Jahreszeit
/ˈjaːʁəsˌt͡saɪ̯t/feminine
In German, the word for a quarter of a year or a season is Jahreszeit.
Jahreszeit is used to refer to the astronomical or meteorological seasons of the year. If you are talking about a season in terms of sports or a specific period of business activity, you should use different words such as Saison or Zeitraum instead.
Meaning: quarter of a year (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word Jahreszeit is a compound of Jahr, meaning year and Zeit, meaning time or period.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Jahreszeit is a feminine noun and takes the definite article die. The plural form of the word is Jahreszeiten.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈjaːʁəsˌtsaɪ̯t/
When do people say it?
The four seasons in German are Frühling (spring), Sommer (summer), Herbst (autumn/fall) and Winter (winter).
Did you know?
- In German, a 'season' of a television series or a Netflix show is called Staffel rather than Jahreszeit.
- The word Jahreszeit is formed by adding a linking 's' between Jahr and Zeit, a common feature in German compound nouns to improve flow.
- If you are discussing the 'peak season' for tourism, Germans will almost always use the loanword Hochsaison instead of Hochjahreszeit.
Examples in context
- Es ist die beste Jahreszeit.It's the best season of the year.This sentence uses Jahreszeit to describe the best time of the year.Tatoeba #732662 by Dejo, translation #27383 by Dejo
- Welche Jahreszeit ist gerade?What season of year is it now?This sentence uses Jahreszeit to ask which current season it is.Tatoeba #13564845 by Waldelfe, translation #12519205 by Ergulis
- Der Sommer ist die heißeste Jahreszeit.Summer is the hottest season.This sentence uses Jahreszeit to identify summer as a specific season.Tatoeba #753361 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #681991 by Source_VOA
- Welche Jahreszeit magst du am liebsten?Which season do you like the most?
- Halte den Regenschirm bereit, der Frühling bringt oft überraschende Schauer mit sich.Keep the umbrella handy, spring often brings sudden showers.
- Die Blätter verfärben sich im Herbst und verwandeln die Landschaft in ein atemberaubendes Spektakel.The leaves change color in autumn, transforming the landscape into a breathtaking spectacle.
- Ich liebe den Schnee und die gemütlichen Abende am Kamin im Winter.I love the snow and cozy evenings by the fireplace in winter.
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Felix are talking about the weather while walking in a park.
- HannahWelche Jahreszeit magst du am liebsten?Which season do you like most?
- FelixIch liebe den Frühling, das ist meine liebste Jahreszeit.I love spring, that is my favorite season.
- HannahDer Frühling ist wirklich wunderschön.Spring is really beautiful.
- FelixJa, die Natur erwacht jetzt überall.Yes, nature is waking up everywhere now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “season” translations and entries Jahreszeit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Jahreszeit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
