Top 100 Most-Used German Words

Learning these words will be helpful for beginning German speakers

Reading Textbooks
FatCamera / Getty Images
By
Hyde Flippo
German Expert
    Hyde Flippo taught the German language for 28 years at high school and college levels and published several books on the German language and culture.
    our editorial process
    Hyde Flippo
    Updated January 29, 2019

    Have you ever wondered what the top 500, 1,000 or 10,000 German words were? If you need to learn German vocabulary, which words should you learn first? Which ones are most frequently used?

    The Projekt Deutscher Wortschatz at the Universität Leipzig scanned texts and included variations of the same word, including capitalization versus lower case and other possible forms of any particular word. The definite article ("the") appears in all of its German variations: der/Der, die/Die, den, etc. The verb "to be" appears in all of its conjugated forms: ist, sind, war, sei, etc. Even the new and old spellings of dass/daß are considered two different words.

    The Leipzig researchers noted that if one were to select different text sources for analysis, one would get different results. An analysis of the vocabulary found in a novel versus that in a comic book or a newspaper would not be similar. Obviously, an analysis of spoken German would also yield different results. 

    Here are charts showing the top 100 most-used German words, and one showing the top 30 most-spoken German words. Students of German 101 should get familiar with these words and their forms.

    Top 100 German Words Edited and Ranked by Frequency of Use

    Rank German English
    1 der (den, dem, des) the m.
    2 die (der, den) the f.
    3 und and
    4 in (im) in, into (in the)
    5 von (vom) of, from
    6 zu (zum, zur) to; at; too
    7 das (dem, des) the n.
    8 mit with
    9 sich himself, itself, yourself
    10 auf on
    11 für for
    12 ist (sein, sind, war, sei, etc.) is
    13 nicht not
    14 ein (eine, einen, einer, einem, eines) a, an
    15 als as, than, when
    16 auch also, too
    17 es it
    18 an (am/ans) to, at, by
    19 werden (wurde, wird) become, get
    20 aus from, out of
    21 er he, it
    22 hat (haben, hatte, habe) has/have
    23 dass / daß that
    24 sie she, it; they
    25 nach to, after
    26 bei at, by
    27 um around, at
    28 noch still, yet
    29 wie as, how
    30 über about, over, via
    31 so so, such, thus
    32 Sie you (formal)
    33 nur only
    34 oder or
    35 aber but
    36 vor (vorm, vors) before, in front of; of
    37 bis by, until
    38 mehr more
    39 durch by, through
    40 man one, they
    41 Prozent (das) percent
    42 kann (können, konnte, etc.) be able, can
    43 gegen against; around
    44 schon already
    45 wenn if, when
    46 sein (seine, seinen, etc.) his
    47 Mark (Euro) Mark (Euro) currency
    48 ihre/ihr her, their
    49 dann then
    50 unter under, among
    51 wir we
    52 soll (sollen, sollte, etc.) should, ought to
    53 ich I (personal pronoun)
    54 Jahr (das, Jahren, Jahres, etc.) year
    55 zwei two
    56 diese (dieser, dieses, etc.) this, these
    57 wieder again
    58 Uhr Most frequently used as "o'clock" in telling time.
    59 will (wollen, willst, etc.) wants
    60 zwischen between
    61 immer always
    62 Millionen (eine Million) millions
    63 was what
    64 sagte (sagen, sagt) said (say, says)
    65 gibt (es gibt; geben) gives
    66 alle all, everyone
    67 seit since
    68 muss (müssen) must
    69 doch but, nevertheless, after all
    70 jetzt now
    71 drei three
    72 neue (neu, neuer, neuen, etc.) new
    73 damit with it/that; by that; because of that; so that
    74 bereits already
    75 da since, because
    76 ab off, away; exit
    77 ohne without
    78 sondern but rather
    79 selbst myself, himself
    80 ersten (erste, erstes, etc.) first
    81 nun now; then; well?
    82 etwa about, approximately; for instance
    83 heute today, nowadays
    84 weil because
    85 ihm to/for him
    86 Menschen (der Mensch) people
    87 Deutschland (das) Germany
    88 anderen (andere, anderes, etc.) "other(s)
    89 rund approximately, about
    90 ihn him
    91 Ende (das) end
    92 jedoch nevertheless
    93 Zeit (die) time
    94 uns us
    95 Stadt (die) city, town
    96 geht (gehen, ging, etc.) goes
    97 sehr very
    98 hier here
    99 ganz entire(ly), complete(ly), whole(ly)
    100 Berlin (das) Berlin

    Top 30 Words in Spoken German

    Rank German English
    1 ich I
    2 das the; that (one) neuter
    3 die the f.
    4 ist is
    5 nicht not
    6 ja yes
    7 du you
    8 der the m.
    9 und and
    10 sie she, they
    11 so so, thus
    12 wir we
    13 was what
    14 noch still, yet
    15 da there, here; since, because
    16 mal times; once
    17 mit with
    18 auch also, too
    19 in in, into
    20 es it
    21 zu to; at; too
    22 aber but
    23 habe / hab' (I) have
    24 den the
    25 eine a, an fem. indefinite article
    26 schon already
    27 man one, they
    28 doch but, nevertheless, after all
    29 war was
    30 dann the
    Format
    mla apa chicago
    Your Citation
    Flippo, Hyde. "Top 100 Most-Used German Words." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/top-most-used-german-words-4077044. Flippo, Hyde. (2020, August 27). Top 100 Most-Used German Words. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/top-most-used-german-words-4077044 Flippo, Hyde. "Top 100 Most-Used German Words." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/top-most-used-german-words-4077044 (accessed January 26, 2021).