100 Most Common German Words - Essential Vocabulary List
Unlock the core of the German language. By mastering the 100 most common German words, you'll be able to understand approximately 80% of everyday conversation and written text.
Why These Words Matter
Language follows the Pareto Principle: a small number of words perform the majority of the work. This list represents the most frequent and versatile words in German, from essential pronouns to the most common verbs.
100
Core Words
80%+
Coverage
A1
Target Level
The Frequent 100 List
Browse through the most vital vocabulary. We've organized them into groups to make your study sessions more manageable.
Words 1 - 10
aber
but
acht
eight
aktiv
active
aktuell
currently
alle
all / everyone
allerdings
however / indeed
alles
everything
als
when (past) / than
also
so
alt
old
Words 11 - 20
an
on
anbieten
offer
andere
other
ändern
change
anders
different
anerkennen
acknowledge
anfangen
start
ankommen
arrive
anmelden
log in
annehmen
to accept
Words 21 - 30
anrufen
call
ansehen
view
anstrengend
tiring
antworten
answer
anziehen
to put on (clothes)
arbeiten
work
ärgern
to annoy / tease
atmen
breathe
auch
also
auf
on
Words 31 - 40
aufhören
stop
aufpassen
be careful
aufräumen
clean up
aufregend
exciting
aufstehen
get up
aus
out
ausgeben
output
ausgehen
go out
aussehen
look
aussteigen
to get off / exit
Words 41 - 50
ausziehen
take off
bald
soon
bauen
to build
bedeuten
mean
beeilen
to hurry up
beginnen
begin
behalten
keep
bei
at
beide
both
bekannt
known
Words 51 - 60
bekommen
get
berichten
report
beschreiben
describe
besichtigen
view
besonders
especially
besser
better
bestätigen
confirm
bestellen
order
besten
best
bestimmt
determined
Words 61 - 70
besuchen
visit
bevor
before
bewegen
move
bewerben
to apply for
bezahlen
pay
billig
cheap
bis
until
bisschen
a little bit
bitte
please
bitten
ask
Words 71 - 80
blau
blue
bleiben
stay
böse
evil
brauchen
need
breit
wide
bringen
bring
buchen
book
bunt
colorful
da
there
dabei
there
Words 81 - 90
dafür
for that
damit
so that / in order to
danach
after that
daneben
next to it
dankbar
grateful
danke
thank you
danken
thank you
dann
then
das
Alter
age
das
Angebot
offer / quotation
Words 91 - 100
das
Auge
eye
das
Auto
car
das
Bad
bathroom
das
Bett
bed
das
Bier
Beer
das
Bild
Image
das
Brot
Bread
das
Buch
book
das
Büro
office
das
Café
Cafe
Advanced Learning Methods
Sentence Building
Don't learn words in isolation. Use our Sentence Builder to see how these common words connect with others.
Audio Mastery
Correct pronunciation is vital. Use our Flashcards to hear native speaker pronunciations for every word.