Herr
/hɛr/masculine
The English word 'lord' can be translated into German as Herr or Gott.
Meaning: God (name)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Herr | /hɛr/ | masculine |
| Gott | /ɡɔt/ | masculine |
When referring to God, Herr is used to mean 'the Lord', often functioning as a title. The word Gott is used to mean 'God', referring to the deity itself. Besides this religious use, Herr is also the standard German word for 'Mr.' or 'gentleman', and it can mean an aristocrat. The related verb herrschen means 'to lord over'.
Which one should you use?
In a religious context, Herr is typically used as a title for 'the Lord', whereas Gott is the name or substance of the deity, meaning 'God'. In everyday non-religious German, Herr is used to mean 'Mr.' or 'gentleman'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to God as 'the Lord' in the accusative case, the masculine word Herr takes the weak declension ending '-en', appearing as den Herrn.
How do you pronounce it?
/hɛr/
Did you know?
- The German word Herr is a distant relative of the English word 'hoar' as in 'hoarfrost'. Both words originate from a Proto-Germanic root meaning 'grey'.
- While Herr is the standard word for 'Mr.', using it without a surname in a formal greeting can sound archaic or overly subservient in modern Germany.
Examples in context
- Wer ist unser Herr?Who is our lord?Tatoeba #14042671 by Waldelfe, translation #12417074 by ddnktr
- Lobe den Herrn dafür.Praise the Lord for that.Tatoeba #12002966 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #9115130 by Amastan
- Möge der Herr mit dir sein!May the Lord be with you.Tatoeba #6954212 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6697264 by Hybrid
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet church during a prayer service.
- JulianHerr, höre unser Gebet.Lord, hear our prayer.
- JuliaJa, Julian, wir beten zu ihm.Yes, Julian, we are praying to him.
- JulianDer Herr ist sehr großartig.The Lord is very great.
- JuliaDas ist wahr, mein lieber Julian.That is true, my dear Julian.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lord” translations and entries Herr, Gott, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Gott, Herr, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
