Großbritannien
/ˌɡʁoːs.bʁɪˈtan.jən/
The English word Britain is translated into German as Großbritannien.
Großbritannien refers to the island of Great Britain.
Meaning: island (name)
Which one should you use?
While Großbritannien refers to the island, the term Vereinigtes Königreich is used to refer to the United Kingdom.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌɡʁoːs.bʁɪˈtan.jən/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word Großbritannien contains the letter ß, which is a ligature of two 's' sounds and is never used at the start of a word.
- In historical German texts, you may encounter the word Britannien, which was often used to refer to the entire island or the Roman province, rather than the modern Großbritannien.
- The term Großbritannien is a compound noun where the two parts are fused into a single word without a space, which is a common characteristic of German nouns.
Examples in context
- Sie wohnt in Großbritannien.She lives in Britain.This sentence shows how to use Großbritannien to indicate where someone lives.Tatoeba #8275172 by Luiaard, translation #8275220 by Luiaard
- Ich will nach Großbritannien.I want to go to Britain.This sentence demonstrates using Großbritannien to express a desire to travel to the country.Tatoeba #8577016 by manese, translation #4632194 by mactrey
- Großbritannien ist eine Insel.Britain is an island.This sentence uses Großbritannien to state a geographical fact about the island.Tatoeba #9107201 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8095181 by CarpeLanam
- Das Vereinigte Königreich besteht aus vier Ländern: England, Schottland, Wales und Nordirland.The United Kingdom consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
- Ich liebe Großbritannien, vor allem wegen seiner Kultur und Geschichte.I love Britain, especially because of its culture and history.
- Die Briten sind bekannt für ihre Höflichkeit.The British people are known for their politeness.
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas are talking about their travel plans.
- HannahMöchtest du nach Großbritannien reisen?Do you want to travel to Great Britain?
- LukasJa, ich liebe Großbritannien sehr.Yes, I love Great Britain very much.
- HannahLukas, hast du schon Flüge gebucht?Lukas, have you already booked flights?
- LukasNein, das mache ich morgen.No, I will do that tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Großbritannien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
