The nursery rhymes in german They are an excellent tool for teaching the language in a playful and fun way, especially to children. Through these songs, they not only learn vocabulary and grammar intuitively, but also become familiar with German culture, which is a significant advantage for their language development. Among the most traditional and popular songs taught to children in German schools, two well-known examples stand out: Bake bake cake y Hansel and GretelBoth not only serve to expand German vocabulary, but also help improve pronunciation in a fun and easy way, ideal for the first levels of learning.
Bake bake cake
Bake bake cake It’s a popular song about baking a cake. The lyrics mention all the ingredients needed to make a delicious cake, allowing children to learn food and cooking vocabulary in an easy and fun way. The lyrics are as follows:
Backe, backe Kuchen, Der Bäcker hat gerufen! Wer will gute Kuchen backen, Der muss haben sieben Sachen: Eier und Schmalz, Butter und Salz, Milch und Mehl, Safran macht den Kuchen gehl! Schieb in den Ofen rein!
The translation of this letter into Spanish would be:
Bake, bake a cake, the baker has called! Whoever wants to bake a good cake, must have seven things: Eggs and lard, Butter and salt, Milk and flour, Saffron makes the cake brown! Put it in the oven.
Useful vocabulary of the song:
- Back → Baking
- der Kuchen → Cake/pie
- das mehl → Flour
- the Schmalz → Lard
- die Butter → Butter
- das Salz → Salt
- Die Eier → Eggs
- seven sachets → Seven things
- die Milch → Milk
- der Bäcker → Baker
- the Safran → Saffron
- shove into the Ofen kingdom → Put in the oven
This song is ideal for familiarizing children with basic cooking terms, increasing their ability to follow instructions and learning vocabulary related to common ingredients.
Hansel and Gretel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKcZ7d0hhdE
La otra canción que debemos mencionar es Hansel and GretelInspired by the popular fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, this is a sung version that recounts the events experienced by the two brothers after they get lost in the woods and encounter the witch. The complete lyrics are as follows:
Hänsel und Gretel verliefen sich im Wald. Es war so finster und auch so bitter kalt. Sie kamen an ein Häuschen aus Pfefferkuchen fein. Wer mag der Herr wohl von diesem Häuschen sein. Hu, hu, da schaut eine alte Hexe raus! Sie lockt die Kinder ins Pfefferkuchenhaus. Sie stellte sich gar freundlich, or Hänsel, welche Not! Sie will ihn braten im Ofen braun wie Brot. Doch als die Hexe zum Ofen schaut hinein, war sie gestureßen von Hans und Gretelein. Die Hexe muste braten, die Kinder geh’n nach Haus. Nun ist das Märchen von Hans und Gretel aus.
In Spanish, the lyrics say:
Hansel and Gretel got lost in the woods. It was so dark and so cold. They came upon a little house made of thin gingerbread. Who could own this little house? Huh, huh, an old witch peeked out. She called the children into the gingerbread house. She was very friendly, oh Hansel, what danger! She wanted to roast him in the oven until he was as brown as bread. But when the witch looked into the oven, Hansel and Gretel pushed her out. The witch had to be roasted, and the children went home. And that is the end of the story of Hansel and Gretel.
Key vocabulary of the song:
- please contact us → Getting lost
- der Wald → Forest
- finster → Dark
- bitter kalt → Very cold
- the houses → Little house
- Pfefferkuchen → Gingerbread
- the hex → Witch
- Welche Not! → How dangerous!
- braten → Cooking
- says Ofen → Oven
- the gestoß → Pushed
- das märchen → Fairy tale
Other German children’s songs that help you learn vocabulary
In addition to these two songs, there are many other songs in German that children can learn and enjoy. These songs not only entertain but also facilitate the acquisition of new words and common expressions in German.
Green is all my clothes
This song is perfect for children to learn colors in German. Teaching colors through songs allows little ones to retain the information better and to apply this vocabulary more effectively in their daily lives.
Hop, hop Repeater
This is an interactive song that is traditionally sung while children are balanced on one’s knees, pretending they are riding horses. It is similar to the popular Spanish song “El caballito” and is a great fun way to learn vocabulary related to the action of riding a horse and elements associated with animals.
Fox you stole the goose
The song tells the story of a fox who has stolen a goose. It is a good example of how songs can teach simple narratives with vocabulary related to animals and their environment. In addition to being entertaining, this song instills values of responsibility.
Hum hum hum
This song is ideal for babies due to its simple and repetitive structure. Through this melody, children can learn the sound bees make and relate it to the act of collecting pollen. Nature-related songs help children become familiar with the world around them. These songs, all from the traditional German repertoire, not only provide wholesome and educational entertainment but also reinforce language learning in an engaging and accessible way. In this way, young children immerse themselves in a new language and culture almost without realizing it. Involving children in these kinds of activities allows them to acquire new words, phrases, and structures specific to the German language while enjoying a fun activity. Through the repetition of the songs, they become familiar with the sounds and grammar naturally, promoting effective and long-term learning.