German word for language in english

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The English language has incorporated various loanwords, terms, phrases, or quotations from the German language. A loanword is a word borrowed from a donor language and incorporated into a recipient language without translation. It is distinguished from a calque, or loan translation, where a meaning or idiom from another language is translated into existing words or roots of the host language. Some of the expressions are relatively common (e.g., hamburger), but most are comparatively rare. In many cases, the loanword has assumed a meaning substantially different from its German forebear.

English and German both are West Germanic languages, though their relationship has been obscured by the lexical influence of Old Norse and Norman French (as a consequence of the Norman conquest of England in 1066) on English as well as the High German consonant shift. In recent years, however, many English words have been borrowed directly from German. Typically, English spellings of German loanwords suppress any umlauts (the superscript, double-dot diacritic in Ä, Ö, Ü, ä, ö, and ü) of the original word or replace the umlaut letters with Ae, Oe, Ue, ae, oe, ue, respectively (as is done commonly in German speaking countries when the umlaut is not available; the origin of the umlaut was a superscript E).

German words have been incorporated into English usage for many reasons:

• German cultural artifacts, especially foods, have spread to English-speaking nations and often are identified either by their original German names or by German-sounding English names.
• Developments and discoveries in German-speaking nations in science, scholarship, and classical music have led to German words for new concepts, which have been adopted into English: for example the words doppelgänger and angst in psychology.
• Discussion of German history and culture requires some German words.
• Some German words are used in English narrative to identify that the subject expressed is in German, e.g., Frau, Reich.

As languages, English and German descend from the common ancestor language West Germanic and further back to Proto-Germanic; because of this, some English words are essentially identical to their German lexical counterparts, either in spelling (Hand, Sand, Finger) or pronunciation («fish» = Fisch, «mouse» = Maus), or both (Arm, Ring); these are excluded from this list.

German common nouns fully adopted into English are in general not initially capitalized, and the German letter «ß» is generally changed to «ss».

German terms commonly used in English[edit]

Most of these words will be recognized by many English speakers; they are commonly used in English contexts. Some, such as wurst and pumpernickel, retain German connotations, while others, such as lager and hamburger, retain none. Not every word is recognizable outside its relevant context. A number of these expressions are used in American English, under the influence of German immigration, but not in British English.

Food and drink[edit]

• Altbier—a copper coloured, malt-forward, clean and crisp tasting, lighter-bodied beer with moderate bitterness from Rhineland.
• Berliner Weisse (German spelling: Berliner Weiße)—a sour beer often infused with fruit syrup.
• Biergarten—an open-air drinking establishment.
• Bock—a strong beer.
• Braunschweiger—a liverwurst cold-cut (though, in Germany, Braunschweiger describes a smoked ground beef sausage).
• Bratwurst (also brat)—a type of frying sausage.
• Budweiser—a beer, named after Budweis, the German name of Budějovice, a city in Southern Bohemia.
• Bundt cake (from Bundkuchen; in German: a Gug(e)lhupf)—a ring cake.
• Delicatessen (German spelling: Delikatessen)—a speciality food retailer; fine foods.
• Dunkel (also Dunkles)—a dark beer.
• Emmentaler (also Emmental)—a yellow, medium-hard Swiss cheese that originated in the area around Emmental, Canton Bern.
• Frankfurter (also frank or frankfurt)—a type of sausage.
• Gose—a top-fermenting sour beer that originated in Goslar, Germany.
• Grätzer—a beer style named after Grätz, the German name of Grodzisk Wielkopolski, a city in Greater Poland
• Gugelhupf—a type of cake with a hole in the middle.
• Gummi bear (in German: Gummibär, but the product is only known as Gummibärchen (diminutive))—the non-Anglicized spelling of gummy bear.
• Hamburger—a sandwich with a meat patty and garnishments.
• Hasenpfeffer—a type of rabbit (or hare) stew.
• Hefeweizen—an unfiltered wheat beer (containing yeast).
• Helles (also Hell)—a pale lager beer.
• Jagertee (from Austrian-Bavarian dialects; German spelling: Jägertee)—an alcoholic beverage made by mixing overproof rum with black tea, red wine, plum brandy, orange juice, and various spices.
• Kipfel (also kipferl)—a horn-shaped type of pastry.
• Kellerbier—a lager beer, which is typically neither clarified nor pasteurised.
• Kinder Surprise (also known as a «Kinder Egg»)—a chocolate egg containing a small toy, usually requiring assembly (in Germany: Überraschungsei and Kinder-Überraschung). However, despite being a German word, the Kinder chocolate brand is actually of Italian origin.
• Kirschwasser—a spirit drink made from cherries (hard liquor / booze).
• Knackwurst—a cooked sausage.
• Kohlrabi—a type of cabbage (aka «cabbage turnip»).
• Kölsch—a beer style from Cologne.
• Kommissbrot—a dark type of German bread, baked from rye and other flours.
• Lager—a beer made with bottom-fermenting yeast and stored for some time before serving (in Germany: an Export).
• Leberwurst—a pork-liver sausage.
• Liptauer—a spicy cheese spread made with sheep milk cheese, goat cheese, quark, or cottage cheese, after Liptau, the German name of Liptov, a region in northern Slovakia.
• Märzen (also Märzenbier)—a medium to full body lager beer.
• Maß—a unit of volume used for measuring beer; typically 1 litre (0.22 imp gal; 0.26 US gal), but probably evolved from the old Bavarian unit of measure (Maßeinheit) called Quartl (quart).
• Mozartkugel, (literally «Mozart ball»)—a small, round sugar confection made of pistachio marzipan, and nougat, covered with dark chocolate.
• Muesli—a breakfast cereal. (Swiss German spelling: Müesli, standard German: Müsli)
• Noodle (from German Nudel)—a type of food; a string of pasta.
• Pfeffernüsse—peppernuts.
• Pilsener (also Pils or Pilsner)—a pale lager beer named after Pilsen, the German name of Plzeň, a city in Western Bohemia; contains higher amounts of hops than usual Lager (or Export) beer, and therefore is a tad more bitter.
• Powidl—a spread made from plums.
• Pretzel (German spelling: Brezel)—a flour- and yeast-based pastry.
• Pumpernickel—a type of sourdough rye bread, strongly flavored, dense, and dark in color.
• Quark—a type of fresh cheese (curd).
• Radler—a mixture of beer and lemonade.
• Rollmops—a rolled, pickled herring fillet.
• Saaz—a variety of hops named after Saaz, the German name of Žatec, a city in Northwestern Bohemia.
• Sauerkraut (also Kraut, which in German would mean cabbage in general)—fermented cabbage.
• Schnapps (German spelling: Schnaps)—a distilled alcoholic drink (hard liquor, booze).
• Schwarzbier—a dark lager beer.
• Seltzer—carbonated water, a genericized trademark that derives from the German town Selters, which is renowned for its mineral springs.
• Spritzer (from spritzen meaning «to spray»; the term is most commonly used in Vienna and its surroundings; in German: (Wein-)Schorle, rarely Gespritzter)—a chilled drink from white wine and soda water.
• Stein (from Steingut meaning «earthenware», referring to the material; in German: Steinkrug, literally earthenware jug)—a large drinking mug, usually for beer.
• Streusel—a crumb topping on a cake.
• Strudel—a filled pastry (e.g., Apfelstrudel, milk-cream strudel).
• Süffig—a beverage that is especially light and sweet or palatable; only the latter meaning is connoted with German süffig.
• Tafelspitz—boiled veal or beef in broth, served with a mix of minced apples and horseradish.
• Weisslacker (also Bierkäse)—a type of cow’s milk cheese.
• Wiener—a hot dog.
• Wiener Schnitzel—a crumbed veal cutlet.
• Wurst—a sausage, cold cuts.
• Zwieback—a «twice baked» bread; rusk, variants: German hard biscuits; Mennonite double yeast roll

Sports and recreation[edit]

• Abseil (German spelling: sich abseilen, a reflexive verb, to rope (seil) oneself (sich) down (ab))—the term «abseiling» is used in the UK and Commonwealth countries, «roping (down)» in various English settings, and «rappelling» in the US.
• Blitz (from Blitzkrieg (lightning war))—A team defensive play in American or Canadian football in which the defense sends more players than the offense can block. The term Blitzkrieg was originally used in Nazi Germany during World War II, describing a dedicated kind of fast and ferocious attack.
• Foosball—Probably from the German word for table football, Tischfußball,^[1] although foosball itself is referred to as Kicker or Tischfußball in German. Fußball is the word for soccer in general.
• Karabiner (from «Karabinerhaken»; can also mean a Carbine firearm in German)—snaplink, a metal loop with a sprung or screwed gate, used in climbing and mountaineering; translates to «riflehook».
• Kutte (literally «frock» or «cowl»)—a type of vest made out of denim or leather and traditionally worn by bikers, metalheads, and punks; in German, the word also refers to the clothes of monks.^[2]
• Kletterschuh—a climbing shoe (mountaineering).
• Mannschaft—a German word for a sports team.
• Rucksack (more commonly called a backpack in American English)
• Schuss—literally a shot (ski) down a slope at high speed.
• Turner—a gymnast.
• Turnverein—a gymnastics club or society.
• Volksmarsch / Volkssport / Volkswanderung—literally people’s march / popular sports (competitive) / people migrating.

Animals[edit]

• Dachshund, a dog breed, literally «badger dog» (usually referred to as Dackel in German usage)
• Doberman Pinscher, a dog breed (usually referred to as Dobermann in German)
• Hamster, a small rodent often kept as a household pet
• Olm, an exclusively cave-dwelling aquatic salamander found in Europe.
• Pomeranian, a dog breed
• Poodle, a dog breed, from German Pudel
• Rottweiler, a dog breed
• Schnauzer, a dog breed (though in German, Schnauzer could also be short for Schnauzbart, meaning «moustache»)
• Siskin, several species of birds (from Sisschen, dialect for Zeisig)
• Spitz, a dog breed

Philosophy and history[edit]

• Antifa, short for «Antifaschistische Aktion» (anti-fascist action)
• Lebensraum, literally «living space»; conquered territory, now exclusively associated with the Nazi Party in that historical context. In Germany, the word usually simply means ‘habitat’
• Nazi, short for Nationalsozialist (National Socialist)
• Neanderthal (modern German spelling: Neandertal), for German Neandertaler, meaning «of, from, or pertaining to the Neandertal («Neander Valley»)», the site near Düsseldorf where early Homo neanderthalensis fossils were first found.
• Schadenfreude, «joy from pain» (literally «harm joy»); delight at the misfortune of others
• Wanderlust, the yearning to travel
• Zeitgeist, spirit of the time

Society and culture[edit]

• Doppelgänger, literally «double-goer», also spelled in English as doppelgaenger; a double or look-alike. However, in English the connotation is that of a ghostly apparition of a duplicate living person.
• Dreck, literally «dirt» or «smut», but now meaning trashy, awful (through Yiddish, OED s.v.)
• Dummkopf, literally «stupid head»; a stupid, ignorant person, similar to «numbskull» in English
• Fest, festival
• Fingerspitzengefühl (literally «finger-tip feeling», in German used to mean «empathy», «sensitivity» or «tact»)
• Gemütlichkeit, coziness
• Gesundheit, literally health; an exclamation used in place of «bless you!» after someone has sneezed
• Hausfrau, pejorative: frumpy, petty-bourgeois, traditional, pre-emancipation type housewife whose interests centre on the home, or who is even exclusively interested in domestic matters (colloquial, American English only), sometimes humorously used to replace «wife», but with the same mildly derisive connotation. The German word has a neutral connotation.
• Kaffeeklatsch, literally «coffee gossip»; afternoon meeting where people (usually referring to women, particularly Hausfrauen) chitchat while drinking coffee or tea and having cake.
• Kindergarten, literally «children’s garden»; day-care centre, playschool, preschool
• Kitsch, cheap, sentimental, gaudy items of popular culture
• Kraut, literally «cabbage»; derogatory term for a German
• Lederhosen (short leather pants for men and boys, often worn with suspenders)
• Meister, «master», also as a suffix: –meister; in German, Meister typically refers to the highest educational rank of a craftsperson. Note: Meister does not refer to the academic master degree (which is now Master or formerly Magister, Diplom-engineer and so forth); it is considered, at most, to be the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree.
• Oktoberfest, Bavarian folk festival held annually in Munich during late September and early October
• Poltergeist, literally «noisy ghost»; an alleged paranormal phenomenon where objects appear to move of their own accord
• Spiel, literally «game»; an attempt to present and explain a point in a way that the presenter has done often before, usually to sell something. A voluble line of often extravagant talk, «pitch»
• uber, über, «over»; used to indicate that something or someone is of better or superior magnitude, e.g. Übermensch
• Wunderkind, literally «wonder child»; a child prodigy

Technology[edit]

• –bahn as a suffix, e.g. Infobahn, after Autobahn
• Bandsalat, literally «tape salad», refers to a tangle of magnetic tape.
• Blücher, a half-boot named after Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher (1742–1819); also a hand in the British card game Napoleon.
• Ersatz, replacement; usually implying an artificial and inferior substitute or imitation. In German, the word has a neutral connotation, e.g. Ersatzrad simply means «spare wheel» (not an inferior one).
• Flak, Flugabwehrkanone, literally: air-defence cannon, for anti-aircraft artillery or their shells, also used in flak jacket; or in the figurative sense: «drawing flak» = being heavily criticized
• Kraft as in kraft paper, a strong paper used to make sacks; Kraft in German just means «strength» or «power»
• Plandampf, running a scheduled train service with historic steam locomotives, popular with railway enthusiasts.
• Volkswagen, literally «people’s car»; brand of automobile
• Zeppelin, type of rigid airship, named after its inventor

Other aspects of everyday life[edit]

• erlaubt, allowed, granted; opposite of verboten.
• kaput (German spelling: kaputt), out-of-order, broken, dead
• nix, from German nix, dialectal variant of nichts (nothing)
• Scheiße, an expression and euphemism meaning «shit», usually as an interjection when something goes amiss
• Ur- (German prefix), original or prototypical; e.g. Ursprache, Urtext
• verboten, prohibited, forbidden, banned. In English this word has authoritarian connotations.

German terms common in English academic context[edit]

German terms sometimes appear in English academic disciplines, e.g. history, psychology, philosophy, music, and the physical sciences; laypeople in a given field may or may not be familiar with a given German term.

Academia[edit]

• Ansatz, educated guess
• Doktorvater, doctoral advisor
• Festschrift, book prepared by colleagues to honor a scholar, often on an important birthday such as the sixtieth.
• Gedenkschrift, memorial publication
• Leitfaden, guideline
• Methodenstreit, disagreement on methodology
• Privatdozent, in German it describes a lecturer without professorship (typically requires German Habilitation degree).
• Professoriat, the entity of all professors of a university
• Wissenschaft, scholarship, research and study in general

Architecture[edit]

• Abwurfdach
• Angstloch, literally «fear hole», a small hole in the floor of a medieval castle or fortress through which a basement room (popularly described as a «dungeon») can be accessed
• Bauhaus, a German style of architecture begun by Walter Gropius in 1918
• Bergfried, a tall tower typical of Central European medieval castles
• Biedermeier, of or relating to a style of furniture developed in Germany in the 19th century; in German, it might also derogatively describe a certain old-fashioned, ultra-conservative interior styling. It also describes a certain type of literature in the beginning of the industrialization that represents a longing for the traditional life at that time, with themes of nature and calmness, untouched by the modern world.
• Burgwall
• Hügelgrab, in archeology, burial mound
• Jugendstil, art nouveau
• Passivhaus, house built to eco-friendly standards, ultra-low energy buildings which need little fuel for heating or cooling
• Pfostenschlitzmauer, in archeology, a method of construction typical of prehistoric Celtic hillforts of the Iron Age
• Plattenbau, building made from prefabricated slabs; a typical building style of the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, particularly associated with East Germany.
• Schwedenschanze
• Sondergotik, a Late Gothic architectural style found in Central Europe between 1350 and 1550
• Stolperstein, literally «stumbling stone», metaphorically a «stumbling block» or a stone to «stumble upon», a cobblestone-size (10 by 10 centimetres (3.9 in × 3.9 in)) concrete cube bearing a brass plate inscribed with the name and life dates of victims of Nazi extermination or persecution
• Viereckschanze, in archaeology, a Celtic fortification of the Iron Age

Arts[edit]

• Gesamtkunstwerk, «the whole of a work of art», also «total work of art» or «complete artwork»
• Gestalt (lit. «shape, figure»), a collection of entities that creates a unified concept (where «the whole is more than the sum of its parts»)

Heraldry[edit]

• Seeblatt
• Schwurhand

Music[edit]

• Affektenlehre, the doctrine of the affections in Baroque music theory
• Almglocken, tuned cowbells
• Alphorn, a wind instrument
• Augenmusik, eye music
• Ausmultiplikation, a musical technique described by Karlheinz Stockhausen
• Blockwerk, medieval type of church organ featuring only labial pipes
• Crumhorn, from German Krummhorn, a type of woodwind instrument
• Fach, method of classifying singers, primarily opera singers, by the range, weight, and color of their voices
• Fackeltanz, a kind of polonaise associated with German royal wedding celebrations
• Fife, from Pfeife, a small transverse flute often used in military and marching bands
• Flatterzunge (literally «flutter tongue»), playing technique for wind instruments
• Flugelhorn (German spelling: Flügelhorn), a type of brass musical instrument
• Glockenspiel, a percussion instrument
• Heldentenor, «heroic tenor»
• Hammerklavier, «hammer-keyboard», an archaic term for piano or the name of a specific kind of piano, the fortepiano; most commonly used in English to refer to Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata
• Hosenrolle, a term for male character, literally «trousers’ role»
• Kapellmeister, «music director»
• Katzenjammer, hubbub or uproar; in German, the term Katzenjammer could also mean hangover.
• Katzenklavier, cat organ, a conjectural instrument employing live cats
• Kinderklavier, piano for children
• Klangfarbenmelodie, a term coined by Arnold Schönberg regarding harmonic theory
• Konzertmeister, concert master
• Kuhreihen, song originally used for gathering cows for milking
• Leitmotif (German spelling: Leitmotiv) a musical phrase that associates with a specific person, thing, or idea
• Lied (pronounced «leet»), «song»; specifically in English, «art song»
• Lieder ohne Worte, «songs without words»
• Liederhandschrift, a manuscript containing medieval songs
• Liederkranz, (originally male) singing club
• Liedermacher, singer-songwriter
• Marktsackpfeife, a type of bagpipes
• Meistersinger, Master-singer
• Mensurstrich, barline that is drawn between staves
• Minnesang, medieval love poetry
• Musikalisches Würfelspiel, a composing technique featuring the use of random number generators, i.e. dice (Würfel)
• Ohrwurm, catchy tune
• Orgelbewegung, a movement of organ building featuring a more baroque sound and organ architecture
• Rauschpfeife, a type of woodwind instrument.
• Rückpositiv (also rendered as Ruckpositiv)
• Sängerfest, a Central European tradition of music festivals that also spread to North America
• Schlager, «a hit» (German schlagen, to hit or beat)
• Schottische, literally «Scottish», a folk dance
• Schuhplattler, a regional dance from Upper Bavaria and Austria
• Singspiel, German musical drama with spoken dialogue
• Sitzprobe, rehearsal of a musical stage work where singers are sitting and without costumes
• Sprechgesang and Sprechstimme, forms of musical delivery between speech and singing
• Strohbass
• Sturm und Drang, «storm and stress», a brief aesthetic movement in German literature, just before Weimar Classicism
• Urtext, «original text» (of the composer)
• Volksmusik, traditional German music
• Walzer (Waltz)
• Zukunftsmusik, music of the future

Genres[edit]

• Kosmische Musik: a Krautrock-associated genre of electronic music pioneered by Popol Vuh
• Krautrock: German-like English name for a variety of German rock
• Neue Deutsche Härte (NDH): «New German Hardness»; a genre of German rock that mixes traditional hard rock with dance-like keyboard parts. Recently it has begun to appear in English.
• Neue Deutsche Todeskunst: «New German Death Art»: a movement within the darkwave and gothic rock scenes
• Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW): «New German Wave». A genre of German music originally derived from punk rock and new wave music.
• Neue Slowenische Kunst: «New Slovenian Art». An art collective dating back to the 1980s, when Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia. Most prominently associated with the band Laibach, named after the German name for Slovenia’s capital city, Ljubljana.
• Romantische Oper: genre of early nineteenth-century German opera

Selected works in classical music[edit]

• Johann Sebastian Bach’s Das wohltemperierte Klavier (The Well-Tempered Clavier); Jesus bleibet meine Freude (Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring)
• Brahms’s Schicksalslied Song of Destiny)
• Kreisler’s Liebesleid (Pain of Love), Liebesfreud (Joy of Love»)
• Liszt’s Liebesträume (Dreams of Love)
• Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Serenade); Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)
• Gustav Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder (Songs on Dead Children)
• Schubert’s Winterreise (Winter Journey)
• Schumann’s Dichterliebe (The Poet’s Love)
• Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier (Cavalier of the Rose); Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spoke Zarathustra); «Vier letzte Lieder» (Four last songs)
• Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus (The Bat); An der schönen blauen Donau (On The Beautiful Blue Danube)
• Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre (The Valkyrie); Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods); both from his opera cycle «Der Ring des Nibelungen» (The Ring of the Nibelung)

Carols[edit]

• Stille Nacht: «Silent Night»
• O Tannenbaum: «O Christmas Tree»

Modern songs[edit]

• 99 Luftballons: «99 Balloons» (English title: «99 Red Balloons») by Nena
• Schrei nach Liebe: «Scream for love» by Die Ärzte
• Feuer frei!: «Fire at will» (literally, «fire freely!») by Rammstein
• Der Kommissar: «The Commissioner» by Falco

Theatre[edit]

• Theaterpädagogik, «theatre pedagogy», the use of theatre as a means for teaching and learning in non-theatrical areas of study
• Verfremdungseffekt, effect of disassociation or alienation

Typography[edit]

• Fraktur, a style of blackletter typeface
• Schwabacher, a style of blackletter typeface, from the Franconian town of Schwabach

Biology[edit]

• Ahnenreihe, line of ancestors
• Ahnenschwund, pedigree collapse
• Ahnentafel, line of ancestors
• Anlage in genetics; also used in the sense of primordium in embryology and temperament in psychology; literal meaning «disposition» or «rudiment»
• Aufwuchs, growth
• Aurochs (Modern German: Auerochse), urus
• Bauplan, body plan of animals
• Bereitschaftspotential, readiness potential
• Edelweiss, German spelling Edelweiß, Leontopodium alpinum
• Einkorn, Triticum boeoticum or Triticum monococcum, a type of wheat
• Krummholz, crooked or bent wood due to growth conditions of trees and bushes
• Lagerstätte, repository; sedimentary deposit rich in fossils
• Lammergeier or lammergeyer (German: Lämmergeier, also Bartgeier), the bearded vulture
• Marmorkrebs, the marbled crayfish
• Molosser, a type of dog, literally «Molossian», from Molossus, the name of an ancient dog breed which the modern molossers descend from
• Oberhäutchen (often written oberhautchen in newer literature), the outermost layer of reptile skin; literally «small top skin» (Häutchen is the diminutive of Haut, the German word for «skin»)
• Schreckstoff (lit. «scare stuff»), a chemical alarm signal emitted by fish
• Spitzenkörper, structure important in hyphal growth
• Spreite, laminae found in trace fossils, going back to animal burrows
• Unkenreflex, a defensive posture adopted by several branches of the amphibian class
• Waldsterben, forest dieback
• Zeitgeber (chronobiology), external clue that helps to synchronize the internal body clock
• Zugunruhe (ornithology), pre-migration anxiety in birds and other migratory animals

Chemistry[edit]

• Aufbau principle (physical chemistry) (German spelling: Aufbauprinzip)
• Bismuth
• Darmstadtium
• Einsteinium
• Entgegen and its opposite zusammen (organic chemistry)
• Gemisch (chemistry: a randomized mixture of components)
• Gerade and its opposite ungerade (quantum mechanics)
• Knallgas Reaction
• Kugelrohr, distillation apparatus
• Meitnerium
• Mischmetall (lit. «mixed metal»), alloy
• Roentgenium
• Umpolung (organic chemistry)
• Wolfram
• Zwitterion

Chess[edit]

• Allumwandlung
• Blitz chess, from German Blitzschach, literally «lightning chess», also known as Fast chess
• Fingerfehler: slip of the finger
• Kibitz, from German Kiebitzer, a spectator making comments on the game that can be heard by the players
• Luft
• Patzer
• Sitzfleisch: patience during slow play
• Zeitnot
• Zugzwang
• Zwischenschach
• Zwischenzug

Economics[edit]

• Dollar (German Thaler, Czech: tolar), from Joachimsthal (Czech: Jáchymov), name for the silver coin minted in Bohemia in the 16th century in Joachimsthal (through Dutch (Rijks)daalder)
• Energiewende, stands for Energy transition
• Freigeld
• Freiwirtschaft
• Hacksilber, a type of commodity money
• Heller (German also Häller), from Hall am Kocher, name for the coin
• K: In economics, the letter K, from the German word Kapital, is used to denote Capital^[3][4][5][6]
• Lumpenproletariat
• Mittelstand
• Takt
• Wirtschaftswunder

Geography[edit]

• Hinterland
• Inselberg
• Knickpoint (German Knickpunkt, from knicken «to bend sharply, fold, kink»), a point where the slope of a river changes suddenly
• Massenerhebung effect
• Mitteleuropa
• Mittelgebirge
• Schlatt (also Flatt; from Low German)
• Steilhang (steep slope or face)
• Thalweg (written «Talweg» in modern German)

Geology[edit]

• Aufeis, sheets of layered ice formed from groundwater discharge or upwelling of river water behind ice dams during freezing temperatures
• Bergschrund
• Dreikanter
• Fenster, also known as a window, a geologic structure formed by erosion or normal faulting on a thrust system
• Firn
• Flysch
• Gneiss (German Gneis)
• Graben
• Horst
• Karst
• Loess (German: Löss)
• Randkluft, gap between the rock face and the side of the glacier
• Rille (German: «groove»), a type of feature of the surface of the Moon
• Sturzstrom
• Urstrom, a large glacial age river in Northern Europe
• Urstromtal

Minerals including:

• Feldspar (German Feldspat)
• Hornblende
• Meerschaum
• Moldavite (German Moldavit), from Moldau (Czech: Vltava)
• Quartz (German Quarz)
• Wolframite (German Wolframit)
• Zinnwaldite (German Zinnwaldit), from Zinnwald (Czech: Cínovec)

History[edit]

(Some terms are listed in multiple categories if they are important to each.)

The Third Reich[edit]

Other historical periods[edit]

• Alltagsgeschichte, literally «everyday history» a type of microhistory
• Aufklarung, in German: Aufklärung, «enlightenment», short for Zeitalter der Aufklärung, «age of enlightenment»
• Biedermeier, era in early 19th century Germany
• Chaoskampf (mythology)
• Diktat
• Gründerzeit, the period in German history of great artistic and economic developments
• Junker
• Kaiser, «emperor» (derived from the title «Caesar»)
• Kleinstaaterei, the territorial fragmentation of Germany in the early modern period
• Kulturgeschichte
• Kulturkampf, literally the ‘struggle for culture’; Otto von Bismarck’s campaign for secularity which mostly went against Catholics in the newly formed German state, ostensibly a result of Bismarck’s suspicion of Catholic loyalty
• Kulturkreis, a theory in anthropology and ethnology
• Kulturkugel, literally «culture bullet» or «cultural bullet», a neologism coined by archaeologist J. P. Mallory for his model of cultural diffusion
• Landflucht
• Landnahme
• Nordpolitik
• Ostflucht
• Ostpolitik
• Ostalgie (nostalgia for the former Eastern Bloc, specifically for the GDR)
• Perserschutt, «Persian rubble», sculptures that were damaged by the invading Persian army on the Acropolis of Athens in 480 BC
• Quellenforschung, «research of sources», the study of the sources of, or influences upon, a literary work
• Regenbogenschüsselchen, a type of prehistoric gold coin of the Celtic Iron Age
• Realpolitik (political science: «real politics»); usually implies the way politics really works, i.e. via the influence of power and money, rather than a principled approach that the public might expect to be aligned with a party’s or nation’s values, or rather than a political party’s given interpretation.
• Reichstag (Imperial Diet; see Reichstag building, Imperial Diet, Reichstag, and the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic)
• Sammlungspolitik
• Sippe, an ancient Germanic clan
• Urmonotheismus
• Urreligion
• Völkerschlacht – the «Battle of the Nations» (that is, the Battle of Leipzig, 1813)
• Völkerwanderung – the migration (and invasions) of the Germanic peoples in the 4th century
• Weltpolitik – the politics of global domination; contemporarily, «the current climate in global politics».
• Wunderkammer, a cabinet of curiosities

Military terms[edit]

• Blitzkrieg (literally «lightning war»)
• Flak (Flugabwehrkanone), anti-aircraft gun (for derived meanings see under Other aspects of everyday life)
• Fliegerhorst, another word for a military airport (Horst = predator bird’s nest)
• Karabiner, a carbine (a firearm). For the climbing hardware, see carabiner above
• Kriegsspiel, in English also written Kriegspiel, war game (different meanings)
• Luftwaffe, air force (since WW II, with East Germany and the earlier German Empire using the term Luftstreitkräfte instead for their air services)
• Panzer refers to tanks and other armored military vehicles, or formations of such vehicles
• Panzerfaust, «tank fist»: anti-tank weapon, a small one-man launcher and projectile.
• Strafe, punishment, extracted from the slogan Gott strafe England (May God punish England)
• U-Boot (abbreviated form of Unterseeboot – submarine, but commonly called U-Boot in Germany as well)
• Vernichtungsgedanke (thought of annihilation)

Linguistics[edit]

• Ablaut
• Abstandsprache
• Aktionsart
• Ausbausprache
• Dachsprache
• Dreimorengesetz, «three-mora law», the rule for placing stress in Latin
• Grammatischer Wechsel, «grammatical alternation», a pattern of consonant alternations found in Germanic strong verbs and also in Germanic nouns
• Junggrammatiker, literally «Young Grammarians», a formative German school of linguists in the late 19th century
• Lallname, a pet name based on baby talk, especially in ancient languages of Asia Minor
• Loanword (ironically not a loanword but rather a calque from German Lehnwort)
• Mischsprache, mixed language
• Primärberührung, «primary contact», the development of certain consonant clusters (stop consonant + /t/) in Proto-Germanic
• Rückumlaut, «reverse umlaut», a regular pattern of vowel alternation (of independent origin from usual ablaut patterns) in a small number of Germanic weak verbs
• Sitz im Leben (Biblical linguistics mainly; the study of pragmatics has a similar approach)
• Sprachbund, «speech bond» or»language union», a sociolinguistic term for a group of languages that have become similar because of geographical proximity
• Sprachgefühl [de], the intuitive sense of what is appropriate in a language
• Sprachraum
• Stammbaumtheorie, the tree model of descendance in historical linguistics; also Stammbaum alone, for a phylogenetical tree of languages
• Suffixaufnahme
• Umlaut
• Urheimat, «original homeland», the area originally inhabited by speakers of a (reconstructed) proto-language
• Ursprache, «proto-language»
• Verschärfung, «sharpening», several analogous phonetic changes in Gothic, North Germanic and modern Faroese
• Wanderwort, «migratory term/word», a word which spreads from its original language into several others
• Winkelhaken, a basic element in the ancient cuneiform script

Literature[edit]

• Bildungsroman, a form of coming-of-age story
• Chaoskampf, «struggle against chaos», a recurring motif in myth and legend
• Knittelvers, a form of poetry using rhyming couplets
• Künstlerroman, a novel about an artist’s growth to maturity
• Leitmotiv, a recurring theme
• Leitwortstil, a phrase repeated to reinforce a theme
• Nihilartikel, a fake entry in a reference work
• Sammelband, a set of manuscripts later bound together
• Quellenkritik, source criticism
• Sturm und Drang, an 18th-century literary movement; «storm and stress» in English, although the literal translation is closer to «storm and urge».
• Urtext, «original text»
• Vorlage, original or mastercopy of a text on which derivates are based
• Q, abbreviation for Quelle («source»), a postulated lost document in Biblical criticism

Mathematics and formal logic[edit]

Medicine[edit]

• Anwesenheit
• Diener, autopsy assistant
• Entgleisen
• Gedankenlautwerden
• Gegenhalten
• Kernicterus (German spelling: Kernikterus)
• Kleeblattschädel
• LSD, German abbreviation of «Lysergsäurediethylamid»
• Mitgehen
• Mitmachen
• Mittelschmerz («middle pain», used to refer to ovulation pain)
• Pfropfschizophrenie
• Rinderpest
• Schnauzkrampf
• Sensitiver Beziehungswahn
• Sitz bath
• Spinnbarkeit
• Verstimmung
• Vorbeigehen
• Vorbeireden
• Wahneinfall
• Witzelsucht
• Wurgstimme

Philosophy[edit]

• An sich, «in itself»
• Dasein
• Ding an sich, «thing in itself» from Kant
• Geist, mind, spirit or ghost
• Gott ist tot!, a popular phrase from Nietzsche; more commonly rendered «God is dead!» in English.
• Übermensch, also from Nietzsche; the ideal of a Superhuman or Overman.
• Weltanschauung, calqued into English as «world view»; a comprehensive view or personal philosophy of human life and the universe
• Welträtsel, «world riddle», a term associated with Nietzsche and biologist Ernst Haeckel concerning the nature of the universe and the meaning of life
• Wille zur Macht, «the will to power», central concept of Nietzsche’s philosophy

Physical sciences[edit]

(See also Chemistry)

• Ansatz, an assumption for a function that is not based on an underlying theory
• Antiblockiersystem
• Bremsstrahlung literally, «brake radiation», electromagnetic radiation emitted from charge particles stopping suddenly
• Dunkelflaute, a period of time in which little to no energy can be generated with the use of wind and solar power.
• Durchmusterung, the search for celestial objects, especially a survey of stars
• Farbzentrum (Solid-state physics)
• Foehn wind, also «foehn» (German spelling Föhn), a warm wind which sometimes appears on the northern side of the Alps in south Germany and Austria
• Fusel alcohol (German: Fuselalkohol), from German Fusel, which refers to low-quality liquor
• Gedanken experiment (German spelling: Gedankenexperiment); more commonly referred to as a «thought experiment» in English
• Gegenschein, a faint brightening of the night sky in the region of the antisolar point
• Gerade and its opposite ungerade (quantum mechanics)
• Graupel, a form of precipitation
• Heiligenschein (lit. «halo»)
• Hohlraum, a radiation cavity used in thermonuclear weapons design
• Kirchweger-Kondensationseinrichtung
• Kugelblitz (the German term for ball lightning), in theoretical physics: a concentration of light so intense that it forms an event horizon and becomes self-trapped
• Rocks and minerals like Quartz (German spelling: Quarz), Gneiss and Feldspar (originally Gneis and Feldspat respectively), Meerschaum
• Reststrahlen (lit. «residual rays»)
• Schiefspiegler, special type of telescope
• Schlieren (from German Schliere for «streak»), inhomogeneities in transparent material
• Sollbruchstelle, predetermined breaking point
• Spiegeleisen
• Trommel
• Umklapp process (German spelling: Umklappprozess)
• Vierbein, and variations such as vielbein, in general relativity
• Zitterbewegung

Politics[edit]

• Befehl ist Befehl
• Berufsverbot
• Kritik, a type of argument in policy debates
• Lumpenproletariat
• Machtpolitik, power politics
• Putsch, overthrow of those in power by a small group, coup d’état. (Although commonly understood and used in contemporary High German, too, the word putsch originates from Swiss German and is etymologically related to English «push».)
• Realpolitik, «politics of reality»: foreign politics based on practical concerns rather than ideology or ethics.
• Rechtsstaat, concept of a state based on law and human rights
• Siegerjustiz
• Überfremdung
• Vergangenheitsbewältigung

Psychology[edit]

• Aha-Erlebnis (lit. «aha experience»), a sudden insight or epiphany, compare eureka
• Angst, feeling of fear, but more deeply and without concrete object
• Eigengrau (lit. «intrinsic grey») or also Eigenlicht (lit. «intrinsic light»), the colour seen by the eye in perfect darkness
• Einstellung effect, from Einstellung, which means «attitude» here
• Ganzfeld effect, from German Ganzfeld (lit. «complete field»), a phenomenon of visual perception
• Gestalt psychology (German spelling: Gestaltpsychologie), holistic psychology
• Gestaltzerfall (lit. «shape decomposition»), a kind of visual agnosia where a complex, holistic shape (Gestalt) dissolves into its parts for the perceiver
• Haltlose personality disorder, from haltlos (lit. «without grip»), aimless
• Merkwelt, «way of viewing the world», «peculiar individual consciousness»
• Schadenfreude, gloating, a malicious satisfaction obtained from the misfortunes of others
• Sehnsucht, a yearning for an ideal alternative
• Sorge, a state of worry, but (like Angst) in a less concrete, more general sense, worry about the world, one’s future, etc.
• Umwelt, environment, literally: «surrounding world»; in semiotics, «self-centred world»
• Völkerpsychologie (lit. «folk psychology»), a 19th-20th century cultural-social psychology framework associated with Wilhelm Wundt^[7]
• Weltschmerz (lit. «world-pain»), a deep feeling of sadness experienced by someone who believes that physical reality can never satisfy the demands of the mind
• Wunderkind (lit. «wonder child»), child prodigy
• Zeitgeber (lit. «time-giver»), something that resets the circadian clock found in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

Sociology[edit]

• Gemeinschaft, community
• Gesellschaft, society
• Herrschaft, reign
• Männerbund, elite male society
• Verstehen, lit. «understanding», interpretive or participatory examination of social phenomena
• Zeitgeist, spirit of the times or age

Theology[edit]

• Gattung, genre^[8]
• Kunstprosa, artistic prose^[9]
• Sitz im Leben (setting in life, context)

German terms mostly used for literary effect[edit]

There are a few terms which are recognised by many English speakers but are usually only used to deliberately evoke a German context:

• Autobahn – particularly common in British English and American English referring specifically to German motorways.
• Achtung – lit. «attention»
• Frau and Fräulein – woman and young woman or girl, respectively, in English. Indicating marital state, with Frau – Mrs. and Fräulein – Miss; in Germany, however, the diminutive Fräulein lapsed from common usage in the late 1960s. Regardless of marital status, a woman is now commonly referred to as Frau, because from 1972 the term Fräulein has been officially phased out for being politically incorrect and should only be used if expressly authorized by the woman concerned.
• Führer (umlaut is usually dropped in English) – always used in English to denote Hitler or to connote a fascistic leader – never used, as is possible in German, simply and unironically to denote a (non-fascist) leader or guide (e.g. Bergführer: mountain guide, Stadtführer: city guide [book], Führerschein: driving licence, Geschäftsführer: managing director, Flugzeugführer: Pilot in command)
• Gott mit uns – meaning «God be with us», the motto of the Prussian king was used as a morale slogan amongst soldiers in both World Wars. It was bastardized as «Got mittens» by American and British soldiers, and is usually used nowadays, because of the German defeat in both wars, derisively to mean that wars are not won on religious grounds.
• Hände hoch – «hands up»
• Herr – in modern German either the equivalent of Mr. (Mister), to address an adult man, or «master» over something or someone (e.g. Sein eigener Herr sein: to be his own master). Derived from the adjective hehr, meaning «honourable» or «senior», it was historically a nobleman’s title, equivalent to «Lord». (Herr der Fliegen is the German title of Lord of the Flies.) In a religious context it refers to God.
• Ich bin ein Berliner – famous quotation by John F. Kennedy
• Leitmotif (German spelling: Leitmotiv) – any sort of recurring theme, whether in music, literature, or the life of a fictional character or a real person.
• Meister – used as a suffix to mean expert (Maurermeister) or master; in Germany it means also champion in sports (Weltmeister, Europameister, Landesmeister)
• Nein – no
• Raus – meaning Out! – shortened (colloquial) (depending on where the speaker is, if on the inside «get out!» = hinaus, if on the outside «come out!» = heraus). It is the imperative form of the German verb hinausgehen (getting out (of a room/house/etc.)) as in the imperative gehen Sie raus!).^[10]
• Reich – from the Middle High German rich, as a noun it means «empire» or «realm», cf. the English word bishopric. In titles as part of a compound noun, for example Deutsche Reichsbahn, it is equivalent to the English word «national» or possibly federal (the words «Reich» and «Bund» are somewhat exchangeable in recent history, with the exception of the Nazi state which continued to call itself Reich despite abolishing states). For instance Reichsbahn ([German] National/Federal Railway), or Reichspost (National/Federal Postal Service), specifically indicating in either case that the respective institutions were organised by central authority (called the German Reich at the time), not the states. To some English – and German – speakers, Reich in English strongly connotes Nazism and is sometimes used to suggest fascism or authoritarianism, e.g. «Herr Reichsminister» used as a title for a disliked politician.
• Ja – yes
• Jawohl – a German term that connotes an emphatic yes – «Yes, indeed!» in English. It is often equated to «yes, sir» in Anglo-American military films, since it is also a term typically used as an acknowledgement for military commands in the German military.
• Schnell! – «Quick!» or «Quickly!»
• Kommandant – commander (in the sense of person in command or commanding officer, regardless of military rank), used often in the military in general (Standortkommandant: base commander), on battleships and U-boats (Schiffskommandant or U-Boot-Kommandant), sometimes used on civilian ships and aircraft.
• Wunderbar – wonderful

Terms rarely used in English[edit]

• Ampelmännchen
• Besserwisser – someone who always «knows better»
• Bockmist, lit. «billy goat’s dung», meaning «nonsense» or «rubbish»
• Eierlegende Wollmilchsau – literally «egg-laying wool-milk-sow», a hypothetical solution, object or person fulfilling unrealistically many different demands; also referring sometimes to a (really existing) object, concept or person like this, for example a multi-tool or exceptionally versatile person (jack of all trades)
• Fahrvergnügen – «driving pleasure»; introduced in a Volkswagen advertising campaign
• Fremdscham, «vicarious shame», the shame felt for the behavior of someone else
• Gastarbeiter – «guest worker», foreign-born worker
• Geisterfahrer – «ghost driver», a wrong-way driver; one who drives in the direction opposite to that prescribed for the given lane.
• Götterdämmerung – «Twilight of the Gods», a disastrous conclusion of events (also a music drama by Richard Wagner)
• Kobold – small mischievous fairy creature, traditionally translated as «goblin», «hobgoblin» or «imp»
• Ordnung muss sein – «There must be order.» This proverbial phrase illustrates the importance that German culture places upon order.
• Schmutz – smut, dirt, filth
• … über alles – «above all», originally from «Deutschland über alles», the first line of Hoffmann von Fallersleben’s poem «Das Lied der Deutschen» (The Song of the Germans); see also Über alles (disambiguation).
• Verschlimmbessern – to make something worse in an honest but failed attempt to improve it
• Vorsprung durch Technik – «competitive edge through technology», used in an advertising campaign by Audi
• Zweihänder – two-handed sword

German quotations used in English[edit]

Some famous English quotations are translations from German. On rare occasions an author will quote the original German as a sign of erudition.

• Muss es sein? Es muss sein!: «Must it be? It must be!» – Beethoven
• Der Krieg ist eine bloße Fortsetzung der Politik mit anderen Mitteln: «War is politics by other means» (literally: «War is a mere continuation of politics by other means») – Clausewitz: «Vom Kriege», Book I, Chapter 1, Section 24
• Ein Gespenst geht um in Europa – das Gespenst des Kommunismus: «A spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of communism» – The Communist Manifesto
• Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt euch!: «Workers of the world, unite!» – The Communist Manifesto
• Gott würfelt nicht: «God does not play dice» – Einstein
• Raffiniert ist der Herrgott, aber boshaft ist er nicht: «Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not» – Einstein
• Wir müssen wissen, wir werden wissen: «We must know, we will know» – David Hilbert
• Was kann ich wissen? Was soll ich tun? Was darf ich hoffen? Was ist der Mensch?: «What can I know? What shall I do? What may I hope? What is Man?» – Kant: Kritik der praktischen Vernunft
• Die ganzen Zahlen hat der liebe Gott gemacht, alles andere ist Menschenwerk: «God made the integers, all the rest is the work of man» – Leopold Kronecker
• Hier stehe ich, ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir. Amen!: «Here I stand, I cannot do differently. God help me. Amen!» – attributed to Martin Luther
• Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen: «Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent» – Wittgenstein
• Einmal ist keinmal: «What happens once might as well never have happened.» literally «once is never» – a common German phrase and the theme of The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
• Es lebe die Freiheit: «Long live freedom» – Hans Scholl
• Arbeit macht frei: «Labour creates freedom» literally «work makes (you) free» – A phrase written over the entranceway of extermination camps in the Holocaust.

See also[edit]

• Germanism (linguistics)
• List of pseudo-German words adapted to English
• List of English words of Dutch origin
• List of English words of Yiddish origin
• Anglish
• Denglisch
• Yinglish

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• J. Alan Pfeffer, Garland Cannon, German Loanwords in English: An Historical Dictionary, Cambridge University Press. 1994.

External links[edit]

• Dictionary of Germanisms
• User-generated collection of Germanisms, including images of spottings.
• Mathematical Words: Origins and Sources (John Aldrich, University of Southampton) See Section on Contribution of German.

• High German loanwords in English

Do you find yourself struggling to start learning German?

If the main reason is that you find German difficult, you should know that you’re not alone.

To succeed, you need to
stay motivated. Only then you’ll find learning German possible. 

How can you do that?

We are happy to give you some exciting news: you probably already know some German words.

How’s this possible?

German words in English didn’t appear by accident. These two languages come from the same language family group, so, even if they look totally different at first sight, they are quite similar.

German in the English-speaking world

To understand why there are so many similar words in these languages, it’s essential to mention that over the long period of history these languages crossed their paths many times. 

Let’s go through a quick history lesson.

Both English and German come from the same language family, so we can say that they are linguistic siblings. 

They are descendants from the Proto-Germanic language.

The big immigration happened after World War II, during the 50s, 60s, and even 70s when more than three million German crossed the Atlantic Ocean and settled in America. 

Most of them found their new home in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and in the so-called German Triangle in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

Even though they were far away from their first homeland, they continued to use German in their daily life. 

Over time, they merged with other communities, so English came into everyday usage. This way, they created new English words from German.

So, not only do English and German have the same root but they ‘came across each other once again’ after thousands of years, and had an impact on each other.

It resulted in words that many of us use every day, but we aren’t aware that they originate from German. 

The Most Common German Words in English

Most of the English speakers can recognize German words in English contexts.

Because of the above-mentioned reasons, these words are more often used in American English than in British English.

To show you that you already know some words in German, let’s play a little game: take a glimpse at the word without reading its explanation. 

Say its meaning out loud. Then read the explanation. We bet that you’ll know most of them.

Are you ready?

Let’s dive in.

Animals

Hamster

It’s a cute little animal many people love to keep as a pet. The word is considered to come from German.

Hund

Dogs are peoples’ best friends. Interestingly, the word ‘hund’ from German to English isn’t used as ‘dog’ but for dog lovers.

Katze

It isn’t totally the same but similar. Cat lovers will understand it right away.

Maus

Tiny little ‘mouse’ sounds the same in English as well as in German. 

Pudel

Poodles are cute and sophisticated dogs. Their name comes from German ‘Pudel.’

Rottweiler

One more dog breed, not as cute as the previous one, but quite appreciated.

Schnauzer

Yes, Germans love dogs. That’s why one more dog breed comes from German.

Family members and home

Bruder

With German origins, the word ‘bruder’ in English is used as ‘brother.’

Haus

Not only is it pronounced almost the same, but the word ‘house’ is also written almost the same.

Mutter

We are pretty sure that an additional explanation isn’t necessary. This is the greatest and the most beautiful word of all. Mother.

Name

Here we have one more word that is written the same way as in English. The pronunciation is, however, slightly different.

Food and Drink

Bretzl

No, it’s not a mistake. The word ‘pretzel’ in German is ‘breztl.’ For those who aren’t quite familiar, this word represents a baked pastry that is shaped into a knot.

Hamburger

This worldwide known word comes from German. In this language, it refers to a person who comes from Hamburg, the city in Germany.

Lager

Germans love beer. They have all kinds of beer. So, it’s no wonder the word ‘lager’ comes from German. A lager beer is stored for some time before it’s served.

Mozartkugel

There is no need to thoroughly explain this word since you surely know what the ‘Mozartkugel’ is. Or, translated to English, ‘Mozart balls.’

Muesli

Germans are known for drinking beer but did you know that they also consume cereals? The word ‘muesli’ comes from this language too.

Nudel

Everyone likes noodles. Even Germans. In fact, they like them so much that the word ‘noodle’ comes from their language.

Schnaps

An alcoholic drink, hard liquor. It’s pronounced the same in both English and German. In English, the written form is a bit different, by adding one more ‘p’ letter; ‘schnapps.’

Wiener

The word comes from the German ‘Wiener Würstchen,’ which means Viennese sausage.

Art, Culture, and Society

Fest

You’ve heard of the Octoberfest or Maifest, but do you know what the word ‘fest’ literally means?  It means ‘party.’

Frau/ Fräulein 

This etiquette indicates whether a woman is married or not. It’s used out of respect.

Gestapo

We are sure that, when said in English, everyone knows what Gestapo means. In German, the word ‘gestapo’ literally means ‘police.’

Kindergarten

In German, ‘kinder’ means ‘child,’ and ‘garten’ means ‘garden.’

Kitsch

An art, kitsch means that something is of a very low taste or quality.

Leitmotif

Leitmotif is often used to explain a literary or music theme in the meaning of ‘leading motive.’

Nazi

When you hear this word, you certainly don’t connect it to something good. It represents a person or an idea that is associated with tyranny and Hitler. Today, however, it became quite common that when you say to someone that he is ‘nazi,’ it can mean that he is a very fanatic person.

Poltergeist

It refers to a noisy ghost that moves around objects.

Putsch

During history, all over the world, this action was used to overthrow the government.

Reich

This word is mostly used within the phrase ‘The Third Reich.’ Even though this word means ‘empire,’ due to its connection to Hitler’s reign, in English, it mainly represents tyranny.

Waltz

A formal type of dance surely everyone loves.

Wanderlust

The word refers to a huge desire to travel around the world.

Wunderkind

Wunderkind, or in other words, wonder child, is a term when your child, out of the blue, shows you how perfectly they calculate, think, or play the piano. In other words, it’s a child prodigy.

Sport and recreation

Foosball

Football, or written with the German alphabet ‘Fußball’ refers to soccer in general.

Haversack

‘Haversack’ is a bag with one strap that is mainly used by business people or bicyclists.

Karabiner

It is a shorter form of the word  ‘Karabinerhaken,’ which represents a metal loop with a screwed gate for climbing.

Rucksack

Another word for a backpack.

Technology

Automat

This word refers to a machine for money but also to serve food and drinks.

Blitz

The word ‘blitz’ has some negative connotations since it was commonly used in World War II. It was at the time when the word’ blitzkrieg’ was used for war to end quickly, just like a lightning bolt.

Diesel

Named after its inventor, Rudolf Diesel, diesel fuel is more used than petrol.

Kraft

In German, it means ‘strong, powerful.’ In English, it is known as a part of the phrase ‘kraft paper,’ which represents a strong paper used to make sacks.

Panzer

Literally, this word means ‘armor’ in German, but in English, it’s a synonym for the light military tank.

Telefon

No matter if you pronounce it in English, or in German, it is the same. A slight difference is only in writing.

Volkswagen

The word ‘volks’ means ‘people,’ and ‘wagen’ means ‘car.’ It is then perfectly logical that Volkswagen is one of the most favorite cars in the world.

Zeppelin

This word represents a rigid airship that is named after its inventor, German Ferdinand von Zeppelin. The word became  commonly used for all airships.

German Verbs

Abseil

The full verb in German is ‘sich abseilen,’ which means ‘to rope oneself down.’ In English, it’s used as ‘roping (down)’ or ‘rappelling.’

Haben

In the meaning ‘to have,’ this verb is very similar to English.

Yodeln

In English, it’s used as ‘yodel,’ which means to pronounce or create the sound ‘Yo,’ that is, to sing alternates rapidly between a head and a chest voice.

Can you try to ‘yodeln?’

Other German words in English that we use every day

Achtung

In the meaning of ‘attention,’ this word is well-known all over the world, so many English speakers and natives started using it. It’s mainly used for literary effect.

Angst

In English, The word ‘angst’ expresses depression and anxiety.

Eisberg

The word berg comes from German in the meaning of ‘mountain.’ So, roughly translated from English to German, the ‘iceberg’ is ‘the mountain of ice.’

Kaputt

In English, this word is not used alone, but everyone knows about the phrase when ‘The car is kaput.’ It means that it’s broken.

Lampe

The word ‘lamp’ comes from the German ‘lampe.’

Neu

It’s one of the words that originate from German to English in the meaning ‘new.’

Nix

This word comes from dialectical ‘nichts,’ which means ‘nothing’ in English.

Und

We can’t imagine our everyday conversations without this word. In German, it is ‘und.’ In English, however, it is ‘and.’

Conclusion

This list is only one part of German words. 

Now that you saw for yourself that you already know some of the words, then you could start learning the language.

You don’t need to sit at the table, open your grammar or textbook, and study the old fashioned way 

You have so many different and effective ways to learn German and
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Schnitzel, dachshund, blitz – ever wondered what these words have in common? 

They’re all German words we use in English. German loanwords, to be exact – words that English speakers have ‘borrowed’, and use in more or less their original Germanic form. 

Think of these ‘loanwords’ as tiny pieces of German culture and language that have made their way into the English language. Little cultural artifacts, if you will, that you’ll find in the way English speakers describe their food and philosophy; or mention historical landmarks, like technological inventions or scientific discoveries. 

And if you’re wondering why we use German words in English, instead of making up new English words for them? 

Well, for one, they sound more interesting and sophisticated – not to mention more authentic. 

For the English language is actually made up of a mish-mash of foreign languages, ranging from Latin and Greek influences to loanwords from German, French, Spanish and Hebrew.

Here are 11 German loanwords used in English, and everything you need to know about them.

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Interested in learning more fun facts about German? Start learning with Busuu today.

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1. Kindergarten

Have you ever wondered what the word ‘kindergarten’ actually means? 

Children’s garden. 

Yup, it actually translates to an actual garden for children. 

How lovely is that?! 

Now for an important fact: the German and American meanings of kindergarten don’t completely align. Kindergarten in American English refers to preschool, while, in German, the term refers to daycare for children aged three to six.

2. Angst

The original meaning of the German phrase die Angst translates to fear – the sort of irrational reaction that might make you shriek if you see a spider, or dread the next parent-teacher conference.

But in English speaking countries, angst describes a feeling of deep anxiety, worry, often caused by our reaction to things we find overwhelming, or that are out of our control.

For example, English speakers might say they ‘get angsty’ before getting the results for an exam, a medical test or a job interview.

3. Blitz

Blitz in English – apart from its association with food blenders – unfortunately has some of the same ‘world war’ connotations that originate from the German.

But here’s a little more information on how the association came about.

While the original definition in German is simply ‘bolt’,  the term as we know it today was coined by the German term “Blitzkrieg”, which meant a war that came to an end quickly – as quick as a lightning bolt. 

4. Dachshund

Dachshunds – you know, those beautiful and sometimes silly-looking sausage dogs word that make do cause a lot of excessive ‘oooh’-ing and ‘aww’-ing, – is a great example of a word whose meaning has changed over time.

As a German speaker, the word ‘dachshund’ means very little to me (it’s what I like to call a ‘false friend’).  

Literally speaking, though, dachshund means ‘badger dog’. This is because this particular type of dog was originally reared to find the dens of foxes and badgers. 

Nowadays, dachshund in English refers to your average, mischievous pet sausage dog, whereas sausage dogs in German – whether they’re bred specifically for hunting, or for our need for a bit of TLC (tender loving care) – are called ‘Dackel’.

5. Doppelgänger

The German language can be very descriptive, as Geman words are often a combination of two or more words. 

This adds a whole new level of specificity and accuracy to their meanings – as in the case for this loanword: German “Doppelgänger” literally means ‘double goer’.

This translates to someone who is the spitting image of someone else, even though they’re not related. 

Cool and freaky at the same time, right?

6. Fest

We use fest in English to describe a gathering based around a particular activity or thing – think of events like music festivals or concerts.

In German, however, das Fest has a slightly stronger celebratory twang to it, but it more or less carries the same meaning.

7. Kaput

Short and simple: kaputt in German means broken.

You’ll see frustrated Germans using it all the time to describe something that used to work, or that doesn’t work anymore.

Mostly, it’ll be in relation to inanimate objects (the type that don’t talk back!), like TV or your phone screen, but you can also use kaputt figuratively to describe things like a broken relationship. 

8. Rucksack

Another a great example of a very descriptive German loanword that’s made up of two.

‘Ruck’ derives from rücken (back), and sack has the same meaning as sack in English – so together, rucksack basically just means a sack we carry on the back.

See: sometimes, understanding a language can be as easy as sacks on backs! 

9. Schnapps

As with many German words we’ve seen so far, schnapps has a slightly different spelling and a more specific meaning in English.

In German, “Schnaps” could technically refer to any shot of liquor, whereas in English we also use it to mean a grain, potato or fruit spirit made in northern and eastern parts of Europe.  

10. Wanderlust

Have you ever felt a burning desire to travel and explore the world? Or embark on adventure, where the journey is more important than the destination?

“Wanderlust” is the word you’re after to express that kind of longing.

The word comes from wandern (to hike) and lust haben (to feel like / to fancy).

11. Zeitgeist

It’s one of my favourite words of all time – and, again, shows just how well German can convey a complex idea in a single word.

“Zeitgeist” is made up of Zeit (time) and geist (spirit) and describes the ideas and beliefs of an era.

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Learned something new today?

We sure hope you did!

And remember: German loanwords aren’t just a great way to add a few more expressions to your vocabulary bank; they also give you a cheeky headstart when you start learning German.

Can you think of any more German loanwords? Comment and let us know!

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Now that you already know more than a couple of handfuls of German words, why not give it a proper try?

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Updated on January 30, 2019

English has borrowed many words from German. Some of those words have become a natural part of everyday English vocabulary (angst, kindergarten, sauerkraut), while others are primarily intellectual, literary, scientific (Waldsterben, Weltanschauung, Zeitgeist), or used in special areas, such as gestalt in psychology, or aufeis and loess in geology.

Words With No English Equivalent

Some of these German words are used in English because there is no true English equivalent: gemütlich, schadenfreude. Words in the list below marked with * were used in various rounds of Scripps National Spelling Bees in the U.S.

Here’s an A-to-Z sample of German loan words in English:

German Words in English
ENGLISH	DEUTSCH	MEANING
alpenglow	s Alpenglühen	a reddish glow seen on the mountain tops around sunrise or sunset
Alzheimer’s disease	e Alzheimer Krankheit	brain disease named for the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915), who first identified it in 1906
angst/Angst	e Angst	«fear» — in English, a neurotic feeling of anxiety and depression
Anschluss	r Anschluss	«annexation» — specifically, the 1938 annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany (the Anschluss)
apple strudel	r Apfelstrudel	a type of pastry made with thin layers of dough, rolled up with a fruit filling; from the German for «swirl» or «whirlpool»
aspirin	s Aspirin	Aspirin (acetylsalicyclic acid) was invented by the German chemist Felix Hoffmann working for Bayer AG in 1899.
aufeis	s Aufeis	Literally, «on-ice» or «ice on top» (Arctic geology). German citation: «Venzke, J.-F. (1988): Beobachtungen zum Aufeis-Phänomen im subarktisch-ozeanischen Island. — Geoökodynamik 9 (1/2), S. 207-220; Bensheim.»
autobahn	e Autobahn	«freeway» — The GermanAutobahn has almost mythical status.
automat	r Automat	a (New York City) restaurant that dispenses food from coin-operated compartments
Bildungsroman* pl. Bildungeromane	r Bildungsroman Bildungsromane pl.	«formation novel» — a novel that focuses on the maturation of, and the intellectual, psychological, or spiritual development of the main character
blitz	r Blitz	«lightning» — a sudden, overwhelming attack; a charge in football; the Nazi attack on England in WWII (see below)
blitzkrieg	r Blitzkrieg	«lightning war» — a rapid-strike war; Hitler’s attack on England in WWII
bratwurst	e Bratwurst	grilled or fried sausage made of spiced pork or veal
cobalt	s Kobalt	cobalt, Co; see Chemical Elements
coffee klatsch (klatch) Kaffeeklatsch	r Kaffeeklatsch	a friendly get-together over coffee and cake
concertmaster concertmeister	r Konzertmeister	the leader of the first violin section of an orchestra, who often also serves as assistant conductor
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease CJD	e Creutzfeldt-Jakob- Krankheit	«mad cow disease» or BSE is a variant of CJD, a brain disease named for the German neurologists Hans Gerhardt Creutzfeldt (1883-1964) and Alfons Maria Jakob (1884-1931)
dachshund	r Dachshund	dachshund, a dog (der Hund) originally trained to hunt badger (der Dachs); the «wiener dog» nickname comes from its hot-dog shape (see «wiener»)
degauss	s Gauß	to demagnetize, neutralize a magnetic field; the «gauss» is a unit of measurement of magnetic induction (symbol G orGs, replaced by the Tesla), named for German mathematician and astronomerCarl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855).
deli delicatessen	s Delikatessen	prepared cooked meats, relishes, cheeses, etc.; a shop selling such foods
diesel	r Dieselmotor	The diesel engine is named for its German inventor, Rudolf Diesel(1858-1913).
dirndl	s Dirndl s Dirndlkleid	Dirndl is a southern German dialect word for «girl.» A dirndl (DIRN-del) is a traditional woman’s dress still worn in Bavaria and Austria.
Doberman pinscher Dobermann	F.L. Dobermann r Pinscher	dog breed named for the German Friedrich Louis Dobermann (1834-1894); the Pinscher breed has several variations, including the Dobermann, although technically the Dobermann is not a true pinscher
doppelgänger doppelganger	r Doppelgänger	«double goer» — a ghostly double, look-alike, or clone of a person
Doppler effect Doppler radar	C.J. Doppler (1803-1853)	apparent change in the frequency of light or sound waves, caused by rapid movement; named for the Austrian physicist who discovered the effect
dreck drek	r Dreck	«dirt, filth» — in English, trash, rubbish (from Yiddish/German)
edelweiss*	s Edelweiß	a small flowering Alpine plant (Leontopodium alpinum), literally «noble white»
ersatz*	r Ersatz	a replacement or substitute, usually implying inferiority to the original, such as «ersatz coffee»
Fahrenheit	D.G. Fahrenheit	The Fahrenheit temperature scale is named for its German inventor, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736), who invented the alcohol thermometer in 1709.
Fahrvergnügen	s Fahrvergnügen	«driving pleasure» — word made famous by a VW ad campaign
fest	s Fest	«celebration» — as in «film fest» or «beer fest»
flak/flack	die Flak das Flakfeuer	«anti-aircraft gun» (FLiegerAbwehrKanone) — used in English more like das Flakfeuer(flak fire) for heavy criticism («He’s taking a lot of flak.»)
frankfurter	Frankfurter Wurst	hot dog, orig. a type of German sausage (Wurst) from Frankfurt; see «wiener»
Führer	r Führer	«leader, guide» — a term that still has Hitler/Nazi connections in English, more than 70 years after it first came into use

*Words used in various rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee held annually in Washington, D.C.

Also see: The Denglisch Dictionary — English words used in German

Like every other language, English contains a wealth of words that at some point have been «borrowed» from other languages. Once these «loanwords» become incorporated into everyday vocabulary, people tend to forget that they actually began their lives as competely foreign words!

Take, for example, ‘shampoo’, which is Hindi for «massage», as part of a Turkish bath process. Or ‘safari’, which is the Arabic word for «travel». Sure, as a native speaker of English, you know the meaning of these words and understand them. But I’d bet good money you didn’t know their actual translations until this point!

At Brainscape, we love those a-ha! moments when you discover something deeper about a word or thing you’d never considered before. So, in the spirit of discovery, we put together a list of 20 German words used in English and translated them for you.

[And if you’re currently learning German and could use a powerful study tool to help you bank that vocab more efficiently, check out Brainscape’s certified German flashcards, as well as the German flashcard collections other users have put together.]

1. Kindergarten

Kinder = children
Garten = garden
Garden for children.

2. Iceberg = Eisberg

Eis = ice
Berg = mountain
Mountain of ice.

3. Wunderkind

Wunder = wonder, miracle
Kind = child
Wonder child.

[Hey! Learning a foreign language? Check out ‘The best way to learn a language⁠ online—your complete toolkit’.]

4. Angst

Angst = fear

5. Uber- = über

über = above, beyond

6. Zeitgeist

Zeit = time
Geist = spirit
Spirit of the time.

7. Doppelganger = Doppelgänger

Doppel = double
‘Gänger’ (not used in this form; derivated from the verb gehen = to go) = ‘walker’
Double walker.

8. Poltergeist

Poltern = to rumble
Geist = ghost or spirit
Rumbling ghost.

9. Bauhaus (architecture)

Bau = construction, building
or: imperative of bauen = to build
Haus = house

10. Blitzkrieg (military)

Blitz = lightning
Krieg = war
War of lightning.

[Check out this Academy guide: ‘Reading is one of the BEST ways to learn a language’.]

11. Neanderthal = Neandertaler

Tal = valley (Thal is an old spelling)
Taler (not used in this form) = inhabitant of the valley
Neander(tal) is the proper name of a valley in Germany
Inhabitant of the valley of Neander.

12. (Apple) Strudel = (Apfel) Strudel

Strudel = swirl

13. Sauerkraut

Sauer = sour
Kraut = herb; cabbage
Sour cabbage.

14. Leitmotif = Leitmotiv (music)

Leiten (in imperative form) = to lead
Motiv = motive, theme
Leading motive.

15. Volkswagen

Volk = people, nation
Wagen = car, cart
Car for the people.

16. Gesundheit

Gesund = health
Heit = hood (as in «adulthood»)
«Health», which you say to someone when they sneeze.

17. Schadenfreude

Schaden = damage
Freude = joy
Being joyful about the sufferings of others.

18. Katzenjammer (music)

Katze(n) = cat(s)
Jammer = sorrow, misery
The sorrow (moaning) of cats.

19. Zugzwang (chess)

Zug = move
Zwang = compulsion, pressure
To be forced to move (a bad situation in chess)

20. Gründerzeit (history)

Gründer = founder
Zeit = time
Time of the founder.

Learn German more effectively

Learning a language isn’t just a rewarding way to connect with other people and another culture—it can also help you connect better with English (which sounds completely weird but, as you’ve now seen after learning these 20 words, isn’t really).

To help you along in your language-learning journey, check out Brainscape’s seminal guide to learning a language efficiently and don’t forget to get our certified German flashcards in your corner!

You’ll be fluent before you can say «Apfelstrudel«.

The German-derived English words are no less than hope for language learners. You can learn German online by following the German-derived English words. These German words in English appear in almost all conversations and can help you understand German content easily.

The German words in English are fun to say. They will increase your fluency in the language and help you to relate to two different languages. Cool, right? Stick to this article and you will explore some of the easiest and most fun words derived from German.

Since there are so many English words that are derived from German, they are automatically easier to learn. When you generate a list of these words for yourself, it will help you to use them quite often and memorize them. Memorizing these words will minimize your chances of getting confused.

Do not forget to generate your vocabulary with a help of an authentic source. To achieve your learning goal, get your hands into italki’s lesson plans. Italki is a great online language learning platform with the best online German tutors to provide you with one-on-one learning sessions. They will help you remove the confusion between Spanish vs. German and to expand your knowledge base. Book your lessons and start your journey.

Learning such words also gives you the opportunity to learn about German history and the German’s relationship with English-speaking countries and the aspects they have in common.

1. Abseil

Rock climbers frequently use the term abseil when discussing descending by rope. Although you would normally say that you are abseiling, another less-German term for this action is rappelling.

2. Automat

This one is fairly straightforward, as it refers to a machine that accepts money and serves food or drinks, commonly found in fast food restaurants. It’s not a common word these days, but we still see vending machines, which are a type of automat.

3. Anschluss

Although this word means “connection,” it derives from Austria’s forced integration with Nazi Germany.

4. Achtung

Although the word Achtung means “attention,” it has appeared in several cultural references, including the U2 album “Achtung Baby.”

5. Blitz

Blitz is an interesting word because it technically means lightning in English. In German, it is only used literally (lightning war), as in World War II’s rapid military ground attacks known as Blitzkrieg.

6. Bagel

Many English speakers use this word every morning, and while this tasty bread food originated in Poland, Germans also call them bagels or beigels.

7. Carabiner

The term karabinerhaken refers to a spring hook safety system found on German rifles. In English-speaking countries, the term “carabiner” is derived from this, but it refers to a metal safety loop used by rock climbers.

8. Delicatessen

Although you may be familiar with the term “deli,” you will still find many shops with the word “delicatessen” plastered on the sign. It refers to a shop that sells delicacies such as cheese and meat. Delicatessen is made up of two separate German words: delikat, which means “delicious,” and Essen, which means “to eat.”

9. Doppelgänger

The term “doppelgänger” has gained popularity in pop culture and it refers to when you see someone who looks exactly like someone you know. It’s a literary term that refers to a supernatural phenomenon in which a person appears to have been duplicated.

10. Fest

If you plan on attending a party or celebration, you can tell everyone that the word “fest” originated in Germany.

Want to learn more about the German language, you can visit italki and learn German efficiently.

11. Feldspar

This is known as Feldspat in German, but “feldspar” in English, and it is a type of rock that makes up 60 percent of the world’s crust.

12. Götterdämmerung

In English, the word götterdämmerung refers to a catastrophic event, but in German mythology, it represents the demise of the gods. This is a combination of the German words Götter (gods) and Dämmerung (dusk twilight).

13. Gedankenexperiment

Gedankenexperiment is made up of two parts: Gedanken, which means “thought,” and experiment which is an exact translation of the English word “experiment.”

From the gedankenexperiment, we derive the meaning of “thought experiment.” Albert Einstein popularised this term in both English and German to refer to the use of complex mental reasoning as proof of his physics theories rather than actual physical evidence.

14. Gelandesprung

This term refers to a ski jump, usually over an obstacle. It’s even on the sign of the Gelandesprung Ski Club in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

15. Gestapo

This is an interesting word because, while it simply means a police force in German, Gestapo has a negative connotation throughout the rest of the world due to how the Gestapo led the way to a mass genocide during World War II.

16. Hinterland

Hinterland is a German and English word that means “backwoods” or “the land behind.” It primarily refers to wilderness areas.

17. Homburg

Winston Churchill was well-known for his use of homburgs. It’s a felt hat with a top dent and an upward brim that wraps around the sides.

18. Kitsch

Kitsch is something of poor taste or quality, and it is frequently used when discussing art or design.

19. Kaput

In English, this means that the car is broken or not working. In German, the word has the same meaning.

20. Kindergarten

This is the year preceding first grade. The word literally translates to “child garden” in German.

21. Kuchen

Kuchen is the German word for cake, but it can refer to a wide range of desserts and pastries in English-speaking countries.

22. Liverwurst

The Germans call it Leberwurst, a combination of the words Leber (liver) and Wurst (sausage), but English-speaking people know it as liverwurst.

23. Nazi

The term Nazi used to refer to someone or something associated with the National Socialist political party, but now it refers to tyranny and Hitler. As a result, when someone refers to another person as a Nazi, it simply means they are a fanatic.

24. Noodle

This is a well-known and loved pasta dish derived from the German word Nudel.

25. Poltergeist

Most English-speaking people associate this term with the “Poltergeist” film series, but it refers to a noisy ghost or a spiritual force that moves around objects.

26. Panzer

Although the term “panzer” technically means “armour” in German, it has come to be synonymous with the light German military tank.

27. Rucksack

In English, this term is commonly used by hikers to refer to a backpack. In fact, the word is most commonly used in the military. The literal German translation is “back sack,” but it refers to the same thing, a backpack.

28. Reich

This word is used in German for the term “empire” or as part of the name of national services, such as the post office. However, since the Third Reich, the term has been associated with Hitler’s tyranny.

29. Schadenfreude

Some might call this type of person a sadist, but the Germans coined another term for it: Schadenfreude. It refers to someone who enjoys the misfortune of others. Schadenfreude is derived from the combination of two different words: Schaden, which means “damage” or “harm,” and Freude, which means “joy” or “pleasure”.

30. Sauerbraten

Despite the fact that it is still a completely German word, many English-speaking people use it to refer to a German pot roast.

31. Schnapps

Anyone who drinks has most likely heard of Schnapps. In German, the distilled beverage is spelled schnaps.

32. Ubermensch

Ubermensch (or Übermensch, in the original German, which literally translates to “more than human”) derives directly from Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy, which is basically the opposite of Christianity in that he criticizes those who strive for other-worldliness, such as heaven.

33. Wanderlust

This is a popular phrase these days, and it refers to a strong desire to travel around the world, derived from the German words Wander (wander) and Lust (desire).

34. Weltanschauung

Weltanschauung refers to a worldview. This is derived from the German words Welt (world) and Anschauung (vision) (optimism).

35. Weltschmerz

Jean Paul, a German author, coined the term Weltschmerz to describe the mind’s inability to comprehend our physical reality. The literal translation is “world pain.”

Conclusion

These are some of the common German words in English. With the help of this article, you have got a chance to learn some of the coolest words that are common in both languages. Create a list for yourself and memorize them.

You can seek guidance from italki’s language learning sessions to generate your vocabulary list and learn some of the basics of the German language such as fruits in German and counting in German to make you speak as the natives do.