Nouns are what you look up. These are what you actually say. Roughly half of any German conversation is built from about a hundred small words — articles, prepositions, connectors, time words — and they repeat so relentlessly that learning them pays back faster than any topic list.
This page is the hub of the vocabulary section. It also includes something most word lists skip: the handful of tiny words Germans sprinkle into sentences that barely translate at all, and which make the difference between correct German and German that sounds like a person.
The Twenty You'll Hear Most
the
der / die / das
a
ein / eine
and
und
is
ist
not
nicht
I
ich
you
Sie / du
it
es
in
in
to
zu
with
mit
on
auf
for
für
from, of
von
also
auch
oneself
sich
but
aber
so, like that
so
how, like
wie
what
was
Practice these words
der / die / das
Quick note: notice how many are grammar rather than content. That's the point — German sentences are mostly scaffolding, and once the scaffolding is automatic you only have to think about the nouns and verbs.
Connecting Words
and
und
or
oder
but
aber
because (keeps normal word order)
denn
because (sends the verb to the end)
weil
that
dass
if, when
wenn
whether
ob
so, therefore
also
that's why
deshalb
nevertheless
trotzdem
although
obwohl
so that
damit
but rather
sondern
for example
zum Beispiel
Practice these words
und
Quick notes:
- Weil and denn both mean "because," and the difference is word order: Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich müde bin versus Ich bleibe zu Hause, denn ich bin müde. If word order worries you, use denn.
- Sondern is "but" after a negative: Nicht heute, sondern morgen. Using aber there is a common mistake.
- Also is a false friend. It means "so" or "therefore," not "also." English "also" is auch.
Prepositions
in, into
in
on
auf
at, on (vertical)
an
with
mit
for
für
from, of
von
to
zu
at, near, at someone's
bei
after, to (places)
nach
out of, from
aus
over, about
über
under
unter
in front of, before
vor
behind
hinter
between
zwischen
without
ohne
against
gegen
since, for
seit
Practice these words
in
Quick notes:
- Bei has no clean English equivalent. It covers bei mir (at my place), bei der Arbeit (at work), bei Regen (when it rains), bei Müller (at the Müllers').
- Nach and zu both mean "to." Rough rule: nach for cities and countries without an article, zu for people, shops and buildings — nach Berlin, but zum Arzt, zur Post.
- Prepositions decide the case of what follows. That's German's deep end, and you don't need it yet — learn them inside whole phrases and the pattern will surface on its own.
Time Words
today
heute
tomorrow
morgen
yesterday
gestern
now
jetzt
in a moment
gleich
later
später
earlier, in the past
früher
always
immer
never
nie
often
oft
sometimes
manchmal
rarely
selten
already
schon
still
noch
soon
bald
right now, just
gerade
again
wieder
Practice these words
heute
Quick notes:
- Morgen is tomorrow; der Morgen is the morning. Morgen früh means tomorrow morning, which looks like nonsense and is used constantly.
- Gleich means "in a minute," not "equal," when it's a time word: Ich komme gleich.
- Schon and noch are opposites in practice: schon fertig (already done), noch nicht fertig (not done yet).
Quantities
much, a lot
viel
many
viele
little
wenig
a few
ein paar
all
alle
everything
alles
nothing
nichts
something, a bit
etwas
more
mehr
less
weniger
enough
genug
every, each
jeder
whole, quite
ganz
too much
zu viel
only
nur
Practice these words
viel
Quick note: ganz does double duty. Die ganze Woche is "the whole week," but ganz gut is "quite good" — and ganz gut is the answer Germans give when things are fine.
Useful Adjectives
good
gut
bad
schlecht
big
groß
small
klein
new
neu
old
alt
beautiful, nice
schön
expensive
teuer
cheap
billig / günstig
fast
schnell
slow
langsam
right, correct
richtig
wrong
falsch
important
wichtig
easy, simple
einfach
difficult
schwierig
Practice these words
gut
Quick note: günstig is the polite word for cheap. Billig can imply shoddy, which is why shops advertise günstige Preise and never billige Preise.
The Little Words That Barely Translate
German drops small particles into sentences to set the tone. They have almost no dictionary meaning, they're impossible to translate directly, and they're the clearest marker of someone who actually speaks the language.
Do come along! (contradiction, or gentle insistence)
doch / Komm doch mit!
Hang on a sec. (softens a request to "just")
mal / Warte mal.
That's just the way it is.
eben / halt / Das ist halt so.
That goes without saying. ("as you know", shared knowledge)
Das ist ja klar.
What are you doing? (curiosity in a question)
denn / Was machst du denn?
He must be sick. (probably, I assume)
wohl / Er ist wohl krank.
It'll be fine. (reassurance)
schon / Das wird schon.
Practice these words
doch / Komm doch mit!
Quick notes:
- Mal is the one to start using today. Adding it to any request makes it friendlier: Kannst du mal helfen?, Schau mal, Sag mal.
- Doch also answers a negative question positively — that use is covered in nicht or kein.
- Don't try to learn these from definitions. Collect the sentences whole and reuse them; the feel arrives before the rule does.
Where to Go From Here
This is the hub page for the vocabulary section, and the words above turn up inside every other lesson on the site. The natural next steps are the 100 most common verbs, which give you the other half of every sentence, and the verb sein, which glues the two together.
A practical way to use this page: don't memorise it. Come back to it after each new lesson and notice how many of these hundred words appeared in it. They will keep appearing — that's what makes them worth knowing.
Three Mistakes to Avoid
Reading also as "also." It means "so, therefore." English also is auch.
Using billig to compliment a price. Say günstig unless you mean cheaply made.
Avoiding the particles because they look untranslatable. Mal and doch cost nothing and change how you sound more than any amount of extra vocabulary.