trocken
/ˈtʁɔkən/
The German word for dry is trocken.
trocken is an adjective used to describe something that is free from liquid or moisture. For an extreme degree of dryness, you can use staubtrocken, which means bone dry.
Meaning: free from liquid or moisture (adj)
Which one should you use?
While trocken is the adjective meaning dry, the verb trocknen is used to express the process of drying or making something dry. The separable verb abtrocknen specifically refers to the act of drying something off, such as wiping dishes with a towel or drying oneself after a bath.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, trocken takes various endings depending on the gender and case of the noun it modifies, such as the feminine or plural form trockene.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʁɔkən/
Did you know?
- In German, a person who is described as 'trocken' is not necessarily thirsty, but might instead be described as having a very dry, ironic, or understated sense of humor.
- The word trocken originally evolved from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to strengthen' or 'become hard'.
Examples in context
- Es ist sehr trocken.It's very dry.This sentence is useful for stating that the weather or a condition is very dry using trocken.Tatoeba #8885259 by wolfgangth, translation #1615217 by Spamster
- Das Huhn war trocken.The chicken was dry.This sentence is useful for describing a chicken that was trocken.Tatoeba #6120496 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5011515 by Hybrid
- Mein Mund war trocken.My mouth was dry.This sentence is useful for describing a mouth that was trocken.Tatoeba #1560950 by Zaghawa, translation #240546 by CK
- Das Wetter ist heute sehr trocken.The weather is very dry today.
- Bitte legen Sie die nassen Handtücher zum Abtrocknen auf die Leine.Please hang the wet towels to dry on the clothesline.
- Die Wäsche braucht länger zum Austrocknen an einem regnerischen Tag.The laundry takes longer to dry on a rainy day.
- Sein Humor ist immer staubtrocken.His sense of humor is always bone dry.
- Der Wein ist zu trocken, magst du ihn trotzdem?The wine is too dry, do you still like it?
- Ich liebe das Geräusch, wenn trockenes Laub unter meinen Füßen knistert.I love the sound of dry leaves crackling beneath my feet.
- 145 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are checking the weather for a hike.
- LukasIst der Wanderweg trocken?Is the hiking trail dry?
- SarahJa, er ist vollkommen trocken.Yes, it is completely dry.
- LukasDas ist gut für uns.That is good for us.
- SarahWir können jetzt losgehen.We can go now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dry” translations and entries trocken, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries trocken, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
