Your first words

Before diving into grammar, let's build a foundation of essential vocabulary. These words and phrases will let you start communicating immediately. Research shows that just 100 words account for about 50% of everyday conversation in most languages. The words in this section are among the most frequently used in German — learn them well and you'll have tools for real communication from day one.

Greetings

Every conversation starts with a greeting, so these are the most practical words you can learn first. German greetings vary by time of day and formality level. Using the right greeting signals cultural awareness and sets a positive tone for any interaction:

German	English	When to use
🔊 Hallo	Hello	Informal, any time
🔊 Guten Morgen	Good morning	Until about 10am
🔊 Guten Tag	Good day	Standard daytime greeting
🔊 Guten Abend	Good evening	From late afternoon
🔊 Gute Nacht	Good night	When going to bed
🔊 Auf Wiedersehen	Goodbye	Formal
🔊 Tschüss	Bye	Informal
🔊 Bis später	See you later	Informal
🔊 Bis morgen	See you tomorrow	Any register

Polite essentials

Politeness matters enormously in German culture. These words will make every interaction smoother. Note that "Bitte" does double duty — it means both "please" and "you're welcome", which can confuse beginners at first. Context makes the meaning clear:

German	English
🔊 Bitte	Please / You're welcome
🔊 Danke	Thank you
🔊 Danke schön	Thank you very much
🔊 Vielen Dank	Many thanks
🔊 Entschuldigung	Excuse me / Sorry
🔊 Es tut mir leid	I'm sorry (apologising)
🔊 Kein Problem	No problem
🔊 Gern geschehen	You're welcome (my pleasure)

Yes, no, and maybe

These small words carry enormous weight in any conversation. Beyond simple "ja" and "nein", German has several ways to express agreement, disagreement, and uncertainty. "Genau" (exactly) and "Stimmt" (that's right) are particularly useful for showing you're following along in a conversation:

German	English
🔊 Ja	Yes
🔊 Nein	No
🔊 Vielleicht	Maybe / Perhaps
🔊 Natürlich	Of course
🔊 Sicher	Certainly / Sure
🔊 Genau	Exactly
🔊 Stimmt	That's right

Asking for help

As a language learner, these phrases are your lifeline. Don't be shy about using them — Germans generally appreciate the effort you're making to learn their language and will often slow down or switch to simpler words to help you. "Wie bitte?" is the polite way to ask someone to repeat themselves:

German	English
🔊 Sprechen Sie Englisch?	Do you speak English? (formal)
🔊 Sprichst du Englisch?	Do you speak English? (informal)
🔊 Ich verstehe nicht	I don't understand
🔊 Können Sie das wiederholen?	Can you repeat that?
🔊 Langsamer, bitte	Slower, please
🔊 Wie bitte?	Pardon? / What was that?
🔊 Was bedeutet das?	What does that mean?
🔊 Wie sagt man... auf Deutsch?	How do you say... in German?

Introducing yourself

Self-introduction is one of the first real conversations you'll have in German. Notice the distinction between formal (Sie) and informal (du) forms — this is crucial in German culture. When in doubt, use the formal form; you can always switch to informal if invited:

German	English
🔊 Ich heiße...	My name is...
🔊 Ich bin...	I am...
🔊 Freut mich	Pleased to meet you
🔊 Wie heißen Sie?	What is your name? (formal)
🔊 Wie heißt du?	What is your name? (informal)
🔊 Woher kommen Sie?	Where are you from? (formal)
🔊 Ich komme aus...	I come from...

Countries and nationalities

When introducing yourself, you'll often mention where you're from. German nationalities have masculine and feminine forms (like many German nouns). The country names are also useful for discussing travel, news, or business:

Country	German name	Nationality (m/f)
England	🔊 England	🔊 Engländer / Engländerin
USA	🔊 die USA	🔊 Amerikaner / Amerikanerin
Australia	🔊 Australien	🔊 Australier / Australierin
Canada	🔊 Kanada	🔊 Kanadier / Kanadierin
Ireland	🔊 Irland	🔊 Ire / Irin
Scotland	🔊 Schottland	🔊 Schotte / Schottin
Germany	🔊 Deutschland	🔊 Deutscher / Deutsche

Survival vocabulary

This vocabulary covers the essentials for navigating daily life in a German-speaking country. Notice that each noun includes its article (der, die, das) — this indicates the grammatical gender, which you'll learn more about in the next section. Start memorising nouns with their articles from the beginning; it's a habit that will serve you well.

Places

These are the locations you're most likely to need in a city. German compound words can look intimidating (Krankenhaus = Kranken + Haus = sick + house = hospital) but they often make logical sense once you break them down:

German	English
🔊 der Bahnhof	train station
🔊 der Flughafen	airport
🔊 das Hotel	hotel
🔊 das Restaurant	restaurant
🔊 das Café	café
🔊 die Toilette	toilet
🔊 die Apotheke	pharmacy
🔊 das Krankenhaus	hospital
🔊 die Bank	bank
🔊 der Supermarkt	supermarket

Getting around

Asking for directions is one of the most common interactions for travellers. "Wo ist...?" (Where is...?) combined with a place name from the previous section will get you far. German cities typically have excellent signage, but these words will help you understand responses:

German	English
🔊 Wo ist...?	Where is...?
🔊 links	left
🔊 rechts	right
🔊 geradeaus	straight ahead
🔊 hier	here
🔊 dort	there
🔊 nah	near
🔊 weit	far
🔊 die Straße	street
🔊 die U-Bahn	underground/metro

Eating and drinking

Food and drink vocabulary is essential for restaurants, cafes, and grocery shopping. German cuisine varies by region, but these basics apply everywhere. Notice the grammatical genders: beverages tend to be masculine (der Kaffee, der Tee, der Wein) while "das Wasser" is neuter:

German	English
🔊 das Wasser	water
🔊 das Bier	beer
🔊 der Wein	wine
🔊 der Kaffee	coffee
🔊 der Tee	tea
🔊 das Brot	bread
🔊 das Fleisch	meat
🔊 der Fisch	fish
🔊 das Gemüse	vegetables
🔊 das Obst	fruit

Useful adjectives

Adjectives let you describe the world around you. Learning them in pairs (with their opposites) is an efficient technique that doubles your vocabulary. These adjectives will change their endings depending on the gender and case of the noun they describe — but for now, learn the base forms:

German	English	Opposite
🔊 gut	good	🔊 schlecht (bad)
🔊 groß	big	🔊 klein (small)
🔊 heiß	hot	🔊 kalt (cold)
🔊 neu	new	🔊 alt (old)
🔊 schnell	fast	🔊 langsam (slow)
🔊 teuer	expensive	🔊 billig (cheap)
🔊 schön	beautiful	🔊 hässlich (ugly)
🔊 einfach	easy	🔊 schwierig (difficult)

Common expressions

Every language has expressions that don't translate directly but are essential for natural conversation. These German expressions will make you sound more fluent and help you understand native speakers. "Alles klar" and "Genau" in particular are used constantly in everyday German:

German	Literal meaning	Used for
🔊 Wie geht's?	How goes it?	How are you?
🔊 Mir geht es gut	It goes well for me	I'm fine
🔊 Alles klar	All clear	OK / Understood
🔊 Ach so!	Ah, so!	Oh, I see!
🔊 Keine Ahnung	No idea	I don't know
🔊 Das macht nichts	That makes nothing	It doesn't matter
🔊 Prost!	Cheers!	When drinking
🔊 Guten Appetit!	Good appetite!	Before eating
🔊 Gesundheit!	Health!	After someone sneezes

Numbers 1–10

Numbers are essential for prices, times, dates, and addresses. Start with 1-10; you'll learn higher numbers in a dedicated section later. Pay attention to "zwei" (2) — in phone conversations or noisy environments, Germans often say "zwo" instead to avoid confusion with "drei" (3):

Number	German	Pronunciation
1	🔊 eins	eyns
2	🔊 zwei	tsvey
3	🔊 drei	dry
4	🔊 vier	feer
5	🔊 fünf	foonf
6	🔊 sechs	zeks
7	🔊 sieben	ZEE-ben
8	🔊 acht	ahkt
9	🔊 neun	noyn
10	🔊 zehn	tsayn

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