tysk
/tʏsk/masculine
tysk is the Norwegian word for German.
tysk is the most common and simple way to say German. It can refer to the German language or to things and people from Germany. For extra precision, you can use det tyske språket to mean "the German language."
Meaning: the German language (name)
Which one should you use?
While tysk refers to the German language or nationality, germansk refers to the broader Germanic linguistic family. Use tysker specifically when referring to a person from Germany.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun meaning 'the German language', tysk is neuter and does not take an article in phrases such as å lære tysk (to learn German).
How do you pronounce it?
/tʏsk/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use tysk to mean the broader 'Germanic' language family. Instead, use germansk.
Did you know?
- In Norwegian, tysk comes from a root meaning 'of the people', which was used to distinguish common vernaculars from the elite Latin.
- Unlike English, where 'German' is always capitalized, tysk is written with a lowercase letter when used as an adjective.
- The word tysk is an ancient relative of the English word 'theod', an archaic term for a people or nation.
Examples in context
- Jeg eier en tysk bil.I own a German car.This sentence shows how to use tysk to describe a German car.Tatoeba #8799870 by solsikkeris, translation #2356773 by NotApplicable
- Når begynte du å lære tysk?When did you begin learning German?This sentence demonstrates using tysk when talking about learning the language.Tatoeba #2888322 by eirik174, translation #16849 by CN
- Tysk er ikke et enkelt språk.German is not an easy language.This sentence shows how tysk functions as the name of the language.Tatoeba #3503574 by janni, translation #38955 by CN
- Tysk er et av de mest anerkjente språkene i verden.German is one of the most recognized languages in the world.
- I dag skal jeg studere det tyske språket.Today, I am going to study the German language.
- Nordmenn og tyskere har hatt et langvarig kulturelt utvekslingsforhold.Norwegians and Germans have had a long-lasting cultural exchange.
- Jeg lærer tysk.I am learning German.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofie and Kristoffer are talking about their language studies at a cafe.
- SofieKan du snakke tysk?Can you speak German?
- KristofferNei, jeg kan bare litt tysk.No, I only know a little German.
- SofieEr tysk vanskelig for deg?Is German difficult for you?
- KristofferJa, grammatikken i tysk er kompleks.Yes, the grammar in German is complex.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “german” translations and entries tysk, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tysk, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
