by Lingoda Team
Updated on February 25, 2025
Basic German words for beginners
When you first start to learn German, itâs important to develop a vocabulary of the most basic German words. Common greetings, phrases, nouns, verbs, adjectives and numbers are among the German language basics that can serve as the foundation for all future language learning.
As you develop your German A2 vocabulary, youâll quickly grow in confidence when using words in your classes, and youâll also find that youâre able to get by in situations where you need to convey basic information quickly to a German speaker. In this article, weâll cover some of the most common German words, allowing you to start to build up your vocabulary.
To begin with, itâs helpful to cover some of the absolute most basic German words, for example, for beginners taking a German A1 course.
The word zu actually has a lot of utility in the German language, as you can read in our blog post on how to use zu in German.
Itâs also a good idea to become familiar with the basic pronouns, too.
Greetings are one of the German language basics that youâll need to use often.
When beginning your learning journey, itâs worth learning some formal greetings. These are especially useful if youâre meeting a stranger, speaking to someone in a professional setting, or simply trying to avoid causing any offense by seeming too relaxed or familiar.
You can also drop the adjective, e.g., Morgen! = âmorning!â
If youâd rather use something a little more informal or casual among friends, you can use the aforementioned Hallo! or any of the following greetings.
Youâll find a complete list of greetings in our best ways to say hello in German post.
Beyond using tschĂŒss or auf Wiedersehen, itâs also helpful to know how to say goodbye.
Next, itâs beneficial to have some phrases to use for small talk and for generally getting by in a German-speaking country. The phrases below are among the most useful.
Check out our blog post on how to say months and dates in German, too.
Among the most essential basic German words to learn are numbers. In this section, weâll list the numbers from 1-12 so you can memorize them.
For absolute beginners, German nouns can be tricky to get to grips with for two main reasons. Firstly, unlike in English, they are always written with a capital letter at the start.
Secondly, all nouns are also assigned a gender (either masculine, feminine or neuter). This assigned gender alters the word used for âtheâ before the noun, with der used for masculine words, die used for feminine nouns and das used for neuter nouns.
To make this easier, weâll break down some basic German nouns according to their gender. Weâve used lowercase for the words representing âtheâ to emphasize the need to capitalize nouns.
The following are all masculine nouns.
The following nouns are all feminine.
The nouns that follow are all neuter.
When focusing on the German language basics, itâs also essential to learn some key verbs.
You can go into greater depth by reading our 100 most common German verbs blog post.
Finally, itâs a good idea to equip yourself with some basic German adjectives, too.
This list of basic German words is a useful starting point if you’re at a German A1 level. , but youâll need to gradually increase your vocabulary and your understanding of grammar and sentence structure.
With Lingoda, you can learn languages online from native-level teachers. Youâll have an opportunity to engage with other students in small classes, building your confidence in the process. We also provide flexible scheduling, allowing you to fit learning around your other commitments.
