Is it easy to learn German from English?

Question

I just want to teach myself some basic German. Is it worth it, and fairly easy to learn? (It's probably easier than spanish, haha).

Answer 1

Please don't judge from my English.I speak German fluently, since I was raised in a multilingual family. If you want a honest answer: It's not an impossible task, but I think it will probably be a time-consuming one.

Although the statement regarding the common roots of many words is true, I have observed that most Englishmen need a rather long time to learn German in a way allowing them to communicate well. Of course one reason for that might be, that they can always communicate in their native language and therefor lack motivation (in this case you don't have to worry if you truly like to learn it).

However I've noticed, that some of the following characteristics are causing difficulties to native speakers of your language:

1) Every word has a gender. Except for a few exceptions (woman, man, child) this can not be immediately guessed (as it can be done in many languages which are based on Latin) and must be learned by heart.

2) Words have to be declined and the cases (nominative, genitive, accusative, vocative) are not all the same for a give word.
3) There exist many, many verbs that have to be treated as irregular, before you develop a deeper relation to German.

Still, there are English people that speak German very well and I believe that hard work always pays off when it comes to languages. First of all you must "check the language out". Language learning works in a different way for everyone. If you think that it suites you, that you like it's sound and distinguish it's words as you hear them, then, I believe, it's almost certain, that you will master it.

NOTE: The previous answer was quite nice, but the correct sentences read:

"Ich hoffe, dass diese Antwort dir hilft!"
(meaning: "I hope this Answer helps you") or

"Ich hoffe diese Antwort wird dir helfen!" and "Ich hoffe, dass diese Antwort dir helfen wird!"
( both meaning: "I hope this Answer will help you")

Answer 2

You can teach yourself some basic German easily.
Wie geht's? (Vee gets) How's it going?
Danke schoen. (don-kuh shurn) Thank you very much.

It's hard to really learn it well, though. I'm bad with pronuniciation (although a lot of people don't struggle with that) and the grammar is really tricky. (three genders; four cases--verbs aren't so bad, sentence structure is)

I think the previous poster overstated the similarities between English and German, too. Yes some words are very similar (red, rot; blue, blau; wiener schnitzel, Wienerschnitzel; beer, Bier; hair. Haar; finger, Finger) but plenty are completely different, even in the categories he/she named (pants, Hosen; beef, Rind). Although it can be cool once you have learned a word in German to note that there is a corresponding though underused or not quite the same word in English (swine, Schwein; belt (not girdle), Gurtel). All nouns in German are capitalized so that can be fun.

Ich hoffe, dass dieses Antwort dir helftet. (may or may not mean: I hope this answer helped)

Answer 3

I believe German is truthfully simpler to be taught, I wager it is due to the fact that English is a Germanic language while Spanish is a Romance Language. If you simply wish the simpler alternative, take German. You're fortunate you get to prefer. At my college I'm pressured to do French and German.

Answer 4

English is a Germanic language. Many or most of everyday words come directly from German. Words for foods, colors, articles of clothing, etc.
Start by learning a couple of conguations I am, you are, he-she-it is, we are, you are, they are. Same with HAVE.
Concentrate on vocabulary. Grammer comes later.

Answer 5

I found it very easy to learn. There are indeed many cognates (words that are the same or similar), and it is a fairly straightforward language to learn, not as complicated as some.

Answer 6

I couldn't learn and I got bored..Good luck to you ;-)