If you are looking to brush up on your German before sitting the oral examination as part of your junior or leaving cert assessment, improve your employment opportunities for work or immerse yourself in the German culture by conversing with locals in their mother tongue then this is the article for you.
I will take a look at some of the most essential words that are likely to feature in just about every conversation that you will have in German.
By shifting your focus to the most common words that are spoken in the German language you can be sure that you will be familiar with what is being said in most situations. Prioritising the words that most commonly feature in conversation, questions and what German people say the most will ensure that you are prepared in advance.
By adopting this approach to your learning, you will cover all of the most essential vocabulary first. This will also help you in the unseen reading comprehension and oral exams in the Leaving and junior certificate assessments.
By knowing all of the words which most commonly feature in the exams, you will ensure that you are not caught off-guard when you open up your exam paper on the day.
While the assessments are different each year, the exam papers generally follow a similar format in certainly have some reoccurring aspects that you can expect to see on the day.
While there is some variance each year in what features on the paper, there are certainly some things that students can bank on in order to attain some easy marks on the German paper.
By prioritising words that most frequently appear in your German exam papers and the question words such as ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘why’, ‘how’, ‘when’ and ‘who’ you will be able to make out what is being asked of you. Even if you don’t manage to grasp anything more than this, it is a great indicator that will enable you to make an educated guess.
Familiarising yourself with the top german words will help you to pick up the language faster.
Prioritising the most commonly used words
Regardless of whether you are learning the language in order to improve your grade in your exams or achieve some more formal qualification in the language you should prioritise the most essential words and phrases and work from there.
Having even a basic level of German and knowing all of the most commonly used words by the German people will help to open many doors for yourself when it comes to both work and travel.
The same is true in real-life conversations, if you are thrown off by a German accent that you have not heard before and fail to make out exactly what the person is saying then having knowledge of the key question words will help you to make out what they are asking of you.
Here is a list of some of the most commonly used words that will help you to speak with Germans. There are the 10 most common German words used by native German speakers. While many of these words might seem basic or elementary to advanced speakers, there are still the most common and should be learned before progressing any further in the language.
Hallo = Hello. Starting with "Hallo," which is German for "Hello," makes sense.
Liebe = Love. Love is a universal feeling and we definitely had to talk about it here.
Glück = Happiness. You can use this to describe how you are on a daily basis.
Katze = Cat. If you have a family pet then you will likely rely on this one more than others.
Hund = Dog. Whether you are discussing a dog on the street or the one in your home, make sure to pronounce it correctly.
Lächeln = Smile. This is a great one to say to friends or when you are taking photos.
Deutscher = German. Even saying that you don’t speak German through German is polite.
Ja = Yes. This is one that you will rely upon countless times throughout the day and perhaps the most basic yet essential.
Das, die and der = All of these words are ways that you can say ‘the’ in the German language.
German books not to miss
You'll probably need to go above and beyond what is required of you in your school-based German lesson if you want to genuinely advance your German language skills.
Having a German language book with you at all times is the greatest method to ensure that you continue to put effort into your studies. As a result, you will be able to pick up your book and begin studying whenever you have the chance throughout the day.
Reading a book in German will show you just how often the top 5 German words feature in the language. Your reading will help you to solidify the words in your mind while helping you to expand your vocabulary to include many new ones.
If you are wanting to pick up a new book to help with your studying then you might want to be picky in what you choose to acquire. We will include a few books that may help you start your studies off right and then improve as you continue to learn the language.
While there are plenty of long words in German that might confuse you, there are plenty of common words that you can use all of the time that will help to build your vocabulary in the language.
If you are curious about the longest German words and want to add some long German words to your vocabulary then challenge yourself with ‘Donaudampfschiffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft.’
The meaning isn’t exactly useful and you likely won’t have to use this word often. The English meaning is an association of subordinate officials of the head office management of the Danube steamboat electrical services.
There are a few German books that can’t be missed if you have intentions of learning the language through reading.
Common German Idioms and how to use them
Idioms are a great technique to improve your language fluency while you study the language. If you are looking to improve your overall fluency with the German language then idioms are certainly a great avenue for accomplishing just that.
Enhancing your familiarity with German idioms will help you to understand locals and also showcase your ability to communicate through a more colloquial medium.
Idioms are a great way of telling somebody’s proficiency in a language. If you are able to use idioms and apply them correctly in their indented contexts you are going to impress a lot of people with your level of German.
Like to other languages, German has a large lexicon of slang words that may be challenging for beginners to grasp. The importance of understanding German idioms, however, cannot be overstated because they help learners sound more native and help them understand what locals are saying when they use them in conversation.
If you are looking for some new German words that aren’t too long to add to your everyday vocabulary then look no further. If you spend time learning rather easy words that you can say in every conversation your German will improve in no time. ‘das’, ‘die’ and ‘der’ are common words that you can say, the English meaning of each of these words is ‘the’.
While this might seem like simple vocabulary, it is still important in your learning of the German language. Next time you are in a conversation with somebody learning the German language, throw in das, die and der.
If they don’t understand then follow up with the English meaning. The more words are used in your daily vocabulary the faster you will learn the words and the language.
These words are extremely common and go a long way to building your German vocabulary. They are the most common words that you can say in any conversation. Even if the rest of your conversation is in English, if you say just das, die and der in German it will help you to learn the new words.
By using common German idioms you will be able to impress native speakers on your next trip to the country.
Best German series to improve comprehension
Watching television programs in the German language will be of interest to you if you want to increase your understanding of German by learning through a novel and engaging medium.
Watching German TV shows can be an effective tool to add to your overall learning experience when you are trying to improve your German language comprehension. You will be surprised how fast you pick up the most common German words even if you have never spoken the language before.
Watching a series in the language will make your learning all the more fun if you're trying to brush up on your German language abilities in order to improve your work prospects, move up a few classes in your school examinations, or speak the language when you visit Germany.
Watching a German TV show is a terrific way to unwind after finishing all of your schoolwork and following study sessions while also giving you the opportunity to learn a new language.
If you hear a new word for the first time and don’t understand the English meaning, then you should spend time writing it out so that you remember your new German word or words and develop your vocabulary over time.
When you get home from a long day at school, instead of turning on the same shows you might often watch, switch up your routine to accommodate this engaging learning strategy.
Watching German tv shows and series with subtitles is a great and engaging way to learn.
Learn the most common words through music
By listening to music, you can expand your vocabulary in a foreign language. You may even attempt to write your own song to help you memorize a specific subject for your upcoming German exam in school.
The words you use to sing a love song will be ones that convey longing, appreciation, and affection.
If you wanted to learn the most common German words for love then listening to heartbreak and romantic songs will be the best way to expand your vocabulary when it comes to expressing these emotions.
Even if you are one of the small percentages of students who find music learning unproductive, it will undoubtedly enhance your educational experience. In turn, this can enhance your entire learning process and possibly aid in your long-term ability to stick to your study schedule.
You don’t have to spend too long going over an article on how to learn German words and expand your vocabulary. The sooner you put the article down and start practising the words used above the better.
Why not challenge yourself and avoid using the English language when you are with your German tutor? You can even try practising some of the new vocabulary that you learned from this article in your next German language tutoring session.
It doesn’t take long to learn how to say a new word or a few new words each day. You can make time each night for learning to say common German words so that you can expand your vocabulary in the language going forward.
Learning German through music is a study method that is growing in popularity with time.
You will become familiar with the most common German words sooner than you might think. Get started with a German language tutor from Superprof today!
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