Pest
/pɛst/feminine
The English word "pestilence" can be translated into German as Pest or Seuche.
Meaning: any highly contagious epidemic disease (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pest | /pɛst/ | feminine |
| Seuche | /ˈzɔʏ̯çə/ | feminine |
Both terms refer to highly contagious epidemic diseases.
Which one should you use?
While Pest can mean any pestilence, it is most commonly associated with the Bubonic plague or used metaphorically for something that is a nuisance.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both Pest and Seuche are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɛst/
Did you know?
- While the word Pestilenz exists in German to describe the general concept of pestilence, it is an extremely rare term in daily speech compared to its shorter relatives.
- The German word Pest entered the language in the 16th century from the Latin word pestis via Middle French.
- Calling someone a Pest in German targets their personality as a nuisance, whereas the English word 'pest' usually evokes images of insects or rodents.
Examples in context
- Die Pest suchte das ganze Land heim.The pestilence ravaged the entire land.
Example conversation
Maximilian and Laura are discussing a historical book.
- MaximilianHast du über die Pest gelesen?Did you read about the pestilence?
- LauraJa, die Pest war schrecklich.Yes, the pestilence was terrible.
- MaximilianViele Menschen starben damals.Many people died back then.
- LauraDas ist wirklich traurig, Maximilian.That is really sad, Maximilian.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pestilence” translations and entries Pest, Seuche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Pest, Seuche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
