Basic Scientific Vocabulary

Notes on the vocabulary list

The character • in a verb means the verb is separable
Where a word appears as a hyperlink, you can click on it to see examples and mnemonic ideas to help you learn it.

Suggestions & Resources for learning this vocabulary:

Begin by studying one section at a time, then start studying multiple sections
Form simple sentences in German with this vocabulary, as quickly as you can, 5-20 minutes at a time.
Use the following Quizlets to study this vocabulary:
- Quiz 1
- Quiz 2
- Quiz 3
- Quiz 4-7 [Die ganze Liste!]
Click here for additional vocabulary learning ideas.

The list–section by section

Quantities, Measuring	Laws, Theories, Experiments, Proofs
Connections Between Things	Science, Scientists, Research(ers)
Genetics & Misc. Biological Terms	Space
Motion, Friction, Mechanics	Electricity, Machines
Chemical Elements	Materials and their Properties
Miscellaneous

Quantities, Measuring

ab•nehmen, er/sie/es nimmt ab, nahm ab, hat abgenommen	to decrease (for becoming less, not for making something less)
fallen, er/sie/es fällt, fiel, ist gefallen	to decrease (for becoming less, not for making something less)
die Anzahl	amount, quantity (for things counted in whole numbers)
berechnen	to calculate (something)
rechnen	to do arithmetic
bestimmen	to determine
der Betrag, ¨-e	amount, quantity (for money and some measurements)
der Durchschnitt	average
erhöhen	to raise (temperature, pressure, speed, concentration, amount, taxes)
genau	exactly
gesamt	whole, entire
insgesamt	altogether, in total
gewaltig	huge
riesig	huge
messen, er/sie/es misst, maß, hat gemessen	to measure
reduzieren	to reduce, to lower (temperature, pressure, speed, concentration, amount, taxes)
senken	to reduce, to lower (temperature, pressure, speed, concentration, amount, taxes)
verringern	to reduce, to lower (temperature, pressure, speed, concentration, amount, taxes)
schätzen	to estimate
unendlich	infinite
ungefähr	approximately, roughly
etwa	approximately, roughly
wiegen, wog, hat gewogen	to weigh
die Waage, -n	scales (for weighing)
winzig	tiny
zu•nehmen, er/sie/es nimmt zu, nahm zu, hat zugenommen	to increase (for becoming more, not for making something more)
steigen, stieg, ist gestiegen	to increase (for becoming more, not for making something more)

Laws, Theories, Experiments, Proofs

allgemein	general
an•wenden, wandte an/wendete an, hat angewandt/angewendet	to apply (a formula or a theory; not for applying for jobs etc.)
die Anwendung, -en	application
behaupten	to claim, to assert
beliebig	arbitrary
bemerken	to notice
beobachten	to observe
bestätigen	to confirm
der Beweis, -e	proof
beweisen, bewies, hat bewiesen	to prove
die Erfahrung, -en	experience
erfahren, er/sie/es erfährt, erfuhr, hat erfahren	to experience, find out
das Ergebnis, -se	result (Plural: results, data)
das Experiment, -e	experiment
der Fall, ¨-e	case
die Folge, -n	consequence
gelten, er/sie/es gilt, galt, hat gegolten	to be valid (see Superwörter III for more details)
gültig	valid
das Gesetz, -e	law
prüfen	to test (e.g. a hypothesis); to check (if something is working right)
der Satz, ¨-e	law, theorem, sentence
streng	strict, rigorous
die Untersuchung, -en	investigation
untersuchen	to investigate
die Verallgemeinerung, -en	generalization
die Vermutung, -en	supposition, hypothesis
vermuten	to suppose, hypothesize
der Versuch, -e	experiment; attempt
der Vorgang, ¨-e	process, procedure
der Zweifel, –	doubt
bezweifeln	to doubt
zweifelhaft	dubious, doubtful

Connections Between Things

(un)abhängig	(in)dependent
ab•hängen von, hing ab, hat abgehangen	to depend on
die Beziehung, -en	relationship
der Grund, ¨-e	reason (as in: “why?”; not as in “rationality,” “logic”)
die Verbindung, -en	connection, (chemical) compound
verbunden	connected
verursachen	to cause
die Wirkung, -en	effect
der Zufall, ¨-e	chance, coincidence
zufällig	by chance, coincidentally, randomly

Science, Scientists, Research(ers)

entdecken	to discover
die Entdeckung, -en	discovery
forschen	to do research
(etwas) erforschen	to research something
der/die Forscher(in), -/-innen	researcher
die Naturwissenschaft, -en	scientific discipline (e.g. Physics), “science”
die Wissenschaft, -en	science (can include social science and even literary “science”)
der/die Wissenschaftler(in), -/-innen	scientist

Genetics, Biology

sich an•passen an	to adapt to
gut an … angepasst	well adapted to
die Art, -en	species
das Eiweiß	protein, albumen, egg white
die Entwicklung, -en	development
entwickeln	to develop
erben	to inherit
die Fortpflanzung	reproduction
das Gehirn, -e	brain
das Gen, -e	gene
das Geschlecht, -er	gender, genus
der Körper, –	body (also in the sense of “a moving body”)
künstlich	artificial
der Missbrauch, ¨-e	abuse
missbrauchen	to abuse (in the sense of “misuse” or “cruelly misuse”; not in the sense of “insult”)
das Säugetier, -e	mammal
der Stoffwechsel	metabolism
die Zelle, -n	cell

Space

entstehen, entstand, ist entstanden	to come into being
das Licht	light
die Lichtgeschwindigkeit	the speed of light
der Planet, -en	planet
der Raum	space
der Weltraum	space
die Schwerkraft	gravity
die Sonne, -n	sun
der Stern, -e	star
der Urknall	big bang
das Weltall	universe

Motion, Friction, Mechanics

an•treiben, trieb an, hat angetrieben	to drive, to power
die Bahn, -en	path (of a moving object); train
beschleunigen	to accelerate
die Beschleunigung, -en	acceleration
der Druck, “-e	pressure
die Energie	energy
die Geschwindigkeit, -en	speed, velocity (use context to pick the right one)
der Impuls	momentum, impulse
der Schwung	momentum [non-/less scientific term]
die Reibung	friction
rückwärts	backwards
vorwärts	forwards
die Ruhe	state of rest, quiet, silence
ruhend	in a state of rest
träge	inert
die Trägheit	inertia
der Widerstand	resistance

Electricity, Machines

an•machen	to turn (something) on
aus•machen	to turn (something) off
an•schalten	to switch (something) on
aus•schalten	to switch (something) off
an sein	to be switched on
aus sein	to be switched off
die Kernkraft	nuclear power
der Draht, ¨-e	wire
das Kabel, –	thick wire, cable
elektrisch	electric
funktionieren	to be working (as intended) [as in: functioning]
gehen, ging, ist gegangen	to be working (as intended) [as in: functioning] [also means: to walk, of course!]
laufen, er/sie/es läuft, lief, ist gelaufen	to be running [e.g. a program, an engine, a washing machine]
leiten	to conduct, to lead (e.g. an expedition, a team of researchers)
die Leitung, -en	conduction, (water-)pipe (for tap water etc.), leadership (e.g. of an expedition or a team of researchers)
der Motor, -en	motor, engine
der Schalter, –	switch
der Strom	electric current/power
der Stromkreis	circuit
die Technik	technology
technisch	technical

Chemical Elements

Materials and their Properties

bestehen aus	to consist of
dicht	dense OR not letting anything through (e.g. watertight)
undicht	leaky
die Dichte	density
die Eigenschaft, -en	characteristic, property (not in the sense of “owning”)
enthalten, er/sie/es enthält, enthielt, hat enthalten	to contain
fest	solid (also means: firm, tight)
flüssig	liquid
gasförmig	gaseous
leicht	light; easy
schwer	heavy; hard
die Mischung	mixture
mischen	to mix

Miscellaneous

aus•drücken	to express (quantities in certain units; genes; ideas…)
derzeit	jetzt
durch•führen	to carry out
die Erhaltung	conservation (e.g. of energy, of a species)
erhalten, er/sie/es erhält, erhielt, hat erhalten	to conserve; to receive
erzeugen	to generate
verschwinden, verschwand, ist verschwunden	to disappear
die Welle, -n	wave