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German Comprehensible Input: The Frog Prince

Comprehensible input is German you can understand most of. Something you already know is the easiest way in: you know what happens in The Frog Prince, so the German makes sense even when some words are new. Read it with the translation under each line, tap any word, or listen to the native audio.

The Frog Prince (The Frog King)

A2Folklore · 161 words · 1 min audio

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Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess.

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She lived in a big castle.

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The princess had a golden ball.

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That was her favorite toy.

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One day she was playing in the garden.

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She threw the ball high into the air.

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But the ball fell into a deep well.

Prinzessin: ! ! ?

Oh no! My beautiful ball! What am I going to do?

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The princess cried a lot.

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Suddenly a green frog came out of the water.

Frosch: , ?

Why are you crying, beautiful princess?

Prinzessin: . ?

My golden ball has fallen into the well. Can you help me?

Frosch:, . ?

Yes, I can help you. But what will I get for it?

Prinzessin: , !

I'll give you anything you want!

Frosch: . ?

I want to be your friend. Will you promise me that?

Prinzessin:, ! !

Yes, yes! I promise you that!

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The frog retrieved the ball.

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The princess kissed the frog.

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Suddenly the frog turned into a handsome prince!

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They lived happily ever after.

00:00 / 01:22

How to Learn with Comprehensible Input

  • Aim for about 90% understood. You should follow the story with only a few unknown words per paragraph. Much harder and you are decoding, not learning.
  • Choose stories you already know. Fairy tales, fables and famous places give you the context for free, so your brain can focus on the German.
  • Read and listen together. The same text heard and seen at once is the most comprehensible form of input there is.
  • Go for volume. Many easy texts beat a few hard ones. Fifteen minutes a day adds up to thousands of words a month.