Lenguia | 1000 Most Common German Words with Audio

Why these 1,000 words matter

German vocabulary is astonishingly top-heavy: the 100 most frequent words make up about half of everything you will ever hear or read, and the top 1,000 cover roughly 85% of everyday speech. Learn these first and most sentences around you turn from noise into language.

The list below is ranked by how often each word actually occurs in spoken German — dictionary forms, with concise English translations, the part of speech, the CEFR level at which learners typically meet the word, and audio for every word in a female and a male voice. Show the top 250, 500 or all 1,000, and flip to A–Z when you want to look something up.

#	Word	Translation	Part of speech	Level
1	ich	I	pronoun	A1
2	sein	to be; (as determiner) his, its	verb	A1
3	das	the (neuter); that, this	article	A1
4	die	the (feminine; plural); who, which	article	A1
5	du	you (informal singular)	pronoun	A1
6	der	the (masculine); who, which	article	A1
7	nicht	not	adverb	A1
8	und	and	conjunction	A1
9	es	it	pronoun	A1
10	sie	she; they; (Sie) you (formal)	pronoun	A1
11	haben	to have	verb	A1
12	was	what; something (colloquial)	pronoun	A1
13	wir	we	pronoun	A1
14	zu	to; too (excessively)	preposition	A1
15	ein	a, an; one	article	A1
16	er	he	pronoun	A1
17	werden	to become; will (future auxiliary)	verb	A1
18	in	in, into	preposition	A1
19	mit	with	preposition	A1
20	ja	yes; (particle) indeed, after all	adverb	A1
21	wie	how; like, as	adverb	A1
22	den	the (masculine accusative; dative plural)	article	A1
23	mir	me (dative), to me	pronoun	A1
24	können	can, to be able to	verb	A1
25	auf	on, onto, upon	preposition	A1
26	mich	me (accusative); myself	pronoun	A1
27	dass	that (conjunction)	conjunction	A1
28	so	so, like this, such	adverb	A1
29	eine	a, an (feminine)	article	A1
30	aber	but, however	conjunction	A1
31	hier	here	adverb	A1
32	für	for	preposition	A1
33	von	from, of, by	preposition	A1
34	wollen	to want	verb	A1
35	dich	you (accusative); yourself	pronoun	A1
36	noch	still, yet; another	adverb	A1
37	an	at, on, to	preposition	A1
38	da	there, here; (conjunction) since, as	adverb	A1
39	dir	you (dative), to you	pronoun	A1
40	wenn	if, when, whenever	conjunction	A1
41	gut	good; well	adjective	A1
42	man	one, you, people (impersonal)	pronoun	A1
43	auch	also, too, as well	adverb	A1
44	nur	only, just	adverb	A1
45	machen	to do, to make	verb	A1
46	wissen	to know (a fact)	verb	A1
47	gehen	to go, to walk; to work out (das geht)	verb	A1
48	jetzt	now	adverb	A1
49	mein	my	determiner	A1
50	doch	yet, but; (particle) after all; yes, it is (contradicting)	adverb	A1
51	kommen	to come	verb	A1
52	müssen	must, to have to	verb	A1
53	sagen	to say, to tell	verb	A1
54	sehen	to see	verb	A1
55	nein	no	adverb	A1
56	dann	then, after that	adverb	A1
57	sehr	very, very much	adverb	A1
58	im	in the (contraction of in + dem)	preposition	A1
59	sollen	should, to be supposed to	verb	A1
60	ihn	him (accusative)	pronoun	A1
61	uns	us; ourselves	pronoun	A1
62	schon	already; (particle) all right, surely	adverb	A1
63	mal	time(s), once; (particle) just (komm mal her)	adverb	A1
64	kein	no, not a, none	determiner	A1
65	oder	or; …right? (tag question)	conjunction	A1
66	denn	because, for; (particle) then (was ist denn los?)	conjunction	A1
67	um	around; at (clock time); (um … zu) in order to	preposition	A1
68	mehr	more	adverb	A1
69	also	so, therefore; well then	adverb	A1
70	ihm	him, it (dative), to him	pronoun	A1
71	wo	where	adverb	A1
72	sich	himself, herself, itself, themselves; each other	pronoun	A1
73	alles	everything, all	pronoun	A1
74	nach	after; to (a place); according to	preposition	A1
75	ihr	you (informal plural); her, their (possessive)	pronoun	A1
76	aus	out of, from; over, finished	preposition	A1
77	bei	at, near; at (someone’s) place	preposition	A1
78	geben	to give; (es gibt) there is, there are	verb	A1
79	immer	always	adverb	A1
80	etwas	something; some, a little	pronoun	A1
81	warum	why	adverb	A1
82	nichts	nothing	pronoun	A1
83	wieder	again	adverb	A1
84	tun	to do	verb	A1
85	lassen	to let, to allow; to leave (something)	verb	A1
86	denken	to think	verb	A1
87	als	when (single past event); than; as	conjunction	A1
88	dem	the (dative masculine/neuter)	article	A1
89	gerade	just, right now; straight	adverb	A1
90	wirklich	really, truly	adverb	A1
91	glauben	to believe, to think	verb	A1
92	viel	much, a lot (of)	determiner	A1
93	brauchen	to need	verb	A1
94	weil	because	conjunction	A1
95	vielleicht	maybe, perhaps	adverb	A1
96	wer	who	pronoun	A1
97	gern	gladly, with pleasure; (verb + gern) to like doing	adverb	A1
98	bitte	please; you’re welcome; pardon?	interjection	A1
99	ganz	quite, completely; whole	adverb	A1
100	los	(was ist los?) what’s going on; (los!) go!, come on	adverb	A1
101	der Mann	man; husband	noun	A1
102	heißen	to be called; to mean	verb	A1
103	der Gott	God; (oh Gott!) oh my God	noun	A1
104	einen	a, an (masculine accusative)	article	A1
105	finden	to find; to think (opinion)	verb	A1
106	die Zeit	time	noun	A1
107	danke	thank you, thanks	interjection	A1
108	reden	to talk, to speak	verb	A1
109	nehmen	to take	verb	A1
110	der Tag	day	noun	A1
111	vor	before, in front of; ago	preposition	A1
112	bleiben	to stay, to remain	verb	A1
113	dieser	this, this one	determiner	A1
114	mögen	to like; (möchte) would like	verb	A1
115	die Frau	woman; wife; Mrs	noun	A1
116	sprechen	to speak, to talk	verb	A1
117	hallo	hello, hi	interjection	A1
118	wann	when	adverb	A1
119	alle	all; everyone, everybody	pronoun	A1
120	fragen	to ask	verb	A1
121	die (pl.) Leute	people	noun	A1
122	gleich	in a moment, right away; same, equal	adverb	A1
123	einfach	simply, just; simple, easy	adverb	A1
124	ob	whether, if	conjunction	A1
125	hören	to hear, to listen	verb	A1
126	verstehen	to understand	verb	A1
127	natürlich	of course, naturally; natural	adverb	A1
128	warten	to wait	verb	A1
129	über	over, above; about	preposition	A1
130	richtig	right, correct; real	adjective	A1
131	das Leben	life	noun	A1
132	andere	other, different (one)	determiner	A1
133	meinen	to mean, to think (was meinst du?)	verb	A1
134	stehen	to stand; to be written (somewhere)	verb	A1
135	dein	your (informal singular)	determiner	A1
136	der Vater	father	noun	A1
137	gar	(gar nicht, gar kein) at all; even	adverb	A1
138	klar	clear; (colloquial) sure, of course	adjective	A1
139	leben	to live	verb	A1
140	die Mutter	mother	noun	A1
141	helfen	to help	verb	A1
142	schön	beautiful, nice, lovely	adjective	A1
143	kennen	to know (a person or place)	verb	A1
144	weg	away, gone	adverb	A1
145	zwei	two	number	A1
146	laufen	to run; to walk; to be going on	verb	A1
147	das Jahr	year	noun	A1
148	lieben	to love	verb	A1
149	dürfen	may, to be allowed to	verb	A1
150	heute	today	adverb	A1
151	versuchen	to try, to attempt	verb	A2
152	das Haus	house; home	noun	A1
153	am	at the, on the (an + dem); (am + superlative) the most	preposition	A1
154	der Herr	gentleman; Mr; (der Herr) the Lord	noun	A1
155	euch	you (plural accusative/dative); yourselves	pronoun	A1
156	erst	first; only, not until	adverb	A1
157	das Kind	child	noun	A1
158	bis	until, till; by	preposition	A1
159	der Freund	friend; boyfriend	noun	A1
160	nie	never	adverb	A1
161	zurück	back	adverb	A1
162	groß	big, large; tall; great	adjective	A1
163	gestern	yesterday	adverb	A1
164	der Abend	evening	noun	A1
165	bekommen	to get, to receive	verb	A1
166	hey	hey	interjection	A1
167	spielen	to play	verb	A1
168	drei	three	number	A1
169	zusammen	together	adverb	A1
170	weiter	further, on; (mach weiter) keep going	adverb	A1
171	das Geld	money	noun	A1
172	okay	okay, OK	interjection	A1
173	dort	there	adverb	A1
174	sicher	sure, certain(ly); safe	adjective	A1
175	zum	to the (zu + dem)	preposition	A1
176	der Name	name	noun	A1
177	sterben	to die	verb	A2
178	passieren	to happen	verb	A2
179	die Nacht	night	noun	A1
180	jeder	each, every; everyone	determiner	A1
181	lange	for a long time	adverb	A1
182	die Welt	world	noun	A1
183	allein	alone; on one’s own	adverb	A2
184	vergessen	to forget	verb	A2
185	schnell	fast, quick(ly)	adjective	A1
186	alt	old	adjective	A1
187	sofort	immediately, right away	adverb	A2
188	die Hand	hand	noun	A1
189	die Sache	thing, matter	noun	A2
190	wichtig	important	adjective	A1
191	genau	exactly; (genau!) exactly, right	adverb	A1
192	der Morgen	morning	noun	A1
193	arbeiten	to work	verb	A1
194	morgen	tomorrow	adverb	A1
195	neu	new	adjective	A1
196	das Problem	problem	noun	A1
197	ohne	without	preposition	A1
198	treffen	to meet; to hit	verb	A2
199	suchen	to look for, to search	verb	A1
200	tot	dead	adjective	A2
201	bringen	to bring, to take (somewhere)	verb	A1
202	die Angst	fear; (Angst haben) to be afraid	noun	A2
203	klein	small, little	adjective	A1
204	oh	oh	interjection	A1
205	das Ding	thing	noun	A2
206	nett	nice, kind	adjective	A1
207	gegen	against; around (time)	preposition	A2
208	fahren	to drive, to go (by vehicle)	verb	A1
209	essen	to eat	verb	A1
210	nun	now; well	adverb	A2
211	der Mensch	human being, person; (Mensch!) man!	noun	A1
212	die Frage	question	noun	A1
213	wenig	little, few	determiner	A1
214	stimmen	(das stimmt) to be right, to be true; to vote	verb	A2
215	schlafen	to sleep	verb	A1
216	hoffen	to hope	verb	A2
217	der Moment	moment; (Moment!) just a second	noun	A2
218	einmal	once; (noch einmal) once more; (auf einmal) suddenly	adverb	A1
219	anrufen	to call (on the phone)	verb	A1
220	halt	(particle) just, simply (colloquial)	adverb	A2
221	das Auto	car	noun	A1
222	kriegen	to get (colloquial)	verb	A2
223	schlecht	bad	adjective	A1
224	aussehen	to look, to appear (appearance)	verb	A2
225	jemand	someone, somebody	pronoun	A2
226	die Uhr	clock, watch; o’clock	noun	A1
227	niemand	no one, nobody	pronoun	A2
228	bisschen	(ein bisschen) a little, a bit	determiner	A1
229	der Junge	boy	noun	A1
230	wohl	probably, presumably; (particle) I suppose	adverb	A2
231	zeigen	to show	verb	A1
232	nächste	next	adjective	A2
233	halten	to hold; to stop; (halten für) to consider	verb	A2
234	der Weg	way, path	noun	A2
235	erste	first	adjective	A1
236	endlich	finally, at last	adverb	A2
237	beide	both	determiner	A2
238	die Stunde	hour; lesson	noun	A1
239	setzen	to set, to put; (sich setzen) to sit down	verb	A2
240	letzte	last	adjective	A2
241	gehören	to belong to	verb	A2
242	hin	(direction) there, toward; (hin und her) back and forth	adverb	A2
243	her	(direction) here, toward the speaker (komm her!)	adverb	A2
244	das Mädchen	girl	noun	A1
245	dabei	with it; in the process; (dabei sein) to take part	adverb	A2
246	fühlen	to feel	verb	A2
247	die Ordnung	order; (in Ordnung) all right, okay	noun	A2
248	einer	one (of them), somebody; a, an (feminine dative)	pronoun	A2
249	verdammt	damn(ed) (mild expletive)	adjective	B1
250	weniger	less, fewer	adverb	A2
251	fertig	finished, done; ready	adjective	A1
252	verlieren	to lose	verb	A2
253	das Essen	food, meal	noun	A1
254	sitzen	to sit, to be sitting	verb	A2
255	eigentlich	actually, in fact	adverb	A2
256	schauen	to look	verb	A2
257	der Papa	dad, daddy	noun	A1
258	die Woche	week	noun	A1
259	die Mama	mom, mum	noun	A1
260	liegen	to lie, to be lying; to be located	verb	A2
261	ziemlich	quite, fairly	adverb	A2
262	die Minute	minute	noun	A1
263	raus	out (colloquial; raus hier!: get out!)	adverb	A2
264	rein	in(side) (colloquial; komm rein!: come in!)	adverb	A2
265	lang	long	adjective	A1
266	erinnern	to remind; (sich erinnern) to remember	verb	A2
267	zur	to the (zu + der)	preposition	A1
268	besser	better	adjective	A1
269	lieber	rather, preferably (ich bleibe lieber hier)	adverb	A1
270	die Geschichte	story; history	noun	A2
271	komisch	funny; strange, odd	adjective	A2
272	erzählen	to tell (a story)	verb	A2
273	leider	unfortunately	adverb	A1
274	froh	glad, happy	adjective	A2
275	verrückt	crazy, mad	adjective	A2
276	das Ende	end	noun	A1
277	trinken	to drink	verb	A1
278	selbst	myself, yourself, himself (emphatic); even (selbst wenn)	pronoun	A2
279	die Idee	idea	noun	A2
280	kaufen	to buy	verb	A1
281	überhaupt	at all; anyway	adverb	B1
282	müde	tired	adjective	A1
283	ach	oh, ah; (ach so) I see	interjection	A2
284	irgendwie	somehow	adverb	B1
285	bestimmt	certainly, surely; certain	adverb	A2
286	wahrscheinlich	probably, likely	adverb	A2
287	mitkommen	to come along	verb	A2
288	die Tür	door	noun	A1
289	leidtun	(es tut mir leid) to be sorry	verb	A2
290	wahr	true	adjective	A2
291	die Schule	school	noun	A1
292	wohnen	to live, to reside (wo wohnst du?)	verb	A1
293	eben	just now; (particle) exactly, precisely; flat	adverb	B1
294	das Wasser	water	noun	A1
295	dumm	stupid, dumb	adjective	A2
296	der Monat	month	noun	A1
297	böse	evil, angry; mean	adjective	A2
298	kurz	short, brief	adjective	A1
299	schwer	heavy; difficult, hard	adjective	A2
300	paar	(ein paar) a few, a couple of	determiner	A2
301	leicht	light; easy	adjective	A2
302	spät	late	adjective	A1
303	gefallen	to please (das gefällt mir: I like it)	verb	A2
304	die Liebe	love	noun	A2
305	anfangen	to begin, to start	verb	A2
306	die Stadt	city, town	noun	A1
307	verschwinden	to disappear; (verschwinde!) get lost!	verb	B1
308	der Kopf	head	noun	A2
309	egal	(das ist egal) it doesn’t matter; no matter	adjective	A2
310	das Land	country; land	noun	A1
311	fast	almost, nearly	adverb	A2
312	früh	early	adjective	A1
313	damit	so that; with it	conjunction	A2
314	die (pl.) Eltern	parents	noun	A1
315	der Bruder	brother	noun	A1
316	glücklich	happy	adjective	A2
317	die Schwester	sister; nurse	noun	A1
318	laut	loud	adjective	A2
319	sogar	even	adverb	B1
320	das Herz	heart	noun	A2
321	na	well; (na ja) oh well; (na und?) so what?	interjection	A2
322	ruhig	calm, quiet	adjective	A2
323	danach	afterwards, after that	adverb	A2
324	vorbei	over, past; (vorbei sein) to be over	adverb	A2
325	die Hilfe	help	noun	A1
326	durch	through, by	preposition	A2
327	das Buch	book	noun	A1
328	lesen	to read	verb	A1
329	die Arbeit	work, job	noun	A1
330	schreiben	to write	verb	A1
331	der Film	movie, film	noun	A1
332	der Spaß	fun; (Spaß machen) to be fun	noun	A2
333	das Glück	luck; happiness	noun	A2
334	hübsch	pretty	adjective	A2
335	heiraten	to marry, to get married	verb	A2
336	die Freundin	friend (female); girlfriend	noun	A1
337	zuhören	to listen (to someone)	verb	A2
338	aufhören	to stop, to quit	verb	A2
339	das Zimmer	room	noun	A1
340	gucken	to look (colloquial)	verb	A2
341	tschüss	bye (informal)	interjection	A1
342	der Grund	reason; ground	noun	B1
343	lernen	to learn	verb	A1
344	zehn	ten	number	A1
345	vier	four	number	A1
346	der Sohn	son	noun	A2
347	fünf	five	number	A1
348	die Tochter	daughter	noun	A2
349	die Familie	family	noun	A1
350	lachen	to laugh	verb	A2
351	weinen	to cry, to weep	verb	A2
352	der Tod	death	noun	B1
353	töten	to kill	verb	B1
354	der Arzt	doctor, physician	noun	A1
355	keiner	no one, nobody; none	pronoun	A2
356	fallen	to fall	verb	A2
357	gewinnen	to win	verb	A2
358	das Auge	eye	noun	A2
359	wegen	because of	preposition	B1
360	das Gesicht	face	noun	A2
361	der Fall	case; fall; (auf jeden Fall) definitely	noun	B1
362	lustig	funny, amusing	adjective	A2
363	traurig	sad	adjective	A2
364	die Straße	street, road	noun	A1
365	der Platz	place, seat; square	noun	A2
366	bald	soon	adverb	A1
367	oft	often	adverb	A1
368	plötzlich	suddenly	adverb	B1
369	das Wort	word	noun	A2
370	stark	strong	adjective	A2
371	manchmal	sometimes	adverb	A1
372	der Krieg	war	noun	B1
373	bereit	ready, prepared	adjective	B1
374	das Beispiel	example; (zum Beispiel) for example	noun	A2
375	kalt	cold	adjective	A1
376	die Scheiße	shit (vulgar)	noun	B1
377	holen	to fetch, to get	verb	A2
378	die Nummer	number	noun	A2
379	warm	warm	adjective	A1
380	das Telefon	telephone	noun	A1
381	stellen	to put, to place; (eine Frage stellen) to ask	verb	A2
382	das Bett	bed	noun	A1
383	heiß	hot	adjective	A2
384	der Hund	dog	noun	A1
385	wohin	where (to)	adverb	A2
386	schlimm	bad, terrible	adjective	A2
387	obwohl	although, even though	conjunction	A2
388	die Antwort	answer, reply	noun	A1
389	schicken	to send	verb	A2
390	falsch	wrong, false	adjective	A1
391	hoch	high, tall; up	adjective	A2
392	die Seite	side; page	noun	A2
393	genug	enough	adverb	A2
394	wünschen	to wish	verb	A2
395	blöd	stupid, dumb (colloquial)	adjective	A2
396	der Traum	dream	noun	A2
397	ins	into the (in + das)	preposition	A1
398	die Wahrheit	truth	noun	B1
399	wieso	why, how come	adverb	A2
400	verlassen	to leave (someone/somewhere); (sich verlassen auf) to rely on	verb	B1
401	gefährlich	dangerous	adjective	A2
402	die Polizei	police	noun	A2
403	versprechen	to promise	verb	B1
404	der Typ	guy (colloquial); type	noun	B1
405	kämpfen	to fight	verb	B1
406	sechs	six	number	A1
407	sieben	seven	number	A1
408	acht	eight	number	A1
409	neun	nine	number	A1
410	die Ahnung	(keine Ahnung) no idea, no clue; idea, inkling	noun	B1
411	toll	great, awesome	adjective	A2
412	die Nachricht	message; (Nachrichten) news	noun	A2
413	seit	since, for (a period of time)	preposition	A2
414	krank	sick, ill	adjective	A1
415	unser	our	determiner	A1
416	die Waffe	weapon, gun	noun	B1
417	jung	young	adjective	A1
418	echt	really (colloquial); genuine, real	adverb	A2
419	der Job	job	noun	A2
420	möglich	possible	adjective	A2
421	freuen	(sich freuen) to be glad; (sich freuen auf) to look forward to	verb	A2
422	reichen	(das reicht) to be enough; to hand, to pass	verb	B1
423	weit	far; wide	adjective	A2
424	der Chef	boss	noun	A2
425	sonst	otherwise, or else; (sonst noch was?) anything else?	adverb	A2
426	der Teil	part	noun	B1
427	aufstehen	to get up, to stand up	verb	A1
428	zwischen	between	preposition	A2
429	der Kaffee	coffee	noun	A1
430	schaffen	to manage, to accomplish; to create	verb	B1
431	passen	to fit, to suit	verb	A2
432	eins	one (counting)	number	A1
433	rufen	to call, to shout	verb	A2
434	das Stück	piece; play (theater)	noun	A2
435	ihnen	them (dative); (Ihnen) you (formal, dative)	pronoun	A1
436	besonders	especially, particularly	adverb	A2
437	langsam	slow(ly)	adjective	A1
438	das Licht	light	noun	A2
439	scheinen	to seem, to appear; to shine	verb	B1
440	erklären	to explain	verb	A2
441	nochmal	again, once more (colloquial)	adverb	A2
442	die Musik	music	noun	A1
443	welcher	which	determiner	A1
444	früher	in the past, formerly; earlier	adverb	A2
445	vom	from the, of the (von + dem)	preposition	A1
446	trotzdem	nevertheless, anyway	adverb	A2
447	das Spiel	game; play	noun	A1
448	der Plan	plan	noun	A2
449	draußen	outside, outdoors	adverb	A2
450	klingen	to sound	verb	B1
451	ernst	serious	adjective	B1
452	die Wohnung	apartment, flat	noun	A1
453	die Entschuldigung	apology; (Entschuldigung!) excuse me, sorry	noun	A1
454	frei	free	adjective	A2
455	zuhause	at home (also spelled zu Hause)	adverb	A1
456	bezahlen	to pay	verb	A2
457	wen	whom (accusative)	pronoun	A2
458	der Euro	euro (currency)	noun	A1
459	beim	at the, by the (bei + dem)	preposition	A1
460	schlagen	to hit, to beat	verb	B1
461	irgendwas	something (or other), anything (colloquial)	pronoun	B1
462	voll	full; (colloquial) totally	adjective	A2
463	davon	of it, about it; away	adverb	A2
464	super	great, super	adjective	A1
465	vorstellen	to introduce; (sich vorstellen) to imagine	verb	A2
466	die Schuld	guilt, fault; (Schulden) debts	noun	B1
467	kosten	to cost	verb	A2
468	oben	up, upstairs, at the top	adverb	A2
469	das Zeug	stuff (colloquial)	noun	B1
470	perfekt	perfect	adjective	A2
471	zahlen	to pay	verb	A2
472	legen	to lay, to put (down flat)	verb	A2
473	einem	a, an (dative masculine/neuter)	article	A1
474	bevor	before (conjunction)	conjunction	A2
475	total	totally (colloquial)	adverb	A2
476	der Himmel	sky; heaven	noun	A2
477	der Schatz	treasure; (mein Schatz) darling, honey	noun	B1
478	retten	to save, to rescue	verb	B1
479	der Fehler	mistake, error	noun	A2
480	aufpassen	to pay attention, to watch out	verb	A2
481	der Hunger	hunger; (Hunger haben) to be hungry	noun	A1
482	cool	cool (colloquial)	adjective	A2
483	deshalb	therefore, that’s why	adverb	A2
484	die Chance	chance, opportunity	noun	B1
485	das Feuer	fire	noun	A2
486	schießen	to shoot	verb	B1
487	das Bild	picture, image	noun	A2
488	antworten	to answer, to reply	verb	A1
489	nennen	to name, to call (someone something)	verb	A2
490	ansehen	to look at; (sich ansehen) to watch	verb	A2
491	schrecklich	terrible, awful	adjective	A2
492	der Kerl	guy, fellow (colloquial)	noun	B1
493	verkaufen	to sell	verb	A2
494	der Tisch	table	noun	A1
495	der Wagen	car; wagon, cart	noun	A2
496	die Sekunde	second (time)	noun	A2
497	halb	half	adjective	A2
498	wiedersehen	to see again; (auf Wiedersehen) goodbye	verb	A2
499	die Person	person	noun	A2
500	eigen	own	adjective	B1
501	vorher	before, beforehand	adverb	A2
502	das Baby	baby	noun	A1
503	der Ort	place, location	noun	B1
504	sorgen	(sorgen für) to take care of; (sich sorgen) to worry	verb	B1
505	kaum	hardly, barely	adverb	B1
506	die Party	party	noun	A2
507	verstecken	to hide	verb	A2
508	der Sinn	sense, meaning; (Sinn ergeben) to make sense	noun	B1
509	wem	whom (dative), to whom	pronoun	A2
510	einzige	only, sole (the only one)	adjective	A2
511	die Million	million	noun	A2
512	das Krankenhaus	hospital	noun	A2
513	irgendwann	sometime, someday	adverb	B1
514	dafür	for it, for that; in return	adverb	A2
515	der Doktor	doctor (title)	noun	A2
516	kümmern	(sich kümmern um) to take care of, to look after	verb	B1
517	rot	red	adjective	A1
518	die Hölle	hell; (was zur Hölle) what the hell	noun	B1
519	die Stimme	voice; vote	noun	B1
520	fehlen	to be missing, to be absent; (du fehlst mir) I miss you	verb	A2
521	verdienen	to earn; to deserve	verb	A2
522	überall	everywhere	adverb	A2
523	der Dollar	dollar	noun	A2
524	die Ruhe	quiet, calm; (lass mich in Ruhe) leave me alone	noun	B1
525	dunkel	dark	adjective	A2
526	die Gefahr	danger	noun	B1
527	hassen	to hate	verb	A2
528	das Ziel	goal, aim; destination	noun	B1
529	bedeuten	to mean	verb	A2
530	die Sonne	sun	noun	A2
531	interessant	interesting	adjective	A2
532	schwierig	difficult	adjective	A2
533	das Tier	animal	noun	A1
534	das Kino	cinema, movie theater	noun	A1
535	süß	sweet; cute	adjective	A2
536	das Meer	sea, ocean	noun	A2
537	offen	open	adjective	A2
538	der Onkel	uncle	noun	A2
539	zurückkommen	to come back, to return	verb	A2
540	entschuldigen	to excuse; (sich entschuldigen) to apologize	verb	A2
541	der Mist	crap, darn (mild expletive); manure	noun	B1
542	der Punkt	point; dot, period	noun	B1
543	der Sommer	summer	noun	A1
544	verletzen	to hurt, to injure	verb	B1
545	die Art	kind, sort; way, manner	noun	B1
546	besuchen	to visit	verb	A1
547	die Zukunft	future	noun	B1
548	der Anfang	beginning, start	noun	A2
549	schwarz	black	adjective	A1
550	wach	awake	adjective	B1
551	umbringen	to kill (colloquial)	verb	B1
552	der Geburtstag	birthday	noun	A1
553	der Idiot	idiot	noun	B1
554	fliegen	to fly	verb	A2
555	der Rest	rest, remainder	noun	B1
556	damals	back then, at that time	adverb	B1
557	das Wetter	weather	noun	A1
558	die Tante	aunt	noun	A2
559	folgen	to follow	verb	B1
560	erwarten	to expect	verb	B1
561	der Blick	look, glance; view	noun	B1
562	lügen	to lie (to tell untruths)	verb	B1
563	das Bier	beer	noun	A1
564	weiß	white	adjective	A1
565	kaputt	broken	adjective	A2
566	anders	differently; different	adverb	A2
567	der Teufel	devil; (zum Teufel!) damn it!	noun	B1
568	mitnehmen	to take along	verb	A2
569	wunderbar	wonderful	adjective	A2
570	zuerst	first, at first	adverb	A2
571	unten	down, downstairs, below	adverb	A2
572	tragen	to carry; to wear	verb	A2
573	der Wein	wine	noun	A2
574	ändern	to change	verb	A2
575	erkennen	to recognize	verb	B1
576	überlegen	to think about, to consider	verb	B1
577	das Gefängnis	prison, jail	noun	B1
578	vermissen	to miss (someone)	verb	B1
579	wenigstens	at least	adverb	B1
580	die Hochzeit	wedding	noun	A2
581	ziehen	to pull; to move (house)	verb	B1
582	tanzen	to dance	verb	A2
583	solche	such	determiner	A2
584	das Ohr	ear	noun	A2
585	zwar	(zwar … aber) admittedly … but; namely	adverb	B1
586	kennenlernen	to get to know, to meet	verb	A2
587	der Boden	floor, ground	noun	B1
588	verheiratet	married	adjective	A2
589	überleben	to survive	verb	B1
590	der Zug	train	noun	A2
591	singen	to sing	verb	A2
592	des	of the (genitive masculine/neuter)	article	B1
593	bereits	already (formal)	adverb	B1
594	die Katze	cat	noun	A1
595	nämlich	namely; you see (giving a reason)	adverb	B1
596	aufgeben	to give up	verb	B1
597	der Arsch	ass, butt (vulgar)	noun	B1
598	normal	normal	adjective	A2
599	falls	in case, if	conjunction	B1
600	genauso	just as, exactly the same	adverb	A2
601	die Nähe	closeness; (in der Nähe) nearby	noun	B1
602	verzeihen	to forgive; (Verzeihung!) pardon me	verb	B1
603	die Ecke	corner	noun	A2
604	wundern	(sich wundern) to be surprised	verb	B1
605	die Sprache	language	noun	A1
606	tief	deep	adjective	B1
607	einige	some, a few, several	determiner	A2
608	hart	hard, tough	adjective	A2
609	das Wochenende	weekend	noun	A1
610	schreien	to scream, to shout	verb	B1
611	die Luft	air	noun	A2
612	nachdenken	to think (about), to reflect	verb	B1
613	die Erde	earth; soil	noun	A2
614	der Stein	stone, rock	noun	B1
615	der Wald	forest, woods	noun	A2
616	gesund	healthy	adjective	A1
617	der Winter	winter	noun	A1
618	der Bus	bus	noun	A1
619	dazu	to it, in addition	adverb	B1
620	der Anwalt	lawyer	noun	B1
621	der Beweis	proof, evidence	noun	B1
622	während	during; while	preposition	B1
623	sauer	angry (colloquial); sour	adjective	A2
624	das Handy	cell phone, mobile phone	noun	A1
625	unmöglich	impossible	adjective	B1
626	fremd	foreign, strange, unfamiliar	adjective	B1
627	wütend	angry, furious	adjective	B1
628	stolz	proud	adjective	B1
629	irgendwo	somewhere	adverb	B1
630	bekannt	well-known, familiar	adjective	A2
631	der Mord	murder	noun	B1
632	das Frühstück	breakfast	noun	A1
633	die Krankheit	illness, disease	noun	B1
634	das Büro	office	noun	A2
635	vertrauen	to trust	verb	B1
636	das Gespräch	conversation, talk	noun	B1
637	das Fenster	window	noun	A1
638	erlauben	to allow, to permit	verb	B1
639	die Meinung	opinion	noun	B1
640	aufwachen	to wake up	verb	B1
641	der Brief	letter (mail)	noun	A2
642	das Gericht	court; dish (food)	noun	B1
643	küssen	to kiss	verb	B1
644	die Möglichkeit	possibility, option	noun	B1
645	der Lehrer	teacher	noun	A1
646	teuer	expensive	adjective	A1
647	wehtun	to hurt (das tut weh: that hurts)	verb	A2
648	die Entscheidung	decision	noun	B1
649	entscheiden	to decide	verb	B1
650	die Kirche	church	noun	A2
651	die Oma	grandma	noun	A1
652	das Bein	leg	noun	A2
653	der Feind	enemy	noun	B1
654	verpassen	to miss (a train, a chance)	verb	B1
655	das Blut	blood	noun	B1
656	stören	to disturb, to bother	verb	B1
657	öffnen	to open	verb	A2
658	der König	king	noun	B1
659	die Küche	kitchen	noun	A1
660	der Fuß	foot	noun	A2
661	das Geschenk	present, gift	noun	A2
662	mitbringen	to bring along	verb	A2
663	der Arm	arm	noun	A2
664	der Soldat	soldier	noun	B1
665	fürchten	to fear; (sich fürchten) to be afraid	verb	B1
666	das Thema	topic, subject	noun	B1
667	das Haar	hair	noun	A2
668	einladen	to invite	verb	A2
669	der Berg	mountain	noun	A2
670	hundert	hundred	number	A2
671	der Quatsch	nonsense (colloquial)	noun	B1
672	die Kraft	strength, power	noun	B1
673	beginnen	to begin	verb	A2
674	ärgern	to annoy; (sich ärgern) to be annoyed	verb	B1
675	die Firma	company, firm	noun	A2
676	nass	wet	adjective	B1
677	einkaufen	to shop, to go shopping	verb	A1
678	benutzen	to use	verb	A2
679	die Karte	card; map; ticket	noun	A2
680	unglaublich	unbelievable, incredible	adjective	B1
681	das Foto	photo	noun	A1
682	das Lied	song	noun	A2
683	aufmachen	to open (colloquial)	verb	A2
684	der Nachbar	neighbor	noun	A2
685	leise	quiet, soft(ly)	adjective	A2
686	der Opa	grandpa	noun	A1
687	das Kleid	dress	noun	A2
688	die Reise	trip, journey	noun	A2
689	die Richtung	direction	noun	B1
690	verschieden	different, various	adjective	B1
691	der Präsident	president	noun	B1
692	anziehen	to put on, to get dressed	verb	A2
693	dringend	urgent(ly)	adjective	B1
694	die Situation	situation	noun	B1
695	abholen	to pick up (someone/something)	verb	A2
696	der Bahnhof	train station	noun	A1
697	der Fisch	fish	noun	A1
698	der Regen	rain	noun	A2
699	das Glas	glass	noun	A2
700	die Flasche	bottle	noun	A2
701	leer	empty	adjective	A2
702	nervös	nervous	adjective	B1
703	springen	to jump	verb	B1
704	die Erinnerung	memory, remembrance	noun	B1
705	das Brot	bread	noun	A1
706	hinten	at the back, behind	adverb	A2
707	der Stern	star	noun	B1
708	tausend	thousand	number	A2
709	rennen	to run, to race	verb	B1
710	die Zeitung	newspaper	noun	A2
711	mindestens	at least (quantity)	adverb	B1
712	das Hotel	hotel	noun	A1
713	schwimmen	to swim	verb	A2
714	der Mund	mouth	noun	A2
715	der Kollege	colleague	noun	A2
716	die Bar	bar (for drinks)	noun	B1
717	kochen	to cook	verb	A2
718	die Klasse	class; (klasse!) great	noun	A2
719	der Spiegel	mirror	noun	B1
720	erfahren	to find out, to learn (news)	verb	B1
721	der Schlüssel	key	noun	A2
722	die Aufgabe	task; homework	noun	A2
723	das Wunder	miracle, wonder	noun	B1
724	die Pistole	pistol, gun	noun	B1
725	die Sorge	worry; (keine Sorge) don’t worry	noun	B1
726	schließen	to close; to conclude	verb	A2
727	der Kampf	fight, battle	noun	B1
728	die Kunst	art	noun	B1
729	das Schiff	ship	noun	A2
730	der Stress	stress	noun	B1
731	langweilig	boring	adjective	A2
732	werfen	to throw	verb	B1
733	der Gast	guest	noun	A2
734	die Hälfte	half	noun	B1
735	der Witz	joke	noun	B1
736	hoffentlich	hopefully	adverb	A2
737	der Professor	professor	noun	B1
738	verlangen	to demand, to require	verb	B1
739	der Besuch	visit; visitor(s)	noun	A2
740	fangen	to catch	verb	B1
741	der Unfall	accident	noun	B1
742	grün	green	adjective	A1
743	zwanzig	twenty	number	A1
744	der Schmerz	pain	noun	B1
745	blau	blue	adjective	A1
746	zumindest	at least (concessive)	adverb	B1
747	das Opfer	victim; sacrifice	noun	B2
748	die Regel	rule	noun	B1
749	die Gruppe	group	noun	B1
750	übrigens	by the way	adverb	B1
751	nötig	necessary; (nicht nötig) no need	adjective	B1
752	bauen	to build	verb	A2
753	der Garten	garden, yard	noun	A1
754	der Gedanke	thought	noun	B1
755	das Team	team	noun	B1
756	das Pferd	horse	noun	A2
757	brennen	to burn	verb	B1
758	niemals	never (emphatic)	adverb	B1
759	der Preis	price; prize	noun	B1
760	die Ehe	marriage	noun	B2
761	die Freiheit	freedom	noun	B1
762	das Fleisch	meat; flesh	noun	A2
763	der Streit	argument, quarrel	noun	B1
764	streiten	to argue, to quarrel	verb	B1
765	die Nase	nose	noun	A2
766	das Papier	paper	noun	A2
767	der Montag	Monday	noun	A1
768	begleiten	to accompany	verb	B1
769	der Freitag	Friday	noun	A1
770	der Samstag	Saturday	noun	A1
771	beenden	to end, to finish	verb	B1
772	das Gebäude	building	noun	B1
773	der Sonntag	Sunday	noun	A1
774	verraten	to betray; to reveal	verb	B1
775	der Laden	shop, store	noun	B1
776	das Gold	gold	noun	B1
777	schneiden	to cut	verb	B1
778	die Universität	university	noun	A2
779	der Zweifel	doubt	noun	B2
780	links	left, on the left	adverb	A2
781	rechts	right, on the right	adverb	A2
782	der Student	student (university)	noun	A2
783	geheim	secret	adjective	B1
784	das Geheimnis	secret	noun	B1
785	die Tasche	bag; pocket	noun	A2
786	klopfen	to knock	verb	B1
787	der Ring	ring	noun	B1
788	der Schuh	shoe	noun	A1
789	die Regierung	government	noun	B2
790	die Milch	milk	noun	A1
791	das Bad	bathroom; bath	noun	A2
792	erledigen	to take care of, to get done	verb	B1
793	witzig	funny, witty	adjective	B1
794	die Tasse	cup	noun	A2
795	das Boot	boat	noun	B1
796	schlau	clever, smart	adjective	B1
797	der Zahn	tooth	noun	A2
798	drüben	over there	adverb	B1
799	der Fernseher	TV set, television	noun	A2
800	das Hemd	shirt	noun	A2
801	vorsichtig	careful, cautious	adjective	B1
802	die Vorsicht	caution; (Vorsicht!) watch out!	noun	B1
803	der Kuchen	cake	noun	A2
804	schmecken	to taste (good)	verb	A2
805	der Finger	finger	noun	A2
806	der Hals	neck, throat	noun	B1
807	komplett	complete(ly)	adjective	B1
808	der Erfolg	success	noun	B1
809	dauern	to last, to take (time)	verb	A2
810	der Wunsch	wish	noun	B1
811	schenken	to give (as a gift)	verb	A2
812	direkt	direct(ly)	adjective	B1
813	feiern	to celebrate	verb	A2
814	der Sturm	storm	noun	B1
815	die Decke	blanket; ceiling	noun	B1
816	der Keller	basement, cellar	noun	B1
817	das Museum	museum	noun	A2
818	der Held	hero	noun	B1
819	angreifen	to attack	verb	B2
820	der Flughafen	airport	noun	A2
821	das Flugzeug	airplane	noun	A2
822	die Brücke	bridge	noun	B1
823	schließlich	finally; after all	adverb	B1
824	ehrlich	honest(ly)	adjective	A2
825	melden	(sich melden) to get in touch; to report	verb	B1
826	das Loch	hole	noun	B2
827	der Mond	moon	noun	B1
828	trocken	dry	adjective	B1
829	der Vogel	bird	noun	A2
830	weich	soft	adjective	B1
831	das Dach	roof	noun	B1
832	der Schnee	snow	noun	A2
833	atmen	to breathe	verb	B1
834	die Wand	wall (interior)	noun	B1
835	der Stuhl	chair	noun	A2
836	die Treppe	stairs, staircase	noun	B1
837	das Dorf	village	noun	B1
838	sammeln	to collect, to gather	verb	B1
839	klettern	to climb	verb	B1
840	mutig	brave, courageous	adjective	B1
841	der Mut	courage	noun	B1
842	die Prüfung	exam, test	noun	A2
843	bestehen	to pass (an exam); to consist of; to insist on	verb	B1
844	der Anruf	phone call	noun	B1
845	die Menge	(eine Menge) a lot; crowd, amount	noun	B1
846	der Termin	appointment	noun	A2
847	wetten	to bet; (wetten, dass …?) wanna bet?	verb	B1
848	ungefähr	approximately, about	adverb	B1
849	deswegen	that’s why, therefore	adverb	B1
850	bitten	to ask (for), to request	verb	B1
851	seltsam	strange, odd	adjective	B1
852	die Bank	bank; bench	noun	A2
853	träumen	to dream	verb	B1
854	klappen	(es klappt) to work out (colloquial)	verb	B1
855	reich	rich	adjective	A2
856	etwa	about, roughly; by any chance	adverb	B1
857	der Baum	tree	noun	A2
858	arm	poor	adjective	A2
859	darüber	about it, over it	adverb	B1
860	wunderschön	gorgeous, very beautiful	adjective	B1
861	das Messer	knife	noun	A2
862	diesmal	this time	adverb	B1
863	funktionieren	to work, to function	verb	B1
864	der Sport	sport(s)	noun	A1
865	furchtbar	terrible, awful	adjective	B1
866	bestellen	to order (food, goods)	verb	A2
867	schwach	weak	adjective	B1
868	das Alter	age	noun	B1
869	nachdem	after (conjunction)	conjunction	B1
870	drehen	to turn; to shoot (a film)	verb	B1
871	gemein	mean, nasty	adjective	B1
872	darauf	on it; thereupon	adverb	B1
873	das Restaurant	restaurant	noun	A1
874	verliebt	in love	adjective	B1
875	stecken	to put (into); to be (stuck) somewhere	verb	B1
876	außerdem	besides, moreover	adverb	B1
877	das Fahrrad	bicycle	noun	A1
878	hängen	to hang	verb	B1
879	einsam	lonely	adjective	B1
880	zerstören	to destroy	verb	B2
881	berühmt	famous	adjective	B1
882	der Engel	angel	noun	B1
883	nachher	afterwards, later	adverb	B1
884	hell	bright, light	adjective	A2
885	der Geist	ghost; spirit, mind	noun	B2
886	schwören	to swear (an oath)	verb	B2
887	jedenfalls	in any case, anyway	adverb	B1
888	vorbereiten	to prepare	verb	B1
889	der Polizist	police officer	noun	A2
890	außer	except (for), besides	preposition	B1
891	lächeln	to smile	verb	B1
892	die Erfahrung	experience	noun	B1
893	der Strand	beach	noun	A2
894	vorhin	a moment ago, earlier	adverb	B1
895	hungrig	hungry	adjective	A2
896	die Liste	list	noun	B1
897	darum	that’s why; around it	adverb	B1
898	das Weihnachten	Christmas	noun	A1
899	zugeben	to admit	verb	B1
900	der Ball	ball	noun	A2
901	längst	long since, long ago	adverb	B1
902	das Ei	egg	noun	A1
903	sowieso	anyway, in any case	adverb	B1
904	der Urlaub	vacation, holiday	noun	A1
905	geschehen	to happen, to occur	verb	B1
906	die Haut	skin	noun	B1
907	waschen	to wash	verb	A2
908	dick	thick; fat	adjective	A2
909	die Träne	tear (from crying)	noun	B2
910	entweder	(entweder … oder) either … or	conjunction	B1
911	die Seele	soul	noun	B2
912	peinlich	embarrassing	adjective	B1
913	stehlen	to steal	verb	B1
914	der Alkohol	alcohol	noun	B1
915	erreichen	to reach, to achieve	verb	B1
916	der Ehemann	husband	noun	B1
917	mitten	(mitten in) in the middle of	adverb	B1
918	das Taxi	taxi	noun	A2
919	die Droge	drug	noun	B2
920	zweimal	twice	adverb	A2
921	die Zigarette	cigarette	noun	B1
922	erschießen	to shoot dead	verb	B2
923	die Blume	flower	noun	A2
924	klug	clever, intelligent	adjective	B1
925	der Fußball	football, soccer	noun	A1
926	enttäuscht	disappointed	adjective	B1
927	das Verbrechen	crime	noun	B2
928	die Hose	pants, trousers	noun	A1
929	bisher	so far, until now	adverb	B1
930	der Richter	judge	noun	B2
931	übel	nasty; (mir ist übel) I feel sick	adjective	B1
932	der Zeuge	witness	noun	B2
933	aufgeregt	excited, nervous	adjective	B1
934	die Maschine	machine	noun	B1
935	beten	to pray	verb	B1
936	der Koffer	suitcase	noun	A2
937	verfolgen	to pursue, to chase	verb	B2
938	die Brille	glasses	noun	A2
939	gelb	yellow	adjective	A1
940	nachts	at night	adverb	B1
941	verhaften	to arrest	verb	B2
942	das Interesse	interest	noun	B1
943	solange	as long as	conjunction	B1
944	weitermachen	to carry on, to keep going	verb	B1
945	die Rechnung	bill, invoice	noun	A2
946	der Schauspieler	actor	noun	B1
947	grau	gray	adjective	A2
948	besorgt	worried	adjective	B2
949	schweigen	to be silent, to say nothing	verb	B2
950	trotz	despite, in spite of	preposition	B2
951	die Mitte	middle, center	noun	B1
952	loslassen	to let go	verb	B1
953	billig	cheap	adjective	A1
954	das Schloss	castle; lock	noun	B1
955	inzwischen	meanwhile, by now	adverb	B2
956	drücken	to press, to push; (die Daumen drücken) to cross one’s fingers	verb	B1
957	die Kamera	camera	noun	B1
958	sauber	clean	adjective	A2
959	geil	awesome (colloquial); horny (vulgar)	adjective	B1
960	der Wind	wind	noun	A2
961	sobald	as soon as	conjunction	B1
962	der Teller	plate	noun	A2
963	fair	fair	adjective	B1
964	das Medikament	medicine, medication	noun	B1
965	die Insel	island	noun	B1
966	dagegen	against it; on the other hand	adverb	B1
967	der Dieb	thief	noun	B1
968	anhalten	to stop (a vehicle); to last	verb	B1
969	schmutzig	dirty	adjective	A2
970	der Fluss	river	noun	B1
971	daran	on it, of it (denk daran!)	adverb	B1
972	vorne	at the front, in front	adverb	A2
973	fliehen	to flee, to escape	verb	B2
974	die Ehefrau	wife	noun	B1
975	der Apfel	apple	noun	A1
976	gegenüber	opposite; towards	preposition	B2
977	umdrehen	to turn around	verb	B1
978	das Salz	salt	noun	A2
979	aussteigen	to get out, to get off	verb	B1
980	die Wolke	cloud	noun	B1
981	satt	full (after eating); (satt haben) to be fed up with	adjective	B1
982	der See	lake	noun	B1
983	eng	narrow, tight	adjective	B1
984	erwachsen	grown-up, adult	adjective	B2
985	der Zucker	sugar	noun	A2
986	empfehlen	to recommend	verb	B1
987	die Übung	exercise, practice	noun	A2
988	dünn	thin	adjective	A2
989	nirgendwo	nowhere	adverb	B1
990	der Mantel	coat	noun	A2
991	seitdem	since then	adverb	B1
992	die Suppe	soup	noun	A2
993	der Käse	cheese	noun	A1
994	weder	(weder … noch) neither … nor	conjunction	B2
995	das Konzert	concert	noun	A2
996	reparieren	to repair	verb	B1
997	der Künstler	artist	noun	B1
998	mittlerweile	by now, meanwhile	adverb	B2
999	einsteigen	to get in, to board	verb	B1
1000	landen	to land	verb	B1

Showing the top 1000 of 1000 words, by frequency · audio: female voice

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Frequently asked questions

Why learn German words by frequency?

Word frequency is brutally top-heavy: a small core of words does almost all the work in everyday speech. Learning in frequency order front-loads exactly those words, so every hour of study unlocks the largest possible share of real conversations, shows and books — instead of textbook chapter vocabulary you might not meet for months.

How many German words do I need to understand conversations?

The 100 most common German words already cover roughly half of everyday speech, the top 1,000 around 85%, and about 2,500–3,000 words push you past 95%. That last stretch is the long tail — but this list is the highest-value first mile: master it and most sentences you hear will be built from words you know.

What do the CEFR levels next to the words mean?

Each word carries the CEFR level (A1–B2) at which learners typically study it. Most of the top 1,000 is A1–A2 — high frequency and beginner vocabulary largely overlap — with the tail reaching into B1–B2. If the B1 and B2 words in the list feel unfamiliar, that is a normal place for an A2 learner to be.

How was the audio made?

Every word was recorded individually with two studio-grade neural text-to-speech voices — one female, one male — so you can hear each word in isolation and compare pronunciations. Use the voice toggle above the table to switch; the clips are short, natural and free to replay as often as you like.

Is this a list of dictionary forms or word forms?

Dictionary forms (lemmas): verbs appear once as the infinitive (machen, not mache/machst), nouns in the singular. The exceptions are the words learners meet as separate items anyway — articles are listed per form (der/die/das/den/dem), pronouns per case form (ich/mich/mir, du/dich/dir), and pairs distinguished only by spelling, like schon (already) and schön (beautiful), are always separate entries because they are different words.

Why do the nouns have der, die or das in front?

Every German noun has a grammatical gender, shown by its article: der (masculine), die (feminine) or das (neuter) — der Tag, die Zeit, das Jahr. Learning the article together with the noun from day one is far easier than fixing it later, so the list shows it and the audio speaks it ("die Zeit", not just "Zeit"). German nouns are also always capitalized, which is why they stand out in the list. And one pronoun to watch: sie can mean she, they or — capitalized as Sie — the formal you.

How should I study this list?

Don't memorize it top to bottom in one go. Work in slices (the Top 250 view is a good first target), listen to every word as you review it, and meet the same words in context as fast as possible — graded stories and podcasts at your level are where frequency vocabulary actually sticks. Spaced-repetition flashcards work well for the concrete nouns and verbs in the tail.

Don't just read the list — learn it

Lenguia turns vocabulary like this into a daily German plan: graded stories and podcasts built from high-frequency words, spaced-repetition flashcards, grammar, writing and speaking practice — all at exactly your level.

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How many of these words do you already know?

Take the free German placement test — grammar, reading, vocabulary, listening, writing and speaking, graded A1 to C1 — and find out exactly where to start in this list.

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