German Vocabulary: 100 Everyday Words to Learn First

The first 100 German words you learn should help build sentences, not just label objects. This list balances pronouns, connectors, modal and high-frequency verbs, descriptions, places, transport, and everyday nouns. Learn every noun with its article and every verb inside one short phrase. Then combine the words into tasks such as describing your day, buying something, or asking for help.

100 everyday German words

German word	English meaning
ich	I
du	you informal
Sie	you formal
wir	we
sie	they / she
das	that / the neuter article
hier	here
dort	there
jetzt	now
heute	today
morgen	tomorrow / morning
gestern	yesterday
immer	always
nie	never
oft	often
auch	also
aber	but
weil	because
mit	with
ohne	without
sein	to be
haben	to have
werden	to become / will
machen	to do / make
gehen	to go
kommen	to come
wollen	to want
können	can / to be able
müssen	must / have to
dürfen	may / to be allowed
sagen	to say
sprechen	to speak
fragen	to ask
wissen	to know a fact
kennen	to know a person or place
sehen	to see
geben	to give
nehmen	to take
essen	to eat
trinken	to drink
kaufen	to buy
bezahlen	to pay
finden	to find
brauchen	to need
lernen	to learn
gut	good / well
schlecht	bad / badly
groß	big / tall
klein	small
neu	new
alt	old
schnell	fast
langsam	slow
richtig	correct
falsch	wrong
viel	much / a lot
wenig	little / few
mehr	more
weniger	less
sehr	very
ja	yes
nein	no
bitte	please / you are welcome
danke	thanks
Entschuldigung	sorry / excuse me
der Mensch	person / human
der Freund	male friend
die Freundin	female friend / girlfriend
die Familie	family
das Haus	house
die Wohnung	apartment
die Arbeit	work
die Zeit	time
der Tag	day
die Stunde	hour
der Ort	place
die Straße	street
das Essen	food / meal
das Wasser	water
der Kaffee	coffee
das Geld	money
der Preis	price
das Geschäft	shop / business
die Toilette	toilet
der Bahnhof	train station
der Zug	train
der Bus	bus
rechts	right
links	left
nah	near
weit	far
der Eingang	entrance
der Ausgang	exit
die Hilfe	help
das Problem	problem
die Frage	question
die Antwort	answer
der Name	name
die Nummer	number
das Handy	mobile phone

How to study high-frequency vocabulary

1. Say the article with every noun.
2. Put each verb into a first-person and question pattern.
3. Link connectors such as aber and weil to complete clauses.
4. Create one personal sentence and one practical request.
5. Recall the German from a situation rather than from the English list.

Words in a daily routine

Lina: Wann gehst du heute zur Arbeit?

Jonas: Um acht. Ich nehme den Bus, weil es regnet.

Lina: Kommst du am Abend nach Hause?

Jonas: Ja, aber erst spät. Wir haben viel Arbeit.

Lina: Alles klar. Dann bis morgen.

Common mistakes

• Learning nouns without articles or plural forms.
• Collecting rare nouns while lacking common verbs and connectors.
• Reviewing only German-to-English recognition.
• Writing long example sentences that you cannot say naturally.
• Ignoring capitalization of German nouns.

Practice exercise

Select twenty words and describe one ordinary day. Then retell it with yesterday, tomorrow, a transport problem, and a changed meeting time. Reuse words in new combinations instead of adding another list immediately.

FAQ

Are 100 words enough for a conversation?

They are not enough for broad conversation, but they can produce many useful beginner sentences when combined with practiced patterns.

Should I use flashcards?

Yes, if cards prompt active recall and include an article, phrase, audio, or situation rather than an isolated translation.

Keep learning German

• 50 essential German phrases
• 100 common German phrases
• German beginner roadmap
• German conversation practice

Turn German into a speaking skill

Reading gives you the map; repeated listening, spoken recall, and variation make phrases available in a real conversation. German Through Real Dialogues teaches practical exchanges for social life, food, shopping, transport, accommodation, work, services, health, and emergencies.

Continue with the complete German Through Real Dialogues course on Udemy.