German Ausbildung Words Explained
Short answer: This glossary explains the German words you will meet in an Ausbildung: who is who, contract and pay terms, exam words, application vocabulary and what comes after. Each term has a plain English meaning and a note on where you will see it. Start with the 12 most common words.
German training terms look long and confusing, but most are built from simple parts. Ausbildung is training, Betrieb is company, Prüfung is exam and Vergütung is pay. This guide groups the words by situation, so you can find the one you need. It is general information. Visa and residence vocabulary is outside the scope of this site.
The 12 words you will see first
| German | In English |
|---|---|
| Ausbildung | Vocational training |
| Azubi, Auszubildende/r | Trainee |
| Ausbildungsvertrag | Training contract |
| Ausbildungsbetrieb | The training company |
| Berufsschule | Vocational school |
| Ausbildungsvergütung | Training pay |
| Probezeit | Probation period |
| Berichtsheft, Ausbildungsnachweis | Your training record |
| IHK, HWK | The chambers: industry and commerce, and crafts |
| Abschlussprüfung | Final exam |
| Anschreiben, Lebenslauf | Cover letter, CV |
| Übernahme | Being kept on after the training |
People and institutions
| German | In English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Auszubildende/r, Azubi | Trainee | “Azubi” is the everyday short form. The plural is Azubis or Auszubildende |
| Ausbildende/r | The employer as your contract partner | IHK Magdeburg says the Ausbildende is the contract partner of the trainee |
| Ausbilder/in | The person who teaches you at work | The company must train you itself or appoint a trainer. Not the same as Ausbildende |
| Ausbildungsbetrieb | Training company | Where the practical part of the training happens |
| Berufsschule | Vocational school | Teaches the theory in German. See our Berufsschule guide |
| Kammer, zuständige Stelle | Chamber, the body responsible for your training | IHK is the Industrie- und Handelskammer (industry and commerce). HWK is the Handwerkskammer (crafts). The chamber registers contracts and runs exams |
| Prüfungsausschuss | Exam committee | The committee that examines you and decides the result |
| Agentur für Arbeit | Local office of the Federal Employment Agency | Offers job search help and career advice (Berufsberatung) |
Contract and training rules
| German | In English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Ausbildungsvertrag | Training contract | The law lists what it must contain. See our contract guide |
| Vertragsabfassung | The written version of the contract content | Must be in text form and given to you |
| Ausbildungsordnung | Training regulation for one occupation | Sets the duration, content and exams. Each profession guide on this site is based on one |
| Ausbildungsrahmenplan | Framework plan inside the regulation | Lists the skills to be taught and time guidelines |
| Ausbildungsplan | Your company’s own training plan | The company builds it from the framework plan and must create it at the start |
| Anerkannter Ausbildungsberuf | Officially recognised training occupation | Recognised occupations have a regulation |
| Duale Ausbildung | Training at a company and a vocational school | See what Ausbildung is |
| Schulische Ausbildung | Training mainly at school | Nursing combines school and practice under its own law |
| Ausbildungsnachweis, Berichtsheft | Training record | You must keep it, and the company must let you write it at work |
Pay, time and rights
| German | In English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Ausbildungsvergütung | Training pay | Must be appropriate and rise at least yearly |
| Mindestausbildungsvergütung | Legal minimum training pay | Many employers pay more. See our salary guide |
| Tarifvertrag | Collective agreement between employers and unions | Your contract refers to it if it applies |
| Probezeit | Probation | One to four months in an Ausbildung |
| Kündigung | Termination notice | Must be in writing |
| Aufhebungsvertrag | Agreement to end the contract together | Needs no reason or notice period |
| Urlaub | Holiday | At least 24 Werktage for adults |
| Werktag | Calendar day except Sundays and public holidays | Saturdays count, even if you do not work them |
| Überstunden | Overtime | Must be paid separately or compensated with time off |
| Ruhepause, Ruhezeit | Break, rest period between working days | For adults the rest period is at least 11 hours |
| Freistellung | Release from work | For school, exams and training outside the company |
| Jugendarbeitsschutzgesetz | Youth Employment Protection Act | Applies if you are under 18. See our hours and holidays guide |
School and exams
| German | In English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Zwischenprüfung | Intermediate exam | BIBB says it has no pass or fail |
| Gestreckte Abschlussprüfung | Final exam split into two parts | Teil 1 comes during the training and Teil 2 at the end. Both count |
| Abschlussprüfung | Final exam | See our exams guide |
| Gesellenprüfung | Journeyman’s exam | The name used in the crafts |
| Prüfungsbereich | Exam area | One subject block of the exam, with its own time and weight |
| Fachgespräch | Technical discussion | An oral part of many exams |
| Zulassung | Admission to the exam | Requires a kept training record and a registered contract |
| Mündliche Ergänzungsprüfung | Oral supplementary exam | Can lift a weak written area, on request |
| Wiederholungsprüfung | Repeat exam | The final exam can be repeated twice |
| ausreichend, mangelhaft, ungenügend | Sufficient, deficient, insufficient | Grade words in pass rules. “Ungenügend” in some areas means failing |
| Blockunterricht | Block lessons | Several weeks of school in a row |
| Berufsschulzeugnis | School report from the vocational school | Shows your results at school |
| Abschlusszeugnis | Final certificate | You receive it after passing the final exam |
School certificates and entry
| German | In English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Hauptschulabschluss | Lower secondary school certificate | Some trainings accept it, others ask for more |
| Mittlerer Schulabschluss, Realschulabschluss | Middle school certificate | Nursing training lists it as its main entry route |
| Fachhochschulreife | Entrance qualification for universities of applied sciences | Counts for most dual study programmes |
| Abitur, allgemeine Hochschulreife | General university entrance qualification | Awarded at the end of the Gymnasium |
| Hochschulzugangsberechtigung | University entrance qualification | The umbrella term for the certificates above |
| Gleichwertigkeit | Equivalence | Whether a foreign certificate counts like a German one. Ask the school or university |
Applying
| German | In English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Bewerbung, Bewerbungsunterlagen | Application, application documents | Usually cover letter, CV and certificates |
| Lebenslauf | CV | Table-style and newest entry first. See our CV guide |
| Anschreiben | Cover letter | One page. See our cover letter guide |
| Anlagen | Enclosures | The documents attached to your application |
| Initiativbewerbung | Application without an advertised opening | You write to a company that interests you |
| Vorstellungsgespräch | Job interview | Literally “introduction conversation” |
| Einstellungstest, Assessment-Center | Selection test, group selection day | Some employers use them in addition to the interview |
| Ausbildungsplatz, Lehrstelle | Training place | “Lehrstelle” is an older word, still used in names such as the IHK Lehrstellenbörse |
| Stellenanzeige | Job posting | The advertisement for the place |
| Bewerbungsfrist | Application deadline | Often many months before the start |
After the training, and special forms
| German | In English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Übernahme | Being kept on by the company | No automatic right. See what happens after Ausbildung |
| Zeugnis (from the employer) | Reference | The employer must issue one at the end |
| Fortbildung | Formal further training | Examples: Meister, Fachwirt, Techniker |
| Weiterbildung | Further education in general | The broader everyday word |
| Bachelor Professional, Master Professional | Levels of higher vocational training | Defined in the Vocational Training Act, next to Geprüfter Berufsspezialist |
| Aufstiegs-BAföG | State funding for advanced training | Part grant, part low-interest loan |
| Duales Studium | Dual study | A degree combined with company practice |
| Ausbildungsintegrierend, praxisintegrierend | The two dual study formats | Only the first includes an Ausbildung. See our dual study guide |
| Teilzeitausbildung | Part-time training | Possible by agreement |
| Verkürzung, Verlängerung | Shortening, extension of the training | Shortening needs a joint application. Extension can follow a failed exam |
| Zusatzqualifikation, Wahlqualifikation, Schwerpunkt | Extra qualification, elective, specialisation | Optional parts of some occupations, set in the contract |
Easy mix-ups
- Ausbildende, Ausbilder, Auszubildende. The first is your employer as a contract partner, the second is the person who teaches you, and the third is you.
- Zeugnis. It has several meanings: a school report, the vocational school report, the final exam certificate and the employer’s reference. Check which one a posting asks for.
- Zwischenprüfung and Teil 1. The intermediate exam has no pass or fail and does not count toward the final result. Teil 1 of a two-part exam does count.
- Abschlussprüfung and Gesellenprüfung. Both are final exams. The name depends on the chamber, industry and commerce or crafts.
- Kündigung and Aufhebungsvertrag. The first is a notice by one side. The second is an agreement by both.
- Werktag and Arbeitstag. A Werktag includes Saturdays. A working day is a day you actually work.
- Probezeit. In an Ausbildung it lasts one to four months. Some websites say up to six months, which applies to ordinary jobs, not to training.
- Ausbildung and Studium. Ausbildung is vocational training with a company. Studium is study at a university. A duales Studium combines the two.
Decode a job ad
Here are phrases you will often see in a German training posting:
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ausbildung zum/zur … | Training as a … (“zum” is masculine, “zur” feminine) |
| (m/w/d) | Male, female, diverse. It shows the job is open to everyone |
| Ausbildungsbeginn: 01.08. | Start date. Training often starts in August or September |
| Bewerbung per E-Mail oder Online-Formular | Apply by email or through an online form |
| Bewerbungsunterlagen: Anschreiben, Lebenslauf, Zeugnisse | Cover letter, CV and certificates |
| Wir bieten: Vergütung nach Tarif | We offer pay following the collective agreement |
| Gute Übernahmechancen | Good chances of being kept on after the training |
| Voraussetzung: Schulabschluss | Requirement: a school certificate. Read which one |
| Ansprechperson | Contact person |
How to use this glossary, step by step
- Start with the 12 words at the top before you read a posting.
- When a posting uses a word you do not know, find its group in this guide.
- Read the matching guide for details, such as the contract, exams or hours.
- Ask the employer or the chamber if a term in your contract is unclear before you sign.
Common mistakes
- Translating word by word. “Probezeit” is not “test time”. Use the meaning above.
- Mixing up Ausbildende and Ausbilder.
- Assuming “Zeugnis” always means the same document.
- Copying terms from a website for ordinary jobs. Rules for training differ, for example for probation.
- Ignoring words in your contract you do not understand.
Frequently asked questions
What does Azubi mean?
It is the everyday short form of Auszubildende, which means trainee. It is used for people in an Ausbildung.
What is the difference between Ausbildung and Studium?
Ausbildung is vocational training, usually at a company and a vocational school, and ends with a vocational qualification. Studium is study at a university and ends with a degree.
What is a Berichtsheft?
It is your training record, officially called the Ausbildungsnachweis. You must keep it, and it is needed for admission to the final exam.
What does IHK mean?
Industrie- und Handelskammer, the chamber of industry and commerce. It registers training contracts and runs the exams for those occupations. The crafts have their own chambers, the Handwerkskammern (HWK).
What does (m/w/d) mean in a job ad?
It stands for male, female, diverse. It shows that the training place is open to everyone.
Sources
- Gesetze im Internet: Berufsbildungsgesetz (BBiG), in German
- IHK Magdeburg: FAQ for trainees and trainers, May 2019 (PDF), in German
- Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB): Dual study, in German
- Goethe-Institut: Glossary “My way to Germany”, in German
Last updated: 28 October 2026. Rules and figures can change, so confirm details with the official source before you decide.