Are you ready to start learning some German?
In this article, I’m going to give you 50 basic words that will be super useful for talking to people.
Knowing these words will lay the groundwork for speaking the language. I’ll explain each one real clearly so it’s easy to understand.
1. Hallo (Hello) Start any conversation with a simple ‘Hallo’.
2. Tschüss (Goodbye) Say farewell with ‘Tschüss’.
3. Bitte (Please) Add politeness to requests with ‘Bitte’.
4. Danke (Thank you) Express gratitude with ‘Danke’.
5. Ja (Yes) Agree or confirm with ‘Ja’.
6. Nein (No) Disagree or deny with ‘Nein’.
7. Vielleicht (Maybe) Indicate uncertainty with ‘Vielleicht’.
8. Ich (I) Refer to yourself with ‘Ich’.
9. Du (You – informal) Address someone familiar with ‘Du’.
10. Sie (You – formal) Use ‘Sie’ for formal interactions.
11. Er (He) Refers to a man with ‘Er’.
12. Sie (She) Refers to a woman with ‘Sie’.
13. Es (It) Talk about an object with ‘Es’.
14. Gut (Good) Describe something positive with ‘Gut’.
15. Schlecht (Bad) Describe something negative with ‘Schlecht’.
16. Groß (Big) Describe size with ‘Groß’.
17. Klein (Small) Describe smaller size objects with ‘Klein’.
18. Heute (Today) Talk about the present day with ‘Heute’.
19. Gestern (Yesterday) Refer to the previous day with ‘Gestern’.
20. Morgen (Tomorrow) Discuss the next day with ‘Morgen’.
21. Hier (Here) Indicate location with ‘Hier’.
22. Dort (There) Point out a place with ‘Dort’.
23. Wo (Where) Ask for a location with ‘Wo’.
24. Was (What) Start questions with ‘Was’.
25. Warum (Why) Inquire reasons with ‘Warum’.
26. Wer (Who) Ask about people with ‘Wer’.
27. Wann (When) Query times with ‘Wann’.
28. Wie (How) Learn about methods or conditions with ‘Wie’.
29. Nicht (Not) Negate with ‘Nicht’.
30. Auch (Also) Add information with ‘Auch’.
31. Sehr (Very) Emphasize with ‘Sehr’.
32. Zu (Too) Express excess with ‘Zu’.
33. Mehr (More) Request additional quantities with ‘Mehr’.
34. Weniger (Less) Request smaller quantities with ‘Weniger’.
35. Essen (Eat) Talk about dining with ‘Essen’.
36. Trinken (Drink) Discuss beverages with ‘Trinken’.
37. Schlafen (Sleep) Discuss resting with ‘Schlafen’.
38. Gehen (Go) Move from place to place with ‘Gehen’.
39. Kommen (Come) Invite someone to approach with ‘Kommen’.
40. Lachen (Laugh) React joyfully with ‘Lachen’.
41. Weinen (Cry) Express sadness with ‘Weinen’.
42. Sprechen (Speak) Communicate verbally with ‘Sprechen’.
43. Hören (Hear) Perceive sounds with ‘Hören’.
44. Sehen (See) Visualize with ‘Sehen’.
45. Fühlen (Feel) Discuss emotions or physical sensations with ‘Fühlen’.
46. Lieben (Love) Express affection with ‘Lieben’.
47. Hassen (Hate) Express dislike with ‘Hassen’.
48. Arbeiten (Work) Talk about professional activities with ‘Arbeiten’.
49. Spielen (Play) Discuss leisure activities with ‘Spielen’.
50. Lernen (Learn) Acquire new skills or knowledge with ‘Lernen’.
Be sure to use these words as much as you can in practice every day. The more you use them, the better you’ll get at understanding and speaking the language. Learning German takes work, but it’s worth it. You can also read our guide about learning to count in German.
I’m John Guerrero, with a background in German (Major) and Greek (Minor), leveraging over nine years of translation experience. My academic and professional journey has earned me deep linguistic insights and cultural nuances. I’m very passionate about bridging languages, and always look to deliver content that inspires and informs.