Dreaming in German: My Journey with Future Plans

Okay, so here I am, six months in Berlin. Six months of navigating U-Bahn chaos, attempting to order Käsekuchen without accidentally saying I want it with extra custard (which, apparently, is a thing here!), and trying desperately to build a life. And honestly? Learning German is proving to be the hardest – and most rewarding – part. It’s not just about ordering coffee; it’s about actually talking about what I want to do. Specifically, talking about the future. And that’s been… complicated.

The Initial Struggle: “Ich werde…” and the Confusion

When I first started, I was so focused on mastering “Ich werde” – “I will” – that it felt like the only way to express anything. I kept saying things like, “Ich werde arbeiten in einem Büro” (I will work in an office) to my colleague, Thomas, when we were chatting about potential jobs. He nodded politely, but his face was a little blank. Then he asked, “Und was möchtest du machen?” (And what do you want to do?) and I just froze. I realized I hadn’t actually thought about what I wanted to do. I’d just been churning out grammatically correct, but utterly meaningless, phrases.

The biggest problem was I wasn’t constructing sentences that felt natural. It felt robotic. Like a badly translated instruction manual. I needed to understand that just saying “Ich werde” wasn’t enough. It needed context.

Real-Life Conversations: “Was sind deine Pläne?”

I started paying much closer attention to how Germans talk about their future. It’s rarely as definitive as “Ich werde…” It’s usually more about possibilities and intentions. I met a woman, Alice, at a language exchange group, and she asked, “Was sind deine Pläne?” (What are your plans?). It felt so much more open-ended, and frankly, less intimidating.

I responded, “Ich möchte vielleicht Deutsch lernen besser und dann eine Wohnung in Prenzlauer Berg finden.” (I would like to maybe learn German better and then find an apartment in Prenzlauer Berg.)

She smiled and said, “Das klingt gut! Aber du musst realistisch sein.” (That sounds good! But you must be realistic.) Which, of course, was true. I realized that being overly ambitious or specific right away could be off-putting.

Useful Phrases for Expressing Ambitions

Here’s a little list of phrases that’ve been genuinely helpful:

• Ich hoffe, dass… (I hope that…) – “Ich hoffe, dass ich einen Job finde, der mir Spaß macht.” (I hope that I find a job that I enjoy.)
• Mein Ziel ist… (My goal is…) – “Mein Ziel ist es, fließend Deutsch zu sprechen.” (My goal is to speak fluent German.)
• Ich plane, … (I plan to…) – “Ich plane, am Wochenende einen Kochkurs zu machen.” (I plan to take a cooking course on the weekend.)
• Ich träume von… (I dream of…) – “Ich träume von einem Leben in Deutschland.” (I dream of a life in Germany.) – This one feels a little grand, but it’s lovely to say!
• Wie sieht es bei dir aus? (What about you?) – A great way to shift the conversation and learn about someone else’s plans.

A Minor Disaster and a Valuable Lesson

Last week, I was telling my landlord, Herr Schmidt, about my ambition to eventually start my own small business – selling handcrafted jewelry. I blurted out, “Ich werde ein großes Geschäft eröffnen!” (I will open a large business!) He looked at me with genuine concern. He proceeded to give me a very long and detailed lecture about the German business landscape, the paperwork involved, and the difficulty of securing funding. It turns out, starting a “großes Geschäft” is a very different prospect in Germany than I’d imagined!

He ended with, “Sei vorsichtig, junger Mann. Beginne klein!” (Be careful, young man. Start small!) – And he was absolutely right. I learned that German directness, while honest, can sometimes be overwhelming, especially when discussing big ambitions. It’s better to express a goal tentatively, and be prepared to discuss the practicalities.

Moving Forward: Small Steps, Big Dreams

Despite the awkward moments and slightly overwhelming conversations, I’m slowly getting better. I’m learning to phrase my ambitions more realistically, to ask questions, and to genuinely listen to how Germans talk about their futures. It’s about understanding that “Ich werde” is a tool, not a mantra.

My current plan? To continue learning German, to explore Berlin, and to – very cautiously – dream about a future here. And maybe, just maybe, start small. Wie geht’s dir? (How are you?)