Zorg SpaceQuestions learners ask
Clear answers to the questions people actually ask while learning a language — grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary and how to study — with examples and the mistakes to avoid.
Learning a language 10
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Language learning
Why do I understand a language but freeze when I try to speak?
Understanding and speaking are different skills. Why the gap appears, why it is normal, and how to train speaking directly so it catches up. 5 min read -
Language learning
How many new words should I learn per day?
Ten new words a day is a good default for most adult learners. Why the real limit is review time, and how to choose a number you can keep. 4 min read -
Language learning
Should I study grammar or vocabulary first?
Start with words and the few structures you need to use them, then let grammar grow with your level. How to balance the two from beginner to advanced. 4 min read -
Language learning
How long does it take to reach B1 in a new language?
Roughly 350–400 hours of guided study for a language close to one you know, and much longer for a distant one. What the estimates mean and how to plan your own. 4 min read -
Language learning
How do I stop translating in my head when I speak?
Translating in your head is a normal stage, not a bad habit. How direct links between words and meaning form, and exercises that speed up the change. 3 min read -
Language learning
How can I practise speaking a language when I have nobody to talk to?
Most speaking practice can be done alone. Eight solo exercises, how to get feedback without a partner, and a fifteen-minute daily routine. 3 min read -
Language learning
Can adults still learn to pronounce a new language well?
Adults rarely lose every trace of an accent, but they can become very clear and easy to understand. What matters most for pronunciation and how to practise it. 3 min read -
Language learning
What does it actually mean to be fluent in a language?
There is no official definition of fluent. What people usually mean, how fluency differs from accuracy, and how the CEFR levels describe the same idea. 3 min read -
Language learning
Why do I feel stuck at the intermediate level, and how do I move on?
The intermediate plateau is real but rarely a true standstill. Why progress becomes harder to see after B1, how to diagnose your plateau, and what moves you forward. 3 min read -
Language learning
Can I learn two languages at the same time?
You can, but it is slower and works best when one language is already established or the two are very different. How to limit interference and plan the time. 3 min read
Learning English 10
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English
When should I use the present perfect instead of the past simple?
Past simple for finished events at a finished time; present perfect when the past connects to now. The four main uses, the time words, and the classic mistakes. 3 min read -
English
What is the difference between “do” and “make” in English?
Make is for creating or producing something; do is for activities, tasks and work. The core idea, the common fixed phrases, and the mistakes learners make most. 3 min read -
English
What is the difference between say, tell, speak and talk?
Say focuses on the words, tell needs a listener, speak is formal or about languages, talk is conversation. Patterns, fixed phrases and the mistakes learners make. 3 min read -
English
What is the difference between “for” and “since”?
For plus a length of time, since plus a starting point. How both work with the present perfect, the tense mistakes they cause, and how “ago” fits in. 3 min read -
English
When do I use “will” and when do I use “going to”?
Going to for plans already made and predictions from evidence; will for decisions made now, offers, promises and opinions. Plus the present continuous for arrangements. 3 min read -
English
How do “if” sentences work in English?
Zero, first, second, third and mixed conditionals in plain terms — which tense goes in each half, what each one means, and the mistakes learners make most. 3 min read -
English
What is the difference between “used to”, “be used to” and “get used to”?
Used to + verb is a past habit; be used to + -ing means accustomed; get used to means becoming accustomed. Forms, questions, pronunciation and typical errors. 3 min read -
English
How can I understand fast spoken English?
Fast English is hard because words shrink, link and merge. The patterns of connected speech, the common reductions, and a step-by-step method to train your ear. 4 min read -
English
Why is English spelling so different from pronunciation?
English spelling froze while pronunciation kept changing, and borrowed words kept their spellings. The history, the patterns, and how to learn them. 3 min read -
English
Should I learn British or American English?
Either is fine. The real differences in vocabulary, spelling, grammar and pronunciation, what exams accept, and how to choose the variety that suits you. 3 min read
Learning Spanish 8
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Spanish
When do I use ser and when do I use estar in Spanish?
Ser says what something is; estar says how or where it is. The uses of each, why “permanent vs temporary” misleads, and adjectives that change meaning. 3 min read -
Spanish
What is the difference between por and para in Spanish?
Para points to a goal, destination or deadline; por looks at cause, means, route and exchange. Uses, fixed phrases and pairs that change meaning. 3 min read -
Spanish
How do I know if a Spanish noun is masculine or feminine?
The ending usually tells you. Reliable masculine and feminine endings, exceptions like el día and la mano, el agua, and nouns that change meaning. 3 min read -
Spanish
Why does “me gusta” seem to work backwards in Spanish?
In Spanish, the thing you like is the subject and you are the indirect object. How gustar agrees, when to add “a mí”, and the other verbs that work the same way. 3 min read -
Spanish
When should I use tú and when usted in Spanish?
Tú for friends, family and informal situations; usted for formal ones and when unsure. The grammar of each, vos, ustedes, and how to switch. 3 min read -
Spanish
What is the difference between saber and conocer in Spanish?
Saber is knowing facts and how to do something; conocer is knowing people and places. Forms, examples, past-tense meanings and common errors. 3 min read -
Spanish
When do I use the preterite and when the imperfect in Spanish?
The preterite tells what happened; the imperfect sets the scene and describes habits. How they work together in a story, with the verbs that change. 3 min read -
Spanish
Why does Spanish use ¿ and ¡ at the beginning of sentences?
A Spanish question often looks exactly like a statement until the end, so the opening mark tells you how to read it. History, the rules, and how to type the marks. 3 min read
Learning German 6
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German
How do I know whether a German noun takes der, die or das?
There is no single rule, but endings and word groups predict a large share. The reliable patterns, the traps like das Mädchen, and how to learn genders without guessing. 3 min read -
German
What is the difference between the accusative and the dative in German?
The accusative marks the direct object, the dative the indirect object. Article tables, the prepositions that decide the case, two-way prepositions, and dative verbs. 3 min read -
German
Why does the verb go to the end of the sentence in German?
Main clauses put the verb second and other verb parts last; subordinate clauses send the verb to the end. The German verb bracket, explained. 3 min read -
German
How do German separable verbs like anrufen work?
Many German verbs split and send their prefix to the end. Which prefixes separate, and how the perfect, zu and subordinate clauses work. 3 min read -
German
When should I use du and when Sie in German?
Sie for adults you do not know and formal situations, du for friends, family, children and many informal settings. Grammar of each, who offers du, and workplace habits. 3 min read -
German
Why are German words so long?
German writes compound nouns as one word. How compounds are built, which part decides the meaning and gender, and how to read them quickly. 3 min read
Learning Dutch 6
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Dutch
When do I use “de” and when “het” in Dutch?
About three in four Dutch nouns take de. The reliable rules — plurals, diminutives, certain endings — what changes with de and het, and a practical way to learn the rest. 3 min read -
Dutch
What is the difference between “niet” and “geen” in Dutch?
Geen negates a noun with een or without an article; niet negates everything else. The rule, where niet goes in the sentence, fixed expressions, and the classic mistakes. 3 min read -
Dutch
When do I use “je” and when “u” in Dutch?
Je for friends, colleagues and people your age; u for older strangers and formal situations. The grammar of each and the typical errors. 3 min read -
Dutch
How do you use the word “er” in Dutch?
Er has four main jobs in Dutch — there (place), there is/are, of them (with numbers), and it/them after prepositions. Each one explained with examples and typical errors. 3 min read -
Dutch
What do little words like “maar”, “even” and “toch” mean in Dutch?
Dutch modal particles change the tone of a sentence, not its facts. What maar, even, toch, wel, eens, hoor and nou do, with everyday examples. 3 min read -
Dutch
How do you pronounce the Dutch g, ui and ij?
The Dutch g is a friction sound at the back of the mouth; ui and ij have no English equivalent. How to make each sound, the other tricky vowels, and pairs to practise. 3 min read
Learning Korean 4
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Korean
How long does it take to learn to read Hangul?
Most learners can sound out Hangul within days; reading smoothly takes a few weeks. Why the alphabet is quick to learn, and a realistic timeline. 3 min read -
Korean
Why does Korean sentence order feel backwards to English speakers?
Korean puts the verb last, marks roles with particles and places every modifier before the noun. How subject-object-verb order works, and why it is not really backwards. 3 min read -
Korean
What is the difference between 은/는 and 이/가 in Korean?
은/는 marks the topic, often known or contrasted; 이/가 marks the subject, often new or identified. When each is used, the fixed cases, and the common mistakes. 3 min read -
Korean
Which Korean speech level should I use?
Use the polite -요 style for most situations, the formal -ㅂ니다 style for presentations and formal settings, and casual speech only when it is offered. Forms and examples. 3 min read
Study, memory and flashcards 6
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Study & memory
Are flashcards actually effective for learning a language?
Yes, used with active recall and spacing. What the research shows about flashcards, what they cannot do, and how to use them well. 3 min read -
Study & memory
Why do I forget new vocabulary so quickly?
Forgetting is normal and fastest in the first days. Why some words fade and others stick, and how retrieval and spacing slow forgetting down. 3 min read -
Study & memory
How do I make good flashcards for language learning?
One small question per card, active recall, context, audio and images. Card types that work for languages and examples of good and bad cards. 3 min read -
Study & memory
Does testing yourself work better than rereading?
Yes. Recalling strengthens memory more than rereading, even when it feels harder. The research, why rereading feels better, and how to self-test. 3 min read -
Study & memory
Is it better to study in one long session or several short ones?
For memorising, short sessions spread over days beat one long session. Why spacing works, when longer blocks help, and sample weekly schedules. 3 min read -
Study & memory
Why do I remember a word in an app but forget it in conversation?
An app gives you a cue, time and a single word; a conversation gives you none of these. Why that gap exists and how to practise so app knowledge becomes usable in speech. 3 min read
Practise this lesson in Zorg Space
Every answer here comes from the same courses as the Zorg Space app — where the grammar becomes practice, the words come back for review, and you hear and speak them.
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