autistisch
/aʊ̯ˈtɪstɪʃ/
The German word for autistic is autistisch.
autistisch is an adjective used to describe someone or something pertaining to autism.
Meaning: having or pertaining to autism (adj)
Which one should you use?
While autistisch is the adjective, Autist is the noun used to refer to a person with autism. The noun Autist is masculine, so it is used for male individuals, whereas the feminine form of the noun is die Autistin.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective autistisch takes various endings like autistische depending on the gender and case of the noun it modifies.
How do you pronounce it?
/aʊ̯ˈtɪstɪʃ/
Did you know?
- While English speakers often say 'on the spectrum', Germans say im Spektrum, using the preposition 'in' rather than 'on'.
- In many German social-work contexts, the phrase autistische Menschen is often preferred over the noun Autisten to emphasize personhood.
- German uses the prefix neuro- in terms like neurodivers, which is a direct loan from English and is becoming common in academic and social circles.
Examples in context
- Tom ist nicht autistisch.Tom isn't autistic.This sentence shows how to use autistisch in a negative statement.Tatoeba #9971899 by wolfgangth, translation #2236934 by CK
- Ist mein Bruder autistisch?Is my brother autistic?This sentence is an example of asking a question using autistisch.Tatoeba #13701538 by Vortarulo, translation #13702297 by Babelball
- Autistischen Kindern wird nie langweilig.Autistic children never get bored.This sentence shows how the adjective modifies a plural noun.Tatoeba #12454277 by Waldelfe, translation #3584929 by mikecash
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Lukas are discussing a new classmate.
- LauraIch glaube, der neue Schüler ist autistisch.I think the new student is autistic.
- LukasWarum denkst du das, Laura?Why do you think that, Laura?
- LauraEr zeigt einige typisch autistische Verhaltensweisen.He shows some typically autistic behaviors.
- LukasDas kann gut sein, Lukas findet ihn nett.That could be, Lukas finds him nice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “autistic” translations and entries autistisch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
