100+ Basic German Phrases for Every Situation - Rosetta Stone (2023)

FAQs

What are the 100 most common words in German? ›

Try hallo (hello), guten tag (good day), auf wiedersehen (goodbye), danke (thank you), bitte (please), ja (yes) and nein (no). And having a few numbers under your belt – eins (one), zwei (two), drei (three) – should come in handy when buying tickets.

1: “Ich kriege so eine Krawatte”

And it comes from the pressure you feel in your throat when you get so angry you could scream. Germans use this saying when they find something makes them really angry.

However, since these are made up of a lot of prepositions, conjunctions, and pronouns, limiting yourself to them will not get you very far. Long story short, research says that to understand 85% of German texts you need to know about 1,300 words.

If you want to reach C1 level of proficiency in German, you'll need an active vocabulary of at least 5,000 words.

1. Eichhörnchen (Squirrel) Although squirrel is also tough to pronounce in English, it's a classic when it comes to difficult German words to pronounce. Many English speakers struggle, and some even consider this the hardest German word to pronounce.

Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung (36)

Officially recognised by the Duden - Germany's pre-eminent dictionary - as the longest word in German, Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung is a 36-letter, tongue-tying way of describing a rather, mundane everyday concept: motor vehicle liability insurance.

Last but not least, we have this behemoth of a word: Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz. With 63 letters, it's the longest German word on this list, and the longest word in everyday use in Germany. This word describes the law that regulates the labeling of beef.

What Germans say as a toast? ›

Zum wohl! Translation: To your health! This toast is similar to “Prost!”, but it's typically used in more formal situation situations like a fancy dinner or retirement party. Prost is typically used as a toast for drinking beers, and Zum Wohl is usually the go-to toast for wine, schnapps, or spirits.

Etiquette Rules when Dining Out in Germany

You'll find that most Germans begin the meal with a hearty Guten Appetit! Similar to Bon Appetit, it is an elegant way to phrase "Let's eat!". More informally, especially at lunch, you can expect an exclamation of "Mahlzeit!".

In order to feel comfortable speaking German, you really only need to learn about 3,000 words. In contrast, being fluent in German is defined as understanding 10,000+ words.

If you want to reach C1 level of proficiency in German, you'll need an active vocabulary of at least 5,000 words.

So, how long do you need to learn German if you want to reach this level of fluency? According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI), you'll need about 750 hours of study to become fluent in German. This means that if you study 12-15 hours a week, you'll be able to speak like a pro in just a year!

So how hard is the C1 exam? There's no doubt that the C1 exam is difficult, but it's certainly not impossible. I'm someone who still makes grammar mistakes more frequently than I'd like, sometimes uses the wrong words and can't always find the right vocabulary, but, thanks to some good preparation, I managed to pass.

However, if you wish to take German B2 test, you should know around 4000 German words. To reach B2 in German, first of all you need a German language app, functional grammar which you while conversations and lay some strict daily goals.

And the average speaker uses only 12,000 to 16,000 words in their vocabulary.

A 2014 survey showed that only eight percent of Germans favoured Saxon, which, among other research, has crowned Sächsisch the “worst German dialect”.

What is the 1 word order in German? ›

The basic German sentence order is SVO: subject, verb, object. The verb, the main verb or the conjugated part of the verb is always the second element of the sentence. If the subject does not precede the verb, main verb or conjugated part, it must follow it immediately.

Rinderkennzeichnungsfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz: The official longest German dictionary word.

Kübelwagen is a German word, contracted from Kübelsitzwagen (literally: 'bucket-seat car') – originally military slang for doorless cross-country and field-cars, fitted with bucket seats, to prevent riders from falling out of the vehicle – became a household word similar in meaning to the english "jeep".

A 79 letter word, Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft, was named the longest published word in the German language by the 1972 Guinness Book of World Records, but longer words are possible.

At 80 letters, the longest word ever composed in German is Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft, the "Association for Subordinate Officials of the Head Office Management of the Danube Steamboat Electrical Services".

Of course, when you're introduced to someone, you need to know how to reply. Very often people just reply with the same thing that has been said to them. Guten Morgen, Franz! – Guten Morgen, Helmut!

Ja. “Yes.” There ya go, Ja. Apart from some dialects there are no single letter words in German.

The dated German term is Panzerkampfwagen, "tank" or "armoured combat vehicle". The modern commonly used synonym is Kampfpanzer, or "battle panzer". The first German tank, the A7V of 1918, was referred to as a Sturmpanzerwagen (roughly, "armoured assault vehicle").

"Guten Tag" (Good day) or “Hallo” (Hello) are the most common verbal greetings used in Germany. In the South, some people may say “Grüß Gott” (literally translating as 'Greet God'). In formal situations, one should address another person with their title and last name, “Herr” (Mr.)

What are cool German words? ›

What does the Mercedes-Benz Brand slogan mean? The current Mercedes-Benz slogan is “The best or nothing”. This phrase helps represent what Mercedes-Benz as a brand stands for.

In Germany, we do! After somebody burps, you say: Schulz! Sometimes, it is accompanied by putting your thumb on your Stirn (forehead). It is especially popular among Jugendliche (teenagers) to do this as a drinking game.

Starting with an expression you're likely to hear a lot at Oktoberfest, this is how to say 'cheers!

Prost, it rhymes with toast! Prost us a quick and easy way to toast your drinks, while still adding a bit of German flair to the occasion. You can also say, “ein Prost!” which means, “a toast!”

Lunch in Germany is called Mittagessen and is usually eaten between 12 pm and 2 pm. Germans traditionally enjoy their main cooked meal for lunch rather than dinner. Lunch is often served after a starter such as potato salad. Lunches cooked at home may include Eintopf, Rouladen, Schnitzel or Sauerbraten.

While in other cultures, burping or smacking might be a signal that the food was good and enough, in Germany you try to eat as quietly as possible. That doesn't mean you're not allowed to talk; quite the reverse, you should talk as much as you can to boost your German.

What does it mean? Die Mahlzeit (which sounds like this) is made up of the words Mahl - meal - and Zeit - time, so it refers to the time that you eat (meal time), although it's not strictly limited to that. It is often used as a general greeting around lunchtime (say, 11am until 2pm).

German is rated as a category 2 language and considered to be similar to English. The FSI estimates that German takes approximately 30 weeks, or 750 classroom hours to learn. This study was conducted on a group of language students who spent 25 hours per week in class, and three hours daily on individual practice.

The C2 level exam: Think “very hard” & multiply that by a thousand. The Common European Framework of References for Languages level C2 is one of the hardest possible examinations you can do in any language.

How long does it take to reach C2 German? ›

The Goethe Institut says you need to have studied German for at least 750 hours to get to this point. But realistically, it might take you up to 3 years to reach the C2 level. You shouldn't feel discouraged if you feel like the C2 level is out of your reach, since even native Germans struggle with reaching this level.

CEFR-level C1 (advanced)

You can express yourself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. You can use language flexibly and effectively for social and professional purposes.

It takes 600 to 750 hours to learn the German C1 level.

German at the C1 level is considered advanced and demonstrates full command of German grammar and vocabulary.

German A1 exam pattern is quite simple. As it's a language, there are 4 modules- Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. It is 60 points exam and you have to score 36 points (60%) to pass the exam.

Depending on the German federal state, level B1 or B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is required.

The third level in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages is level B1. It is definitely a step beyond the A1 and A2 exams. Passing a level B1 exam means that you are entering the intermediate level of your journey through the German language.

For many English speakers, German is a difficult language to pick up. Its long words, four noun case endings, and rough pronunciation gives your tongue quite the workout each time you speak. German is recognized as a very descriptive language.

Officially recognised by the Duden - Germany's pre-eminent dictionary - as the longest word in German, Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung is a 36-letter, tongue-tying way of describing a rather, mundane everyday concept: motor vehicle liability insurance.

There is a long list of long German words. Sometimes, they even show up in the real world. The longest word in the German language—the 63-letter-long Rindfleischetikettierungsueberwachungsaufgabenuebertragungsgesetz—was created to represent a law about beef regulation.

What is ß called in English? ›

The German letter ß is a ligature and is also called a “scharfes s” (sharp s). But it's simpler than it sounds–it actually just means “ss”. The best thing about this letter? It sounds exactly like the “s” sound in English!

The Letter Ä With Two Dots Is an Umlaut

If you've ever wondered what those two dots above an “ä” are about, they're generally called umlauts. Particularly common in German, they're used to modify the suggested pronunciation of the letter a.

It is standard to replace ß with SS in all caps: STRASSE.

The German government recommends to learn 2.700 words to pass the B1 exam.

In order to feel comfortable speaking German, you really only need to learn about 3,000 words. In contrast, being fluent in German is defined as understanding 10,000+ words.

TeKaMoLo is short for the German words temporal, kausal, modal and lokal. The rule basically says that the order of boxes in a German sentence usually is: Te – ka – mo – lo. when – why – how – where.

So the longest word to be found in the German dictionary is Kraftfahrzeughaftpflichtversicherung – "motor vehicle indemnity insurance". As Mark Twain said "a word so long it has a perspective".

Best Way to Learn German. As with any language, the fastest and best way to learn German is through total immersion, preferably through living in a German-speaking country.