Bibel
[ˈbiːbl̩]feminine
The German word for Bible, the Christian holy book, is Bibel. With the article, it is die Bibel.
Bibel is the standard word for the Bible. Die Heilige Schrift, the holy scripture, is a formal alternative. Like the English word, Bibel can also mean a book treated as the essential manual on a subject. Bible verses are cited with a comma, so John 3:16 is written Johannes 3,16.
Meaning: Christian holy book (name)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Bibel is a feminine noun used with die. After in for location, the dative is used, so in the Bible is in der Bibel. In to swear on the Bible, auf takes the accusative, so the article stays die, as in auf die Bibel.
Did you know?
- While it is used as a singular noun today, Bibel originates from the Greek word βιβλία, which was actually the plural form for 'books'.
- The translation of the Bible by Martin Luther was so widespread that it played a primary role in standardizing the German language and unifying various regional dialects.
- In German, the expression das biblische Maß is used to describe something of 'biblical proportions', typically when referring to a catastrophic event or an overwhelming scale.
Examples in context
- Kennt ihr die Bibel?Do you know the Bible?Kennt ihr die Bibel? asks a group whether they know the Bible.Tatoeba #7459247 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8742398 by deniko
- Liest du in der Bibel?Do you read the Bible?in der Bibel shows the dative after in.Tatoeba #6323916 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6272916 by CK
- Schwöre auf die Bibel!Swear on the Bible.auf die Bibel keeps die because auf takes the accusative here.Tatoeba #10089624 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10088579 by ddnktr
- Ich lese jeden Abend in der Bibel.I read the Bible every evening.
- Hast du schon mal das Buch der Bücher gelesen?Have you ever read the book of books?
- 87 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Julian are in a bookstore.
- JuliaHast du eine neue Bibel gesehen?Have you seen a new Bible?
- JulianNein, ich suche sie noch.No, I am still looking for it.
- JuliaDie Bibel steht dort hinten.The Bible is over there in the back.
- JulianDanke, Julia, ich gehe mal schauen.Thanks, Julia, I'll go have a look.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bible” translations and entries Bibel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Bibel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
