List of German expressions in English

Categories: Germany-related lists | German language | Glossaries | English words of foreign origin | German loanwords

Below is a list of German expressions used in English. Some are relatively common (such as hamburger or gestalt), but most are comparatively rare. In many cases, the German borrowing in English has assumed a substantially different meaning than its German forebear.

English and German are both descended from the West Germanic language, though their relationship has been obscured by the large influx of Norman French words into English from the Norman Conquest of 1066 and the second Germanic sound shift. In recent years, however, many English words have been borrowed directly from German. Typically English spellings of German loanwords suppress any umlauts (the accent over Ä, Ö, Ü, ä, ö and ü) of the original artifact.

German words have been incorporated into English usage for various reasons. Common cultural items, especially foods, have spread to English-speaking nations and are often identified by their German names. The history of excellence among German-speaking nations in science, scholarship, and classical music has led to many German words being adopted by academics for use in English contexts. Discussion of German history and culture requires use of German words. Lastly, some German words are used simply to a fictional passage by implying that the thing being expressed is German, as in Frau or Reich, although sometimes the use of German terms has no German implication, as in doppelganger or angst.

English and German are descended from the same common ancestor, called Proto-Germanic. Because of this, a number of English words are identical to their German counterparts either in spelling (Hand, Finger) or in pronunciation (Fish = Fisch). These words are excluded from this list.

Contents

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German terms commonly used in English

Words in this category will be recognized by most English speakers and are commonly used in English. A few, such as delicatessen and hinterland, are often used without awareness that they are originally German. It should be noted that some words in this list (hamburger, kindergarten) are more common than others (ersatz, wanderlust).

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Food and drink

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Sports and recreation

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Other aspects of everyday life

  • Angst (though the meaning is much more specific in English.)
  • -bahn as in Infobahn, tongue-in-cheek term for high-capacity data networks (after Autobahn)
  • Dachshund (a word that Germans rarely use; they say 'Dackel')
  • Doberman Pinscher (German spelling: Dobermannpinscher, Germans often just say 'Dobermann')
  • Doppelganger (German spelling: Doppelgänger)
  • Ersatz, "substitute", derogatory
  • Fest
  • Flak (Flugabwehrkanone), in the figurative sense: "drawing flak" = being criticized
  • Hinterland
  • Gesundheit (in US English, only used as an exclamation used after somebody has sneezed)
  • Kaput (German spelling: kaputt)
  • Kindergarten, extremely common – literally: children’s garden
  • Kitsch (also used in Yiddish, but derivative of German)
  • Kraut, as a derogatory term for a German person. Uncommon nowadays, but current during World War I and World War II.
  • -meister (primarily satirical usage)
  • Oktoberfest
  • Poltergeist
  • Schadenfreude, also Schadensfreude - happiness at the misfortune of others.
  • Schnauzer (a dog of a German breed with a close wiry coat and heavy whiskers round the muzzle; also means mustache)
  • Spitz
  • uber, über, (German spelling: über) "over", used to indicate that someting is better or greater, e.g. über-hacker, über-fast, confer Übermensch
  • Verboten (prohibited or forbidden)
  • Volkswagen proper name in English; usually read with English phonetics (i.e. initial sound as an English v rather than an f; w as an English w, rather than a v)
  • Wanderlust (German spelling: Wanderslust), the yearning to travel
  • Wunderkind, "wonder child", a prodigy
  • Zeitgeist "spirit of the times"
  • Zeppelin, type of airship named after its inventor
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German terms commonly used in academic contexts in English

German terms frequently appear in several academic disciplines in English, notably in history, psychology, philosophy, music and the physical sciences. Non-specialists in a given field may or may not be familiar with a given German term.

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Academia

  • Ansatz, basic approach
  • Festschrift, book prepared by colleagues to honor a scholar
  • Leitfaden, illustration of the interdependence between chapters of a book.
  • Methodenstreit, disagreement on methodology
  • Privatdozent
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Architecture

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Economics

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Geography

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History

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

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Das Dritte Reich (The Third Reich)

See Glossary of the Weimar Republic and Glossary of the Third Reich.

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Other historical periods

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Noble titles

  • Freiherr, roughly equivalent to an English baron, the lowest rank of nobility
  • Fürst, "prince", but see entry for notes and qualifications: in German use refers to leader of a principality, not an heir to a throne
  • Graf, "count"
  • Junker
  • Kaiser, "emperor"
  • Landgraf, count with princely (sovereign) powers, see entry for relation to "Graf"
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General military terms

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Military ranks

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Linguistics

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Literature

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Mathematics and formal logic

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Medicine

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Music

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Philosophy

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Physical sciences

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Psychology

  • Gestalt (psychology; much narrower meaning than in German.)
  • Zeitgeber (lit. time-giver; something that resets the circadian clock found in the SCN.)
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Sociology


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German terms mostly used for literary effect

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

  • Achtung
  • Frau and Fräulein
  • 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, (i.e. Bergführer = mountain guide, Stadtführer = city guide, Führerschein = driving licence etc.)
  • Hände hoch — "hands up"
  • Herr — evokes German context; but when used with military titles ("Herr Oberst"), it may connote the Nazi era to English listeners.
  • Lederhosen (Singular Lederhose in German denotes one pair of leather trousers. The original Bavarian word is Lederhosn, which is both singular and plural.)
  • Meister — used as a suffix to mean expert, or master
  • Nein, "no"
  • Reich — to English speakers, "Reich" does not denote its literal meaning, "empire", but strongly connotes Naziism and is often used to suggest Fascism or authoritarianism, e.g., "Herr Reichsminister" used as a title for a disliked politician. German "reich" as an adjective means "rich", as a noun it means "empire" and "realm".
  • 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.
  • Schnell! — Fast!
  • Kommandant — officer or person in command, especially of a military camp or U-Boat. (Applies regardless of military rank, in distinction to the English "commander".)
  • Schweinhund (German spelling: Schweinehund) - literally: Schwein = pig, Hund = dog, Vulgarism like in der verdammte Schweinehund. But also used to describe the lack of motivation (for example to quit a bad habit) Den inneren Schweinehund bekämpfen. = to battle the inner pig-dog.
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German terms rarely used in English

This is the unsorted, original list. If a term is common in a particular academic discipline, and there is no more commonly used English equivalent, then please move it to the list above.

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Music

For terms used in music, see above.

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Meanings of German band names

  • Böhse Onkelz = (correct German spelling: böse Onkels, although it should be noted that "Onkels" is itself an incorrect plural form of "Onkel", the correct plural being "Onkel" without the s) "evil uncles," a term used in German as a euphemism for child molesters. The wrong spelling is done to "harden" its appearance (h in this context amplifies the ö; z is pronounced ts in German, and sounds sharper than s).
  • Die Ärzte = (medical) doctors, a German rock band.
  • Die Sterne = the stars
  • Die Toten Hosen = literally dead trousers. A slang expression for a boring place to be (only used in certain regions). It can also refer to impotence.
  • Einstürzende Neubauten = "collapsing new buildings". For the band this evokes the image of buildings built during the postwar era, which were very hastily erected, hence supposedly prone to collapse.
  • Fettes Brot = fat bread
  • Juli = July
  • KMFDM = Kein Mehrheit für die Mitleid (The correct German form is Kein Mitleid für die Mehrheit), no pity for the majority.
  • Kraftwerk = power plant
  • Wir Sind Helden = we are heroes
  • Rammstein = named after Ramstein Air Base, but could mean "ramming stone" (literal) or "battering ram" (figurative).
  • Silbermond = silver moon

See also: Krautrock: "Kraut (= cabbage) rock". A German-like English name for a variety of German rock music.

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Classical Music Works

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See also

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External links

Dictionary of Germanismsde:Liste deutscher Wörter im Englischen