Human Body Parts
Learning the names of different body parts in German can be essential for effective communication, especially in medical contexts or everyday conversations. Let's explore the German words for various parts of the human body:
- Der Kopf Head
- Das Haar Hair
- Das Gesicht Face
- Das Auge Eye
- Die Augen Eyes
- Die Nase Nose
- Der Mund Mouth
- Die Lippen Lips
- Das Ohr Ear
- Die Ohren Ears
- Der Hals Neck
- Die Schulter Shoulder
- Die Brust Chest
- Der Arm Arm
- Die Arme Arms
- Der Ellenbogen Elbow
- Die Hand Hand
- Die Hände Hands
- Der Finger Finger
- Die Finger Fingers
- Der Daumen Thumb
- Die Beine Legs
- Das Knie Knee
- Die Knie Knees
- Der Fuß Foot
- Die Füße Feet
- Die Zehen Toes
- Die Ferse Heel
- Der Magen Stomach
- Der Bauch Belly
- Der Rücken Back
- Die Wirbelsäule Spine
- Die Hüfte Hip
- Der Hintern Buttocks
- Das Bein Leg
- Der Oberschenkel Thigh
- Die Wade Calf
- Der Knöchel Ankle
- Das Handgelenk Wrist
- Das Herz Heart
- Die Lunge Lung
- Die Leber Liver
- Die Niere Kidney
- Der Darm Intestine
parts of the body in German for beginners
Learning the parts of the body in German is a great way for beginners to boost their language skills. Knowing German body vocabulary not only helps in describing medical issues or pain but also enables expressing compliments or using colloquial expressions in German conversations. Exploring the human body aids in improving grammar and facilitating more meaningful dialogues.
Similarities with English:
English and German share similarities in their vocabulary for body parts since they both belong to the Germanic language family. For instance, "hand" in German is "die Hand," while "arm" is "der Arm."
List of German Body Parts:
To effectively use these terms, beginners must memorize the body parts along with their definite articles. The following table presents the main body parts, their definite articles, and their pronunciations. Note that all body parts are capitalized in German, unlike English.
| Body Part |
German |
Pronunciation (IPA) |
| Head |
der Kopf |
[deːɐ kɔpf] |
| Hair |
die Haare |
[diː ˈhaːʁə] |
| Eye |
das Auge |
[das ˈaʊɡə] |
| Ear |
das Ohr |
[das oːɐ̯] |
| Nose |
die Nase |
[diː ˈnaːzə] |
| Mouth |
der Mund |
[deːɐ mʊnt] |
| Teeth |
die Zähne |
[diː ˈtsɛːnə] |
| Tongue |
die Zunge |
[diː ˈt͡sʊŋə] |
| Neck |
der Hals |
[deːɐ halz] |
| Shoulder |
die Schulter |
[diː ˈʃʊltɐ] |
| Arm |
der Arm |
[deːɐ ˈʔaʁm] |
| Hand |
die Hand |
[diː ˈhant] |
| Finger |
der Finger |
[deːɐ ˈfɪŋɐ] |
| Chest |
die Brust |
[diː ˈbʁʊst] |
| Stomach |
der Bauch |
[deːɐ baʊx] |
| Back |
der Rücken |
[deːɐ ˈrʏkən] |
| Leg |
das Bein |
[das baɪ̯n] |
| Knee |
das Knie |
[das ˈkniːə] |
| Foot |
der Fuß |
[deːɐ fuːs] |
German Glossary for Body Parts
Understanding body parts in German is essential for effective communication, whether you're describing a medical condition or simply discussing daily activities. This glossary covers a range of body parts from head to toe, providing both singular and plural forms where applicable.
Head and Face:
Starting from the top, we have the head and face. Here's a list of the essential terms:
| Englisch |
Deutsch |
Pronunciation (IPA) |
| Hair* |
das Haar/die Haare (pl.) |
/das haar/diː ˈhaːrə/ |
| Head |
der Kopf |
/deːɐ ˈkɔpf/ |
| Ear, Ears |
das Ohr, die Ohren (pl.) |
/das ɔɐ̯/ , /diː ˈoːrən/ |
| Face |
das Gesicht |
/das ɡəˈzɪçt/ |
| Forehead |
die Stirn |
/diː ʃtɪɐ̯n/ |
| Eyebrow, Eyebrows |
die Augenbraue, die Augenbrauen |
/diː ˈaʊɡənˌbraʊə/ , /diː ˈaʊɡənˌbraʊən/ |
| Eyelash, Eyelashes |
die Wimper, die Wimpern |
/diː ˈvɪmpɐ/ , /diː ˈvɪmpɐn/ |
| Eye, Eyes |
das Auge, die Augen |
/das ˈaʊɡə/ , /diː ˈaʊɡən/ |
| Nose |
die Nase |
/diː ˈnaːzə/ |
| Lip, Lips |
die Lippe, die Lippen |
/diː ˈlɪpə/ , /diː ˈlɪpn̩/ |
| Mouth* |
der Mund |
/deːɐ ˈmʊnt/ |
Learning German: Upper Body Parts
Learning the basic body parts in German can be a great start to mastering the language. Let's focus on the upper body for now. Here are some essential words you should know:
| English |
German |
| Chest |
Die Brust |
| Back |
Der Rücken |
| Shoulder |
Die Schulter |
| Elbow |
Der Ellenbogen |
| Wrist |
Das Handgelenk |
Knowing these words will be handy if you ever need to describe any discomfort or pain. For instance, 'Rückenschmerzen' means back pain, and 'Schmerzen in meiner Brust' refers to pain in your chest.
More Body Parts and Their Pronunciation
Expanding your vocabulary beyond the upper body is essential. Here are some more body parts in German, along with their pronunciation:
| English |
German |
Pronunciation |
| Heart |
Das Herz |
"hartz" |
| Lung |
Die Lunge |
"loong-uh" |
| Kidney |
Die Niere |
"nee-ruh" |
| Liver |
Die Leber |
"lay-burr" |
| Stomach |
Der Magen |
"mah-genn" |
| Intestine |
Der Darm |
"dahrm" |
| Waist |
Die Taille |
"tai-luh" |
| Abs |
Die Bauchmuskeln |
"bowkh-moo-zeln" |
| Navel |
Der Bauchnabel |
"bowkh-nah-bell" |
| Spine |
Die Wirbelsäule |
"veer-bell-zow-luh" |
Arms and Hands:
Understanding the different parts of the arm in German is quite simple, as many words are similar to their English counterparts. Let's break down the arm and its related terms:
| English |
German |
Pronunciation (IPA) |
| Shoulder |
Die Schulter |
"shool-tuh" |
| Shoulders |
Die Schultern |
"shool-tuhn" |
| Shoulder blade |
Das Schulterblatt |
"shool-tuh-blaht" |
| Arm |
Der Arm |
"ahrm" |
| Hand |
Die Hand |
"hahnt" |
| Finger |
Der Finger |
"fing-uh" |
| Index finger |
Der Zeigefinger |
"zye-guh-fing-uhr" |
| Under arms |
Unter die Arme greifen |
"oon-tuh dee ah-muh gray-fuhn" |
| Thumbs |
Die Daumen |
"toomz" |
| Finger-tips |
Die Fingerspitzen |
"fing-uh shpits-uhn" |
| Arm, Arms |
der Arm, die Arme |
/deːɐ̯ ˈʔarm/, /diː ˈʔarmə/ |
| Elbow, Elbows |
der Ell(en)bogen, die Ell(en)bogen |
/deːɐ̯ ˈɛlboːɡn̩/, /diː ˈɛlboːɡn̩/ |
| Wrist, Wrists |
das Handgelenk, die Handgelenke |
/das ˈhandɡəlɛŋk/, /diː ˈhandɡəlɛŋkə/ |
| Hand, Hands |
die Hand, die Hände |
/diː ˈhant/, /diː ˈhɛndə/ |
| Finger, Fingers |
der Finger, die Finger |
/deːɐ̯ ˈfɪŋɐ/, /diː ˈfɪŋɐ/ |
Leg and Its Parts
Understanding how to talk about the leg in German can be beneficial, especially when describing pain or using common expressions like 'Hals und Beinbruch!' Below, we'll explore the German words for various leg parts along with their singular and plural forms.
| English |
German |
Pronunciation |
| Feet |
Die Füße |
"footzay" |
| Foot |
Der Fuss |
"foots" |
| Toe |
Der Zeh |
"tsay" |
| Toes |
Die Zehen |
"tsayn" |
| Big Toe |
Der große Zeh |
"grow-tsay" |
| Little Toe |
Der kleine Zeh |
"kleen-ay" |
| Knee |
Das Knie |
"knee" |
| Knees |
Die Knie |
"knee-ay" |
| Heel |
Die Ferse |
"fair-zay" |
| Lower Leg |
Die Untersschenkel |
"unter-shkayn-ell" |
| Thigh |
Die Oberschenkel |
"oh-bear-shkayn-ell" |
| Buttocks |
Der Hintern |
"hint-airn" |
| Hip |
Die Hüfte |
"hueft-ay" |
| Hips |
Die Hüften |
"hueft-en" |
Verbs Associated with Body Parts in German
In German, verbs used with body parts often change based on whether they are reflexive or non-reflexive. Reflexive verbs require a reflexive pronoun, which indicates that the action is directed back towards the speaker, showing possession. Let's look at some examples:
| Non-Reflexive Verb |
Meaning |
| brechen |
to break |
| waschen |
to wash |
| verletzen |
to injure |
| kleiden |
to clothe |
| tätowieren |
to tattoo |
When used with body parts, many of these verbs become reflexive. For instance:
- "Ich wasche die Tasse" ("I wash the cup") becomes "Ich wasche mich" ("I wash myself").
Adjectives Used to Describe Body Parts in German
Adding adjectives to your vocabulary can enhance your ability to describe body parts in German. Here are some useful adjectives:
| Adjective |
Meaning |
| sauber |
clean |
| schmutzig |
dirty |
| männlich |
male |
| weiblich |
female |
| heiß |
hot |
| kalt |
cold |
| nass |
wet |
| trocken |
dry |
| juckend |
itchy |
| brennend |
burning |
| schweißig |
sweaty |
| feucht |
damp |
| geschnitten |
cut |
| verletzt |
injured |
| klein |
small |
| mittelgroß |
medium |
| groß |
large |
| krank |
sick |
| gesund |
healthy |
| mager |
skinny |
| fett |
fat |
