Eltern
/ˈɛltərn/
The German phrase for "mother and father" is Eltern.
Eltern is used to refer to the parents of a person as a single unit.
Which one should you use?
While Eltern refers to the parents as a collective unit, if you want to refer specifically to one parent, you must use Mutter (mother) or Vater (father).
How does it change in a sentence?
Eltern is a plural noun and does not have a singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɛltərn/
Did you know?
- The word Eltern is actually a comparative form of the word alt meaning 'old'.
Examples in context
- Waren eure Eltern zu Hause?Were your mother and father home?This sentence is useful for asking if your Eltern were at home.Tatoeba #1046366 by MUIRIEL, translation #70952 by CK
- Meine Eltern wohnen in Berlin.My parents live in Berlin.
- Wie geht es deinen Eltern?How are your parents?
Example conversation
Felix and Julia are talking about their upcoming holiday.
- FelixBesuchst du in den Ferien deine Eltern?Are you visiting your parents during the holidays?
- JuliaJa, ich fahre zu meinen Eltern.Yes, I am going to my parents.
- FelixDas ist schön, Julia.That is nice, Julia.
- JuliaJa, meine Eltern freuen sich sehr.Yes, my parents are very happy.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Eltern, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Eltern, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
