German for work and everyday life
Know what to say at work.
Practise short, real situations from offices, shifts and teams. Start with one sentence you can genuinely use tomorrow.
Short answer
What German do you need for work?
A certificate alone is not enough for a workday. The useful skills are small and repeatable: confirm a task, ask a clear question, name a priority and raise a problem early.
In practice
The situations that matter at work
Clarify a task
You understand the broad assignment, but the order or expected outcome is still unclear.
Agree priorities
Two tasks feel urgent. You ask what should be finished first.
Deadline and timing
You cannot meet a deadline and propose a realistic next step early.
Meeting and handover
You summarise what you have taken on and ask about missing information.
Phrases
Phrases that sound professional and natural
- To make sure I start correctly: what is the priority today?
- Could you briefly show me what the finished result should look like?
- I still need one piece of information for this step. Who should I ask?
- I cannot finish everything by tomorrow, but I can send you the first part today.
Practice paths
Choose the practice path that fits your work
B1: Ask at the office
Read a real work situation and save important words directly for review.
OpenB2: Communicate a deadline
Practise how to raise a delay early and offer a clear next option.
OpenGerman for Ausbildung
For applications, first days at work and vocational school.
OpenGerman for nursing
For handovers, clear questions and patient communication.
OpenMedical German
For presentations, documentation and team conversations.
Open
Your questions
German for work: common questions
How can I learn German for work quickly?
Choose one recurring work situation and practise three sentences first: an opening, a clear question and a closing. Save words from a real example, then use them in a new sentence.
What German level do I need to work in Germany?
It depends on the role and responsibility. B1 is a useful starting point for many everyday conversations; B2 often matters for complex coordination, specialist language and customer-facing work.
Does reading help with professional German?
Yes. Short texts with a real context give you vocabulary together with sentence structure and tone. It becomes even stronger when you select a word and use it yourself afterwards.