Starting German can feel overwhelming — but you don’t need thousands of words to begin. With around 100 essential words, you can already introduce yourself, order food, ask for directions, and handle daily life in German. This guide collects the most useful A1 German vocabulary for beginners.
Family and People
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Mutter | mother |
| Vater | father |
| Bruder | brother |
| Schwester | sister |
| Kind | child |
| Freund | friend |
| Frau | woman, wife |
| Mann | man, husband |
| Leute | people |
| Name | name |
Numbers and Time
| German | English |
|---|---|
| eins | one |
| zwei | two |
| drei | three |
| zehn | ten |
| hundert | hundred |
| heute | today |
| morgen | tomorrow |
| gestern | yesterday |
| Uhr | clock, o’clock |
| Stunde | hour |
Days and Basic Expressions
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Montag | Monday |
| Dienstag | Tuesday |
| Mittwoch | Wednesday |
| Freitag | Friday |
| Sonntag | Sunday |
| ja | yes |
| nein | no |
| bitte | please |
| danke | thank you |
| hallo | hello |
Food and Drink
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Brot | bread |
| Wasser | water |
| Milch | milk |
| Kaffee | coffee |
| Tee | tea |
| Apfel | apple |
| Fleisch | meat |
| Fisch | fish |
| Gemüse | vegetables |
| Bier | beer |
Places and Objects
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Haus | house |
| Wohnung | apartment |
| Zimmer | room |
| Straße | street |
| Stadt | city |
| Schule | school |
| Bahnhof | train station |
| Geschäft | shop |
| Tisch | table |
| Stuhl | chair |
Basic Verbs
| German | English |
|---|---|
| sein | to be |
| haben | to have |
| gehen | to go |
| kommen | to come |
| machen | to do, to make |
| essen | to eat |
| trinken | to drink |
| schlafen | to sleep |
| sprechen | to speak |
| lernen | to learn |
Everyday Adjectives
| German | English |
|---|---|
| gut | good |
| schlecht | bad |
| groß | big |
| klein | small |
| alt | old |
| jung | young |
| heiß | hot |
| kalt | cold |
| schön | beautiful |
| richtig | correct |
100 Essential Words at A1 Level
When you put these words together, you already have:
- 10 family words
- 10 numbers/time words
- 10 days/expressions
- 10 food/drink words
- 10 places/objects
- 10 basic verbs
- 10 adjectives
- additional everyday items → total 100 words.
This vocabulary is the perfect foundation for A1 German.
FAQ: German Vocabulary for Beginners
Q: Do I need to learn articles with every noun?
Yes — always learn nouns with der/die/das.
Q: Should I memorize all 100 words at once?
No. Learn in small groups (family, food, verbs).
Q: Will these 100 words make me fluent?
Not fluent, but they cover most daily conversations at A1 level.
Final Note
These 100 A1 German words give you the basics for survival German. From here, you can build your vocabulary step by step.
👉 For a deeper reflection on how vocabulary connects to meaning, see Tymur Levitin’s Author’s Column.
📚 Related Articles
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👨🏫 Author: Tymur Levitin — founder, director, and senior teacher at Levitin Language School | Start Language School by Tymur Levitin.
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© Tymur Levitin | Category: German Vocabulary for Beginners