Gewürz
[ɡəˈvʏrt͡s]neuter
The German word for spice is Gewürz. Wiktionary also lists Würze.
Meaning: plant matter used to season or flavour food (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gewürz | [ɡəˈvʏrt͡s] (narrow) [ɡəˈvʏʁt͡s] (narrow) |
neuter |
| Würze | /ˈvʏʁt͡sə/ | feminine |
The term refers to plant matter used to season or flavour food. You can also use the related verb würzen to mean the act of adding spice or seasoning to food.
Which one should you use?
Gewürz is used for the concrete, physical substance or ingredient, such as a peppercorn or a cinnamon stick. In contrast, Würze is used for the abstract quality of being flavorful, often translated as the 'zest' or 'spice' that makes something interesting.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Gewürz is Gewürze. The verb würzen is used when you want to describe the action of seasoning or spicing something.
Did you know?
- In German, the word Würze also refers to the liquid extract of malt used in the beer-making process, long before it is fermented into alcohol.
- The word for spice, Gewürz, is actually built from an old word for 'root', Wurz.
- In a culinary context, a German chef might use würzen to mean adding salt, even though salt is a mineral and not a botanical Gewürz.
Examples in context
- Ist das Getreide schlecht, hilft kein Gewürz.If the grain is bad, spice won't help.This sentence shows that a physical Gewürz cannot fix poor quality grain.Tatoeba #2951702 by al_ex_an_der, translation #2951725 by patgfisher
- Ein Fehler ist die Würze, die dem Erfolg sein Aroma gibt.A mistake is the spice that gives success its aroma.This sentence uses Würze to describe an abstract quality of a mistake.Tatoeba #6046649 by Esperantostern, translation #12464360 by Miktsoanit
- Vanille ist ein Gewürz, das man aus den Früchten einer Orchidee gewinnt.Vanilla is a spice extracted from the fruit of an orchid.This sentence identifies vanilla as a specific type of Gewürz.Tatoeba #4950834 by Manfredo, translation #11134713 by sundown
- Entschuldigen Sie, haben Sie dieses Gewürz?Excuse me, do you have this spice?
- Der Kuchen ist köstlich! Welche Gewürze hast du verwendet?The cake is delicious! What spices did you use?
- Ich mag Chili in meinen Gerichten.I like chili in my dishes.
- Zimt ist mein Lieblingsgewürz.Cinnamon is my favorite spice.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are cooking dinner together in the kitchen.
- JulianWelches Gewürz kommt in die Suppe?Which spice goes into the soup?
- JuliaIch glaube, wir brauchen etwas Paprika.I think we need some paprika.
- JulianWo steht das Gewürz in der Küche?Where is the spice located in the kitchen?
- JuliaEs liegt direkt neben dem Salz.It is right next to the salt.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spice” translations and entries Gewürz, Würze, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Gewürz, Würze, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
