Drache
/ˈdʁaxə/masculine
The English word "dragon" is translated into German as Drache.
The word refers to the mythical creature. It is a masculine noun.
Meaning: mythical creature (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Drache follows weak declension. This means that in the accusative and dative cases, the noun takes the ending -en, forming Drachen (for example, ich sehe den Drachen).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdʁaxə/
Did you know?
- While Drache refers to the mythical creature, a 'Drachen' is also the common German word for a kite used in the sky.
- The word Drachen is sometimes used as a colloquial, slightly derogatory term for a bossy or temperamental woman, similar to calling someone a 'dragon' in English.
- German folklore features the Lindwurm, a specific type of wingless dragon or serpent. While Drache is the general term, Lindwurm refers to this distinct legendary creature found in regional myths.
Examples in context
- Es ist ein Drache!It's a dragon!The first example shows how to identify a dragon.Tatoeba #8803944 by wolfgangth, translation #6108123 by mailohilohi
- Der Drache sah sie.The dragon saw her.The second example illustrates the dragon as the subject of a sentence.Tatoeba #4741254 by bonny37, translation #3090721 by Luornu
- Das ist ein Drache.It's a dragon.The third example is a simple way to state what a dragon is.Tatoeba #6165861 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6088899 by mailohilohi
- Der DracheThe dragon
- Ein feuerspeiender DracheA fire-breathing dragon
- Der sagenhafte DracheThe legendary dragon
- 45 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Maximilian are looking at a picture book in a library.
- SarahSchau mal, Maximilian, ein Drache!Look, Maximilian, a dragon!
- MaximilianJa, der Drache sieht sehr gefährlich aus.Yes, the dragon looks very dangerous.
- SarahEr ist aber auch sehr bunt.But he is also very colorful.
- MaximilianDas stimmt, er ist wunderschön.That's true, he is beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dragon” translations and entries Drache, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
