denn
- for; because; since
- than
Was ist denn?
What's wrong, Gaby?
Wie ist mir denn?
What happens to me?
Was hast du denn?
You're awfully quiet.
= als
Vocabulary · B2 Upper Intermediate
German B2 Vocabulary
The 1,861 words German B2 adds, commonest first — with articles and plurals, principal parts, English senses, examples and native audio.
derWagen
- a wheeled vehicle for transporting anything
- Dipper: either the Großer Wagen (“Ursa Major”) or Kleiner Wagen (“Ursa Minor”)
- Article
- der Wagen
- Plural
- die Wagen (unchanged)
- Genitive
- des Wagens
Schnell, einen Wagen.
Get me a car quick.
Nimm meinen Wagen!
Take my car.
Nehmt meinen Wagen!
Take my car.
= EisenbahnwagenNatural Sciences
kaum
- barely, hardly (qualifying verbs or adjectives)
- barely any, almost no (qualifying amounts)
- difficult, nearly impossible
- as soon as, immediately after
Ich glaube kaum.
I hardly think so.
Man glaubt es kaum.
Don't you believe it.
Ich kenne Sie kaum.
I barely know you.
wahrscheinlich
- likely, probable, plausible
- Positive
- wahrscheinlich
- Comparative
- wahrscheinlicher
- Superlative
- am wahrscheinlichsten
Wie wahrscheinlich ist das?
What do you think the chances are?
Es ist wahrscheinlich schwer.
It's probably hard.
Er wird wahrscheinlich kommen.
He is likely to come.
zwar
- Signals a following contrary clause, which is usually introduced with aber (“but”), stressing that the speaker is aware of the contradiction, but that it does not invalidate the statement.
- namely
- Intensifies a request or command.
Und zwar sofort!
And I will do it now!
Und zwar alle.
All of you.
Und zwar schnell.
Go for your life, too.
= allerdings= freilich= zugegebenermaßen
wenigstens
- at least
Ich kann es wenigstens versuchen.
I can at least try.
Wir können es wenigstens versuchen.
We can at least try.
Kannst du es wenigstens versuchen?
Can you at least try?
= mindestens= zumindest
tatsächlich
- actual, real, factual
Sie essen tatsächlich.
Eating, actually eating.
Es funktioniert tatsächlich.
It really works.
Tatsächlich habe ich sogar $ 50.
As a matter of fact, I've got $ 50.
beweisen
- to prove
- to display, to show, to demonstrate
- to make hay
- Present (er/sie/es)
- beweist
- Preterite
- bewies
- Past participle
- hat bewiesen
Ich beweise es.
I can prove it.
Das beweist nichts.
That doesn't prove anything.
Ich kann es beweisen.
The key in the lamp.
= profilieren= hervortun
zumindest
- at least
Hoffe ich zumindest.
I guess.
Das hoffe ich zumindest.
That is, I hope so.
Wir können es zumindest versuchen.
At least we can try, can't we?
= immerhin= mindestens= wenigstens
dieKraft
- power, force, strength
- force
- force (soldier)
- worker, employee
- Article
- die Kraft
- Plural
- die Kräfte
- Genitive
- des Kraft
Voller Kraft und groß?
Was he big and tall?
Er hat keine Kraft mehr.
He has no more power.
Ich habe meine Kraft verloren.
I've lost my strength.
vermutlich
- suspected, presumable, assumed
Nein, vermutlich nicht.
No, probably not.
Vermutlich ist er das.
Likely he is.
Das dauert vermutlich Stunden.
Oh. That means hours, I suppose.
eigene
- inflection of eigen:
Für Ihre eigene Sicherheit.
For your own safety.
Ich habe eigene Probleme.
I've got my own problems.
Wir haben eigene Probleme.
We've got our own problems.
nämlich
- namely, specifically; used to further specify what exactly one was talking about just before
- because, after all; used to follow up a statement with a second one that justifies the former, treated as a revealing of new information
Der Hund gehört nämlich mir.
That dog belongs to me.
Ich heiß nämlich nach ihr.
I was named after her.
Dann könnt ich ihm nämlich jetzt eine langen, Majestät!
Then I now could plant him one, Majesty!
= und zwar
offensichtlich
- obvious
- evident, apparent
- Positive
- offensichtlich
- Comparative
- offensichtlicher
- Superlative
- am offensichtlichsten
Das ist offensichtlich.
It's obvious.
Vergesse immer das offensichtliche.
Always forgetting the obvious.
Ist das nicht offensichtlich?
Isn't it obvious?
= augenscheinlich
dieRegierung
- government/administration
- the act of governing
- Article
- die Regierung
- Plural
- die Regierungen
- Genitive
- des Regierung
Sie schufen eine Regierung.
They created a government.
Die Regierung gibt Ihnen alles.
The government gives you everything.
Ich arbeite bei der Regierung.
I work for the government.
übrigens
- apart from that, else, for the rest, for everything else
- by the way
Wer ist das übrigens?
By the way, who is he?
Hier sind übrigens die $50.
Here's the $50, by the way.
Was willst du übrigens?
What do you want anyway?
= übrigenteils= sonst= ansonsten= darüber hinaus= apropos
indem
- by (indicates a means)
- while, at the time that
Sie wollen uns fertig machen, indem sie uns die Ehre nehmen.
They're working on our spirits, trying to make us cringe and crawl, working on our decency.
Dieses Mal kannst du es nur retten, indem du bleibst.
This time you can only save it by staying here.
Aber du kannst, alter Junge, indem du dich nicht sorgst.
But you can, old boy, by not worrying.
= indes= da= während= dieweil= weil
dasVergnügen
- joy, pleasure
- Article
- das Vergnügen
- Plural
- die Vergnügen (unchanged)
- Genitive
- des Vergnügens
Ja, mit Vergnügen.
Yes, delighted.
Mit Vergnügen, mein Herr.
At your pleasure, My Lord.
Mit dem größten Vergnügen.
Why, we certainly will.
= Vergnügung
gelassen
- calm
- serene, composed
- Positive
- gelassen
- Comparative
- gelassener
- Superlative
- am gelassensten
Nimm es gelassen.
Play it cool.
Nehmt es gelassen.
Play it cool.
Ich bin gelassen.
I'm easygoing.
allerdings
- but, however
- indeed!
Er schläft allerdings gut.
He certainly is sleeping.
Das denke ich allerdings.
I do indeed.
Das war er allerdings.
Certainly was.
= jedoch
übernehmen
- to take over (a task, a position, responsibilities from someone else)
- to take on more than one can handle/master; to overexert oneself
- to assume, to accept (responsibility, liability, etc.)
- to take, to accept (a job, a position, etc.)
- Present (er/sie/es)
- übernimmt
- Preterite
- übernahm
- Past participle
- hat übernommen
Übernehmen Sie jetzt.
Take charge.
Übernimm du ihn.
You take it.
Das übernehme ich.
Let me handle this.
dasGesetz
- law, legal act, bill, statute
- Article
- das Gesetz
- Plural
- die Gesetze
- Genitive
- des Gesetzes
Nicht ohne Gesetz!
Not without the law!
Gesetz ist Gesetz.
The law is the law.
Das ist das Gesetz.
Otherwise it's stealing.
= OrdnungLaw
leisten
- to perform (a task, work), to accomplish (a task), to achieve (a goal)
- to provide (aid, service)
- to afford, to pay for
- Present (er/sie/es)
- leistet
- Preterite
- leistete
- Past participle
- hat geleistet
Sie leisten gute Arbeit.
You do good work.
Wir haben gute Arbeit geleistet.
We did a good job.
Kann ich mir nicht leisten.
Can't afford it.
diePosition
- position, location
- Article
- die Position
- Plural
- die Positionen
- Genitive
- des Position
Wieder in Position.
Position again.
Alle sind auf Position.
Everyone's in position.
Bitte verstehe meine Position.
Please understand my position.
schließlich
- in the end, finally, eventually
- after all (because of, for the reason)
Ich lese schließlich.
Don't you think I read?
Man muss schließlich leben.
You have to live.
Man weiß schließlich nie.
You never can tell what'll happen.
schätzen
- to estimate; to guess; to suppose; to assume
- to evaluate; to price; to assess
- to esteem; to appreciate; to value (e.g. an act of kindness or a helpful person)
- Present (er/sie/es)
- schätzt
- Preterite
- schätzte
- Past participle
- hat geschätzt
Ich schätze schon.
I suppose so.
Jeder schätzt Geld.
Everybody likes money.
Wirst du geschätzt?
Are you appreciated?
offenbar
- apparent (evident)
- Positive
- offenbar
- Comparative
- offenbarer
- Superlative
- am offenbarsten
Nicht mal das, offenbar.
Not even that, apparently.
Du hast offenbar recht.
Apparently you're right.
Es gibt offenbar ein Problem.
There's clearly a problem.
dieLüge
- lie
- Article
- die Lüge
- Plural
- die Lügen
- Genitive
- des Lüge
Lügen Sie nicht.
Don't lie.
Lügen Sie nicht!
Do not lie, sir.
Erzähl keine Lügen!
Don't tell lies.
derDruck
- pressure
- fix (drug injection)
- Article
- der Druck
- Plural
- die Drücke
- Genitive
- des Druckes
Alles ist Druck!
Everything is pull!
Drucken Sie schon?
Have you gone to press yet?
Er steht unter Druck.
The big guys have the screws on.
dieVerantwortung
- responsibility
- Article
- die Verantwortung
- Plural
- die Verantwortungen
- Genitive
- des Verantwortung
Auf deine Verantwortung.
You take the responsibility!
Ich trage Verantwortung.
I have responsibilities.
Ich habe Verantwortung.
I've got responsibilities.
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Keep going at B2
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50 graded B2 texts
Short German texts chosen so you already know most of the words, with a sentence-by-sentence translation.
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432 B2 questions
Gap-fill, articles, grammar and reading comprehension — answers and explanations on every item.
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Overview
Everything at B2
Fluent, spontaneous German for study and work, including abstract and technical topics.
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Common questions
How many words are in German B2 vocabulary?
This B2 list adds 1,861 words — 746 nouns, 416 verbs and 699 others. Counting everything from A1 up to B2, that is 3,649 words in total, which is the figure exam syllabuses usually quote.
What does B2 mean in German?
B2 is the upper intermediate level of the Common European Framework (CEFR), also called "Vantage". At B2 you interact with a degree of fluency that makes conversation with native speakers effortless.
How long does it take to learn B2 German vocabulary?
At a couple of dozen words a session, 1,861 words is a few weeks of steady work. Most learners need several passes before recall is reliable, so plan on going back over ground you have covered rather than only ever moving forward.
In what order should I learn these B2 words?
Top to bottom. The whole level is one list sorted by how often the word appears in a large corpus of spoken German, so the words you meet first are the ones that earn their keep fastest and the rarest sit at the end.
Word data, examples and audio from Wiktionary, Tatoeba and OpenSubtitles, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. See sources.