The 1000 Most Common German Words
It isn't easy to learn a language. Yet, it's not as difficult as some people make it seem either. The good news? It takes grit more than intellect.
You are looking for the 1,000 most commonly used German words. You already know about the importance of learning the most used words first.
To learn German fluently, it is sensible to start by learning the 1000 most common German words. These top 1000 words are the most commonly used and will help you understand approximately 85% of spoken German and 80% written German.
We publish frequency dictionaries. They contain the most common words in a language. Check out what our fans have to say here: German frequency dictionary reviews.
The Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 Rule in Language Learning
Keep in mind the Pareto Principle and 80/20 Rule. You only need to have 20% of your results in order to get 80%. It is more beneficial to know the verbs "I want" and "I have" rather than low-frequency words. Research shows that we are more likely to repeat the same words and phrases repeatedly. It would be best to focus on the words that give you the most significant results in the least amount of time.
Why are there different lists of the 1000 most commonly used German words?
You may have noticed there are many different lists of the top 1000 German words. There are two key reasons:
Reason 1: Each list is different because the source texts used will be different. Written and spoken languages are different. Suppose the source text does not contain a mixture of spoken and written language. In this case, you'd not be progressing optimally. I recommend looking for a list based on both spoken and written German. Because subtitles cover both speaking and writing, this is the main reason we base our frequency lists on them.
Reason 2: The list was not cleaned or has been incorrectly cleaned. The words are not lemmatized. Lemmatization is the process of restoring the word to its original (dictionary) form. A raw list will contain many conjugated words rather than just the root word. A frequency list that is reliably lemmatized will be more helpful for language learners.
What is the average time it takes to learn the top 1000 German words?
- If you only learn 30 words per day, you can reach 85% coverage in 33 days.
- You can reach your goal in 50 days if you're learning at least 20 new words each day.
- You can reach your goal in 100 days if you learn just 10 words per day.
Which are the best ways of learning vocabulary?
- Spaced repetition — revisit vocabulary items every now and again. Flashcards and audio courses like Pimsleur use this principle.
- Set goals — take a look at the above examples to see how long it takes to learn the 1000 most commonly used German words.
- Keep it up — be among the learners who achieve their goals.
Conclusion: Learn German Fast with Word Lists
Concentrate on the first 1,000 most common German words. Use a reliable German frequency list based on both spoken and written language. Make sure the list includes at least one German sample sentence per entry so you see words in context. Set daily goals and keep them.
If you want to build your German vocabulary systematically, explore the MostUsedWords German Frequency Dictionary series — the 10,000 most common German words in frequency order, with bilingual example sentences and IPA pronunciation for every entry.