Windel
/ˈvɪndəl/feminine
The German word for diaper is Windel.
Windel refers to an absorbent garment used for waste material. It is a general term used for both baby diapers and adult incontinence products. In informal German conversations, people sometimes use the term Pampers to refer to diapers in general.
Meaning: absorbent garment for waste material (noun)
Which one should you use?
While the verb windeln means to put a diaper on someone, the synonym wickeln is very common when specifically describing the act of changing or wrapping a baby in a diaper.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Windel is the standard term used throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Windel is Windeln.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvɪndəl/
Did you know?
- The word Windel shares a root with the German verb winden, which means 'to wind' or 'to twist'.
- Historically, Windel referred to the cloth layers used before disposable diapers were invented, and the name persisted after the technology changed.
- The word Windel shares a linguistic ancestor with the Luxembourgish word Wëndel, showing how closely related these regional languages remain.
Examples in context
- Er trägt aus medizinischen Gründen eine Windel.He wears a diaper for medical reasons.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone wears a Windel for medical reasons.Tatoeba #13574474 by Waldelfe, translation #9189923 by DJ_Saidez
- Nimm ihm die Windeln ab, bevor er Ausschlag bekommt!Take off his diaper before he gets a rash.This sentence is useful for instructing someone to remove Windeln.Tatoeba #11704230 by Yorwba, translation #9511855 by DJ_Saidez
- Aufgrund seiner Inkontinenz trug er auf langen Flügen eine Windel.He wore a diaper on long flights because of his incontinence.This sentence is useful for describing why someone wore a Windel during a long flight.Tatoeba #13965692 by Waldelfe, translation #8977657 by mccarras
- Entschuldigung, wo finde ich Windeln für mein Baby?Excuse me, where can I find diapers for my baby?
- Vergiss nicht, die Pampers für das Baby mitzubringen!Don't forget to bring the Pampers for the baby!
Example conversation
Julian and Laura are packing a baby bag for a trip.
- JulianHaben wir noch eine Windel in der Tasche?Do we still have a diaper in the bag?
- LauraNein, ich glaube, wir brauchen mehr.No, I think we need more.
- JulianIch packe schnell eine weitere Windel ein.I will quickly pack another diaper.
- LauraDanke, das ist eine gute Idee.Thanks, that is a good idea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “diaper” translations and entries Windel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Windel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
