Deutsch
German
Germanic
Also known as: German, Deutsch
German (Deutsch) is a West Germanic language with ~95M L1 speakers and the most-widely-spoken native language in the European Union. It is official in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and the Italian region of South Tyrol, plus regional/minority status in Belgium (East Cantons), Namibia, and many historical diaspora communities. Sister language to Dutch, English, and the Scandinavian languages within Germanic. Written in the Latin alphabet (Fraktur typeface dominated until 1941 when the Nazi regime mandated Antiqua); the Eszett ß and umlauted vowels ä/ö/ü are distinctive. The 1996 spelling reform (Rechtschreibreform), revised 2004/2006, standardized punctuation, ß/ss usage, and capitalization across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Grammatically conservative: 4 cases (nominative-accusative-dative-genitive), 3 grammatical genders (masculine/feminine/neuter), strong/weak verb classes, and verb-second word order in main clauses with verb-final order in subordinate clauses. Hundreds of years of literary tradition from the Nibelungenlied (~1200) through Goethe, Schiller, Kafka, Mann, and Grass (Nobel 1999); a foundational language of philosophy (Kant, Hegel, Heidegger), music (Bach, Beethoven), and 19th-20th c. natural sciences.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in German
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Germanic
| Meaning | German | Luxembourgish German | Austrian German | Swiss Standard German | Luther-era German | East Franconian | Kölsch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ | Wasser /ˈvasər/ | Wasser /ˈvasːər/ | Wasser /vasːə/ | Wasser /vasɐ/ |
| Fire | Feuer /fɔɪ̯ɐ/ | Feuer /fɔɪ̯ɐ/ | Feuer /fɔɪɐ/ | Feuer /ˈfɔɪ̯ər/ | Fewr /ˈfɔɪ̯ər/ | Feier /faɪɐ/ | Füer /fyːɐ/ |
| Sun | Sonne /zɔnə/ | Sonne /zɔnə/ | Sonne /sɔnə/ | Sonne /ˈsɔnə/ | Sonne /ˈzɔnə/ | Sunn /sʊn/ | Sonn /zɔn/ |
| Moon | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Mond /moːnt/ | Maa /maː/ | Mond /moːnt/ |
| Star | Stern /ʃtɛʁn/ | Stern /ʃtɛʁn/ | Stern /ʃtɛrn/ | Stern /ʃtɛrn/ | Stern /ʃtɛrn/ | Stern /ʃtɛrn/ | Stään /ʃtɛːn/ |
| Night | Nacht /naxt/ | Nacht /naxt/ | Nacht /naxt/ | Nacht /naxt/ | Nacht /naxt/ | Nacht /naxt/ | Naach /naːx/ |
| Rain | Regen /ˈʁeːɡn̩/ | Regen /ˈʁeːɡn̩/ | Regen /ˈreːɡn̩/ | Regen /ˈreːɡən/ | Regen /ˈreːɡən/ | — | Räje /ˈʁɛːjə/ |
| Snow | Schnee /ʃneː/ | Schnee /ʃneː/ | Schnee /ʃneː/ | Schnee /ʃneː/ | Schnee /ʃneː/ | Schnee /ʃneː/ | Schnei /ʃnaɪ/ |
| Wind | Wind /vɪnt/ | Wind /vɪnt/ | Wind /vɪnt/ | Wind /vɪnt/ | Wind /vɪnt/ | Wind /vɪnd/ | Wind /vɪnd/ |
| Earth | Erde /eːɐdə/ | Erde /eːɐdə/ | Erde /eːɐdə/ | Erde /ˈeːrdə/ | Erde /ˈeːrdə/ | Erd /ɛɐd/ | Ääd /ɛːt/ |
| Stone | Stein /ʃtaɪn/ | Stein /ʃtaɪn/ | Stein /ʃtaɪn/ | Stein /ʃtaɪn/ | Stein /ʃtaɪn/ | — | Stein /ʃtaɪn/ |
| Mountain | Berg /bɛʁk/ | Berg /bɛʁk/ | Berg /bɛɐk/ | Berg /bɛrk/ | Berg /bɛrk/ | — | Berch /bɛʁɕ/ |
| Sea | Meer /meːɐ̯/ | Meer /meːɐ̯/ | Meer /meːɐ̯/ | Meer /meːr/ | Meer /meːr/ | — | Meer /meːɐ/ |
| Mother | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mutter /mʊtɐ/ | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | Mutter /ˈmʊtər/ | Mudder /mʊdɐ/ | Moder /moːdɐ/ |
| Father | Vater /faːtɐ/ | Vater /faːtɐ/ | Vater /ˈfaːtɐ/ | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | Vater /ˈfaːtər/ | Vadder /fadɐ/ | Vatter /fatɐ/ |
| Daughter | Tochter /ˈtɔxtɐ/ | Tochter /tɔxtɐ/ | Tochter /ˈtɔxtɐ/ | Tochter /ˈtɔxtər/ | Tochter /ˈtɔxtər/ | Dochder /dɔxdɐ/ | Dochter /dɔxtɐ/ |
| I | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪç/ | ich /ɪç/ | i /i/ | ich /ɪɕ/ |
| You | du /duː/ | du /duː/ | du /duː/ | du /duː/ | du /duː/ | du /du/ | do /doː/ |
| We | wir /viːɐ̯/ | wir /viːɐ̯/ | wir /viːɐ/ | wir /viːr/ | wir /viːr/ | mir /miɐ/ | mir /miɐ/ |
| Name | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ | Nama /ˈnamɐ/ | Name /ˈnaːmə/ |
| Person | Mensch /mɛnʃ/ | Mensch /mɛnʃ/ | Mensch /mɛnʃ/ | Mensch /mɛnʃ/ | Mensch /mɛnʃ/ | — | Minsch /mɪnʃ/ |
| Head | Kopf /kɔpf/ | Kopf /kɔpf/ | Kopf /kɔpf/ | Kopf /kɔpf/ | Heubt /hɔɪ̯pt/ | — | Kopp /kɔp/ |
| Eye | Auge /aʊ̯ɡə/ | Auge /aʊ̯ɡə/ | Auge /ˈaʊ̯ɡə/ | Auge /ˈaʊɡə/ | Aug /aʊk/ | Aach /aːx/ | Auch /aʊx/ |
| Ear | Ohr /oːɐ̯/ | Ohr /oːɐ̯/ | Ohr /oːɐ̯/ | Ohr /oːr/ | Ohr /oːr/ | Ohr /oːɐ/ | Uhr /uːɐ/ |
| Nose | Nase /ˈnaːzə/ | Nase /ˈnaːzə/ | Nase /ˈnaːsə/ | Nase /ˈnaːsə/ | Nase /ˈnaːzə/ | — | Nas /nas/ |
| Mouth | Mund /mʊnt/ | Mund /mʊnt/ | Mund /mʊnt/ | Mund /mʊnt/ | Mund /mʊnt/ | — | Muul /muːl/ |
| Tooth | Zahn /tsaːn/ | Zahn /tsaːn/ | Zahn /tsaːn/ | Zahn /tsaːn/ | Zahn /tsaːn/ | Zah /tsaː/ | Zang /tsaŋ/ |
| Tongue | Zunge /ˈtsʊŋə/ | Zunge /ˈtsʊŋə/ | Zunge /ˈtsʊŋə/ | Zunge /ˈtsʊŋə/ | Zunge /ˈtsʊŋə/ | Zung /tsuŋ/ | Zung /tsʊŋ/ |
| Hand | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hant/ | Hand /hɑnt/ | Hand /hant/ | Handt /hant/ | Hand /hand/ | Hand /hant/ |
| Foot | Fuß /fuːs/ | Fuß /fuːs/ | Fuß /fuːs/ | Fuss /fuːs/ | Fus /fuːs/ | Fuß /fuːs/ | Foß /foːs/ |
| Heart | Herz /hɛʁts/ | Herz /hɛʁts/ | Herz /hɛɐts/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | Hertz /hɛrts/ | Herz /hɛrts/ | Hätz /hɛts/ |
| Bone | Knochen /ˈknɔxən/ | Knochen /ˈknɔxən/ | Knochen /ˈknɔxən/ | Knochen /ˈknɔxən/ | Bein /baɪn/ | Knocha /ˈknɔxɐ/ | Knoche /ˈknɔxə/ |
| Blood | Blut /bluːt/ | Blut /bluːt/ | Blut /bluːt/ | Blut /bluːt/ | Blut /bluːt/ | Blut /bluːd/ | Blot /bloːt/ |
| Poop | Kacke /ˈkakə/ | Kacke /ˈkakə/ | Kacke /ˈkakə/ | Kacke /ˈkakə/ | Dreck /drɛk/ | — | Driss /dʁɪs/ |
| Love | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | Liebe /ˈliːbə/ | Liebe /liːbə/ | Leev /leːf/ |
| Tree | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Baum /baʊ̯m/ | Baum /baʊm/ | Bawm /baʊm/ | Bauma /baʊmaː/ | Boum /baʊm/ |
| Dog | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hund /hʊnt/ | Hongk /hoŋk/ |
| Cat | Katze /katsə/ | Katze /katsə/ | Katze /kɑtsə/ | Katze /ˈkatsə/ | Katze /ˈkatsə/ | Katz /kats/ | Katz /kats/ |
| Fish | Fisch /fɪʃ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ | Fesch /fɛʃ/ |
| Bird | Vogel /ˈfoːɡl̩/ | Vogel /ˈfoːɡl̩/ | Vogel /ˈfoːɡl̩/ | Vogel /ˈfoːɡl̩/ | Vogel /ˈfoːɡəl/ | Vogel /ˈfoːɡl̩/ | Vugel /fʊɡəl/ |
| Butterfly | Schmetterling /ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ/ | Schmetterling /ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ/ | Schmetterling /ˈʃmɛtɐlɪŋ/ | Schmetterling /ˈʃmɛtərlɪŋ/ | — | Schmetterling /ʃmɛdɐliŋ/ | — |
| Egg | Ei /aɪ/ | Ei /aɪ/ | Ei /aɪ/ | Ei /aɪ/ | Ey /aɪ̯/ | — | Ei /ai/ |
| Bear | Bär /bɛːɐ̯/ | Bär /bɛːɐ̯/ | Bär /bɛːɐ̯/ | Bär /bɛːr/ | — | — | Bär /bɛːɐ/ |
| Horse | Pferd /pfeːɐ̯t/ | Pferd /pfeːɐ̯t/ | Pferd /pfeːɐ̯t/ | Pferd /pfeːrt/ | Pferd /pfeːrt/ | — | Pääd /pɛːt/ |
| House | Haus /haʊ̯s/ | Haus /haʊ̯s/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Hauß /haʊs/ | Haus /haʊs/ | Huus /huːs/ |
| Milk | Milch /mɪlç/ | Milch /mɪlç/ | Milch /mɪlç/ | Milch /mɪlç/ | Milch /mɪlç/ | — | Milesch /ˈmɪləʃ/ |
| Honey | Honig /ˈhoːnɪç/ | Honig /ˈhoːnɪç/ | Honig /ˈhoːnɪk/ | Honig /ˈhoːnɪk/ | Honig /ˈhoːnɪk/ | — | Honnich /ˈhɔnɪɕ/ |
| Salt | Salz /zalts/ | Salz /zalts/ | Salz /salts/ | Salz /salts/ | Saltz /zalts/ | — | Salz /zalts/ |
| Wine | Wein /vaɪ̯n/ | Wein /vaɪ̯n/ | Wein /vaɪ̯n/ | Wein /vaɪ̯n/ | Wein /vaɪ̯n/ | — | Wing /vɪŋ/ |
| Rice | Reis /ʁaɪs/ | Reis /ʁaɪs/ | Reis /raɪ̯s/ | Reis /raɪs/ | — | — | — |
| Chocolate | Schokolade /ʃokoˈlaːdə/ | Schokolade /ʃokoˈlaːdə/ | Schokolade /ʃokoˈlaːdə/ | Schokolade /ʃokoˈlaːdə/ | — | — | Schokolad /ʃokoˈlaːt/ |
| Iron | Eisen /ˈaɪ̯zn̩/ | Eisen /ˈaɪ̯zn̩/ | Eisen /ˈaɪsn̩/ | Eisen /ˈaɪsən/ | Eisen /ˈaɪzən/ | Eisn /ˈaɪsn̩/ | Ieser /ˈiːzɐ/ |
| Wheel | Rad /ʁaːt/ | Rad /ʁaːt/ | Rad /raːt/ | Rad /raːt/ | Rad /raːt/ | — | Rad /ʁaːt/ |
| Silk | Seide /ˈzaɪdə/ | Seide /ˈzaɪdə/ | Seide /ˈsaɪ̯də/ | Seide /ˈsaɪdə/ | Seide /ˈzaɪdə/ | — | — |
| Book | Buch /buːx/ | Buch /buːx/ | Buch /buːx/ | Buch /buːx/ | Buch /buːx/ | — | Booch /boːx/ |
| Eat | essen /ɛsn̩/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ | essen /ɛsn̩/ | essen /ˈɛsn̩/ | essen /ˈɛsːən/ | esse /ɛsə/ | esse /ɛsə/ |
| Drink | trinken /tʁɪŋkn̩/ | trinken /tʁɪŋkn̩/ | trinken /ˈtrɪŋkn̩/ | trinken /ˈtrɪŋkn̩/ | trincken /ˈtrɪŋkən/ | trinke /trɪŋkə/ | drinke /dʁɪŋkə/ |
| Sleep | schlafen /ˈʃlaːfn̩/ | schlafen /ˈʃlaːfn̩/ | schlafen /ˈʃlaːfn̩/ | schlafen /ˈʃlaːfn̩/ | schlaffen /ˈʃlafən/ | schlafe /ʃlaːfə/ | schlofe /ˈʃlɔfə/ |
| One | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | eins /aɪ̯ns/ | eyn /aɪ̯n/ | ans /ans/ | ein /aɪn/ |
| Two | zwei /tsvaɪ/ | zwei /tsvaɪ/ | zwei /tsvai/ | zwei /tsvaɪ̯/ | zwey /tsvaɪ/ | zwaa /tsvaː/ | zwei /tsvai/ |
| Three | drei /dʁaɪ̯/ | drei /dʁaɪ̯/ | drei /draɪ̯/ | drei /draɪ̯/ | drei /draɪ/ | drei /draɪ/ | dree /dʁeː/ |
| Four | vier /fiːɐ̯/ | vier /fiːɐ̯/ | vier /fiːɐ̯/ | vier /fiːr/ | vier /fiːr/ | vier /fiɐ/ | veer /feːʁ/ |
| Five | fünf /fʏnf/ | fünf /fʏnf/ | fünf /fʏnf/ | fünf /fʏnf/ | fünff /fʏnf/ | fünf /fʏnf/ | fönnef /ˈfœnəf/ |
| Hundred | hundert /ˈhʊndɐt/ | hundert /ˈhʊndɐt/ | hundert /ˈhʊndɐt/ | hundert /ˈhʊndərt/ | hundert /ˈhʊndərt/ | — | hundert /ˈhʊndɐt/ |
| Hello | Hallo /haloː/ | Hallo /haloː/ | Servus /zɛɐvʊs/ | Hallo /haˈloː/ | Gott zum Gruß /ɡɔt tsʊm ɡruːs/ | Grüß Gott /ɡrʏs ɡɔt/ | Tach /tax/ |
| Thank you | danke /daŋkə/ | danke /daŋkə/ | danke /daŋkə/ | danke /ˈdaŋkə/ | Danck /daŋk/ | Vergelt's Gott /fɛɐɡɛlts ɡɔt/ | Dankeschön /daŋkəʃøːn/ |
| Good | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | gut /ɡuːt/ | guad /ɡuə̯d/ | joot /joːt/ |
| New | neu /nɔɪ̯/ | neu /nɔɪ̯/ | neu /nɔɪ̯/ | neu /nɔɪ̯/ | new /nɔɪ̯/ | — | neu /nøʏ/ |
| Red | rot /ʁoːt/ | rot /ʁoːt/ | rot /roːt/ | rot /roːt/ | rot /roːt/ | rood /roːd/ | rud /ʁuːt/ |
| White | weiß /vaɪs/ | weiß /vaɪs/ | weiß /vaɪs/ | weiss /vaɪs/ | weis /vaɪ̯s/ | weiß /vaɪs/ | wieß /viːs/ |
| Black | schwarz /ʃvaʁts/ | schwarz /ʃvaʁts/ | schwarz /ʃvarts/ | schwarz /ʃvarts/ | schwartz /ʃvarts/ | — | schwatz /ʃvats/ |
| Green | grün /ɡʁyːn/ | grün /ɡʁyːn/ | grün /ɡryːn/ | grün /ɡryːn/ | grün /ɡryːn/ | — | jröön /jʁøːn/ |
| Blue | blau /blaʊ̯/ | blau /blaʊ̯/ | blau /blaʊ/ | blau /blaʊ/ | — | — | blau /blɔu/ |
| Cuckoo | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | Kuckuck /ˈkʊkʊk/ | gukuk /ˈɡʊkʊk/ | Gutzgauch /ˈɡʊtsɡaʊx/ | — |
| Woof | wau wau /vaʊ vaʊ/ | wau wau /vaʊ vaʊ/ | wau wau /vaʊ vaʊ/ | wau wau /vaʊ vaʊ/ | — | — | — |
| Cock-a-doodle-doo | kikeriki /kikəʁiˈkiː/ | kikeriki /kikəʁiˈkiː/ | kikeriki /kikəriˈkiː/ | kikeriki /kikəriˈkiː/ | — | — | — |
| Computer | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtɐ/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtɐ/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtɐ/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtər/ | Rechenmeister /ˈrɛçənˌmaɪstər/ | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːdɐ/ | Computer /komˈpjuːtɐ/ |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi /ˈvaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈvaɪfaɪ/ | Wi-Fi /ˈvaɪfaɪ/ | — | — | Wi-Fi /ˈvaɪfaɪ/ | — |
| Sushi | Sushi /ˈzuːʃi/ | Sushi /ˈzuːʃi/ | Sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | Sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | Stockfisch /ˈʃtɔkfɪʃ/ | Sushi /ˈsuʃi/ | Sushi /ˈzuʃi/ |
| Tea | Tee /teː/ | Tee /teː/ | Tee /teː/ | Tee /teː/ | — | — | Tee /teː/ |
| Coffee | Kaffee /ˈkafeː/ | Kaffee /ˈkafe/ | Kaffee /kaˈfeː/ | Kaffee /ˈkafe/ | — | — | Kaffe /ˈkafə/ |
| Sugar | Zucker /ˈtsʊkɐ/ | Zucker /ˈtsʊkɐ/ | Zucker /ˈtsʊkɐ/ | Zucker /ˈtsʊkər/ | — | — | Zucker /ˈtsʊkɐ/ |
| Orange | Orange /oˈʁãːʒə/ | Orange /oˈʁãːʒə/ | Orange /oˈraːnʒə/ | Orange /oˈraŋʒə/ | — | — | Appelsin /apəlˈsiːn/ |
| Ninety-nine | neunundneunzig /ˈnɔʏnʊntˌnɔʏntsɪç/ | neunundneunzig /ˈnɔʏnʊntˌnɔʏntsɪç/ | neunundneunzig /ˈnɔʏ̯nʊntˌnɔʏ̯ntsɪk/ | neunundneunzig /ˈnɔɪ̯nʊntˌnɔɪ̯ntsɪk/ | — | — | — |
| Dopamine | Dopamin /dopaˈmiːn/ | Dopamin /dopaˈmiːn/ | Dopamin /dopaˈmiːn/ | Dopamin /dopaˈmiːn/ | — | — | Dopamin /dopaˈmiːn/ |
| At sign | Klammeraffe /ˈklamɐʔˌafə/ | Klammeraffe /ˈklamɐˌʔafə/ | Klammeraffe /ˈklamɐʔˌafə/ | — | — | — | — |
| Internet laughter | lol /lɔl/ | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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