Friedhof
/ˈfʁiːtˌhoːf/
The English word cemetery is translated into German as Friedhof.
Friedhof refers to a burial ground where dead people are laid to rest.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Friedhof is a compound of Friede (peace) and Hof (yard/court), literally meaning "peace yard".
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Friedhof is Friedhöfe. When you want to say that someone is at the cemetery or is performing an action there, use the preposition auf (on) instead of in.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfʁiːtˌhoːf/
Did you know?
- If a family fails to renew their lease on a Friedhof plot, the grave may be cleared and reused for another person after a set period.
- The word Friedhof was not originally about 'peace' but was derived from a word meaning 'to enclose'. Over time, people associated it with the word Frieden (peace) because of how the words sounded.
- In many German cities, you will find a Waldfriedhof, or forest cemetery, where graves are placed among trees and the landscape is left natural to blend into the woods.
Examples in context
- Wir fahren zum Friedhof.We are going to the cemetery.Tatoeba #12342757 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1783513 by Balamax
- Erkin und ich gingen auf den Friedhof.Erkin and I went to the cemetery.Tatoeba #516333 by Espi, translation #516331 by FeuDRenais
- J.F. Kennedy wurde auf dem Friedhof Arlington begraben.J.F. Kennedy was buried in Arlington Cemetery.Tatoeba #897699 by Esperantostern, translation #72213 by CK
- Mein Großvater wurde auf dem Friedhof beigesetzt.My grandfather was buried in the cemetery.
- Lass uns zum Kirchhof gehen und die Gräber besuchen.Let's go to the cemetery and visit the graves.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Laura are walking in a park near a graveyard.
- FelixIst der Friedhof weit von hier?Is the cemetery far from here?
- LauraNein, er ist direkt um die Ecke.No, it is right around the corner.
- FelixLaura, sollen wir dort langgehen?Laura, should we walk that way?
- LauraJa, das ist der kürzeste Weg.Yes, that is the shortest way.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Friedhof, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Friedhof, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
