German Teachers & Pupils Vocabulary
This set covers the everyday cast of a German school: der Lehrer, der Schüler, and die Klasse, plus the compound words German builds around them like der Klassenlehrer and der Mitschüler. One trap for English speakers: der Schüler means pupil or student in the school sense, not a university student (that's der Student), so don't reach for it when talking about college.
Learn these 12 words
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All 12 words
plural: die Klassen
class, classroom
In unserer Klasse sind fünfundzwanzig Schüler. — There are twenty-five students in our class.
plural: die Lehrer
teacher
Unsere Deutschlehrerin heißt Frau Müller. — Our German teacher is called Mrs. Müller.
plural: die Schüler
student, pupil
In meinem Kurs sind acht Schülerinnen und fünf Schüler. — There are eight female students and five male students in my course.
plural: die Klassenkameraden
classmate
Er ist mein bester Klassenkamerad. — He is my best classmate.
plural: die Mitschüler
classmate (male)
Mein Mitschüler hilft mir bei Mathe. — My classmate helps me with math.
plural: die Mitschülerinnen
classmate (female)
Meine Mitschülerin sitzt neben mir. — My classmate sits next to me.
plural: die Klassenlehrer
homeroom teacher
Unser Klassenlehrer ist immer sehr freundlich. — Our homeroom teacher is always very friendly.
plural: die Schularbeiten
schoolwork
Mein Sohn schreibt bei Schularbeiten immer gute Noten. — My son always gets good grades on schoolwork.
plural: die Schülerinnen
schoolgirl
Der Schüler ist krank. — The schoolgirl is sick.
plural: die Lehrer
teacher
Der Lehrer erklärt die Grammatik sehr gut. — The teacher explains the grammar very well.
plural: die Schüler
pupil
Der Schüler macht seine Hausaufgaben. — The pupil does his homework.
plural: die Schulleiter
headmaster/principal
Der Schulleiter begrüßt alle Schüler. — The headmaster welcomes all pupils.
How to learn this set
Notice how compounds stack directly on der Schüler and die Klasse: der Klassenkamerad, der Klassenlehrer, and der Mitschüler all reuse the same root, so once you know der Schüler and die Klasse cold, half this list is just recombination. Also drill the male/female pairs side by side, der Schüler with die Schülerin, der Lehrer with die Lehrerin, since German never lets you default to one gendered form for both sexes. Try building your own compounds as a check: cover the translation and see if you can guess der Klassenlehrer from der Lehrer plus die Klasse before looking.
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Frequently asked questions
Is der Lehrer or die Lehrerin used for a female teacher?
Die Lehrerin is the female form. German marks gender on almost every profession noun, so der Lehrer is specifically a male teacher and die Lehrerin a female one; the plural die Lehrer covers a mixed or unspecified group.
What is the difference between Mitschüler and Klassenkamerad?
Both mean classmate and are used interchangeably in everyday speech. Mitschüler is slightly more formal and school-official (you'll see it in reports or announcements), while Klassenkamerad has a friendlier, more personal ring, closer to 'classmate I actually hang out with'.
Why is die Klasse feminine when it means a room?
Die Klasse is always feminine, whether it means the group of students or the classroom itself. German doesn't split this into two words the way English sometimes does with 'class' versus 'classroom'; context tells you which meaning is meant.
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