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German B1 Vocabulary List

603 German B1 words from the official Goethe Wortliste — with gender color-coding, English translations, and a free PDF. They cover abstract topics, opinions, media, and professional life. B1 is the level required for German citizenship.

A curated set of the most useful words — the full official Goethe B1 Wortliste has around 2,400. Full breakdown below.

Every word is a memory-palace flashcard — a vivid scene with der/die/das color-coded so the gender sticks.

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603 words
Illustration of the B1 German word “-los”, which translates to “suffix meaning 'without'”. A sock puppet peels off its sock and holds up the completely bare hand, now utterly without its covering.
-los

[loːs]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “arbeitslos”, which translates to “unemployed”. A weary, middle-aged badger in a pinstripe suit sits on a park bench, sadly staring at a briefcase overflowing with empty sandwich wrappers, while his desk chair rolls past in the background looking for a new owner.
arbeitslos

/ˈaʁbaɪ̯tsˌloːs/

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Illustration of the B1 German word “aufgeben”, which translates to “to give up”. A tiny, exhausted snail in a marathon sits down on a checkered finish line, sighs heavily, and hangs a literal white flag over its shell while a butterfly zips past in the distance.
aufgeben

[ˈaʊ̯fˌɡeːbn̩]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “aufwachsen”, which translates to “to grow up”. A toddler sprout in overalls stands against a doorway frame, looking shocked as his hat touches the ceiling while his feet visibly lengthen and burst right through his tiny leather shoes.
aufwachsen

[ˈaʊ̯fˌvaksn̩]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “außergewöhnlich”, which translates to “extraordinary, exceptional”. A humble grey pigeon dons a sparkly, feathered tiara and velvet cape, strutting with smug pride as a crowd of ordinary grey pigeons faints in collective, jaw-dropping shock.
außergewöhnlich

/ˈaʊ̯sɐɡəˌvøːnlɪç/

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Illustration of the B1 German word “beeinflussen”, which translates to “to influence”. A person painting the sky with a giant brush, where every color they sweep across the clouds shifts the mood of the world below.
beeinflussen

[bəˈʔaɪ̯nˌflʊsn̩]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “berühmt”, which translates to “famous”. A person walking down a street where the shadows cast behind them are giant, cheering silhouettes of an adoring crowd.
berühmt

/bəˈʁyːmt/

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Illustration of the B1 German word “bewundern”, which translates to “to admire”. A child standing before a colossal soap bubble that reflects an entire galaxy inside it, mouth open in silent, wide-eyed wonder.
bewundern

[bəˈvʊndɐn]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “die Biografie”, which translates to “biography”. An open book on a cliffside where the ink leaps off the pages to recreate a person's life story in flickering, 3D golden memories.
die Biografie

/diː bioɡʁaˈfiː/

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Illustration of the B1 German word “der Durchbruch”, which translates to “breakthrough”. A person pushing through a solid brick wall, but the wall ripples like a curtain made of golden liquid light as they step through.
der Durchbruch

[ˈdʊʁçˌbʁʊx]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “der Einfluss”, which translates to “influence”. A person standing in the rain, but their shadow is a giant, majestic lion that gently nudges them in the direction they should walk.
der Einfluss

[ˈaɪ̯nflʊs]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “einmalig”, which translates to “one-time, unique”. A lone, perfectly spherical pearl floating in space, reflecting a scene that has never existed before and will never be seen again.
einmalig

[ˈaɪ̯nˌmaːlɪç]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “das Engagement”, which translates to “commitment, dedication, involvement”. A person’s shadow stretching out to embrace a collapsing star, holding it together with beams of warm, golden light.
das Engagement

[ˌɑ̃ɡaʒəˈmɑ̃ː]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “entschlossen”, which translates to “determined, resolute”. A tiny explorer scaling a mountain made of giant, unmoving chess pieces, eyes fixed upward with a glowing aura of pure focus.
entschlossen

[ɛntˈʃlɔsn̩]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “erfolglos”, which translates to “unsuccessful”. A clumsy magician pulling an endless stream of colorful silk scarves from a hat that unfortunately keeps looping back inside.
erfolglos

[ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlkˌloːs]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “gründen”, which translates to “to found, to establish”. A majestic house appearing out of thin air, with roots sprouting from its foundation to anchor it deep into a bed of soft, glowing clouds.
gründen

ˈɡʁʏndn̩

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Illustration of the B1 German word “die Heimatstadt”, which translates to “home town”. A cityscape built into the branches of a vast, ancient tree, with glowing lanterns lighting the windows under a warm, indigo twilight.
die Heimatstadt

[diː ˈhaɪ̯maːtˌʃtat]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “hoffnungslos”, which translates to “hopeless”. A little balloon stuck in the branches of a tree made of clouds, but a tiny star leans down to offer it a shimmering, golden ladder.
hoffnungslos

[ˈhɔfnʊŋsloːs]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “inspirieren”, which translates to “to inspire”. A person breathing in stardust, which then turns into vibrant, flying origami birds taking flight from their fingertips.
inspirieren

[ɪnspiˈʁiːʁən]

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Illustration of the B1 German word “die Jugend”, which translates to “youth, adolescence”. A group of teens running across a meadow where every footprint they leave blooms into a vibrant, oversized sunflower instantly.
die Jugend

/diː ˈjuːɡn̩t/

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Showing 20 of 603 words

Goethe B1 Wortliste (word list)

The official Goethe-Institut B1 Wortliste lists around 2,400 words across A1 to B1. This page is the B1 tier: 603 of the most useful B1 words, each built as a memory-palace flashcard - a curated set drawn from those Goethe lists, not the official list itself. Use the A1 and A2 tabs above for the earlier levels.

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