English has borrowed words from so many languages, and German is no exception. There are many German words that we use in English today. Let's see what a few of the most common ones are.
Key Takeaways
- German loanwords are words English has adopted from German and now uses in everyday, cultural, academic or specialist contexts.
- Some English and German words look related because the languages share older roots, but true loanwords from German entered English later.
- German loanwords often appear when English needs a compact word for a feeling, an idea, a food, a cultural concept, or a specialist term.
- Many common German loanwords retain clues to their original meanings, especially compound words like kindergarten, wanderlust and zeitgeist.
- Learning German loanwords can help beginners recognise German word-building patterns before moving on to grammar and conversation.
What Are German Loanwords in English?
German loanwords are words that the English language has taken from German vocab and now uses as part of its ordinary, academic, cultural, or informal vocabulary. A loanword can be taken from any other language and used by speakers of the borrowing language.³ English has a long history of absorbing vocabulary from other languages, which is one reason German loanwords can sit naturally alongside words from Latin, French, Greek and many other sources.¹
Loanwords, Cognates and Shared Germanic Roots
English borrows German words when they are useful, compact, or culturally recognisable. This can happen in almost any field. The German influence on English vocabulary is well documented, with researchers being able to see how borrowed words changed and spread during the 20th century.⁹ Sometimes, it's even worth borrowing untranslatable German words if there isn't an English equivalent that does the job.
A loanword is borrowed from another language, while a cognate is related because two languages share an older root.³ This matters because words like kindergarten, zeitgeist, and wanderlust came into English from German, while many basic English words are older Germanic relatives rather than direct German borrowings.⁵ Knowing the difference helps learners understand which words show shared history and which ones show later cultural exchange.
of English words are thought to have been borrowed from other languages, with contributions from as many as 350 languages.
Common German Loanwords You Already Know
There are several German loanwords we use almost every day. Some German words are used for food, travel, and daily life, while others have become popular because they describe feelings, cultural ideas, or social situations especially well. Remember that not every word in German that looks like an English word is the same; sometimes they're false friends. Here you can see how borrowed words can become ordinary parts of English while still keeping traces of their original German meaning.⁵
Many German loanwords are compact, memorable, and culturally specific, which makes them useful in English when a single English word does not quite capture the same idea. Terms like schadenfreude, doppelgänger, and zeitgeist carry precise meanings that English speakers often borrow rather than translate.⁷ This is one reason German has had a lasting influence on English vocabulary in culture, psychology, education, food, and the arts.⁹
Everyday Words
A rucksack is a backpack, and the word comes from German parts meaning back and sack. In English, it often feels a little more outdoorsy or travel-focused than the everyday word backpack.⁵
A doppelgänger is someone who looks almost exactly like another person. The German word combines the idea of a double with someone who walks or goes, which is why it is often explained as a “double-goer”.⁴
Gesundheit literally means "health," which is why English speakers use it after someone sneezes. In English, it works like "bless you," but in German, the meaning is closer to wishing someone good health.⁵
Verboten means forbidden in German. English speakers often use it for something banned, taboo, or clearly not allowed, especially when they want the word to sound stricter or more dramatic.⁵
Food and Drink Words
Hamburger comes from Hamburg, the German city name, and later became the English word for the sandwich and its meat patty. In English, the word is now so common that many speakers no longer think of it as German in origin.⁵
Frankfurter refers to something from Frankfurt, and in English, it became associated with a type of sausage. The word shows how place names can travel through food vocabulary and become everyday terms in another language.⁵
Sauerkraut literally means sour cabbage in German. In English, it refers to fermented cabbage, often linked with German and Central European cooking.⁵
Lager comes from a German word meaning "storage," reflecting the traditional brewing process. In English, it refers to a type of beer that is usually fermented and conditioned at low temperatures.⁵
Pretzel comes into English from German, where related forms refer to the twisted, baked bread. In English, it can mean either the soft-bread version or the small, crunchy snack.⁵
Culture Words
Wanderlust refers to a strong desire to travel. Its German roots connect wandering with longing, which is why the English word often suggests more than a simple holiday mood.⁸
Schadenfreude means pleasure at another person's misfortune. English uses the German word because it conveys a sharp emotional idea in a single compact term.⁷
Zeitgeist literally means spirit of the time. In English, it refers to the mood, attitudes, tastes, and ideas that seem to define a particular period.¹⁰
Kitsch refers to art, design, or objects that are sentimental, gaudy, or deliberately tacky. English uses it both critically and playfully, especially when talking about taste, style, and pop culture.⁴
English Words from German Language Origins and Their Meanings
It's worthwhile to look at the German meaning first to help you gain a better understanding of the English meaning. Some words retain their original German meaning, whereas others might evolve to become more specialised, informal or culturally loaded once they settle into English. German loanwords can help you learn more about German and English, especially by showing how meaning can shift when a word moves between languages.⁵
Words for Feelings and Ideas
Angst means "fear" or "anxiety" in German. In English, it often refers to a deep, restless worry rather than a simple moment of fear.¹⁰
Weltschmerz can be understood as world-weariness or a sense of sadness about the imperfect state of the world. English borrowed the word because it gives a compact name to a feeling that is emotional, philosophical, and difficult to translate neatly.⁷
Words from Literature, Music and Philosophy
A leitmotif is a repeated musical, literary, or artistic idea linked to a character, theme, or mood. The word comes from German Leitmotiv, which means leading motif.⁵
A Bildungsroman is a coming-of-age novel that follows a character’s moral, emotional, or intellectual development. The German word combines Bildung, meaning education or formation, with Roman, meaning novel.⁵
Gestalt refers to a shape, form, pattern, or whole. In English, it is often used when the full meaning of something comes from the overall structure rather than from separate parts.⁵
A poltergeist is a noisy or disruptive ghost. The German roots connect noise or knocking with a spirit, which is why English uses the word for supernatural disturbances.⁴
Blitz means lightning in German. In English, it can refer to a sudden, intense attack, campaign, burst of activity, or focused effort.⁵
Words from Science, Psychology and Education
Kindergarten has retained a close link to its original German sense, even though English uses it in a different educational context. The central idea of early learning for young children remains the same.²
Realpolitik refers to politics based on practical interests rather than ideals. English uses it when discussing hard-headed political strategy or power-based decision-making.⁵
Über means over, above, or beyond in German. In English, it is often used informally to mean extreme, superior, or super, as in über-cool or über-successful.⁵
| English word | German source | Literal meaning | English meaning | Category | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rucksack | Rucksack | back sack or back bag | A backpack, often with an outdoors or travel feel in English. | Everyday words | 5 |
| Doppelgänger | Doppelgänger | double-goer | A person who looks almost exactly like another person. | Everyday words | 4 |
| Gesundheit | Gesundheit | health | A response after someone sneezes, similar to wishing good health. | Everyday words | 5 |
| Verboten | verboten | forbidden | Forbidden, banned, taboo or clearly not allowed. | Everyday words | 5 |
| Hamburger | Hamburger | from Hamburg | A sandwich or meat patty associated with the English word hamburger. | Food and drink | 5 |
| Frankfurter | Frankfurter | from Frankfurt | A type of sausage, named through its association with Frankfurt. | Food and drink | 5 |
| Sauerkraut | Sauerkraut | sour cabbage | Fermented cabbage linked with German and Central European cooking. | Food and drink | 5 |
| Lager | Lager | storage or storehouse | A type of beer traditionally fermented and conditioned at low temperatures. | Food and drink | 5 |
| Pretzel | Brezel or related German forms | twisted baked bread | A twisted baked bread or crunchy snack. | Food and drink | 5 |
| Wanderlust | Wanderlust | wandering desire | A strong desire to travel or explore. | Culture words | 8 |
| Schadenfreude | Schadenfreude | harm joy | Pleasure at another person’s misfortune. | Culture words | 7 |
| Zeitgeist | Zeitgeist | spirit of the time | The mood, ideas and attitudes that define a particular period. | Culture words | 10 |
| Kitsch | Kitsch | kitsch or gaudy art | Art, design or objects considered sentimental, gaudy, tacky or knowingly exaggerated. | Culture words | 4 |
| Angst | Angst | fear or anxiety | A deep, restless or existential kind of worry. | Feelings and ideas | 10 |
| Weltschmerz | Weltschmerz | world-pain | World-weariness or sadness about the imperfect state of the world. | Feelings and ideas | 7 |
| Leitmotif | Leitmotiv | leading motif | A repeated musical, literary or artistic idea linked to a character, theme or mood. | Literature, music and philosophy | 5 |
| Bildungsroman | Bildungsroman | education novel or formation novel | A coming-of-age novel following moral, emotional or intellectual development. | Literature, music and philosophy | 5 |
| Gestalt | Gestalt | form, shape or whole | A form, pattern or whole whose meaning comes from the overall structure. | Literature, music and philosophy | 5 |
| Poltergeist | Poltergeist | noisy spirit | A noisy or disruptive ghost. | Literature, music and philosophy | 4 |
| Blitz | Blitz | lightning | A sudden attack, campaign, burst of activity or focused effort. | Literature, music and philosophy | 5 |
| Kindergarten | Kindergarten | children’s garden | Early childhood education for young children. | Science, psychology and education | 2 |
| Realpolitik | Realpolitik | realistic politics | Politics based on practical interests rather than ideals. | Science, psychology and education | 5 |
| Über | über | over, above or beyond | An informal intensifier in English meaning extreme, superior or super. | Science, psychology and education | 5 |
The German Influence on English Vocabulary
The German language's influence on English isn't just in the words; it's also in the ideas those words carry. German loanwords have been adopted when English speakers need to discuss mood, identity, education, politics, culture, taste, art, or ways of thinking, and the German language offers a better way to do so. Some German words carry cultural associations as well as their dictionary meanings.¹⁰ While German idioms aren't useful and don't transfer to English as nicely, they're still worth learning, too.
What German Loanwords Reveal About Culture
Loanwords are useful as they hold a mirror up to the cultures. In some ways, they indicate where and when cultures interacted and influenced one another. They can also show us when certain ideas around learning, travel, social behaviour, food, philosophy, art and emotional experience became more prevalent within the target culture.
How Loanwords Can Help You Learn German
Loanwords can bring languages and cultures closer together. Learners already know more German than they might think. By recognising German words, even the ones that sound funny to English speakers you might start feeling that German compounds are more logical, since many borrowed terms preserve clues about how German combines smaller word parts to create meaning.⁵
German compound words often become easier to understand when you split them into their smaller parts. Kindergarten combines Kinder, meaning children, with Garten, meaning garden.⁶ Wanderlust combines the idea of wandering with strong desire or longing, which explains why the English meaning is tied to travel.⁸
Which German loanword do you use most often?
References
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “English Language: Vocabulary, Grammar, Dialects.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/English-language/Vocabulary. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Kindergarten.” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 3 May 2026, https://www.britannica.com/topic/kindergarten. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Cambridge Dictionary. “Loanword.” Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University Press, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/loanword. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Dictionary.com. “Schadenfreude and 10 Other German Words So Good English Just Had to Borrow Them.” Dictionary.com, 22 Sept. 2023, https://www.dictionary.com/articles/cool-german-words-in-english. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Flippo, Hyde. “German Loan Words in English.” ThoughtCo, 30 Jan. 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/german-loan-words-in-english-4069272. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Merriam-Webster. “Kindergarten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kindergarten. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Merriam-Webster. “Schadenfreude and Other German Words Without Translation.” Merriam-Webster, 5 Feb. 2026, https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/untranslatable-german-words. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Merriam-Webster. “Wanderlust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wanderlust. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Schultz, Julia. “The Influence of German on the English Lexicon in the 20th Century.” English Today, vol. 33, no. 1, Mar. 2017, pp. 12-18. Cambridge University Press, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/english-today/article/influence-of-german-on-the-english-lexicon-in-the-20th-century/14FAE6765F794B610E38D3CE99AC9E9D. Accessed 3 June 2026.
- Stubbs, Michael. “From Angst to Zeitgeist: On German Loan Words and Cultural Stereotypes.” English Today, vol. 14, no. 1, 1998, pp. 19-26, https://www.cantab.net/users/michael.stubbs/articles/stubbs-1998-german-loanwords.pdf. Accessed 3 June 2026.
Summarise with AI:
Did you like this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
