Start with the words Germans actually use all the time, not the tiny museum pieces that collect dust in beginner books. This list gives you the core stuff: greetings, survival phrases, everyday verbs, question words, time words, travel basics, and the polite little bits that keep conversations from sounding like a broken toaster.
For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.
German looks a bit stern at first glance. But it is also wonderfully logical, and once you know a few building blocks, real sentences start to click. You will see useful pronunciation help, simple examples, and enough learner notes to keep you out of the most common traps.
By the end, you will have a strong starter set of 100 practical words and phrases you can use in greetings, small talk, shopping, travel, and basic conversation.
1. The Most Important Starter Words
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ja | yah | yes | Ja, gern. | Yes, gladly. | Very common and very useful. |
| nein | nine | no | Nein, danke. | No, thanks. | Polite and short. |
| bitte | BIT-uh | please; you’re welcome | Ein Wasser, bitte. | A water, please. | Means both “please” and “you’re welcome.” Classic German multitasker. |
| danke | DAHN-kuh | thanks | Danke schön! | Thank you very much! | Can also say vielen Dank for “many thanks.” |
| entschuldigung | ent-SHOOL-dee-goong | excuse me; sorry | Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof? | Excuse me, where is the station? | Good for getting attention politely. |
| hallo | HAH-loh | hello | Hallo, wie geht’s? | Hello, how’s it going? | Neutral and friendly. |
| tschüss | chooss | bye | Tschüss, bis morgen! | Bye, see you tomorrow! | Casual goodbye. In Austria you may also hear servus. |
| gut | goot | good | Das ist gut. | That is good. | Basic adjective and adverb. |
| schlecht | shlekh t | bad | Heute ist das Wetter schlecht. | Today the weather is bad. | The ch sound is soft, not “k.” |
| vielleicht | fee-LIGHT | maybe; perhaps | Vielleicht später. | Maybe later. | Very common in speech. |
| noch | nokh | still; yet; another | Ich habe noch Zeit. | I still have time. | Small word, huge job. German loves it. |
| auch | owkh | also; too | Ich auch. | Me too. | Often used alone in replies. |
| nur | noor | only | Ich habe nur einen Kaffee. | I only have one coffee. | Very handy for softening statements. |
| sehr | zair | very | Das ist sehr gut. | That is very good. | Easy upgrade for basic adjectives. |
| schon | shohn | already; quite | Ich bin schon da. | I am already here. | Not the same as schön (“beautiful”). Very common confusion. |
2. Greetings And Simple Social Phrases
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guten Morgen | GOO-ten MOR-gen | good morning | Guten Morgen, Frau Becker. | Good morning, Ms. Becker. | Usually used until around late morning. |
| Guten Tag | GOO-ten tahk | good day; hello | Guten Tag, wie kann ich helfen? | Good day, how can I help? | Safe, neutral, and useful in shops and offices. |
| Guten Abend | GOO-ten AH-bent | good evening | Guten Abend zusammen. | Good evening, everyone. | Common from late afternoon or evening. |
| Wie geht’s? | vee gates | How’s it going? | Hallo! Wie geht’s? | Hello! How’s it going? | Short for Wie geht es? |
| Mir geht’s gut. | meer gates goot | I’m doing well. | Mir geht’s gut, danke. | I’m doing well, thanks. | Very common reply. |
| Wie heißt du? | vee HYST doo | What’s your name? | Wie heißt du? Ich bin Anna. | What’s your name? I’m Anna. | Informal du form. |
| Ich heiße … | ikh HY-suh | My name is … | Ich heiße Tom. | My name is Tom. | Literally “I call myself…” |
| Freut mich. | froit mikh | Nice to meet you. | Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen. | Nice to meet you. | Short, polite, and common. |
| Bis bald | bis bahlt | See you soon | Bis bald! | See you soon! | Friendly and natural. |
| Auf Wiedersehen | owf VEE-der-zayn | goodbye; farewell | Auf Wiedersehen, bis nächste Woche. | Goodbye, see you next week. | More formal than tschüss. |
| Gern geschehen. | gern guh-SHAY-en | You’re welcome. | Danke! — Gern geschehen. | Thanks! — You’re welcome. | Polite and very standard. |
| Kein Problem. | kine proh-BLEHM | No problem. | Kein Problem, ich helfe dir. | No problem, I’ll help you. | Casual and friendly. |
| Willkommen | vil-KOH-men | welcome | Willkommen in Berlin! | Welcome to Berlin! | Often used on signs and greetings. |
3. Everyday Survival Phrases
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ich verstehe nicht. | ikh fer-SHTAY-uh nikht | I don’t understand. | Entschuldigung, ich verstehe nicht. | Sorry, I don’t understand. | Great rescue phrase. Use it early and often. |
| Können Sie das wiederholen? | KUR-nen zee dahs VEE-der-hoh-len | Can you repeat that? | Können Sie das bitte wiederholen? | Can you repeat that, please? | Polite Sie form. |
| Sprechen Sie Englisch? | SHPREH-chen zee ENG-lish | Do you speak English? | Sprechen Sie Englisch? | Do you speak English? | Useful when you are stuck. Not magic, but useful. |
| Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch. | ikh SHPREH-kuh ayn BISH-chen doych | I speak a little German. | Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch. | I speak a little German. | Great sentence to lower the pressure. |
| Ich lerne Deutsch. | ikh LEHR-nuh doych | I’m learning German. | Ich lerne Deutsch seit drei Monaten. | I’ve been learning German for three months. | Simple and honest. |
| Langsam, bitte. | LAHNG-zahm BIT-uh | Slowly, please. | Bitte sprechen Sie langsam. | Please speak slowly. | Very practical in real life. |
| Noch einmal, bitte. | nokh ayn-MAHL BIT-uh | Once more, please. | Noch einmal, bitte. Ich habe nicht gehört. | Once more, please. I didn’t hear it. | Very useful on trains, in shops, and everywhere else noise goes to thrive. |
| Wie bitte? | vee BIT-uh | Pardon?; sorry? | Wie bitte? Das war zu schnell. | Pardon? That was too fast. | Polite and very common. |
| Wo ist …? | voh ist | Where is …? | Wo ist die Toilette? | Where is the toilet? | One of the first travel questions to learn. |
| Ich brauche Hilfe. | ikh BROW-khuh HIL-fuh | I need help. | Ich brauche Hilfe, bitte. | I need help, please. | Strong but useful in emergencies. |
| Ich weiß nicht. | ikh vyss nikht | I don’t know. | Ich weiß nicht, wo er ist. | I don’t know where he is. | Very common answer in conversation. |
| Das stimmt. | dahs shtimt | That’s right. | Ja, das stimmt. | Yes, that’s right. | Handy agreement phrase. |
| Genau. | guh-NOW | Exactly; that’s right | Genau, so ist es. | Exactly, that’s how it is. | Very common in real conversation. |
4. Numbers, Time, And Dates
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eins | ines | one | Ich habe eins. | I have one. | Numbers are basic, but German likes to pack them into long ones later. Stay calm. |
| zwei | tsvy | two | Zwei Kaffee, bitte. | Two coffees, please. | Very useful in cafés. |
| drei | dry | three | Drei Tickets, bitte. | Three tickets, please. | Pronounced like “dry,” not “dray.” |
| heute | HOY-tuh | today | Heute habe ich Zeit. | Today I have time. | Common and easy. |
| morgen | MOR-ghen | tomorrow | Morgen früh fahre ich nach Köln. | I’m going to Cologne early tomorrow. | Also means “morning” in some contexts, but usually “tomorrow.” |
| gestern | GES-tern | yesterday | Gestern war ich müde. | Yesterday I was tired. | Simple time word, very common. |
| jetzt | yets t | now | Ich muss jetzt gehen. | I have to go now. | Useful in everyday speech. |
| gleich | glykh | soon; in a moment | Ich komme gleich. | I’m coming in a moment. | Not “same” here; context matters. |
| später | SHPAY-ter | later | Ich rufe später an. | I’ll call later. | Also useful with vielleicht: vielleicht später. |
| früh | fry | early | Ich stehe früh auf. | I get up early. | Common in routines. |
| langsam | LAHNG-zahm | slowly | Bitte sprechen Sie langsam. | Please speak slowly. | Also means “slow.” |
| schnell | shnel | fast; quickly | Das ging schnell. | That went quickly. | Very common word. |
| immer | IM-mer | always | Ich lerne immer neue Wörter. | I always learn new words. | Great for habits and routines. |
5. Question Words You Will Use Constantly
If you can ask questions, you can survive real conversations. If not, you can still make dramatic facial expressions, but questions are better.
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| wer | vair | who | Wer ist das? | Who is that? | Use for people. |
| was | vahs | what | Was ist das? | What is that? | One of the first words to master. |
| wo | voh | where | Wo ist der Bahnhof? | Where is the station? | Useful with location questions. |
| woher | voh-HAIR | from where | Woher kommst du? | Where are you from? | Very common in introductions. |
| wohin | voh-HIN | to where | Wohin fährst du? | Where are you going? | Used for direction or destination. |
| wann | vahn | when | Wann beginnt der Kurs? | When does the course begin? | Time question. |
| warum | vah-ROOM | why | Warum lernst du Deutsch? | Why are you learning German? | Often answered with weil. |
| wie | vee | how | Wie geht das? | How does that work? | Also used for “like” in comparisons. |
| welcher / welche / welches | VEL-kher / VEL-chuh / VEL-ches | which | Welchen Tee möchten Sie? | Which tea would you like? | Changes by gender and case. Yes, German enjoys making this a little project. |
| wie viel | vee feel | how much; how many | Wie viel kostet das? | How much does that cost? | One of the most useful shopping phrases. |
| welcher Tag? | VEL-kher tahk | which day? | Welcher Tag ist heute? | What day is today? | Useful for dates and planning. |
| wie lange | vee LAHNG-uh | how long | Wie lange dauert das? | How long does that take? | Handy for travel and appointments. |
6. People, Politeness, And Basic Pronouns
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | ikh | I | Ich komme aus Kanada. | I come from Canada. | Pronounced with a soft throaty ch. |
| du | doo | you | Du bist freundlich. | You are friendly. | Informal singular “you.” |
| Sie | zee | you | Sprechen Sie Englisch? | Do you speak English? | Formal polite “you.” Capital S matters. |
| er | air | he | Er ist müde. | He is tired. | Basic pronoun. |
| sie | zee | she; they | Sie ist hier. | She is here. | Lowercase sie can mean “she” or “they.” |
| wir | veer | we | Wir lernen zusammen. | We are learning together. | Very common. |
| ihr | eer | you all | Ihr seid willkommen. | You all are welcome. | Informal plural “you.” |
| man | mahn | one; people; you | In Deutschland trinkt man viel Kaffee. | In Germany, people drink a lot of coffee. | Very useful for general statements. |
| Herr | hair | Mr. | Herr Müller ist da. | Mr. Müller is here. | Capitalized as a noun. |
| Frau | frow | Ms.; Mrs. | Frau Schneider wartet. | Ms. Schneider is waiting. | Very common in polite address. |
| Leute | LOY-tuh | people | Viele Leute sind hier. | Many people are here. | Plural only. |
| Freund / Freundin | froynt / FROYN-din | male friend / female friend | Meine Freundin kommt später. | My friend is coming later. | Can also mean boyfriend/girlfriend depending on context. |
7. Everyday Verbs That Do Heavy Lifting
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| sein | zine | to be | Ich bin müde. | I am tired. | One of the most important verbs in German. |
| haben | HAH-ben | to have | Ich habe Zeit. | I have time. | Used constantly. |
| werden | VAIR-den | to become; will | Es wird kalt. | It’s getting cold. | Also helps form future tense later on. |
| gehen | GAY-en | to go | Ich gehe nach Hause. | I’m going home. | Very common movement verb. |
| kommen | KOM-men | to come | Wann kommst du? | When are you coming? | Useful in daily plans. |
| machen | MAH-khen | to do; make | Was machst du? | What are you doing? | Extremely common and flexible. |
| sagen | ZAH-gen | to say | Was hast du gesagt? | What did you say? | Useful in conversation. |
| geben | GAY-ben | to give; there is/are | Es gibt ein Problem. | There is a problem. | Very useful in everyday German. |
| nehmen | NAY-men | to take | Ich nehme den Zug. | I’m taking the train. | Also used in many common phrases. |
| sehen | ZAY-en | to see | Ich sehe dich. | I see you. | Notice the long ee sound. |
| hören | HUR-en | to hear | Ich höre Musik. | I’m listening to music. | ö takes practice; round your lips a bit. |
| sprechen | SHPREH-chen | to speak | Wir sprechen Deutsch. | We speak German. | The ch sound is soft. |
| lernen | LEHR-nen | to learn | Ich lerne jeden Tag. | I learn every day. | A perfect starter verb. |
| wissen | VIS-sen | to know a fact | Ich weiß das nicht. | I don’t know that. | Different from kennen. |
| kennen | KEN-nen | to know a person/place | Kennen Sie das Museum? | Do you know the museum? | Use for familiarity, not facts. |
8. Useful Everyday Nouns
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| der Mensch | dehr mensh | person; human | Der Mensch braucht Wasser. | Humans need water. | Masculine noun: der. |
| die Zeit | dee tsite | time | Ich habe keine Zeit. | I have no time. | Common with haben. |
| das Leben | dahs LAY-ben | life | Das Leben ist schön. | Life is beautiful. | Neutral noun: das. |
| das Haus | dahs hows | house; home | Ich bin zu Hause. | I am at home. | Watch the spelling: äu in zu Hause is not here, but the phrase is worth learning whole. |
| die Straße | dee SHTRAH-suh | street | Die Straße ist lang. | The street is long. | Note the ß. |
| der Bahnhof | dehr BAHN-hof | station | Wo ist der Bahnhof? | Where is the station? | Very useful for travel. |
| der Zug | dehr tsoog | train | Der Zug fährt gleich ab. | The train is leaving soon. | Important travel word. |
| das Ticket | dahs TIK-et | ticket | Ich brauche ein Ticket. | I need a ticket. | Often borrowed from English. |
| der Laden | dehr LAH-den | shop | Der Laden ist geschlossen. | The shop is closed. | Handy in shopping contexts. |
| das Geld | dahs gelt | money | Ich habe kein Geld dabei. | I don’t have any money with me. | Good emergency word. |
| das Essen | dahs ESS-en | food; meal | Das Essen ist lecker. | The food is tasty. | Neutral and common. |
| das Wasser | dahs VAH-ser | water | Ein Glas Wasser, bitte. | A glass of water, please. | Useful in cafés and restaurants. |
| der Kaffee | dehr KAH-fey | coffee | Ich trinke Kaffee morgens. | I drink coffee in the morning. | Very beloved in German-speaking countries. |
| die Frage | dee FRAH-guh | question | Ich habe eine Frage. | I have a question. | Perfect phrase for class or conversation. |
| die Antwort | dee AHNT-vort | answer | Die Antwort ist richtig. | The answer is correct. | Pairs nicely with Frage. |
9. Useful Adjectives And Everyday Descriptions
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| neu | noy | new | Ich habe ein neues Buch. | I have a new book. | Common and easy. |
| alt | ahlt | old | Das Haus ist alt. | The house is old. | Can also mean “old” in the sense of age. |
| groß | gros | big; tall | Die Stadt ist groß. | The city is big. | Note the sharp ß soundless ending. |
| klein | kline | small | Ich wohne in einer kleinen Wohnung. | I live in a small apartment. | Very useful with adjectives. |
| gut | goot | good | Das ist ein gutes Hotel. | That is a good hotel. | Works in many contexts. |
| schön | shurn | beautiful; nice | Heute ist das Wetter schön. | The weather is nice today. | Not the same as schon. |
| neu | noy | new | Das ist ein neuer Job. | That is a new job. | Adjective endings will change later. German, naturally, could not resist. |
| teuer | TOY-er | expensive | Das ist zu teuer. | That is too expensive. | Very useful in shops. |
| billig | BIL-ikh | cheap; inexpensive | Das ist billig. | That is cheap. | Sometimes means “low quality,” so be careful with tone. |
| einfach | EYN-fakh | simple; easy | Deutsch ist nicht einfach. | German is not easy. | A word learners say a lot, often with feeling. |
| schwierig | SHVEE-rikh | difficult | Das ist schwierig. | That is difficult. | Great for honest conversations. |
| wichtig | VIKH-tikh | important | Das ist wichtig. | That is important. | Useful in instructions and work talk. |
| möglich | MURG-likh | possible | Ist das möglich? | Is that possible? | Common and practical. |
10. Travel, Shopping, And Food Basics
| German | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence | Translation | Learner Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ein Bier, bitte | ine beer, BIT-uh | a beer, please | Ich hätte gern ein Bier, bitte. | I would like a beer, please. | Polite and common in cafés or bars. |
| ein Kaffee, bitte | ine KAH-fey, BIT-uh | a coffee, please | Ein Kaffee, bitte. | A coffee, please. | Short, natural, and very useful. |
| die Rechnung | dee REKH-noong | the bill | Die Rechnung, bitte. | The bill, please. | Classic restaurant phrase. |
| bezahlen | beh-TSAH-len | to pay | Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen? | Can I pay by card? | Very practical in shops and restaurants. |
| bar | bahr | cash | Ich zahle bar. | I pay in cash. | Useful when card payment is not possible. |
| Karte | KAHR-tuh | card | Haben Sie eine Karte? | Do you have a card? | Can mean map too, depending on context. |
| toilette | toy-LET-tuh | toilet; restroom | Wo ist die Toilette? | Where is the toilet? | Standard and safe in public places. |
| Platz | plats | seat; place; square | Ist hier noch Platz frei? | Is this seat free? | Very flexible word. |
| Reservierung | reh-zair-VEE-roong | reservation | Ich habe eine Reservierung. | I have a reservation. | Useful in hotels and restaurants. |
| Hotel | hoh-TEL | hotel | Das Hotel ist teuer. | The hotel is expensive. | Borrowed from English, but pronunciation differs. |
| Zimmer | TSIM-mer | room | Wir haben ein Zimmer. | We have a room. | Very common in hotel language. |
| Bahnhof | BAHN-hof | train station | Wir treffen uns am Bahnhof. | We are meeting at the station. | Extremely useful for travel planning. |
| Taxi | TAK-see | taxi | Ich brauche ein Taxi. | I need a taxi. | Easy loanword. |
| Fahrkarte | FAHR-kar-tuh | ticket | Ich brauche eine Fahrkarte nach Hamburg. | I need a ticket to Hamburg. | More specifically a transport ticket. |
11. A Small But Powerful German Sound And Spelling Note
German pronunciation gets friendlier once you stop fighting a few sounds. The ch in ich is soft and airy, like a quiet hiss. The r is often lighter than English speakers expect. And sch sounds like “sh,” as in schön and schlecht.
Also, nouns are capitalized. Always. Yes, even when German is feeling casual about everything else.
| Sound / Spelling | Example | Helpful Hint |
|---|---|---|
| ch | ich, nicht, sprechen | Soft throat sound, not English “k.” |
| sch | schön, schlecht, Straße | Sounds like “sh.” |
| ei | mein, sein, heiß | Usually “eye” sound. |
| ie | viel, hieß, hier | Usually long “ee” sound. |
| ä | spät, gern, käse | Often like a short “eh.” |
| ö | hören, schön | Round your lips a little. |
| ü | müde, für | Make an “ee” shape with rounded lips. |
| ß | groß, Straße | Usually after a long vowel sound. |
12. Germany, Austria, And Switzerland Differences You May Hear
Most of this list is standard German, which works broadly across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. But real life likes variety.
| Standard German | Germany | Austria | Switzerland | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tschüss | common | common | common | Very safe casual goodbye. |
| Guten Tag | common | common | common | Neutral formal greeting everywhere. |
| servus | regional | very common | heard sometimes | Informal greeting and goodbye in Austria and parts of the south. |
| Grüezi | not standard | not standard | very common | Swiss greeting; useful if you are in Switzerland. |
| Vorsicht | common | common | common | Means “caution.” |
Quick Pronunciation Tip For W And V
In German, w usually sounds like English v, so wie sounds like “vee.” German v often sounds like f, as in vielleicht. This is one of those rules that feels annoying for about five minutes and then starts making sense.
13. Quick Practice
Try saying these out loud. Fast repetition helps more than staring at a list like it owes you money.
- Guten Tag — Hello / Good day
- Wie geht’s? — How’s it going?
- Ich heiße … — My name is …
- Ich verstehe nicht. — I don’t understand.
- Noch einmal, bitte. — Once more, please.
- Wo ist …? — Where is …?
- Ich brauche Hilfe. — I need help.
- Wie viel kostet das? — How much does that cost?
- Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch. — I speak a little German.
- Gern geschehen. — You’re welcome.
If you want a deeper next step, continue with popular German phrases, or explore German question words so you can ask better questions than “Where is the train?” for the hundredth time. For extra vocabulary practice, beautiful and cool German words is a nice follow-up.
Yak takeaway: learn the small words first, because they do the heavy lifting. With just a few greetings, question words, and everyday verbs, German stops looking like a wall and starts acting like a language.
