Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ドイツ語 | Doitsu-go | [do̞it͡sɨɡo̞] (narrow) |
| 独語 | Dokugo | [do̞kɯ̟ɡo̞] (narrow) |
This term is used to refer specifically to the German language. If you want to refer to a person of German nationality, you should use ドイツ人 instead.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of ドイツ (Doitsu), which is the Japanese name for Germany and 語 (go), meaning language.
Which one should you use?
ドイツ語 is the standard way to say German. The abbreviated form 独語 is an alternative used primarily in formal writing, academic contexts or news headlines.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify the language, you must include the suffix 語. For example, while ドイツ refers to the country, ドイツ語 refers to the language. To change the meaning from the language to a person, replace the language suffix 語 with the person suffix 人 to form ドイツ人.
How do you pronounce it?
Doitsu-go
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use ドイツ (the country) when you actually mean the language. You must add 語 to the end to specify ドイツ語.
Did you know?
- The use of ドイツ reflects the influence of the Dutch East India Company, who were the only Europeans allowed to trade with Japan for over two centuries.
- The word ドイツ is derived from the Dutch word 'Duits', rather than the English word 'German' or the native German 'Deutsch'.
- The kanji 独 can also mean 'alone' or 'solitary' in other contexts, but in the context of ドイツ, it refers to Germany.
Examples in context
- ドイツ語は苦手だ。I am weak in German.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of proficiency in ドイツ語.Tatoeba #201743 by small_snow, translation #38953 by Swift
- ドイツ語は話せる？Can you speak German?This sentence is useful for asking if someone can speak ドイツ語.Tatoeba #9870947 by small_snow, translation #69879 by adjusting
- ドイツ語を学びたい。I'd like to learn German.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to study ドイツ語.Tatoeba #9632812 by small_snow, translation #9630633 by Ricardo14
- ドイツ語を話しますか？Do you speak German?
- 独語の勉強をしていますI am studying German.
- 134 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are talking about their language classes at school.
- 結衣 Yui大翔くんはドイツ語を勉強しているの？Hiroto-kun wa Doitogo o benkyō shite iru no?Hiroto, are you studying German?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、ドイツ語のクラスに入っているよ。Un, Doitogo no kurasu ni haitte iru yo.Yeah, I'm in a German class.
- 結衣 Yuiすごいね。ドイツ語は面白い？Sugoi ne. Doitogo wa omoshiroi?That's amazing. Is German interesting?
- 大翔 Hiroto少し難しいけど、とても楽しいよ。Sukoshi muzukashii kedo, totemo tanoshii yo.It's a little difficult, but very fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “german” translations and entries ドイツ語, 独語, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
