Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Englisch | /ˈɛŋlɪʃ/ | neuter |
| Änglisch | Alemannic German |
Englisch is used as a noun to name the English language. This is distinct from the related adjective englisch, which describes things pertaining to England, such as an englisch book.
Which one should you use?
The capitalized noun Englisch refers to the language itself. In contrast, the lowercase adjective englisch is used to describe something as being English. Additionally, the term Mittel can refer to 14-point type in a different context.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Änglisch is a dialectal variation used in Alemannic German regions.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a noun to refer to the language, Englisch is a neuter noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɛŋlɪʃ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not capitalize the adjective englisch in the middle of a sentence. Unlike in English, German adjectives are not capitalized unless they are part of a proper name or start a sentence.
Did you know?
- In German academic settings, the phrase Englisch lernen (learning English) often refers to the school subject rather than just the act of acquiring the language.
- The word englisch can be used in German to describe a specific style of breakfast, known as englisches Frühstück, which is a culturally distinct concept from a standard breakfast.
- The suffix -isch used in englisch is a common way to form adjectives of nationality in German, similar to the English suffix -ish.
Examples in context
- Sag es auf Englisch.Say it in English.This example shows how to use Englisch when asking someone to speak a language.Tatoeba #461166 by Espi, translation #26377 by CK
- Wie ist Ihr Englisch?How's your English?This example demonstrates using Englisch to ask about someone's proficiency in the language.Tatoeba #9996771 by wolfgangth, translation #5979363 by Ricardo14
- Das ist auf Englisch.This is in English.This example uses Englisch to identify the language of a specific text or object.Tatoeba #11538182 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10700639 by sundown
- Mein Hauptfach an der Universität ist Englisch.My major at the university is English.
- Ich habe einen Geschäftsbrief auf Englisch verfasst.I have written a business letter in English.
- Kannst du Englisch sprechen?Can you speak English?
- 2251 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Laura are discussing their language classes.
- JulianLernst du gerade Englisch?Are you learning English right now?
- LauraJa, aber Englisch ist sehr schwer.Yes, but English is very difficult.
- JulianIch finde Englisch eigentlich ganz einfach.I actually find English quite easy.
- LauraVielleicht kannst du mir mit Englisch helfen.Maybe you can help me with English.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “english” translations and entries Englisch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
