Geschichte
/ɡəˈʃɪçtə/
The German word for history is Geschichte.
Geschichte is used to refer to the academic branch of knowledge that studies the past. The word Geschichte can mean both 'history' (the academic discipline) and 'story' (a narrative or tale).
Meaning: branch of knowledge that studies the past (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Geschichte is Geschichten.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡəˈʃɪçtə/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, eine Geschichte machen can mean to create a fuss or cause a scene, rather than telling a story.
- The word Geschichte is derived from geschehen, which means 'to happen'. In German, history is literally the act of things happening.
- If you are talking about a 'story' in the sense of a 'lie' or an 'excuse', Germans might still use the word Geschichte, such as 'Was ist das für eine Geschichte?'
Examples in context
- Der Rest ist Geschichte.The rest is history.Tatoeba #12149363 by nexx, translation #3399458 by adamtrousers
- Ich bin gut in Geschichte.I am good at history.Tatoeba #644017 by samueldora, translation #436367 by lukaszpp
- Herr Itō lehrt Geschichte.Mr. Ito teaches history.Tatoeba #1522065 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1445302 by CN
- Wenn du über die deutsche Geschichte sprichstWhen you talk about German history
- Die Geschichte Deutschlands ist sehr interessant.The history of Germany is very interesting.
- Die Geschichte des MittelaltersThe history of the Middle Ages
- Ich möchte mein Wissen über die Geschichte erweitern.I want to expand my knowledge of history.
- 257 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Sarah are talking about their university classes.
- FelixWelche Kurse belegst du dieses Semester, Sarah?Which courses are you taking this semester, Sarah?
- SarahIch belege einen Kurs in Geschichte.I am taking a course in history.
- FelixInteressiert dich die Geschichte Europas?Are you interested in the history of Europe?
- SarahJa, das ist mein Lieblingsthema.Yes, that is my favorite topic.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Geschichte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Geschichte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
