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.

- German language basics: Most common German words
- German greetings
- German small talk for beginners
- German numbers
- Basic German nouns
- Basic German verbs
- Basic German adjectives

Learn German with Lingoda
How it works

German language basics: Most common German words
To begin with, itâs helpful to cover some of the absolute most basic German words, for example, for beginners taking a German A1 course.
- Ja = Yes
- Nein = No
- Hallo = Hello (used as a casual greeting)
- TschĂźss = Bye (used as a fairly informal farewell)
- Auf Wiedersehen = Goodbye (used as a more formal farewell)
- Danke = Thanks
- Entschuldigung = Excuse me
- Es tut mir leid = Iâm sorry
- Bitte = Please / Youâre welcome
- Wo = Where
- Zu = To
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.
- Ich: I
- Du: You (singular form)
- Er: He
- Sie: She (singular form)/ They (plural form)
- Es: It
- Wir: We
- Ihr: You (plural form)
- Ihm / ihn: Him
- Ihr: Her
- Ihnen: Them
- Uns: Us
German greetings
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.
- Guten Tag = Good day
- Guten Morgen = Good morning
- Guten Abend = Good evening
- Guten Mittag = Good afternoon
- Gute Nacht = Good night
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.
- Grßà dich! = Hi / Hello / Hi there! (literally translates to âgreet youâ).
- Was geht ab? = Whatâs up?
- Was läuft? = Whatâs going on?
Youâll find a complete list of greetings in our best ways to say hello in German post.
Beyond using tschĂźss or auf Wiedersehen, itâs also helpful to know how to say goodbye.
- Bis später = See you later
- Bis bald = See you soon
- Wir sehen un. = See you (literally translates to âwe see each otherâ)
- SchĂśnen Tag (noch) = Have a nice day
German small talk for beginners
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.
- Mein Name ist⌠= My name is⌠(fairly formal and often used with full name)
- Ich heiĂe⌠= My name is⌠(less formal and often used with just a first name)
- Wie heiĂt du? = What is your name?
- Wie gehtâs? = Howâs it going? / How are you?
- Mir gehtâs gut. = Iâm doing well / Iâm fine.
- Wie alt bist du? = How old are you?
- Ich bin __ Jahre alt. = I am __ years old.
- Wo ist die Toilette? = Where is the bathroom? / Where is the restroom?
- Sehr gut. = Very good.
- Ich verstehe nicht. = I donât understand.
Check out our blog post on how to say months and dates in German, too.
German numbers
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.
- Eins: one
- Zwei: two
- Drei: three
- Vier: four
- FĂźnf: five
- Sechs: six
- Sieben: seven
- Acht: eight
- Neun: nine
- Zehn: ten
- Elf: eleven
- ZwĂślf: twelve

Learn German with Lingoda
How it works

Basic German nouns
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.
- der Mann: the man
- der Junge: the boy
- der Sohn: the son
- der Tisch: the table
- der Lehrer: the teacher
- der Student: the student
- der Bahnhof: the train station
- der Bus: the bus
- der Apfel: the apple
- der Hund: the dog
The following nouns are all feminine.
- die Frau: the woman / the wife
- die Tochter: the daughter
- die Mutter: the mother
- die Lehrerin: the teacher
- die Studentin: the student
- die Schule: the school
- die StraĂe: the street
- die Bank: the bank
- die Nacht: the night
- die Banane: the banana
- die Kuh: the cow
- die Katze: the cat
The nouns that follow are all neuter.
- das Mädchen: the girl
- das Auto: the car
- das Restaurant: the restaurant
- das Hotel: the hotel
- das Wasser: the water
- das Essen: the food
- das Getränk: the drink
- das FrĂźhstĂźck: the breakfast
- das Mittagessen: the lunch
- das Abendessen: the dinner
Basic German verbs
When focusing on the German language basics, itâs also essential to learn some key verbs.
- haben: to have
- kommen: to come
- geben: to give
- gehen: to go
- sagen: to say
- sehen: to see
- laufen: to run
- spielen: to play
- schreiben: to write
- wollen: to want
You can go into greater depth by reading our 100 most common German verbs blog post.
Basic German adjectives
Finally, itâs a good idea to equip yourself with some basic German adjectives, too.
- groĂ: big / large
- klein: small
- krank: sick / ill
- gesund: healthy
- gut: good
- schlecht: bad
- neu: new
- alt: old
- richtig: correct / right
- falsch: false / incorrect
Basic German words you need to know
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.

Learn German with Lingoda
How it works

You haven't seen it all
German starter pack: The ultimate guide to starting life in Germany
