German for IT Jobs: What Level You Need and How to Prepare
Germany has a significant shortage of IT professionals, and many tech companies in Germany hire internationally. But language requirements differ widely — some international teams in Berlin work entirely in English, while others in Munich or regional companies expect B1 or B2 German for daily work.
This guide covers what you actually need linguistically to work in German tech, the vocabulary you will use most, and how to get there.
What level do you need?
| Work situation | German level typically needed |
|---|---|
| International startup team in Berlin, English as working language | A2–B1 for daily life; German may be optional at work |
| Mixed team, some German-speaking clients | B1 minimum, B2 preferred |
| German company, German-speaking team | B2 |
| Public sector IT / government project | B2, sometimes C1 |
| Ausbildung in IT (Fachinformatiker) | B1 required, B2 recommended |
| Freelancer/contractor dealing with German clients | B2 |
See what level of German you need for an Ausbildung in IT and what jobs you can get with B1 for more on this.
Where German actually comes up in IT work
Even on partly-English teams, German appears in:
- Team meetings — internal discussions, daily standups, retrospectives
- Documentation — technical specs, internal wikis, bug reports
- Client communication — especially with German public sector or traditional industry clients
- Onboarding processes — HR forms, contracts, insurance registration
- Code reviews — inline comments, pull request descriptions
- Slack/Teams channels — informal chat, announcements
- Lunch and team chat — social integration matters more than many expect
Core IT vocabulary in German
Development and code
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die Anforderung / das Requirement | requirement |
| das Ticket / die Aufgabe | ticket / task |
| der Sprint | sprint |
| das Backlog | backlog |
| der Bug / der Fehler | bug / error |
| der Hotfix | hotfix |
| das Deployment | deployment |
| das Release | release |
| der Pull Request / PR | pull request |
| der Code Review | code review |
| das Repository / das Repo | repository |
| der Branch / der Zweig | branch |
| die Datenbank | database |
| die Schnittstelle | interface (API) |
| das Framework | framework |
| die Infrastruktur | infrastructure |
| der Server | server |
| die Cloud | cloud |
| das Rechenzentrum | data centre |
| die Sicherheit / IT-Sicherheit | security / IT security |
| der Datenschutz | data protection |
| die DSGVO | GDPR (EU data protection regulation) |
Meetings and communication
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die Besprechung / das Meeting | meeting |
| der Standup / Daily | daily standup |
| die Retrospektive | retrospective |
| das Review | review |
| die Abstimmung | coordination / alignment |
| der Termin | appointment / meeting / date |
| der Zeitplan | schedule / timeline |
| die Deadline / der Abgabetermin | deadline |
| das Protokoll | minutes / protocol |
| die Anforderungsanalyse | requirements analysis |
| das Konzept | concept / design document |
Work organisation
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Homeoffice | working from home |
| die Gleitzeit | flextime |
| der Feierabend | end of work day |
| die Überstunden | overtime |
| der Urlaub | holiday / leave |
| die Krankmeldung | sick notification / sick note |
| das Vorstellungsgespräch | job interview |
| der Arbeitsvertrag | employment contract |
| die Gehaltsverhandlung | salary negotiation |
| das Nettoeinkommen | net salary |
Practise your German out loud with SipLingo, free to try on iPhone and Android:
Phrases for IT meetings
In a standup:
– Gestern habe ich an dem Login-Bug gearbeitet. (Yesterday I worked on the login bug.)
– Heute kümmere ich mich um das Ticket für User Story 10. (Today I’m working on the ticket for User Story 10.)
– Ich bin blockiert, weil der Staging-Server nicht erreichbar ist. (I’m blocked because the staging server is unreachable.)
In a code review:
– Könntest du bitte erklären, warum du das so gelöst hast? (Could you explain why you solved it this way?)
– Ich habe einen kleinen Fehler gefunden — schau dir mal Zeile 42 an. (I found a small error — look at line 42.)
– Das sieht gut aus, aber ich würde lieber eine separate Funktion verwenden. (Looks good, but I’d prefer a separate function.)
– Das Naming könnte klarer sein. (The naming could be clearer.)
In a planning meeting:
– Was ist die Priorität für diesen Sprint? (What is the priority for this sprint?)
– Ich schätze den Aufwand auf etwa drei Tage. (I estimate the effort at about three days.)
– Gibt es Abhängigkeiten zu anderen Teams? (Are there dependencies on other teams?)
– Wer ist der Ansprechpartner für die Anforderungen? (Who is the contact person for the requirements?)
Asking for clarification:
– Könntest du das bitte nochmal erklären? (Could you explain that again, please?)
– Kannst du das in einem Satz zusammenfassen? (Can you summarise that in one sentence?)
– Ich verstehe den Kontext nicht ganz — hast du ein Beispiel? (I don’t quite understand the context — do you have an example?)
In emails and Slack:
– Ich wollte kurz nachfragen, ob … (I wanted to quickly ask whether …)
– Zur Info: … (FYI: …)
– Kannst du mir dazu mehr Infos schicken? (Can you send me more info on this?)
– Ich schicke dir das bis Donnerstag. (I’ll send it to you by Thursday.)
DSGVO: the vocabulary you can’t avoid
The Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (GDPR, called DSGVO in German) is woven into every tech project in Germany. Key terms:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die Datenschutzerklärung | privacy policy |
| die Einwilligung | consent |
| die Verarbeitung personenbezogener Daten | processing of personal data |
| die Datenpanne | data breach |
| das Auskunftsrecht | right of access |
| der Datenschutzbeauftragte (DSB) | data protection officer (DPO) |
| datenschutzkonform | GDPR-compliant |
How to improve your German for IT work
If you are B1 or above: focus on speaking in professional contexts. The vocabulary is a list you can learn; the ability to explain a technical decision or ask a clarifying question in real time requires practice.
If you are A2–B1: add structured German lessons alongside vocabulary. German grammar (especially cases and verb structure) needs explicit teaching — see the 4 German cases explained and German word order rules.
For the Ausbildung Fachinformatiker: the vocational school (Berufsschule) is taught in German. B1 is usually the minimum employers ask for, and B2 makes school much easier. See our Ausbildung language guide.
Speaking practice matters most
In IT, the meetings and code reviews are where German trips people up. Reading documentation in German is manageable at B1; speaking spontaneously in a technical discussion is harder.
SipLingo includes professional scenarios — workplace conversations, explaining your work, asking and answering questions — in 200+ everyday situations. You practice by voice and hear corrections in your own language. That fluency in real exchanges is what makes meetings easier. Try it free →
Official sources
For the official details and the latest updates, see:
- Make it in Germany (Federal Government): IT specialists: working in Germany – In-demand IT roles, visas, job search and German resources for IT
- Goethe-Institut: Deutsch am Arbeitsplatz – German at work exercises – Exercises on applications, job interviews, phone calls, emails and job fields
Frequently asked questions
Do I need German to work in IT in Germany?
Depends on the company and team. International startups in Berlin often work in English. German companies and companies with German clients typically require B1–B2.
What German level is needed for a Fachinformatiker Ausbildung?
B1 is usually the minimum employers ask for (check the visa and company requirements for your case). B2 is recommended for the Berufsschule component, which is taught in German.
Is English enough for IT in Germany?
For some roles in international companies, yes. But for long-term integration, career progression, and most companies outside the major international hubs: no.
How do you say “pull request” in German?
Usually Pull Request or PR — English tech terms are widely used in German IT. But you need German to discuss them.
What is DSGVO?
Datenschutz-Grundverordnung — the German name for the GDPR, the EU’s data protection regulation. It affects software projects that process personal data of people in the EU.
Practise professional German conversations. SipLingo corrects your German as you speak, in your own language. A1 to B2.
