In this post, our Fastepo team explains the meaning and application of 15 practical words in the German language for new students in Germany.
German Language
The German language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is also a member of the Indo-European family and belongs to the West Germanic branch.
The word “German” derives from a West Germanic word for “people who speak Gothic”. The language has its origins in parts of what are now Switzerland, France, and Germany. It’s spoken by approximately 100 million people worldwide and is one of the official languages of Europe.
The German speaking countries are Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Belgium.
The German language is very proud of their language, and living without knowing their language in Germany can be difficult. In addition, in the German Academic World, there are some special German Worlds that you can not find in any German Language books. Here are some German words that international students will need for daily life as a student in Germany.
When Did German Start and How Does it Differ From Other Languages?
The earliest known writings in Germanic languages were found in what is now northwestern Germany and Denmark, which is where the first Germanic language developed.
Germanic languages have a lot of similarities with each other but they also have some differences. For example, German and Dutch share a common ancestor whereas English, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish are all separate languages.
The origins of language are not always clear as there are many different theories about how it evolved. However, the earliest known writings in Germanic languages were found in what is now northwestern Germany and Denmark which is where the first Germanic language developed.
Essential Words (15 practical words of German Language for new students in Germany) with meaning and application
- Anmeldung: Registration.
As soon as you move to a German city, you should register yourself in the municipality (city hall) of that city. The act of registration is said “Anmeldung”. - Rathaus: City hall.
Rathaus is the place that you need to register your residence in the town. - Meldebescheinigung: Registration paper(documents).
The paper that you will receive after registration in the city hall called “meldebescheinigung“. It is very necessary for all bureaucratic things in Germany such as visa application, insurance, purchasing of telephone line (cell phone) and etc. - Wohnung: Flat, Apartment.
The first choice of accommodation is living in a flat and this is the place you would encounter the word “Wohnung”.
- Versicherung: Insurance.
For studying and working in Germany, you should be insured by an insurance company (private or public). There are several options but for students, AOK as a governmental insurance company is generally the first choice. - Bank Konto: Bank account.
As soon as you registered yourself in Rathaus, you can contact a bank in order to open an account. It is essential because you would need that account to deposit your money in (and later to prove that you can secure your living expenses). Otherwise, you would not be able to get long term (student) visa. - Aufenthaltstitel: Residence permit.
This permit can be obtained in “ausländerbehörde” (foreign authority) office of the city that you live in. There, you would need proof from your bank account in Germany that your living expenses for the period that you are going to live in Germany are secured. Generally, for every month of residence permit, you need to have 650 Euro in your account.
- Termin: Appointment.
German is known as a punctual nation and therefore appointments are very common in every place from barbershop or insurance company to city hall and foreign authority. Therefore, do not be surprised if you see these sentences on the door of every place you go: “bitte termin vereinbaren” (please make an appointment). - Vorlesungszeiten: Lecture period.
There is two lecture period such as summer semester and winter semester. Generally, the winter semester period is from the first of October till the end of March and the summer semester starts on the first of April till the end of July. - Semesterferien: Semester breaks.
The vacation between winter and summer semester is called semesterferien in Germany. - Prüfungsamt: Examination office.
The examination office has different functions. Besides taking care of examinations, they are in charge of the evaluation of degrees and even issuing certificates. - Studienabschluss: Study Certificate.
At the end of the study each german university issue a study certificates such as bachelorabschluss (bachelor certificate) and masterabschluss (master certificate).
- BAföG: It is the abbreviation of Bundes-Ausbildungsförderungs-Gesetz (Federal Education Promotion Act).
There is a student loan from the government in Germany for students at secondary schools and universities, who don not afford the expenses of their study. - Bachelor- und masterarbeit: Bachelor and master thesis.
At the end of the study, students should work on a special subject. This is generally 3 and 6 months long, for Bachelor and master students, respectively - Antragsformulare: Application form.
The application form should be filled by applicants.
Scholarships and Awards in Europe:
Scholarships and Awards in Canada and USA:
- University of San Francisco (USFCA) Scholarship for Master or PhD
- Boston University Scholarships
- Coca Cola Scholarship
- PEO International Scholarship
- Ollu San Antonio (Our Lady of the Lake University) Scholarships
- Institute for Advanced Study Funding and Fellowships
- Funded PhD and Research Positions at Ivy League Colleges
- UTA Education Scholarships at University of Texas at Arlington
- The Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship
- University of San Francisco (USFCA) Scholarships for Master or PhD
- Scholarships at the Rider University
- Dissertation Fellowship Program in the USA
- Fellowship for master’s degree in the USA (Mass Media)
- James S. McDonnell Foundation Postdoc Fellowship in the USA
- Scholarship Google, Internships and PhD Fellowships Google
- Scholarship Universe Purdue
Scholarships and Awards in Australia:
- Scholarships for International Students at the University of Melbourne (unimelb)
- Deakin Scholarships at Deakin University
Scholarships and Awards in the UK:
- Scholarships for International Undergraduate Students in Ireland
- Scholarships for International Postgraduate Students in Ireland
- Scholarships at BPP University
- Rhodes Scholarship For international students
- The University of Manchester Scholarships
- The University of Birmingham Scholarship
- Top Scholarships for international students
Others:
- Academic Jobs and Fellowships in the Institute for Advanced Study:
- PEO International Scholarship, Grant, and Loan
- Scholarship Universe Purdue
- Udacity Scholarships
- The American University in Cairo (AUC) Scholarships
- MBA Scholarships for Women
Would you like to know the salary amount of PhD and postdoc positions in Europe?
- Salary of PhD student and Postdoc in Denmark
- Salary of a PhD student and Postdoc in Norway
- Salary of PhD student and Postdoc in Switzerland
- Salary of PhD student and Postdoc in Sweden
- Salary of PhD student and Postdoc in Germany
- Salary of PhD and Postdoc in Ireland
- Salary of Postdocs in France
- Salary of PhD student and Postdoc in the UK
- Professors’ salary in the UK
- Salary of PhD student and Postdoc in the Netherlands
- Salary of PhD student and Postdoc in Finland
- Salary of PhD student and Postdoc in Austria
- Salary of Marie-curie postdoctoral fellowship
- Salary of PhD student in Marie-Curie ITN
- Doctorate Degree Business Administration Salary
You can find all the available full-funded PhD positions in different countries here.
- Germany – Fully Funded PhD
- Switzerland – Fully Funded PhD
- Denmark – Fully Funded PhD
- UK – Fully Funded PhD
- Sweden – Fully Funded PhD
- Finland – Fully Funded PhD
- Netherlands – Fully Funded PhD
- Norway – Fully Funded PhD
- Belgium – Fully Funded PhD
- Austria – Fully Funded PhD
- Australia – Fully Funded PhD
- France – Fully Funded PhD
- New Zealand – Fully Funded PhD
- Canada – Fully Funded PhD
- USA – Fully Funded PhD
- Luxembourg – Fully Funded PhD
- Spain – Fully Funded PhD
- Italy – Fully Funded PhD
- Iceland -Fully Funded PhD
Fastepo Team will update all different types of academic positions (the latest ones) and so you can find them on our Home Page, and also the Academic Jobs page. Therefore, make sure to follow our page on Facebook to not miss any new vacancies and also enjoy our tips and advice on academic jobs. If you’re bored, watch our PhD and Postdoc-related videos on our Youtube channel.