German vocabulary lists sorted by topic, from food, travel and work to feelings, health, the daily routine and the calendar, plus the 100 most common nouns and verbs. Every noun is listed with der, die or das, and each page explains the patterns behind them: gender endings, plural forms, separable verbs and compounds. Begin with the common nouns.
- German taught
- Germany German
- List size
- 40 to 100 words, printed in full
- Nouns
- Always with der, die or das
- Beyond the list
- Gender endings, plurals, separable and reflexive verbs, compounds
- In context
- Lines quoted from Contos chapters on every list
- The most common German nouns: 100 everyday words with der, die and das100 everyday German nouns with der, die or das, the endings that predict gender, the five ways to make a plural, and real lines from Contos stories.
- The most common German verbs: 100 to learn first100 everyday German verbs in the infinitive, with sein and haben, vowel changes, separable verbs like anrufen, wissen vs kennen and real story lines.
- German daily routine vocabulary: 60 words from the alarm clock to bed60 German words for an ordinary day: separable and reflexive routine verbs, morgen vs Morgen, shopping, weather and greetings, with story lines.
- Days of the week and months in GermanThe German days of the week and months, am Montag vs montags, how to write and say dates, seasons and time phrases, with lines from Contos stories.
- German words for emotions and personality: 60 words60 German words for feelings and character, with Angst haben vor, sich freuen auf, false friends like selbstbewusst, and lines from Contos stories.
- German food vocabulary: 60 words, from das Brot to die Rechnung60 German food and restaurant words with der, die or das, plurals and compounds, phrases for ordering and paying, and lines from Contos stories.
- German words for the body and health: 50 words50 German words for the body and health with der, die or das: how to say what hurts, the doctor and pharmacy, Gesundheit, and real story lines.
- German travel vocabulary: 60 words with der, die and das60 German travel words with der, die or das, the gender patterns behind them, phrases for trains and hotels, and lines from Contos stories.
- Useful everyday German verbs: 100 more to learn100 more German verbs for daily life: dative verbs like folgen, reflexive pairs like sich verstecken, sich vorstellen, door signs and story lines.
- German work and office vocabulary: 60 words60 German words for work and the office, with Kollege and Kollegin, du or Sie at work, sich bewerben, kündigen and real lines from Contos stories.
Which German vocabulary list is best for beginners?
The 100 most common nouns come first, because German nouns bring their gender into every sentence. Pair them with the 100 most common verbs, which cover sein, haben and separable verbs such as anrufen.
Then pick what you will use. Visiting Germany: travel and food. Working with German speakers: work, which also deals with du or Sie at the office. For everyday conversation: daily routine, emotions, health and the body and days and months. 100 more useful verbs adds dative and reflexive verbs when you are ready.
How do German compound nouns help you learn words faster?
German builds long nouns from short ones, and the last part decides the gender: die Küche (kitchen) plus der Tisch (table) makes der Küchentisch. Learn the short words on these lists well and you can unpack many compounds you have never seen.
This A2 line shows it at work. Am is an dem, which fits a masculine noun, because the compound takes its gender from Tisch:
Lena sitzt am Küchentisch und sortiert ihre Notizen.When you save a compound from a story, save its parts too. The parts come back far more often than the compound does.
Frequently asked questions
How do I learn der, die and das?
Learn every noun with its article as one unit, and use the endings that help: nouns in -ung, -heit, -keit and -schaft are feminine, -chen and -lein neuter. The common nouns page lists the most reliable endings.
How many German words do I need?
Contos moves readers up to A2 at 500 known words, B1 at 1,500 and B2 at 4,000. How many German words you need explains why cases and compounds make German word counts look bigger than they are.
Do I need to learn noun plurals separately?
Yes. German has several plural patterns, and the article alone will not tell you which one a noun takes: das Buch becomes die Bücher, die Frau becomes die Frauen. Learn the plural with the noun; the common nouns page sorts them into patterns.
Is it better to learn German words from lists or stories?
Use both. A list introduces a topic quickly; a story shows the word with its case endings and the verbs it goes with. In Contos you can tap any word in a chapter to see its meaning and save it as a flashcard.