Luftwaffe
/ˈlʊftˌvafə/feminine
The German word for air force is Luftwaffe. Wiktionary also lists Luftstreitkräfte.
Meaning: branch of the military devoted to air warfare (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Luftwaffe | /ˈlʊftˌvafə/ | feminine |
| Luftstreitkräfte | plural |
Both Luftwaffe and Luftstreitkräfte refer to a branch of the military devoted to air warfare.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Luftwaffe is a compound of Luft (air) and Waffe (weapon).
Which one should you use?
Luftwaffe is the common name for an air force, whereas Luftstreitkräfte is a more technical and descriptive term meaning 'air combat forces'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria, the Air Force is referred to as Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte or simply Luftstreitkräfte.
How does it change in a sentence?
Luftwaffe is a feminine noun. It takes the article die in the nominative case and der in the dative case, such as in the phrase bei der Luftwaffe.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlʊftˌvafə/
Did you know?
- In modern German, Luftwaffe refers to the current air force of the Federal Republic of Germany, despite the word's strong association with the Nazi era.
- The word Luftwaffe is so globally recognized that it is often used in English texts specifically to refer to the German air force of World War II.
- While Luftwaffe literally means 'air weapon', the word Waffe is used in German to describe an entire branch of service, not just a handheld tool.
Examples in context
- Er wollte immer zur Luftwaffe.He always wanted to join the air force.This sentence shows someone's desire to join the Luftwaffe.Tatoeba #8963529 by wolfgangth, translation #8503427 by ET
- Juri trat 1955 der Luftwaffe der Sowjetunion bei.Yuri joined the Soviet Air Force in 1955.This sentence uses Luftwaffe to refer to the Soviet Air Force.Tatoeba #10235577 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3958761 by Hybrid
- Tom verrichtet seinen Wehrdienst bei der Luftwaffe.Tom is doing his military service in the air force.This sentence describes performing military service within the Luftwaffe.Tatoeba #10290011 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10289587 by AlanF_US
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are talking about their career goals.
- LukasIch möchte Pilot in der Luftwaffe werden.I want to become a pilot in the air force.
- HannahDas klingt spannend, Lukas!That sounds exciting, Lukas!
- LukasDie Luftwaffe hat viele interessante Flugzeuge.The air force has many interesting aircraft.
- HannahViel Glück bei deiner Bewerbung.Good luck with your application.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “air force” translations and entries Luftwaffe, Luftstreitkräfte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
