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.

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