sie/Sie [sie = they; Sie = you, singular or plural, formal]
sie/Sie
ihnen/Ihnen
ihr/Ihr
Der- and ein-words
der/die/das…
the, which, that
ein/eine/ein…
a
dieser
this
jeder
every
jener
that one (fairly formal)
alle (Pl.)
all, every
solche (Pl.); solch ein
such; such a
manche (Pl.)
some
Modal and Auxiliary Verbs
können
to be able to
dürfen
to be allowed to
mögen (==>ich möchte etc.)
to like (==> I would like etc.)
müssen
to have to
sollen
to be supposed to
wollen
to want to
haben
to have
sein
to be
werden
to become
Numbers and Ordinal Numbers
eins
erster
1
zwei
zweiter
2
drei
dritter
3
vier
vierter
4
fünf
fünfter
5
sechs
sechster
6
sieben
siebter
7
acht
achter
8
neun
neunter
9
zehn
zehnter
10
elf
…
11
zwölf
12
dreizehn
13
vierzehn
14
fünfzehn
15
sechzehn
16
siebzehn
17
achtzehn
18
neunzehn
19
zwanzig
20
dreißig
30
vierzig
40
fünfzig
50
sechzig
60
siebzig
70
achtzig
80
neunzig
90
hundert
100
Prepositions
These can have a range of meanings; only the most common are given here:
bis
Akkusativ
until, up to
durch
Akkusativ
through; by
für
Akkusativ
for
gegen
Akkusativ
against
ohne
Akkusativ
without
um (…herum)
Akkusativ
at (time); around (especially with “…herum”); roughly
wider
Akkusativ
against, contrary to
aus
Dativ
out of
außer
Dativ
except for
bei
Dativ
at
entgegen
Dativ
contrary to (expectations etc.)
entlang
Dativ
along (a street, shoreline etc.)
gegenüber
Dativ
across from
gemäß
Dativ
according to
mit
Dativ
with
nach
Dativ
after (time); to (city, country); according to
seit
Dativ
since
von
Dativ
of; by (author)
zu
Dativ
to
an
Akkusativ (Motion) oder Dativ (Location)
at, to (vertical or horizontal boundaries; specific points)
auf
Akkusativ (Motion) oder Dativ (Location)
on (occasionally means “at” or “to”)
hinter
Akkusativ (Motion) oder Dativ (Location)
behind
in
Akkusativ (Motion) oder Dativ (Location)
in
neben
Akkusativ (Motion) oder Dativ (Location)
beside; besides
über
Akkusativ (Motion) oder Dativ (Location)
above; about (a topic); via
unter
Akkusativ (Motion) oder Dativ (Location)
under; among
vor
Akkusativ (Motion) oder Dativ (Location)
in front of; ago
zwischen
Akkusativ (Motion) oder Dativ (Location)
between
außerhalb
Genitive
outside of
bezüglich
Genitive
concerning, as to, with reference to
entsprechend
Genitive
corresponding
infolge
Genitive
as a result of
innerhalb
Genitive
within, inside of
längs
Genitive
along (a river, streetfront etc.)
mittels
Genitive
by means of
seitens
Genitive
on the part of
statt, anstatt
Genitive
instead of
trotz
Genitive
despite
während
Genitive
during
wegen
Genitive
because of
Common Contractions
am
an dem
beim
bei dem
im
in dem
ins
in das
vom
von dem
zum
zu dem
zur
zu der
Fragewörter [only the most common question words appear here]
wann
when
warum
why
was
what
welcher [a der-word]
which
wer
who
wie
how
wo
where
Coordinating Conjunctions (Verb in position 2)
aber
but, however
denn
since (in the sense of “because”) (also used as a “flavoring particle” in questions, e.g. to indicate that one is curious about the answer)
entweder … oder
either … or
nicht nur … sondern auch
not only … but also
oder
or
sondern
but rather
sowohl … als auch
both … and
und
and
weder … noch
neither … nor
Subordinating Conjunctions (Verb in final position)
als
when (also means “than” in comparatives, and can mean “as” e.g. in “Sie arbeitet als Lehrerin”)
bevor
before
bis
until
da
as (in the sense of “because”) (also means “there” as in: “Da ist mein Haus!”)
damit
so that (also means “with that,” “with it”)
daß
that
ehe
before (more formal than “bevor”)
falls
in case
indem
by (+verb; e.g. by learning these words, you become a better person)
nachdem
after
ob
whether
obgleich
although
obwohl
although
seit
since
sobald
as soon as
so daß
so that
während
while
weil
because
wenn
if; when
wie
how
Verbs
arbeiten
to work
bleiben, blieb, ist geblieben
to stay
bringen, brachte, hat gebracht
to bring
denken, dachte, hat gedacht
to think
fahren, er/sie/es fährt, fuhr, ist gefahren
to drive; to go (somewhere, but not on foot or by plane)
finden, fand, hat gefunden
to find
fragen
to ask
führen
to lead
geben, er/sie/es gibt, gab, hat gegeben
to give
gehen, ging, ist gegangen
to go
gelten, er/sie/es gilt, galt, hat gegolten
to be valid (click here for more information on how to use this verb)
glauben
to believe
halten, er/sie/es hält, hielt, hat gehalten
to stop [for vehicles stopping]; to hold
heißen, hieß, hat gehießen
to be called
kennen, kannte, hat gekannt
to know (as in: to be familiar/acquainted with)
kommen, kam, ist gekommen
to come
lassen
to let (someone do something); to leave (something somewhere); to have something done
sich lassen + verb
can be “verb-ed” (e.g. “This can be done”)
leben
to live
liegen, lag, hat gelegen
to lie (as in a person or object’s physical position)
machen
to do; to make
meinen
to think (as in: have an opinion) (often used as a synonym for “sagen”: “Er meinte, dass…” = “He said/expressed the opinion that…”)
nehmen, er/sie/es nimmt, nahm, hat genommen
to take
nennen, nannte, hat genannt
to call (for naming someone or something)
sagen
to say
sehen, er/sie/es sieht, sah, hat gesehen
to see
spielen
to play (games/music/roles)
sprechen, er/sie/es spricht, sprach, hat gesprochen
to speak
stehen, stand, hat gestanden
to stand
stellen
to put (for “standing” something with a firm base somewhere, e.g. “Stell die Gläser auf den Tisch!”)
tun, tat, hat getan
to do
wissen, er/sie/es weiß, wusste, hat gewusst
to know (a fact)
zeigen
to show
Miscellaneous Frequent Words
ab
as of; departing at; used when something is being removed
allein
alone; however
also
thus, so
alt
old
(ein) ander__
other (another)
anders
differently
auch
also
beide
both
(zum) Beispiel
(for) example
bereits
already
besonder__
particular, unusual
besonders
especially
in/mit Bezug auf
regarding
bisher
until now, as yet
dabei
and yet; while doing that; near that/it
dann
then
doch
however, yet (also used to contradict a negative statement, e.g. “Sprechen Sie kein Deutsch?”–“Doch!” and as a flavoring particle to convey meanings such as “go ahead and” or “surely”)
dort
over there, there
drittens
thirdly
eigentlich
real(ly), actual(ly) (click here for more information on this basic but easily misused word, which is also frequently used as a “flavoring particle”)
einige
some, a few
einmal
once, once upon a time
erst
(at) first; only (in the sense of “not until”)
erstens
firstly
es gibt
there is, there are
etwa
roughly
etwas
something
fast
almost, nearly
ganz
whole, entire, all (as in “all day”, “all my money,” but not e.g. “all the people”)
gerade
straight; just (as in “I just did this”)
gestern
yesterday
groß
big, tall, large
gut
good, well
heute
today
hier
here
immer
always
ja
yes (can also be used as a “flavoring particle”–click here for more info!)
das Jahr, -e
year
je
ever; per
je…je/desto/umso
the (more)…the (more)
jedoch
however, nonetheless
jetzt
now, at the moment
kaum
hardly, scarcely
kein(__)
none, no, no one…
klein
little, small
lang
long
letzte(__)
last
mal; das Mal
time(s) [as in “zum ersten Mal,” “drei mal” etc.]
man
one
mehr
more
morgen
tomorrow
nein
no
neu
new
nicht
not
nichts
nothing
noch
still (as in “It’s still alive”); even (as in “even more”); “noch ein” = “another”
nun
now; can be used to mean “Well,…”
nur
only
oben
above, up there
ohne…zu
without (doing X)
ein paar
a few
plötzlich
sudden(ly)
quer durch
right (straight) across
schlecht
bad
schließlich
finally; after all
schon
already (can also be used as a “flavoring particle,” e.g. when conceding something: “Das stimmt schon, aber…”
schön
nice, pretty
schnell
quick(ly), fast
sehr
very
sei es…sei es
be it…be it, whether…or
selbst, selber
myself, yourself etc. (e.g. “Ich mache das selbst.”) “selbst” can also mean “even” as in “Selbst SPAM schmeckt gut [=tastes good], wenn man Hunger hat.”
sich
oneself, himself, herself, itself, themselves etc. (reflexive pronoun)
so
so, in this manner
sonst
otherwise, or else
später
later
(an)statt…zu
instead of (doing X)
trotzdem
nevertheless, despite that
um…zu
in order to (do X)
viel
a lot, many
vielleicht
perhaps
was
what; which
wenig(__)
few, little (in the sense of “few”)
wie
how; like (as in “similar(ly)”), as (in comparisons)
