50% off Lifetime access for $60 $30 For a limited time · Every level, A1 to C2 Get it
GermanFluent

Vocabulary · A2 function words

German A2 Function Words

The 28 function words of German A2, commonest first.

26 with audio

By level

als

/als/ conj
1
  1. when / as
  2. than
  3. as (comparison of equality)
  4. as / like (in the function of)
Dictionary wording
  1. at (approximately) the same moment, when, while, as
  2. than
  3. To the same degree that, as (distinguished from the aforementioned use in that comparison was between equals)
  4. as; like; in the function of; in the form of
  5. as if
  6. but, other than

Er ist größer als ich.

He's taller than me.

Besser er als ich.

Better him than me.

Sie ist nichts mehr als ein Kind.

She's just a child.

dass

/das/ conj
2
  1. that
  2. so that

Ich hoffe, dass ich mich irre.

I hope I'm wrong.

Ich weiß, dass das schlecht ist.

I know it's bad.

Ich weiß, dass du das weißt.

I know you know.

wenn

/vɛn/ conj
3
  1. if
  2. when / whenever
  3. if (on the condition that)
  4. if (noun)

Was ist, wenn du nicht recht hast?

What if you're wrong?

Was ist, wenn ihr nicht recht habt?

What if you're wrong?

Was ist, wenn Sie nicht recht haben?

What if you're wrong?

denn

/dɛn/ conj
4
  1. because
  2. than
  3. so / then / ever (emphasis, surprise, doubt)
  4. thus / so (consequence)
Dictionary wording
  1. for; because; since
  2. than
  3. so, then, ever, but, now; used for emphasis or to express interest, surprise or doubt, or in rhetorical questions
  4. thus, so; expresses a consequence; see usage notes
  5. then, after that, in that case
  6. unless (marks a negatively exceptive clause, with subjunctive)

Was ist denn?

What's wrong, Gaby?

Wie ist mir denn?

What happens to me?

Was hast du denn?

You're awfully quiet.

weil

/vaɪ̯l/ conj
5
  1. because
  2. given that
  3. while / during
Dictionary wording
  1. because, given that
  2. while, during

Ich gehe, weil ich gehen will.

I'm going because I want to.

Ich bin hier, weil ich es will.

I'm here because I want to be.

Das ist, weil er es nicht weiß.

That's because he doesn't know.

selbst

/zɛlpst/ particle
6
  1. by oneself
  2. even
  3. the self
Dictionary wording
  1. personally, by oneself
  2. even
  3. the self

Er selbst hat es gesagt.

He said it himself.

Ich kann das selbst machen.

I can do that myself.

Ich kann es selbst machen.

I can do it alone.

wegen

/ˈveːɡən/ prep
7
  1. because of
  2. concerning / regarding
Dictionary wording
  1. for, because of
  2. concerning, regarding

Governs

  • wegen + Dativ in speech

  • wegen + Genitiv in writing

Ich bin nicht wegen dem hier.

I'm not here because of that.

Ich bin wegen dir hier.

I'm here because of you.

Wir sind wegen dir hier.

We're here because of you.

jemand

/ˈjeːmant/ pron
8
  1. someone
  2. somebody
Dictionary wording
  1. someone, somebody

Es kommt jemand!

Somebody's coming.

Ist da jemand?

Anybody over there?

Gibt es jemanden?

Is there?

gegenüber

[ɡeːɡŋ̍ˈʔyːbɐ] prep
9
  1. opposite
  2. to / toward / towards
  3. compared to
  4. vis-à-vis / in dealings with
Dictionary wording
  1. opposite
  2. to, toward, towards
  3. compared to
  4. vis-à-vis, in dealings with, in dealing with, towards
  5. on the opposite side
  6. counterpart

Governs

  • gegenüber + Dativ

Dem stehst du gegenüber.

He stands before you.

Das Zimmer ist gegenüber.

Her room is across from ours.

Natürlich nicht Ihnen gegenüber.

Not with you, of course, Mr Blin.

pro

prep
10
  1. per
  2. each
Dictionary wording
  1. per, each

Governs

  • pro + Akkusativ

Er kommt einmal pro Monat her.

He comes here once a month.

Wie viel kostet das pro Tag?

How much does it cost a day?

Diese Uhr bleibt drei Minuten pro Tag hinter der Zeit zurück.

This clock loses three minutes a day.

hinter

/ˈhɪntər/ prep
11
  1. behind
  2. after
  3. beyond
  4. over (to some place fairly nearby)
Dictionary wording
  1. behind, after
  2. after (in pursuit of)
  3. beyond (further away than)
  4. over; to some place fairly nearby

Governs

  • hinter + Akkusativ movement towards — wohin?

  • hinter + Dativ position — wo?

Er hat es bald hinter sich.

He's on his last legs.

Bringen wir es hinter uns.

Let's get it done.

Die sind hinter dir her.

They're after you.

ah

/ʔaː/ intj
12
  1. ah
  2. expressing understanding
  3. expressing contentment

neben

/ˈneːbən/ prep
13
  1. next to
  2. beside / alongside / adjacent to / near
  3. in addition to / besides / apart from
  4. compared with
Dictionary wording
  1. next to, beside, alongside, adjacent to, near, near to
  2. in addition to, besides, alongside, apart from, aside from, among, amongst, on top of
  3. compared with

Governs

  • neben + Akkusativ movement towards — wohin?

  • neben + Dativ position — wo?

Mein Platz ist neben deinem.

My seat is next to yours.

Der Mann, der neben mir saß, hat mit mir gesprochen.

The man sitting next to me spoke to me.

Mein Hund schläft auf dem Boden neben meinem Bett.

My dog sleeps on the floor next to my bed.

solch

/zɔlç/ pron
14
  1. such

Wie bist du auf solch eine Idee gekommen?

How did you hit upon such an idea?

Zum Glück hast du solch gute Freunde.

You are fortunate for having such good friends.

Wie sind Sie auf solch einen Einfall gekommen?

How did you hit upon such an idea?

dessen

/ˈdɛsən/ pron
15
  1. whose
  2. of which
  3. his / its / the latter's
Dictionary wording
  1. genitive masculine/neuter singular of der
  2. whose, of which
  3. his, its, the latter's

Ich war mir dessen nicht ganz sicher.

I wasn't too sure about it.

Bist du dir all dessen sicher?

Are you sure about all this?

Bist du dir dessen ganz sicher?

Are you absolutely certain about this?

äh

/ɛː/ intj
16
  1. uh / er
  2. yuck / ew / ugh
Dictionary wording
  1. an exclamation of disgust; yuck, ew, ugh
  2. uh, er (expression of confusion or uncertainty)

irgendetwas

/ˌɪʁɡn̩tˈʔɛtvas/ pron
17
  1. anything

Bitte geben Sie mir irgendetwas zu trinken.

Give me something to drink.

Du bist niemals an irgendetwas schuld, oder?

Nothing is ever your fault, is it?

Gibt es irgendetwas, was ich tun muss?

Is there anything I must do?

außer

/ˈaʊ̯sɐ/ prep
18
  1. except
  2. besides / apart from
  3. out of
  4. beside oneself
Dictionary wording
  1. except; besides; apart from
  2. out of
  3. beside oneself
  4. except; referring to a following clause or adverb
  5. except; referring to a noun phrase, which follows in the case suggested by the syntax of the clause

Governs

  • außer + Dativ

Er war außer sich.

He was outraged.

Alle sind gekommen, außer dir.

Everyone came except you.

Ich mache alles, außer das.

I will do anything but that.

tja

/tja/ intj
19
  1. well
  2. oh well
  3. tough luck
Dictionary wording
  1. well, hmm
  2. Used to express acceptance of one's misfortune; oh well, welp
  3. Used as an unsympathetic response to someone else's misfortune, implying it was predictable or is otherwise simply to be accepted; tough luck

innerhalb

/ˈɪnɐhalp/ prep
20
  1. within
  2. inside (of)
  3. in the space of
Dictionary wording
  1. within, inside (of)
  2. within, in the space of
  3. within, inside (spatial)
  4. within, in the space of (temporal)

Governs

  • innerhalb + Dativ in speech

  • innerhalb + Genitiv in writing

Nicht innerhalb eines Monats.

Not in a month.

Nicht mal innerhalb eines Jahres.

Not even a year, monsieur.

Das muss innerhalb der nächsten 6 Wochen passieren.

It'll have to be within the next six weeks.

aufgrund

/a͡ʊfˈɡrʊnt/ prep
21
  1. due to
  2. because of
  3. as a result of
  4. by reason of
Dictionary wording
  1. due to, because of, as a result of, by reason of, on account of

Governs

  • aufgrund + Genitiv

Er fehlte aufgrund des Sturmes.

His absence was due to the storm.

Die Schule ist aufgrund des Schnees geschlossen.

The school is closed because of the snow.

Und aufgrund dessen können Sie sich des Monats ziemlich sicher sein.

And because of that, you can be fairly certain of the month.

ähm

intj
22
  1. um / uh
Dictionary wording
  1. Um; uh (space filler or pause during conversation).

sowohl

/zoˈvoːl/ conj
23
  1. both
Dictionary wording
  1. both (only in combination with a contrasting second element, see derived terms)

Die Nachricht überraschte sowohl ihn wie mich.

The news surprised him as much as it did me.

Der Vorschlag hat sowohl seine Stärken wie seine Schwächen.

The proposal has its good points as well as its bad ones.

Ich freue mich sowohl für Sie als auch Ihre Frau.

I'm delight for yourself as well as for your wife.

ha

intj
24
  1. ha
  2. expresses laughter
  3. expresses triumph or discovery
  4. expresses surprise or hesitation
Dictionary wording
  1. Expresses laughter.
  2. Expresses triumph or discovery.
  3. Expresses surprise or a sudden sensation.
  4. Expresses hesitation.

welcher

/ˈvɛlçər/ det
25
  1. which
  2. what
  3. which (one)
  4. that / which / who / whom (relative pronoun)
Dictionary wording
  1. which; what
  2. which
  3. which (one)
  4. that; which; who; whom
  5. some (an unspecified amount of)

Auf welcher Seite bist du?

What page are you on?

Aus welcher Stadt kommst du?

What city are you from?

In welcher Klasse bist du?

What grade are you in?

tschüs

[t͡ʃyːs] intj
26
  1. bye
  2. goodbye
Dictionary wording
  1. bye / bye-bye
  2. goodbye

‚Dich scheint es ja ganz schön erwischt zu haben‘, sagte Vera, ‚ich muß rein. Tschüs!‘

außerhalb

/ˈaʊ̯sɐhalp/ prep
27
  1. outside (of)
  2. beyond
  3. out of town
Dictionary wording
  1. outside (of), beyond
  2. outside
  3. outside, beyond
  4. out of town

Governs

  • außerhalb + Dativ in speech

  • außerhalb + Genitiv in writing

Irgendwo außerhalb der Stadt.

Somewhere on the outskirts of town.

Sie sind von außerhalb.

They're out-of-town buyers.

Wir essen oft außerhalb.

We eat out a lot.

ein paar

[ˌaɪ̯n ˈpaːɐ̯] det
28
  1. a few
  2. some
  3. a couple of
Dictionary wording
  1. some; a few; a couple of

More

Other A2 lists

All A2 words558 der nouns108die nouns111das nouns50Verbs113Nouns273Adjectives95Adverbs46

Common questions

How many function words are in German A2?

The A2 list has 28 function words, out of 558 words at that level and 303 function words from A1 to C2.

Which A2 function words should I learn first?

Start at the top. The list is sorted by how often a word appears in a large corpus of spoken German, so als, dass, wenn, denn, weil are the ones you will meet most.

What does each entry show?

Its meanings, example sentences with translations, and native audio.

Word data, examples and audio from Wiktionary, Tatoeba and OpenSubtitles, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. See sources.

Help me keep building German Fluent

If this site has helped you study, your support helps me keep improving it.

Join on Patreon Buy lifetime access