Hoffnung
/ˈhɔfnʊŋ/
The German word for hope is Hoffnung.
Hoffnung is used to express the belief that something wished for can happen, or to refer to a person or thing that serves as a source of hope.
Meaning: to want something to happen, with expectation that it might (verb)
Which one should you use?
Hoffnung is the noun meaning 'hope', whereas hoffen is the corresponding verb meaning 'to hope'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a feminine noun, Hoffnung takes the article die (die Hoffnung). The noun is derived from the verb hoffen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhɔfnʊŋ/
Did you know?
- The verb hoffen is rarely used in the imperative mood because you cannot command someone to feel hope.
- The phrase die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt is a common German idiom meaning 'hope dies last'.
- German differentiates between hoffen and wünschen, where the former implies a realistic expectation and the latter is more of a desire or a wish.
Examples in context
- Es gibt kaum Hoffnung.There is little hope.This example shows how to express that there is very little hope using Hoffnung.Tatoeba #3573637 by Mixtli, translation #1654356 by Spamster
- Es gibt keine Hoffnung.There's no hope.This example demonstrates how to state that there is no hope using Hoffnung.Tatoeba #4059348 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1935443 by Spamster
- Es gab vielen Hoffnung.It gave a lot of people hope.This example illustrates a situation where a lot of hope was given using Hoffnung.Tatoeba #10168529 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10167320 by CK
- Ich wünsche mir, dass Ihr Projekt ein voller Erfolg wirdI hope your project will be a complete success
- Hoffentlich hast du einen tollen TagHopefully, you'll have a great day
- Ich drücke dir die Daumen für deine PrüfungI hope you do well on your exam
- Ich hoffe, dass das Wetter morgen schön istI hope the weather is nice tomorrow
- 307 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Maximilian are talking about a difficult exam.
- SarahGlaubst du, dass wir bestehen?Do you think that we will pass?
- MaximilianIch habe noch Hoffnung, Sarah.I still have hope, Sarah.
- SarahDas ist eine schöne Hoffnung.That is a nice hope.
- MaximilianWir müssen einfach positiv bleiben.We just have to stay positive.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Hoffnung, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
