Six fun facts about the German language
Here we introduce you to the peculiarities of the German language, from extremely long words to a unique letter.
1. German is spoken not only in Germany
German is the most widely spoken language in the European Union – ahead of Spanish, French and even English. It is the official language in Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein and one of the official languages in Switzerland and Luxembourg. German ranks 11th in the list of the most widely spoken languages in the world.
Third party content
We use YouTube to embed content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details and accept the service to see this content.
Open consent form2. The German language has three genders
In many Romance languages, nouns are either male or female, making them difficult enough for native English speakers. German goes even one further: a noun can also be neuter. The gender of a word is determined purely by grammar. For example, “Das Mädchen” (the girl) is neuter, even though it refers to a female person.
In German, a young lady has no sex, while a turnip has.
3. All nouns are capitalized
In German, nouns are capitalized. Unlike English, this rule applies not only to proper names; there are no exceptions.
4. German has a unique letter
German uses the Latin alphabet. It has, however, an additional consonant: the ß, called "Eszett". The letter never stands at the beginning of the word and, following a long vowel or diphtong, takes the form of a double-s.
Third party content
We use YouTube to embed content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details and accept the service to see this content.
Open consent form5. Words that exist only in German
Some terms exist in no other language. For example, "fremdschämen" refers to shame felt on another person’s behalf. And "Fernweh" (having the travel bug, lusting after adventure) is the opposite of “Heimweh (homesickness).
6. The longest German word
German is known for endlessly long words. One of the longest is “Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung” (regulation on the delegation of authority concerning land conveyance permissions). This neologism comes from officialese. But no reason to panic: such tapeworm words can almost always be broken down into their more intelligible parts. For example, “Staubsauger” (vacuum cleaner) consists of the words “dust” and “sucking”.
You would like to receive regular information about Germany? Subscribe here to:
