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German · Vocabulary · A1 to B1

German school vocabulary: eine Eins, das Gymnasium, and die Schultüte

Die Noten · in Germany 1 is the best mark · tap a mark
IchIhabehaveeineaZwei2in Mathe.in maths
ikh HAA-be AI-ne TSVAI in MA-te · “I got a B in maths (a 2, good).”Why: Marks are feminine nouns: eine Zwei. Its official name is gut (GOOT).

Short answer: German marks run from 1 (sehr gut, the best) to 6 (ungenügend, the worst), and marks are feminine nouns: eine Eins, eine Zwei. Children go to die Grundschule (primary school) for four years, then split into different secondary schools; the Gymnasium ends with the Abitur, the exam for university. A school subject is das Fach.

The school system

From Kita to Abitur

After four years of primary school (six in Berlin and Brandenburg), children move to one of several secondary schools. Each state (Bundesland) runs its own system, so names vary. Tap a stage.

Subjects

Mathe, Deutsch, Erdkunde

School subjects are usually said without an article: Ich habe Mathe, “I have maths”. Several have short school forms. Erdkunde (earth + knowledge) is geography.

Classroom German

Im Klassenzimmer

What the teacher says and what you say. Teachers say du to pupils and ihr to the class; pupils say Sie to teachers.

Lehrerin
MachtdoeureyourBücherbooksauf.open
MAKHT OI-re BÜ-kher AUF · “Open your books.”
Lehrerin
Werwhoweißknowsdie Antwort?the answer
vair VAIS dee ANT-vort · “Who knows the answer?”
Lehrerin
Hausaufgabenhomeworkfür morgen:for tomorrowSeite 12.page 12
HAUS-auf-gaa-ben für MOR-gen: ZAI-te tsvölf · “Homework for tomorrow: page 12.”
Schüler
Können Siecan youdasthatwiederholen?repeat
KÖ-nen zee das vee-der-HOH-len · “Can you repeat that?”
Schüler
Wiehowschreibt manwrites onedas?that
vee SHRAIPT man das · “How do you spell that?”
Schüler
IchIhabehavemeine Hausaufgabenmy homeworkvergessen.forgotten
ikh HAA-be MAI-ne HAUS-auf-gaa-ben fer-GE-sen · “I forgot my homework.”
School life

Schultüte, Zeugnis, Ferien

die SchultüteSHOOL-tü-te · school coneOn their first day, children get a big paper cone full of sweets and school things.
das ZeugnisTSOIK-nis · school reportTwice a year, with a mark for every subject.
die FerienFAY-ri-en · school holidaysSummer holidays move each year by state, to spread out traffic.
sitzen bleibenZIT-sen BLAI-ben · to repeat a yearLiterally “to stay sitting”: if your marks are too low, you repeat the class.
The timetable

Am Montag haben wir in der ersten Stunde Mathe

A school lesson is die Stunde (literally “hour”, though it lasts 45 minutes), and lessons are counted with ordinal numbers (first, second…). Many German schools finish at lunchtime. Tap any lesson to hear the full sentence.

StundeMontagDienstagMittwochDonnerstagFreitag
1. Stunde8:00
2. Stunde8:50
3. Stunde9:55
4. Stunde10:45
5. Stunde11:45
6. Stunde12:35
Am Montagon Mondayhabenhavewirwein derin theerstenfirstStundelessonMathe.maths
am MOHN-taak HAA-ben veer in dair AIR-sten SHTUN-de MA-te · “On Monday we have maths first lesson.”Why: Time comes first, so the verb haben stays second and wir moves after it. After in der, the ordinal ends in -en: ersten.
After school: die Uni

Lernen or studieren?

English “to study” has two German verbs. Lernen is learning or revising anything; studieren is only for a university subject. Saying Ich studiere about school homework sounds odd.

lernenTo learn or revise, at any age and for anything.
IchIlernelearnfürfordie Prüfung.the exam
ikh LER-ne für dee prü-FUNG · “I’m revising for the exam.”
SieshelerntlearnsGitarre.guitar
zee LERNT gi-TA-re · “She’s learning the guitar.”
studierenTo study a subject at university.
IchIstudierestudyMedizinmedicinein Leipzig.in Leipzig
ikh shtu-DEE-re me-di-TSEEN in LAIP-tsikh · “I study medicine in Leipzig.”
Waswhatstudierststudydu?you
vas shtu-DEERST doo · “What are you studying (at uni)?”
Keep going

Related guides

1Numbers →Ordinals for die 5. Klasse.8:00Time →Stundenplan and school hours.→Work →After school: Ausbildung and jobs.mussModal verbs →Ich muss lernen.