Level 6 of 6
German C2: Mastery
Near-native command: nuance, idiom, and effortless reading of anything written in German.
How to use this level
Do these four, in order
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Test what you remember
715 questions, every answer explained.
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Common questions
What is in the German C2 section?
5,433 C2 words, commonest first, each with its meaning, its forms and a real example sentence. 50 short reading texts, easiest first, with an English translation for every line: in the first one you already know almost every word. 5,165 conjugation and declension tables for the C2 words, and 144 mistakes real learners made at this level. 715 practice questions, every answer explained.
What is German C2?
C2 is the mastery level of the CEFR, formally "Mastery". Understand with ease virtually everything heard or read, summarising and arguing precisely.
How many words do you need for C2 German?
C2 itself adds 5,433 words to what you already have; cumulatively from A1 that is about 15,003. Syllabuses vary by a few hundred either way, but the order matters more than the total: the commonest words carry most of the meaning.
How long does C2 German take?
The Goethe-Institut's own rule of thumb is roughly 1000+ hours of guided study to reach C2 from zero, assuming you also work outside class. Someone who already speaks another Germanic language will be at the low end.
Which exam matches C2?
Goethe-Zertifikat C2 and telc Deutsch C2 both map directly onto this level. TestDaF and DSH sit around B2–C1 and are the usual route for university admission.