rechts
/ʁɛçt͡s/
The German word for the direction rechts means "right".
rechts is used to indicate the direction or side that is opposite of left. Do not confuse this with the related forms Recht, which refers to a legal or moral entitlement or ja, which can be used as an interjection to mean one has no opinion.
Meaning: of direction, opposite of left (adj)
Which one should you use?
The word rechts is the opposite of links (left).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the word as an adjective to modify a noun (for example, to say "the right hand"), the form changes from rechts to rechte, rechte or rechten depending on the gender and the grammatical case of the noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁɛçts/
Did you know?
- The word links (left) is often associated with clumsiness or being 'unlucky' in old German folklore, whereas rechts is associated with correctness and skill.
- The German word Rechtschreibung, meaning 'orthography' or 'spelling', contains the root for 'right' because it literally means 'the right way of writing'.
- In German political contexts, the word rechts is used to identify someone's place on the political spectrum, often implying 'far-right' or 'extremist' depending on the context.
Examples in context
- Er bog rechts ab.He turned right.This example shows how to use rechts to describe a direction of turning.Tatoeba #9985710 by wolfgangth, translation #8479625 by CH
- Die Metro ist rechts!The metro is on the right!This example shows how to use rechts to indicate the location of a metro.Tatoeba #1773069 by al_ex_an_der, translation #1098331 by cntrational
- Biegen Sie rechts ab.Turn right, please.This example shows how to use rechts to give a directional command.Tatoeba #4933386 by Hime, translation #12823433 by sundown
- Die Antwort auf die Frage ist richtig.The answer to the question is right.
- Ich möchte sicherstellen, dass ich die Anweisungen richtig verstanden habe.I want to make sure I understood the instructions correctly.
- Bitte geben Sie Ihr korrektes Geburtsdatum an.Please provide your correct date of birth.
- Die Informationen in diesem Bericht sind korrekt.The information in this report is accurate.
- Ja, stimmt! Das habe ich auch gehört.Yes, right! I heard that too.
- Stimmt es, dass du heute Geburtstag hast?Is it true that today is your birthday?
- Richtig! Du hast das Spiel gewonnen.Right! You won the game.
- Hast du richtig Lust auf eine Pizza?Are you really in the mood for pizza?
- 234 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Julia are walking in a park looking for a specific path.
- FelixIst der Weg rechts?Is the path to the right?
- JuliaJa, er ist rechts von der Bank.Yes, it is to the right of the bench.
- FelixDanke, ich sehe ihn jetzt.Thanks, I see it now.
- JuliaGehen wir also nach rechts.So, let's go to the right.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry rechts, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
