Goethe B1 Word List (Wortliste): What's on It and How to Learn It

The Goethe B1 word list (in German, the Wortliste, said VORT-lis-tuh) is the official vocabulary list for the Goethe-Zertifikat B1, which is the same exam as the ÖSD-Zertifikat B1. Officially it has about 2,400 words, and you're expected to understand all of them, not necessarily to use every one yourself. It's a free PDF from the Goethe-Institut, written entirely in German and mostly sorted from A to Z.

This guide explains what's on the list, how to read it, how big it really is and how to learn it efficiently. You'll also get a free extract of 39 useful B1 words, grouped by situation and translated into English.

A quick note: Beyond German isn't connected to the Goethe-Institut or ÖSD. We link to their public word list because it's the clearest map of B1 vocabulary there is.

Goethe B1 Word List: Quick Facts

Fact	Details
Developed by	The Goethe-Institut, ÖSD and the University of Fribourg (Switzerland)
Exam	Goethe-Zertifikat B1 and ÖSD-Zertifikat B1 (one exam, two names), for teens and adults alike
Official size	About 2,400 words
Real size (our count)	About 2,900 entries from A to Z, plus a few hundred in the word groups
What you need	Understand all of them; the list doesn't say how many you must use actively
Regional words	German, Austrian and Swiss standard forms, marked (D), (A) and (CH)
Format	104-page PDF in German only: word groups, then an A to Z list with example sentences
Edition	First edition 2016, still the current official list
Cost	Free to download from the Goethe-Institut

What Is the Goethe B1 Word List?

The list is an extract from the official description of the Zertifikat B1, the exam that the Goethe-Institut, Austria's ÖSD and the University of Fribourg developed together. B1 is the third of the six CEFR levels, where you handle everyday life on your own and give your opinion with reasons. The list shows what that takes in words. For the exam itself, see our guide to the German B1 exam.

You can open the official Goethe-Zertifikat B1 word list (PDF) on the Goethe-Institut's website. It's free, but it's copyrighted, so we link to it instead of copying it.

What's on the List, and What's Left Out on Purpose

The words were chosen for how useful they are in everyday, current German: private and public life first, then work, school and training. In practice, that means:

The A1 and A2 basics are included. Simple words like aber (but) and die Adresse (address) sit right next to B1 words like ablehnen (to turn down) and die Absicht (intention).
So is the language of the exam. Ankreuzen (to tick), zuordnen (to match) and der Antwortbogen (answer sheet) are there because the tasks use them.
Austrian and Swiss words appear alongside the German ones.

Exam texts can contain words that aren't on the list, but you never need those words to solve a task.

Just as interesting is what's missing. The authors left out words you can work out yourself:

Compounds with an obvious meaning. Das Kinderbett (child's bed) isn't listed, but der Kindergarten is, because its meaning is more than "children's garden".
Nouns built from words you know, like der Mitschüler (classmate) from der Schüler plus mit-.
Verbs with a clear prefix, like mitmachen (to join in).

So the list covers more words than it prints: working out a word from its parts is a B1 skill.

How the List Is Organised

After a short foreword, the PDF has two parts: the word groups and the alphabetical list.

1. The word groups

Unlike the A1 list, there are no topic chapters. Instead, pages 8 to 15 collect words that belong together. The foreword says each item appears either here or in the alphabetical list, not both, so don't skip these pages.

Group	Examples
Abbreviations	die WG (shared flat), der Azubi (trainee, D), z. B. (e.g.)
English loanwords	der Job, das Smartphone, googeln
Exam instructions	ankreuzen, zuordnen, der Antwortbogen
Schools, subjects, grades	die Grundschule, das Gymnasium, Mathe, Geschichte
Colours, compass points	lila, grün, der Norden, östlich
Countries and languages	Österreich, der Österreicher, österreichisch (as a pattern)
Politics	der Bundestag, die Regierung, die Partei
Animals	die Biene, die Mücke, der Affe
Money, measures, weights	der Franken (Swiss franc), ein Pfund (500 g)
Numbers and fractions	ein Drittel, zweimal
Time	Pfingsten (Pentecost), wochentags (on weekdays), der Jänner (A: January)

Learn the exam instruction group first (it's the only one with example sentences): these words appear in the tasks themselves. And watch the grades: in Germany and Austria 1 is best, in Switzerland 6.

2. The alphabetical list

The main part runs from ab to zwischen over pages 16 to 102. Every entry has at least one German example sentence, and about a third have two or more. Related words sit indented under their main entry: under anfangen (to begin) you'll find der Anfang (beginning) and anfangs (at first). Prefixes and endings get entries of their own, like Lieblings- (as in Lieblingsfarbe, favourite colour) and -weise (as in teilweise, partly).

How to Read an Entry

Here are real entries and what they tell you:

On the list	How to read it
der Abfall, ¨-e	Umlaut plus -e: die Abfälle (waste)
die Abbildung, -en	Add -en: die Abbildungen (illustrations)
das Abenteuer, -	No change: die Abenteuer (adventures)
das Abonnement, -s/-e	Two plurals allowed: die Abonnements or die Abonnemente (subscriptions)
Abgase (Pl.)	Plural only: die Abgase (exhaust fumes)
der Arzt, ¨-e / die Ärztin, -nen	Male and female forms: die Ärzte, die Ärztinnen
abfahren, fährt ab, fuhr ab, ist abgefahren	Infinitive, er/sie/es form, simple past, perfect with ist
achten, achtet, achtete, hat geachtet (auf)	The preposition in brackets: achten auf (to pay attention to)

In the nominative, the plural article is always die, whatever the singular article. If the endings feel random, our guide to German plural rules shows the patterns behind them.

The verb entries are the most useful part. Their four forms show whether a verb splits (fährt ab), whether it's irregular (fuhr) and whether the perfect takes haben or sein (ist abgefahren; see haben or sein in the perfect tense). The prepositions in brackets matter just as much: our list of German verbs with prepositions covers the common pairs.

Words From Germany, Austria and Switzerland

The list covers the standard German of all three countries. Words are marked (D), (A) or (CH), and where the countries differ, each variant gets its own entry with an arrow to the others, for example parken (D, A) → CH: parkieren.

English	Germany	Austria	Switzerland
to park	parken	parken	parkieren
stairs	die Treppe	die Stiege	die Treppe
January	der Januar	der Jänner	der Januar
school-leaving exam	das Abitur	die Matura	die Matura
caretaker	der Hausmeister	der Hausmeister	der Abwart

Recognising the other countries' words is enough. When you speak, use the ones from the country you live in.

How Big Is the Goethe B1 Word List, Really?

Officially about 2,400 words; counted entry by entry, the alphabetical part alone has about 2,900. Our count includes the indented related words and the regional variants, which each get their own entry. The word groups add a few hundred items on top. By our count, roughly half of all entries are nouns and about a fifth are verbs.

The good news: because B1 builds on A1 and A2, most A1 and A2 words are on this list too, so if you've learned those levels well, a good part of it is review. Much of what's new is vocabulary for work, offices, health and opinions, plus more abstract words like die Verantwortung (responsibility), der Zweifel (doubt) and behaupten (to claim).

So the real question isn't "Can I learn 2,900 words?" but "Which of these don't I know yet?" Still near the start? Begin with our guide to the Goethe A1 word list.

Why the PDF Alone Is Hard to Learn From

The authors say so themselves: the foreword calls the list a reference that shows what B1 demands, less suited to practising and remembering words, and recommends a course and proper learning material. Here's why:

It's alphabetical. Die Abteilung (department) sits between abstimmen (to vote) and der Abwart (Swiss for caretaker). Memory works by situations, not by the alphabet.
There are no topics. The words you need at the doctor's are scattered from A (der Arzt) to V (verschreiben, to prescribe).
There's no English. The example sentences only help if you already understand them.
There's no audio. You can't learn to catch die Verspätung in a station announcement from a PDF.

None of that makes the list useless. It's the best B1 checklist there is; you just need a better way to learn it.

A Free Extract: 39 B1 Words by Situation

All of these words are on the official B1 list, regrouped by situation and translated. Nouns come with article and plural; verbs with the er/sie/es form where it changes or splits, the perfect, and any preposition.

Work and Job Applications

German	English
die Bewerbung, die Bewerbungen	(job) application
sich bewerben (um), bewirbt sich, hat sich beworben	to apply (for)
der Lebenslauf, die Lebensläufe	CV, résumé
die Erfahrung, die Erfahrungen	experience
die Stelle, die Stellen	job, position
der Vertrag, die Verträge	contract
die Kündigung, die Kündigungen	notice (resignation or dismissal)

Ich habe mich um eine Stelle im Hotel beworben. (I've applied for a job at a hotel.)

Your Flat

German	English
der Umzug, die Umzüge	move (to a new home)
umziehen, zieht um, ist umgezogen	to move (house)
die Heizung, die Heizungen	heating
der Hausmeister, die Hausmeister	caretaker (CH: der Abwart)
möbliert	furnished
kündigen, hat gekündigt	to give notice (on a flat, a job, a contract)

Die Heizung ist kaputt. Können Sie bitte den Hausmeister anrufen? (The heating is broken. Can you please call the caretaker?)
Ich habe meine Wohnung zum 31. Juli gekündigt. (I've given notice on my flat for 31 July.)

Flat hunting? See our German apartment vocabulary.

Offices and Paperwork

German	English
der Antrag, die Anträge	application (to an office), request
beantragen, hat beantragt	to apply for (a document, a benefit)
die Behörde, die Behörden	public authority, office
die Unterlagen (plural only)	documents, paperwork
die Frist, die Fristen	deadline
die Gebühr, die Gebühren	fee
verlängern, hat verlängert	to extend, to renew

Mein Visum läuft bald ab. Ich muss es verlängern lassen. (My visa runs out soon. I need to get it extended.)

Notice that English "application" splits in two: die Bewerbung is for jobs, der Antrag for official requests.

Health and Insurance

German	English
die Versicherung, die Versicherungen	insurance
die Krankenkasse, die Krankenkassen	health insurance fund
die Überweisung, die Überweisungen	referral (to a specialist); also bank transfer
das Rezept, die Rezepte	prescription; also recipe
verschreiben, hat verschrieben	to prescribe
sich verletzen, hat sich verletzt	to hurt yourself, to get injured

Für den Facharzt brauche ich eine Überweisung. (I need a referral for the specialist.)
Er hat sich beim Joggen am Fuß verletzt. (He hurt his foot while jogging.)

Opinions and Discussions

German	English
die Meinung, die Meinungen	opinion
der Vorteil, die Vorteile	advantage
der Nachteil, die Nachteile	disadvantage
der Vorschlag, die Vorschläge	suggestion
zustimmen (+ dative), stimmt zu, hat zugestimmt	to agree (with)
einverstanden	in agreement, OK with something
sich beschweren (über), hat sich beschwert	to complain (about)

Meiner Meinung nach hat Homeoffice mehr Vorteile als Nachteile. (In my opinion, working from home has more advantages than disadvantages.)
Ich stimme dir zu, aber ich habe einen anderen Vorschlag. (I agree with you, but I have a different suggestion.)

For whole sentences to argue with, see giving your opinion in German.

Trains and Travel

German	English
die Verspätung, die Verspätungen	delay
umsteigen, steigt um, ist umgestiegen	to change (trains, buses)
der Anschluss, die Anschlüsse	connection
verpassen, hat verpasst	to miss (a train, a chance)
ausfallen, fällt aus, ist ausgefallen	to be cancelled
die Ermäßigung, die Ermäßigungen	discount, reduced fare

Der Zug hat 20 Minuten Verspätung, deshalb verpasse ich meinen Anschluss. (The train is 20 minutes late, so I'll miss my connection.)
Heute fällt der Bus aus, also nehmen wir ein Taxi. (The bus is cancelled today, so we'll take a taxi.)

How to Learn the Goethe B1 Word List

Reading the PDF from A to Z is the slowest way. This works better:

Learn by situation, not by letter. Pick one area of your life, like work or your flat, and collect the list words for it, as in the extract above.
Take 13 to 15 new words a day, plus review. Little and often beats a long weekend session.
Learn every noun with its article and plural as one unit: der Vertrag, die Verträge. Our der, die, das rules help when you have to guess.
Learn every verb with its perfect and preposition: umsteigen, ist umgestiegen; sich bewerben um.
Put each word in a sentence about your own life and say it out loud. That's what turns "I recognise it" into "I can use it".
Review on a schedule: the next day, a few days later, a week later. Our guide on how to memorize German vocabulary shows a simple daily routine.
Sort words into "use" and "recognise". You must understand them all, but actively practise the words for your own work, home and opinions.

How Long It Takes

Our estimate: about 2,400 words in six months is roughly 13 new words a day. At 15 a day, it's about five months. If most A1 and A2 words are already familiar, many entries are review and you'll move faster.

Where the List Fits in Your Exam Prep

For the Goethe or ÖSD B1, the list is your vocabulary checklist. For telc Deutsch B1, it isn't the official list, but it's still a good guide. Either way, you also need to practise the exam formats. Our B1 exam guide explains each part, our free telc B1 preparation guide turns it into a weekly routine, and on the Goethe-Institut exams page you choose your country to find centres and dates.

Learn B1 Vocabulary in Real Situations

If you'd rather not regroup and translate thousands of words yourself, our self-study online German course from A1 to B1 does that for you. It teaches 3,745 words, 3,274 of them on the Goethe word lists for A1, A2 and B1, in real situations with audio, articles, plurals and example sentences, and it includes practice for every part of telc Deutsch B1. The course curriculum shows what each level covers. It prepares you for B1. For the Goethe B1 exam it teaches the language you need, not the exam format. It doesn't award a certificate, and no course can promise a pass.

Common Mistakes

Learning Nouns Without Article and Plural

Wrong: Vertrag = contract. Right: der Vertrag, die Verträge = contract.

Without der, you can't say den Vertrag unterschreiben (to sign the contract) correctly.

Using Haben Instead of Sein

Wrong: Ich habe in Köln umgestiegen. Right: Ich bin in Köln umgestiegen.

The entry tells you: ist umgestiegen. Trust it.

Forgetting Sich or the Right Case

Wrong: Ich habe über den Lärm beschwert. Right: Ich habe mich über den Lärm beschwert.

Wrong: Ich stimme dich zu. Right: Ich stimme dir zu.

Learn sich beschweren über and jemandem zustimmen as whole units.

Trusting Words That Look English

Wrong: Ich spreche also Deutsch. (meant as "I also speak German") Right: Ich spreche auch Deutsch.

On the list, also means "so, therefore", eventuell means "possibly", and aktuell means "current".

Practice

Try these, then check the answers below:

Give the article and plural: Vertrag.
Haben or sein? Wir ___ letzten Monat umgezogen.
Add the preposition from the extract: Ich habe mich ___ die Stelle beworben.
Anträge or Bewerbungen? Ich schreibe gerade ___ an drei Hotels.
What does Der Zug fällt aus mean?
What's the Austrian word for die Treppe?

Answers: 1. der Vertrag, die Verträge 2. sind 3. um 4. Bewerbungen 5. The train is cancelled. 6. die Stiege

Then check your overall level with the B1 German quiz or the free German level assessment.

FAQ

How many words are on the Goethe B1 word list?

Officially about 2,400. By our count, the alphabetical part has about 2,900 entries, and the word groups add a few hundred more. Most A1 and A2 words are included.

Where can I download the Goethe B1 Wortliste PDF?

From the Goethe-Institut's website: the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 Wortliste is a free PDF, in German only, with no translations. You'll find our link to it near the top of this guide.

Is the Goethe B1 word list the same for telc?

No. The list belongs to the Goethe-Zertifikat B1 and the ÖSD-Zertifikat B1 and doesn't mention telc. telc Deutsch B1 is a different exam, but the list is still a good guide to B1 vocabulary whichever exam you take.

Do I need to know all the words actively?

No. You need to understand all of them, at least in reading. The list doesn't say how many you must use, so actively practise the words you need in your own life.

How long does it take to learn the B1 vocabulary?

By our estimate, five to six months at 13 to 15 new words a day. For the whole level, grammar and skills included, Goethe's guideline is about 350 to 650 lessons of 45 minutes from zero.

Is there a B1 word list in English?

Not an official one: the Goethe PDF is German only. The extract above gives you 39 words with English, and our A1 to B1 course teaches B1 vocabulary step by step, in real situations with audio and example sentences.