When you open a German dictionary, it’s easy to panic. Over 100,000 words! How are you supposed to learn all of them?
The secret is: You don't have to.
In everyday life, Germans use the same few words over and over again. If you know these "core words," you can already understand nearly 80% of a simple conversation. This is called the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule) in language learning.
Here are the most important categories you should learn first for A1 (and your visa).
1. The "Golden Verbs" (Action Words)
There is no sentence without a verb. These are absolute must-knows:
- sein (to be) – The most important word of all! (ich bin, du bist...)
- haben (to have)
- machen (to do/make)
- können / müssen / wollen (The modal verbs – crucial for expressing wishes or needs)
- gehen / kommen (Movement: to go / to come)
- essen / trinken (Survival: to eat / to drink)
- wohnen / arbeiten (Small talk: to live / to work)
2. The "W-Questions" (Conversation Starters)
In the exam and in daily life, you need to be able to ask questions. Learn these words immediately:
- Wer? (Who?)
- Was? (What?)
- Wo? / Woher? / Wohin? (Location/Direction: Where? / From where? / Where to?)
- Wann? (When?)
- Wie? (How?)
- Warum? (Why?)
3. The Little Connectors
These small words glue your sentences together. Without them, you sound like a robot:
- und (and)
- aber (but)
- oder (or)
- auch (also/too)
- nicht (not – very important for negation!)
4. Politeness Formulas (Door Openers)
In Germany, politeness is extremely important. You win hearts with these words:
- Danke / Bitte (Thank you / Please)
- Entschuldigung (Excuse me / Sorry)
- Guten Tag / Auf Wiedersehen (Hello / Goodbye)
- Ich hätte gerne... ("I would like to have..." – The standard phrase for ordering at a bakery or restaurant)
The Mistake with Vocabulary Lists
Now you have a list. But be careful: Learning words in isolation is not very effective.
It is useless to know the word "gehen" (to go) if you don't know how to say: "Ich gehe heute ins Kino." (I am going to the cinema today.)
You must learn words within sentence structures. Grammar is the skeleton, vocabulary is the flesh. You need both.
Learn Sentences, Not Just Lists
At V-IZ, we don't just teach you these words as a boring list. We show you in videos how to build them into real sentences immediately.
Turn vocabulary into real language.
Learn how to use these words (A1.1):
➡️ Learn to build sentences now (Module A1.1)
Complete Vocabulary & Grammar (A1 Package):
➡️ Everything you need (A1 Complete)
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