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German words for work and study: 25 words for the office, jobs and university

🇩🇪 GermanA2–B125 words

Whether you are applying for a job, starting an Ausbildung or studying at a German university, these words cover applications, contracts, meetings, holidays, lectures and exams — the vocabulary of working and studying life in Germany.

Where you will use it: Job applications, the office, training and university in Germany.

German words for work and study — The word list

Meanings and translations are in English.

GermanMeaning and example
die Arbeitthe work; job“Ich fahre mit dem Fahrrad zur Arbeit.”I cycle to work.
der Arbeitsplatzthe workplace; job“Mein Arbeitsplatz ist direkt am Fenster.”My desk is right by the window.
der Chefthe boss“Der Chef ist heute im Urlaub.”The boss is on holiday today.
die Kolleginthe (female) colleague“Meine Kollegin hilft mir mit dem Bericht.”My colleague is helping me with the report.
die Besprechungthe meeting“Die Besprechung beginnt um zehn Uhr.”The meeting starts at ten o'clock.
die Bewerbungthe job application“Ich schicke heute meine Bewerbung ab.”I'm sending off my application today.
der Lebenslaufthe CV; résumé“Bitte schicken Sie uns Ihren Lebenslauf.”Please send us your CV.
das Vorstellungsgesprächthe job interview“Morgen habe ich ein Vorstellungsgespräch.”I have a job interview tomorrow.
der Vertragthe contract“Ich habe den Vertrag gestern unterschrieben.”I signed the contract yesterday.
das Gehaltthe salary“Das Gehalt kommt am Ende des Monats.”The salary arrives at the end of the month.
die Überstundenthe overtime“Diese Woche mache ich viele Überstunden.”I'm doing a lot of overtime this week.
der Urlaubthe holiday; leave“Im August habe ich drei Wochen Urlaub.”I have three weeks off in August.
krankgeschriebenon sick leave“Ich bin bis Freitag krankgeschrieben.”I'm on sick leave until Friday.
das Homeofficeworking from home“Montags arbeite ich im Homeoffice.”On Mondays I work from home.
die Mittagspausethe lunch break“In der Mittagspause gehen wir in die Kantine.”At lunch break we go to the canteen.
die Fristthe deadline“Die Frist endet am 15. März.”The deadline ends on 15 March.
die Ausbildungthe vocational training“Sie macht eine Ausbildung zur Krankenpflegerin.”She is training to be a nurse.
das Praktikumthe internship“Er macht ein Praktikum bei einer Bank.”He is doing an internship at a bank.
die Universitätthe university“Die Universität liegt mitten in der Stadt.”The university is in the middle of the city.
das Studiumthe (university) studies“Nach dem Studium möchte ich in Berlin arbeiten.”After my studies I want to work in Berlin.
die Vorlesungthe lecture“Die Vorlesung fällt heute aus.”Today's lecture is cancelled.
die Prüfungthe exam“Ich habe die Prüfung bestanden!”I passed the exam!
die Hausaufgabethe homework“Hast du die Hausaufgaben schon gemacht?”Have you done the homework yet?
lernento learn; to study“Ich lerne jeden Abend Deutsch.”I study German every evening.
der Kursthe course“Der Deutschkurs beginnt im Oktober.”The German course starts in October.

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 German words for work and study?

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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