Sklave
/ˈsklaːvə/masculine
The German word for slave is Sklave. Wiktionary also lists Sklavin.
Meaning: person owned by another (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sklave | /ˈsklaːvə/ /-fə/ (Southern, also) |
masculine |
| Sklavin | feminine |
The term refers to a person who is owned by another.
Which one should you use?
Use Sklave when referring to a male slave and Sklavin when referring to a female slave.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of the masculine Sklave is Sklaven. The plural form of the feminine Sklavin is Sklavinnen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsklaːvə/
Did you know?
- The German word Sklave is a linguistic relative of the Italian greeting ciao. Both words evolved from the same root referring to Slavic people.
- The word Sklaventreiber refers to a slave driver, but is used colloquially to describe a boss who overworks their employees.
- In German legal and historical texts, you may find Leibeigener, which refers specifically to a serf rather than a Sklave.
Examples in context
- Er ist ein Sklave.He is a slave.Tatoeba #10783436 by Yorwba, translation #6783721 by MonsieurTRISTE
- Ich bin ein Sklave.I'm a slave.Tatoeba #10201057 by Yorwba, translation #10204809 by shekitten
- Du bist mein Sklave.You are my slave.Tatoeba #6062026 by wolfgangth, translation #6058238 by mailohilohi
- Eine historische Figur könnte ein freigelassener Sklave gewesen sein.A historical figure might have been a freed slave.
- 50 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Hannah are discussing a historical movie.
- LukasDer Sklave in dem Film war sehr arm.The slave in the movie was very poor.
- HannahJa, das Leben eines Sklaven war schrecklich.Yes, the life of a slave was terrible.
- LukasEs ist traurig, dass er ein Sklave war.It is sad that he was a slave.
- HannahDas stimmt, die Geschichte ist sehr hart.That's true, the story is very harsh.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slave” translations and entries Sklave, Sklavin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sklave, Sklavin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
