More Than Just Colors🎨
🎧Excerpt from the Episode:
”When you learn new words, it’s like you think of what to do with the word, and that is how you learn, and that is super effective. How you can practice these other than the pronunciation is you can just point to things and say the color. That’s the easiest version.” – Susi Schlik-Blumel, Better German Podcast, Episode 40
One of the most powerful skills in learning a language isn’t just naming things—it’s describing what they look like with confidence. That’s where colors come in. Whether you’re just starting out or brushing up on your basics, learning color words in German gives you practical vocabulary you can use immediately.
In Episode 40 of the Better German podcast, host Susi Blumel welcomes you back and dives into everything you need to know about German color words—plus, she shares practical learning strategies to make color and other vocabulary stick!
Why Focus on Colors?
Because they’re everywhere—literally!
Every single thing around us has a color, and that simple fact shapes how we describe the world in every language.
Knowing how to say and use colors in German helps you navigate daily life: from chatting about clothes to describing people, objects, or art. Imagine being able to say, “Der Mann mit dem grünen Hemd” (the man with the green shirt). That kind of detail makes conversations feel real.
How Do You Really Learn Colors in German?
Susi doesn’t just give you a list of words to memorize—she teaches you how to actually use them.
1. Practice by Making Sentences
Repeating words is a smart way to remember them and sharpen your pronunciation. But sentences? Talk about a confidence booster! That’s where the magic happens. Susi emphasizes this tip that she finds most helpful for her students: make sentences! When you learn a new word—like “blau” (blue) or “grün” (green)—don’t just say it on its own. Try simple sentences:
- “Das Buch ist grün.” (The book is green.)
- “Der Tisch ist weiß.” (The table is white.)
If one sentence feels too easy, challenge yourself to make another. Like Susi says, “Mach noch einen Satz!” (Make another sentence!) This turns passive knowledge into an active skill, which is crucial if you want to use German in real life and retain what you learn.
2. Use What You See!
One of the easiest and most effective ways to practice is by pointing at things and naming their colors in German. As Susi suggests, walk around your room or anywhere you are and say:
“Das ist rot” (That is red),
“Das ist gelb” (That is yellow).
Now, want to try “that man is wearing a green shirt?”🤓
Remember, the more you link real objects with German words, the faster they’ll lock into memory!
⚡Fluency isn’t Magic- It’s a Habit
Sure, talent helps. And yes, some people pick up languages faster than others.
Maybe they grew up multilingual, maybe they just have a knack for it, or maybe they got lucky with a great teacher early on. But here’s the truth,
Fluency doesn’t come from talent or luck.
It comes from consistency.
In short, learning, especially German language learning, isn’t a magic trick—it’s a habit. So,
- Don’t worry about sounding perfect.
- Repeat often—even if you’re learning solo.
- Get feedback when you can (hint: join the free Better German Community 😉) or find a practice partner you can practice making color sentences and more with!
💡So what else is in this episode?
- A practical, repeat-after-me PDF guide to German colors
- Regional pronunciation tips (yes, orange isn’t always just orange)
- A glimpse into the new Better German courses launching soon, and more updates!
🎧Listen Now – Make Colors Your Own!
If this intrigued you and you want to hear more about colors, their German pronunciation, and the unique differences, be sure to listen to the entire Episode 40 (you can access it directly too at – https://bettergerman.info/40), and when you’re ready for even more support, join the Better German Community for access to worksheets, extra lessons, and a supportive group of fellow learners.
🎁Freebie for this Episode
Susi has created a simple but super handy PDF that goes along with this episode. Use it to practice your color sentences in German! It has never been so easy to learn colors in German! You find it inside the Better German Community in the section “Podcast Resources.”
🎧 New to The Better German Podcast? Start from Episode 1: Introduction to Better German.
Tip: Start from Episode 1, Introduction to Better German, for the full journey, but whatever you do, don’t miss Episode 4, Introduction to Learning German; it is the heart of our method and your real launch-pad for learning German with confidence.
Related Episodes
Episode 5: Introduction to Articles
Episode 6: Wordlist – Body Parts
Episode 7: Your First German Sentences
Episode 39: Restart and Conversation
Additional Resources
- Grab our Interactive Movie Guide. Watching German movies and TV shows is great to help you learn German. In this guide, you will find suitable TV shows and movies with subtitles in your language, so you can start using movies to learn right away!
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