In this audio and article, you'll discover when a good time is to start reading Harry Potter in German. You'll also hear why that's a good time to start it. We'll break down only the first two sentences of the book, both in English and in the German translation, to support this, and we'll have some fun along the way.
Think of this episode like a special map for German learning. ;-)
When should I read Harry Potter in German?
“Now that I've finished chapter three of the German book, I decided to order the first Harry Potter book in German. I'm going to read it in German!” My client's eyes beamed at me through the webcam.
Oy! I choked my reaction down. She just learned to say things like Wiesbaden liegt westlich von Frankfurt and Mein Zimmer ist hell, aber nicht so groß and she has no concept how hard Harry Potter is going to be in German.
I broke the news to her gently...and I promise to be kind to you today, too.
N.B. While the GermanWithNicole.com Podcast no longer exists, you can still hear all of the audios here on the blog. The audios are available on the blog posts published between August 1, 2021 and October 1, 2024. Viel Spaß beim Hören!
Here are the first two sentences of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Consider these two sentences and how hard they might be for an English language learner.
“Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.”
And here are the same two sentences in the German translation, after which I will break down the grammatical structures used in them.
“Mr und Mrs Dursley im Ligusterweg Nummer 4 waren stolz darauf, ganz und gar normal zu sein, sehr stolz sogar. Niemand wäre auf die Idee gekommen, sie könnten sich in eine merkwürdige und geheimnisvolle Geschichte verstricken, denn mit solchem Unsinn wollten sie nichts zu tun haben.”
Let's break that down. Here's are the grammatical structures used in only these two sentences (this is straight-up grammar, no cases):
- Präteritum - A2
- waren
- Konjunktiv II – B1, B2
- wäre
- könnten (Modalverb)
- feste Verbindungen B1+-B2
- stolz sein auf + Akkusativ
- auf eine Idee kommen
- sich in etwas verstricken = to get involved or caught up in something
- mit solchem Unsinn – too much to break down in one episode
- Infinitiv mit zu B1
- zu tun haben
Then we add the magic vocabulary words like die Zauberei, Zauberflüche, der Tagesprophet, fantastische Tierwesen, und und und!
So judging by the first two sentences you'd have to have a solid basis for all of those grammatical structures, and be either ready to learn or already well-versed in magic vocabulary to read the first book of Harry Potter.
So when should you read Harry Potter in German?
I'd say when you've worked through a good chunk of the B1 level, and keep at it as you work through the B2 level, too. Read a section, re-read it, and re-read it again. Give yourself time to absorb it and engage with it and who knows, maybe you'll start receiving German post via owl.
Das ist genug für heute. Passen Sie gut auf sich auf.
Giving credit where credit is due:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Page 5 © 1997 J.K. Rowling
Übersetzung von Klaus Fritz. Alle deutschen Rechte bei Carlsen Verlag GmbH, Hamburg 1998