5 Best Netflix Originals To Learn German: Trips And Tricks To Effectively Learn With German TV Shows
As you know, one of the funniest ways to learn German is through movies and series. It improves our listening skills a lot, genauso wie unsere Spring German Videos (same as our Spring German videos).
Netflix is a great resource for that.
In this lesson, we will talk about 5 Netflix originals to learn German that will help you to improve your German game.
Los geht’s!
1. Dark (2017–2020)
DENISA
Okay, welcher Film ist das?
(Ok, which movie is this?)
Der Mensch ist ein eigenartiges Geschöpf. All sein Handeln ist motiviert aus Verlangen, sein Charakter geschmiedet aus Schmerz.
(The human being is a weird creature. All his actions are motivated by desire, his character forged by pain.)
VANESSA
Ich weiß es nicht. Aber das war gut.
(I don’t know. But that was good.)
This German series is a science fiction thriller, where the main characters pursue the truth in the aftermath of a child’s disappearance.
It has three seasons, and it was the first German series to appear on Netflix! Aber Vorsicht (but be careful): There’s the danger of binge-watching it.
2. Der Junge muss an die frische Luft (2018)
This movie erzählt die Geschichte von (tells the story of) Hape Kerkeling, a German comedian. He is a legend in Germany. When he won the “Deutscher Filmpreis” (German movie award) he dedicated it to the LGBTQ Community.
The movie is really a beautiful and funny story about a small kid who tries to make everyone laugh around him. But here you have to be careful, because the older people in this movie are talking in a dialect, so don’t copy them.
CHUNK ALERT!
Er muss an die frische Luft (He needs some fresh air) is often used in Germany.
They say it when they were having a fight with friends or family, for example, so it’s used as “I need to clear my mind for a second”. Ich gehe raus (I’m going out) is somehow a synonym, but it’s only used for going out on every day basis.
DENISA
Weißt du was? Ich muss an die frische Luft. Das wird mir zu viel.
(You know what? I need some fresh air. This is too much for me.)
VS.
DENISA
Ich geh raus. Ich treffe mich mit Freunden. Bis später.
(I’m going out. I’m meeting some friends. See you later.)
For more helpful chunks like this, check the link in the description to get our free essential chunking kit.
✔️ Cheat Sheet with 53 Essential German Chunks: chunks and words you’ll hear and use in every German conversation
✔️ Tips on how to speak German WITHOUT thinking about grammar
✔️ A German Chunking Tutorial showing you the 1 technique that’ll help you make 100% of the German from our videos roll off the tongue in just 5 minutes a day (you’re probably only using 50% of our lessons’ potential right now…)
At the end of this lesson, we will give you some tips how to learn the best way and to avoid mistakes that German learners often do.
So stick around for it!
3. Traumfrauen (2015)
VANESSA
Gibt es auch bekannte deutsche Filme?
(Are there also famous German movies?)
DENISA
Ja. Die Klassiker sind erstmal die romantischen Komödien. Davon gibt es bestimmt hunderte.
(Yes. The classics are romantic comedies. There are surely hundreds of them.)
This movie is a typical German romance comedy.
It’s perfect for a Mädelsabend (girls night). The story centers around a woman who got cheated on and now tries to find a way to get over her heart break. Her friends may or may not be helpful with this.
She meets a lot of guys and… I don’t want to spoiler it, but you will probably know what the ending is about: true love. Of course. Hör genau hin (Listen carefully) because they speak perfect German here.
Other German romantic comedies are:
- Keinohrhasen (no-eared rabbits)
- Zweiohrküken (two-eared chicks)
These two are not available on Netflix at the moment, but I’m sure you can find them on other platforms. But another movie on Netflix is:
- Türkisch für Anfänger (Turkish for beginners)
It also has a series to it. Almost everyone we know watched this series in the 2000s, so check it out.
4. How to sell drugs online (fast) (2019-)
VANESSA
Gibt es eine coole Jugendserie?
(Is there a cool coming of age series?)
DENISA
Ja. Da kann ich dir “How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)” empfehlen.
(Yes. Here I can recommend you “How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)”.)
This comedy series handelt von (is about) a nerd called Moritz who establishes an online drug delivery service with his best friend Lenny.
Fun fact: This series is based on a true story. The documentary about that guy is called “Shiny flakes” and is also available on Netflix.
Did you hear the sentence Wo ist die Kohle? (Where is the money?)
The normal word for money is Geld (money), but colloquially a lot of people say Kohle (money, lit.: coal) which literally is “coal”. Add this to your vocabulary and thank me later.
5. Im Westen nichts Neues (2022)
DENISA
Oh mein Gott! Hast du die Oscars gesehen?
(Oh my god! Did you see the Oscars?)
VANESSA
Ja. Ein deutscher Film hat vier Oskars gewonnen. Wie cool!
(Yes. A German movie has won 4 oscars. How cool!)
DENISA
Ja. Und das Beste ist, der Film ist auf Netflix.
(Yes. And the best thing is the movie is on Netflix.)
4 Oscars. Germany has celebrated that, you can believe us.
This movie is about the World War I and the soldiers’ extreme physical and mental trauma. It’s based on the novel of a German soldier in World War One, whose name was Erich Paul Remark. He wrote down everything he experienced and just… just watch it, guys.
The scenes, the feeling, this movie is really well done.
Now we will give you some tips how to learn with German movies and series.
6. Tips & Tricks With Netflix Originals To Learn German Efficiently
VANESSA
Ich verstehe kein Wort, wenn ich Filme auf Deutsch schaue.
(I understand nothing when I watch movies in German.)
DENISA
Dann bist du zu schnell. Stress dich nicht. Hier sind ein paar Tipps.
(Then you are too fast. Don’t stress out. Here are some tips.)
We suggest to pick one show and watch one episode more than once.
Als erstes (First) watch it with English subtitles or with subtitles in your mother tongue. Obviously, you want to get the plot and the characters and so on. In der zweiten Runde (in the second round) try to watch it with German subtitles.
You don’t have to do that with every episode, but we do it with the episodes we like the most.
You will notice expressions that keep popping up.
These are chunks.
You can say them out loud or write them down. If you want to get more detail of an expression, don’t hesitate to ask in the video’s comments below, and we’ll help you out. For more helpful chunks, don’t forget our free essential German chunking kit in the description.
✔️ Cheat Sheet with 53 Essential German Chunks: chunks and words you’ll hear and use in every German conversation
✔️ Tips on how to speak German WITHOUT thinking about grammar
✔️ A German Chunking Tutorial showing you the 1 technique that’ll help you make 100% of the German from our videos roll off the tongue in just 5 minutes a day (you’re probably only using 50% of our lessons’ potential right now…)
There is one major mistake most language learners make when trying to learn a language with Netflix or other streaming platforms.
Here it is: If you have English subtitles activated, make sure to still listen to what they are saying in German first and only then read the subtitles if necessary.
Pay attention to the phrases, chunks and words they are saying and try to understand them before reading the translation. This process is what actually helps you learn German.
So, make sure not to make that mistake.
