German A1 Core Vocabulary: 300 Words With Gender and Plural

A German noun without its gender is half a word. Every card here carries both halves.

300 cardsLast updated 2026-08-17

Add every card on the free plan. Importing runs no AI generation and spends no AI credits. You'll need a Memly account.

The reason a German word list stops working is that German words carry information English words do not. Haus on its own tells you nothing you can build a sentence with — you need das, and you need Häuser, and without them you will guess the article every single time you speak. The same goes for verbs: knowing that sprechen means to speak does not warn you that du sprichst changes its vowel, or that helfen takes the dative. This deck covers 300 A1 words and phrases, and every card carries what the word actually needs: the article and plural for nouns, the vowel change or irregular form for verbs, the case for prepositions, and an original German sentence with its translation. Cards are tagged by theme — people, home, travel, food, health, time, questions — and by part of speech, so you can drill only nouns, or only the modal verbs. Import it and the deck joins your spaced-repetition schedule, so what stays in rotation is the set whose gender or form you still have to guess.

What happens when you add it

1
The button opens Memly and the whole deck lands in your account.
2
Each card gets its own schedule, based on how well you actually recall it.
3
They are your cards afterwards — rewrite, delete or reorganize them freely.

What's inside

Showing 100 representative cards from the full 300-card deck.

Front	Back
Hallo	hello. The all-purpose greeting, any time of day. Example: Hallo, ich heiße Anna. — Hello, my name is Anna.
Guten Tag	good day. The standard polite greeting from mid-morning onwards. Example: Guten Tag, ich habe einen Termin. — Good day, I have an appointment.
Gute Nacht	good night. A farewell before bed, never a greeting. Example: Gute Nacht, bis morgen. — Good night, see you tomorrow.
Auf Wiedersehen	goodbye. Formal; used in shops and offices. Example: Auf Wiedersehen und vielen Dank. — Goodbye and thank you very much.
Danke	thank you. Danke schön and vielen Dank are warmer. Example: Danke für deine Hilfe. — Thanks for your help.
Es tut mir leid	I am sorry. For a real apology, not for squeezing past someone. Example: Es tut mir leid, ich bin zu spät. — I am sorry, I am late.
Mir geht es gut	I am fine. The standard reply, usually with danke added. Example: Mir geht es gut, danke. — I am fine, thank you.
Wie heißen Sie?	What is your name? (formal). Wie heißt du? with people your own age. Example: Wie heißen Sie, bitte? — What is your name, please?
Ja	yes. Doch is a special yes that contradicts a negative question. Example: Ja, das stimmt. — Yes, that is right.
Ich verstehe nicht	I do not understand. Say it early rather than nodding along. Example: Entschuldigung, ich verstehe nicht. — Sorry, I do not understand.
Langsamer, bitte	slower, please. The single most useful phrase for a beginner. Example: Können Sie langsamer sprechen, bitte? — Could you speak more slowly, please?
Was bedeutet das?	What does that mean?. Point at the word while asking. Example: Was bedeutet dieses Wort? — What does this word mean?
Ich	I. Only capitalised at the start of a sentence, unlike English. Example: Ich wohne in Hamburg. — I live in Hamburg.
Sie (formal)	you (formal). Always capitalised. Use with strangers and officials. Example: Wohnen Sie hier? — Do you live here?
wir	we. Verb ends in -en, the same as the infinitive. Example: Wir gehen ins Kino. — We are going to the cinema.
der Mann	man. Masculine; plural die Männer. Example: Der Mann liest die Zeitung. — The man is reading the newspaper.
der Freund	friend (male); boyfriend. Masculine; plural die Freunde. Context decides the meaning. Example: Mein Freund kommt aus Wien. — My friend comes from Vienna.
die Mutter	mother. Feminine; plural die Mütter. Example: Meine Mutter arbeitet im Krankenhaus. — My mother works in the hospital.
der Bruder	brother. Masculine; plural die Brüder. Example: Mein Bruder studiert Physik. — My brother studies physics.
der Kollege	colleague (male). Masculine; adds -n in most cases: dem Kollegen. Example: Mein Kollege hilft mir oft. — My colleague often helps me.
sein	to be. Highly irregular: ich bin, du bist, er ist, wir sind. Example: Ich bin müde. — I am tired.
werden	to become. Irregular: ich werde, du wirst, er wird. Example: Es wird kalt. — It is getting cold.
kommen	to come. Regular in the present; past kam. Example: Kommst du mit? — Are you coming along?
sagen	to say. Fully regular. Example: Was hast du gesagt? — What did you say?
lesen	to read. Vowel change e to ie: du liest, er liest. Example: Sie liest ein Buch. — She is reading a book.
nehmen	to take. Irregular: du nimmst, er nimmt. Example: Ich nehme den Bus. — I take the bus.
fahren	to drive, to travel. Vowel change a to ä: du fährst, er fährt. Example: Wir fahren nach München. — We are travelling to Munich.
laufen	to run, to walk. Vowel change au to äu: du läufst, er läuft. Example: Er läuft jeden Morgen. — He runs every morning.
können	can, to be able to. Modal: ich kann, du kannst; second verb goes to the end. Example: Ich kann heute nicht kommen. — I cannot come today.
möchten	would like. Polite form of mögen: ich möchte, du möchtest. Example: Ich möchte einen Kaffee. — I would like a coffee.
dürfen	may, to be allowed to. Modal: ich darf, du darfst. Example: Darf ich hier rauchen? — May I smoke here?
arbeiten	to work. Adds an e before the ending: du arbeitest. Example: Ich arbeite in einem Büro. — I work in an office.
schreiben	to write. Regular in the present; past schrieb. Example: Ich schreibe eine E-Mail. — I am writing an email.
antworten	to answer. Adds an e before the ending; takes the dative. Example: Antworten Sie bitte auf Deutsch. — Please answer in German.
suchen	to look for. Fully regular; no preposition needed. Example: Ich suche meinen Schlüssel. — I am looking for my key.
öffnen	to open. Adds an e before the ending: du öffnest. Example: Öffnen Sie bitte das Fenster. — Please open the window.
kaufen	to buy. Fully regular. Verkaufen means to sell. Example: Ich kaufe Brot beim Bäcker. — I buy bread at the baker's.
trinken	to drink. Regular in the present; past trank. Example: Ich trinke Wasser zum Essen. — I drink water with my meal.
wohnen	to live, to reside. Fully regular. Leben is to be alive. Example: Ich wohne in einer kleinen Stadt. — I live in a small town.
spielen	to play. Fully regular; used for games, sport and instruments. Example: Er spielt Gitarre. — He plays the guitar.
bleiben	to stay. Regular in the present; takes sein in the perfect. Example: Wir bleiben zwei Nächte. — We are staying two nights.
das Zimmer	room. Neuter; plural die Zimmer, unchanged. Example: Das Zimmer ist sehr hell. — The room is very bright.
das Bad	bathroom. Neuter; plural die Bäder. Example: Das Bad ist am Ende des Flurs. — The bathroom is at the end of the hall.
das Fenster	window. Neuter; plural die Fenster, unchanged. Example: Das Fenster ist offen. — The window is open.
das Bett	bed. Neuter; plural die Betten. Example: Das Bett ist sehr bequem. — The bed is very comfortable.
das Licht	light. Neuter; plural die Lichter. Example: Mach bitte das Licht an. — Please turn on the light.
die Stadt	city, town. Feminine; plural die Städte. Example: Diese Stadt gefällt mir sehr. — I like this city a lot.
die Straße	street. Feminine; plural die Straßen. Example: Die Straße ist sehr laut. — The street is very noisy.
der Bahnhof	railway station. Masculine; plural die Bahnhöfe. Example: Wo ist der Bahnhof? — Where is the station?
die Haltestelle	stop (bus or tram). Feminine; plural die Haltestellen. Example: Die Haltestelle ist gleich dort. — The stop is right there.
das Auto	car. Neuter; plural die Autos. Example: Wir fahren mit dem Auto. — We are going by car.
die Fahrkarte	ticket. Feminine; plural die Fahrkarten. Example: Eine Fahrkarte nach Bonn, bitte. — One ticket to Bonn, please.
der Pass	passport. Masculine; plural die Pässe. Example: Hier ist mein Pass. — Here is my passport.
das Geschäft	shop; business. Neuter; plural die Geschäfte. Example: Das Geschäft schließt um acht. — The shop closes at eight.
der Preis	price; prize. Masculine; plural die Preise. Example: Der Preis ist zu hoch. — The price is too high.
die Karte	card; map; menu. Feminine; plural die Karten. Kreditkarte is a credit card. Example: Kann ich mit Karte bezahlen? — Can I pay by card?
der Kaffee	coffee. Masculine; plural die Kaffees. Example: Ich trinke morgens Kaffee. — I drink coffee in the morning.
das Obst	fruit. Neuter; a collective noun with no plural. Example: Obst ist gesund. — Fruit is healthy.
das Frühstück	breakfast. Neuter; frühstücken is the verb. Example: Frühstück gibt es ab sieben. — Breakfast is served from seven.
der Arzt	doctor. Masculine; plural die Ärzte. Die Ärztin is a female doctor. Example: Ich muss zum Arzt. — I have to go to the doctor.
die Schmerzen	pain. Plural in everyday use; singular der Schmerz. Example: Ich habe Schmerzen im Rücken. — I have back pain.
der Tag	day. Masculine; plural die Tage. Example: Der Tag war sehr lang. — The day was very long.
die Minute	minute. Feminine; plural die Minuten. Example: Einen Moment, nur fünf Minuten. — One moment, just five minutes.
heute	today. Combines freely: heute Abend is this evening. Example: Heute Abend gehe ich aus. — I am going out this evening.
jetzt	now. Sofort means immediately. Example: Ich muss jetzt gehen. — I have to go now.
nie	never. Niemals is the emphatic form. Example: Ich habe nie Zeit. — I never have time.
Montag	Monday. Masculine; am Montag means on Monday. Example: Am Montag habe ich frei. — I am off on Monday.
eins	one. Becomes ein before a noun: ein Buch. Example: Ich nehme eins. — I will take one.
zehn	ten. Base for the teens: sechzehn, siebzehn. Example: Es kostet zehn Euro. — It costs ten euros.
gut	good. Irregular comparative besser, superlative am besten. Example: Das Essen ist sehr gut. — The food is very good.
klein	small. Regular comparative kleiner. Example: Das Zimmer ist zu klein. — The room is too small.
teuer	expensive. Drops an e before an ending: ein teures Auto. Example: Das ist zu teuer. — That is too expensive.
warm	warm. Comparative wärmer. Example: Heute ist es warm. — It is warm today.
Es regnet	it is raining. Impersonal es plus the verb regnen. Example: Es regnet seit heute Morgen. — It has been raining since this morning.
der Schnee	snow. Masculine; no plural. Example: Der Schnee bleibt liegen. — The snow is settling.
falsch	wrong. Also means fake. Example: Die Antwort ist falsch. — The answer is wrong.
möglich	possible. Unmöglich is impossible. Example: Ist das möglich? — Is that possible?
zufrieden	satisfied. Takes mit for what you are satisfied with. Example: Ich bin sehr zufrieden. — I am very satisfied.
nett	nice, kind. Used of people far more than of things. Example: Die Nachbarn sind sehr nett. — The neighbours are very nice.
langweilig	boring. Related to lang and Weile, long while. Example: Der Vortrag war langweilig. — The talk was boring.
nur	only. Sits directly before what it limits. Example: Ich habe nur zehn Euro. — I only have ten euros.
kein	no, not a. Negates a noun; declines like ein. Example: Ich habe kein Geld. — I have no money.
und	and. Does not change the word order. Example: Brot und Käse, bitte. — Bread and cheese, please.
dass	that. Sends the verb to the end of the clause. Example: Ich glaube, dass er kommt. — I think that he is coming.
wer	who. Wen is the accusative, wem the dative. Example: Wer ist das? — Who is that?
warum	why. Weshalb and wieso mean the same. Example: Warum lernst du Deutsch? — Why are you learning German?
in	in, into. Dative for location, accusative for direction. Example: Ich wohne in Berlin. — I live in Berlin.
neben	next to. Dative for location, accusative for direction. Example: Die Bank ist neben der Post. — The bank is next to the post office.
für	for. Always takes the accusative. Example: Das ist für dich. — That is for you.
bei	at, near. Dative; also used for at someone's place. Example: Ich wohne bei meinen Eltern. — I live with my parents.
links	left, on the left. Nach links means to the left. Example: Gehen Sie nach links. — Go to the left.
nah	near. In der Nähe is the common phrase for nearby. Example: Der Bahnhof ist ganz nah. — The station is very near.
Was kostet das?	How much is that?. Wie viel kostet das? works too. Example: Was kostet das Ticket? — How much is the ticket?
Guten Appetit	enjoy your meal. Said before eating, by everyone at the table. Example: Guten Appetit! — Enjoy your meal!
Rufen Sie die Polizei	call the police. The emergency number in Germany is 112. Example: Rufen Sie bitte die Polizei. — Please call the police.
das Büro	office. Neuter; plural die Büros. Example: Das Büro ist im dritten Stock. — The office is on the third floor.
das Buch	book. Neuter; plural die Bücher. Example: Das Buch ist auf Deutsch. — The book is in German.
das Internet	internet. Neuter; im Internet means on the internet. Example: Ich suche das im Internet. — I will look that up on the internet.
die Musik	music. Feminine; no plural in everyday use. Example: Ich höre gern Musik. — I like listening to music.
die Zeitung	newspaper. Feminine; plural die Zeitungen. Example: Er liest jeden Morgen die Zeitung. — He reads the newspaper every morning.

Frequently asked

Does importing this deck use AI credits?

No. Importing uses the saved deck as published; it does not run AI generation or use AI credits. The complete deck can therefore be imported on the free plan.

What happens if I import the deck twice?

Nothing is duplicated. Cards you already have are skipped and only newly added cards come across. Including re-imports after deleting, each official deck can be imported three times per account.

Can I use it on the web app and the phone app?

Yes. The deck is added to your account, so the same cards and the same progress are available in the web app, the iOS app and the Android app.

Can I edit the cards after importing?

Yes. Imported cards are yours: you can edit both sides, delete cards you do not need, change tags, and move cards to another deck.

What is in the deck?

104 nouns, 49 verbs, 36 adjectives, 31 adverbs, 37 ready-made phrases, 15 prepositions and 9 pronouns, plus numerals, conjunctions and determiners, 300 in total. One entry per card, so nothing appears twice.

Do the noun cards show gender and plural?

Yes, on every one. The front shows the noun with its article, and the back names the gender and the plural form. Learning a German noun without its article is the single most common way beginners build a vocabulary they cannot use, so the deck never separates them.

Does it cover grammar?

Not as rules, but the cards carry the grammar each word needs: which vowel a verb changes, which case a preposition takes, whether a conjunction sends the verb to the end. That is the part you have to recall while speaking. A grammar book will explain why; these cards make the forms automatic.

Is this enough for the A1 exam?

It covers the vocabulary layer thoroughly. Import it and open it daily, and the only entries that come up are the ones whose form you cannot yet produce. Spend the time that frees up on listening practice and on the speaking tasks, which no word list can substitute for.

Editorial method and sources

Memly's editors use the primary sources below to check scope and terminology, then independently write and review the cards.

Europass (European Commission): CEFR self-assessment grid