200+ Essential German Words To Know From Colors and Time to Love

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German, known for its rich linguistic history and place within modern culture, is yours to master! Familiarizing yourself with a wide variety of vocabulary not only makes German easy to learn, it makes the experience more enjoyable too.

That’s why we’ve carefully curated a list of over 200 German words to expand your communication skills. From names of places to polite conversation and even the expression of love, read on to unfurl new ways to say what’s on your mind to fellow German speakers.

Funny German words to try out

Germans are known for their professional, direct demeanors and attitudes as a people, yet there are many German words that can sound downright humorous to English speakers. Certain terms or amusing, repeating syllables within these funny German words can include expressions that perfectly capture life’s quirks and bring a smile to your face.

Whether you’re a language enthusiast looking for a laugh or a learner on the path to building full German phrases and vocabulary, the chart below is sure to help. Just be careful of your pronunciation, unless you want your words to come off as papperlapapp (nonsense)!

Common German words for people, places, and animals 

It’s essential to start with the basics—everyone has to start somewhere! This section focuses on common German words that will help you navigate conversations about daily life and the things you’re most likely to have/do/see around you. Whether you’re relaying stories from your dear Großmutter (grandmother), describing your favorite pet’s most recent antics, or hurriedly asking for directions to the Bahnhof (train station) on the way to your next adventure, these fundamental words are an excellent starting point.

Essential words for people

These words for names of people will help you engage in conversations with your social circle and refer to those around you correctly. Once you master this list of German words, you’ll be able to better introduce yourself and talk about those close to you.

Must-know German place names

Where is the closest airport? What city should we visit next? This is my favorite store. These are all common phrases a traveler might use when touring the rich tapestry of German cities, towns, and regions—after all, travel is about the destinations! 

Once you know German words for places, you’ll be one step closer to building phrases like “What time does the train leave?” Expand your vocabulary and get acquainted with the diverse places that make Germany so fascinating.

Stadt (city) sounds very similar to Staat (state). Listen for the “a” sound when these words are spoken. If you’re hearing a longer “a” sound, the speaker is likely referring to a Staat, and a shorter “a” sound is likely referring to a Stadt.

German words for common animals

Are you an animal lover or have a pet of your own that you constantly talk about? Pets are an integral part of many people’s lives and learning the German words for animals is an essential step for any language learner. If you’re a nature enthusiast, plan to stay at a farm in Germany, or just want to expand your vocabulary, these terms will help you discuss the animal kingdom in German with confidence.

Words to describe actions 

Life is full of action, and there’s no better way to describe action than these often-encountered German verbs in the chart below. Whether you’re asking about the best trails to go hiking, discussing what to bring to dinner, or wanting to tell a friend about the masterpiece you painted, life is more colorful when you adopt these German words to describe your actions into your vocabulary.

To use these action words in conversation, you’ll need to know how to conjugate verbs in German and how subject and tense affect how these verbs are used in practical situations.

Greetings and polite conversation 

You will never get a second chance to make a first impression, so arm yourself with the tools to do it right. When you deal with language, you deal with people, so learning the art of greetings and polite conversation is fundamental for navigating social situations in German. From friendly hellos and goodbyes to polite expressions of agreement or disagreement, these essential terms are vital for good impressions and building rapport with German speakers.

Unwritten rules of polite etiquette in Germany can be difficult for other cultures to pick up, and no one wants to accidentally come off as rude. Here are some tips to follow for proper social politeness in Germany:

• du vs. Sie: While both words are pronouns meaning “you”, du is used for informal situations such as with friends, family, and children, while Sie is used for formal situations like meeting someone new, in the workplace, or talking to someone older than you.
• Be punctual! Being late or even too early is considered especially rude in Germany
• Mind your garbage: Germans are extremely environmentally conscious and separate their garbage to make recycling easier. Don’t get caught throwing the wrong material in the wrong bin.

Time and numbers in German

Time is a crucial part of our daily lives, and timekeeping is a numbers game at its core. Being capable of telling time and talking about scheduling is an essential skill in German fluency that you can learn and implement. This section covers key German words related to time and basic numbers, providing you with the tools you’ll need for making plans and navigating your daily schedule.

Telling time

Ensure that you stay punctual with these German words used to discuss the hours, minutes, and parts of the day. Now you’ll be able to catch that important train on time, schedule appointments, or simply ask for the time in German.

In Germany, telling time is similar to how it’s done in English but with a few modifications. Mainly, the 24-hour clock is commonly used instead of the 12-hour clock, which you see most often for transportation schedules. Also, because there’s no distinction between a.m. and p.m. with the 24-hour clock, the time is followed by Uhr (o’clock) instead. 

• Der Zug fährt um 13:00 Uhr nach Berlin. (The train leaves at 1:30 p.m. for Berlin.)
• Wir essen um 18:00 Uhr zu Abend. (We eat dinner at 6:00 p.m.)
• Der Film beginnt um 19:30 Uhr. (The movie starts at 7:30 p.m.)

There are also specific phrases in German used for parts of the hour, much like in English. 

• halb vier (half of four, 3:30 a.m.)
• Viertel vor zwölf (a quarter to twelve, 11:45 a.m.)
• Viertel nach acht (a quarter past eight, 8:15 a.m.)

Numbers

Numbers are a universal language and getting the hang of numbers in German will be helpful anywhere you go. You’ll see them used in so many contexts from dates to prices and quantities, or when asking for the time from a passerby. Get ready to count your way to fluency in German!

German adjectives to know

You wouldn’t just tell your friend that you have a trip to a part of Germany planned. You would tell them about the exciting trip to a warm part of Germany that you have in mind. Adjectives spice up daily conversation and make your words sizzle with added meaning. Ready to express that level of variety in your German conversations?

The chart below outlines some useful and description-enhancing adjectives you can use in practical communication to make your stories pop.

Like in English, German adjectives usually come before the noun they’re modifying. Unlike English, German adjectives must reflect the gender, number, and case of the noun which they’re modifying. For instance, klein (small) changes its ending based on the noun it describes:

• Eine kleine Katze (a small cat, feminine noun)
• Ein kleines Hause (a small house, neuter noun)
• Ein kleiner Hund (a small dog, masculine noun)

Words for asking questions

How do you know if you don’t already know? By asking, of course! Questions are necessary in gleaning new information, and there’s no better way to form questions than with these useful German words for asking questions. This vocabulary chart shows the most common words used when forming questions about the world around you:

Common pronouns to use

In your native language, you probably use pronouns all the time without thinking about it. However, this habit can be a challenge to correctly adopt when learning a new language. When choosing the correct pronoun to use in German, keep a few things in mind like how well-acquainted you are with the person you’re speaking to or how many things you’re referring to at once.

Pronouns have a huge impact on German grammar, so the first step in German fluency is knowing which one to pick for your conversations. Review the chart below to learn some of the most commonly used German pronouns.

Longest German words

German is widely renowned for its long compound words. The longest words are formed by stringing together several smaller words to create a highly specialized term with a very specific meaning. While these words can often appear intimidating, their modular build allows us to break them down into bite-sized pieces that are much easier for a new language learner to swallow.

You’ll find compound German words to be a huge advantage to your learning journey once you’re used to the art of breaking down long words such as these:

• Verkehrsinfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesellschaft
  • Verkehr (transport) + Infrastruktur (infrastructure) + Finanzierung (financing) + Gesellschaft (company)
  • Meaning: Transport infrastructure financing company
• Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz
  • Rindfleisch (beef) + Etikettierung (labeling) + Überwachungs (monitoring) + Aufgaben (tasks) + Übertragung (transmission) + Gesetz (law)
  • Meaning: Beef Labeling Monitoring Tasks Transfer Act
• Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft
  • Donau (Danube, a river in Germany) + Dampfschiff (steamship) + Fahrt (travel) + Elektrizität (electricity) + Hauptbetrieb (main operation) + Werkbau (works) + Unterbeamten (sub-officials) + Gesellschaft (company)
  • Meaning: Danube Steamship Electricity Main Works Construction Sub-Officer Company

Even the longest German words can be understood once you know how to identify their building-block terms!

German phrases to express love

Passionate feelings often go beyond words, and it’s nice to share with your loved ones just how much they mean to you. By expanding your skills to communicating this tenderness in German, you discover a new world of closeness with an entirely new group of people, or you can use these terms to freshen up how you talk to your partner.

Always use du (you, informal) instead of Sie (you, formal) during expressions of love to show your familiarity and closeness to your loved one.

Colors in German

The rainbow is a part of nature, but you have to be in the right place to see it. Luckily, you’re in the right place to learn the German words for each color in the rainbow and beyond! This vocabulary will help you greatly enhance your descriptive abilities, from talking about the lovely piece of art you saw in a Berlin museum to the newest fashion trends. Colors in German are among the easiest words to learn since you’ll see that they are spelled the same or similar to English.

For shades of colors, you can simply add the prefix hell- (light) or dunkel- (dark) to a base color. Examples include:

• hellblau (light blue)
• dunklelgrün (dark green)
• hellrosa (light pink)
• dunkelrot (dark red)

Now you’ve tripled your vocabulary for colors with this easy trick!

Words for household items

Few words are used more commonly in practical conversation than the German words for household items. Being familiar with these terms is crucial for everyday living, especially if you are wanting to stay in a German-speaking country for any period of time. Simple meals, morning coffee, and finding common items stored in cabinets all require familiarity with these words. 

Common German occupations

Are you curious about working in Germany? Or maybe you need to find the right professional to help you solve an issue? Either way, you’ll find that familiarity with the German words for common occupations will help you discuss employment, understand job descriptions, and find the right person for the job. This can be invaluable when networking or shopping in a German work force or market.

Many job titles change how they’re spelled based on the gender of the person performing the work. Typically, the base form of the word for the job is the masculine form of the job title. If you don’t know the gender of the person performing the job, then it’s best to default to the base, masculine form of the job title.

To make a job title feminine, you will most often add the suffix -in. Some jobs will also undergo a stem change, meaning a letter of the base word will change to another letter or will have an umlaut added to it. 

German words for clothing

Whether you feel most at home on the runway or deep in the words, you always need to know what to wear. Understanding the German words for Kleidung (clothing) will make it easier to ask your camping buddy what’s best to wear for the weather this weekend and to ask your friends what’s schick (stylish) this week.

Pick up more words in German with Rosetta Stone

Not everyone can learn vocabulary with lists and charts alone, and no one understands this better than we do. With Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method, you’ll learn to adapt to new conversations, terms, and phrases by applying them into a practical context. This helps you learn by building your own experiences that connect to essential vocabulary you want to learn.

Your motivation is critical to learning a new language, and by enhancing this journey with context and cultural understanding, you’ll enjoy how quickly and naturally you learn the German language.