Four mystery cities. Four cryptic clues. One week to work out where we're going.The Great Coffee Break Treasure Hunt is back for 2026, and everything happens here: https://coffeebreaklanguages.com/treasurehuntEach clue is a short poem describing a European city without ever naming it. Every clue is written from scratch in French, Italian, German and Spanish by the team who teach it, so it rhymes and reads properly in each one. Watch in whichever language you're learning.WHEN THE CLUES GO LIVE (all 1pm UK)Clue 1: Monday 24 AugustClue 2: Wednesday 26 AugustClue 3: Friday 28 AugustClue 4: Sunday 30 AugustHOW TO ENTERThe entry form opens on the Treasure Hunt website on Sunday 30 August, alongside the final clue, and closes at 11:59pm UK on Monday 31 August.WHAT YOU CAN WINGet all four right and you win a free month on Coffee Break TV, our on-demand video platform, in whichever language you're learning. You also go into a prize draw. One name comes out of the hat for each language, and that person takes the whole collection of Coffee Break courses in their language.THE BONUS CLUESign up for the Treasure Hunt emails and we'll send you an extra clue with every city: roughly how far it is from the last one, and in which direction. That one only goes out by email. You can sign up on the landing page.THE REVEALMark names all four cities, and the hidden spot the final clue points to, on Tuesday 1 September at 4pm UK. A second video on Wednesday 2 September goes back through every clue line by line and explains how each one worked. It's free, it's open to everyone, and there's no travel involved.https://coffeebreaklanguages.com/treasurehunt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You probably learned 'stehen' as the German verb for "standing". In this episode, Thomas explains the range of other meanings it carries in everyday German, including expressions like 'auf jemanden stehen', where the English translation is nothing to do with standing at all. Small verb, surprisingly wide reach.➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.➡️ Get free mini-lessons and language tips every week by signing up to our newsletter: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thomas explains how German handles continuous actions, something that doesn't come with its own dedicated tense the way English '-ing' forms do. He also introduces the increasingly popular am-progressive: 'Wir sind gerade am Entspannen', 'Gestern waren wir am Wandern'. It's a handy shortcut that also means one less set of conjugation rules to worry about.➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.➡️ Get free mini-lessons and language tips every week by signing up to our newsletter: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One English word, three German ones. In this episode, Thomas explains why "feel" splits into "fühlen", "sich fühlen" and "sich anfühlen" in German, and how to know which one you need. In this episode we provide a short summary of the three, alongside a mention of the exercises on the YouTube video.➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.➡️ To receive regular free mini-lessons like this straight to your inbox, visit: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I bet you've done at least one of these. In this episode I walk through five mistakes German learners make all the time, from getting the construction behind "recht haben" right, to knowing when to use "wenn" and when to use "als", to the little contrast between "ich bin ..." and "mir ist ..." when you talk about how you feel. We'll also sort out "machen" versus "nehmen" and why fun "macht Spaß" rather than "ist Spaß". None of these are hard once you see what's going on, and fixing them makes a real difference to how natural your German sounds.➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.➡️ Get free mini-lessons and language tips every week by signing up to our newsletter: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ordering an ice cream might sound simple, but in German-speaking countries it can be a surprisingly different experience. In this episode, Thomas explains how it all works, from reading the menu to ordering at the counter, along with the words and phrases you need to get your 'Eis' just right. You'll be ready for your next visit to an 'Eiscafé'.➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.➡️ Want more tips like these delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free newsletter: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've all been there: you're mid-sentence and the word just won't come. In this episode, Thomas shares the little phrases German speakers reach for when they're lost for words or need a second to think. Learn how to buy yourself time and keep a conversation flowing naturally.➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.➡️ Want more tips like these delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our free newsletter: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

English gets by with one little word, after, but German has three: nach, nachdem and danach. In this episode, Thomas picks up where the 'before' episode left off and shows you when to use each one, along with während, the single German word for during. He finishes with some handy vocabulary for saying just, right and directly before or after something.➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.➡️ Download the free practice exercises for this lesson here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thomas explains how German handles the word "before". You'll see when to use "vor", "bevor" and "davor", with clear example sentences that show each one in context. By the end, you'll know exactly which word to reach for and when. Which one trips you up the most?➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.➡️ Love learning in short bursts? Our free weekly newsletter is packed with tips just like these: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thomas introduces five beautifully untranslatable German words that capture feelings and experiences English needs a whole sentence to describe. From "Kopfkino" and "Fernweh" to the warm, hard-to-define "Geborgenheit", you'll discover what each word means, how to use it, and why German has words for ideas other languages don't. Which one is your favourite?➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode and access a free worksheet in the comments section.➡️ Get free mini-lessons and language tips every week by signing up to our newsletter: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.