In a German school, a 1 is the best grade and a 6 is the worst. A child who comes home with eine Eins gets praise, and eine Fünf means trouble. If you grew up with A to F or with percentages, the report card reads upside down at first.
The second surprise is the system itself: after primary school, children go to different types of school. Here are the words for all of it, from the first day of Grundschule to a university lecture.
The German School Types
| School | Ages or classes | What it is |
|---|---|---|
die Grundschule | classes 1 to 4; 1 to 6 in Berlin and Brandenburg | primary school for all children |
die Mittelschule / die Hauptschule | classes 5 to 9 or 10 | general secondary school, leads to vocational training |
die Realschule | classes 5 to 10 | middle track, ends with the Mittlere Reife |
das Gymnasium | classes 5 to 12 or 13 | academic track, ends with the Abitur |
die Gesamtschule | classes 5 to 10 or 13 | all tracks under one roof |
die Berufsschule | from about 16 | vocational school, alongside an Ausbildung |
die Förderschule | all ages | for children with special educational needs |
Sixteen systems: schools are run by the federal states, so names and rules differ. Bavaria has the Mittelschule, other states call similar schools Oberschule or Sekundarschule. Always check what applies in your state.
Abitur is the school-leaving exam that opens the door to university. People shorten it to Abi: Ich mache nächstes Jahr Abi.
People and Places at School
school
die Schule
pupil
der Schüler
teacher
der Lehrer
class
die Klasse
classroom
das Klassenzimmer
class teacher
der Klassenlehrer
head teacher
der Schulleiter
playground
der Schulhof
break
die Pause
gym
die Turnhalle
school office
das Sekretariat
after-school care
der Hort
Practice these words
die Schule
Female forms take -in: die Schülerin, die Lehrerin, die Schulleiterin. In primary schools most teachers are women, so you'll hear die Klassenlehrerin far more often.
School Subjects
subject
das Fach
maths
Mathe / Mathematik
German
Deutsch
English
Englisch
biology
Biologie
chemistry
Chemie
physics
Physik
history
Geschichte
geography
Erdkunde / Geografie
art
Kunst
music
Musik
PE
Sport
religious education
Religion
ethics
Ethik
computer science
Informatik
Practice these words
das Fach
No article: subjects are used without one. Ich habe heute Mathe, Sie ist gut in Englisch. In primary school, science, history and geography are taught together as Sachunterricht.
Lessons, Homework and Exams
lessons, teaching
der Unterricht
lesson, period
die Stunde
timetable
der Stundenplan
homework
die Hausaufgaben
class test
die Klassenarbeit
exam
die Prüfung
grade
die Note
school report
das Zeugnis
exercise book
das Heft
textbook
das Schulbuch
pencil case
das Federmäppchen
school bag
der Schulranzen
school holidays
die Ferien
to repeat a year
sitzen bleiben
Practice these words
der Unterricht
Ferien or Urlaub? Ferien are the school holidays. Urlaub is the leave you take from work. A family says In den Ferien fahren wir in den Urlaub.
In Bavaria a big written test is a Schulaufgabe, and a short unannounced one is an Ex, short for Extemporale.
German Grades From 1 to 6
| Grade | In words | Means |
|---|---|---|
1 | sehr gut | very good |
2 | gut | good |
3 | befriedigend | satisfactory |
4 | ausreichend | sufficient, a pass |
5 | mangelhaft | poor, a fail |
6 | ungenügend | insufficient, a clear fail |
Good to know: grades are said with eine: Ich habe eine Zwei in Mathe. A plus or minus fine-tunes them, so a Zwei minus is a little below a 2. In the last years of the Gymnasium, the scale switches to points from 0 to 15, where 15 is the best.
At University
university
die Universität / die Uni
university of applied sciences
die Fachhochschule
degree course
das Studium
to study
studieren
student
der Student
lecture
die Vorlesung
seminar
das Seminar
semester
das Semester
written exam
die Klausur
term paper
die Hausarbeit
degree
der Abschluss
canteen
die Mensa
semester fee
der Semesterbeitrag
Practice these words
die Universität / die Uni
Watch out: studieren is only for university. School pupils lernen or gehen zur Schule, and if you're learning German in a course, you say Ich lerne Deutsch. In the same way, a Student is always at university. A child at school is a Schüler.
Most public universities charge most students no tuition fees, only a Semesterbeitrag of a few hundred euros, which often includes a public transport ticket.
Talking About School
Which class are you in?
In welche Klasse gehst du?
I'm in class three.
Ich gehe in die dritte Klasse.
What's your favourite subject?
Was ist dein Lieblingsfach?
I have a 2 in maths.
Ich habe eine Zwei in Mathe.
We have a class test tomorrow.
Wir schreiben morgen eine Klassenarbeit.
I study medicine.
Ich studiere Medizin.
I'm in my third semester.
Ich bin im dritten Semester.
Practice these words
In welche Klasse gehst du?
What Surprises Newcomers
- School is compulsory, at school. Germany has Schulpflicht: children must attend a school, and homeschooling is generally not allowed.
- The day starts early. Lessons usually begin around eight, and in primary school they often end by lunchtime unless the child stays for the Ganztag or the Hort.
- The decision comes early too. In most states, the choice of secondary school is made after class 4, based on grades and the teacher's recommendation. In a few states the recommendation is binding; in most, parents have the final say. Changing track later is possible, but it takes effort.
- Holidays are staggered. Each state has its own dates for the six-week summer break, so that the whole country isn't on the motorway at once.