How to use this list
Do not try to learn all 100 words at once. Take one group of 10 per day (or every two days), and test yesterday’s group before starting a new one. Nouns are listed with their article — der, die, or das — because the article is part of the word in German. Learn them together from the start.
The 100 words, in 10 groups
Group 1: Greetings and polite words
| German | English |
|---|---|
| hallo | hello |
| tschüss | bye |
| ja | yes |
| nein | no |
| danke | thank you |
| bitte | please / you’re welcome |
| Entschuldigung | excuse me / sorry |
| Guten Morgen | good morning |
| Guten Tag | good day / hello |
| Gute Nacht | good night |
Example: “Guten Morgen! Einen Kaffee, bitte. Danke!” — Good morning! One coffee, please. Thanks!
Group 2: People and pronouns
| German | English |
|---|---|
| ich | I |
| du | you (informal) |
| er | he |
| sie | she / they |
| wir | we |
| der Mann | man |
| die Frau | woman |
| das Kind | child |
| der Freund | friend |
| die Leute | people |
Example: “Er ist mein Freund.” — He is my friend.
Group 3: Family
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die Familie | family |
| die Mutter | mother |
| der Vater | father |
| der Bruder | brother |
| die Schwester | sister |
| der Sohn | son |
| die Tochter | daughter |
| die Eltern | parents |
| die Großmutter | grandmother |
| der Großvater | grandfather |
Example: “Meine Familie ist groß.” — My family is big.
Group 4: Numbers 1–10
| German | English |
|---|---|
| eins | one |
| zwei | two |
| drei | three |
| vier | four |
| fünf | five |
| sechs | six |
| sieben | seven |
| acht | eight |
| neun | nine |
| zehn | ten |
Example: “Zwei Brötchen und drei Äpfel, bitte.” — Two rolls and three apples, please.
Group 5: Time and days
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Tag | day |
| die Woche | week |
| heute | today |
| morgen | tomorrow |
| gestern | yesterday |
| jetzt | now |
| der Montag | Monday |
| das Wochenende | weekend |
| die Zeit | time |
| die Stunde | hour |
Example: “Heute habe ich keine Zeit, aber morgen.” — I have no time today, but tomorrow.
Group 6: Food and drink
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Wasser | water |
| das Brot | bread |
| der Kaffee | coffee |
| der Tee | tea |
| die Milch | milk |
| der Apfel | apple |
| das Essen | food / meal |
| essen | to eat |
| trinken | to drink |
| der Hunger | hunger |
Example: “Ich habe Hunger. Wir essen Brot und trinken Tee.” — I’m hungry. We eat bread and drink tea.
Group 7: Essential verbs
| German | English |
|---|---|
| sein | to be |
| haben | to have |
| gehen | to go |
| kommen | to come |
| machen | to do / make |
| sagen | to say |
| sehen | to see |
| sprechen | to speak |
| wohnen | to live (somewhere) |
| lernen | to learn |
Example: “Ich lerne Deutsch und wohne in Berlin.” — I’m learning German and live in Berlin.
Group 8: Question words and connectors
| German | English |
|---|---|
| wer | who |
| was | what |
| wo | where |
| wann | when |
| wie | how |
| warum | why |
| und | and |
| oder | or |
| aber | but |
| nicht | not |
Example: “Wo wohnst du? Und warum lernst du Deutsch?” — Where do you live? And why are you learning German?
Group 9: Everyday places and things
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Haus | house |
| die Wohnung | apartment |
| das Auto | car |
| der Bus | bus |
| die Straße | street |
| die Stadt | city |
| die Arbeit | work |
| die Schule | school |
| das Geld | money |
| das Handy | mobile phone |
Example: “Die Wohnung ist in der Stadt, die Arbeit ist weit.” — The apartment is in the city, work is far away.
Group 10: Useful small words
| German | English |
|---|---|
| hier | here |
| da | there |
| gut | good |
| schlecht | bad |
| groß | big |
| klein | small |
| viel | much / a lot |
| wenig | little / few |
| auch | also |
| sehr | very |
Example: “Das ist sehr gut! Ich lerne auch hier.” — That is very good! I also study here.
How to learn these 100 words
- One group per day: read it, say every word out loud, cover the English column and test yourself.
- Start each day by re-testing yesterday’s group before opening a new one.
- Always say nouns with their article: “die Stadt,” never just “Stadt.”
- Make one silly sentence per group — odd sentences are easier to remember than plain ones.
- After group 10, test all 100. Whatever you forgot becomes tomorrow’s review list.
What comes after the first 100 words?
Two things. First, expand topic by topic with the A1 vocabulary guide. Second — and this is where these 100 words pay off — start grammar: with sein, haben, and your nouns, rules like verb endings and word order finally have something familiar to attach to. The A1 learning path shows the full order.
Prefer the words served in small, tested batches? Download German with Levels — it starts with exactly this kind of vocabulary, tests every batch, and then teaches grammar using only words you already know.