Boost Your German A1: Essential Vocabulary Lists (Food, Travel, Family, Hobbies & More)
Starting your journey to learn German online? Welcome! One of the most crucial steps at the A1 level (absolute beginner) is building a solid foundation of basic German words. Mastering core German A1 vocabulary allows you to understand simple texts, engage in basic conversations, and express yourself on everyday topics.
This guide provides essential German vocabulary for beginners, categorized into common A1 themes: Food & Drink, Travel & Transport, Family & People, Hobbies & Free Time, Numbers & Time, and Places in a City/Town. We've included nouns (with their all-important articles!), verbs, and adjectives/adverbs in easy-to-read tables, complete with simple example sentences. Using these lists is a great way to supplement your Online German Course.
Remember: Learning vocabulary isn't just about memorizing lists; it's about understanding how words are used. Pay attention to the examples and try creating your own sentences!
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.) |
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.
Explore A1 German Courses Now
Viel Erfolg beim Vokabeln lernen! (Good luck learning vocabulary!)
