Words and Phrases
Assuming you do not speak German, the best thing to do is buy a phrase book and/or a German/English dictionary and carry them with you. For years, I carried a small German/English dictionary in my pocket but I have to admit, the most help came from my wife, native German speaker Maxa.
If you have a phrase book it helps to study it before you arrive. Germans, as do all people, appreciate your attempts at speaking their language – even if they can speak yours. It is always a great help to know your numbers and the days of the week. Otherwise, if you were invited for, "Ein Bier Dienstag um zwei" you might miss out on a good thing. You would probably guess it had something to do with beer but you would go thirsty at 2:00 on Tuesday.
For more general blather on the German language, see Language section under German Culture.
| German Word | English Meaning |
| Abfahrt | Departure, as in trains or busses |
| Abflug | Departure for airplanes |
| Absteigen | Dismount |
| Achtung | Attention! |
| Altstadt | Old town area |
| Ankunft | Arrival, as in planes, trains, or busses etc. |
| Apotheke | Pharmacy that can dispense prescriptions (see Drogerie below) |
| Aufpassen | Pay attention |
| Ausser Betrieb | Out of order |
| Bahnhof, Hauptbahnhof (Bhf ,Hbf) | Train station |
| Bäckerei | Bakery (filling station for cyclists) |
| Bar | Cash money |
| Belegte Brötchen | An open face sandwich on a hard roll |
| Berg | Mountain |
| Belegt or Besetzt | Occupied, busy, or full up (a sign indicating "no vacancy") |
| Bett und Frühstrück | Bed and breakfast |
| Bier | Beer (the most important word in German) |
| Bitte / Bitte schn | Please, you are welcome (sometimes) |
| Brücke | Bridge |
| Burg, Wasserburg | Castle on a hill, castle with a moat |
| Campingplatz | Campground |
| Danke, Danke schön | Thank you (don’t say “Donka Schane,” it makes you sound like Wayne Newton) |
| Dom | Cathedral |
| Drogerie | Drug store with “over the counter” remedies |
| Entschuldigung | Sorry |
| Etage Duche | Shared shower in the corridor or hallway |
| Fähre / Rundfähre | Ferry |
| Fahrkarte / Ticket | Ticket |
| Fahrrad / Rad | Bicycle |
| Fahrrad freundlich | Bicycle friendly |
| Ferienwohnung (FeWo) | Vacation apartment abbreviated FeWo (See here) |
| Freilichtmuseum | Open-air museum |
| Frühstrück / mit Frühstrück | Breakfast / breakfast included |
| Fremdenzimmer | Overnight accommodation |
| Gasthaus | Normally a restaurant but it may have rooms to rent too |
| Gästezimmer | Overnight accommodation |
| Gaststtte | Restaurant (some have overnight accommodations) |
| Gefährlich | Dangerous |
| Gesperrt | Closed (such as a road closed) |
| Gleis | Track (in a train station or just a RR track) |
| Guten / Morgen /Tag / Abend | Good morning, good day, good evening |
| Gute Nacht | Good night |
| Imbiss | Snack bar (actually a snack or small meal) |
| Innenstadt | City center |
| Ja / Nein (Jaein) | Yes / No (yes and no) |
| Jugendherberge | Youth hostel |
| Kaffee Kännchen | A small pot of coffee (about 2 cups) |
| Karte / Radtourenkarte | Map / bicycle-touring map |
| Kirche | Church |
| Kloster | Monastery or Convent (there is no such thing as a Nunestery) |
| Konditorei | Bakery (filling station for cyclists) |
| Krank | Sick or ill |
| Krankenhaus | Hospital |
| Landstrasse | Primary road between towns second only to Autobahn in traffic |
| Links / Rechts | Left / Right |
| Markt / Marktplatz | Market place or farmer’s market |
| Mittagspause | Lunch or lunchbreak |
| Münster | Minster / Cathedral |
| Nord / Süd / Ost / West | North / South / East / West |
| Ortsmitte / Stadtmitte | Town center / City center |
| Pfad | Path |
| Privat Zimmer | Private room for rent |
| Rad | A Rad is a wheel but also a bicycle |
| Radweg / Radfahrer / Radfernweg or Fernradweg | Bike path / bike rider / Long-distance bicycle path |
| Radverleih - Verleih | Bicycle for rent - short term rent of whatever |
| Radwanderweg | Bicycle path |
| Reform Haus | Health food store |
| Richtung (Re) | Direction (used on public transportation to indicate destination) |
| Ruhetag | Day off during the week. On this day, the business is closed |
| Schlechte Wegstrecke - Radfahrer absteigen | Bad road stretch bike riders dismount |
| Schloss | Palace small castle |
| See | Lake |
| Sorry (It is English but you hear it) | I am sorry |
| Spur | Lane as in lane in a road |
| Stadtzentrum | City Center |
| Tal, (as in Wesertal) | Valley, or Weser Valley |
| Tor / Stadttor | Gate / city gate |
| Tschüβ / Ciao (Ciao is Italian but common) | good bye |
| Übernachtungsmöglichkeit | Over night possibility |
| Umleitung | Detour |
| Verboten | Forbidden |
| Verkehrsamt / Fremdenverkehrsamt | Tourist information office |
| Verleih - Radverleih | Bicycle rental firm or station |
| Vermieten / Fahrrad Vermietstationen | Rent / Bike rental station |
| Vorsicht | Be careful or Look out! |
| Wald | Forest |
| WC | Water closet (Toilet) |
| WC / Etage Duche | Toilet in room but a shared shower in the corridor |
| Weinprobe / Weinstube | Wine tasting / Wine drinking room |
| Zelt / Zelten | Tent / Camping or Tenting |
| Zimmer / Zimmer frei | Room or rooms for rent |
| Zimmer Vermieten or Zimmervermieten | Room or rooms for rent (does this sound like an echo?) |
| Zug / Eissenbahn / Bahn | Train |
I thank Nadine Slavinski of the Mountaineers from whose book, Germany by Bike, I borrowed heavily for this list. Her book is out of print but may be purchased through The Mountaineers Books, 1011 SW Klickitat Way, Seattle, WA, 98134, USA or from Amazon.com.
* An asterisk after a link indicates that that link will open in a new window. That way, you will maintain your place in the Bicycle Germany website.
Revised: February 15, 2012