Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Außerirdischer | /ˈʔaʊ̯s.ɐˌɪɐ̯.dɪʃ.ɐ/ | masculine |
| Außerirdische | feminine | |
| Alien | /ˈɛɪ̯.liː.(ə)n/ | masculine, neuter |
| Weltraumwesen | neuter |
All these terms refer to a life form of non-Earth origin. If you want to describe something pertaining to extraterrestrial life as an adjective, you use außerirdisch. Other related adjectives for things that are not from the same country include ausländisch, fremd and fremdländisch.
What does it mean word for word?
The term Außerirdischer is composed of außer (outside) and irdisch (earthly/terrestrial).
Which one should you use?
Außerirdischer is the standard, descriptive term for an extraterrestrial being. In contrast, Alien is a loanword often used in pop culture or science fiction contexts. Weltraumwesen is a more formal or literary term that literally means 'space being' or 'creature of space'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Außerirdischer and Außerirdische are formal ways to say 'alien'. Alien is an informal way to say 'alien' and often carries a more colloquial or pop-culture connotation.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Use Außerirdischer for masculine and Außerirdische for feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʔaʊ̯s.ɐˌɪɐ̯.dɪʃ.ɐ/
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'alien' can mean a legal resident of another country, German uses ausländisch for legal status and reserves Außerirdischer strictly for space.
- The word wesen in Weltraumwesen shares a root with the verb wesen, meaning 'to be' or 'to dwell', making the term literally a 'space-being'.
- The term Außerirdischer functions as a nominalized adjective, meaning the word for 'alien' is actually just the adjective 'extraterrestrial' turned into a noun.
Examples in context
- Dieser Typ ist ein Alien.That guy's an alien.This sentence is useful for using the informal term Alien.Tatoeba #8349524 by manese, translation #13599463 by araneo
- Superman ist also ein Außerirdischer?So Superman is an alien?This sentence is useful for using the masculine form Außerirdischer.Tatoeba #13381349 by Waldelfe, translation #13320068 by frpzzd
- Boris hat eine Außerirdische gesehen.Boris saw an alien.This sentence is useful for using the feminine form Außerirdische.Tatoeba #13748906 by Waldelfe, translation #11794064 by Amastan
- In Science Fiction-Filmen sind Außerirdische oft die Hauptfiguren.In science fiction movies, aliens are often the main characters.
- Das Raumschiff wurde von Außerirdischen gesteuert.The spaceship was piloted by aliens.
- Hast du schon mal einen Alien gesehen?Have you ever seen an alien?
- Der Film handelt von Aliens, die die Erde besuchen.The movie is about aliens visiting Earth.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are watching a sci-fi movie.
- HannahGlaubst du, dass das ein Außerirdischer ist?Do you think that is an alien?
- MaximilianJa, er kommt von einem anderen Planeten.Yes, he comes from another planet.
- HannahEr sieht wirklich sehr seltsam aus.He looks really strange.
- MaximilianDas ist typisch für einen Außerirdischen.That is typical for an alien.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “alien” translations and entries Außerirdischer, Außerirdische, Alien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
