minus
[ˈmiːnʊs]
The German word for the mathematical 'minus' is minus. Wiktionary also lists weniger.
Meaning: mathematics: less (prep)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| minus | [ˈmiːnʊs] (narrow) |
| weniger | [ˈveːniɡɐ] (narrow) |
In German, minus is used for mathematical subtraction and for expressing negative temperatures, such as minus zehn Grad. It can also be used as a noun to refer to a negative quantity or a disadvantage, though in those noun forms it is capitalized as Minus.
Which one should you use?
Use minus for mathematical operations and temperatures. In contrast, use weniger when you are talking about comparative quantities, such as saying one thing is 'less than' another.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use the word as a noun meaning a negative quantity or a disadvantage, you must capitalize it as Minus.
Did you know?
- In German school grading, a Minus added to a grade, such as zwei minus, actually makes the grade slightly worse rather than better.
- The word weniger functions as both 'less' and 'fewer', bypassing the strict distinction English speakers often struggle with for countable nouns.
- When a bank account is overdrawn or a business is in deficit, Germans say they are im Minus.
Examples in context
- 92 minus 9 macht 83.92 minus 9 is 83.This sentence shows how to use minus in a subtraction problem.Tatoeba #10150262 by Yorwba, translation #6886088 by tripbeetle
- Es hat minus zwei Grad.The temperature is minus two.This sentence demonstrates how to use minus when stating a temperature.Tatoeba #7840387 by brauchinet, translation #11051665 by sundown
- Was ist zwei minus zwei?What is two minus two?This sentence shows a mathematical question using minus.Tatoeba #13343681 by Waldelfe, translation #13347644 by EugeneGS
- Acht minus zwei ergibt sechs.Eight minus two equals six.
- Der Betrag abzüglich der Kosten beträgt 100 Euro.The amount minus the expenses equals 100 euros.
- Mein Taschengeld, abzüglich der Kinokosten, reicht nicht für das neue Videospiel.My pocket money, minus the cinema expenses, isn't enough for the new video game.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are checking a math homework problem.
- SarahWas ist zehn minus drei?What is ten minus three?
- JulianDas ist sieben.That is seven.
- SarahJulian, ist das Ergebnis richtig?Julian, is the result correct?
- JulianJa, das stimmt.Yes, that is right.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “minus” translations and entries minus, weniger, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
