Learn German with Dark: 12 everyday phrases to say aloud
Dark is one of the few German series people watch in the original. Its world is a small town: families with secrets, a police station, a forest and a lot of rain. Here are twelve everyday phrases for those settings, with audio. Say each one and the AI scores every word against a native German reference.
TonePerfect is not affiliated with Dark or Netflix. The show is named only to describe the setting; every phrase on this page was written for it, none is quoted from the series.
At home
Family German: du, short sentences, and questions that start with the question word.
Wo warst du gestern Abend?
Where were you last night?
Wo and warst start with a v sound. Gestern: hard g, st said “st” inside the word.
Wir müssen reden.
We need to talk.
Müssen: ü is “ee” with rounded lips. Reden: long e, the r at the back of the throat.
Komm sofort nach Hause.
Come home right now.
Nach: ch after a is the rasp of Scottish loch. Sofort: s before a vowel is a buzzing z.
Ich habe nichts gesehen.
I didn’t see anything.
Ich and nichts: a soft hiss, like the h in huge. Not k, not the loch sound.
Wo warst du gestern Abend?
Where were you last night?
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At the police station
Formal German: Sie, and the verb at the end of the clause.
Mein Sohn ist verschwunden.
My son has disappeared.
Verschwunden: v is f, schw is “shv”. Sohn: long o, the h is silent.
Wann haben Sie ihn zuletzt gesehen?
When did you last see him?
Zuletzt: z is “ts” twice. Ihn: long “een”.
Die Polizei sucht überall.
The police are searching everywhere.
Polizei ends in “tsai”. Sucht: ch after u is the loch sound. Überall: ü again.
Ich weiß nicht, wo er ist.
I don’t know where he is.
Weiß: “vice”, the ß is s. Er: the r turns into a short “uh”.
Mein Sohn ist verschwunden.
My son has disappeared.
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Around town
Weather, time and the way home: the small talk of a small town.
Es regnet schon wieder.
It’s raining again.
Regnet: g and n both pronounced. Wieder: ie is a long “ee”, w is v.
Wie spät ist es?
What time is it?
Spät: sp- at the start of a word is “shp”. ä is an open e.
Im Wald ist es dunkel.
It’s dark in the forest.
Wald: w is v, final d is t. Dunkel: u like “oo” in book.
Bis morgen, pass auf dich auf.
See you tomorrow, take care.
Dich: the soft ich sound. Auf: au is “ow” in how.
Es regnet schon wieder.
It’s raining again.
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The traps for English speakers
- Two ch sounds: a rasp after a, o, u (nach, sucht) and a soft hiss after i, e, ü and consonants (ich, nicht, dich).
- w is English v, v is usually English f, z is “ts”.
- st- and sp- at the start of a word are “sht”, “shp” (spät, Stadt).
- ü and ö are rounded front vowels with no English equivalent: say “ee” or “eh” with rounded lips.
- Final b, d, g are said p, t, k: Wald ends in t.
Keep going
- German pronunciation — every German sound explained, with a recorder.
- German pronunciation test — five words, scored, with your weakest sound named.
- German Christmas carols — Stille Nacht and O Tannenbaum to say line by line.
FAQ
Are these phrases from the show?+
No. They are everyday phrases for the settings the show takes place in, written for this page. Nothing is quoted from the series.
Is watching Dark in German good practice?+
Yes for listening: it is spoken in clear standard German. For speaking, watching is not enough. Say short phrases out loud and check them, then rewatch a scene and listen for the same sounds.
How is my German scored?+
The AI compares your recording with a native German reference and scores every word. It measures pronunciation, not grammar or accent origin.
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