My First Month of German: TV, Music, and Finding My Opinion

Okay, so I’ve been in Berlin for nearly a month now, and let’s be honest, it’s been… a lot. The language, the pace of life, the sheer size of everything. I’m still mostly reliant on Google Translate and a very stressed-out Duolingo owl, but I’m slowly, painfully, making progress. And the best part? I’m actually starting to have conversations, even if they’re incredibly basic. Today, I wanted to share a little about what I’ve been learning, specifically focusing on talking about my favourite things – TV shows, music, and movies – and how I’m starting to use the grammar around expressing my opinion.

The Trouble with “Ich finde…”

The biggest hurdle, honestly, has been this phrase: “Ich finde…” (I find…). It sounds so simple in theory, but in practice, it feels incredibly awkward. I kept stumbling over it, completely forgetting how to use it naturally. For example, yesterday, my colleague, Thomas, was raving about this new action movie, “Allein im Wald” (Alone in the Forest). I wanted to say, “I think it’s really exciting!” but I blurted out, “Ich finde… ich finde… das ist gut?” It sounded absolutely ridiculous. Thomas just stared at me, and I realized I’d basically just said, “I find… I find… this is good?”

He quickly corrected me, saying, “Nein, nein! You say, ‘Ich finde es spannend!’ (I find it exciting!)” It’s much smoother, right? “Es” is just the neuter pronoun, and “spannend” means exciting. I took a deep breath and tried again, “Ich finde es spannend!” Thomas nodded approvingly. Little victories!

TV Talk & “Gern”

I’ve been trying to talk about what I watch with my flatmates, Lena and Max. They’re both huge fans of German crime dramas – “Das Boot” (The Boat) is apparently a classic, but a little intense for me at the moment. We were discussing a particularly twisty episode the other night.

Lena said, “Ich habe die Folge wirklich gut gefallen!” (I really liked the episode!)

Max responded, “Ja, mir auch! (Yes, me too!)”

I wanted to contribute, and I tried, “Ich finde… ich finde die Folge… interessant.” (I find… I find the episode… interesting.) But it felt…flat. Lena then added, “Du kannst auch sagen, ‘Ich finde die Folge gern!’ (You can also say, ‘I like the episode!’)” It’s much more common and natural. And I quickly realized “gern” (like, enjoy) is the key here.

I practiced: “Ich finde die Folge gern.” It felt better. Significantly better.

Music Preferences – A Slight Confusion

Talking about music has been a little trickier. I mentioned I enjoy some American indie bands, and I tried to say, “Ich finde diese Musik gut!” (I find this music good!) but Max corrected me, explaining that while grammatically correct, it sounds a bit stiff. He suggested, “Versuche es so: ‘Ich mag diese Musik!’ (Try saying it like this: ‘I like this music!’)” He explained that “mag” (like) is the preferred way to express a preference for music.

I’ve also started picking up a few German songs – mostly through Spotify, of course. I heard a song by Rammstein, and I wanted to express my amazement at their sound. I blurted out, “Ich finde das Lied… unglaublich!” (I find the song… incredible!). Max laughed and said, “Ja, aber ‘Ich finde das Lied gut’ ist auch richtig!” (Yes, but ‘I find the song good’ is also right!) It’s all about choosing the right expression and not being afraid to make a little mistake.

Movie Opinions – Expressing Disagreement

This is where things got really interesting. I was watching a German comedy with Max, and the jokes just weren’t landing. I wanted to express that I didn’t find it funny, but saying “Ich finde das Film nicht lustig” (I don’t find the film funny) felt a little blunt.

Max suggested, “Du kannst sagen, ‘Ich finde den Film nicht so lustig’ (You can say, ‘I don’t find the film so funny’).” He explained that adding “nicht so” softens the statement and makes it sound less critical. I tried it out: “Ich finde den Film nicht so lustig.” It felt much more polite and natural.

It’s amazing how small changes can make a huge difference!

My Takeaway (So Far!)

Honestly, my German is still very basic, and I’m constantly making mistakes. But I’m learning, and more importantly, I’m starting to feel more comfortable trying to express myself. “Ich finde…” is still a work in progress, but I’m getting there. And I’m embracing the fact that making mistakes is part of the learning process. Lena even gave me a little piece of advice: “Hab keine Angst, Fehler zu machen!” (Don’t be afraid to make mistakes!). I think I’ll be repeating that one for a while. Next time, I’ll focus on learning more vocabulary related to movies and music – maybe I’ll even be brave enough to watch a whole German film without relying on subtitles! Wish me luck!