Travel is one of the most common reasons to learn a language, but you don’t need a trip to Europe to encounter German. In fact, it’s just a few mouse clicks away. Using the internet in German can be a great way to learn the language, whether you just want to change your computer’s language settings or explore German Twitter. (We know at least one good German-speaking dog to follow.)
But before you do any of that, you’ll need some tech-specific vocab. We gathered together a good sampling that should help you avoid getting too lost on the web. And while many of these words look similar to their English counterparts, you might want to check the pronunciation by clicking the play button next to each term.
Talking About Tech And The Internet In German
German Technology Vocabulary
the hardware — die Hardware
the computer — der Computer
the laptop — der Laptop
the cable — das Kabel
to charge — aufladen
the keyboard — die Tastatur
the mouse — die Maus
the printer — der Drucker
compatible — kompatibel
wireless — drahtlos
the software — die Software
to install — installieren
the click — der Klick
the menu — das Menü
the folder — der Ordner
the file — die Datei
to save — speichern
the bug — der Bug
offline — offline
to drag — ziehen
German Internet Vocabulary
internet — das Internet
the browser — der Browser
the link — der Link
to load — laden
the blog — das Blog
the virus — der Virus
the pop-up — das Pop-up
online — online
to download — herunterladen
to search — suchen
the email — die E-Mail
the chat — der Chat
the message — die Nachricht
the draft — der Entwurf
the emoticon — das Emoticon
the email address — die E-Mail-Adresse
to write — schreiben
to open — öffnen
the attachment — der Anhang
to send — senden
the social media — die Social Media
to sign up — sich anmelden
to log in — sich einloggen
the member — das Mitglied
the password — das Passwort
popular — beliebt
the forum — das Forum
the community — die Community
the network — das Netzwerk
to follow — folgen
German Tech And Internet Phrases
I spend my time in front of the computer. — Ich verbringe meine Zeit vor dem Computer.
All of my files are gone. — Alle meine Dateien sind verschwunden.
You can download the program. — Du kannst das Programm herunterladen.
The keyboard is quite dirty. — Die Tastatur ist ziemlich dreckig.
Your password should be secret and hard to guess. — Dein Passwort sollte geheim und schwierig zu erraten sein.
I follow some of my friends on Twitter so I can keep up with what they are doing. — Ich folge einigen Freunden auf Twitter, damit ich auf dem Laufenden bleibe, was sie tun.
I need to be online, I’ve got about a million emails to send. — Ich muss online sein, ich muss etwa eine Million E-Mails verschicken.