German vocabulary · part 1 of 10
The 100 most common German words
German words 1 to 100, ordered by how useful they are. Each comes with its English meaning. Tap the speaker to hear it, then say it back.
| # | English | German |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | time | die Zeit |
| 2 | I | ich |
| 3 | shirt | das Hemd |
| 4 | fear | die Angst |
| 5 | good | gut |
| 6 | to get up | aufstehen |
| 7 | year | das Jahr |
| 8 | you | du |
| 9 | pants | die Hose |
| 10 | joy | die Freude |
| 11 | bad | schlecht |
| 12 | day | der Tag |
| 13 | yard | der Hof |
| 14 | he | er |
| 15 | to wake up | aufwachen |
| 16 | week | die Woche |
| 17 | dress | das Kleid |
| 18 | anger | die Wut |
| 19 | she | sie |
| 20 | big | groß |
| 21 | month | der Monat |
| 22 | to shower | duschen |
| 23 | we | wir |
| 24 | skirt | der Rock |
| 25 | hope | die Hoffnung |
| 26 | small | klein |
| 27 | hour | die Stunde |
| 28 | they | sie |
| 29 | to get dressed | sich anziehen |
| 30 | minute | die Minute |
| 31 | shoe | der Schuh |
| 32 | trust | das Vertrauen |
| 33 | long | lang |
| 34 | you (formal) | Sie |
| 35 | night | die Nacht |
| 36 | fence | der Zaun |
| 37 | my | mein |
| 38 | hat | der Hut |
| 39 | to turn on | einschalten |
| 40 | truth | die Wahrheit |
| 41 | morning | der Morgen |
| 42 | short | kurz |
| 43 | your | dein |
| 44 | afternoon | der Nachmittag |
| 45 | coat | der Mantel |
| 46 | lie | die Lüge |
| 47 | tall (height) | hoch |
| 48 | to turn off | ausschalten |
| 49 | this | dies |
| 50 | evening | der Abend |
| 51 | jacket | die Jacke |
| 52 | Monday | der Montag |
| 53 | secret | das Geheimnis |
| 54 | that | das |
| 55 | low | niedrig |
| 56 | to pick up | aufheben |
| 57 | Tuesday | der Dienstag |
| 58 | and | und |
| 59 | sock | die Socke |
| 60 | scissors | die Schere |
| 61 | surprise | die Überraschung |
| 62 | new | neu |
| 63 | Wednesday | der Mittwoch |
| 64 | or | oder |
| 65 | to throw | werfen |
| 66 | glasses | die Brille |
| 67 | Thursday | der Donnerstag |
| 68 | luck | das Glück |
| 69 | old | alt |
| 70 | but | aber |
| 71 | Friday | der Freitag |
| 72 | to push | drücken |
| 73 | bag | die Tasche |
| 74 | because | weil |
| 75 | success | der Erfolg |
| 76 | young | jung |
| 77 | Saturday | der Samstag |
| 78 | if | wenn |
| 79 | ring | der Ring |
| 80 | to pull | ziehen |
| 81 | Sunday | der Sonntag |
| 82 | power | die Macht |
| 83 | beautiful | schön |
| 84 | bucket | der Eimer |
| 85 | not | nicht |
| 86 | spring | der Frühling |
| 87 | key | der Schlüssel |
| 88 | strength | die Kraft |
| 89 | yes | ja |
| 90 | to hold | halten |
| 91 | ugly | hässlich |
| 92 | summer | der Sommer |
| 93 | clock | die Uhr |
| 94 | no | nein |
| 95 | autumn | der Herbst |
| 96 | silence | die Stille |
| 97 | happy | glücklich |
| 98 | to touch | berühren |
| 99 | in | in |
| 100 | winter | der Winter |
Questions, answered
What are the most common words in German?
The list on this page runs in order of usefulness. Words 1 to 100 include die Zeit (time), ich (I), das Hemd (shirt), die Angst (fear), gut (good).
How many German words do I need to start speaking?
A few hundred well-chosen words cover a large share of everyday conversation. This list has 966 of them in order of usefulness, so working from the top gives you the most for your time.
What is the best way to remember these German words?
Say them in sentences, not alone. Hear a word, say it aloud, then use it in a full sentence. 4ToSpeak's Word Quest and four-step lessons are built around that.
Now say it out loud
Reading a list does not teach you to talk. Practise these in full German sentences, free, no card.