Autismus
/aʊ̯ˈtɪsmʊs/masculine
The German word for autism is Autismus.
Autismus is a masculine noun used to refer to the neurological disorder. You may also encounter the adjective autistisch (autistic) or the phrase Das autistische Spektrum (the autism spectrum). To emphasize the individuals themselves, the phrase Personen mit Autismus is used to mean "people with autism".
Meaning: neurological disorder (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
The standard term Autismus is frequently used in Swiss German as well.
How does it change in a sentence?
Autismus is a masculine noun and takes the article der.
How do you pronounce it?
/aʊ̯ˈtɪsmʊs/
Did you know?
- The term Autismus was coined in 1911 by the Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, who combined the Greek word for 'self' with the suffix for 'ism'.
- The word Autismus belongs to a group of German nouns ending in -ismus that almost always derive from Greek and are usually masculine.
- The German adjective autistisch can be used as a noun der Autist to refer to a person, though Personen mit Autismus is now more common for inclusivity.
Examples in context
- Vakzine verursachen keinen Autismus.Vaccines don't cause autism.This sentence is useful for stating that vaccines do not cause Autismus.Tatoeba #10033618 by Planla, translation #5918815 by Hybrid
- Tom hat Autismus.Tom is on the autism spectrum.This sentence is useful for saying that someone has Autismus.Tatoeba #10682737 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #9810908 by Hybrid
- Sie mißverstand seine mangelnde Zuneigung als Kaltherzigkeit, dabei fiel es ihm aufgrund seines Autismus in Wirklichkeit nur schwer, die Situation zu deuten.She mistook his lack of affection for coldheartedness, when in reality his autism was making it difficult for him to read the situation.This sentence is useful for describing how Autismus can affect a person's ability to interpret situations.Tatoeba #13647044 by Waldelfe, translation #13645426 by frpzzd
- Ich habe einen Freund, der Autismus hat. Er ist ein talentierter Künstler.I have a friend who has autism. He is a talented artist.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Julian are talking about a documentary they watched.
- JuliaDer Film über Autismus war sehr bewegend.The movie about autism was very moving.
- JulianJa, ich habe viel darüber gelernt.Yes, I learned a lot about it.
- JuliaEs ist wichtig, Autismus besser zu verstehen.It is important to understand autism better.
- JulianDa hast du absolut recht, Julia.You are absolutely right, Julia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “autism” translations and entries Autismus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Autismus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
