The small words that make German sound natural: halt, doch, mal, ja, eben and friends.
Listen to Germans talking and you will hear lots of tiny words: Komm doch mal rein! Das ist halt so. Was machst du denn hier? These are modal particles and filler words. They do not change the facts, but they change the tone: friendlier, more impatient, more surprised or more resigned. Textbooks often ignore them, so even advanced learners can sound a little stiff without them.
At B2 you should understand what these words add to a sentence and start using the most common ones, especially mal, doch, ja and denn. Many have several meanings depending on stress and context, so the examples here show the typical everyday use. Listen for them in podcasts, series and conversations with colleagues.
Learn every noun together with its article and plural. Use the flashcards to test yourself: the German word on the front, the meaning on the back.
| Word | Plural | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| also | – | so / well (starting or summarising) | Also, wo waren wir stehen geblieben? |
| halt | – | just (that's the way it is) | Das ist halt so in Deutschland. |
| eben | – | simply (nothing can be done) | Dann nehmen wir eben den nächsten Zug. |
| ja | – | as you know / surprise | Du bist ja schon da! |
| doch | – | after all / come on (urging) | Komm doch mit! |
| mal | – | just (softens a request) | Kannst du mir mal helfen? |
| denn | – | then (interest in questions) | Was machst du denn hier? |
| schon | – | surely / it'll be fine | Das klappt schon. |
| wohl | – | probably / I suppose | Er ist wohl noch im Büro. |
| eigentlich | – | actually | Eigentlich wollte ich heute früher gehen. |
| irgendwie | – | somehow / kind of | Das ist irgendwie komisch. |
| quasi | – | more or less / practically | Wir sind quasi fertig. |
| sozusagen | – | so to speak | Sie ist sozusagen die Chefin hier. |
| na ja | – | oh well / hmm | Na ja, das Essen war okay. |
| tja | – | well (resigned shrug) | Tja, da kann man nichts machen. |
| ähm | – | um / er | Ich wollte, ähm, nur kurz fragen … |
| übrigens | – | by the way | Übrigens, morgen ist das Büro geschlossen. |
| bloß | – | only / just (in warnings) | Vergiss bloß nicht den Pass! |
| ruhig | – | feel free to | Kommen Sie ruhig herein! |
| einfach | – | simply / just | Ruf einfach an, wenn du Fragen hast. |
| vielleicht | – | really (in exclamations) | Das war vielleicht ein Tag! |
| etwa | – | by any chance (in surprised questions) | Hast du etwa schon gegessen? |
| die Modalpartikel | die Modalpartikeln | modal particle | Die Modalpartikel „doch“ macht den Satz freundlicher. |
| das Füllwort | die Füllwörter | filler word | In Texten sollte man wenige Füllwörter benutzen. |
| der Tonfall | die Tonfälle | tone of voice | Der Tonfall ist oft wichtiger als die Wörter. |
| die Betonung | die Betonungen | stress (emphasis) | Die Betonung verändert die Bedeutung. |
The easiest particle to start with is mal: it makes requests and imperatives friendlier. Kannst du mir helfen? sounds demanding; Kannst du mir mal helfen? sounds relaxed. Doch plus imperative is an invitation: Setz dich doch!
Denn in a question shows interest: Wie geht's dir denn?. Halt and eben mean the same (that's just how it is); halt is more southern and casual.
Particles are never stressed in these meanings and usually come after the verb and pronouns: Das ist ja toll! With stress, many change meaning: Ich komme DOCH means I'm coming after all. In formal writing, leave most of them out.
1. What does „irgendwie“ mean?
2. What does „das Füllwort“ mean?
3. What does „eigentlich“ mean?
4. What does „übrigens“ mean?
5. What does „die Betonung“ mean?
6. What does „mal“ mean?
7. Which article does „Modalpartikel“ (modal particle) take?
8. Which article does „Füllwort“ (filler word) take?
9. Which article does „Tonfall“ (tone of voice) take?
10. Which article does „Betonung“ (stress (emphasis)) take?
More vocabulary: Colloquial German, Small talk, Connecting words.
Check any noun with the noun gender lookup, or browse the vocabulary index.
Original practice questions written by the Desi European Tales editorial team; they are not the official exam questions. Checked 1 November 2026.
Related: German vocabulary by topic · German B2 lessons · Colloquial German
