German B1 Vocabulary: The 500 Words You Need to Pass the Goethe B1

B1 is the intermediate level where German starts to feel usable. You can handle most everyday situations, discuss familiar topics, and understand the main points of standard German speech. The vocabulary required sits around 2500-3000 words. Here are the most important categories and words to master.

Work and daily life

die Arbeit (work), der Beruf (job/profession), das Büro (office), die Besprechung (meeting), der Kollege/die Kollegin (colleague), der Chef/die Chefin (boss), die Stelle (position/job), bewerben (to apply), kündigen (to quit/fire), verdienen (to earn), das Gehalt (salary), die Überstunden (overtime), das Unternehmen (company), die Erfahrung (experience), die Ausbildung (training/education).

Health and body

der Arzt/die Ärztin (doctor), das Krankenhaus (hospital), die Apotheke (pharmacy), das Rezept (prescription), die Krankheit (illness), das Fieber (fever), der Schmerz (pain), die Erkältung (cold), gesund (healthy), krank (sick), sich erholen (to recover), die Versicherung (insurance), der Termin (appointment), untersuchen (to examine), behandeln (to treat).

Travel and transport

der Flug (flight), der Bahnhof (train station), der Zug (train), das Flugzeug (airplane), die Unterkunft (accommodation), reservieren (to reserve), ankommen (to arrive), abfahren (to depart), der Aufenthalt (stay), die Verspätung (delay), umsteigen (to change/transfer), das Gepäck (luggage), einchecken (to check in), die Haltestelle (stop), der Fahrplan (timetable).

Technology and communication

das Internet (internet), die App (app), herunterladen (to download), hochladen (to upload), die Nachricht (message), schicken (to send), anrufen (to call), das Passwort (password), aktualisieren (to update), die Verbindung (connection), das Gerät (device), speichern (to save), löschen (to delete), der Bildschirm (screen), funktionieren (to work/function).

Environment and society

die Umwelt (environment), der Klimawandel (climate change), recyceln (to recycle), die Energie (energy), nachhaltig (sustainable), die Gesellschaft (society), die Demokratie (democracy), die Wahl (election/choice), die Regierung (government), das Recht (right/law), die Freiheit (freedom), gleichberechtigt (equal rights), die Armut (poverty), der Wohlstand (prosperity), die Integration (integration).

How to study this vocabulary effectively

Don't read this list repeatedly. Build an Anki deck with these words — noun always with article, verb always with a sample sentence. Study 15 new cards per day. After adding the vocabulary, watch B1-level German content (news podcasts, Deutsche Welle, German daily life vlogs) and notice how often these words appear. Every time you catch a B1 word you've studied in the wild, that word's retention improves dramatically.