Tagebuch
[ˈtaːɡəˌbuːχ]neuter
The English word 'diary' is translated into German as Tagebuch.
Tagebuch refers to a daily log of experiences.
Meaning: daily log of experiences (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word Tagebuch is a compound of Tag (day) and Buch (book), literally meaning 'day book'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Tagebuch is a neuter noun, which means it uses the article das in the nominative case. The plural form of Tagebuch is Tagebücher.
Did you know?
- While you might 'write in' a diary in English, Germans often use the verb führen, as in ein Tagebuch führen, which translates literally to 'to lead a diary'.
- The word Buch in Tagebuch is a cognate of the English 'book', both stemming from the Proto-Germanic word for 'beech' because early runes were carved on beech wood.
- While Tagebuch is for personal logs, a business 'diary' or appointment book is called a Terminkalender, from Termin meaning 'appointment'.
Examples in context
- Wo ist mein Tagebuch?Where is my diary?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of your Tagebuch.Tatoeba #2730418 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2730409 by CK
- Tom fand Marias Tagebuch.Tom found Mary's diary.This sentence is useful for describing someone finding a Tagebuch.Tatoeba #2768582 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2645900 by CK
- Nicht mein Tagebuch lesen!Don't read my diary.This sentence is useful for telling someone not to read your Tagebuch.Tatoeba #9246412 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1845512 by CK
- Ich habe gestern mein Journal gelesen und einige wichtige Erkenntnisse daraus gewonnen.Yesterday, I read my journal and gained some important insights from it.
- Hast du noch dein Tagebuch von unserer letzten Reise?Do you still have your diary from our last trip?
- 125 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are looking for a lost notebook in a living room.
- JulianHast du mein Tagebuch gesehen?Have you seen my diary?
- HannahNein, ich habe es nicht gesehen.No, I haven't seen it.
- JulianVielleicht liegt das Tagebuch in der Küche.Maybe the diary is in the kitchen.
- HannahIch schaue dort einmal nach.I will take a look there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “diary” translations and entries Tagebuch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
