Published 7 October 2026 · Lingeva
How long does learning German take?
There is no single reliable number of months for every learner. Your starting language, previous study, weekly practice, feedback and target tasks all matter. Define what you want to do in German before choosing a completion date. A plan for handling everyday appointments is different from a plan for explaining a complex professional argument.
Teaching units are not clock hours
Goethe describes B2 preparation in terms of 600–800 lessons of 45 minutes, depending on prior knowledge and learning needs. That is 450–600 clock hours of lessons. It is an orientation for teaching, not a promise that the same number of app minutes produces B2. Independent study and opportunities to use German need their own place in your plan.
Three sample weekly budgets
The following schedules use five practice days. They are examples you can adjust, not tested completion forecasts. Course time belongs in a separate line so you do not count the same activity twice.
| Daily / weekly budget | One possible daily block |
|---|---|
| 20 min / 100 min | 4 min reading; 6 listening; 6 speaking; 4 writing |
| 40 min / 200 min | 10 min for each of the four skills |
| 60 min / 300 min | 15 min for each skill, with a correction/retry inside the block |
20 minutes: one topic, four useful tasks
Montag–Freitag: 9–18 Uhr
Samstag: 10–16 Uhr
Sonntag: geschlossen
Wann öffnet das Café am Montag?
Find one detail.
Decke den Text ab. Ergänze: Das Café ___ um neun Uhr.
Retrieve a useful word.
Frage nach der Schließzeit am Samstag.
Ask and answer aloud.
Schreibe Anna eine Nachricht und schlage ein Treffen im Café am Montag um zehn Uhr vor.
Use the information in a message.
Reveal the answer
1. Um neun Uhr.
2. Das Café öffnet um neun Uhr.
3. Wann schließt das Café am Samstag?
4. Hallo Anna, treffen wir uns am Montag um zehn Uhr im Café Linden?
Make the week specific
| Day | Task | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Mo | Read a short notice and ask two questions aloud | Two questions you can produce without looking |
| Di | Listen to a short dialogue before opening the transcript | One main point and two details |
| Mi | Recall words with their articles and use three in sentences | Three corrected sentences |
| Do | Write an email with a clear request | Purpose, reason and next action |
| Fr | Repeat a speaking task with a changed day or constraint | A fresh response rather than a memorised script |
Check what you can do, not just the streak
- A1-oriented task: introduce yourself, spell your name and answer a simple follow-up.
- A2-oriented task: arrange an everyday appointment and confirm day, time and place.
- B1-oriented task: tell a connected story and explain a practical problem.
- B2-oriented task: explain a view, support it with an example and respond to a counterargument.
These are practice checkpoints, not a placement test or certification. Revisit one task each week. Record what required help and choose the next exercise from that evidence. If a deadline matters, combine an appropriate course or teacher assessment with independent practice.
Continue with a related guide
- Improve German listening at A2–B1: six dialogues with transcripts
- Remember German words with der, die and das: a retrieval practice worksheet
- B2 German discussion practice: opinions, examples and counterarguments