German · 5-year-olds
German for 5-year-olds
By five, many children are starting school, beginning to read and asking for "real" challenges. In German that means moving past single words to lists, questions and short sentences: the days of the week, "where is it?", "what do you want to be?". The later units of the songs are built for this stage.
Use the lyrics for early reading
Every song shows the German words with the English underneath. Children who are starting to read often enjoy spotting a word they know in the lyrics, and seeing how it's spelled in German.
Lists and routines
Days of the week and months are lists, and lists stick best with a tune. Saying today's day in German each morning is an easy five-year-old habit that takes ten seconds.
Give them a goal
Five-year-olds like milestones. Finishing a unit, singing a whole song by heart, or teaching a grandparent five words are all clear goals they can be proud of.
German words to start with
Words from the songs below that fit this moment. Tap one for pronunciation help and practice ideas.
| English | German | Sounds like ≈ |
|---|---|---|
| the days of the week | Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch… | MOHN-tahk, DEENS-tahk, MIT-vokh… |
| the months of the year | Januar, Februar, März… | YAH-noo-ar, FAY-broo-ar, MAIRTS… |
| the seasons | der Frühling, der Sommer, der Herbst… | FRÜ-ling, ZOM-er, HAIRPST… |
| numbers 1 to 10 | eins, zwei, drei… | EYENS, TSVY, DRY… |
| how are you? | Wie geht's? | vee GAYTS |
| car, bus, train and plane | das Auto, der Bus, der Zug… | OW-toh, BOOS, TSOOK… |
German songs for 5-year-olds
Hand-picked from the German library. Songs marked Free are part of the free first unit; the rest are Premium.
Die Wochentage
Days of the Week · Days & Months · Premium
- Montag · Monday
- Dienstag · Tuesday
- Woche · week
- heute · today
Die Monate des Jahres
Months of the Year · Days & Months · Premium
- Januar · January
- Monat · month
- Jahr · year
- Dezember · December
Welcher Tag ist heute?
What Day Is It? · Days & Months · Premium
- Welcher Tag ist heute? · what day is it?
- Wochenende · weekend
- Sonntag · Sunday
- Freitag · Friday
Wie viele sind da?
How Many Are There? · Numbers 1–10 · Premium
- wie viele? · how many?
- es gibt · there is/are
- viele · many
- Zahl · number
Wo ist es?
Where Is It? · Where Things Are · Premium
- in · in
- auf · on
- unter · under
- hinter · behind
Wenn ich groß bin
When I Grow Up · Jobs · Premium
- Arzt · doctor
- Lehrer · teacher
- Koch · chef
- Feuerwehrmann · firefighter
Die Jahreszeiten
The Seasons · Weather & Seasons · Premium
- Jahreszeiten · seasons
- Sommer · summer
- Winter · winter
- Herbst · autumn
Die Schnitzeljagd
Scavenger Hunt · Where Things Are · Premium
- Suche · hunt
- Fußspuren · footprints
- hoch · high
- tief · low
Im Weltraum
Up in Space · Nature · Premium
- Sonne · sun
- Mond · moon
- Stern · star
- Planet · planet
Wir gehen auf Reisen
Let's Travel · Getting Around · Premium
- Auto · car
- Bus · bus
- Zug · train
- links · left
Quick tips
- Say the day of the week in German at breakfast, every day.
- Play "where is it?" with toys under, on and behind things, using the position words.
- Ask what they want to be when they grow up and look up the job word together.
- Let them read the German line of a song aloud before pressing play.
Questions parents ask
Is five too late to start German?
Not at all. Five-year-olds still pick up new sounds easily, and they can do things younger children can't: read along, remember longer songs and use whole phrases. Start with the free greetings unit and move through the units in order.
Will it help with German at school?
It gives your child familiar words and a feel for the sounds of German, which can make first lessons less strange. It isn't a school curriculum and we don't claim specific results.
Sing it in German, free
The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.