Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kurs | [kʊʁs] (narrow) [kʊɐ̯s] (narrow) |
class, masculine |
| Lehrgang | /ˈleːɐ̯ˌɡaŋ/ | masculine |
In an educational context, Kurs is a general term for a class or learning program. In a financial context, however, Kurs is used to refer to the exchange rate or the market price of a stock or currency. You can say Ich mache einen Kurs to mean 'I am taking a course', using 'einen' in the accusative case. To discuss the content of the course, you might say Die Themen des Kurses sind spannend, using the genitive case des.
Which one should you use?
While Kurs is a general term for a class or course, Lehrgang often refers to a more structured, formal or professional training program or course of study.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Kurs is Kurse.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might mistakenly use Kurs to mean a 'course of action' or 'course of a river' in a metaphorical sense. In those specific contexts, German often uses different words like Verlauf or Weg.
Did you know?
- In a German restaurant, a 'course' of a meal is not called a Kurs but is instead referred to as a Gang.
- In Germany, the word Kurs is used in health contexts to describe a 'cure' or a therapeutic stay at a spa, known as a Kur.
- While Kurs describes a class, Lehrgang literally translates to 'teaching walk' or 'teaching gait' because it combines lehren for 'to teach' and Gang for 'walk'.
Examples in context
- Wir ändern den Kurs.We're changing course.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase 'We're changing course' using Kurs.Tatoeba #13203139 by Waldelfe, translation #5747901 by CM
- Der Kurs war schwierig.The course was difficult.This sentence is useful for describing a course as difficult using Kurs.Tatoeba #12531499 by Naina, translation #5744516 by CM
- Wann fängt dein Kurs an?When does your course start?This sentence is useful for asking when a course starts using Kurs.Tatoeba #4822296 by ruth_tatoeba, translation #11160078 by sundown
- Ein Kurs bezeichnet eine organisierte Einheit des Unterrichts.A course refers to an organized unit of instruction.
- Ich belege einen Spanischkurs an der Universität.I am taking a Spanish course at the university.
- Unser Unternehmen bietet einen Managementkurs für Führungskräfte an.Our company offers a management course for executives.
- Die Kurse sind voller interessanter Themen.The courses are full of interesting topics.
- Lass uns einen Kochkurs machen!Let's do a cooking course!
- Wir könnten einen Yoga-Kurs besuchen.We could attend a yoga course.
- 59 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Laura are talking about her new hobbies at a cafe.
- FelixMachst du gerade einen Kurs?Are you doing a course right now?
- LauraJa, ich mache einen Yoga-Kurs.Yes, I am doing a yoga course.
- FelixDas klingt toll, Laura!That sounds great, Laura!
- LauraDanke, Felix, er macht viel Spaß.Thanks, Felix, it is a lot of fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “course” translations and entries Kurs, Lehrgang, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Kurs, Lehrgang, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
