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You may need to learn how to count to 10 in German for travel, work, or just curiosity. Learning how to count in German is as easy as eins, zwei, drei! German is a very common language that is spoken by upwards of 100 million people worldwide, so it can be useful to learn a little of it.
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Hold your mouth tightly when you speak. It doesn’t do any good to learn words in German if you’re not saying them right. Remember that Germans have a lot of tension in their cheeks when they speak. To sound like a German, you need to hold your mouth right.
- When you open your mouth, shape it as if you are forming a large «o» or a lowercase «u.»
- Try to find videos of people speaking German so you can understand how they keep their mouth when speaking. Germans also pronounce some consonants and vowels differently than English speakers would.
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Learn how to pronounce German vowels. Although German does share some things in common with English, some of the vowels are pronounced differently. This will be very important when you try to count in German.[1]
- In German, the vowel combination of «ei» is pronounced like the «i» in «lie» or the «y» in «dry.» For example, the word «drei» in German means three. However, it’s pronounced «dry.» Similarly, the word «frei» means free in German. It’s pronounced «fry.»
- It’s the opposite for the vowel combination «ie.» This combination is pronounced like the «ee» in the English word «free.» So when you say the German word for four («vier») remember to pronounce the «ie» in it as «ee.»
- The vowel combination of «eu» is pronounced «oy» in German.
- If you see an umlaut over a vowel, you pronounce that vowel differently. The German word for «five» has an umlaut: fünf. The ü should sound like «oo» but with rounded lips.
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Understand how to pronounce German consonants. One of the key ways that speaking German differs from English is how you pronounce some consonants. Some will be pronounced similarly to English, but not all.[2]
- The consonant «v» is pronounced as an «f» sound. So make an «f» sound, not a «v» sound, when you pronounce the German word for four.
- In German, the consonant «s» is pronounced as a «z» when it starts a word, such as «sieben» (the German word for seven).
- When the letter «r» ends a word, it’s pronounced lightly, as in «uh.» The letter «r» is also pronounced very lightly when it’s in the middle of a word. Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth as you say it.[3]
- So, the word in German for four «vier» is pronounced «feeah.» When the consonant «z» starts a word, pronounce it as «ts.»
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Start counting from 1 to 10 in German by saying the word «eins» for one. To pronounce «eins,» say the word «eye» but pronounce the ending «nz.» It’s pretty easy to count to 10 in German now that you know how to pronounce some of the key consonants and vowels.[4]
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Say «zwei» for the number two. In German, «zwei» is pronounced as «tsvy.» The «zw» is not pronounced as an English «z» would be, but rather is said as a «ts» sound.[5]
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Say «drei» for the number three. Pronounce it as «dry,» with the «r» pronounced guttural.[6]
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Use the word «vier» for the number four. This word also has different consonant sounds than English. Pronounce «vier» like the English word «fear,» but remember not to end with a hard «r.» Say it more like «feeah.»[7]
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Say «fünf» for the number five. Say it like «foonf,» and put a big accent on the «u» and make it an elongated sound.[8]
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Use the word «sechs» for six in German. In this case, you do use a «z» sound. Pronounce it «zecks.»[9]
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Say the word for seven as «sieben.» Pronounce it as «zeebhen.» The «s» sound when it starts a sentence sounds like an English «z.»[10]
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Use the word «acht» for the word eight. Pronounce this German word as «ahkt.»[11]
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Say «neun» for nine. Pronounce it «noyn.»[12]
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Complete your counting with the word for ten, which is «zehn.» Don’t forget the German rule that the «z» starting a sentence is pronounced with a «ts» sound; thus, pronounce «zehn» as «tsehn.»[13]
- You might also need to know how to say the word for zero in German once you’ve mastered how to count 1 through 10. Zero is «null,» but that’s pronounced as «nool.»
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Understand how to count past 10 in German. Once you’ve mastered basic German pronunciation and how to count past 10, try counting higher! It’s easy.[14]
- Put the word «zehn» after each number to indicate you’ve added 10 when counting from 13-19. So, «neunzehn» is how you say 19 and «achtzehn» is how you say 18, and so on. Eleven is pronounced «elf» and 12 is «zwölf.»
- Twenty is «zwanzig.» To count past 20, start with the German word for the second number and add the word for the number 1-10 and «und» and then «zwanzig.» So, 21 is «einundzwanzig,» which literally means «1 and 20» (while dropping the «s» in «eins.») To say 22, follow the same process. The word for 22 is «zweiundzwanzig.» And so on through 29.
- Follow the same process all the way up to 100. However, instead of zwanzig, put the words for 30 («dreißig» — the ß is «ss» in German and pronounced the same as the «s» in English), 40 («vierzig» — pronounced «feahtsig’), 50 («funfzig»), 60 («sechzig»), 70 («siebzig»), 80 («achtzig»), and 90 («neunzig»). The German word for 100 is «(ein)hundert» (pronounce the «d» like a «t» and the «u» like «oo.»)
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Find a native speaker. One beauty of the Internet is that it’s easier than ever before to find native speakers of foreign languages to practice with. The same is true of German.
- Various language sites online will match you with native speakers. Some allow you to hear pronunciation by putting your cursor on a letter.[15]
- Look up You Tube videos of people speaking German, including counting from 1 to 10, so that you can hear the words before you try speaking them.[16]
Some sites use music and song to teach children and others how to count in German.[17]
- Various language sites online will match you with native speakers. Some allow you to hear pronunciation by putting your cursor on a letter.[15]
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Take a language course online or at a university. German is a very common language at universities. It should be pretty easy to find a local school that teaches the language if you live in a big enough city. Otherwise, you could check online.[18]
- You could also record yourself counting to 10 in German, and then play it back. This is one of the best ways to perfect your speech.
- Traveling to or living in Germany is going to greatly enhance your language abilities. Speaking a foreign language repeatedly to native speakers is really the best way to learn it.
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Question
What is the pronunciation of the number 36?
Sechs und dreizig, pronounced approximately as «secks oond dry-sigg».
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Question
How do you count from 100-1000 in German?
100= Hundert…101= Hunderteins…102= Hundertzwei. (Always say «Hundert» plus a number.) 200= Zweihundert. (Just put the 2 or 3 or whatever before the 100.) 300= Dreihundert…301= Dreihunderteins; and so forth. 1000= tausend or eintausend. (It’s the same with tausend and one tausend.)
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Question
How do I say «want» in German?
You say «will» (vill). For example, Ich will ein glas milch = (I want one glass of milk).
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Try to memorize the numbers by memorizing the first five first, and then the last five.
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German numbers are not capitalized, unless you turn them into a noun, as in «The three …», or «Die Drei …»
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If you are serious about knowing how to count further in German, consider a German tutor or teaching software.
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Article SummaryX
To count to 10 in German, start by saying the word «eins» for one and «zwei» for the number two. Say «drei» for the number three and be sure to pronounce it like «dry.» Use the word «vier» for the number four and «fünf» for the number five. Say «sechs» for six and «sieben» for seven. Use the word «acht» for the word eight and «neun» for nine. Lastly, use the word «zehn» for 10! To learn more about German pronunciation, read on!
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Continue Learning about Other Arts
What is the Spanish word for 100?
The Spanish word for 100 is ciento, which may be abbreviated to cien in certain situations.
What is the word for 100 in french?
cent
How do you solve this In a class of 200 students 120 students take German 100 students take French If a student must study at least one of these languages what percent study French but not German?
60% study German so 40% study French and not German.
What is french for one hundred?
The French word for «one hundred» (100) is «cent».See also the question «What is one to hundred in French?».
The word for 100 in Spanish?
‘ciento’ if used alone
‘cien’ if followed by a noun
This word list comes from Randall Jones & Erwin Tschirner’s A Frequency Dictionary of German. Core Vocabulary for Learners, which lists the 4034 (!) most commonly used words in German.
Words 1-100 | 101-200 | 201-300 | 301-400 | 401-500
1. der / die / das (def. art.) the; (dem. pron.) that, those; (rel. pron) who, that
2. und (conj.) and
3. sein (verb) to be; (aux./perfect tense)
4. in (prep.) in (variation: im in the)
5. ein (indef. art.) a, an; (pron.) one (of)
6. zu (prep.) to, at; (adv.) too
7. haben (verb) to have; (aux./perfect tense)
8. ich (pers. pron.) I
9. werden (verb) to become; (aux./future tense); ; (aux./passive voice)
10. sie (pers. pron.) she, her (acc. form of sie [sing.]); they, them (acc. form of sie [pl.]; Sie (pers. pron.) you (formal)
11. von (prep.) from, of
12. nicht (adv.) not
13. mit (prep.) with
14. es (pers. pron.) it
15. sich (refl. pron.) -self
16. auch (adv.) also, too
17. auf (prep.) on, at, in
18. für (prep.) for
19. an (prep.) at, on (variation: am at/on the)
20. er (pers. pron.) he
21. so (adv.) so; thus, this way, such
22. dass (conj.) that
23. können (verb) can, to be able
24. dies- (det. /pron.) this, that
25. als (conj.) as, when; (adv.) than
26. ihr (pers. pron.) you (pl., familiar), her (dat. form of sie [sing.]); (poss. adj.) her, their, hers, theirs (poss. form of sie [sing.], sie [pl.]); Ihr (poss. adj.) your (formal, poss. form of Sie)
27. ja (adv.) yes; certainly, really
28. wie (adv.) how; as
29. bei (prep.) by, with, at
30. oder (conj.) or
31. wir (pers. pron.) we
32. aber (conj.) but; (adv./flavoring particle)
33. dann (adv.) then
34. man (pron.) one, you
35. da (adv.) there; (conj.) because
36. sein (poss. adj.) his, its (poss. form of er, es)
37. noch (adv.) still, yet
38. nach (prep.) after, toward
39. was (pron.) what
40. also (adv.) so, therefore
41. aus (prep.) out, out of, from
42. all (pron.) all
43. wenn (conj.) if, when
44. nur (adv.) only
45. müssen (verb) to have to, must
46. sagen (verb) to say
47. um (prep.) around, at [variation: um … zu in order to]
48. über (prep.) above, over, about
49. machen (verb) to do, make
50. kein (pron.) no, not a/an
51. Jahr das, -e (noun) year
52. du (pron.) you (familiar, sing.)
53. mein (poss. adj.) my (poss. form of ich)
54. schon (adv.) already; (adv./flavoring particle)
55. vor (prep.) in front of, before, ago
56. durch (prep.) through
57. geben (verb) to give
58. mehr (adv.) more
59. andere, anderer, anderes (adj./pron.) other
60. viel (adj./pron.) much, a lot, many
61. kommen (verb) to come
62. jetzt (adv.) now
63. sollen (verb) should, ought to
64. mir (pers. pron.) [to/for] me (dat. form of ich)
65. wollen (verb) to want
66. ganz (adj.) whole, all the; (adv.) quite
67. mich (pers. pron.) me (acc. form of ich)
68. immer (adv.) always
69. gehen (verb) to go
70. sehr (adv.) very
71. hier (adv) here
72. doch (adv.) however, still; (adv./flavoring particle)
73. bis (prep./conj.) until
74. groß (adj.) big, large, great
75. wieder (adv.) again
76. Mal das, -e (noun) time; mal (conj.) times [math]; (part.) time(s); once; just
77. zwei (num.) two
78. gut (adj.) good
79. wissen (verb) to know
80. neu (adj.) new
81. sehen (verb) to see
82. lassen (verb) to let, allow, have (something) done
83. uns (pers. pron.) us (acc., dat. form of wir)
84. weil (conj.) because
85. unter (prep.) under
86. denn (conj.) because; (part.) (used in questions to tone down bluntness)
87. stehen (verb) to stand
88. jed- (det./pron.) every, each
89. Beispiel, das, -e (noun) example
90. Zeit, die (noun) time
91. erste, erster, erstes (adj.) first
92. ihm (pers. pron.) him, it (dat. form of er, es)
93. ihn (pers. pron.) him (acc. form of er)
94. wo (adv.) where
95. lang (adj.) long; lange (adv.) for a long time
96. eigentlich (adv.) actually; (adj.) actual, real
97. damit (adv.) with it; (conj.) so that
98. selbst, selber (pron.) -self; (adv.) even
99. unser (poss. adj.) our (poss. of wir)
100. oben (adv.) above, up there
Learning these words will be helpful for beginning German speakers
Updated on January 28, 2019
Have you ever wondered what the top 500, 1,000 or 10,000 German words were? If you need to learn German vocabulary, which words should you learn first? Which ones are most frequently used?
The Projekt Deutscher Wortschatz at the Universität Leipzig scanned texts and included variations of the same word, including capitalization versus lower case and other possible forms of any particular word. The definite article («the») appears in all of its German variations: der/Der, die/Die, den, etc. The verb «to be» appears in all of its conjugated forms: ist, sind, war, sei, etc. Even the new and old spellings of dass/daß are considered two different words.
The Leipzig researchers noted that if one were to select different text sources for analysis, one would get different results. An analysis of the vocabulary found in a novel versus that in a comic book or a newspaper would not be similar. Obviously, an analysis of spoken German would also yield different results.
Here are charts showing the top 100 most-used German words, and one showing the top 30 most-spoken German words. Students of German 101 should get familiar with these words and their forms.
Top 100 German Words Edited and Ranked by Frequency of Use
| Rank | German | English |
| 1 | der (den, dem, des) | the m. |
| 2 | die (der, den) | the f. |
| 3 | und | and |
| 4 | in (im) | in, into (in the) |
| 5 | von (vom) | of, from |
| 6 | zu (zum, zur) | to; at; too |
| 7 | das (dem, des) | the n. |
| 8 | mit | with |
| 9 | sich | himself, itself, yourself |
| 10 | auf | on |
| 11 | für | for |
| 12 | ist (sein, sind, war, sei, etc.) | is |
| 13 | nicht | not |
| 14 | ein (eine, einen, einer, einem, eines) | a, an |
| 15 | als | as, than, when |
| 16 | auch | also, too |
| 17 | es | it |
| 18 | an (am/ans) | to, at, by |
| 19 | werden (wurde, wird) | become, get |
| 20 | aus | from, out of |
| 21 | er | he, it |
| 22 | hat (haben, hatte, habe) | has/have |
| 23 | dass / daß | that |
| 24 | sie | she, it; they |
| 25 | nach | to, after |
| 26 | bei | at, by |
| 27 | um | around, at |
| 28 | noch | still, yet |
| 29 | wie | as, how |
| 30 | über | about, over, via |
| 31 | so | so, such, thus |
| 32 | Sie | you (formal) |
| 33 | nur | only |
| 34 | oder | or |
| 35 | aber | but |
| 36 | vor (vorm, vors) | before, in front of; of |
| 37 | bis | by, until |
| 38 | mehr | more |
| 39 | durch | by, through |
| 40 | man | one, they |
| 41 | Prozent (das) | percent |
| 42 | kann (können, konnte, etc.) | be able, can |
| 43 | gegen | against; around |
| 44 | schon | already |
| 45 | wenn | if, when |
| 46 | sein (seine, seinen, etc.) | his |
| 47 | Mark (Euro) | Mark (Euro) currency |
| 48 | ihre/ihr | her, their |
| 49 | dann | then |
| 50 | unter | under, among |
| 51 | wir | we |
| 52 | soll (sollen, sollte, etc.) | should, ought to |
| 53 | ich | I (personal pronoun) |
| 54 | Jahr (das, Jahren, Jahres, etc.) | year |
| 55 | zwei | two |
| 56 | diese (dieser, dieses, etc.) | this, these |
| 57 | wieder | again |
| 58 | Uhr | Most frequently used as «o’clock» in telling time. |
| 59 | will (wollen, willst, etc.) | wants |
| 60 | zwischen | between |
| 61 | immer | always |
| 62 | Millionen (eine Million) | millions |
| 63 | was | what |
| 64 | sagte (sagen, sagt) | said (say, says) |
| 65 | gibt (es gibt; geben) | gives |
| 66 | alle | all, everyone |
| 67 | seit | since |
| 68 | muss (müssen) | must |
| 69 | doch | but, nevertheless, after all |
| 70 | jetzt | now |
| 71 | drei | three |
| 72 | neue (neu, neuer, neuen, etc.) | new |
| 73 | damit | with it/that; by that; because of that; so that |
| 74 | bereits | already |
| 75 | da | since, because |
| 76 | ab | off, away; exit |
| 77 | ohne | without |
| 78 | sondern | but rather |
| 79 | selbst | myself, himself |
| 80 | ersten (erste, erstes, etc.) | first |
| 81 | nun | now; then; well? |
| 82 | etwa | about, approximately; for instance |
| 83 | heute | today, nowadays |
| 84 | weil | because |
| 85 | ihm | to/for him |
| 86 | Menschen (der Mensch) | people |
| 87 | Deutschland (das) | Germany |
| 88 | anderen (andere, anderes, etc.) | «other(s) |
| 89 | rund | approximately, about |
| 90 | ihn | him |
| 91 | Ende (das) | end |
| 92 | jedoch | nevertheless |
| 93 | Zeit (die) | time |
| 94 | uns | us |
| 95 | Stadt (die) | city, town |
| 96 | geht (gehen, ging, etc.) | goes |
| 97 | sehr | very |
| 98 | hier | here |
| 99 | ganz | entire(ly), complete(ly), whole(ly) |
| 100 | Berlin (das) | Berlin |
Top 30 Words in Spoken German
| Rank | German | English |
| 1 | ich | I |
| 2 | das | the; that (one) neuter |
| 3 | die | the f. |
| 4 | ist | is |
| 5 | nicht | not |
| 6 | ja | yes |
| 7 | du | you |
| 8 | der | the m. |
| 9 | und | and |
| 10 | sie | she, they |
| 11 | so | so, thus |
| 12 | wir | we |
| 13 | was | what |
| 14 | noch | still, yet |
| 15 | da | there, here; since, because |
| 16 | mal | times; once |
| 17 | mit | with |
| 18 | auch | also, too |
| 19 | in | in, into |
| 20 | es | it |
| 21 | zu | to; at; too |
| 22 | aber | but |
| 23 | habe / hab’ | (I) have |
| 24 | den | the |
| 25 | eine | a, an fem. indefinite article |
| 26 | schon | already |
| 27 | man | one, they |
| 28 | doch | but, nevertheless, after all |
| 29 | war | was |
| 30 | dann | the |
By
Last updated:
February 17, 2023
Your Ultimate German Vocabulary List: 100 Most Used Words
Hey, German learners: are you up for a challenge?
We’ve got just the thing.
More than 100 of the most commonly used German words for you to learn. In one month.
Ready… set… learn!
Contents
- How Can This Vocab Challenge Benefit Your Language Skills?
- The German Vocab Challenge: Learn the 100 Most Used Words in a Month
-
- 1. Nouns and Articles
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- Calendar Words
- Family Members
- Places
- 2. Pronouns
- 3. Essential Verbs
- 4. Adjectives
- 5. Numbers One Through 20
- 6. Prepositions
- 7. Phrases and Expressions
- 8. Common Idioms
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
How Can This Vocab Challenge Benefit Your Language Skills?
Knowing common words and phrases in German will help you in many ways. For one thing, you’ll have a starting point to converse with native German speakers, which is one of the most important and effective ways to actually get fluent in the language.
You’ll be able to understand essential questions and express basic needs and desires. You’ll also be prepared to move on to more complex German structures, including those pesky grammar rules and the ever-confusing—but incredibly entertaining—idioms (some of which we’ll cover at the end of this post).
Plus, as the month goes on and your memorization momentum builds, your confidence will grow, too. You might find that you get hooked on vocabulary building!
One great way to take advantage of that momentum is to use FluentU.
Each video comes with interactive captions you can use to get in-context definitions and visual learning aids for any word you don’t recognize.
Then, after you watch a video, FluentU creates flashcards and exercises to make sure you retain what you’ve just learned. It’s a great way to build your German vocabulary arsenal while absorbing real-world German, the way native speakers really use it.
And you’ll be sure to encounter many of the 100-plus words listed below!
1. Nouns and Articles
Let’s look first at what might be considered the basics of any language, but especially in the case of German: nouns and their articles.
Nouns are easy to spot in German sentences. They’re almost always capitalized and attached to an article. The articles der (masculine), die (feminine) and das (neutral) all mean “the,” while the articles ein or eine mean “a.”
Nouns always take the same article, unless they’re plural; plural nouns always use die. (You can’t use ein or eine with plural; “the ducks” is grammatically correct, while “a ducks” is not). One more thing: if the noun’s “the” article is der or das, its “a” article is ein. If it’s die, use eine.
For the words below, we’ll show you which articles go with which nouns. You can get a comprehensive rundown on the logic and grammar of German articles here.
Calendar Words
Note: When we say the days of the week and the months of the year in English, we don’t include “the” or “a,” but in German it’s necessary to do so.
heute (today)
This is an example of one of those nouns that’s not capitalized or attached to an article
der/ein Tag (the/a day)
die/eine Woche (the/a week)
das/ein Jahr (the/a year)
der/ein Sonntag (Sunday)
der/ein Montag (Monday)
der/ein Dienstag (Tuesday)
der/ein Mittwoch (Wednesday)
Mittwoch translates directly to “middle of the week”
der/ein Donnerstag (Thursday)
der/ein Freitag (Friday)
der/ein Samstag (Saturday)
der/ein Januar (January)
der/ein Februar (February)
der/ein März (March)
der/ein April (April)
der/ein Mai (May)
der/ein Juni (June)
der/ein Juli (July)
der/ein August (August)
der/ein September (September)
der/ein Oktober (October)
der/ein November (November)
der/ein Dezember (December)
Family Members
der/ein Vater (the/a father)
die/eine Mutter (the/a mother)
der/ein Bruder (the/a brother)
die/eine Schwester (the/a sister)
das/ein Baby (the/a baby)
der/ein Sohn (the/a son)
die/eine Tochter (the/a daughter)
Places
die/eine Stadt (the/a city)
das/ein Haus (the/a house)
2. Pronouns
ich (I)
du (you, informal)
er (he)
sie (she), sie (they), Sie (you, formal)
As you can see, there are three sie formations here. To figure out which pronoun is meant, look at the conjugated verb. If the verb is conjugated to the er/sie/es form, the sie meaning “she” is used. Sie is always capitalized to show it’s formal.
es (it)
wir (we)
ihr (you all; all of you)
As discussed above, nouns are attached to an article, and the corresponding pronoun can be chosen according to that article.
For example, der Tag becomes er because Tag is masculine, as indicated by the der article. Similarly, die Schwester becomes sie, and das Jahr becomes es. Plural nouns take the plural pronoun sie.
There’s one special pronoun that’s unique to German that might trip up first-time speakers. This pronoun is man and it does not refer to a male person, but rather it means “you” or “one.” It’s a bit hard to translate directly to a common English usage, but here are a few examples to clarify:
Wie sagt man “suitcase” auf Deutsch? (How do you/does one say “suitcase” in German?)
Wo kann man frisches Essen finden? (Where can one find fresh food?)
3. Essential Verbs
A sentence is always better with action!
Verbs are always conjugated depending on the subject and tense of the sentence. You’ll almost always find the verb near the beginning of your phrase.
Here are 10 very common German verbs:
haben (to have)
sein (to be)
müssen (to have to; must)
können (to be able to; can)
wollen (to want)
sagen (to say)
kommen (to come)
gehen (to go)
trinken (to drink)
essen (to eat)
4. Adjectives
Adjectives are used to describe nouns, and their endings change to indicate the case of the noun. While adjective endings are a whole lesson in themselves, get started by learning these essential German adjectives to create basic descriptive sentences.
gut (good)
schlecht (bad)
super (super; very cool)
schön (beautiful)
hässlich (ugly)
heiβ (hot)
kalt (cold)
5. Numbers One Through 20
Count ’em! Don’t forget to learn your German numbers, so you can do everything from making restaurant reservations to catching your train on the right platform.
eins (one)
zwei (two)
drei (three)
vier (four)
fünf (five)
sechs (six)
sieben (seven)
acht (eight)
neun (nine)
zehn (ten)
elf (eleven)
zwölf (twelve)
dreizehn (thirteen)
vierzehn (fourteen)
fünfzehn (fifteen)
sechsehn (sixteen)
siebzehn (seventeen)
achtzehn (eighteen)
neunzehn (nineteen)
zwanzig (twenty)
6. Prepositions
Prepositions are great at linking your ideas together and providing more information. You can use prepositions to describe location, purpose, timing, etc.
All prepositions have a case, so check your grammar as you use them!
nach (after)
für (for)
zu (to)
ohne (without)
mit (with)
um (at)
7. Phrases and Expressions
Words are one thing; being able to complete a thought in German is quite another! Here are some common German phrases you can memorize:
Wie geht es dir? (How is it going for you?)
This phrase can also be said: Wie geht’s? It means the same as the phrase Wie geht es dir? but it’s more colloquial.
Was machst du? (What are you doing?/What are you up to?)
Wo ist das Badezimmer? (Where is the bathroom?)
Ich heiβe [your name]. (I am called/My name is [your name].)
Danke! (Thank you!)
Bitte. (Please/You’re welcome.)
When said after danke, bitte means “you’re welcome.” Otherwise, it means “please.”
Hallo! (Hello!)
Entschuldigung. (Excuse me.)
Guten Morgen/Tag/Abend. (Good morning/day/evening.)
Auf Wiedersehen! (See you later!)
This phrase literally translates to something like “On seeing you again,” but it means the same as “Goodbye.”
8. Common Idioms
Idioms are the best way to pick up on any new language and learn more about the culture. Here are a few commonly used German idioms that might come in handy:
“Die Daumen drücken.”
“To press the thumbs.” This is the German version for “cross your fingers.” Sometimes, just like Americans do, the Germans will actually perform the action and press their thumbs.
“Du nimmst mich auf den Arm!”
“You hold me by the arm!” Very similar to “pulling one’s leg,” this German phrase translates to something like “no way” or “you’re kidding me.”
“Wer nicht vorwärts geht, der kommt zurück.”
This translates roughly to “whoever isn’t going forward is going backward.” This is a German saying that promotes proactive behavior and movement toward the future, whatever it may be.
“Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei.”
Because what is Germany without Wurst? Germans who say this mean everything has an end, and only a sausage has two. Basically, whatever is going on will come to an end sooner or later.
“Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!”
This means “Everything good to you on your birthday.” Rather than say “Happy Birthday,” this is what Germans might call you up and say when you’re another year older.
“Frosch im Hals haben.”
Meaning to have “a frog in one’s throat,” this phrase refers to a coarse voice.
“Noch grün hinter den Ohren sein.”
To still be green behind the ears. Those of us who are still new to something might’ve heard this from our older or more experienced colleagues.
There you have it! Try out these words and phrases next time you have a chance and always remember to practice your German!
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