They say it takes 900 hours. Others promise you’ll be fluent in 6 months. Then there’s that guy who says one will never master the German language. So what’s the truth?
Here’s your sober, unsugarcoated answer. And no, it’s not what language influencers say.
Forget the Magic Number
There’s no universal number of hours. Why? Because learning German isn’t downloading a file. It’s rewiring your brain to think in patterns that weren’t built for you. That takes time—and the time depends on your starting point, your goals, your consistency, and your willingness to sit with discomfort.
Yes, the U.S. Foreign Service Institute says 900 classroom hours to reach B2. But guess what? That’s with full-time immersion, trained teachers, and military-style discipline and diplomat-level education. What do you think? How many learners have that?
So… How Many Hours Then?
Let’s talk ranges:
- A1-A2 (basic chit-chat): 200–400 focused hours.
- B1 (basic fluency): 400–600 hours.
- B2 (solid intermediate): 600–900 hours.
- C1 (professional use): 900+ hours, plus actual use in real life.
- C2 (is only for mad people who don’t live in this space-time continuum)
Now, this assumes you’re not just passively watching videos with subtitles or try to learn German on YouTube and TikTok or worse, language learning apps. No, it assumes deliberate practice, review, and feedback. No magic app is going to do it for you.
What If You Study 1 Hour a Day?
At 1 hour/day 5 days a week which makes ~20 hours per month:
- You’ll reach A2 in about 10-20 months.
- B1 might take you 30 months.
- B2? If you make it, expect 45 months or ~4 years.
- C1? Maybe never—unless you start working, reading, and thinking in German daily.
But here’s an open secret: daily input beats occasional marathons. 20 mins a day are more likely to get you to your goal than a 6 hour cram session once every fortnight.
What About the “Learn German in 30 Days” Gurus?
Well, that’s just clickbait. I mean, I’ve taught people from scratch to B1 in 30 days three times already but that’s not applicable for 99% of the learners. You need to be highly gifted and good with languages to pull this off. And you need to know what you are doing.
People like Benny Lewis and Tim Ferris or Gabriel Wyner are good sales people. They are definitely gifted language learners as well but that doesn’t mean that what they can do, you can do. That doesn’t mean they don’t have the one or other good piece of advice for you. So don’t toss out the baby with the bathwater. Always listen well and pick out what works for you.
Learning German isn’t really hard, but it’s also not instant. Real progress is measurable in months, not clicks.
You can be conversational’ish in a few months if you focus on the right things:
- Repeated practice of all skills
- Don’t ignore grammar
- Listen a lot
- Get proper and instant feedback
Want to Go Faster?
Here’s what works:
- Study 5–6 days a week, even if just 30–60 minutes.
- Alternate input (reading/listening) with output (speaking/writing).
- Use a structured course like my courses. Not a playlist on YouTube. Don’t fiddle with downloadable materials.
- Get feedback. Machines are fine. Humans are better but more expensive.
Your Teacher’s Job: Build a System You’ll Stick To
Don’t rely on external motivation. Rely on system and schedule. Put 30 minutes of German between your coffee and your email inbox. Track your hours, review old material, and stop jumping from one shiny new app to the next.
FAQ – Learning German: Time & Effort
How long does it take to be fluent?
Depends on your definition. Conversational fluency (B1/B2) = 600–900 hours. Full professional fluency (C1+) = 1000+ hours and real-life exposure and practice.
Can I learn German in 6 months?
Yes—basic German, B1 and if you are gifted and the wind comes from the right direction, maybe B2 even. B1 is not fluent. If you’re consistent and smart about your method, A2 or B1 is easily doable.
How many hours a day should I study?
30–90 minutes is ideal. More is great, but only if you actually do it almost daily. I always recommend taking 1-2 days off per week to recharge one’s batteries.
Is German really that hard?
It’s no harder than learning to drive shtick shift while drinking from a firehose. But seriously: it’s logical, consistent, and very learnable—if you respect the process.
What if I don’t have time every day?
Then don’t worry too much about what you should and what you shouldn’t do. But don’t expect fast results. Language is like fitness: you get what you train.