Today's words · 🌍 Studying abroad
Studying in Germany? Start with these 10 words
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From your admission letter to your first wave of homesickness, study-abroad German is surprisingly predictable.
There it is in your inbox: ‘Zulassung’. Your heart jumps — you're in! Then the joy fades a little as the forms pile up: student housing, scholarship papers, visa… all in German.
Today's ten words follow you from applying to your first months in Germany. You'll be able to talk about applying, getting in, finding a room and even feeling homesick. Whether you're dreaming of going or already here, these are for you! 🌍
📋 The ten words at a glance
- das Ausland — foreign countries, abroad
- das Stipendium — scholarship, grant
- das Auslandssemester — semester abroad
- der Austausch — exchange
- sich bewerben um — to apply (for)
- der Studienplatz — university place
- die Zulassung — admission, approval, licence; registration (vehicle)
- das Studentenwohnheim — student hall of residence, dormitory
- das Heimweh — homesickness
- der Kulturschock — culture shock
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
das Ausland
[OWS-lant]foreign countries, abroad((no pl.))
📌 Ich arbeite seit zwei Jahren im Ausland.
→ I've been working abroad for two years.
💡 aus (out) + Land (country) = out of the country ✈️ The word is its own departure gate.
Bonus im Ausland = abroad (there) · ins Ausland = (going) abroad
das Stipendium
[shti-PEN-dee-oom]scholarship, grant(Pl. die Stipendien)
📌 Sie studiert mit einem Stipendium in Berlin.
→ She's studying in Berlin on a scholarship.
💡 Like English stipend — money to study 💰
⚠ Odd plural: die Stipendien
das Auslandssemester
[OWS-lants-zeh-mes-ter]semester abroad(Pl. die Auslandssemester)
📌 Ich möchte mein Auslandssemester in Spanien machen.
→ I'd like to do my semester abroad in Spain.
💡 Ausland + s + Semester = a semester abroad 🎒 The little s is just glue.
Bonus to do a semester abroad = ein Auslandssemester machen
der Austausch
[OWS-towsh]exchange(Pl. die Austausche)
📌 Der Austausch mit anderen Kulturen ist bereichernd.
→ Exchange with other cultures is enriching.
💡 tauschen = to swap — you swap places, people and cultures 🔄
Bonus school exchange = der Schüleraustausch
sich bewerben um
[zikh beh-VAIR-ben oom]to apply (for)(+ acc. · bewirbt sich – bewarb sich – hat sich beworben)
📌 Sie bewirbt sich um eine Stelle als Ingenieurin.
→ She is applying for a job as an engineer.
💡 werben = to advertise — when you apply, you advertise yourself 📝
⚠ um + acc. for the position, bei + dat. for the place: Ich bewerbe mich bei der Uni um einen Studienplatz.
der Studienplatz
[SHTOO-dee-en-plats]university place(Pl. die Studienplätze)
📌 Für Medizin gibt es viel mehr Bewerber als Studienplätze.
→ For medicine there are far more applicants than places.
💡 Studium (studies) + Platz (place, seat) = your seat at university 🪑
Bonus a cap on places for a subject = der Numerus clausus (NC)
die Zulassung
[TSOO-lass-oong]admission, approval, licence; registration (vehicle)(Pl. die Zulassungen)
📌 Ich habe die Zulassung zur Uni bekommen.
→ I've been admitted to university.
💡 zulassen = to let in, + -ung = admission 🎉 Ends in -ung, so it's die.
Bonus A car registration document is also called die Zulassung.
das Studentenwohnheim
[shtoo-DEN-ten-vohn-hime]student hall of residence, dormitory(Pl. die Studentenwohnheime)
📌 Ein Zimmer im Studentenwohnheim ist oft günstiger als eine WG.
→ A room in a hall of residence is often cheaper than a flatshare.
💡 Studenten + wohn (live) + Heim (home) = a home where students live 🏠 Three Lego bricks!
Bonus People usually just say das Wohnheim.
das Heimweh
[HIME-vay]homesickness(Sg.)
📌 Im ersten Monat in Berlin hatte ich oft Heimweh.
→ In my first month in Berlin I was often homesick.
💡 Heim (home) + Weh (woe, pain) = home-woe 🥲
Bonus The opposite: das Fernweh = longing to be far away
der Kulturschock
[kool-TOOR-shock]culture shock(Pl. die Kulturschocks)
📌 In den ersten Wochen in Japan hatte ich einen echten Kulturschock.
→ In my first weeks in Japan I had a real culture shock.
💡 Almost English: Kultur + Schock ⚡ Just remember it's der.
Bonus to adapt = sich anpassen
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
Most student halls in Germany are run by the local Studentenwerk, a student services organisation. In many cities there are waiting lists, so lots of students apply for a room while they're still waiting for their admission.
Many public universities charge no big tuition fee but ask for a Semesterbeitrag (semester contribution) each term, which at some universities includes a public transport ticket. Rules for international students can differ by state, so always check your university's own information.
Homesickness hits almost everyone. Many universities have an International Office and buddy programmes — going to their events in the first weeks can make a big difference. 💛
✅ Quick quiz
Q. A month into your time in Germany, you keep tearing up when you think of your family. What do you tell a friend?
- ① Ich habe Heimweh.
- ② Ich habe einen Studienplatz.
- ③ Ich bewerbe mich um ein Stipendium.
Show the answer
① Ich habe Heimweh.
Ich habe Heimweh. = I'm homesick — what you say when you miss home.
Tell your own study-abroad story in three German sentences using today's words. Here's to the day a real Zulassung lands in your inbox! 🎓
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: 🖥️ Office life