When talking about events in the past in German, we often have to make the choice between using the perfect tense and the imperfect tense, also known as the preterite (Präteritum). While both tenses are grammatically correct in most situations, there’s a clear favourite in spoken German: the perfect tense. However, there are some verbs
If you’re an Italian learner, you’ll know that there are some interesting pronunciation points that take a little getting used to. One of the key ones is understanding how to pronounce the letters C and G. This is because Italian has both a hard and soft C and G sound. The Coffee Break Italian Show
Saying “to play” in French initially seems straightforward: jouer. However, do you know the difference between jouer à and jouer de? We receive many questions from our Coffee Break community about French verbs with prepositions, such as jouer, as these can be challenging to get to grips with as a French learner. The tricky part
Tener is likely one of the very first verbs that you came across in your Spanish-learning journey. As you’ll know, the basic meaning of tener in English is “to have”. However, there are many useful expressions with tener in Spanish in which the verb does not translate as “to have”. The Coffee Break Spanish Show
Today, we’re diving into the fascinating world of prepositions of location in German. So, whether you’re a beginner just starting your German journey, or a seasoned learner looking to polish your skills, understanding how to identify and use these prepositions with confidence will let you take your German to the next level. The Coffee Break
Do you know the difference between di and da? These two Italian prepositions are easily confused by learners of the language, but in this article we’re going to look at the most common uses of each of these prepositions in Italian so that you never confuse them again! The Coffee Break Italian Show is a
As French learners, you have probably come across many words in French that may be short, but which can be tricky to get your head around. This is because there are many French contractions – words that are the combined form of two words. Today we’re going to focus on some of the most common
With accent marks and upside-down question marks, there is a lot to think about when it comes to using Spanish question words. This is why forming questions in Spanish is something our Coffee Break language learners regularly ask us about. The Coffee Break Spanish Show is a podcast series of short but useful conversations, in
Understanding which case to use when talking about locations and destinations can be a game-changer in your German-learning journey. Today we’re focusing on prepositions of location in German. So, let’s decipher the dative and accusative cases in German and unravel whether it’s a location or destination together! The Coffee Break German Show is a podcast
As a learner of Italian, you’ve probably already come across mi piace and mi piacciono. These are our two essential phrases for expressing likes and dislikes in Italian. However, these expressions work a little differently from the straightforward verb “to like” in English. This is why a common question we receive from our Coffee Break
You’ve probably come across the word on in French many times. It’s a very versatile word, but this means that it can be challenging to fully understand its meaning at times. In fact, a regular question we receive from our Coffee Break community of language learners is: what does on mean in French? The Coffee
Do you know when to use how much and how many in English? It can be confusing, but don’t worry – there are some clear rules to follow. In this episode of The Coffee Break English Show, we’ll help you understand when to use how much and how many to talk about countable and uncountable nouns.
Learning new vocabulary can seem like a daunting task for any language learner. This is why we’re going to look at some tips and tricks to help you expand your vocabulary in an easy and straightforward way, so that you can gain more confidence in your Spanish. To do this, we are going to be
German pronunciation can, at times, seem daunting when you’re learning the language, but once you get the hang of some of the most common sounds and letter combinations, you’ll be speaking more confidently in no time. The Coffee Break German Show is a podcast series of bite-sized, friendly conversations in which we demystify tricky German
Is there an easy way to know the gender of a noun in Italian? You probably already know from your experience with Italian that it is a language that has grammatical gender. Every noun in Italian is either masculine or feminine. Over time, you get to know what gender nouns are, the more you practise
À cause de and grâce à are easy to get mixed up. This is because, depending on the context, both phrases can be translated as “because of” in English. However, while both phrases link a cause to a consequence, they paint distinct pictures of the outcome! We’re going to explore the subtleties of these phrases, unravelling
Do you know how to say the words Tuesday and Thursday correctly in English? These two words can be confusing when it comes to pronunciation. This is because the sounds at the beginning of the words (tu and th) can be difficult to pronounce. There are lots of other words that contain these sounds, so
Making negative statements in Spanish can be challenging for learners. The negative in Spanish works differently from English which can mean it’s easy to make mistakes. However, there are some simple rules that can help us correctly use negative structures when we are speaking in Spanish. The Coffee Break Spanish Show is a podcast series
Making negative sentences in German does not have to be a negative experience! If you understand how to use nein, nicht and kein then you will have no problem negating sentences in German. The Coffee Break German Show is a podcast series of bite-sized, friendly conversations, in which we demystify tricky German language topics. In
“I’m sorry!” – a very common phrase in any conversation, but what is the best way to say sorry in Italian? There are many ways to say sorry, excuse yourself and ask for permission in Italian, and the one to choose will depend on the context. Not only is it useful to know what they
Coffee Break Languages is a product of Radio Lingua Ltd.
