letzte Woche
/ˈlɛt͡stə ˈvɔxə/word by word
In German, the English phrase "last week" is translated as letzte Woche.
letzte Woche is used as an adverb to refer to the week immediately preceding the current one.
Meaning: week before this one (adv)
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between using letzte Woche to mean "last week" (as a specific point in time) and using in letzter Woche (dative) to mean "during last week".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase letzte Woche is used in the accusative case to function as a time adverbial. If you need to express the genitive meaning "of last week" (for example, "the news of last week"), you should use the form letzter Woche.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlɛtstə ˈvɔxə/
Did you know?
- The word Woche shares an ancient root with the English word 'week' and originally comes from a term meaning 'to bend, wind or turn'.
- In German, referring to letzte Woche often triggers the use of the Präteritum tense in writing but the Perfekt tense in spoken conversation.
- In some professional contexts, Germans use letzte Woche to refer to the most recently completed full calendar week, regardless of which day of the current week it is.
Examples in context
- Er starb letzte Woche.He died last week.This sentence shows how to use letzte Woche when discussing a past event.Tatoeba #9949058 by wolfgangth, translation #4506273 by Eldad
- Die kamen letzte Woche.They came last week.This sentence demonstrates the use of letzte Woche to indicate when someone arrived.Tatoeba #8594675 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3259680 by CM
- Ich sah sie letzte Woche.I saw her last week.This sentence illustrates using letzte Woche to specify when an action occurred.Tatoeba #949667 by Sudajaengi, translation #259066 by CK
- Der Bericht wurde letzte Woche fertiggestellt.The report was completed last week.
- Ich habe vergangene Woche mit meinem Chef gesprochen.I spoke with my boss last week.
- Letzte Woche habe ich meine Familie besucht.Last week, I visited my family.
- Am Montag letzter Woche war ich krank.I was sick on Monday of last week.
- Letzte Woche ging ich jeden Tag ins Fitnessstudio.Last week, I went to the gym every day.
- 362 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Laura are talking about a movie.
- FelixHast du den neuen Film schon gesehen?Have you seen the new movie yet?
- LauraJa, ich war letzte Woche im Kino.Yes, I was at the cinema last week.
- FelixWie fandest du ihn?How did you like it?
- LauraIch fand ihn wirklich spannend.I found it really exciting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “last week” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (letzte, Woche) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Woche, letzte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
