Kreis
/kʁaɪ̯s/masculine
The English word 'circle' translates to German as Kreis.
Kreis is a masculine noun used primarily in geometry to describe a set of points that are all equally distant from a center. Beyond geometry, it can refer to a 'group' or 'sphere' (e.g., Freundeskreis – circle of friends).
Meaning: geometry: set of points that are equally distant from a center (noun)
Which one should you use?
While Kreis refers to the geometric shape, it is also used to mean a 'group' or 'sphere' (e.g., Freundeskreis – circle of friends).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular masculine form is Kreis. To form the plural, use Kreise. For the genitive singular (meaning 'of the circle'), use Kreises.
How do you pronounce it?
/kʁaɪ̯s/
When do people say it?
The phrase im Kreis is used to describe people sitting or standing in a circular formation.
Did you know?
- In many German political contexts, a Kreis is a specific level of local government, sitting between a municipality and a state.
- The phrase im Kreis drehen literally means 'to turn in a circle' but is used idiomatically to describe someone who is stuck or making no progress.
- If someone is aus dem Kreis gefallen, it means they have been excluded from a social group or a specific sphere of influence.
Examples in context
- Sie saßen im Kreis.They sat in a circle.This sentence shows how to describe people sitting in a circular formation using Kreis.Tatoeba #10178174 by wolfgangth, translation #2282395 by Hybrid
- Ich zeichne einen Kreis.I draw a circle.This sentence shows the use of Kreis when drawing a geometric shape.Tatoeba #13972948 by AaronAardvark, translation #12432677 by Orange
- Die Schüler saßen im Kreis.The students sat in a circle.This sentence shows how to describe a group of students sitting in a circular formation using Kreis.Tatoeba #4537430 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #4521720 by Hybrid
- 45 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Julia are working on a geometry project.
- MaximilianJulia, wie groß ist dieser Kreis?Julia, how large is this circle?
- JuliaDer Kreis hat einen Radius von fünf Zentimetern.The circle has a radius of five centimeters.
- MaximilianGut, zeichne den Kreis bitte genau.Good, please draw the circle accurately.
- JuliaIch mache das sofort, Maximilian.I will do that immediately, Maximilian.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “circle” translations and entries Kreis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
