Boost Your German A1: Essential Vocabulary Lists (Food, Travel, Family, Hobbies & More)

Essential German A1 Vocabulary: Building Your First Words

Starting your exciting journey to **learn German online**? Welcome! One of the most fundamental stages at the A1 level (absolute beginner) is establishing a strong base of **basic German words**. Mastering core **German A1 vocabulary** is key; it's what enables you to grasp simple written texts, participate in straightforward conversations, and effectively express yourself on everyday topics.

This guide provides a wealth of essential **German vocabulary for beginners**, conveniently organized into common A1 themes like Food & Drink, Travel & Transport, Family & People, Hobbies & Free Time, Numbers & Time, and Places in a City/Town. We've included crucial nouns (remember their articles!), useful verbs, and descriptive adjectives/adverbs, presented in easy-to-follow tables, often accompanied by simple example sentences to show usage. Using these lists is a fantastic way to supplement your learning, whether you are just starting or already following a structured German curriculum.

Building this vocabulary foundation is made even more effective with structured support. German language classes, especially flexible online German classes designed with a strong speaking focus, help you move from memorization to confident communication. Remember: Learning vocabulary isn't just about lists; it's about understanding how words function and using them actively. Discover why Sprachlingua is an excellent choice for beginners. Ready to expand your **German vocabulary** and start speaking? Contact us today to learn more about our programs, including dedicated German language classes in Chennai.

Food & Drink (Essen und Trinken)

Talking about what you eat and drink is fundamental! Here's some core German food vocabulary.

Nouns (Nomen)

German Word (with Article) English Translation Example Sentence
der Apfel Apple Ich esse gern den Apfel. (I like eating apples.)
das Brot Bread Wir brauchen das Brot. (We need bread.)
der Käse Cheese Magst du den Käse? (Do you like cheese?)
die Milch Milk Ich trinke morgens die Milch. (I drink milk in the morning.)
das Wasser Water Bitte, ein Glas Wasser. (A glass of water, please.)
der Kaffee Coffee Er trinkt viel Kaffee. (He drinks a lot of coffee.)
das Ei Egg Ich esse ein Ei zum Frühstück. (I eat an egg for breakfast.)

Verbs (Verben)

German Word (Infinitive) English Translation Example Sentence
essen To eat Ich esse Pizza. (I am eating pizza.)
trinken To drink Was möchtest du trinken? (What would you like to drink?)
kochen To cook Meine Mutter kocht gut. (My mother cooks well.)
mögen To like Ich mag Schokolade. (I like chocolate.)
haben To have Wir haben Hunger. (We are hungry. Lit: We have hunger.)

Adjectives & Adverbs (Adjektive & Adverbien)

German Word English Translation Example Sentence
lecker Delicious, tasty Das Essen ist lecker. (The food is delicious.)
hungrig Hungry Bist du hungrig? (Are you hungry?)
durstig Thirsty Ich bin durstig. (I am thirsty.)
viel Much, a lot Er isst viel Brot. (He eats a lot of bread.)

Travel & Transport (Reisen und Verkehr)

Essential words for getting around and exploring. This German travel vocabulary is key for any visitor.

Nouns (Nomen)

German Word (with Article) English Translation Example Sentence
der Zug Train Wir fahren mit dem Zug nach Berlin. (We are going to Berlin by train.)
das Auto Car Ich habe kein Auto. (I don't have a car.)
das Flugzeug Airplane Das Flugzeug fliegt nach Spanien. (The airplane is flying to Spain.)
der Bahnhof Train station Wo ist der Bahnhof? (Where is the train station?)
das Hotel Hotel Wir bleiben in einem Hotel. (We are staying in a hotel.)
der Koffer Suitcase Mein Koffer ist schwer. (My suitcase is heavy.)
die Fahrkarte Ticket (for transport) Haben Sie eine Fahrkarte? (Do you have a ticket?)

Verbs (Verben)

German Word (Infinitive) English Translation Example Sentence
fahren To drive, travel (by vehicle) Ich fahre mit dem Bus. (I am travelling by bus.)
fliegen To fly Wir fliegen morgen. (We are flying tomorrow.)
reisen To travel Er reist gern. (He likes to travel.)
ankommen To arrive Der Zug kommt um 10 Uhr an. (The train arrives at 10 o'clock.)
bleiben To stay Wir bleiben drei Tage in Paris. (We are staying in Paris for three days.)
suchen To look for, search Ich suche mein Hotel. (I am looking for my hotel.)

Adjectives & Adverbs (Adjektive & Adverbien)

German Word English Translation Example Sentence
schnell Fast, quick(ly) Das Auto fährt schnell. (The car drives fast.)
langsam Slow(ly) Bitte sprechen Sie langsam. (Please speak slowly.)
weit Far Ist es weit zum Bahnhof? (Is it far to the train station?)
hier Here Das Hotel ist hier. (The hotel is here.)
dort There Der Park ist dort. (The park is there.)

Practice using this vocabulary in realistic scenarios, like those in our speaking-focused lessons.

Family & People (Familie und Leute)

Talking about the people in your life is essential German A1 vocabulary.

Nouns (Nomen)

German Word (with Article) English Translation Example Sentence
die Familie Family Das ist meine Familie. (This is my family.)
die Mutter Mother Meine Mutter heißt Anna. (My mother's name is Anna.)
der Vater Father Mein Vater ist Arzt. (My father is a doctor.)
die Schwester Sister Ich habe eine Schwester. (I have a sister.)
der Bruder Brother Hast du einen Bruder? (Do you have a brother?)
das Kind Child Das Kind spielt im Garten. (The child is playing in the garden.)
der Freund / die Freundin Friend (male / female) Peter ist mein Freund. Maria ist meine Freundin. (Peter is my friend. Maria is my friend.)
der Mann Man / Husband Der Mann liest die Zeitung. (The man is reading the newspaper.)
die Frau Woman / Wife Das ist meine Frau. (This is my wife.)

Verbs (Verben)

German Word (Infinitive) English Translation Example Sentence
haben To have Ich habe zwei Kinder. (I have two children.)
sein To be Er ist mein Bruder. (He is my brother.)
wohnen To live, reside Wir wohnen in Berlin. (We live in Berlin.)
heißen To be called Wie heißen Sie? (What is your name? - formal)
lieben To love Ich liebe meine Familie. (I love my family.)

Adjectives & Adverbs (Adjektive & Adverbien)

German Word English Translation Example Sentence
nett Nice, kind Meine Nachbarn sind nett. (My neighbours are nice.)
alt Old Mein Vater ist 50 Jahre alt. (My father is 50 years old.)
jung Young Meine Schwester ist jung. (My sister is young.)
groß Big, tall Mein Bruder ist groß. (My brother is tall.)
klein Small, short Das Haus ist klein. (The house is small.)

Hobbies & Free Time (Hobbys und Freizeit)

Talk about what you enjoy doing in your free time with this German hobbies vocabulary.

Nouns (Nomen)

German Word (with Article) English Translation Example Sentence
das Hobby Hobby Was ist dein Hobby? (What is your hobby?)
das Buch Book Ich lese gern Bücher. (I like reading books.)
die Musik Music Hörst du gern Musik? (Do you like listening to music?)
der Film Film, movie Wir sehen einen Film im Kino. (We are watching a film at the cinema.)
der Sport Sport(s) Machst du gern Sport? (Do you like doing sports?)
das Spiel Game Die Kinder spielen ein Spiel. (The children are playing a game.)
die Freizeit Free time, leisure Was machst du in deiner Freizeit? (What do you do in your free time?)

Verbs (Verben)

German Word (Infinitive) English Translation Example Sentence
lesen To read Ich lese ein Buch. (I am reading a book.)
hören To hear, listen Wir hören Musik. (We are listening to music.)
sehen To see, watch Siehst du gern Filme? (Do you like watching films?)
spielen To play Er spielt Fußball. (He plays football.)
machen To do, make Was machst du am Wochenende? (What are you doing on the weekend?)
treffen To meet Ich treffe meine Freunde. (I am meeting my friends.)
schwimmen To swim Kannst du schwimmen? (Can you swim?)

Adjectives & Adverbs (Adjektive & Adverbien)

German Word English Translation Example Sentence
gern / gerne Gladly, like to (adverb) Ich spiele gern Klavier. (I like to play the piano.)
oft Often Wir gehen oft ins Kino. (We often go to the cinema.)
interessant Interesting Das Buch ist interessant. (The book is interesting.)
langweilig Boring Der Film war langweilig. (The film was boring.)
frei Free Ich habe am Sonntag frei. (I have Sunday off / I am free on Sunday.)

Numbers & Time (Zahlen und Zeit)

Understanding numbers, dates, and telling time are crucial skills for appointments, shopping, and daily schedules. This German numbers vocabulary and German time vocabulary is essential.

Nouns (Nomen)

German Word (with Article) English Translation Example Sentence
die Zahl Number Meine Lieblingszahl ist sieben. (My favourite number is seven.)
die Uhr Clock / O'clock Es ist drei Uhr. (It is three o'clock.)
die Zeit Time Hast du Zeit? (Do you have time?)
der Tag Day Heute ist ein schöner Tag. (Today is a beautiful day.)
die Woche Week Die Woche hat sieben Tage. (The week has seven days.)
der Monat Month Januar ist der erste Monat. (January is the first month.)
das Jahr Year Das Jahr hat 365 Tage. (The year has 365 days.)
die Stunde Hour Der Kurs dauert eine Stunde. (The course lasts one hour.)
die Minute Minute Warte eine Minute, bitte. (Wait a minute, please.)

Verbs (Verben)

German Word (Infinitive) English Translation Example Sentence
kosten To cost Was kostet das Brot? (How much does the bread cost?)
dauern To last, take (time) Wie lange dauert der Film? (How long does the film last?)
sein To be (used for time) Wie spät ist es? (What time is it?)
haben To have (e.g., time) Ich habe keine Zeit. (I don't have time.)

Adjectives & Adverbs (Adjektive & Adverbien)

German Word English Translation Example Sentence
früh Early Der Zug kommt früh. (The train arrives early.)
spät Late Es ist schon spät. (It is already late.)
jetzt Now Wir müssen jetzt gehen. (We have to go now.)
heute Today Was machst du heute? (What are you doing today?)
morgen Tomorrow Wir sehen uns morgen. (See you tomorrow.)
gestern Yesterday Gestern war Montag. (Yesterday was Monday.)
viel Much, many Das kostet viel Geld. (That costs a lot of money.)
wenig Little, few Ich habe nur wenig Zeit. (I only have a little time.)

Places in a City/Town (Orte in der Stadt)

Knowing the names of common places helps you navigate, ask for directions, and talk about where you go. This German places vocabulary is very practical.

Nouns (Nomen)

German Word (with Article) English Translation Example Sentence
die Stadt City, town Ich wohne in einer großen Stadt. (I live in a big city.)
der Park Park Wir gehen in den Park spazieren. (We go for a walk in the park.)
das Geschäft / der Laden Shop, store Das Geschäft ist geöffnet. (The shop is open.)
der Supermarkt Supermarket Ich kaufe Milch im Supermarkt. (I buy milk at the supermarket.)
das Restaurant Restaurant Gehen wir heute Abend in ein Restaurant? (Shall we go to a restaurant tonight?)
das Kino Cinema Im Kino läuft ein neuer Film. (A new film is playing at the cinema.)
die Schule School Die Kinder gehen in die Schule. (The children go to school.)
die Bank Bank Ich muss Geld von der Bank holen. (I need to get money from the bank.)
die Post Post office Wo ist die Post, bitte? (Where is the post office, please?)
das Krankenhaus Hospital Er liegt im Krankenhaus. (He is in the hospital.)

Verbs (Verben)

German Word (Infinitive) English Translation Example Sentence
gehen To go, walk Ich gehe zum Supermarkt. (I am going/walking to the supermarket.)
finden To find Ich kann das Restaurant nicht finden. (I can't find the restaurant.)
besuchen To visit Wir besuchen Freunde in der Stadt. (We are visiting friends in the city.)
kaufen To buy Wo kann ich Brot kaufen? (Where can I buy bread?)
sein To be (location) Die Post ist neben der Bank. (The post office is next to the bank.)

Adjectives & Adverbs (Adjektive & Adverbien)

German Word English Translation Example Sentence
links Left Das Kino ist links. (The cinema is on the left.)
rechts Right Die Bank ist rechts. (The bank is on the right.)
geradeaus Straight ahead Gehen Sie immer geradeaus. (Keep going straight ahead.)
nah Near, close Der Supermarkt ist ganz nah. (The supermarket is very near.)
offen / geöffnet Open Das Geschäft ist bis 18 Uhr geöffnet. (The shop is open until 6 PM.)
geschlossen Closed Sonntags sind viele Läden geschlossen. (On Sundays, many shops are closed.)
hier Here Der Park ist gleich hier. (The park is right here.)
dort There Das Restaurant ist dort drüben. (The restaurant is over there.)

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Tips for Learning A1 Vocabulary

  • Use Flashcards: Digital (like Anki, Quizlet) or physical cards help with memorization. Include the article for nouns!
  • Learn in Context: Don't just memorize lists. See how words are used in simple sentences. Our A1 curriculum focuses on contextual learning.
  • Label Items: Put sticky notes with German names on objects around your house.
  • Speak from Day One: Try to use the words you learn, even in very simple sentences. Don't be afraid of mistakes! Our speaking practice sessions are perfect for this.
  • Be Consistent: Spend a little time each day reviewing and learning new words. Consistency is more effective than long, infrequent study sessions.
  • Utilize Online Tools: Language learning apps and websites offer interactive ways to build vocabulary. Our online platform provides structured vocabulary exercises.
  • Group Related Words: Learning words by topic (like in this guide!) helps your brain make connections.
  • Listen Actively: Pay attention to these basic words when listening to simple German audio or conversations.

Conclusion: Building Your German Foundation

Mastering this essential German A1 vocabulary is your first major step towards communicating effectively in German. These basic German words related to food, travel, family, hobbies, time, numbers, and places will appear constantly in beginner materials and conversations.

Keep practicing, use these words actively, and don't forget the noun genders! Building a strong vocabulary base now will make progressing through your German studies much smoother. If you're looking for a structured path with expert guidance, consider our German Lessons Online or our specific German online classes in Chennai.

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Viel Erfolg beim Vokabeln lernen! (Good luck learning vocabulary!)