Today's words · 🎓 University life
Your first semester in Germany, in 10 words
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At a German university, an eight o'clock lecture might start at quarter past. Want to know why?
You've got your acceptance email and you arrive at a German university, buzzing. But where do you register? Which lecture hall? Where's lunch? Every sign is in German.
Today's ten words are the ones you'll hear every day at uni. With them you can enrol, follow your timetable and find the canteen — enough to get through your first semester. Great for exchange students too! 🎓
📋 The ten words at a glance
- die Universität — university
- der Student — (university) student
- studieren — to study (at university), major in
- das Studium — (university) studies
- die Vorlesung — lecture (at university)
- das Semester — semester, term
- der Professor — professor
- sich einschreiben — to enrol, to register (at university, for a course)
- die Mensa — (university) canteen, refectory
- der Campus — campus
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
die Universität
[oo-nee-vair-zee-TAIT]university(Pl. die Universitäten)
📌 Sie studiert an der Universität Heidelberg.
→ She's studying at Heidelberg University.
💡 From Latin universitas, a community 🏛️ Everyone just says die Uni.
Bonus The preposition is an: an der Uni studieren = to be at uni
der Student
[shtoo-DENT](university) student(Pl. die Studenten (f: die Studentin))
📌 Er ist Student an der Universität Wien.
→ He's a student at the University of Vienna.
💡 Just like English student — only the st sounds like ‘sht’ 🎒
⚠ It's a weak noun: den Studenten, dem Studenten.
studieren
[shtoo-DEE-ren]to study (at university), major in(studiert – hat studiert)
📌 Ich studiere Medizin in Leipzig.
→ I'm studying medicine in Leipzig.
💡 studieren = study a subject at uni; lernen = revise for a test 📚 Don't mix them up!
Bonus Was studierst du? = What are you studying?
das Studium
[SHTOO-dee-oom](university) studies(Pl. die Studien)
📌 Nach dem Studium möchte ich in Deutschland arbeiten.
→ After graduating I'd like to work in Germany.
💡 The noun for studieren 🎓 Latin words ending in -um are usually das.
Bonus nach dem Studium = after graduating
die Vorlesung
[FOR-lay-zoong]lecture (at university)(Pl. die Vorlesungen)
📌 Die Vorlesung beginnt pünktlich um acht Uhr im großen Hörsaal.
→ The lecture starts punctually at eight o'clock in the large lecture hall.
💡 vor (in front) + lesen (read) 📖 Professors once read their books aloud to the room.
⚠ die Lektüre is reading material, not a lecture. False friend alert!
das Semester
[zay-MESS-ter]semester, term(Pl. die Semester)
📌 Ich bin jetzt im dritten Semester.
→ I'm now in my third semester.
💡 Latin for ‘every six months’ 🗓️ Two a year, that's it.
Bonus Ich bin im dritten Semester. = I'm in my third semester.
⚠ The plural is the same: die Semester.
der Professor
[pro-FESS-or]professor(Pl. die Professoren (f: die Professorin))
📌 Unser Professor erklärt alles sehr verständlich.
→ Our professor explains everything very clearly.
💡 Singular: pro-FESS-or. Plural: pro-fess-OR-en 👨🏫 The stress moves house!
Bonus A female professor is die Professorin.
sich einschreiben
[zikh INE-shry-ben]to enrol, to register (at university, for a course)(schreibt sich ein – schrieb sich ein – hat sich eingeschrieben)
📌 Ich habe mich an der Uni Heidelberg eingeschrieben.
→ I've enrolled at Heidelberg University.
💡 ein (in) + schreiben (write) ✍️ You write your name into the register.
⚠ Separable: Ich schreibe mich ein. / Ich habe mich eingeschrieben.
die Mensa
[MEN-za](university) canteen, refectory(Pl. die Mensen)
📌 Mittags essen wir meistens in der Mensa.
→ At lunchtime we usually eat in the canteen.
💡 Latin mensa means table 🍽️ The big table at uni = the canteen.
Bonus Plural: die Mensen
der Campus
[KAM-poos]campus(Pl. die Campus)
📌 Die Mensa liegt mitten auf dem Campus.
→ The canteen is right in the middle of the campus.
💡 Latin for field 🌳 It came into German via English.
Bonus auf dem Campus = on campus
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
If your timetable says c.t., the class starts fifteen minutes after the hour. It's an old tradition called the ‘academic quarter’ (akademisches Viertel). If it says s.t., it starts on the dot — be careful!
At the end of a lecture, students often knock on their desks with their knuckles instead of clapping. It's the German way of saying ‘thanks, good lecture’.
The year is usually split into a winter semester (Wintersemester) and a summer semester (Sommersemester). Students pay a fee each semester (Semesterbeitrag), which at many universities includes a public transport pass (Semesterticket). 🚌
✅ Quick quiz
Q. You want to ask a new friend what subject they study. What do you say?
- ① Wann beginnt die Vorlesung?
- ② Wo ist die Mensa?
- ③ Was studierst du?
Show the answer
③ Was studierst du?
studieren means to study a subject at university, so Was studierst du? = What are you studying?
Introduce yourself out loud today: „Ich studiere …, ich bin im … Semester.“ Fill in the gaps and you're done! 📚
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: 📖 Library & studying