Updated on October 8, 2024
How long does it take to learn German? Your commitment to fluency
So, you have a passion for all things Deutsch and you’re sure you want to tackle the language. One question remains, though it’s a difficult one to answer: how long does it take to learn German?
It’s tempting to give a specific timeframe for reaching each subsequent level of German mastery, but the truth is more complicated. Many factors affect how fast an individual learns a language, and these factors tend to be different for everyone. They include your native language, personal motivation, language goals and the resources and tools you choose to employ.
To give you some more clarity on how long it realistically takes to learn German, let’s dive in.
The mother of all questions doesn’t have a straightforward answer. As for all the goals you put your mind to, plenty of aspects may affect your journey towards fluency. These include:
“OK, but it can’t be all on me! There must be some time reference!” Well, there are some general benchmarks we can point to. Depending on the amount of lessons and hours per week you commit, the breakdown may look like this:
| Proficiency level | 20 lessons/week | 30 lessons/week |
| German A1 | 8 weeks (up to 150 hrs) | 6 weeks |
| German A2 | 8 weeks (up to 260 hrs) | 6 weeks |
| German B1 | 8 weeks (up to 490 hrs) | 6 weeks |
| German B2 | 8 weeks (up to 600 hrs) | 6 weeks |
| German C1 | personal* (up to 750 hrs) | 6 weeks |
| German C2 | personal* (750+ hrs) | personal* |
German is considered a Category II language in terms of its proximity to English. Based on that, fluency is potentially achieved by investing at least 750 hours of study.
* Personal commitment and consistency are the main factors influencing the achievement of those levels.
Assuming a minimum of 20 lessons per week, it takes anywhere between 600 and 750 hours to reach C1 German.
Within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (or CEFR), reaching a C1 level means you are able to “[…] understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning. […] use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. […] produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, […]”.
This is, of course, an approximate time range, but reaching this lower advanced level means professional opportunities will open, too. At this stage of your journey, your proficiency will allow you to use the language in almost all contexts.
The overall answer is yes, you can learn German in three months. The key question is: how much fluency can you realistically achieve in such a short timeframe? Generally speaking, after three months of consistent practice and, you should have no problem building a solid foundation of German grammar rules, syntax and vocabulary. This will allow you to communicate at an intermediate level on subjects such as:
While the proficiency level you reach in three months might not be sufficient to land that dream position, your everyday conversations and writing skills will have developed enough for you to communicate on a daily basis.
In this article, we gave you a comprehensive overview of the factors influencing how long it takes to learn German. If we take into account solely the number of lessons per week, reaching a C1 level entails a minimum of 750 hours. Any more time spent on the language will propel you towards bilingual proficiency. In reality, however, there’s much more to consider.
Are you a lone wolf, or would you rather share the experience in an online class? Do you need a daily dose of motivation or can you plan your schedule? If you’re looking for an online German class to flex your skills, Lingoda has you covered.
Small-sized or private classes are available 24/7, all led by native-level teachers. If a push is what you need, take part in our Language Sprint, an intensive German course. So, now that you have your answer, it’s time to dive in — heart first.
