{"id":93828,"date":"2023-11-09T17:47:35","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T22:47:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/100-most-common-german-words\/"},"modified":"2025-02-03T23:45:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T04:45:10","slug":"100-most-common-german-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/german\/100-most-common-german-words\/","title":{"rendered":"100 Most Common German Words"},"content":{"rendered":"

The German language includes hundreds of thousands of words (or millions, depending on how you count them). But, why don’t you start with the 100 most common German words?<\/p>\n

These words are used often in conversation, and will get you a long way in understanding and communicating in German.<\/p>\n

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\n<\/p>\n

Nouns and Articles<\/h2>\n

Nouns are easy to spot in German sentences. They’re almost always capitalized and attached to an article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The German articles der<\/em> (masculine), die<\/em>\u00a0(feminine) and das<\/em>\u00a0(neutral)<\/a> all mean \u201cthe,\u201d while the articles ein <\/em>(masculine\/neutral) or eine <\/em>(feminine) mean \u201ca.\u201d The plural article is die<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Calendar Words<\/h3>\n

All of the days of the week and months of the year are masculine in German, so they take the articles ein\/der\/die.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German word<\/th>English translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
heute<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b (not capitalized or attached to an article)<\/td>today<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der\u200b\u00a0Tag<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>day<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200b die Woche<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>week<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bdas Jahr<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>year<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200b Sonntag<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b \u200b<\/td>Sunday<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200b Montag<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>Monday<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200b Dienstag<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>Tuesday<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200b Mittwoch<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b<\/td>\u200bWednesday (translates directly to \"middle of the week\")<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Donnerstag<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>Thursday<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Freitag<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>Friday<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Samstag<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b <\/td>Saturday<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Januar\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b <\/td>January<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200b Februar\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>February<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200b M\u00e4\u200brz<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>March<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
April\u200b\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b <\/td>April<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mai<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>May<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Juni<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>June<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Juli\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b <\/td>July<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
August\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b<\/td>August<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
September\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b <\/td>September<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Oktober<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u00a0<\/td>October<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
November<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b <\/td>November<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dezember\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b <\/td>December<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Common Nouns<\/h3>\n

Here are some of the most common German nouns<\/a> for family members, places and more:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German word<\/th>English translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
die Familie<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>family<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Vater<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>father<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bdie Mutter<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>mother<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bder Bru\u200bder<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b<\/td>brother<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bdie Schwester<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>sister<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bdas Baby<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>baby<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bder Sohn<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>son<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bdie Tochter<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>daughter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Leute<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>people<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
der Freund<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>friend<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Stadt<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>city<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das\u00a0Haus<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>house<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Ding<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>thing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
die Arbeit<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>work<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Geld<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>money<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
das Essen<\/i>\u200b <\/a>\n <\/td>food<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Personal Pronouns<\/h3>\n

As with most languages, personal pronouns<\/a> are some of the most common words spoken or written, so it’s important to know them well. Here are the German nominative pronouns<\/strong> which are used as subjects of sentences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German word<\/th>English translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
ich<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>I<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
du<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>you (informal)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sie<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>you (formal, singular or plural)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
er<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>he<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sie<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>she, they <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
es<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
wir<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>we<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ihr<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>you (informal, plural)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

As you can see, there are\u00a0three\u00a0sie<\/em> formations<\/strong>. To figure out which pronoun is meant, look at the conjugated verb. If the verb is conjugated to the\u00a0er\/sie\/es<\/em>\u00a0form, the\u00a0sie<\/em>\u00a0meaning \u201cshe\u201d is used. Sie<\/em>\u00a0is always capitalized to show it’s formal.<\/p>\n

There’s one special pronoun that’s unique to German that might trip up first-time speakers. This pronoun is<\/strong> man<\/em> and it means the general “you” or “one.”<\/strong> Here are a few examples:<\/p>\n

Wie sagt man<\/strong> “suitcase” auf Deutsch?<\/em> (How do you\/does one say “suitcase” in German?)<\/p>\n

Wo kann man<\/strong> frisches Essen finden?<\/em> (Where can one find fresh food?)<\/p>\n

Essential Verbs<\/h2>\n

Verbs are always conjugated depending on the subject and tense of the sentence. You’ll almost always find the verb near the beginning of your phrase. Here are 10 very common German verbs<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German word<\/th>English translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
haben<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>to have<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sein<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>to be<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bm\u00fc\u200bssen<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>to have to \/ to must<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bk\u00f6\u200bnnen<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>to be able to \/ can<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
wollen<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>to want<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sagen<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b<\/td>to say<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
kommen<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>to come<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
gehen<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>to go<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
trinken<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>to drink<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
essen<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>to eat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Adjectives<\/h2>\n

Adjectives are used to describe nouns, and their endings change to indicate the case of the noun. While adjective endings are a whole lesson in themselves<\/a>, get started by learning these essential German adjectives to create basic descriptive sentences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German word<\/th>English translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
gut<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>good<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
schlecht<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>bad<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
super<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>super\/very cool<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sch\u00f6\u200bn<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>beautiful<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
h\u00e4\u200bsslich<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>ugly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
hei\u03b2<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b\u200b<\/td>hot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
kalt<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>cold<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Numbers 1 Through 20<\/h2>\n

Don’t forget to learn your German numbers<\/a>, so you can do everything from making restaurant reservations to catching your train on the right platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German word<\/th>English translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
eins<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>one<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bzwei\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>two<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bdrei\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>three<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bvier<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/td>four<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bf\u00fc\u200b\u200bnf\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>five<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bsechs<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/td>six
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bsieben<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/td>seven<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bacht\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>eight<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bneun<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/td>nine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bzehn<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/td>ten<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200belf\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>eleven<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bzw\u00f6\u200blf\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>twelve<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bdreizehn<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/td>thirteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bvierzehn\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>fourteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bf\u00fc\u200b\u200bnf\u200bzehn\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>fifteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bsechsehn<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/td>sixteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bsiebzehn\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>seventeen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bachtzehn<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/td>eighteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bneunzehn<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/td>nineteen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bzwanzig<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u00a0\u200b<\/td>twenty<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Prepositions<\/h2>\n

Prepositions<\/a> are great at linking your ideas together and providing more information. You can use prepositions to describe location, purpose, timing, etc. All prepositions have a case, so check your grammar as you use them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German word<\/th>English translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
nach<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>after<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
f\u00fc\u200br<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>for<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bzu<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>to<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200b\u200bohne<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>without<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bmit\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>with<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bum\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>at<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Phrases and Expressions<\/h2>\n

Words are one thing; being able to complete a thought in German is quite another! Here are some common German phrases<\/a> you can memorize:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
German word<\/th>English translation<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u200bHallo!<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>Hello!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200b\u200b\u200bGuten Morgen\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n \/ \u200b\u200b\u200bGuten Tag<\/i> <\/a>\n \/ \u200b\u200b\u200bGuten Abend\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>Good morning \/ Good day \/ Good evening<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wie geht es dir?<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\/ Wie geht's?\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>How are you doing?\/How are you?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bWas machst du?<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b<\/td>What are you doing?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bWo ist das Badezimmer?<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b<\/td>Where's the bathroom?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200b \u200bIch hei\u03b2\u200be...<\/i> <\/a>\n \u200b\u200b <\/td>My name is...<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bDanke!\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>Thank you!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bBitte\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>Please (or \"You're welcome\" when said after danke<\/i>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bEntschuldigung\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>Excuse me<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u200bAuf Wiedersehen!\u200b<\/i> <\/a>\n <\/td>Goodbye!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Bonus: Common Idioms\u200b\u200b<\/h2>\n

Idioms are the best way to pick up on any new language and learn more about the culture. Here are a few commonly used German idioms<\/a> that might come in handy:<\/p>\n

“Die Daumen dr\u00fc\u200bcken.”<\/em><\/strong>\u200b\u200b<\/strong><\/p>\n

“To press the thumbs.”<\/a> This is the German version of “cross your fingers.” Sometimes, just like Americans do, the Germans will actually perform the action and press their thumbs.<\/p>\n

“Du nimmst mich auf den Arm!”<\/strong><\/em>\u200b<\/p>\n

“You hold me by the arm!” Very similar to “pulling one’s leg,” this German phrase translates to something like “no way” or “you’re kidding me.”<\/p>\n“Wer nicht vorw\u00e4rts geht, der kommt zur\u00fcck.”<\/strong><\/em>\n

This translates roughly to “whoever isn’t going forward is going backward.” It’s a German saying that promotes proactive behavior and movement toward the future, whatever it may be.<\/p>\n

“Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei.”<\/strong>\u200b<\/em>\u200b<\/p>\n

Because what is Germany without \u200bWurst<\/em>\u200b? Germans who say this mean everything has an end, and only a sausage has two. Basically, whatever is going on will come to an end sooner or later.<\/p>\n

“Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!”\u200b<\/em><\/strong>\u200b<\/p>\n

This means “Everything good to you on your birthday.” Rather than say “Happy Birthday,” this is what Germans might call you up and say when you’re another year older.<\/p>\n“Frosch im Hals haben.”<\/strong><\/em>\n

Meaning to have “a frog in one’s throat,” this phrase refers to a coarse voice.<\/p>\n“Noch gr\u00fc\u200bn hinter den Ohren sein.”<\/strong><\/em>\n

To still be green behind the ears. Those of us who are still new to something might’ve heard this from our older or more experienced colleagues.<\/p>\n

Why Learn the 100 Most Common German Words<\/h2>\n

Knowing common words<\/a> and phrases in German will help you in many ways. For one thing, you’ll have a starting point to converse with native German speakers, which is one of the most important and effective ways to actually get fluent in the language.<\/p>\n

You’ll be able to understand essential questions and express basic needs and desires<\/strong>. You’ll also be prepared to move on to more complex German structures, including those pesky grammar rules and the\u00a0ever-confusing\u2014but incredibly entertaining\u2014idioms.<\/p>\n

As your memorization momentum builds, your confidence will grow, too. You might find that you get hooked on vocabulary building!<\/p>\n

One great way to take advantage of that momentum is to use FluentU.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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