Maschinenpistole
/maˈʃiːnənpɪsˌtoːlə/feminine
The German word for submachine gun is Maschinenpistole.
Maschinenpistole is a noun used to describe a short range machine gun. In military or technical contexts, the abbreviation MP is frequently used as a shorthand for this term.
Meaning: short range machine gun (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of Maschine (machine) and Pistole (pistol).
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular feminine form is Maschinenpistole. The plural form is Maschinenpistolen, and the genitive singular form is der Maschinenpistole.
How do you pronounce it?
/maˈʃiːnənpɪsˌtoːlə/
Did you know?
- The word Maschinenpistole reflects a linguistic classification where the weapon is viewed as a 'machine' version of a 'pistol' rather than a 'small' version of a 'machine gun'.
- In German, the word Maschinenpistole is feminine because the gender of a compound noun is always determined by the last word, Pistole, regardless of how many other words come before it.
- The linking -n- in Maschinenpistole is called a Fugenlaut, a linguistic 'glue' that does not have its own meaning but makes the transition between two nouns easier to pronounce.
Examples in context
- Die Polizei hat eine Maschinenpistole bei dem Verdächtigen gefunden.The police found a submachine gun on the suspect.
- Die Maschinenpistole liegt auf dem Tisch.The submachine gun is lying on the table.
- Er benutzt eine alte Maschinenpistole.He is using an old submachine gun.
- Diese Maschinenpistole ist sehr leicht.This submachine gun is very light.
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are discussing a movie scene.
- LukasWas ist das für eine Waffe?What kind of weapon is that?
- SarahDas ist eine Maschinenpistole, Lukas.That is a submachine gun, Lukas.
- LukasIst sie für kurze Distanzen gedacht?Is it intended for short distances?
- SarahJa, eine Maschinenpistole arbeitet so.Yes, a submachine gun works that way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “submachine gun” translations and entries Maschinenpistole, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
