Großbritannien
/ˌɡʁoːs.bʁɪˈtan.jən/neuter
In German, the English phrase "great britain" is translated as Großbritannien.
Großbritannien is the common term used in Germany to refer to Great Britain.
Meaning: United Kingdom (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
Großbritannien is a neuter noun. To indicate possession or belonging, use the genitive form Großbritanniens (of Great Britain).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌɡʁoːs.bʁɪˈtan.jən/. The word has four syllables and the stress is on the third syllable.
Did you know?
- While English speakers often use 'Great Britain' and 'the UK' interchangeably in casual speech, a German speaker using Großbritannien is strictly referring to the island and might be corrected if they mean the entire political union of the United Kingdom.
- The word groß in Großbritannien means 'great' or 'big' and is the same root used in Großeltern for 'grandparents'.
- In older German texts, you may encounter Britannien, which refers to the Roman province of Britannia rather than the modern sovereign state.
Examples in context
- Aus welchen Ländern besteht Großbritannien?Which countries make up Great Britain?This sentence is useful for asking which countries compose Großbritannien.Tatoeba #6276901 by al_ex_an_der, translation #6276895 by al_ex_an_der
- Indien wurde viele Jahre von Großbritannien regiert.India was governed by Great Britain for many years.This sentence is useful for describing the historical governance of India by Großbritannien.Tatoeba #973849 by Sudajaengi, translation #65722 by CM
- Großbritannien hat zwei Militärstützpunkte in Zypern.Great Britain has two military bases in Cyprus.This sentence is useful for noting the presence of military bases in Cyprus belonging to Großbritannien.Tatoeba #1046055 by al_ex_an_der, translation #1046012 by AKINCI81
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Hannah are talking about their upcoming travel plans.
- MaximilianWillst du nach Großbritannien reisen?Do you want to travel to Great Britain?
- HannahJa, ich liebe die Natur in Großbritannien.Yes, I love the nature in Great Britain.
- MaximilianDas ist eine gute Idee, Hannah.That is a good idea, Hannah.
- HannahIch sollte bald ein Ticket buchen.I should book a ticket soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “great britain” translations and entries Großbritannien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
