Basics of the German language

So you have been planning to go to Germany to pursue your higher studies, congratulations! It is of no surprise that the people of Germany hardly speak any English, making it difficult for international students to communicate freely with the locals and try to get by in a foreign country.

It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to know the basics of any language - let alone German. Hence, we have compiled a list of all the basic words that one would require to survive in Germany. You will find anything between basic greetings to counting till 10 in the list below.

Greetings

1. Hello - Guten Tag
2. Good morning - Guten Morgen
3. Good evening - Guten Abend
4. Good night - Gute Nacht
5. Good bye - Auf Wiedersehen
6. See you later - Bis später

Basic words for conversation

1. Yes - Ja
2. No - Nein
3. Thank you - Danke
4. You're welcome - Bitte (also used to say please)
5. I am sorry - Es tut mir leid
6. Excuse me - Entschuldigen Sie
7. Left - Links
8. Right - Rechts
9. Where - Wo

Basic phrases in German

1. My name is - Mein Name ist
2. Nice to meet you - Es freut mich.
3. How are you? - Wie geht es Ihnen? (formal)/Wie geht`s? (informal)
4. I am doing well - Mir geht’s gut.
5. Do you speak english? - Sprechen Sie Englisch?
6. I don't understand - Ich verstehe nicht
7. How much does that cost? - Wieviel kostet das?
8. Cheers - Prost!

Numbers in German

• One - Eins
• Two - Zwei
• Three - Drei
• Four - Vier
• Five - Fünf
• Six - Sechs
• Seven - Sieben
• Eight - Acht
• Nine - Neun
• Ten - Zehn

Parting note

The information mentioned above is just the tip of the iceberg. The German language goes much deeper than this and there are several grammar forms to keep in mind while speaking and writing. Hence, it is always advisable to learn the basics of the language really well before going to Germany.