GermanPod101 Culture Class: Essential German Vocabulary Curriculum
What are the 5 most popular sweets in Germany? What vocabulary do I need to know to have a conversation with German-speaking locals? You’ll learn all this and more in this Culture Class Series! Vocabulary is essential to mastering German. In this 25-lesson series, you’ll learn the *most* essential German vocabulary words related to culture and daily life. These words have been hand picked by our German native speakers and cover topics like popular German dishes, national holidays and cities.
| Lesson # | Title (English) |
Topic (English) |
Target sentences (Target Language) |
| 1 | National Holidays | Daily Life | Tag der Deutschen Einheit (3. Oktober) Tag der Arbeit (1. Mai) Christi Himmelfahrt (39 Tage nach Ostersonntag) Neujahrstag (1. Januar) Karfreitag (Freitag vor Ostern) |
| 2 | Food | Food & Drink | Currywurst Sauerkraut Weißwurst Bratwurst Schnitzel mit Kartoffelsalat |
| 3 | Drinks | Food & Drink | Apfelsaftschorle Kaffee Bier Sekt Schnaps |
| 4 | Home-cooked Meals | Food & Drink | Frikassee Geschnetzeltes Gulasch Königsberger Klopse Spaghetti Bolognese |
| 5 | Sweets and Desserts | Food & Drink | Berliner Pfannkuchen Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte Rosinenschnecke Lebkuchen Gummibärchen |
| 6 | Fruits | Food & Drink | Apfel Kirsche Erdbeere Himbeere Traube |
| 7 | Vegetables | Food & Drink | Kohl Kartoffel Tomate Zwiebel Gurke |
| 8 | Food Souvenirs | Food & Drink | Christstollen Lübecker Marzipan Baumkuchen Vollkornbrot süßer Senf |
| 9 | Pop and Traditional Culture | Society & Culture | Volksmusik Oktoberfest Schlager Kabarett Augsburger Puppenkiste |
| 10 | Traditional Clothing | Society & Culture | Dirndl Lederhose Tirolerhut Bollenhut Gamsbart |
| 11 | Historical Figures | Society & Culture | Albert Einstein Friedrich Schiller Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Sophie Scholl Konrad Adenauer |
| 12 | Animals | Geography & Nature | Deutscher Schäferhund Forelle Amsel Goldfisch Blindschleiche |
| 13 | Plants | Geography & Nature | Efeu Kaktus Schneeglöckchen Krokus Osterglocke |
| 14 | Geographical Features | Geography & Nature | Brocken im Harz Loreley Nord- und Ostsee Partnachklamm Lüneburger Heide |
| 15 | Cities | Geography & Nature | Berlin Hamburg München Leipzig Frankfurt am Main |
| 16 | Sports | Recreation & Leisure | Fußball Handball Tischtennis Tennis Radfahren |
| 17 | Tourist Attractions and Places | Recreation & Leisure | Kölner Dom Schloss Neuschwanstein Brandenburger Tor Dresdner Zwinger Christkindlesmarkt Nürnberg |
| 18 | 5 Common Things in the Home | People & Homes | Kamin Porzellan Kuckucksuhr Badewanne Zentralheizung |
| 19 | Medicines and drugs | Health & Emergencies | Aspirin Baldriparan Voltaren Imodium Doppelherz |
| 20 | Natural Disasters | Geography & Nature | Lawine Glatteis Überschwemmung Blitzeinschlag Hitzewelle |
| 21 | Modes of transportation | Transportation & around town | Auto Zug Fahrrad Bus Straßenbahn |
| 22 | Shops or services in town | Transportation & around town | Bäckerei Fleischerei Supermarkt Tankstelle Drogerie |
| 23 | Chain Stores | Transportation & around town | Aldi Media Markt Galeria Kaufhof Rossmann KiK |
| 24 | Musicians and Artists | Fine Arts | Ludwig van Beethoven Johann Sebastian Bach Caspar David Friedrich Rammstein Tokio Hotel |
| 25 | Writers | Fine Arts | Bertolt Brecht Franz Kafka Frank Schätzing Günter Grass Thomas Mann |