When learning a new language, it becomes important to learn some of the common words of that language like, numbers, days, months, time, etc. Likewise learning German words is important when you want to learn the German language. In the 2000s, German was estimated to contain between 300,000 and 400,000 words. However, a recent analysis of the Dudenkorpus, an electronic collection of sentences, counted no fewer than 17.4 million base forms. So, this blog will help you learn the most common words in German for different contexts, their meanings, and examples of how they are used.
Table of Contents
Below are the top 10 most common German words along with their meaning, definitions, and examples:
Meaning: It is used when you meet somebody, want to attract somebody’s attention, or start a conversation.
Example: Hallo! Willkommen bei Clozemaster! (Hello! Welcome to Clozemaster!)
Meaning: It is used when you show someone your Love, affection, fondness, liking, attachment, and affection while expressing your feelings.
Example: Ich liebe französische Filme. (I love French films.)
Meaning: The word glücklich does not usually mean “lucky”, for which there is no word in German (glücklich means “happy”, “satisfied” or “contented”). Rather, to express “to be lucky”, one would have to say Glück haben — “to have luck.
Example: Ihm glückt alles. (He succeeds in everything.)
Meaning: Katze is the common term to refer to a cat both gender male and female. The derived form Kätzin is mostly restricted to poetic language and technical language.
Example: meine Arbeit war für die Katz (my work was a waste of time)
Meaning: All nouns in German are either masculine, feminine, or neuter. When you learn that the word for dog is Hund, learn that it's a masculine noun - der Hund.
Example: Er trainiert Hunde. (He trains dogs.)
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Meaning: In German, lächeln doesn't mean “happiness”. It just means “a smile” (noun as “das Lächeln”) or “to smile” (verb “lächeln” “sie hat mich angelächelt” -> “She smiled at me”).
Example: Kim lächelt freundlich. (Kim smiles kindly)
Meaning: "Deutschland" means "land of the German speakers"; "Deutsch" probably means "language of the ordinary people".
Example: Ich schreibe ein Lied in deutscher Sprache. (I am writing a song in German.)
Meaning: "Ja" as a modal particle has several meanings and purposes and is chiefly used in speech and dialect. It serves to amplify or to soften a statement.
Example: Hast du ja gesagt? (Did you say yes?)
Meaning: Danke is the most common way to express thanks in the German language.
Example: Danke euch allen. (Thanks to all of you.)
Meaning: The word tschüss (bye) can be used in both formal and informal settings but it is more common in informal ones.
Example: Er sagte ihr tschüss und ging. (He said goodbye to her and left.)
These were the most common German words list with examples and meanings.
Below you will find the list of German language words that are used in every situation. Let’s look at them!
Greetings are one of the basics of the German language that you will need to use often. When starting your journey, it is worth learning some formal greetings. These are especially useful if you are meeting a stranger, speaking to someone in a professional setting or simply trying to avoid causing any offenses by seeming too relaxed or familiar. Take a look below for the list of greeting-related words in German with meanings:
The German numbers from 1 to 10 become the building blocks for all larger numbers, so let’s take a moment to make sure we are pronouncing them right. Since English is a Germanic language, there are lots of cognates and memory tricks you can lean on to help you remember the number names. Take a look below to know about the 0-10 along with their meaning:
Take a look below to learn about how to ask for time in German language:
Take a look below to learn about the words related to seasons in the German language:
The longest word in the German dictionary is 63 letters long and even some German speakers struggle with it. So, if you can master a few of the following long words in German, you are bound to impress any native speaker. To start let’s explore some of the longest German words and their meaning:
The first word is Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän, this mouthful translates to “Danube steamship company captain.” It can be broken down as follows:
Here’s another impressive long German word: Rechtsschutzversicherungsgesellschaften. It means “legal protection insurance companies”. It can be broken down as follows:
At 63 letters, Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz holds a place in place in the Guinness World Record as one of the longest words in the German language. It translates to “Beef labeling supervision duties delegation law”. It can be broken down as follows:
Next up is a word that many Germans are familiar with Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung, meaning “motor vehicle liability insurance”. It can be broken down as follows:
Betäubungsmittelverschreibungsverordnung is one of the longest words in German law. It translates to “Narcotics Prescription Ordinance”. It can be broken down as follows:
Knowing how to ask questions in German is an essential skill, whether you are trying to improve your command of the German language or simply traveling in Germany. Take a look below to learn the vocabulary in German along with their examples and meanings:
| German question word | English translation |
|---|---|
| Wo | Where |
| Woher | Where from |
| Wohin | Where to |
| Wie | How |
| Was | What |
| Wer | Who [nominative]; use when “who” is the subject |
| Wem | (To) whom / who [dative]; use when “who” is the indirect object of the action |
| Wen | Who [accusative]; use when “who” is the direct object of the action |
| Wann | When |
| Warum | Why |
| Wozu | For what purpose |
Examples of Where?
Wo ist das Museum? – Where is the museum?
Wo ist mein Koffer? – Where is my suitcase?
Examples of What?
Was machen Sie? / Was machst du? – What are you doing? [formal/informal]
Was will er? – What does he want?
Examples of Why?
Warum halten wir hier? – Why are we stopping here?
Warum brauchen Sie meinen Reisepass? – Why do you need my passport? [formal]
Examples of Who?
Wer ist dieser Mann? – Who is that man?
Wer ist diese Frau? – Who is that woman?
Examples of When?
Wann treffen wir uns? – When do we meet?
Wann geht der Flug? – When does the plane leave?
Examples of How?
Wie kommen wir dahin? – How do we get there?
Wie viel Geld haben wir? – How much money do we have?
Before diving into specific categories, it is essential to familiarize yourself with some fundamental place-related terms. These words serve as the foundation for German vocabulary more advanced. Take a look below:
In this section, we will cover all common food words and ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and many more. Take a look below table to learn a few of them:
Here are some most common and basic German words in colors and their translation. It is important to remember, that if you are using color to describe something, the color will normally come before the noun. Take a look below to learn about them:
Here are some of the cool German words, not everyone finds these cool- but we do. So, take a look at the below:
Like any language, German vocabulary has its own strange and peculiar words. Here are some of them are listed:
Get to know how to pronounce German words now in different contexts. Now in the next section, know how you can improve your language fluently.
There are hundreds of different ways to learn German vocabulary, but if you want to fast-track your language-learning experience, follow these tips:
One of the most rewarding ways to learn German vocabulary words is through a language exchange. Not only do you get to practice new words with a native speaker, but also get to learn about German culture and language nuances that are difficult to grasp from a book alone.
Summing up, there is a proverb that says to learn a language is just to have another window to look at the world. Thus, while learning German words you must know it is correct meaning and pronunciation so that you can use them correctly in the right place and right time. Moreover, in this blog, we have shared German words for beginners along with their meaning and a few examples.
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The easiest and most basic German vocabulary is Ja, which means “Yes”.
Here are some common and most popular German words and phrases with meaning to get you started:
“Wow” in German is “wau”.
Replying, when you are asked “Wie geht's” (How are you), or one of its variations, you have a few options for replying. Mit mir geht es gut, und mit dir? (I'm well, and you?)
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