German Core Words List

German vocabulary is important to learn. German is a rich and expressive language. It has a long and complex history, and its vocabulary reflects this. There are many words in German that have no direct equivalent in English. This can make German a very expressive language, and it can be a lot of fun to learn new German words and phrases.

German Core Words List

German is a Germanic language, and it is closely related to English, Dutch, and the Scandinavian languages. If you know German, you will be well on your way to learning these other languages as well. Many English words come from German, and knowing German can help you understand the etymology of these words. This can make it easier to learn new English words and to understand the nuances of English grammar.

week
Woche die fem (n)

week
year
Jahr das neut (n)

year
today heute (n) today
tomorrow
morgen (n)
tomorrow
 yesterday
gestern (n)

yesterday
 calendar
Kalender der masc (n) calendar
second Sekunde die fem (n) second
 hour
Stunde die fem (n)

hour
minute
Minute die fem (n)

minute
 o’clock
Uhr die fem (n)

o'clock

 

Essential German vocabulary

learning German vocabulary is important. It can open up travel and business opportunities, it can help you learn other languages, and it can improve your understanding of English. If you are interested in learning German, I encourage you to start learning some German vocabulary today.

clock
Uhr die fem (n)

 clock
  • Die Uhr zeigt acht Minuten vor zwölf.
  •  The clock reads eight minutes to twelve.
can können (v) can
  • drüberspringen können
  •  can jump over
use
benutzen (v)
use
  • Die Person benutzt einen Computer, um eine E-Mail zu schreiben.
  • The person is using a computer to write an e-mail.
do
machen (v)

do
  • Die Frau macht Hausarbeit.
  •  The woman does housework.
go gehen (v)
 go
  • geradeaus gehen
  • go straight ahead
come kommen (v) come
  • Das Mädchen kam auf die Videokamera zu.
  • The girl came towards the video camera.
laugh
lachen (v)

 laugh
  • Das Paar lacht über das Bild.
  • The couple laughs at the picture.
make machen (v) make
  • Der Koch macht Orangensaft.
  •  The chef makes orange juice.
see sehen (v) see
  • Die Touristen sehen den Sonnenuntergang.
  •  The tourists see the sunset.
far
weit (adj)

far
  • Die Frau guckt auf etwas, das weit entfernt ist.
  •  The woman is looking at something far away.

German words for Beginners

Start with the most common words. There are a few hundred words that make up the majority of everyday German speech. These are the words that you should focus on learning first.

small
klein (adj)
small
good
gut (adj)

 good
beautiful
schön (adj)

beautiful
ugly
hässlich (adj)

difficult
schwierig (adj)

 difficult
easy
einfach (adj)
 easy
bad
schlecht (adj)
 bad
near
nahe (adj)
near
Nice to meet you.
Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen.
 Nice to meet you.
Hello. Hallo Hello

Flashcards and vocabulary apps are a great way to memorize new words. There are many different flashcard and vocabulary apps available, so you can find one that fits your learning style. You can download German keyboard for fast translation.