German to English Translator
Free German to English translation, plus the English grammar that trips up English speakers.
What changes when you translate German to English
Translating German into English changes more than the words. English has very little inflection and instead relies heavily on word order and helper verbs, with a huge vocabulary drawn from both Germanic and Romance roots. English requires an explicit subject in nearly every sentence and marks questions with word order, so translations into English often need pronouns and auxiliaries that the source language leaves out. A word-for-word tool gets the vocabulary right and these things wrong, which is why the translator above reads the whole sentence before it writes anything.
German and English: key differences
German and English diverge on word order, grammatical gender, formality, and articles. Each row below is a place where swapping words one for one produces the wrong English sentence.
| Feature | German | English |
|---|---|---|
| Typical word order | verb-second, with verb-final subordinate clauses | subject–verb–object |
| Grammatical gender | three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) | no grammatical gender |
| Formality | informal and formal second person | no formal/informal distinction |
| Articles | definite and indefinite, marked for gender, number, and case | definite and indefinite |
German to English example sentences
Full sentences translated from German to English:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Könnten Sie mir bitte die korrigierte Rechnung schicken? | Could you please send me the revised invoice? Professional email · formal — Formal Sie is capitalized and takes third-person plural verb forms |
| Ruf mich an, wenn du zu Hause bist. | Call me when you get home. Message to a friend · informal — Separable anrufen splits in the main clause; the subordinate-clause verb goes last |
| Ich gebe dem neuen Teammitglied den Büroschlüssel. | I'm giving the new team member the office key. Workplace update · neutral — Dative recipient and accusative object require different article and adjective endings |
| Weil der Zug ausgefallen ist, arbeiten wir heute von zu Hause aus. | Because the train was cancelled, we are working from home today. Team status message · neutral — Verb-final subordinate clause followed by verb-first placement after the fronted clause |
| Bitte tragen Sie hier Ihre Krankenversicherungsnummer ein. | Please enter your health insurance number here. Instruction on an official form · formal — German compound noun and a separable formal imperative |
| Meine Tochter wurde schließlich Ärztin. | My daughter eventually became a doctor. Personal biography · neutral — English become translates as werden, not the false friend bekommen; the profession is gendered |
Common German to English phrases
Everyday expressions translated from German to English:
| German (Deutsch) | English |
|---|---|
| Hallo | Hello |
| Gute Nacht | Good night |
| Danke | Thank you |
| Bitte | Please |
| Wie geht es dir? | How are you? |
| Wie heißt du? | What is your name? |
| Ich liebe dich | I love you |
| Entschuldigung | Excuse me |
| Wo ist die Toilette? | Where is the bathroom? |
| Auf Wiedersehen | Goodbye |
About the English language
English (English) is spoken by about 1.5 billion people across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and as the world's lingua franca. It belongs to the Germanic (Indo-European) language family and is written in the Latin alphabet.
- Native name
- English
- Speakers
- 1.5 billion
- Language family
- Germanic (Indo-European)
- Writing system
- the Latin alphabet
- Word order
- subject–verb–object
German to English translation tips
- German uses verb-second, with verb-final subordinate clauses word order, while English is subject–verb–object, so the AI restructures whole sentences instead of substituting words one by one.
- Choose du for familiar address or Sie for formal address and keep the choice consistent. Formal Sie and its related forms are capitalized.
- German marks grammatical roles through four cases. Articles and adjective endings often carry information that English expresses through word order.
- In a main declarative clause the finite verb occupies the second position; in subordinate clauses introduced by words such as weil, it normally moves to the end.
- This bundle uses Standard German as written in Germany. Austrian and Swiss standard usage differs in some vocabulary, and Swiss orthography uses ss instead of ß.
German false friends to watch for
- Handy looks like “handy” but means mobile phone.
- bekommen looks like “become” but means to get / to receive.
- Gift looks like “gift” but means poison.
German to English translation FAQ
How accurate is AI German to English translation?
The translator uses a modern AI language model that understands context, so German to English results read more naturally than word-for-word tools. For legal, medical, or other high-stakes text, have a fluent speaker review the output.
What is Hallo in English?
Hallo is how you say hello in German. The common-phrases table on this page shows more German expressions with their English meanings.
Does the translator handle both German (Germany) and Austrian/Swiss German?
This bundle uses Standard German as written in Germany. Specify Austria or Switzerland when regional vocabulary matters, and remember that Swiss standard spelling uses ss rather than ß.
Can it keep the formal 'Sie' form consistently?
Name the relationship or register, then verify that Sie, Ihnen and Ihr remain capitalized and that the text never switches to du forms.
Sources
- Duden: Groß- und Kleinschreibung
- Duden: Groß- oder Kleinschreibung von du/Du und ihr/Ihr
- Duden dictionary: Handy
- Duden dictionary: bekommen
- Duden dictionary: Gift
- University of Michigan: German grammar resources
- Swiss Federal Chancellery: guide to German orthography
The language facts and grammar notes on this page are checked against these references.