Heiliger Geist
/ˈhaɪ̯lɪɡɐ ˈɡaɪ̯st/masculine
The English phrase 'holy spirit' is translated into German as Heiliger Geist.
In a Christian context, Heiliger Geist is used to refer to the person of the Holy Trinity.
Meaning: Christian: person of the Holy Trinity (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective heilig (holy) and the noun Geist (spirit).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes based on its grammatical role in a sentence. In the genitive case, such as when saying 'of the Holy Spirit', use des Heiligen Geistes, where the adjective takes the -en ending and the noun takes the -es ending. In the dative case, such as when saying 'to/for the Holy Spirit', use dem Heiligen Geist, where the adjective takes the -en ending.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhaɪ̯lɪɡɐ ˈɡaɪ̯st/
Did you know?
- The word Geist is cognate with the Persian word zešt, which means 'ugly' or 'disgusting'.
- The term Heiliger Geist can be used as an exclamation of surprise or frustration, similar to 'Good heavens' in English.
- Many German cities have a Heilig-Geist-Spital, which were historical hospitals founded to care for the poor under the patronage of the Holy Spirit.
Examples in context
- In der christlichen Lehre ist der Heilige Geist eine der göttlichen Personen der Dreifaltigkeit.In Christian doctrine, the Holy Spirit is one of the divine persons of the Trinity.
- Ich spüre die Gegenwart des Heiligen Geistes in meiner Seele.I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in my soul.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “holy spirit” translations and entries Heiliger Geist, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Geist, Heiliger, Heiliger Geist, CC BY-SA 4.0.
