Updated October 9, 2026German (Deutsch)
Your free starter guide to German (Deutsch). About 130 million speakers, the most spoken native language in Europe. Master 30 essential phrases, 40 core words, and the sounds that matter most.
German is the most spoken native language in Europe, with about 130 million speakers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and beyond. Its reputation for difficulty is overblown: pronunciation is regular, grammar follows clear rules, and English shares thousands of words with it. The phrases below use standard High German, understood everywhere German is spoken.
At a glance
Speakers: About 130 million speakers, the most spoken native language in Europe
Where it is spoken: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein
30 essential phrases
| Hello | Hallo |
| Good morning | Guten Morgen |
| Good evening | Guten Abend |
| Good night | Gute Nacht |
| Goodbye | Auf Wiedersehen |
| See you later | Bis später |
| Please | Bitte |
| Thank you | Danke |
| You're welcome | Gern geschehen |
| Yes | Ja |
| No | Nein |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Entschuldigung |
| I don't understand | Ich verstehe nicht |
| Do you speak English? | Sprechen Sie Englisch? |
| My name is... | Ich heiße... |
| What is your name? | Wie heißen Sie? |
| Nice to meet you | Freut mich |
| Where are you from? | Woher kommen Sie? |
| How are you? | Wie geht es Ihnen? |
| I'm fine, thank you | Mir geht es gut, danke |
| How much does this cost? | Wie viel kostet das? |
| Where is the bathroom? | Wo ist die Toilette? |
| Where is the train station? | Wo ist der Bahnhof? |
| I need help | Ich brauche Hilfe |
| Can you help me? | Können Sie mir helfen? |
| I love you | Ich liebe dich |
| Cheers! (a toast) | Prost! |
| Good luck! | Viel Glück! |
| Congratulations! | Herzlichen Glückwunsch! |
| Welcome! | Willkommen! |
Core vocabulary
Greetings
| Hello / Hi | Hallo |
| Good morning | Guten Morgen |
| Good evening | Guten Abend |
| Goodbye | Auf Wiedersehen |
| Please | Bitte |
| Thank you | Danke |
| Yes | Ja |
| No | Nein |
| Excuse me | Entschuldigung |
| Welcome | Willkommen |
Food
| Bread | Brot |
| Water | Wasser |
| Coffee | Kaffee |
| Tea | Tee |
| Cheese | Käse |
| Fruit | Obst |
| Vegetables | Gemüse |
| Meat | Fleisch |
| Fish | Fisch |
| Restaurant | Restaurant |
Travel
| Train | Zug |
| Bus | Bus |
| Car | Auto |
| Airplane | Flugzeug |
| Ticket | Fahrkarte |
| Hotel | Hotel |
| Passport | Reisepass |
| Map | Karte |
| Street | Straße |
| Bathroom | Toilette |
Numbers
| One | Eins |
| Two | Zwei |
| Three | Drei |
| Four | Vier |
| Five | Fünf |
| Six | Sechs |
| Seven | Sieben |
| Eight | Acht |
| Nine | Neun |
| Ten | Zehn |
Pronunciation tips
- The CH has two sounds: a soft hiss after e and i ('ich') and a throaty scrape after a, o and u ('Bach'). Both come from the back of the mouth.
- Ä, Ö and Ü are rounded vowels: say E, O and EE while rounding your lips. 'Tür' (door) and 'schön' (beautiful) need the lip rounding.
- W sounds like English V ('Wasser' is vah-ser) and V sounds like F ('Vogel' is foh-gel).
- The ß (Eszett) is just a sharp S: 'Straße' is shtrah-seh. You will also see it written as 'ss'.
- Stress usually falls on the first syllable: 'Arbeit', 'Wasser'. In long compound words, stress the first part.
Frequently asked questions
Is German hard to learn?
Less than its reputation. Pronunciation is consistent, word order follows rules, and English shares a huge amount of vocabulary (Haus/house, Wasser/water). The Foreign Service Institute rates it medium difficulty, about 750 class hours.
What is with all the long words?
German builds compounds: 'Donaudampfschifffahrt' is just Danube-steamship-trip stuck together. Read them back to front and they decode themselves. Start with short ones like 'Bahnhof' (train station).
Der, die, das: do I have to memorize genders?
Yes, but learn each noun with its article from day one ('der Tisch', not 'Tisch') and it becomes automatic. Patterns help: most words ending in -ung, -heit or -keit are feminine (die).
Should I use 'du' or 'Sie'?
'Sie' for strangers, colleagues, and anyone older in formal settings; 'du' for friends, family, and young people. When in doubt, use 'Sie': Germans will offer 'du' when they are ready.