The most common German adjectives: top 50 list and learning tips

Learning the most frequent German words is makes tactical sense when you’re starting to learn the language. Below, you’ll find a full list of the fifty most common German adjectives. Adjectives are words that describe what somebody or something is like, for example old, young, intelligent, red, tired. For example “Der Mann ist alt” (the man is old), “Das Buch ist neu” (The book is new).

Like in English, they can come after a “linking” verb (like “be” or “become”), as in the examples we’ve just seen. Or they can stand immediately in front of the noun: eine schwarze Katz (a black cat).

There’s good news as you start learning (or revising) the most useful German adjectives: many are very similar to the English equivalents.

How to learn the most important German adjectives

Don’t learn the list of adjectives in a fixed order

Don’t learn the list of key German adjectives below in a set order, or you might end up needing the preceding adjective to trigger your recall for the next one. Instead, mix it up!

The forms in the list are the basic forms that you find after a verb. If you use an adjective before a noun, it has to have the right ending. You see, German adjectives “decline”. That’s to say the “endings” vary according to the “case” of the noun (that’s to say, to show the relationship of the noun that the adjective qualifies to other nouns in the phrase). For more on the case system (and the adjectival endings) check out my post The German Case System Made Simple.

Learn the adjectives in example phrases

It also helps to learn the adjectives in an example phrases. Context helps you remember. When the adjective is in front of a noun, learning a set phrase makes sure you’ve got the cases ending right too. As you read, listen and speak, collect sentences that contain examples of the adjective. Remember, translations don’t map perfectly from English to German. Sometimes, a German adjective has several meanings in English (and the other way round). Sometimes a different adjective is the one “naturally” used in German (you wish somebody a “fine weekend” (schönes Wochenende) not a “good weekend” (gutes Wochenende)

Use flashcards in various ways to test yourself

A simple way to mix things up as you learn the adjectives is to make flashcards with the German adjective on one side and the English on the other. You can test yourself German to English and then (harder) English to German. Keep shuffling the cards!

You could also make flashcards with the German example phrase on one side and the English translation of the phrase on the other. That way you use the power of meaningful context to help you remember.

A further, very effective twist is to have the German phrase on both sides of the card but leaving the adjective out on the “test” side. Your task is to “fill in the gap”.

Make your own phrases using the adjective (and get feedback)

Try to make sentences of your own using your new adjectives. Model them on your example phrases and get feedback if you can from your teacher or language exchange partner.

Space out repetition and recall practice

Keep coming back to the adjectives and your illustrative sentences – you’ll forget them many times… ….until you don’t.

Get lots and lots of exposure to German

Conscious vocab building is powerful, but it won’t get you fluent on its own. You must get lots of exposure to German too. Find a good beginner’s course, start listening to podcasts or YouTube aimed at learners and start reading simplified texts, even if, at first, there’s a lot you don’t understand. See how many of the most common German adjectives you can spot as you go and start to use them at every opportunity.

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The 50 most common German adjectives: a list

Here’s the basic German adjective list, to get you started.

1	groß	big, large, great
2	gut	gut
3	neu	new
4	ganz	whole, all the
5	erste	first
6	lang	long
7	wenig	few
8	klein	small
9	deutsch	German
10	hoch	tall, high
11	einfach	simple, easy
12	alt	old
13	gleich	same
14	wichtig	important
15	letzte	last
16	eigen	own
17	genau	exact
18	spät	late
19	kurz	short
20	richtig	correct, right
21	stark	strong
22	weitere	additional, further
23	jung	young
24	schnell	fast
25	weit	far
26	nächste	next
27	klar	clear
28	verschieden	different, diverse
29	schwer	difficult, heavy
30	sicher	safe, sure, certain
31	bestimmt	special, certain
32	frei	free (= not captive)
33	leicht	easy, light
34	bekannt	well-known, famous
35	schlecht	bad
36	einzig	only, single
37	offen	open
38	voll	full
39	tief	deep
40	möglich	possible
41	schön	beautiful
42	falsch	wrong
43	langsam	slow
44	schwierig	difficult, hard
45	eng	narrow
46	normal	normal
47	früh	early
48	echt	genuine, real
49	normal	normal
50	rund	round