Rot
[ʁoːt]neuter
In German, the English phrase "red" is translated as Rot when used as a noun.
The noun Rot refers to the color itself. The related adjective rot is used to describe something as having the color red. Additionally, the adjective rot can be used in a political context to describe someone or something as being left-wing, socialist or communist.
Meaning: colour (noun)
Which one should you use?
The capitalized form Rot is used as a noun to refer to the color itself, whereas the lowercase rot is used as an adjective to describe something.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the adjective rot as a predicate adjective (for example, 'The car is red'), it does not take any special endings. However, when used as an attributive adjective placed directly before a noun (for example, 'the red car'), the form rot must take an inflectional ending, such as roten.
Did you know?
- A roter Faden is a 'red thread', a German idiom used to describe a central theme or a guiding logic that connects different parts of a story or argument.
- Because rot is linked to left-wing politics, a 'red' government in Germany typically refers to a coalition involving the Social Democratic Party.
- The German word rot is a direct linguistic cousin of the English word 'red', as both descend from the Proto-Germanic word *raudaz.
Examples in context
- Der Hund ist rot.The dog is red.This sentence demonstrates the use of the color Rot.Tatoeba #3355113 by freddy1, translation #3354603 by LanguageExpert
- Ihr Buch ist rot.Her book is red.Tatoeba #3864816 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3148908 by CM
- Das Haus ist rot.The house is red.Tatoeba #6005484 by wolfgangth, translation #4042344 by falekseev
- Die Flagge meines Landes ist rot.The flag of my country is red.
- Wow, dein neues Auto ist knallrot!Wow, your new car is bright red!
- 983 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Felix are choosing a paint color for their room.
- LauraWelche Farbe gefällt dir am besten?Which color do you like best?
- FelixIch finde Rot sehr schön.I think red is very beautiful.
- LauraIst Rot nicht ein bisschen zu stark?Isn't red a bit too strong?
- FelixNein, Rot passt gut hierher.No, red fits well here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “red” translations and entries Rot, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Rot, rot, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
