German B2 vocabulary list
148 words from our 694-word B2 bank, sorted into 13 topics, with article, English meaning and audio pronunciation.
This is not an official exam word list: the words come from the Level Exams word bank, compiled for level B2 and sorted by topic as a study list.
At B2 texts move closer to the language of newspapers and the workplace: abstract concepts, economy, law, politics and verbs with fine differences in meaning. Knowing a word is not enough; you need the preposition or pattern it comes with: sich beschäftigen mit, abhängen von.
telc B2, Goethe-Zertifikat B2 and ÖSD B2 use long reading and listening texts, and in writing and speaking it helps to say the same idea in different words. Revise verbs with their preposition and nouns with their plural.
Time, days and months
11 of 12 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
danach | afterward, then | adverb |
jährlich | annual, yearly | adjective |
datieren, verabreden | to date, to arrange a meeting | verb |
nach, im Anschluss an | after, following | preposition |
allmählich, schrittweise | gradually, step by step | adverb |
zunehmend, immer mehr | increasingly | adverb |
anfänglich, ursprünglich | initial, original | adjective |
anfänglich, zunächst | initially, at first | adverb |
langfristig | long-term | adjective |
die Phase | phase | noun |
temporär, vorübergehend | temporary | adjective |
Body and health
12 of 17 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
blind | blind | adjective |
die Brust | chest, breast | noun |
die Verbrennung | burn | noun |
der Krebs | cancer | noun |
die Ferse, der Absatz | heel | noun |
die Infektion | infection | noun |
die Lunge | lung | noun |
der Nerv | nerve | noun |
das Organ | organ | noun |
sich erholen | to recover | verb |
die Träne | tear | noun |
die Therapie | therapy | noun |
Work and economy
12 of 34 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
in Rechnung stellen, ankündigen | to bill, to announce | verb |
das Budget, der Haushalt | budget | noun |
die Lieferung, die Zustellung | delivery, shipment | noun |
abdiskontieren, außer Acht lassen | to discount, to disregard | verb |
die Ausgabe | expense, expenditure | noun |
die Gebühr, das Honorar | fee, honorarium | noun |
die Firma, das Unternehmen | company, firm | noun |
die Finanzierung, die Förderung | financing, funding | noun |
industriell, Industrie- | industrial | adjective |
die Marke, das Fabrikat, die Herstellung | brand, make | noun |
bepreisen | to price | verb |
der Einkauf | purchase | noun |
Nature and environment
9 of 10 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
der Busch, das Gebüsch | bush, shrub | noun |
die Feder | feather | noun |
die Flamme | flame | noun |
die Jagd | hunting | noun |
die Landschaft | landscape | noun |
das Mineral | mineral | noun |
die Wurzel | root | noun |
der Bach | stream, brook | noun |
die Tierwelt, die Wildtiere | wildlife | noun |
Feelings
12 of 29 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
die Wut | anger, rage | noun |
ängstlich, besorgt | anxious, worried | adjective |
beschämt | ashamed | adjective |
ertragen, aushalten | to endure, to bear | verb |
der Schrei, das Weinen | scream, crying | noun |
erfreut, hocherfreut | delighted, overjoyed | adjective |
deprimiert, niedergeschlagen | depressed, dejected | adjective |
deprimierend, niederschlagend | depressing, disheartening | adjective |
verzweifelt | desperate, hopeless | adjective |
emotional | emotional | adjective |
der Enthusiasmus | enthusiasm | noun |
enthusiastisch, begeistert | enthusiastic | adjective |
Politics and government
12 of 14 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
militärisch | military | adjective |
der Minister | minister | noun |
die Verwaltung | administration | noun |
vorsitzen | to chair, to preside | verb |
der Vorsitzende | chairman, chairperson | noun |
der Rat | council | noun |
die Führung, die Leitung | leadership | noun |
die Opposition | opposition | noun |
das Parlament | parliament | noun |
die Regelung | regulation | noun |
die nachhaltige Entwicklung | sustainable development | noun |
das Ehrenamt | volunteer work | noun |
Law
8 of 13 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
anklagen | to accuse | verb |
auferlegen, verhängen | to impose | verb |
die Untersuchung, die Ermittlung | investigation, inquiry | noun |
das Urteil, die Beurteilung | judgment | noun |
die Gerechtigkeit | justice | noun |
die Verpflichtung | obligation | noun |
der Beweis | proof, evidence | noun |
verurteilen | to condemn, to sentence | verb |
Abstract concepts
8 of 9 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
tief, zutiefst | deeply, profoundly | adverb |
absichtlich, bewusst | intentionally, deliberately | adverb |
das Ausmaß, der Umfang | extent, scope | noun |
das Extrem | extreme | noun |
der Glaube, das Vertrauen | faith, trust | noun |
der Fehler, der Mangel, die Störung | fault, defect | noun |
das Glück, das Vermögen | fortune | noun |
die Freiheit | freedom | noun |
Quantities and measures
6 of 8 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
betragen, sich belaufen auf | to amount to | verb |
der Bund, die Gruppe | bunch, group | noun |
die Kapazität, das Fassungsvermögen | capacity | noun |
ganz, gesamt | whole, entire | adjective |
ganz, völlig | entirely, completely | adverb |
die Reduzierung | reduction | noun |
Verbs
12 of 104 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
verlassen | to leave | verb |
begleiten | to accompany | verb |
erklären, berücksichtigen | to explain, consider | verb |
anerkennen | to acknowledge | verb |
erwerben | to acquire | verb |
anpassen | to adapt | verb |
annehmen, adoptieren | to adopt | verb |
alarmieren, beunruhigen | to alarm | verb |
genehmigen | to approve | verb |
entstehen, aufkommen | to arise, emerge | verb |
assoziieren, verbinden | to associate, connect | verb |
annehmen, übernehmen | to assume, take over | verb |
Adjectives
12 of 43 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
absolut | absolute | adjective |
akzeptabel | acceptable | adjective |
genau | exact, precise | adjective |
tatsächlich | actual, real | adjective |
zusätzlich | additional | adjective |
aggressiv | aggressive | adjective |
offensichtlich | obvious | adjective |
angemessen | appropriate, suitable | adjective |
künstlich | artificial | adjective |
verbunden | connected | adjective |
kritisch | critical | adjective |
entscheidend | crucial, decisive | adjective |
Pronouns, prepositions and conjunctions
10 of 11 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
üblicherweise, häufig | usually, commonly | adverb |
ständig, ununterbrochen | constantly, continuously | adverb |
anscheinend | apparently | adverb |
nichtsdestotrotz | nevertheless | adverb |
gelegentlich | occasionally | adverb |
relativ | relatively | adverb |
wirklich, wahrhaftig | truly, really | adverb |
wohingegen, während | whereas, while | conjunction |
wo auch immer, überall wo | wherever | conjunction |
doch, aber, trotzdem | yet, but | conjunction |
More common words
24 of 390 words| German | English | Type |
|---|---|---|
das Dutzend | dozen | noun |
der Haushalt | household | noun |
beherbergen, unterbringen | to house, to accommodate | verb |
die Unterkunft, der Wohnungsbau | accommodation, housing | noun |
der Abschluss, das Ende | conclusion, end | noun |
konstant, ständig | constant, continual | adjective |
zeitgenössisch | contemporary | adjective |
der Vorfall, der Zwischenfall | incident, occurrence | noun |
der Druck, der Ausdruck | print, printout | noun |
planen, terminieren | to plan, to schedule | verb |
die Sitzung, die Session | session | noun |
schlagen, streiken, der Streik | to hit, to strike; strike | verb |
der Sieg | victory | noun |
die Reichweite | range | noun |
der Ferienort | holiday resort | noun |
versenden, verschiffen | to send, to ship | verb |
der Schock, schockieren | shock; to shock | noun |
der Schuss, die Aufnahme | shot | noun |
die Operation, die Chirurgie | operation, surgery | noun |
grenzen an | to border on | verb |
die Grafschaft, der Landkreis | county, district | noun |
der Bezirk | district | noun |
kartieren, abbilden, planen | to map, to plan | verb |
regional | regional | adjective |
The full list is in the app
All 694 words of level B2, in topic packs with picture cards. The vocabulary cards are part of the B2 Lesson Package; with a free account you can take a mock exam first.
- A picture for every word
- Pronunciation in a natural German voice
- Auto-play study mode at your own pace
- Words you mark as ‘I know this’ are set aside and your progress is saved
How to study these words
- 1
Learn every noun with its article
Not ‘Tisch’ but ‘der Tisch’. The article (der, die, das) is not added later; memorize it as part of the noun.
- 2
Listen first, then repeat aloud
A word you have never heard will not be recognised in Hören. Listen to each word and say it out loud.
- 3
Topic by topic, in your own sentences
Words from the same topic remind you of each other. Make a short sentence about yourself with a few words from each topic.
- 4
Set aside what you know, repeat what you don't
Short daily reviews work better than one long weekly session. Spend your time on the words you do not know yet.
Try the words under exam conditions
Knowing a word is one thing; recognising it while the exam clock runs is another. Our B2 mock exams follow the telc, Goethe and ÖSD formats, with real timing, locked section order and real scoring.
Not sure about your level? Take the free placement test →
Frequently asked questions
›Is this the official telc or Goethe B2 word list?
No. The words here come from the Level Exams word bank, compiled for level B2 and sorted by topic as a study list; it is not a copy of any exam provider's list. There is no guarantee that every word will appear in the exam.
›How many words do I need for B2?
There is no official number: the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) defines levels by what you can do with the language, not by a word count. Our B2 bank has 694 words. More important than the number is recognising these words when you hear them and using them in your own sentences.
›How should I learn the articles der, die and das?
Learn every noun together with its article and repeat it aloud. A few rules help: nouns ending in -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft and -ion take die; nouns ending in -chen and -lein take das; days, months and seasons take der. Note the exceptions separately.
›Which part of the exam do these words help with?
All of them. In Hören and Lesen you need to recognise the word to understand the text; in Schreiben and Sprechen you need to use it with the right article and form, which directly affects your score.
›Where can I study the whole list?
All 694 words are in the Level Exams app, in topic packs: a picture for every word, audio pronunciation, an auto-play mode and progress tracking with ‘I know this’. The vocabulary cards are part of the B2 Lesson Package.