B1 German Vocabulary List, Intermediate CEFR Words

Intermediate German for expressing opinions, discussing experiences, work, and health vocabulary.

Roughly 1–2 years of study. Goethe-Zertifikat B1.

About B1

B1 German introduces the Konjunktiv II (würde + infinitive, hätte, wäre) for politeness and hypotheticals, the genitive case (trotz des Wetters, wegen des Lärms), and subordinate clauses with verb-final word order (..., weil ich krank bin). Vocabulary climbs to around 2,000 words: work, health, opinions, abstract topics, plus the connector words that make complex sentences possible (obwohl, deshalb, trotzdem, allerdings).

Who this list is for

If you can hold a 15-minute conversation, write a complaint email, and follow a slow podcast, you're around B1. Most learners reach B1 after 1–2 years. Goethe B1 is the level required for German citizenship by naturalization.

How to study

B1 is where Wortstellung (word order) gets demanding. Subordinate clauses send the verb to the end (..., weil ich Hunger habe), and getting this fluent takes thousands of repetitions. Use spaced repetition with full example sentences, not single words. Listen to "Slow German" or "Coffee Break German" daily. Start writing weekly journal entries.

The list (842 words)

Choosing an app