German adverbs don’t demand attention-they just quietly shape your meaning. Without them, you can’t say when you’ll arrive (bald), how you feel (leider), or where you put your keys (dort). This list hands you around 500 of the most common German adverbs you’ll bump into in everyday conversation, from casual chats to news headlines.
Every adverb comes with a plain-English meaning and a natural example sentence so you can see it in the wild, not just a translation. You’ll also spot a play button in the table-tap it to hear the word spoken aloud, because your ears deserve practice too. When you’re ready to study offline, just click the free PDF download button below the table.
Run through the list at your own speed, steal a few favourites for your next conversation, and notice how much smoother your German sounds. No strict drills-just practical vocabulary you can really use.
Want more than one list? Browse our German section for more Yak Yacker study pages, printable lists, and quiz-friendly review material.
Quick Quiz
Think you know your nie from your immer ? The quick quiz below is a fun way to test how many of these adverbs you already have locked in. No pressure-just a friendly check to see where you stand.
Browse the Full List
| Word | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Rom | Other | Rome |
| Rote | Other | carrot-top, ginger nut |
| Salon | Other | drawing room, parlor, parlour, salon |
| samstags | Verb | Saturdays, on Saturdays, every Saturday |
| Schaffner | Other | conductor, carman |
| schamlos | Adjective | shameless, unashamed, unabashed |
| Schande | Other | disgrace |
| Schätzchen | Other | you’re a fine one! |
| Scherz | Other | joke |
| Schilling | Other | schilling |
| schlachten | Verb | slaughter, kill, butcher |
| schläfrig | Adjective | sleepy, drowsy |
| Schlagzeug | Other | drums, percussion |
| Schlechten | Other | cleats, cleavages |
| schmerzen | Verb | smart, sting |
| Schmerzmittel | Other | pain-killer, analgesic |
| Schminke | Other | makeup, make-up |
| Schmutz | Other | dirt |
| Schnabel | Other | bill, beak |
| schnitt | Other | cut |
| schonen | Verb | take good care of, look after, treat |
| Schornstein | Other | chimney |
| Schulabschluss | Other | school-leaving qualification, high school diploma |
| Schuss | Other | shot |
| schütten | Verb | pour |
