For learners at B1 and above who live here
Sagmal. German you say out loud, before you need it for real.
Short scripted scenes from the places that decide your week. Hear the clerk in spoken German, say your line, then see the stiff textbook version next to what people actually say.
- 47+ scenes, growing
- Spoken German
- ~10 min
Book versus street
The clerk speaks German out loud. Same meaning below—only one gets a relaxed nod.
Clerk
HearHaben Sie Ihren Ausweis und die Wohnungsgeberbestätigung dabei?
Book
Ja, beide Dokumente liegen mir vor. Ich überreiche sie Ihnen hiermit.
Street
Ja, beides. Hier bitte, mein Reisepass und die Bestätigung von meinem Vermieter.
How a scene works
- 01
Briefing
You learn who you are talking to, where you are, and what you must get done.
- 02
Turns
The partner speaks pre-generated German when available—otherwise your browser’s voice. You say your line out loud, pick it, then type the natural line (optional Speak in Settings).
- 03
Debrief
Book versus street: your lines next to the textbook version and the natural version, with a short note on why.
Who Sagmal is for
Built for you if
- You are at B1 or above and understand more German than you can say under pressure.
- Your housing, papers, health or job depend on getting German right in the room.
- You want the exact words for a situation, not a lecture about why they work.
Not what you are looking for if
- You are starting from zero. Sagmal assumes you already read and follow basic German.
- You want grammar explanations or drills.
- You are preparing for an exam such as Goethe, telc or TestDaF.
I have lived in Germany since 2011. In textbooks my German looked fine — full sentences, polite, "correct." At the counter, at the bank, at work, people often said the same thing differently: shorter, more natural, still clear. I usually understood, but I did not always have the words that actually landed. Sagmal is for that gap: short scenes where you rehearse out loud what people really say — before you need it.
Founder
Dong Yang
Scenes
Bürgeramt, bank, campus, transit, shopping, housing, health, and sport. Pick a category and start one scene.
Address registration·10 min
Bürgeramt: Anmeldung
First registration after arriving in Germany. Practice your last address abroad, spelling the street, and the tax-ID letter from the Finanzamt.
Browse all scenes·More scenes are coming.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sagmal?
Sagmal is a German speaking-practice web app for learners at B1 level and above who need German for real life. You rehearse short scripted scenes out loud—Bürgeramt registration, bank, university and campus life, Studienkolleg Vortrag, library loans, residence advising, Kochkurs meetups, café vacation planning, transit, shopping, restaurant, clothing shops, mobile contracts, barber, optician, housing and WG, doctor visit, health insurance, sport, a first Werkstudent job interview, and Führerschein Umschreiben—and a debrief shows the stiff textbook phrasing next to what people really say. It is not a beginner course, a grammar course or exam preparation.
- Who is Sagmal for?
- Learners at B1 or above who need German for housing, offices, health, or work. Not for complete beginners, grammar lessons, or exam prep.
- Does Sagmal listen to or record my voice?
- No. Sagmal does not receive or store microphone audio. You say your line out loud and tap it. Spoken lines use pre-generated German when available, otherwise your browser’s voice. Optional Speak in Settings uses your browser’s speech recognition on your device; Sagmal still does not get the audio.
- What is “book versus street”?
- Each turn you hear the partner, say your line, and pick it: Street (natural), Book (correct but stiff), or sometimes Off (wrong for the moment). The debrief puts book and street next to what you chose.
Say it once here, so it is easier there.
Create your account and rehearse a scene in about ten minutes.