Erdbeben
/ˈeːɐ̯tˌbeːbn̩/neuter
The German word for earthquake is Erdbeben.
Erdbeben is a noun used to describe the shaking of the surface of a planet.
Meaning: shaking of the surface of a planet (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound noun consisting of Erde (earth) and Beben (quake/tremor).
How does it change in a sentence?
Erdbeben is a neuter noun, so it takes the definite article das. The plural form of Erdbeben is identical to the singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈeːɐ̯tˌbeːbn̩/
Did you know?
- In German, the word Beben can also refer to a 'commotion' or a 'hullabaloo' in a social or political context, much like an 'earthquake' might describe a political scandal in English.
- The verb beben is often used poetically or dramatically to describe a person trembling with intense fear or emotion, rather than just physical movement.
- Because Erdbeben is a compound noun, you can theoretically create many variations by changing the first part, such as Seebeben for an underwater shockwave.
Examples in context
- Gab es ein Erdbeben?Was there an earthquake?This sentence is useful for asking if an earthquake occurred using Erdbeben.Tatoeba #5322073 by Sudajaengi, translation #2892414 by CK
- War das ein Erdbeben?Was it an earthquake?This sentence is useful for asking if something was an earthquake using Erdbeben.Tatoeba #8088423 by Luiaard, translation #4628686 by Lazovic
- Ich spürte das Erdbeben.I felt the earthquake.This sentence is useful for saying you felt the earthquake using Erdbeben.Tatoeba #3892795 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3825017 by CK
- Hallo, ich möchte ein Erdbeben melden.Hello, I would like to report an earthquake.
- Das Beben war nicht sehr stark, aber man konnte es spüren.The earthquake was not very strong, but you could feel it.
- Die Seismologen haben ein seismisches Ereignis in der Region dokumentiert.The seismologists documented a seismic event in the region.
- 125 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are discussing a news report about a natural disaster.
- LukasHast du vom schweren Erdbeben gehört?Did you hear about the severe earthquake?
- SarahJa, das Erdbeben war wirklich schrecklich.Yes, the earthquake was really terrible.
- LukasViele Häuser wurden durch das Erdbeben zerstört.Many houses were destroyed by the earthquake.
- SarahIch hoffe, dass niemand verletzt wurde.I hope that nobody was injured.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “earthquake” translations and entries Erdbeben, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
