Seele
/ˈzeːlə/feminine
The German word for soul is Seele.
Seele is the most widely used and generic term for soul in German. It refers to the spirit or essence of a person that is often believed to live on after death. You can also use the compound word Seelenverwandte to mean soulmate, which is a combination of soul and relative.
Meaning: the spirit or essence of a person that is often believed to live on after the person's death (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Seele is a feminine noun. When you want to express the genitive singular, such as saying 'of the soul', you use the form der Seele.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈzeːlə/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use Seele when referring to the musical genre 'soul music'. In German, the English loanword Soul is typically used for that context.
Did you know?
- The German language uses the phrase die Seele baumeln lassen to describe relaxing, which literally means 'letting the soul dangle'.
- While 'soul' is a single concept in English, German uses Seelenlandschaft to describe a 'soul landscape', a metaphor for a person's inner psychological state.
- The German word Seele is a cognate of the English word 'soul', meaning they both descended from the same ancient Proto-Germanic root *saiwalō.
Examples in context
- Deine Seele gehört mir!Your soul belongs to me.This sentence uses Seele to show possession.Tatoeba #2932546 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1624924 by marcelostockle
- Ihr verkauft eure Seele.You are selling your soul.This sentence uses Seele to describe the act of selling one's essence.Tatoeba #6105768 by al_ex_an_der, translation #6105765 by al_ex_an_der
- Seine Seele war im Himmel.His soul was in heaven.This sentence uses Seele to describe a soul's location in heaven.Tatoeba #715225 by Manfredo, translation #286337 by CM
- Die Seele ist unsterblichThe soul is immortal
- Du berührst mein Herz und meine SeeleYou touch my heart and soul
- Die Seele eines Künstlers findet Ausdruck in seinen WerkenThe soul of an artist finds expression in their works
- Er hat ein gutes Herz und eine schöne SeeleHe has a good heart and a beautiful soul
- Ich spüre den Geist der Natur in meiner SeeleI feel the spirit of nature in my soul
- 139 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Felix are discussing a philosophical book.
- JuliaGlaubst du, dass die Seele ewig lebt?Do you believe that the soul lives forever?
- FelixJa, ich glaube an die Unsterblichkeit der Seele.Yes, I believe in the immortality of the soul.
- JuliaDas ist ein sehr schöner Gedanke, Felix.That is a very beautiful thought, Felix.
- FelixIch finde es beruhigend für die Seele.I find it comforting for the soul.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soul” translations and entries Seele, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Seele, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
