Kirche
/ˈkɪʁçə/
The German word Kirche means church.
Kirche refers to a building used for Christian religious services.
How does it change in a sentence?
Kirche is a feminine noun, which means it is used with the feminine definite article die (die Kirche). The plural form of the word is Kirchen. In the genitive singular feminine, the word follows standard German declension and becomes einer Kirche (of a church).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkɪʁçə/
Did you know?
- In Germany, the phrase Kirchensteuer refers to a 'church tax' that the government collects from registered members of recognized religious bodies to fund their administration.
- The phrase Kirche is used in the idiom die Kirche im Dorf lassen, which literally means 'to leave the church in the village' but translates to 'not to overreact' or 'to keep things in perspective'.
- While Kirche is the general term, the word Dom is used for a cathedral, and unlike in English, it does not necessarily have to be the seat of a bishop to be called a Dom.
Examples in context
- Bitte pass auf das Kirchengebäude auf, es ist sehr alt.Please be careful with the church building, it's very old.
- Die Kirchenanlage ist beeindruckend und zieht viele Besucher an.The church complex is impressive and attracts many visitors.
- Die Kirche ist sehr alt.The church is very old.
- Wir gehen vor der Kirche spazieren.We are walking in front of the church.
- Dort steht eine kleine Kirche.A small church stands there.
Example conversation
Maximilian and Sarah are walking through a small village.
- MaximilianSiehst du die schöne Kirche?Do you see the beautiful church?
- SarahJa, die Kirche ist beeindruckend.Yes, the church is impressive.
- MaximilianWollen wir sie besuchen?Do we want to visit it?
- SarahGerne, Maximilian.Gladly, Maximilian.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Kirche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
