Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pirat | /piˈʁaːt/ | masculine |
| Seeräuber | /ˈzeːˌʁɔʏ̯bɐ/ | masculine |
| Korsar | /kɔʁˈzaːɐ̯/ | masculine |
In German, the term for one who plunders at sea can be expressed in several ways depending on the context. While the noun refers to a maritime thief, the related verbs raubkopieren and schwarzkopieren are used specifically to mean the act of making or selling illegal copies of software or digital media.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Seeräuber is a compound noun consisting of See, meaning sea and Räuber, meaning robber or thief.
Which one should you use?
Pirat and Seeräuber are often used as synonyms. However, Pirat is the more common choice when discussing fiction, movies or pop culture. In contrast, Seeräuber sounds more descriptive or historical. Korsar specifically refers to a privateer or a pirate operating under a letter of marque, usually in a historical context.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Pirat is Piraten. Unlike this, the word Seeräuber remains unchanged in its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/piˈʁaːt/
Did you know?
- The word Pirat originates from the Ancient Greek word πειρατής, which refers to someone who attempts or tries something.
- The German word for 'robber' inside Seeräuber is Räuber, a term that also appears in famous folklore and fairy tales to describe forest bandits.
Examples in context
- Ist er ein Pirat?Is he a pirate?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a pirate using Pirat.Tatoeba #12188109 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #12002110 by sundown
- Tom ist ein Pirat.Tom is a pirate.This sentence is useful for stating that Tom is a pirate using Pirat.Tatoeba #6066431 by wolfgangth, translation #6066353 by Hybrid
- Sie ist die Piratenkönigin.She's the pirate queen.This sentence is useful for describing a pirate queen using Pirat.Tatoeba #1965755 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1963047 by Spamster
- Ich bin ein PiratI am a pirate
- Hast du den Seeräuberfilm gesehen?Have you seen the pirate movie?
- Die Freibeuter haben einen Schatz gefunden!The pirates have found a treasure!
- In der spannenden Geschichte spielten die Kaperfahrer eine wichtige Rolle.In the thrilling story, the pirates played an important role.
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Sarah are talking about a movie they just watched.
- FelixDer Hauptcharakter im Film ist ein Pirat.The main character in the movie is a pirate.
- SarahJa, und er hat ein großes Schiff.Yes, and he has a big ship.
- FelixWelcher Pirat hat eigentlich den Schatz gefunden?Which pirate actually found the treasure?
- SarahDas weiß ich leider nicht mehr.Unfortunately, I don't remember that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pirate” translations and entries Pirat, Seeräuber, Korsar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Korsar, Pirat, Seeräuber, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
