Talking About School in German: 98 Useful Words and Phrases

School is a commonly discussed topic for German language learners, so there’s lots of unique vocabulary you’ll find useful.

In this post, you’ll learn all the words and phrases you need to talk about school in German, from grade levels, to class subjects, to complaining about homework and more.

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Basic School Vocabulary in German

Here are some key terms you might need to know to talk about school in German:

German	English
die Schule	school
die Stunde	period/hour
die Pause	break
die Hausaufgaben	homework (plural)
langweilig	boring
interessant	interesting
schwer / kompliziert	tough
einfach / leicht	easy (The antonym pair Schwer and Leicht could mean "difficult" and "easy" or "heavy" and "light.")
die Prüfung	exam
bestehen	to pass
durchfallen	to fail
die Klasse	class / grade (e.g. the seventh grade)
das Fach	subject
die Bildung	education
der Abschluss	graduation
die Klassenarbeit	classwork
das Zeugnis	certificate
der Lehrplan	curriculum
die Note	grade (e.g. I got a good grade)

The German school curriculum is quite comprehensive with an emphasis on extracurricular activities. It also encourages students to take up unconventional fields such as sports, fashion, etc. as a full-time career.

The grading system in German education is cumulative. The grading scale ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest and anything lower than a 4 counting as a fail. The scores range in decimals of .3, .5 and .7. For example, a student could have grades such as 1.3, 2.5 and 3.7.

School Subjects

The German education system is quite practical and example-oriented. For instance, fractions in mathematics are taught with the help of cake-cutting.

Probability is quite an important topic in math and science classes. This all shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, given Germany’s preoccupation with certainty.

The subjects dealt with at school are pretty much the usual ones:

German	English
die Physik	physics
die Chemie	chemistry
die Biologie	biology
die Mathe	math
die Geschichte	history (can also mean "story")
die Erdkunde / die Geografie	geography
die Literatur	literature
die Kunst	art
die Musik	music
die Fremdsprachen	foreign languages
der Sport	sport / P.E.
die Informatik	computer science
die Ethik	ethics
die Wirtschaftswissenschaft	economics
die Philosophie	philosophy
die Psychologie	psychology
die Soziologie	sociology
die Wahlkurs	extracurricular activity / optional class

People at School

Here are some of the words for various people who you’ll find in a school, either working there or attending:

German	English
der Student / die Studentin	male/female student (generally refers to students going to college, i.e. adult students)
die Schüler	pupils (young students)
der Klassenkamarad / die Klassenkameradin	male/female classmate
der Lehrer / die Lehrerin	male/female teacher
der Schulleiter / die Schulleiterin	male/female principal
der Sekretär / die Sekretärin	male/female secretary
der Bibliothekar / die Bibliothekarin	male/female librarian
der Hausmeister / die Hausmeisterin	male/female janitor
der Schulberater / die Schulberaterin	male/female school counselor

School Supplies and Materials 

If you’re going to school in Germany or sending your kids to school there, you’re going to need to know the words for different school supplies. Here are some of the most common ones: 

German	English
die Schulsachen	school supplies
die Lehrmittel	teaching materials
die Schuluniform	school uniform
der Schreibtisch	desk
die Kreide	chalk
die Tafel	chalkboard
das Buch	book
der Stift	pen
der Bleistift	pencil
der Radiergummi	eraser
das Heft	notebook
der Spitzer	sharpener
die Schere	scissors
der Klebestift	glue stick
das Lineal	ruler
die Mappe	folder
der Ordner	binder
das Papier	paper
das Etui	pencil case
der Taschenrechner	calculator
die Büroklammer	paperclip
der Pinsel	the paintbrush
die Buntstifte	crayons
Schultasche	backpack

A schoolbag plays quite an important role in a German child’s life. In fact, there’s a tradition called Schultüte (literally “school bag,”) where children starting school are given cone-shaped bags filled with chocolates and stationery.

In the old days, children were told that these bags grew on a special Schultütenbaum (schoolbag tree) in the teacher’s classroom, ready to be picked for the child’s first day of school. 

Places in a School

These words will help you find your way around a school in Germany, or help a German speaker find their way around if they’re visiting your school: 

German	English
das Klassenzimmer	classroom
die Kantine	cafeteria
der Schulhof	schoolyard
der Pausenhof	playground
die Bibliothek	library
das Labor	laboratory
die Turnhalle	gymnasium
der Computerraum	computer room
das Lehrerzimmer	teacher's lounge
das Direktorat	principal's office
die Aula	auditorium
der Flur	corridor
die Musikraum	music room
das Kunststudio	art studio
die Werkstatt	workshop
die Toilette	restroom
das Sportfeld	sports field
der Schulbus	school bus

The German School System

In Germany, school attendance becomes mandatory starting at age six. The school policies and structure of each schooling level depend on where in Germany the student lives.

At the secondary level (after four to six years of elementary schooling), students can choose between one of four types of schools, which we’ll discuss below.

The following are the types of elementary schools one can find in Germany:

Type of school	Explanation
Kindergarten (Pre-school education)	Usually for children between ages three and six. This isn't free and it's also not mandatory.
Grundschule (Elementary school)	From this level onwards, it becomes mandatory to attend school, for any child in Germany. Public schools are free and private schools have a fee.

The secondary level (high school) that follows the primary level can be a choice from any of the below:

Type of school	Explanation
Hauptschule (Main school)	This is typically a five-year school that prepares students for vocational training, trade jobs or public service work.
Realschule ("Real" school)	This provides a somewhat broader level of education than Hauptschule. Students can continue on to Gymnasium (below), vocational training or public service work.
Gesamtschule ("Together" school)	Where all subjects that are required for survival in life are taught together. This type of school isn't found everywhere in Germany. It essentially combines some elements of Hauptschule and Realschule.
Gymnasium (Grammar school)	Gymnasium isn't a gym but a type of school. It's considered to be the highest level of the German high school system. It emphasizes academic learning, in comparison to Hauptschule and Realschule.
Abitur (School graduation diploma)	These are the final set of examinations that a student takes after completing any of the high school systems stated above.
Ausbildung (Vocational/formal training)	A three- to four-year practical training program, where the student could learn and work on the side. This is considered the most practical degree in Germany, especially if one wants to get hands-on experience, on the job. After the Ausbildung, students are free to either pursue further studies by going to college or opt for vocational training in a field of their choice, such as teaching, nursing, baking, plumbing and electricity, machine building—the list is endless.

Phrases for Talking About School in German

Here are some example sentences to show you how these vocabulary terms are used in context: 

Ich gehe in die Schule. (I go to school.)
*Note that this usually implies you work at or attend school. It’s somewhat more common to say zur Schule, when talking about your journey to the building itself. Notice also that with the use of the verb gehen (to go), we need to use the accusative case after the preposition in. 

Ich bin in der Schule.   (I’m at school.) 
*Note that this refers to your physical location, so you need to use the dative case after the preposition in. 

Wann machen wir Pause? (When do we take a break?)
*The Germans say Pause machen, which literally translates to “to do a break.”

Ich mache Sport. (I’m doing P.E. / I’m playing sports / I’m doing exercise.)
*Again, the Germans say Sport machen (to play sport).

Welche Stunde haben wir jetzt? (Which period do we have now?)

Hast du die Hausaufgaben gemacht? (Have you done the homework?)

Der Lehrplan für das neue Schuljahr wurde überarbeitet. (The curriculum for the new school year has been revised.)

Deutsch ist einfach. (German is easy.)

Mathe ist schwer. (Math is tough.)

Der Unterricht war interessant. (The class was interesting.)

Der Unterricht war langweilig. (The class was boring.)

Ich habe eine gute Note bekommen. (I got a good grade.)

Ich habe die Prüfung bestanden. (I passed the exam.)

Ich habe die Prüfung durchgefallen. (I failed the exam.)

Du fielst in Geschichte durch. (You’re failing in history.)

Du bestehst bestimmt dieses mal. (You’ll pass this time for sure.)

 

These words and phrases will pop up frequently in various conversations about school, so studying them can be very helpful!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)