Learn German for Free at PBC Languages, Starting From Spanish
Spanish speakers learning German: the sounds that trip you up, the words that trick you, and how 1-to-1 exchanges with natives actually work at PBC.
Create your free accountNo card needed. Exchanges between members are always free.
If you speak Spanish, German throws a few curveballs early on. The ü, ö and ä sounds don't exist in Spanish, so words like Müller or schön come out flat until your mouth learns the new shape. The ch in ich or Buch is another one: Spanish doesn't have that raspy sound, so people either skip it or turn it into a Spanish j, which changes the word completely. Word order is the other big one: in German the verb often jumps to the end of the sentence in subordinate clauses (Ich glaube, dass er heute kommt), and Spanish speakers keep wanting to put it where it would go in Spanish, right after the subject.
What goes fast: German and Spanish share a huge chunk of vocabulary through Latin and English, so words like Universität, Information or Telefon are almost free. Numbers and basic grammar logic (genders exist in both languages, even if they don't match) make the concept less alien than it is for English speakers. Once you get past the case system (der/die/das changing to den/dem/des depending on the sentence), a lot of Spanish speakers find German grammar oddly satisfying because it's rule-based, not full of exceptions like Spanish verb conjugation.
Where people get stuck longest: compound nouns. Krankenversicherung (health insurance) is literally sick-insurance stuck together, and German does this constantly. Spanish speakers try to translate word by word and get lost. The fix is recognizing the building blocks, not memorizing the whole word as one chunk.
Words you will actually hear
| Here | Elsewhere | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| das Gift | gift (regalo, en inglés, no en español) | En alemán Gift significa veneno. No tiene relación con la palabra española, pero mucha gente que aprende alemán viniendo del inglés se confunde; para hispanohablantes es simplemente una palabra nueva que hay que aprender bien porque suena parecida a 'regalo' en otros idiomas cercanos. |
| die Rente | renta | Rente en alemán es la pensión de jubilación, no un ingreso o alquiler como sugiere 'renta' en español. Confundirla es fácil al principio. |
| der Chef | chef (cocinero) | En alemán Chef es simplemente el jefe en el trabajo, no un cocinero. Si vienes del español y conoces la palabra francesa, la trampa está servida. |
| das Konfekt | confite/confeti | Konfekt son los bombones o dulces finos, no papelitos de fiesta. Se parece a 'confeti' pero significa otra cosa. |
| die Fabrik | fábrica | Esta sí ayuda: Fabrik significa exactamente fábrica, misma raíz latina, mismo significado. Una de las palabras que se aprenden gratis. |
| das Hotel | hotel | Igual que en español, sin trampa. Estas coincidencias directas son más comunes de lo que parece porque ambos idiomas tomaron muchas palabras del francés o el latín en la misma época. |
| bekommen | convertirse en (become, del inglés) | Bekommen significa recibir u obtener, no convertirse en algo. El error clásico viene de compararlo con el inglés become, pero para un hispanohablante puro es una palabra nueva sin trampa directa del español. |
| der Termin | término | Termin es una cita (médica, de trabajo), no un término o palabra técnica. Se parece a 'término' pero el significado es distinto. |
| das Instrument | instrumento | Coincidencia total: mismo significado, misma raíz. Útil para vocabulario técnico y musical. |
| die Adresse | adress/dirección | Adresse es dirección postal, igual que en español pero con una sola d. Ayuda más de lo que confunde. |
Classes coming up
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Exchanges looking for a partner
How it works here
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Sign up and say your level
Two minutes. If you do not know your level, we place you in the first class.
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Pick a class or an exchange
Classes are led by a native teacher. An exchange is with another member: half the time in their language, half in yours.
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Join by video, nothing to install
From your phone or your computer. If you cannot make it, cancel and get your place back.
Questions about this
How long does it take a Spanish speaker to get comfortable with German?
It depends on how much time you put into speaking, not just studying grammar. People who come to weekly small-group classes and do 1-to-1 exchanges regularly usually notice they can follow basic conversations within a few months. The case system and compound nouns take longer to feel natural, closer to a year or more of steady practice.
Is the 1-to-1 exchange really free?
Yes. You swap time with another member: half an hour in German, half an hour in your language (Spanish or whatever you're offering). No one pays anyone, it's a straight trade of time and practice, not a paid tutoring session.
What level of German do I need to start the exchanges?
Even A1-A2 works if your exchange partner is patient and used to talking with learners, which most people at PBC are, since everyone was there once. The small-group classes with native teachers are a good place to build enough vocabulary and confidence before jumping into a full 1-to-1 session.
How is the half hour split, and can I choose who I practice with?
Each session is thirty minutes in German and thirty minutes in the other person's target language, so both sides get equal practice time. You can usually pick partners based on schedule and level, and most members end up sticking with a couple of regular exchange partners once they find a good match.
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