Long German Words and What They Actually Mean
🇩🇪 German · 30 cards · B1 · by Annika Vogel
Long German words look like a wall, but they are Lego. Read a compound from the back: the last noun gives you the gender, the plural and the core meaning, and everything in front of it just narrows it down. Every one of these 30 words is split into its building blocks in the note.
The first two thirds are words you really do meet — at the Bürgeramt, at the doctor's, on a ticket machine, in a flat-share ad. Then come the record-holders people love to quote: the Danube steamship captain, the beef-labelling law. Watch the linking -s- (Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung) and learn which words Germans always shorten in speech: Kita, WG, AU, BAföG, Kfz.
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All 30 cards
| # | German | English | Example | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | die Sehenswürdigkeit sehenswürdig (worth seeing: sehen + linking -s- + würdig) + -keit = "see-worthiness". Feminine, like every -keit noun; plural Sehenswürdigkeiten. | tourist attraction, sight | Der Hafen ist Hamburgs bekannteste Sehenswürdigkeit. The harbour is Hamburg's best-known attraction. | |
| 2 | die Wohngemeinschaft wohnen (to live) + Gemeinschaft (community). Almost nobody says the full word in speech — it's "die WG" (spelled out: vay-gay). | flat-share, shared apartment | Meine Wohngemeinschaft sucht ab Mai einen Nachmieter. My flat-share is looking for someone to take over a room from May. | |
| 3 | das Lebensmittelgeschäft Leben (life) + -s- + Mittel (means) + Geschäft (shop): "means-of-life shop". Neuter, because Geschäft is. In speech people usually just say Supermarkt or der Laden. | grocery shop | Um die Ecke gibt es ein kleines Lebensmittelgeschäft. There's a small grocery shop round the corner. | |
| 4 | der Fahrkartenautomat Fahrkarte (ticket: fahren + Karte) + -n- + Automat (machine). Masculine. In Austria you'll see Fahrscheinautomat, in Switzerland Billettautomat. | ticket machine | Der Fahrkartenautomat am Gleis ist wieder kaputt. The ticket machine on the platform is broken again. | |
| 5 | die Kindertagesstätte Kind (child) + -er- + Tag (day) + -es- + Stätte (place). Two different joining elements in one word. In speech: "Kita", always. | day nursery, daycare centre | Unser Sohn geht seit August in die Kindertagesstätte. Our son has been going to daycare since August. | |
| 6 | die Mitfahrgelegenheit mit (along) + fahren (to drive) + Gelegenheit (opportunity) — a chance to ride along in someone else's car. A pre-app word from the notice-board era; in small ads shortened to MFG. | lift, ride share | Suchst du eine Mitfahrgelegenheit nach Berlin? Are you looking for a ride to Berlin? | |
| 7 | die Selbstverständlichkeit selbst (self) + verständlich (understandable) + -keit: "self-understandability". 22 letters and still said in full every day. | a given, a matter of course | Das ist doch eine Selbstverständlichkeit! That goes without saying! | |
| 8 | die Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung Geschwindigkeit (speed) + -s- + Begrenzung (limitation). The -s- is a Fugen-s, a pure linking letter — no genitive, no plural meaning. Also: Tempolimit (shorter, just as common). | speed limit | Auf dieser Strecke gilt eine Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung von 80. There's an 80 speed limit on this stretch. | |
| 9 | die Krankenversicherung Kranke (sick people) + -n- + Versicherung (insurance). Same pattern: Haftpflichtversicherung, Rechtsschutzversicherung, Hausratversicherung. | health insurance | Ohne Krankenversicherung bekommst du hier keinen Termin. Without health insurance you won't get an appointment here. | |
| 10 | der Personennahverkehr Person + -en- + nah (near) + Verkehr (traffic), so masculine like Verkehr. Officially "öffentlicher Personennahverkehr", abbreviated ÖPNV — that's the form you see in the news. | local public transport | Der öffentliche Personennahverkehr ist in Hamburg gut ausgebaut. Local public transport is well developed in Hamburg. | |
| 11 | die Aufenthaltserlaubnis Aufenthalt (stay) + -s- + Erlaubnis (permission), feminine. You'll also hear Aufenthaltsgenehmigung and the legal umbrella term der Aufenthaltstitel. | residence permit | Meine Aufenthaltserlaubnis läuft im Dezember ab. My residence permit expires in December. | |
| 12 | die Anmeldebestätigung anmelden (to register) + Bestätigung (confirmation) — no linking letter, just the verb stem. The slip the Bürgeramt hands you after your Anmeldung; also called Meldebestätigung. | registration confirmation (proof of address) | Für das Konto brauche ich die Anmeldebestätigung. I need the registration confirmation for the bank account. | |
| 13 | die Einkommensteuererklärung Einkommen (income) + -s- + Steuer (tax) + Erklärung (declaration). The official spelling has one s (Einkommensteuer); plenty of Germans write "Einkommenssteuer" anyway. | income tax return | Ich mache meine Einkommensteuererklärung meistens online. I usually do my income tax return online. | |
| 14 | die Sozialversicherungsnummer Sozialversicherung (sozial + Versicherung) + -s- + Nummer. On official letters it appears as Versicherungsnummer or Rentenversicherungsnummer; it is not the same as the Steuer-ID. | social security number | Der Arbeitgeber braucht meine Sozialversicherungsnummer. My employer needs my social security number. | |
| 15 | die Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung Arbeit (work) + -s- + Unfähigkeit (inability) + -s- + Bescheinigung (certificate). 32 letters. In real life: "AU", "Krankschreibung" or "der gelbe Zettel". | sick note, certificate of incapacity to work | Die Ärztin hat mir eine Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung ausgestellt. The doctor wrote me a sick note. | |
| 16 | die Nahrungsmittelunverträglichkeit Nahrung (nourishment) + -s- + Mittel (means) + un- + verträglich (tolerable) + -keit. Not the same as Allergie — an intolerance is not an allergy. | food intolerance | Sie hat eine Nahrungsmittelunverträglichkeit und meidet Weizen. She has a food intolerance and avoids wheat. | |
| 17 | die Schwangerschaftsvertretung Schwangerschaft (pregnancy) + -s- + Vertretung (stand-in). Used for both the job and the person doing it; Elternzeitvertretung covers parental leave more broadly. | maternity cover (the post or the person) | Ich bin nur die Schwangerschaftsvertretung bis August. I'm only the maternity cover until August. | |
| 18 | die Radwegbenutzungspflicht Rad (bike) + Weg (path) + Benutzung (use) + -s- + Pflicht (duty). Peak German traffic law — and a reliable way to start an argument among cyclists. | obligation to use the cycle path | Auf dieser Straße besteht keine Radwegbenutzungspflicht. On this street there's no obligation to use the cycle path. | |
| 19 | das Bundesverfassungsgericht Bund (federation) + -es- + Verfassung (constitution) + -s- + Gericht (court). "ein Gesetz kippen" is newsroom shorthand for striking it down. Journalists often just write "Karlsruhe", where the court sits. | Federal Constitutional Court | Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hat das Gesetz gekippt. The Federal Constitutional Court struck down the law. | |
| 20 | die Unabhängigkeitserklärung un- + abhängig (dependent) + -keit + -s- + Erklärung (declaration). One adjective, a prefix, a suffix and a Fugen-s — and it's still perfectly ordinary German. | declaration of independence | Im Museum hängt eine Kopie der Unabhängigkeitserklärung. There's a copy of the declaration of independence in the museum. | |
| 21 | das Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühl zusammen (together) + gehören (to belong) + -ig + -keit + -s- + Gefühl (feeling). 26 letters and completely normal in an essay or a speech. | sense of belonging together, sense of togetherness | Im Chor entsteht schnell ein Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühl. A sense of togetherness builds up quickly in a choir. | |
| 22 | die Verschlimmbesserung Blend of verschlimmern (to worsen) and Verbesserung (improvement). Informal and humorous — made for software updates and kitchen renovations. | an "improvement" that makes things worse | Das neue Design der App ist eine echte Verschlimmbesserung. The app's new design is a classic case of making things worse. | |
| 23 | der Lebensabschnittsgefährte Leben (life) + -s- + Abschnitt (section) + -s- + Gefährte (companion). Ironic coinage implying the relationship comes with an expiry date; weak masculine (den Gefährten). Female form: Lebensabschnittsgefährtin. | partner (tongue-in-cheek), "life-phase companion" | Darf ich dir meinen Lebensabschnittsgefährten vorstellen? May I introduce my current life-phase companion? | |
| 24 | das Streichholzschächtelchen streichen (to strike) + Holz (wood) + Schachtel (box) + -chen (diminutive, which umlauts the a). Diminutives are always neuter, even though Schachtel is feminine. A classic pronunciation drill: Streich-schäch-chen. | little matchbox | Im Streichholzschächtelchen war nur noch ein Streichholz. There was only one match left in the little matchbox. | |
| 25 | der Bezirksschornsteinfegermeister Bezirk (district) + -s- + Schornstein (chimney) + Feger (sweeper) + Meister (master craftsman). A genuine job title; the modern official term is bevollmächtigter Bezirksschornsteinfeger. | district master chimney sweep | Der Bezirksschornsteinfegermeister kommt nächste Woche. The district master chimney sweep is coming next week. | |
| 26 | die Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung Kraft (power) + Fahrzeug (vehicle) + Haftpflicht (liability) + Versicherung (insurance). At 36 characters it is usually named as the longest headword in the Duden; the hyphen is there for readability. In daily life: Kfz-Versicherung. | motor vehicle third-party liability insurance | Die Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung ist in Deutschland Pflicht. Motor third-party liability insurance is compulsory in Germany. | |
| 27 | das Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz Bund + -es- + Ausbildung (education) + -s- + Förderung (support) + -s- + Gesetz (law). The money itself is called BAföG too: "Ich bekomme BAföG." | federal student financial aid act | Das Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz kennen alle nur als BAföG. Everyone knows the federal student aid act simply as BAföG. | |
| 28 | der Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän Donau (Danube) + Dampf (steam) + Schiff (ship) + Fahrt (journey) + -s- + Gesellschaft (company) + -s- + Kapitän. The standard joke word; note the triple f where Schiff meets Fahrt. | Danube steamship company captain | Mein Opa war angeblich Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän. My grandfather was supposedly a Danube steamship company captain. | |
| 29 | das Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz Rindfleisch (beef) + Etikettierung (labelling) + Überwachung (monitoring) + Aufgaben (tasks) + Übertragung (transfer) + -s- + Gesetz (law). A real law in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 63 letters, repealed in 2013. | beef labelling supervision duties delegation act | Kein Mensch kann das Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz aussprechen. Nobody can pronounce the beef labelling supervision duties delegation act. | |
| 30 | die Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung Grundstück (plot of land) + -s- + Verkehr (dealings) + -s- + Genehmigung (permit) + -s- + Zuständigkeit (jurisdiction) + -s- + Übertragung (transfer) + Verordnung (regulation). 67 letters; in force in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 1999–2007 and often called the longest real German word. | regulation on transferring responsibility for land transaction permits | Diese Verordnung heißt wirklich Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung. This regulation really is called the land-transaction-permit-responsibility-transfer regulation. |
Annika Vogel
Native German · Speaks English, Dutch
Hamburg native. I spent years explaining German word order to exchange students and still enjoy it. My decks favour the words you hear on the U-Bahn over the ones in textbooks.
Published
Questions about this deck
- What is the longest German word?
- There is no single answer. The longest word that was ever actually in force is usually given as Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung (67 letters, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, 1999–2007). The most quoted one is Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz (63 letters, repealed 2013). The longest entry in the Duden dictionary is Kraftfahrzeug-Haftpflichtversicherung (36 characters). Because German lets you glue nouns together freely, any such list is only a snapshot.
- How do I work out what a long German compound means?
- Read it from the back. The final noun gives you the gender, the plural and the basic meaning; everything in front of it only specifies. In Kindertagesstätte the core is die Stätte (place), so it is a feminine place, for days, for children. Then strip off the linking letters -s-, -es-, -n-, -er-, which carry no meaning of their own, and recognisable words are left.
- Why do some compounds have an extra -s- in the middle?
- That is the Fugen-s, a purely phonetic joint: Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung, Arbeitsunfähigkeit, Lebensmittel. It is neither a genitive nor a plural. Words ending in -heit, -keit, -ung, -ion, -tät or -schaft take it almost always; many other words never do (Kindergarten, Haustür, Radweg). When in doubt, learn the whole compound as one item instead of trusting a rule.
- Do Germans really say these long words out loud?
- Some yes, some never. Selbstverständlichkeit, Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung and Krankenversicherung are spoken in full every day. The bureaucratic monsters get clipped: Kita for Kindertagesstätte, WG for Wohngemeinschaft, AU for Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung, BAföG for Bundesausbildungsförderungsgesetz, Kfz-Versicherung for the car insurance, ÖPNV for local transport. You still need the long forms, because those are what is printed on the forms.
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