How Long Does It Take to Learn German?

Reading time: 11 minutes | Category: Learning German

To reach B1 from zero, most adults need 350 to 650 teaching units of 45 minutes, which is about 260 to 490 clock hours, according to the Goethe-Institut. For C1 the figure is 800 to 1,000 units, or 600 to 750 hours. In practice, with about 10 hours of study a week you reach B1 in roughly a year; with 5 hours a week it takes closer to two.

These numbers are a range, not a promise. Below: where they come from, how your first language changes them, and what the timeline looks like in a real course (ours).

How many hours per level: the Goethe-Institut figures

For each of its exams, the Goethe-Institut states how many teaching units learners usually need to reach that level. A teaching unit (Unterrichtseinheit in German) lasts 45 minutes, not 60. That matters more than it seems: 600 units are 450 hours, not 600.

The figures are cumulative, counted from zero:

Level	Units of 45 min (from zero)	Approx. clock hours
A1	80 to 200	about 60 to 150
A2	200 to 350	about 150 to 265
B1	350 to 650	about 260 to 490
B2	600 to 800	about 450 to 600
C1	800 to 1,000	about 600 to 750

The Goethe-Institut adds that the real time depends on prior knowledge and learning conditions. On another page it gives simpler averages: about 150 units for A1, 300 for A2, 450 for B1, 600 for B2 and 750 for C1.

These reference values apply whichever certificate you plan to take. The Zertifikat B1 was developed jointly by the ÖSD, the Goethe-Institut and the University of Fribourg (Switzerland), and ÖSD, Goethe-Institut and telc certificates are equivalent at each level. If you are still choosing, our comparison of ÖSD and Goethe explains the formats.

What about the "900 hours" figure?

If you search in English, you will soon find the US Foreign Service Institute (FSI). It places German in its Category II and estimates about 36 weeks, or 900 class hours, for native English speakers. The target is different from the Goethe tables: the FSI measures how long its diplomats need for "General Professional Proficiency" (speaking 3 and reading 3 on the ILR scale), a level for working in the language. The two scales are not identical, so treat the FSI figure as a rough guide for the upper levels, not as the time to B1.

What makes you faster or slower

Two people in the same course can reach B1 months apart. Three factors explain most of the difference: the languages you already speak, the real number of hours per week, and what you do between lessons.

If you speak English

English and German are both Germanic languages, and you will notice it in the first week:

Shared basic vocabulary. Haus (house), Hand (hand), Wasser (water), trinken (to drink), Buch (book).
Similar sentence patterns in simple main clauses. Ich trinke Kaffee (I drink coffee) works like English.

What slows English speakers down is the grammar English lost centuries ago:

Three genders. der Tisch (the table, masculine), die Lampe (the lamp, feminine), das Fenster (the window, neuter). The article has to be learned with every noun from day one.
Four cases. The article changes with its role in the sentence: Der Lehrer ist hier (the teacher is here), Ich sehe den Lehrer (I see the teacher), Ich gebe dem Lehrer das Heft (I give the teacher the notebook).
Verb endings. ich lerne, du lernst, er lernt, wir lernen. English has one ending to remember; German has several.
Word order. In subordinate clauses the verb goes to the end: Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich in Wien arbeiten möchte (I am learning German because I want to work in Vienna).
False friends. bekommen means "to get", not "to become"; das Gymnasium is a secondary school, not a gym.

If your first language is not English

Many of our learners speak English as a second or third language, and their first language often helps in ways they do not expect:

Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian. Grammatical gender and full verb conjugation are already familiar, and a lot of academic vocabulary is shared (Universität, Medizin, studieren, organisieren). The genders rarely match, though: die Sonne (the sun) is feminine in German.
Russian, Polish, Ukrainian and other Slavic languages. Cases are nothing new. The main work is the articles, which these languages do not have.
Hindi, Urdu, Turkish, Japanese, Korean. In these languages the verb usually comes at the end of the sentence, so the German subordinate clause feels less strange than it does to English speakers.
Indonesian, Malay, Tagalog, Chinese. Genders, cases and verb endings are all new, and German pronunciation (ü, ö, ch, long and short vowels) needs regular practice. Plan for the upper half of the Goethe ranges.

Any foreign language you have learned before also helps: you already know how to study vocabulary and how to keep talking when you do not understand everything.

Hours per week

The total hours are fairly fixed; what changes is how fast you collect them. 450 hours are 90 weeks at 5 hours a week, but 45 weeks at 10 hours. Regular sessions work better than occasional long ones: four short sessions a week stick better than one long session on Sunday, because new vocabulary fades quickly if you do not review it.

What you do between lessons

The Goethe figures are teaching hours. Vocabulary review, homework and listening practice come on top, and they make the difference. Fifteen minutes a day of vocabulary (for example, ten new nouns with their article and plural) shows results within a few weeks.

Self-study can carry you through A1 and A2; from B1 on, most people need someone who corrects their speaking and writing. We compare the options in learning German online.

An example: the timeline in our courses

At Sprachzentrum Buenos Aires we split each level into sub-levels. Each sub-level has 60 hours: 30 hours of live classes plus 30 guided hours on the learning platform. Up to B2 there are 11 sub-levels: two for A1, two for A2, three for B1 and four for B2. C1 adds another four. Content and price are the same in both formats; only the pace changes.

Extensive course: one 2.5-hour live class a week in the virtual classroom. Each sub-level takes about 3 months. Per week that is about 2.5 hours live plus about 2.5 hours on the platform.
Intensive course: two or more live classes a week. Each sub-level takes about 6 weeks. Per week that is about 5 hours live plus about 5 hours on the platform.

Cumulative times from zero:

Level	Goethe reference (clock hours)	Hours in our course (cumulative)	Extensive	Intensive
A1 (A1.1 and A1.2)	about 60 to 150	120 hours	about 6 months	about 3 months
A2 (A2.1 and A2.2)	about 150 to 265	240 hours	about 12 months	about 6 months
B1 (B1.1 to B1.3)	about 260 to 490	420 hours	about 21 months	about 12 months, with breaks
B2 (B2.1 to B2.4)	about 450 to 600	660 hours	about 33 months	about 15 months of classes, plus breaks
C1 (C1.1 to C1.4)	about 600 to 750	900 hours	about 45 months	about 21 months of classes, plus breaks

Our hours sit at the upper end of the Goethe range, or above it at B2 and C1. The reason is the 30 guided hours on the platform in each sub-level, work that in many courses is left as unstructured homework. Every course has two teachers and an online tutor, with a maximum of 16 people. As a complement to the classes, you can practise everyday conversations with DAIna, a simulation of real situations. Live classes are scheduled in Argentina time, so check the conversion for your time zone.

How long to B1, and why B1 matters

B1 is the level most people search for. It is where you can manage daily life (talk to a doctor, understand a letter from the authorities) and it appears in many residence and citizenship rules. In Germany, B1 is required for naturalisation, and EU Blue Card holders with B1 can get permanent residence after 21 months instead of 27. In Austria, B1 is Module 2 of the Integration Agreement, needed for long-term residence. In Switzerland, naturalisation requires B1 spoken and A2 written, and some cantons ask for more. Our article on moving to Germany covers the requirements in more detail.

From zero, plan on about 260 to 490 hours. If you studied German at school or in another course, you may start at A1.2 or A2. To find out before you calculate, take our free placement test: it takes about 30 minutes and is assessed by ÖSD examiners.

Can you learn German in a year?

It depends on what you mean by "learn". Three realistic scenarios, all starting from zero:

B1 in one year. Possible with about 10 hours a week and no long interruptions. That is the pace of an intensive course plus the platform work. Two months off in the middle make it about 14.
You work full time and have 5 hours a week. After one year you are at A2, and you reach B1 in about 21 months. A pace you keep is worth more than a strong start you abandon after three months.
You need B2 to work in your profession. For recognition as a nurse in Germany, for example, B2 is generally required. From zero, plan about a year and a half in the intensive format. For healthcare staff we offer German for nurses at A2/B1, and our guide to German for nurses explains the recognition process.

What is not realistic: C1 in one year from zero while you also hold a job. The 600 to 750 teaching hours, plus your own study time, do not fit into 52 weeks unless German is close to a full-time occupation.

Finishing the course is not the same as being ready for the exam

I say this as an examiner: a course takes you to the level, but the exam measures what you can do on one particular day, in a fixed format and under time pressure. Learners who also reviewed vocabulary, wrote texts with feedback and worked through model tests arrive calm; those who only attended classes often do not.

Before you register, allow four to six weeks of practice with the exam format. Our ÖSD B1 model test walks through each part, and how to prepare for the ÖSD exam covers the weeks before the test. ÖSD, Goethe-Institut and telc certificates are equivalent. As ÖSD exam centre ARG 001, we hold ÖSD exams from A1 to B2, on paper and in person in Buenos Aires; if you live elsewhere, you can take an equivalent exam at an ÖSD, Goethe or telc centre near you.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to learn German to B1?

According to the Goethe-Institut, reaching B1 from zero takes 350 to 650 teaching units of 45 minutes, which is about 260 to 490 clock hours. In our courses, B1 means 7 sub-levels: about 12 months in the intensive format (including breaks) and about 21 months in the extensive format.

Can I learn German in a year?

You can reach B1 in about a year if you start from zero and study around 10 hours a week without long breaks. For most adults with a job, B2 or C1 in one year is not realistic.

Is German hard for English speakers?

English and German are related, so a lot of basic vocabulary is similar (Haus, Hand, Wasser, trinken). What takes English speakers longer is grammar that English lost: three genders, four cases and verb endings for each person. The US Foreign Service Institute puts German in its Category II, with about 900 class hours for professional working proficiency.

How many hours a week should I study German?

About 5 hours a week gives steady but slow progress: one of our sub-levels every 3 months or so. About 10 hours a week lets you finish a sub-level in around 6 weeks. Below 3 hours a week, many learners spend most of each lesson catching up on the last one.

Does finishing a B1 course mean I will pass the B1 exam?

Not automatically. The exam tests what you can do on the day, in a fixed format. Plan four to six weeks of practice with model tests before you register. ÖSD, Goethe-Institut and telc certificates are equivalent.

Can I learn German on my own?

For A1 and A2, yes, with discipline and good material. From B1 on, most people stall without correction, because speaking and writing improve when someone points out your errors and explains them.

Start by finding out where you are

To work out your timeline, start with your current level. Take the placement test (free, about 30 minutes), then pick the pace that fits your week: the extensive course with one class a week, or the intensive course if you want to get there sooner. All start dates are listed under all courses.

Daniel – German teacher and ÖSD examiner at Sprachzentrum Buenos Aires

About the author

Daniel is a political scientist, German language teacher and ÖSD examiner at Sprachzentrum Buenos Aires, the official ÖSD exam centre in Argentina. He has guided course participants from their first level to the exam for years and knows the typical questions and hurdles of learning German.

How long does it take to learn German? Hours and months from A1 to C1