How many words are in this list?

This page gives 100 German words on “Society and politics”. The full topic holds 178 in the KoKo app: 71 at the easy level, 62 at the medium level and 45 at the hard level.

Which words should I start with?

With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.

How can I remember this German vocabulary?

By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.

Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?

Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

German vocabulary: politics and society

Government, elections, rights, debates: the German words for talking about society and politics.

Here are 100 German words on “Society and politics”, translated into English and sorted from easiest to hardest.

Level 1: easy 40 words

German	English
Armee	army
Angriff	attack
Schlacht	battle
Grenze	border
Wahlkampf	campaign
Kandidat	candidate
Kirche	church
öffentlicher Dienst	civil service
Zivilgesellschaft	civil society
Rat	council
Land	countryAn inhabited territory, in the geographical sense
Niederlage	defeat
Demokratie	democracy
Europäische Union	European Union
Meinungsfreiheit	freedom of speech
Regierung	government
Menschenrechte	human rights
Wahlprogramm	manifesto
Bürgermeister	mayor
Wehrdienst	military service
Ministerium	ministry
Gemeinde	municipality
Opposition	opposition
Parlament	parliament
Frieden	peace
Politik	politics
Präsident	president
Premierminister	prime minister
Reform	reform
Religion	religion
Republik	republic
Widerstand	resistance
soziale Gerechtigkeit	social justice
Rede	speech
Staat	stateThe political institution that holds sovereign power
Amtszeit	term of office
Vertrag	treaty
Stimmabgabe	vote
Wahlrecht	voting right
Waffe	weapon

Level 2: medium 35 words

German	English
Bündnis	alliance
Glaube	belief
Kapitalismus	capitalism
Bürger	citizen
Kolonisierung	colonisation
Wahlkreis	constituency
Korruption	corruption
Unterdrückung	crackdown
Kundgebung	demonstration
Diktatur	dictatorship
Auflösung	dissolution
Botschaft	embassy
Ausgrenzung	exclusion
Völkermord	genocide
politische Ökologie	green politics
Geisel	hostage
Einwanderung	immigration
Institution	institution
internationale Sanktion	international sanction
Invasion	invasion
Judikative	judicial power
Monarchie	monarchy
Besatzung	occupation
Friedensvertrag	peace treaty
Petition	petition
Gebet	prayer
Präfekt	prefect
Skandal	scandal
Senat	senate
Senator	senator
soziale Mobilität	social mobility
Soldat	soldier
Souveränität	sovereignty
Terroranschlag	terrorist attack
Wahlbeteiligung	turnout

Level 3: hard 25 words

German	English
Stimmenthaltung	abstention
Aktivismus	activism
Wahlurne	ballot box
Waffenstillstand	ceasefire
ziviler Ungehorsam	civil disobedience
Kommunismus	communism
Entkolonialisierung	decolonisation
Diplomatie	diplomacy
Extremismus	extremism
Geschlechterparität	gender parity
Legislative	legislative power
Interessenverband	lobby
Multikulturalismus	multiculturalism
Misstrauensantrag	no confidence motion
Amtseinführung	nomination
Wahlkabine	polling booth
Selbstbestimmung	self determination
debattieren	to debate
einfordern	to demand as a right
regieren	to govern
beitreten	to join a party
ratifizieren	to ratify
reformieren	to reform
allgemeines Wahlrecht	universal suffrage
Kriegsflüchtling	war refugee

Mini quiz

5 words from this page, picked at random. Find their translation.

Frequently asked questions

How many words are in this list?: This page gives 100 German words on “Society and politics”. The full topic holds 178 in the KoKo app: 71 at the easy level, 62 at the medium level and 45 at the hard level.
Which words should I start with?: With level 1: these are the easiest words of the topic. Move on to level 2 once they come to you without thinking, then to level 3.
How can I remember this German vocabulary?: By seeing each word again at longer and longer intervals, just before you forget it: that is spaced repetition. The KoKo app does it for you and tells you each day which words to review.
Can I print this list or save it as a PDF?: Yes. The “Print the list” button at the top of the page opens your device’s print dialog: choose to save as PDF to keep the 100 words and their translation, with nothing else around them.

How KoKo makes words stick

These lists come from KoKo, the app to learn German vocabulary on iPhone.