the most important rules of German word order without a lot of grammar discussion. Expand short sentences Start with a short sentence like Ich lese. Add a time element: Ich lese heute.
Add an object: Ich lese heute ein Buch. Add an adverb: Ich lese heute ein Buch auf Deutsch. Each time, you’re expanding the sentence, but the basic structure remains the same. As you continue adding elements to the sentence, you get used to how German structures the elements around a verb. The sentence doesn’t look so complicated because you can still see the basic structure. Learning to look for the verb One of the biggest problems that beginners have is trying to translate every word into its English equivalent before attempting to understand the sentence.
This frequently results in a sentence that doesn’t make sense because German structures ideas differently. Rather than trying to restructure the sentence as you read it, try waiting until you’ve read the sentence, then find the verb. Once you know what the subject is doing, the rest of the sentence is easier to sort out. With enough practice, your eyes will learn to automatically seek out the verb in a sentence, which will help you enormously when you attempt to read longer passages of German text.
This is a skill that you can practice every day in about fifteen minutes. Here’s a daily practice routine you can follow: Choose five short sentences in German from a reading passage or dialogue. Read each sentence slowly and highlight the verb. Rewrite each sentence with a different lead-in, but keep the verb in the second position. Read the sentences out loud to get a feel for them. Spend your last five minutes expanding one of the sentences by adding in details. With time, this exercise will help your brain recognize German sentence structure without fighting it.