German Job Vocabulary You Actually Use at Work (Free Word List + Anki Deck)

You can pass a B1 exam and still freeze on your first day at work in Germany, Switzerland or Austria — because the classroom German and the real workplace German aren’t the same. This is the vocabulary that actually comes up, grouped by where you’ll meet it.

Small talk & first days

• die Einarbeitung — onboarding / getting up to speed
• die Kollegin / der Kollege — colleague
• die Besprechung / das Meeting — meeting
• die Pause — break · der Feierabend — end of the workday
• Wie war dein Wochenende? — How was your weekend? (the universal office opener)

Meetings & email

• die Frist / der Termin — deadline / appointment
• die Rückmeldung — feedback / a reply · die Absprache — arrangement/agreement
• Ich melde mich. — I’ll get back to you.
• Können wir kurz telefonieren? — Can we have a quick call?
• Anbei … — Attached is … (email staple)

Getting things done

• die Aufgabe — task · das Projekt — project
• zuständig sein für … — to be responsible for …
• Bescheid geben — to let someone know
• Das passt. — That works / that’s fine.
• Das schaffe ich bis Freitag. — I’ll get it done by Friday.

Get the full list — free

This is a taste. Our A1 and B1 vocabulary lists cover the core, and you can filter by topic and download the whole thing as a free CSV or Anki flashcard deck to drill on your commute.

Learn it in context (so it sticks)

Word lists get you started; context makes it stick. Watch German workplace and interview videos on YouTube with the free 3 Minutes German extension — dual subtitles, tap any word, and every term you meet flows into your word list and quizzes.