German word for world

A comprehensive world view (or worldview) is a term calqued from the German word «Weltanschauung» (Audio-IPA|De-Weltanschauung.ogg| [ˈvɛlt.ʔanˌʃaʊ.ʊŋ] ) «Welt» is the German word for «world», and «Anschauung» is the German word for «view» or «outlook.» It is a concept fundamental to German philosophy and epistemology and refers to a «wide world perception». Additionally, it refers to the framework of ideas and beliefs through which an individual interprets the world and interacts with it. The German word is also in wide use in English, as well as the translated form «world outlook» or «world view». (Compare with ideology).

Origins of world views

Worldview and linguistics

A worldview describes a consistent (to a varying degree) and integral sense of existence and provides a framework for generating, sustaining, and applying knowledge.

The linguistic relativity hypothesis of Benjamin Lee Whorf describes how the syntactic-semantic structure of a language becomes an underlying structure for the Weltanschauung of a people through the organization of the causal perception of the world and the linguistic categorization of entities. As linguistic categorization emerges as a representation of worldview and causality, it further modifies social perception and thereby leads to a continual interaction between language and perception. [Kay, P. and W. Kempton (1984). «What is the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?» «American Anthropologist» 86(1): 65-79.]

The theory, or rather hypothesis, was well received in the late 1940s, but declined in prominence after a decade. In the 1990s, new research gave further support for the linguistic relativity theory, in the works of Stephen Levinson and his team at the Max Planck institute for Psycholinguistics at Nijmegen, The Netherlands [ [http://www.mpi.nl/world/ Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics] ] . The theory has also gained attention through the work of Lera Boroditsky at Stanford University.

Weltanschauung and cognitive philosophy

One of the most important concepts in cognitive philosophy and generative sciences is the German concept of ‘Weltanschauung’. This expression refers to the «wide worldview» or «wide world perception» of a people, family, or person. The Weltanschauung of a people originates from the unique world experience of a people, which they experience over several millennia. The language of a people reflects the Weltanschauung of that people in the form of its syntactic structures and untranslatable connotations and its denotations.

If it were possible to draw a map of the world on the basis of Weltanschauung, it would probably be seen to cross political borders — Weltanschauung is the product of political borders and common experiences of a people from a geographical region, Carroll, John B. (ed.) [1956] (1997). Language, Thought, and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. Cambridge, Mass.: Technology Press of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ISBN 0-262-73006-5. ] environmental-climatic conditions, the economic resources available, socio-cultural systems, and the linguistic family. Carroll, John B. (ed.) [1956] (1997). Language, Thought, and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf. Cambridge, Mass.: Technology Press of Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ISBN 0-262-73006-5. ] (The work of the population geneticist Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza aims to show the gene-linguistic co-evolution of people).

If the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is correct, the worldview map of the world would be similar to the linguistic map of the world. However, it would also almost coincide with a map of the world drawn on the basis of music across people. [Whorf, Benjamin (John Carroll, Editor) (1956). «Language, Thought, and Reality: Selected Writings of Benjamin Lee Whorf.» MIT Press.]

Worldview and folk-epics

As natural language becomes manifestations of world perception, the literature of a people with common Weltanschauung emerges as holistic representations of the wide world perception of the people. Thus the extent and commonality between world folk-epics becomes a manifestation of the commonality and extent of a worldview.

Epic poems are shared often by people across political borders and across generations. Examples of such epics include the Nibelungenlied of the Germanic-Scandinavian people, The Silappadhikaram of the South Indian people, The Gilgamesh of the Mesopotamian-Sumerian civilization and the people of the Fertile Crescent at large, The Arabian nights of the Arab world and the Sundiata epic of the Mandé people.

Construction of worldviews

The ‘construction of integrating worldviews’ begins from fragments of worldviews offered to us by the different scientific disciplines and the various systems of knowledge. It is contributed to by different perspectives that exist in the world’s different cultures. This is the main topic of research at the Center Leo Apostel for Interdisciplinary Studies.

It should be noted that while Apostel and his followers clearly hold that «individuals» can «construct» worldviews, other writers regard worldviews as operating at a community level, and/or in an unconscious way. For instance, if one’s worldview is fixed by one’s language, as according to a strong version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, one would have to learn or invent a new language in order to construct a new worldview.

According to Apostel, a worldview should comprise seven elements:
#An ontology, a descriptive model of the world
#An explanation of the world
#A futurology, answering the question «where are we heading?»
#Values, answers to ethical questions: «What should we do?»
#A praxeology, or methodology, or theory of action.: «How should we attain our goals?»
#An epistemology, or theory of knowledge. «What is true and false?»
#An etiology. A constructed world-view should contain an account of its own «building blocks,» its origins and construction.

Impact of worldviews

tructural aspects

The term denotes a comprehensive set of opinions, seen as an organic unity, about the world as the medium and exercise of human existence. Weltanschauung serves as a framework for generating various dimensions of human perception and experience like knowledge, politics, economics, religion, culture, science, and ethics. For example, worldview of causality as «uni-directional», «cyclic», or «spiral» generates a framework of the world that reflects these systems of causality. A uni-directional view of causality is present in some monotheistic views of the world with a beginning and an end and a single great force with a single end (e.g., Christianity and Islam), while a cyclic worldview of causality is present in religious tradition which is cyclic and seasonal and wherein events and experiences recur in systematic patterns (e.g., Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, and Hinduism).

These worldviews of causality not only underlie religious traditions but also other aspects of thought like the purpose of history, political and economic theories, and systems like democracy, authoritarianism, anarchism, capitalism, socialism, and communism.

The worldview of linear and non-linear causality generates various related/conflicting disciplines and approaches in scientific thinking. The Weltanschauung of the temporal contiguity of act and event leads to underlying diversifications like «determinism» vs. «free will». A worldview of Freewill leads to disciplines that are governed by simple laws that remain constant and are static and empirical in scientific method, while a worldview of determinism generates disciplines that are governed with generative systems and rationalistic in scientific method.

Some forms of Philosophical naturalism and materialism reject the validity of entities inaccessible to natural science. They view the scientific method as the most reliable model for building and understanding of the world.

Other aspects

In «The Language of the Third Reich», Weltanschauungen came to designate the instinctive understanding of complex geo-political problems by the Nazis, which allowed them to act in the name of a higher ideal [Victor Klemperer, «The Language of the Third Reich: A Philologist’s Notebook», trans. Martin Brady, London: Continuum, 2002] and in accordance to their theory of the world. These acts perceived outside that unique Weltanschauung are now commonly perceived as acts of aggression, such as openly beginning invasions, twisting facts, and violating human rights.

Worldviews in religion and philosophy

Various writers suggest that religious or philosophical belief-systems should be seen as worldviews rather than a set of individual hypotheses or theories. The Japanese Philosopher Nishida Kitaro wrote extensively on «the Religious Worldview» in exploring the philosophical significance of Eastern religions [ indeed Kitaro’s final book is «Last Writings: Nothingness and the Religious Worldview»] . According to Neo-Calvinist David Naugle’s «Worldview: The History of a Concept» «Conceiving of Christianity as a worldview has been one of the most significant developments in the recent history of the church.» [David K. Naugle «Worldview: The History of a Concept» ISBN 0802847617]

The Christian thinker James W. Sire defines a worldview as «a set of presuppositions (assumptions which may be true, partially true or entirely false) which we hold (consciously or subconsciously, consistently or inconsistently) about the basic makeup of our world.» and suggests that «we should all think in terms of worldviews, that is, with a consciousness not only of our own way of thought but also that of other people, so that we can first understand and then genuinely communicate with others in our pluralistic society.» [James W. Sire «The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog» p15-16 (text readable at Amazon.com)] The Rev. Professor Keith Ward bases his discussion of the rationality of religious belief in Is Religion Dangerous? on a consideration of religious and non-religious worldviews. [see article on the book for details and ref]

The philosophical importance of Worldviews became increasingly clear during the 20th Century for a number of reasons, such as increasing contact between cultures, and the failure of some aspects of the Enlightenment project, such as the rationalist project of attaining all truth by reason alone. Mathematical logic showed that fundamental choices of axioms were essential in deductive reasoning [Not just in the obvious sense that you need axioms to prove anything, but the fact that for example the Axiom of choice and Axiom S5, although widely regarded as correct, were in some sense optional.] and that, even having chosen axioms not everything that was true in a given logical system could be proven [see Godel’s incompleteness theorem and discussion in eg John Lucas’s «The Freedom of the Will»] . Some philosophers believe the problems extend to «the inconsistencies and failures which plagued the Enlightenment attempt to identify universal moral and rational principles» [ Thus Alister McGrath in «The Science of God» p 109 citing in particular Alasdair MacIntyre’s «Whose Justice? Which Rationality?» — he also cites Nicholas Wolterstorff and Paul Feyerabend] ; although Enlightenment principles such as universal suffrage and (the «universal» declaration of) human rights are accepted, if not taken for granted, by many. [«Governments in a democracy do not grant the fundamental freedoms enumerated by Jefferson; governments are created to protect those freedoms that every individual possesses by virtue of his or her existence. In their formulation by the Enlightenment philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries, inalienable rights are God-given natural rights. These rights are not destroyed when civil society is created, and neither society nor government can remove or «alienate» them.» [http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/whatsdem/whatdm3.htm US Gov website on democracy] ]

A worldview can be considered as comprising a number of basic beliefs which are philosophically equivalent to the axioms of the worldview considered as a logical theory. These basic beliefs cannot, by definition, be «proven» (in the logical sense) within the worldview precisely because they are axioms, and are typically argued «from» rather than argued «for» [see eg Hill & Rauser «Christian Philosophy A-Z» Edinburgh University Press (2006) ISBN 9780748621521 p200] . However their coherence can be explored philosophically and logically, and if two different worldviews have sufficient common beliefs it may be possible to have a constructive dialogue between them [In the Christian tradition this goes back at least to Justin Martyr’s «Dialogues with Trypho, A Jew», and has roots in the debates recorded in the New Testament. For a discussion of the long history of religious dialogue in India, see Amartya Sen’s «The Argumentative Indian»] . On the other hand, if different worldviews are held to be basicallyincommensurate and irreconcilable, then the situation is one of cultural relativism and would therefore incur the standard criticisms from philosophical realists. [ [http://www.iep.utm.edu/c/cog-rel.htm#H5 «Cognitive Relativism», Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy] ] [The problem of self-refutation is quite general. It arises whether truth is relativized to a framework of concepts, of beliefs, of standards, of practices. [http://www.science.uva.nl/~seop/entries/relativism/ Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy] [ [http://www.friesian.com/relative.htm The Friesian School on Relativism] ] . Additionally, religious believers might not wish to see their beliefs relativized into something that is only «true for them» [ [http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=49207 Pope Benedict warns against relativism] ] [ [http://www.ewtn.com/library/CURIA/RATZRELA.HTM Ratzinger, J. «Relativism, the Central Problem for Faith Today»] ] . Subjective logic is a belief reasoning formalism where beliefs explicitly are subjectively held by individuals but where a consensus between different worldviews can be achieved [ [http://eprints.qut.edu.au/archive/00007204/ Jøsang, A. «A Logic for Uncertain Probabilities.» International Journal of Uncertainty, Fuzziness and Knowledge-Based Systems, 9(3), pp.279-311, June 2001.] ] .

A third alternative is that the Worldview approach is only a «methodological» relativism, that it isa suspension judgment about the truth of various belief systems, but not a declaration that there is no global truth. For instance, the religious philosopher Ninian Smart begins his «Worldviews: Crosscultural Explorations of Human Beliefs» with «Exploring Religions and Analysing Worldviews» and argues for «the neutral, dispassionate study of different religious and secular systems — a process I call worldview analysis.» [Ninian Smart «Worldviews: Crosscultural Explorations of Human Beliefs (3rd Edition)» ISBN 0130209805 p14]

See also

References

External links

* [http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/WORLVIEW.html «World View article on the Principia Cybernetica Project] — Another article on World View complementary to this one.
* Apostel, Leo and Van der Veken, Jan. (1991) Wereldbeelden, DNB/Pelckmans.

* Aerts, Diederick, Apostel, Leo, De Moor, Bart, Hellemans, Staf, Maex, Edel, Van Belle, Hubert, Van der Veken, Jan. 1994. [http://www.vub.ac.be/CLEA/pub/books/worldviews.pdf «World views. From Fragmentation to Integration»] . VUBPress. Translation of (Apostel and Van der Veken 1991) with some additions. — The basic book of World Views, from the Center Leo Apostel.

* [http://www.projectworldview.org/worldviews.htm «Worldviews—An Introduction»] from Project Worldview
*
* — an essay on current research in linguistic relativity (Lera Boroditsky)
*
* [http://www.inTERRAgation.com inTERRAgation.com — A documentary project. Collecting and evaluating answers to «the meaning of life» from around the world.]
* [http://henrycenter.org/files/cole.pdf Cole, Graham A., «Do Christians Have A Worldview?»] A paper examining the concept of worldview as it relates to and has been used by Christianity. Contains a helpful annotated bibliography.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Weltschmerz (German: [ˈvɛltʃmɛɐ̯ts]; literally «world-pain») is a literary concept describing the feeling experienced by an individual who believes that reality can never satisfy the expectations of the mind,^[1][2] resulting in «a mood of weariness or sadness about life arising from the acute awareness of evil and suffering».^[3]

The term was coined by the German Romantic author Jean Paul in his 1827 novel Selina,^[1] and in its original definition in the Deutsches Wörterbuch by the Brothers Grimm, it denotes a deep sadness about the insufficiency of the world («tiefe Traurigkeit über die Unzulänglichkeit der Welt»). The translation can differ depending on context; in reference to the self it can mean «world-weariness», while in reference to the world it can mean «the pain of the world».^[4]

The worldview of Weltschmerz has been retroactively seen as widespread among Romantic and decadent authors such as Jean Paul, the Marquis de Sade, Lord Byron, Giacomo Leopardi, William Blake, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Verlaine, François-René de Chateaubriand, Oscar Wilde, Alfred de Musset, Mikhail Lermontov, Nikolaus Lenau,^[5] Hermann Hesse,^[6] and Heinrich Heine.^[5]

Further examples[edit]

The modern meaning of Weltschmerz in the German language is the psychological pain caused by sadness that can occur when realizing that someone’s own weaknesses are caused by the inappropriateness and cruelty of the world and (physical and social) circumstances.^[7]

In Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller describes an acquaintance, «Moldorf», who has prescriptions for Weltschmerz on scraps of paper in his pocket. John Steinbeck wrote about this feeling in two of his novels; in East of Eden, Samuel Hamilton feels it after meeting Cathy Trask for the first time, and it is referred to as the Welshrats in The Winter of our Discontent. Ralph Ellison uses the term in Invisible Man with regard to the pathos inherent in the singing of spirituals: «Beneath the swiftness of the hot tempo there was a slower tempo and a cave and I entered it and looked around and heard an old woman singing a spiritual as full of Weltschmerz as flamenco». Kurt Vonnegut references the feeling in his novel Player Piano, in which it is felt by Doctor Paul Proteus and his father.
In John D. MacDonald’s novel Free Fall in Crimson, Travis McGee describes Weltschmerz as «homesickness for a place you have never seen».

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• The dictionary definition of Weltschmerz at Wiktionary

Asked by: Prof. Monte Dach II

Score: 4.2/5
(51 votes)

Weltschmerz (from the German, literally world-pain, also world-weariness, pronounced [ˈvɛltʃmɛɐ̯ts]) is a term coined by the German author Jean Paul in his 1827 novel Selina.

What does it mean to be world weary?

: feeling or showing fatigue from or boredom with the life of the world and especially material pleasures.

What is weary synonym?

synonyms for weary

What is a synonym for cynical?

The words misanthropic and pessimistic are common synonyms of cynical. While all three words mean «deeply distrustful,» cynical implies having a sneering disbelief in sincerity or integrity.

What is a pessimistic person called?

The words cynical and misanthropic are common synonyms of pessimistic. While all three words mean «deeply distrustful,» pessimistic implies having a gloomy, distrustful view of life.

19 related questions found

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
expand your vocabulary.

And, if you’ve ever thought that you needed a German translator, we bet you changed your views, didn’t you?

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The purpose of this list is to give a rough idea of the German language. The words listed below are not the most common German words, but a broad sampling of words. See the Word Lists page for more details.

View other word lists here