Here are some common German words. But first:
The color code
You may have noticed the use of color in these posts. Here’s what the different colors mean:
For nouns: boldface purple, blue, and maroon mean neuter, masculine, and feminine words respectively. Examples: Zimmer (room), Tisch (table), and Kreide (chalk). Most singular nouns don’t take different endings, but some do — they are shown in light purple for neuter, or light blue for masculine instead. Examples: Jahr (year) and Postbote (mailman).
Some nouns come in two similar forms; one for men and one for women, distinguished only by an ending. This is shown by a colored ending: Schauspieler[in], which means Schauspieler for actor and Schauspielerin for actress.
Other nouns are completely separate in their male and female forms, like Bruder (brother) and Schwester (sister).
For pronouns: same color codes as for nouns; however, some pronouns have multiple forms, dependending on which gender is represented.
For adjectives: same color codes as for nouns, but they must agree in gender with the nouns they modify. A common example is -e for adjectives in front of masculine and feminine nouns, and -es for adjectives in front of neuter nouns.
All of the above is further described in the lesson on gender.
For verbs: infinitive verbs are shown in green, for example, steigen (meaning to climb). (Note: from now on the to part is implied and will not be mentioned again.)
Some verbs have prefixes that modify the meaning; these prefixes are shown in olive, like aussteigen (get off, a train for example).
Conjugated verbs have endings depending on who’s doing the action. The endings are also shown in olive, such as wir steigen aus (we get off). (Note:
the -en at the end of the word is an ending, shown in olive; contrast this with the -en used with the infinitive, shown in green.)
For more information, including the reason why the prefix aus- got shoved to the end, see the lesson on verbs.
Most other German words are indicated in bold gray.
Non-bold italicized purple, blue, and maroon are used for the words neuter, masculine, and feminine when describing the genders of words.
Non-bold blue is also used to indicate English words, but non-bold pink is generally used when indicating pronunciation; however, sometimes other colors are used too, like red for the sound of the Russian word Kremlin.
Some common words
a b d e f g h i j k l m n o p r s u v w z
a
ab (from, at a particular time or place) — hot·blob
aber (but) — HOT-bat
alle (everyone) — alley-lake
allerdings (it is certain that) — ALLEY·LEARN-dings
als (as) — pals
an (at) — blah·net
andere (other) — HOT·TEN–dare–ray
auch (also) — ouch·Kremlin
auf (on [something], upwards) — ouch·foot
aus (out, of, out of, from) — house
b
bei (at) — buy
beiden (both) — BUY–den
beim (at the) — buy·beam
bereits (already) — bear-RIGHTS
Berlin (Berlin) — bear–LEAN???
bis (to, up through) — Bisquick
d
da (there) — dog·ma
dabei (there) — dog·hot-BUY
damit (with it) — dog·ma–MITT
dann (then) — Daniel
das (the) — red·hot·dress
daß (that) — red·hot·dress
dem (the) — redeem
den (the) — dean
denn (then) — Denmark
der (the) — dare
Deutschland (Germany) — dog·oyster-laugh·hot·and
die (the) — laddie
diese (this) — DIEsel-zoo·way
diesem (this) — DIESEL-zoo·them
dieser (this) — DIEsel-zoom·zooer
dieses (this) — DEAL-separations-separations
doch (however, nevertheless) — dough·Kremlin
drei (three) — dry
durch (through) — dirty·ship
e
ein (one) — eye·candy
eine (one, a, an) — EYE–neighbor
eines (one) — EYE–nice·place
einmal (once) — SIGN–malicious
ende (end) — END-day
er (he) — error
erst (first) — perfect·first
es (it) — mess
etwa (sort of, approximately) — GET–valve
etwas (something, any) — MET–vasectomy
f
für (for) — furry
g
ganz (completely) — gone·zip
gegen (against, contrary to) — GAY-again
gut (good, well) — goo·toot
h
haben (to have) — HA-HA–Ben
Heute (today) — HALF·TOY–take hier (here) — here
i
ich (I) — mish-mash
ihn (him) — steaming
ihre (her, their) — EAR–ray
im (in the) — immediate
immer (always) — him–mermaid
in (in) — in
ins (into the) — thins
ist (is) — missed
j
Jahr (year) — yardarm
jedoch (however) — YAY–dough·Kremlin
jetzt (now) — yet·zip·top
k
kein (not a) — kayak·nip
keine (not a) — KAYAK-neighbor
können (to be able to) — canoe·toot-pennent???
l
lassen (to leave alone) — LAUGH·SIGN-sentimental
m
machen (to make) — MAN·HOT·KREMLIN-ten
man (anyone) — Mafia·man
mehr (more) — nightmare
menschen (guys, folks) — mention
Millionen (million [1,000,000]) — mill–young-tan·pen
mit (with) — mitt
müssen (to have to) — MOOSE·GLUE–se nt
n
nach (to, by) — banana·kremlin
neu (new) — annoy
nicht (not) — knee·shot·shot
nichts (nothing) — knee·shots·shots
nun (now) — noon
nur (only, just) — nervous
o
ob (if) — slob
oder (or) — odor
ohne (without) — OWE–neighbor
p
Prozent (percent) — propeller-zoo·entry
r
rund (round) — roost·and
s
schon (already) — shown
schön (splendid) — shoe·nice
sehr (very) — sayeer
sein (his) — sigh·ten
seine (his) — SIGN–neighbor
seinem (his) — SIGN–nemisis
seinen (his) — SIGH·ten-ten
seiner (his) — SIGN-turf
seit (since) — fez·tight
selbst- (self-) — SUN·ELBow·stop
sich (yourself, herself, themselves, etc.) — zoo·sheesh
sie (she, they) — Xenia
Sie (you) — Xenia
so (so) — sew
sollen (should) — SUN·OWE–length
sondern (but rather) — SUN·OWE·MOON–dough·earn
sonst (otherwise) — son·st·op
sowie (furthermore) — soul-veal
Stadt (city) — shot·hot
u
über (over, regarding) — stew-tuber
Uhr (clock) — sooth·her
und (and) — tuned
uns (us) — cartoons
unter (under) — SOON–termite
unternehmen (to undertake [a task or start a business]) — SOON–terminate-Knee–men
v
viel (much) — feel
viele (many) — feel-layover
vier (four) — fear
vom (of the, from the) — of·vomit
von (of, from) — fat·begone
vor (in front, in front of, before) — four
w
was (what) — white·hot·dress
wegen (because of) — vegan
weil (because) — vile
weiter (further, further on) — FIVE·FIGHT–top
wenn (when) — ventral
werden (to become, to intend to) — VIGOR·door–dentist
wie (how) — venus
wieder (again) — VEER-dirt
wir (we) — veer
wo (where) — vote
wollen (would) — seven·stolen
z
Zeit (time) — pizza·height
zu (to) — pizza·glue
zum (to the) — pizza·tomb
zur (to the) — pizza·her
zwei (two) — pizza·vital
zwischen (between) — pizza·fish-ten
For some of the words above, the main use and/or meaning has been given; various shades of meaning or multiple meanings have not been covered.
Look for Jennie’s German Language Classroom for English Speakers on the last (sometimes next-to-last) Wednesday of every month.
Copyright © 2019 by Jennifer Freeman. In particular, permission is not granted to assemble the parts of this series together and distribute them. You may of course post links to the individual posts.
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