Ways to say it
| German | Note |
|---|---|
| Permanentmarker | masculine |
| Permanentschreiber | masculine |
| Markierstift | masculine |
All these terms refer to a felt-tip pen used to create permanent, water-resistant writing.
Which one should you use?
While Markierstift can be used for a permanent marker, it is a broader term used for any pen intended for marking or highlighting. Permanentschreiber is a more traditional German term, whereas Permanentmarker is an anglicism.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Permanentschreiber is the standard German term. Permanentmarker is an informal anglicism used in everyday speech, and Edding is a colloquial term used in casual conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular forms are Permanentmarker, Permanentschreiber and Markierstift. For the plural, Permanentmarker remains Permanentmarker and Permanentschreiber remains Permanentschreiber, but Markierstift changes to Markierstifte.
Did you know?
- Because Edding is so dominant, Germans often use it as a verb, eddingen, to describe the act of marking something permanently.
- The noun Schreiber in Permanentschreiber is used to describe the writing tool itself, while in English 'writer' almost exclusively refers to a person.
- In many German households, people do not ask for a Permanentschreiber but instead ask for an Edding, regardless of the actual brand. Much like 'Kleenex' or 'Xerox' in English, the brand name has become a generic trademark for any permanent marker.
Examples in context
- Könnten Sie mir bitte einen permanenten Marker geben?Could you please give me a permanent marker?
- Ich brauche einen Permanentmarker für das Plakat.I need a permanent marker for the poster.
- Hast du einen Permanentmarker für mich?Do you have a permanent marker for me?
- Der Permanentmarker ist leider leer.The permanent marker is unfortunately empty.
Example conversation
Julian and Sarah are preparing decorations for a party.
- JulianSarah, hast du einen Permanentmarker?Sarah, do you have a permanent marker?
- SarahJa, ich habe einen in meiner Tasche.Yes, I have one in my bag.
- JulianDanke, ich muss die Boxen beschriften.Thanks, I need to label the boxes.
- SarahHier, nimm ihn einfach, Julian.Here, just take it, Julian.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “permanent marker” translations and entries Permanentmarker, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
