Goethe
/ˈɡøː.tə/feminine, masculine
Goethe is the German surname.
Goethe is used as a proper noun for the surname. It is a name that can be associated with both masculine and feminine contexts.
Meaning: surname (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate possession (Goethe's), you add an 's' to the end of the name to form Goethes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡøː.tə/. The first of the two syllables is stressed.
Did you know?
- In German, the adjective goethesk is used to describe something that is intellectually ambitious, multifaceted and perhaps a bit over-reaching.
- The name Goethe is so iconic in Germany that the phrase Goethe und Schiller is often used as a shorthand to refer to the entire era of German Weimar Classicism.
- The 'th' in 'Goethe' is a silent component of the vowel modulation and is not pronounced with the English 'th' sound, such as in 'the' or 'thought'.
Examples in context
- Er war ein Zeitgenosse Goethes.He was a contemporary of Goethe.This sentence is useful for mentioning a contemporary of Goethe.Tatoeba #6773046 by Sciuro_Kvar, translation #9926390 by sundown
- Goethe starb am 22. März 1832 in Weimar.Goethe died in Weimar on 22 March 1832.This sentence provides a historical fact about when Goethe died.Tatoeba #8402478 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10129871 by sundown
- Deutsch wird mitunter als die Sprache Goethes bezeichnet.German is sometimes called Goethe’s language.This sentence describes the language as being associated with Goethe.Tatoeba #5045691 by al_ex_an_der, translation #5045638 by Hybrid
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe schrieb viele Meisterwerke.Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote many masterpieces.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are discussing literature in a library.
- FelixLiest du gerade ein Buch von Goethe?Are you reading a book by Goethe right now?
- JuliaJa, ich lerne gerade etwas über Goethe.Yes, I am learning about Goethe right now.
- FelixIst er dein Lieblingsschriftsteller?Is he your favorite writer?
- JuliaEr ist einer der größten Dichter.He is one of the greatest poets.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goethe” translations and entries Goethe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
