---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I studied German at school. I lived in…"
description: "\"I studied German at school. I lived in Berlin for two years and had a German girlfriend for five years, so I don't find speaking German particularly di..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/martin-gore-10578_berlin_i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-be_1601348.jpg"
---

#  I studied German at school. I lived in Berlin for two…

![“I studied German at school. I lived in Berlin for two years and had a German girlfriend for five years, so I don't find speaking German particularly difficult. Singing was slightly more difficult.” quote by Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/martin-gore-10578_berlin_i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-be_1601348.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/martin-gore-10578_berlin_i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-be_1601348.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/martin-gore-10578_berlin_i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-be_1601348.jpg)

> “I studied German at school. I lived in Berlin for two years and had a German girlfriend for five years, so I don't find speaking German particularly difficult. Singing was slightly more difficult.”

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Personal experience shows language fluency can be easy, but artistic expression like singing is harder.

**In simple terms:** Speaking German is easy for him; singing is harder.

Key Takeaway

Practice both language and music.

Themes

language learning music confidence

Mood

thoughtful inquisitive

Type

practical inspirational

When to use this quote

- travel
- teaching
- public performances
- language immersion

Key Concepts

linguistics performance anxiety

Questions to Reflect On

- What techniques improve singing in a non-native language?
- How does confidence differ between speaking and singing?

A Different Perspective

Singing may require different skills than speaking.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Berlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/berlin/) [Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult/) [Difficult Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-singing-6090696/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [German](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/german/) [Girlfriend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girlfriend/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Singing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/singing/) [Speaking German](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speaking-german-3416833/) [Studied German](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studied-german-1868504/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-years/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years German](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-german-2434458/)

## Related quotes

> [In particular, I studied German and Russian biomechanics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-particular-i-studied-german-and-russian-biomechanics/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“If you've never studied German before or think you know nothing about it, you might be in for a little surprise. You already know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-swick/if-you-ve-never-studied-german-before-or-think-you-know-nothing-about/)

[Edward Swick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-swick/)

> [I lived in L.A. for seven years, and if you're a German actor, they always throw the Nazi parts at you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/til-schweiger/i-lived-in-l-a-for-seven-years-and-if-you-re-a-german-actor-they/)

[Til Schweiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/til-schweiger/)

> [At various points, I've had a massive chip on me shoulder. I had fights about me accent with loads of those fellers you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-waddell/at-various-points-i-ve-had-a-massive-chip-on-me-shoulder-i-had-fights/)

[Sid Waddell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-waddell/)

> [The biggest issue for me has been the language because I speak so much German now. I've had to focus on my English and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/motsi-mabuse/the-biggest-issue-for-me-has-been-the-language-because-i-speak-so/)

[Motsi Mabuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/motsi-mabuse/)

> [If you know German fluently and you listen to me speaking German, literally every sentence I make mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-marsch/if-you-know-german-fluently-and-you-listen-to-me-speaking-german/)

[Jesse Marsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-marsch/)

> [For me, it was pretty hard to go into the studio and sing English for the first time, because I always sung in German,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/for-me-it-was-pretty-hard-to-go-into-the-studio-and-sing-english-for/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

> [Our enemies must not deceive themselves-in the 2,000 years of German history known to us, our people have never been more united than today.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/our-enemies-must-not-deceive-themselves-in-the-2-000-years-of-german/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [I am a bohemian person. I don't speak German, and I live in a foreign country where all the signs are in German. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-newcombe/i-am-a-bohemian-person-i-don-t-speak-german-and-i-live-in-a-foreign/)

[Anton Newcombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-newcombe/)

> [Berlin is like being abroad in Germany. It's German, but not provincial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-schiffer/berlin-is-like-being-abroad-in-germany-it-s-german-but-not-provincial/)

[Claudia Schiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-schiffer/)

> [I don't believe there is anything in the whole earth that you can't learn in Berlin except the German language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-don-t-believe-there-is-anything-in-the-whole-earth-that-you-can-t/)

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

> [I think that, certainly, most of my operatic roles are in German. I think it happened because, of course, I was lucky in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/i-think-that-certainly-most-of-my-operatic-roles-are-in-german-i/)

[Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/)

> [“Berlin is here to mix everything with everything, man… I steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels my imagination… because my work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helene-hegemann/berlin-is-here-to-mix-everything-with-everything-man-i-steal-from/)

[Helene Hegemann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helene-hegemann/)

> [When I was a kid, while touring East Berlin - back when there was an East Berlin - I got my left foot stuck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-bleyer/when-i-was-a-kid-while-touring-east-berlin-back-when-there-was-an/)

[Kevin Bleyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-bleyer/)

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

## More by Martin Gore

> [There are definite reference points to older Depeche Mode records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/there-are-definite-reference-points-to-older-depeche-mode-records/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [More than accepted, it's encouraged for rock stars to be out of control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/more-than-accepted-it-s-encouraged-for-rock-stars-to-be-out-of-control/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [I even have nephews who make music, my daughter makes music. I don't know what advice to give them these days. It's really a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-even-have-nephews-who-make-music-my-daughter-makes-music-i-don-t/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [I started getting back into buying old analog gear while we were recording. Lots of old drum machines and synths. It wasn't a conscious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-started-getting-back-into-buying-old-analog-gear-while-we-were/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [I didn't write songs for a very long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-didn-t-write-songs-for-a-very-long-time/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [I don't think I ever worry too much about what our target audience is, what we should be releasing. I just write naturally and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-don-t-think-i-ever-worry-too-much-about-what-our-target-audience-is/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [I think being in a band is probably the only job when you're actively encouraged to be out of it most of the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-think-being-in-a-band-is-probably-the-only-job-when-you-re-actively/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [I don't like to think 10 years down the road.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-don-t-like-to-think-10-years-down-the-road/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [The majority of the time I'm at home with my family, I play football three times a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/the-majority-of-the-time-i-m-at-home-with-my-family-i-play-football/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [I don't think I've ever tried to be anything other than a weirdo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-tried-to-be-anything-other-than-a-weirdo/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [Our music over the years has been very cinematic. It's surprising we never really got into film soundtracks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/our-music-over-the-years-has-been-very-cinematic-it-s-surprising-we/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [“Vows are spoken To be broken Feelings are intense Words are trivial Pleasures remain So does the pain Words are meaningless And forgettable”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/vows-are-spoken-to-be-broken-feelings-are-intense-words-are-trivial/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [There haven't been many credible electronic covers records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/there-haven-t-been-many-credible-electronic-covers-records/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [If you took music out of my life, I don't know what I'd do. It's the one thing that I have a real passion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/if-you-took-music-out-of-my-life-i-don-t-know-what-i-d-do-it-s-the/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

> [I will be the focal point for however long I decide to play. Half of me likes that idea and half of me doesn't,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-will-be-the-focal-point-for-however-long-i-decide-to-play-half-of/)

[Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

[Explore all 64 Martin Gore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/)

## More Berlin quotes

> [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/)

[Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/)

> [I did a concert... in September with the Berlin Philharmonic... They're great musicians, and there's always something to learn from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecilia-bartoli/i-did-a-concert-in-september-with-the-berlin-philharmonic-they-re/)

[Cecilia Bartoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecilia-bartoli/)

> [The fall of the Berlin Wall makes for nice pictures. But it all started in the shipyards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lech-walesa/the-fall-of-the-berlin-wall-makes-for-nice-pictures-but-it-all/)

[Lech Walesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lech-walesa/)

> [The music changed. We had Irving Berlin and Gershwin and Lerner and Loewe and Cole Porter. Great music. Now we have 'Rent.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyd-charisse/the-music-changed-we-had-irving-berlin-and-gershwin-and-lerner-and/)

[Cyd Charisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyd-charisse/)

> [My works are dear to me, each in its own way, I shall have to answer for them on the Day off Judgement. God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-chagall/my-works-are-dear-to-me-each-in-its-own-way-i-shall-have-to-answer/)

[Marc Chagall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-chagall/)

> [I'm not a prophet, but I always thought it was natural for dictatorships to fall. I remember in 1989, two months before the fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/i-m-not-a-prophet-but-i-always-thought-it-was-natural-for/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [The church of St. Peter at Berlin, notwithstanding the total difference between them in the style of building, appears in some respects to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-philipp-moritz/the-church-of-st-peter-at-berlin-notwithstanding-the-total-difference/)

[Karl Philipp Moritz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-philipp-moritz/)

> [...what happened in New York and Washington is the same thing that England and America did to Berlin every day for three years during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lemmy-kilmister/what-happened-in-new-york-and-washington-is-the-same-thing-that/)

[Lemmy Kilmister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lemmy-kilmister/)

> [I am in Paris. Yes ma'am , I made it back. I came up from Berlin, stopped here ten days, fought a losing battle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/i-am-in-paris-yes-ma-am-i-made-it-back-i-came-up-from-berlin-stopped/)

[Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/)

> [God bless America, land that I love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-berlin/god-bless-america-land-that-i-love/)

[Irving Berlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-berlin/)

> [I wouldn't want to live in Berlin. It's bombed out and there's a lot of techno.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-wouldn-t-want-to-live-in-berlin-it-s-bombed-out-and-there-s-a-lot/)

[Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/)

> [Berlin is still a very edgy place, a very cosmopolitan place. It's a place where completely different ideas and cultures come together and clash…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-bremmer/berlin-is-still-a-very-edgy-place-a-very-cosmopolitan-place-it-s-a/)

[Ian Bremmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-bremmer/)

> [Berlin would be a great place to have no cell phone, I think. Especially if you were able to live in a central location.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-ebert/berlin-would-be-a-great-place-to-have-no-cell-phone-i-think/)

[Alex Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-ebert/)

> [Those who have ever valued liberty for its own sake believed that to be free to choose, and not to be chosen for, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah-berlin/those-who-have-ever-valued-liberty-for-its-own-sake-believed-that-to/)

[Isaiah Berlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah-berlin/)

> [The toughest thing about success is that you've got to keep on being a success. Talent is only a starting point in this business.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-berlin/the-toughest-thing-about-success-is-that-you-ve-got-to-keep-on-being/)

[Irving Berlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-berlin/)

[Browse all 438 Berlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/berlin/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I studied German at school. I lived in Berlin for two years and had a German girlfriend for five years, so I don't find speaking German particularly difficult. Singing was slightly more difficult.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martin Gore"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-berlin-for-two-years-and-had-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Berlin"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-berlin-for-two-years-and-had-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/martin-gore-10578_berlin_i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-be_1601348.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/martin-gore-10578_berlin_i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-be_1601348.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/46e/martin-gore-10578_berlin_i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-be_1601348.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I studied German at school. I lived in Berlin for two years and had a German girlfriend for five years, so I…” — Martin Gore",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Martin Gore",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I studied German at school. I...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-berlin-for-two-years-and-had-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/i-studied-german-at-school-i-lived-in-berlin-for-two-years-and-had-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
