German word for now

Hello everyone,

and welcome to the forth part of our (not so) mini series on how to talk about time in German.

The first part was and overview over what the different ways to indicate time, not just in German but in language in general, and I strongly recommend that you read that theoretical monster… uhm article (find it here)

The second part was about saying the time of day in German, and it was pretty boring. Like… REALLY boring. But you still have to know this stuff, so have to read it sooner or later (find it here).

In the third part, we looked at all those “names” for times like Monday, June, morning, last week and so forth and if you like exceptions (who doesn’t) then that’s gonna be your favorite article. (find it here).

And while all three parts have quite different subjects, they have one thing in common:
they are incredibly long.
So will part four live up to its predecessors and be as long and tiring?
The answer is… No!

The first three parts were like the 2020 of talking about time, and now slowly, we’ll start the fun again.
Here is what’ll happen today:
We’ll look at a bunch of words, I’ll say a few things about them, you will go like “Oh my god, I always used that the wrong way”, “Oh cool, that is really good to know.” and “Oh cool this is also really good to know.” and “Oh cool, this is also really really good to know.”
And then we’ll be done.
Sounds great? Cool. The let’s jump right in and look at

German time adverbs

Yeay…

Now, what are adverbs of time?
Well, they’re basically words that can indicate either a point in time or a span by themselves.
Actually, we’ve already learned some of them last time, when we were talking about the “names”, because grammatically, today and yesterday are adverbs of time.
And the key thing is really that they can answer the question when? by themselves.

• When did/will you do your homework?
• … .

But the bulk of time adverbs are words likee now, soon, later, earlier, or recently.
And because there are so many of them and they’re SUPER USEFUL, we’ll split this in two parts – the past and the “not past”.
In this lecture, we’ll focus on the latter, so we’ll start in the present, and move along the time line into the future.

And the first word is of course the German word for now  – jetzt.

• Ich muss jetzt gehen.
• I have to go now.

• So, what now?
• Und, was jetzt?

German actually also has nun, a direct relative of now, but jetzt and nun are synonyms for the most part, and jetzt is definitely more common, so just stick with that one.
Cool.
So, now that we know how to refer to the now, let’s move forward in time to the immediate future.

The immediate future

And the first word to know there is sofort. Sounds a bit like so forth, looks a bit like so forth, smells a bit like so fart… I mean forth.
But it means immediately because German likes to mess with our heads.

• Mach sofort den Fernseher aus!
• Turn off the TV immediately!

• “Hast du deine Mails gecheckt?”
  “Noch nicht, aber ich mache es sofort.”
• “Have you checked your Email?”
  “Not yet, but I’ll do it right away.”

Generally, sofort really sounds pretty immediate, but time is of course relative.
A kid playing Fortnite might very well use sofort as an answer to “Start doing your homework!” only to keep playing for another 3 hours.
Or a waiter might say sofort, when you ask for the bill, only to go have a cigarette with the waitress.
I think, neither immediately nor right away can be used in this kind of Einsteinian-way.
But anyway, generally sofort is the closest to now there is in the future.

Also pretty close to “now” but not as immediate as sofort is the word gleich.
The temporal range of gleich is roughly from about in 5 minutes to in 2 hours, depending on context.
If a waitress says:

• Ich komme gleich.
• I’ll be there in a minute.

…that means that she will probably be there once she’s done with that cigarette.
If you are on the phone with a friend and you say

• Bis gleich.

then that might mean that you’ll meet in one hour in the park.
Of course, the range of gleich doesn’t stop precisely at the two hour mark. It’s blurry. But saying bis gleich on the phone to someone you’ll see five hours later for dinner might already be confusing.

• “Ok also dann sehen wir uns heute Abend zum Dinner.”
  “Ja ich freu mich, bis gleich.”
  “Ähhh… wie bis gleich… ich dachte, heute abend?”
• “Ok, so we’ll see each other tonight for diner.”
  “Yep, I am excited, I’ll see you in a bit”
  “Uhh… what do you mean “in a bit”.. I thought, tonight?”

In this situation, we need something that’s a bit further into the future, which bring us right to our next section.

Later that day

And the two main possibilities here are nachher and später.

Später is the literal translation of later, which could technically be in 100 years. But in practice, as a name for time, später covers the span between 2 hour and 5 hours from now.
Why 5 and not 6? Well, no idea… it is just a feeling.
If you agree with someone at noon that you will meet up at 8 pm, you’d rather say heute abend (tonight) and that’s just more idiomatic.
The best use for später is as a reference to some point within the next few hours, and it is not clear when exactly. So, you go shopping and your friend goes to the library and you’ll see later –  that is a perfect moment to say

• Bis später.
• Later.

Just to make sure… später ALWAYS means the same day.
If you say “Bis später” to someone when you mean the next day, that’s actually a bit confusing.
Like… which is it, today or tomorrow?
Cool

Now, the other word, nachher, refers to the same range of time as später. And many times, nachher and später are interchangeable.
But I feel like nachher sounds is a bit more specific. If you do know the exact time you will meet, nachher is the better pick, because it sounds more “aware of the date“. And später sounds more open and has more procrastination potential, if that makes sense.

• “Thomas, wann machst du die Küche sauber?”
  “Nachher Schatz.” (Thomas acknowledges that he will do it at some point later really should do it, just not now)
  “Später, Schatz.” (Thomas sounds a bit as if he doesn’t really care and is just procrastinating the chore)
• “Thomas, when will you clean the kitchen?”
  “Later, hon’.”

But this difference between nachher and später is really subtle. Here are two examples, where they’re pretty much interchangeable.

• Bis nachher.
• Later.
  

• Ach Mist, ich muss nachher noch zur Uni. Ich habe keine Lust.
• Oh crap, I have to go university later. I don’t feel like it.

Now, before we move one, I want to say a quick word about danach, beacuse I’m sure some of you are wondering about it.
Danach can translate to later as well, but it NOT mean the same as später or nachher because danach is what I call a pointer, not a name, and you need a reference point for it.
Don’t worry, we’ll talk about this stuff in part 6 of this series, but you can keep it in the back of you head that you CAN’T use danach if you have no point in time to point to.
All right.
Now so far, we have learned words, that can be applied for the same day.
Time to go further into the future.

Beyond Tomorrow

And the main two words here are are bald and demnächst.
Just like später and nachher, bald and demnächst are interchangeable oftentimes.
They both can refer to any point  in the future between, let’s say four days and four weeks maybe… yes, they are THAT vague :).
They CANNOT be used for the same day and the shouldn’t be used for the two or three following days as those are quite close and can be addressed with morgen, übermorgen or in ein paar Tagen.
So if you are going to see someone three days from now you WOULDN’T say

• Bis bald /demnächst.
• Till soon.

And not only because three days is a bit closer than bald and demnächst sound like, but also because bald and demnächst with all their inherent vagueness really express that you do NOT know when something is going to happen. They’re like soon but think bald actually sounds less soon, than soon does…. like… bald sounds a bit less urgent.
Here are some examples.

• Ich muss bald/demnächst mal wieder Fenster putzen.
• I will have to clean my windows at some point /soon.

• Ich glaube mein Handy geht bald kaputt.
• I think my phone will break at some point (soon).

• Bald ist wieder Winter.
• Not so far from now/ soon, it will be winter.

• Ich will so bald wie möglich Kaffee trinken.
• I want to drink coffee as soon as possible.

Now, is there a difference between bald and demnächst? Well, yes. It’s tone.  Demnächst wouldn’t really sound right. I think demnächst has kind of a technocratic touch to it. Bald is the heart, demnächst is the Google calendar.

• Wir haben demnächst in unserer Firma Besuch von einem wichtigen Investor.
• We will have a visit from an important investor in our company soon.

I don’t use demnächst that much in every day speech but I think you’ll see it around. One example, where they do use demnächst is in movie trailers.

• Demnächst im Kino.
• Coming soon.

However, both things work as a good bye if you are not quite sure when exactly you will see someone.

• Bis bald/demnächst.

Alright.
So this has gotten quite long already so I think we’ll divide it into 2 parts and make a … oh, hold on… my red exception phone is ringing, gotta take that call real quick… hey John man, how is it going?… WHAT? … I messed up?!?!… about bald?…uh … oh …. ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh … oh crap…. damn bald… well, good you called man, that is a BIG deal, thanks a lot man and keep watching…. yeah you too, bye.
So…. sorry guys but I have really overlooked something about bald. So … I said that bald doesn’t refer to the same day!
That is true in context of good bye phrases. “Bis bald” does absolutely NOT WORK for the same day.
However, there are many occasions when bald refers to the same day in sense of soon.

• Ich glaube es regnet bald.
• I think it is going to rain soon.

• “Ist Maria schon da?”
  “Nein, aber sie sollte bald kommen.”
• “Is Maria here yet?”
  “No but she should be coming soon.”

• “Was machts du gerade?”
  “Ich bin noch in der Bibliothek aber ich glaube ich gehe bald nach Hause.”
• “What are you doing?”
  “I am still at the library but I think I will go home soon.”

This same-day-bald can mean anything between 30 minutes and 2 hours … that’s what I feel. It is actually kind of similar to gleich, just a little more extended.
So bald is REALLY vague after all. And it’s really up to context.

• Wir sollten bald wieder ins Theater gehen.
• We should go to the theater again at some point in the near future/soon.
  

• Wir sollten bald losgehen, sonst kommen wir zu spät ins Theater.
• We should head out soon, or we will be late for the theater.

Cool.
And I think we’ll actually make a break here. We’ve learned the most common time adverbs for the future and next time we’ll do the same for the past. To recap quickly here is a list of today words in temporal order:

• jetzt  – now
• sofort – immadiately
• gleich – (a few minute)
• später, nachher (bald) – (a few hours on the  same day)
• bald /demnächst (a few days till 1 month or more into the future)

If you REALLY have no idea, then you can also say irgendwann, which is at some point.
And to wrap this up, here is the ultimate word that can stand for ANY point in time.

dann

Technically, this is one of those pointer-words, that we’ll talk about in part 6, so it needs a reference point. But when saying good bye to someone, it can be used generically.

• Bis dann.

This is fine for in an hour or in 2 months, for a fixed appointment or for no idea when exactly… it just always sounds appropriate.
If you want to recap what we did, go ahead and take the little quiz my beautiful assistant and I have prepared.
And if you have any questions or suggestions please leave me a comment, I hope you liked it and
Bis dann.

further reading:

Word of the Day – “gleich” .

English ⇔ German — leo.org: Start page

SUCHWORT — Translation in LEO’s ­English ⇔ German Dictionary

LEO.org: Your online dictionary for ­English-German­ translations. Offering forums, vocabulary trainer and language courses. Also available as App!

Learn the translation for ‘SUCHWORT’ in LEO’s ­English ⇔ German­ dictionary. With noun/verb tables for the different cases and tenses ✓ links to audio pronunciation and relevant forum discussions ✓ free vocabulary trainer ✓

If you’ve just started learning German, you might be struggling to get past the beginner stage.

Maybe you feel overwhelmed by the Germanic umlauts on vowels (ä, ö, ü), or maybe that eszett letter (ß). Perhaps it’s the pace of spoken German that’s made you question your decision to start learning.

While there’s definitely truth to those concerns, worry not. There are several short and easy-to-learn words in German that can serve as a springboard while you become familiar with the language. 

Memorizing even a few basic German words for beginners will be enough of a stepping stone to help you eventually learn more. This is because many German words are composed of several shorter words that, when combined, have a unique meaning.

Take Kühlschrank, for example. This word is composed of Kühl- which means “cool,” and -schrank which translates to “cupboard.”

Combine the two and you get “cool cupboard,” which is a funny way to describe a refrigerator—the actual meaning of the word Kühlschrank.

Pretty relieving to know this, right? 

German isn’t that hard after all. The most difficult part is to summon up the courage to begin. 

That’s why we took the time to put together a categorized masterlist of the most essential words in German for beginners. 

Without further ado, let’s get right into it…

Table of Contents

1. Pronouns
2. Numbers
3. Nouns
4. Verbs
5. Adjectives
6. Conjunctions
7. Others
8. Conclusion

1. Pronouns

The first set of words you should add to your German vocabulary are pronouns. These are the words we use to refer to people, places, or things without actually using their names:

• Susan ate the chocolate bar. = She ate the chocolate bar. 

Here, we’ll be covering three types of pronouns in German: personal, demonstrative, and interrogative. 

Personal Pronouns

We’ll start with personal pronouns, given their importance in sentences. These are crucial for almost any sentence, and we recommend you memorize them by heart before you start with any other words.

English	German
I	ich
you	du
he	er
she	sie
it	es
we	wir
you (plural)	ihr
they	sie
me	mich / mir
you	dich / dir
him	ihm / ihn
her	ihr
us	uns
them	ihnen

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are especially critical for indicating which objects or people you’re referring to in your dialogue. These four basic German words are important to master at the beginner stage.

English	German
this	dieses
that	das
these	diese
those	jene

Interrogative Pronouns / Question Words

Interrogative pronouns, or the “Five Ws,” are the words we use to ask questions. 

English	German
who	wer
whom	wen / wem
whose	wessen
what	was
which	welche

In a similar vein, there are a few interrogative adverbs you should learn at this stage as well: 

English	German
when	wann
where	wo
why	warum
how	wie

2. Numbers

The numbers from one to ten in German are rather similar to those in English. Just like with most languages, learning the first ten digits will help you understand and easily learn the rest of the numbers.

Numbers	English	German
0	zero	null
1	one	eins
2	two	zwei
3	three	drei
4	four	vier
5	five	fünf
6	six	sechs
7	seven	sieben
8	eight	acht
9	nine	neun
10	ten	zehn

3. Nouns

Nouns are one of the most important parts of speech, so you should memorize as many of them in German as you can. When used with verbs, they create a complete sentence—in a pinch, you can even use them alone to get an urgent point across! Below, you’ll find lists of beginner German nouns you should focus on right away. 

Time

Time is king, especially in a country like Germany where punctuality is paramount. Learning time-related vocabulary will come in handy in your day-to-day interactions.

English	German
hour	Stunde
minute	Minute
morning	Morgen
afternoon	Nachmittag
evening	Abend
day	Tag
month	Monat
year	Jahr
Monday	Montag
Tuesday	Dienstag
Wednesday	Mittwoch
Thursday	Donnerstag
Friday	Freitag
Saturday	Samstag
Sunday	Sonntag

People

These are the words you’d learn in the first lesson of probably any German beginner copybook. 

English	German
butcher	Metzger (m.) / Metzgerin (f.)
woodman	Holzfäller (m.) / Holzfällerin (f.)
police officer	Polizist (m.) / Polizistin (f.)
doctor	Arzt (m.) / Ärztin (f.)
nurse	Krankenpfleger (m.) / Krankenschwester (f.)
firefighter	Feuerwehrmann (m.) / Feuerwehrfrau (f.)
teacher	Lehrer (m.) / Lehrerin (f.)
father	Vater
mother	Mutter
sister	Schwester
brother	Bruder
Mr.	Herr
Ms.	Frau

Places Around Town

If you’re traveling in Germany, whether in one town or around the country, these words will help you get by and even ask for directions.

English	German
hospital	Krankenhaus
supermarket	Supermarkt
school	Schule
downtown	Innenstadt
university	Universität
city hall	Rathaus
main square	Hauptplatz
bank	Bank
museum	Museum
restaurant	Restaurant
café	Café
police station	Polizeistation
train station	Bahnhof
bus station	Bushaltestelle

School/Office Essentials

If you have to study or work in Germany, these words will be helpful when you’re in class or at the office.

English	German
pen	Kugelschreiber
notebook	Notizbuch
computer	Computer
pencil case	Federmappe
headphones	Kopfhörer
mouse	Maus
keyboard	Tastatur
wifi	WLAN
charger	Ladegerät
cable	Kabel
backpack	Rucksack
desk	Schreibtisch
copybook	Heft

Body Parts

English	German
eye	Auge
nose	Nase
ear	Ohr
face	Gesicht
arm	Arm
chest	Brust
cheek	Wange
forehead	Stirn
mouth	Mund
chin	Kinn
armpit	Achselhöhle
abdomen	Bauch
leg	Bein
toe	Zeh
finger	Finger
ankle	Knöchel
hip	Hüfte
forearm	Unterarm
elbow	Ellbogen
wrist	Handgelenk

Food

Germans are proud of their cuisine and German culture values eating healthy, fresh food rather than buying frozen or ready-to-eat meals. Here’s a list of words for your next grocery shopping spree.

English	German
ٍٍvegetables	Gemüse
fruit	Obst
meat	Fleisch
milk	Milch
egg	Ei
coffee	Kaffee
yogurt	Joghurt
bread	Brot
bacon	Speck
pie	Kuchen
ham	Schinken
chicken	Huhn
juice	Saft
sausage	Wurst

4. Verbs

As a beginner in German, you’ll greatly benefit from picking up the most commonly used verbs. Learning them together with nouns will give you a headstart when it comes to forming sentences and communicating with others. 

Daily Routine Verbs

If you’re into daily journaling, doing that in German will require you to know a set of daily routine-related verbs. Here’s a list to get you started:

English	German
to get up	aufstehen
to eat	essen
to drink	trinken
to go	gehen
to work	arbeiten
to study	studieren
to drive	fahren
to ride	reiten
to sleep	schlafen
to wake up	aufwachen
to hang	hängen
to do laundry	Wäsche machen
to nap	ein Nickerchen machen
to work out	trainieren
to go out	ausgehen
to prepare	vorbereiten
to cook	kochen
to clean	putzen
to wash	waschen
to tidy up	aufräumen
to connect	verbinden
to communicate	kommunizieren
to wear	tragen
to warm up	aufwärmen
to grab	greifen
to mix	mischen
to hold	halten
to freeze	einfrieren
to change	wechseln
to move	bewegen

Other Common Verbs

English	German
to give	geben
to get	bekommen
to do	tun
to make	machen
to let	lassen
to ask	fragen
to smile	lächeln
to find	finden
to use	benutzen
to take	nehmen
to come	kommen
to look	schauen
to hear	hören
to smell	riechen
to talk	sprechen
to exit	gehen
to call	rufen
to feel	fühlen
to answer	antworten
to laugh	lachen
to cry	weinen
to steal	stehlen
to run	rennen
to walk	gehen
to meet	treffen
to create	erschaffen
to finish	beenden

5. Adjectives

Using adjectives in your speech or writing can add a layer of meaning and help you better express yourself. To get you started, here are a few beginner German adjectives in different categories. 

Describing Objects

English	German
big	groß
small	klein
long	lang
short	kurz
round	rund
rectangular	rechteckig
smooth	glatt
rough	rau

Describing People

English	German
pretty	hübsch
handsome	gutaussehend
tall	groß
short	klein
disgusting	ekelhaft
sociable	kontaktfreudig
funny	lustig
beautiful	schön
lovely	lieblich
caring	fürsorglich
selfless	selbstlos
arrogant	arrogant
humble	bescheiden
courageous	mutig
weak	schwach
strong	stark
quirky	schrullig

Describing Emotions

Being able to describe our own emotions is critical for well-being and also helps us better understand others. Here’s a list of adjectives for describing emotions:

English	German
happy	glücklich
sad	traurig
joyful	freudig
angry	sauer
depressed	depressiv
anxious	ängstlich
stressed out	gestresst
jolly	fröhlich

Describing Weather

English	German
rainy	regnerisch
wet	nass
humid	feucht
dry	trocken
arid	dürr
cool	kühl
frigid	kalt
foggy	neblig
windy	windig
stormy	stürmisch
breezy	luftig
windless	windstill
calm	ruhig

6. Conjunctions

English	German
and	und
but	aber
then	dann
because	weil
so	so / also

7. Others

Below is a short list of filler words that Germans use in their conversations. Using these will make you sound like a native and they’ll come in handy in many situations.

English	German
I see (sudden understanding)	ach so
sure	klar
simply	halt
well	tja
already	schon

8. Conclusion

Armed with these German beginner words, you’ll be able to understand even more of the spoken language than you may have thought (thanks to those nifty word combinations!). How many of these words were new to you? And how many did you know already? We look forward to hearing from you in the comments! 

As you read more German, pay attention to how different words are composed. You’ll often notice they can be broken down into parts, which will help you derive their meanings more easily. 

Your goal should be to learn around 1000 German words; statistically, that’d cover 85.5% of all words you hear.

In other words, if you learn 1000 words, you’ll be able to speak German almost fluently. You’ll only have issues expressing yourself 14.5% of the time.

Memorize the 200+ from our list, and you’ll only be 800 words away from fluency.

Wondering where and how to learn those other 800 words?

Buckle up and head to GermanPod101.com.

Here, you can access lessons and word lists for the most important day-to-day vocabulary. Our lessons all feature the most effective learning tools, such as flashcards, slideshows, slowed-down audio, line-by-line breakdowns, and more.

You can also opt for 1-on-1 guidance from a language expert to answer your questions. Your private tutor can even give you a personalized learning program to match your learning goals.

You can get all of this and more by signing up for free on the GermanPod101 website.

No credit card or unnecessary information required.

Sign up here and access our materials from your desktop or mobile phone.

Do you find yourself struggling to start learning German?

If the main reason is that you find German difficult, you should know that you’re not alone.

To succeed, you need to
stay motivated. Only then you’ll find learning German possible. 

How can you do that?

We are happy to give you some exciting news: you probably already know some German words.

How’s this possible?

German words in English didn’t appear by accident. These two languages come from the same language family group, so, even if they look totally different at first sight, they are quite similar.

German in the English-speaking world

To understand why there are so many similar words in these languages, it’s essential to mention that over the long period of history these languages crossed their paths many times. 

Let’s go through a quick history lesson.

Both English and German come from the same language family, so we can say that they are linguistic siblings. 

They are descendants from the Proto-Germanic language.

The big immigration happened after World War II, during the 50s, 60s, and even 70s when more than three million German crossed the Atlantic Ocean and settled in America. 

Most of them found their new home in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and in the so-called German Triangle in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

Even though they were far away from their first homeland, they continued to use German in their daily life. 

Over time, they merged with other communities, so English came into everyday usage. This way, they created new English words from German.

So, not only do English and German have the same root but they ‘came across each other once again’ after thousands of years, and had an impact on each other.

It resulted in words that many of us use every day, but we aren’t aware that they originate from German. 

The Most Common German Words in English

Most of the English speakers can recognize German words in English contexts.

Because of the above-mentioned reasons, these words are more often used in American English than in British English.

To show you that you already know some words in German, let’s play a little game: take a glimpse at the word without reading its explanation. 

Say its meaning out loud. Then read the explanation. We bet that you’ll know most of them.

Are you ready?

Let’s dive in.

Animals

Hamster

It’s a cute little animal many people love to keep as a pet. The word is considered to come from German.

Hund

Dogs are peoples’ best friends. Interestingly, the word ‘hund’ from German to English isn’t used as ‘dog’ but for dog lovers.

Katze

It isn’t totally the same but similar. Cat lovers will understand it right away.

Maus

Tiny little ‘mouse’ sounds the same in English as well as in German. 

Pudel

Poodles are cute and sophisticated dogs. Their name comes from German ‘Pudel.’

Rottweiler

One more dog breed, not as cute as the previous one, but quite appreciated.

Schnauzer

Yes, Germans love dogs. That’s why one more dog breed comes from German.

Family members and home

Bruder

With German origins, the word ‘bruder’ in English is used as ‘brother.’

Haus

Not only is it pronounced almost the same, but the word ‘house’ is also written almost the same.

Mutter

We are pretty sure that an additional explanation isn’t necessary. This is the greatest and the most beautiful word of all. Mother.

Name

Here we have one more word that is written the same way as in English. The pronunciation is, however, slightly different.

Food and Drink

Bretzl

No, it’s not a mistake. The word ‘pretzel’ in German is ‘breztl.’ For those who aren’t quite familiar, this word represents a baked pastry that is shaped into a knot.

Hamburger

This worldwide known word comes from German. In this language, it refers to a person who comes from Hamburg, the city in Germany.

Lager

Germans love beer. They have all kinds of beer. So, it’s no wonder the word ‘lager’ comes from German. A lager beer is stored for some time before it’s served.

Mozartkugel

There is no need to thoroughly explain this word since you surely know what the ‘Mozartkugel’ is. Or, translated to English, ‘Mozart balls.’

Muesli

Germans are known for drinking beer but did you know that they also consume cereals? The word ‘muesli’ comes from this language too.

Nudel

Everyone likes noodles. Even Germans. In fact, they like them so much that the word ‘noodle’ comes from their language.

Schnaps

An alcoholic drink, hard liquor. It’s pronounced the same in both English and German. In English, the written form is a bit different, by adding one more ‘p’ letter; ‘schnapps.’

Wiener

The word comes from the German ‘Wiener Würstchen,’ which means Viennese sausage.

Art, Culture, and Society

Fest

You’ve heard of the Octoberfest or Maifest, but do you know what the word ‘fest’ literally means?  It means ‘party.’

Frau/ Fräulein 

This etiquette indicates whether a woman is married or not. It’s used out of respect.

Gestapo

We are sure that, when said in English, everyone knows what Gestapo means. In German, the word ‘gestapo’ literally means ‘police.’

Kindergarten

In German, ‘kinder’ means ‘child,’ and ‘garten’ means ‘garden.’

Kitsch

An art, kitsch means that something is of a very low taste or quality.

Leitmotif

Leitmotif is often used to explain a literary or music theme in the meaning of ‘leading motive.’

Nazi

When you hear this word, you certainly don’t connect it to something good. It represents a person or an idea that is associated with tyranny and Hitler. Today, however, it became quite common that when you say to someone that he is ‘nazi,’ it can mean that he is a very fanatic person.

Poltergeist

It refers to a noisy ghost that moves around objects.

Putsch

During history, all over the world, this action was used to overthrow the government.

Reich

This word is mostly used within the phrase ‘The Third Reich.’ Even though this word means ‘empire,’ due to its connection to Hitler’s reign, in English, it mainly represents tyranny.

Waltz

A formal type of dance surely everyone loves.

Wanderlust

The word refers to a huge desire to travel around the world.

Wunderkind

Wunderkind, or in other words, wonder child, is a term when your child, out of the blue, shows you how perfectly they calculate, think, or play the piano. In other words, it’s a child prodigy.

Sport and recreation

Foosball

Football, or written with the German alphabet ‘Fußball’ refers to soccer in general.

Haversack

‘Haversack’ is a bag with one strap that is mainly used by business people or bicyclists.

Karabiner

It is a shorter form of the word  ‘Karabinerhaken,’ which represents a metal loop with a screwed gate for climbing.

Rucksack

Another word for a backpack.

Technology

Automat

This word refers to a machine for money but also to serve food and drinks.

Blitz

The word ‘blitz’ has some negative connotations since it was commonly used in World War II. It was at the time when the word’ blitzkrieg’ was used for war to end quickly, just like a lightning bolt.

Diesel

Named after its inventor, Rudolf Diesel, diesel fuel is more used than petrol.

Kraft

In German, it means ‘strong, powerful.’ In English, it is known as a part of the phrase ‘kraft paper,’ which represents a strong paper used to make sacks.

Panzer

Literally, this word means ‘armor’ in German, but in English, it’s a synonym for the light military tank.

Telefon

No matter if you pronounce it in English, or in German, it is the same. A slight difference is only in writing.

Volkswagen

The word ‘volks’ means ‘people,’ and ‘wagen’ means ‘car.’ It is then perfectly logical that Volkswagen is one of the most favorite cars in the world.

Zeppelin

This word represents a rigid airship that is named after its inventor, German Ferdinand von Zeppelin. The word became  commonly used for all airships.

German Verbs

Abseil

The full verb in German is ‘sich abseilen,’ which means ‘to rope oneself down.’ In English, it’s used as ‘roping (down)’ or ‘rappelling.’

Haben

In the meaning ‘to have,’ this verb is very similar to English.

Yodeln

In English, it’s used as ‘yodel,’ which means to pronounce or create the sound ‘Yo,’ that is, to sing alternates rapidly between a head and a chest voice.

Can you try to ‘yodeln?’

Other German words in English that we use every day

Achtung

In the meaning of ‘attention,’ this word is well-known all over the world, so many English speakers and natives started using it. It’s mainly used for literary effect.

Angst

In English, The word ‘angst’ expresses depression and anxiety.

Eisberg

The word berg comes from German in the meaning of ‘mountain.’ So, roughly translated from English to German, the ‘iceberg’ is ‘the mountain of ice.’

Kaputt

In English, this word is not used alone, but everyone knows about the phrase when ‘The car is kaput.’ It means that it’s broken.

Lampe

The word ‘lamp’ comes from the German ‘lampe.’

Neu

It’s one of the words that originate from German to English in the meaning ‘new.’

Nix

This word comes from dialectical ‘nichts,’ which means ‘nothing’ in English.

Und

We can’t imagine our everyday conversations without this word. In German, it is ‘und.’ In English, however, it is ‘and.’

Conclusion

This list is only one part of German words. 

Now that you saw for yourself that you already know some of the words, then you could start learning the language.

You don’t need to sit at the table, open your grammar or textbook, and study the old fashioned way 

You have so many different and effective ways to learn German and
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It may sound pretty ‘rough’ and many would say that Germans are shouting when they’re talking. However, the truth is that German is a strong and powerful language.

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