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Academic German vocabulary: 25 words for university and TestDaF

🇩🇪 GermanB2–C125 words

University texts, lectures and the TestDaF use a layer of vocabulary you rarely hear in shops: words for studies and results, for describing graphs and trends, and for building an argument. This list covers that core, from die Untersuchung and der Anstieg to belegen and das Fazit.

Where you will use it: University reading, describing graphs and TestDaF writing and speaking.

Academic German for university and TestDaF — The word list

Meanings and translations are in English.

GermanMeaning and example
die Untersuchungthe study; investigation“Die Untersuchung zeigt einen klaren Trend.”The study shows a clear trend.
untersuchento investigate; to examine“Die Forscher untersuchen den Einfluss von Lärm auf den Schlaf.”The researchers are investigating the effect of noise on sleep.
das Ergebnisthe result“Die Ergebnisse waren überraschend.”The results were surprising.
die Thesethe thesis; claim“Der Text vertritt die These, dass Homeoffice produktiver ist.”The text argues that working from home is more productive.
das Argumentthe argument“Ein wichtiges Argument dafür sind die niedrigen Kosten.”One important argument for it is the low cost.
begründento justify; to give reasons for“Bitte begründen Sie Ihre Meinung.”Please give reasons for your opinion.
die Grafikthe graph; chart“Die Grafik zeigt die Entwicklung der Mieten seit 2010.”The graph shows how rents have developed since 2010.
der Anteilthe share; proportion“Der Anteil der Studierenden aus dem Ausland ist gestiegen.”The proportion of international students has risen.
der Anstiegthe rise; increase“Seit 2015 gibt es einen deutlichen Anstieg.”There has been a clear rise since 2015.
der Rückgangthe decline; decrease“Bei den Autoverkäufen gab es einen Rückgang um zehn Prozent.”Car sales fell by ten per cent.
steigento rise (stieg, ist gestiegen)“Die Zahl der Radfahrer ist stark gestiegen.”The number of cyclists has risen sharply.
sinkento fall; to decrease (sank, ist gesunken)“Die Arbeitslosigkeit ist leicht gesunken.”Unemployment has fallen slightly.
im Vergleich zucompared with“Im Vergleich zu 2010 fahren mehr Menschen Bahn.”Compared with 2010, more people travel by train.
deutlichclearly; significantly“Die Kosten sind deutlich höher als erwartet.”The costs are significantly higher than expected.
die Ursachethe cause“Eine mögliche Ursache ist der Klimawandel.”One possible cause is climate change.
die Folgethe consequence“Welche Folgen hat die Digitalisierung für den Arbeitsmarkt?”What are the consequences of digitalisation for the job market?
beeinflussento influence“Soziale Medien beeinflussen unsere Meinung.”Social media influence our opinions.
darstellento present; to show“Die Tabelle stellt die Ergebnisse dar.”The table presents the results.
zusammenfassento summarise“Fassen Sie den Text in drei Sätzen zusammen.”Summarise the text in three sentences.
belegento prove; to back up with evidence“Die Zahlen belegen diese Annahme.”The figures back up this assumption.
die Quellethe source“Bitte geben Sie alle Quellen an.”Please cite all your sources.
die Hausarbeitthe term paper“Bis Ende März muss ich eine Hausarbeit schreiben.”I have to write a term paper by the end of March.
die Stellungnahmethe statement of opinion“Schreiben Sie eine Stellungnahme zu diesem Thema.”Write a statement giving your opinion on this topic.
die Vor- und Nachteilethe pros and cons“Diskutieren Sie die Vor- und Nachteile.”Discuss the pros and cons.
das Fazitthe conclusion“Mein Fazit: Die Vorteile überwiegen.”My conclusion: the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Tips for learning German words

  • Learn der, die or das with every nounThe article is part of the word: der Zug, die Fahrkarte, das Gleis. It decides the case endings and adjectives, so learn it from day one.
  • Type the umlauts and ßWrite ä, ö, ü and ß, not a, o, u or ss: schon means "already" but schön means "beautiful". Getting them right in WordNest trains your spelling.
  • Watch the verb positionIn a German main clause the verb comes second, and separable verbs split: "Ich rufe dich morgen an." Read each example aloud to feel the word order.

Standard German as used in Germany

German is spoken in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and a few everyday words differ between them: a tomato is a Tomate in Germany and a Paradeiser in Austria, a bicycle is a Fahrrad rather than a Velo. These lists follow Standard German (Hochdeutsch) as used in Germany, and WordNest's examples, audio and AI corrections use the same standard. You will be understood in every German-speaking country.

Add five or six of these words a day rather than the whole list at once, keep the example sentence on the card, and review them when they come due. WordNest schedules each word across seven growing intervals — same day, then 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days — so the list is still with you months later. Read how spaced repetition works if you want the reasoning behind those numbers.

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Questions about this list

Is this German from Germany, Austria or Switzerland?

Standard German (Hochdeutsch) as used in Germany. Where Austria or Switzerland usually use a different word, the list gives the one used in Germany, but every word is understood across the German-speaking world.

How do I practise Academic German for university and TestDaF?

Start with five words, listen and say each example aloud. Then recall the German word, with its article, from its English meaning and review it over several days.

How many words are in this list?

This list contains 25 words and phrases with English meanings and example sentences. It is a starting set, not a complete course.

Study these words with spaced repetition

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