Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the German vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and audio.
Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.
You will start with everyday German words like the food (das Essen), the drink (das Getränk), the cup (die Tasse) — the vocabulary that appears most often in real conversations.
| English | German | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| the food | das Essen | The food is delicious. Das Essen ist lecker. |
| the drink | das Getränk | I want a drink. Ich möchte ein Getränk. |
| the cup | die Tasse | The cup is full. Die Tasse ist voll. |
| the bottle | die Flasche | The bottle is empty. Die Flasche ist leer. |
| the plate | der Teller | The plate is clean. Der Teller ist sauber. |
| the spoon | der Löffel | I use a spoon. Ich benutze einen Löffel. |
| the fork | die Gabel | I eat with a fork. Ich esse mit einer Gabel. |
| the knife | das Messer | The knife is sharp. Das Messer ist scharf. |
| the breakfast | das Frühstück | I eat breakfast. Ich esse Frühstück. |
| the lunch | das Mittagessen | We have lunch at noon. Wir haben Mittagessen um 12 Uhr. |
| the dinner | das Abendessen | They eat dinner together. Sie essen zusammen Abendessen. |
| the bread | das Brot | I buy bread. Ich kaufe Brot. |
| the butter | die Butter | I put butter on the bread. Ich lege Butter auf das Brot. |
| the cheese | der Käse | I eat cheese. Ich esse Käse. |
| the milk | die Milch | I drink milk. Ich trinke Milch. |
| the coffee | der Kaffee | I drink coffee in the morning. Ich trinke morgens Kaffee. |
| the tea | der Tee | I like tea. Ich mag Tee. |
| the juice | der Saft | I drink juice. Ich trinke Saft. |
| the soda | die Limonade | I drink soda. Ich trinke Limonade. |
| the rice | der Reis | I eat rice. Ich esse Reis. |
Every word explained individually – with example sentence: Browse all 1000 words →
The 100 most important German words →
The 100 most important German verbs →
| to borrow | leihen |
| to buy | kaufen |
| to clean | putzen |
| to close | schließen |
| to cook | kochen |
| to do | tun |
| to drink | trinken |
| to eat | essen |
| to find | finden |
| to get | bekommen |
| She is my friend | Sie ist meine Freundin |
| They have fun together | Sie haben Spaß zusammen |
| We eat lunch together | Wir essen zusammen zu Mittag |
| She smiles a lot | Sie lächelt viel |
| He tells funny jokes | Er erzählt lustige Witze |
| I visit my friends | Ich besuche meine Freunde |
Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.
All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for listening before you fall asleep.
All words and sentences to look up and read offline.
Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.
Type your own words – AI translates them, adds example sentences and the trainer practises them with you.
Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.
Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.
With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.
Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.
Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.
For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable German vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with audio.