Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| SMS | /ˌɛsʔɛmˈʔɛs/ /ˌɛsɛˈmɛs/ |
feminine, neuter |
| Textnachricht | [ˈtɛkstnaːxˌʁɪçt] (narrow) | feminine |
German speakers use these terms to refer to a brief electronic message. SMS is used as a direct translation for text message, while Textnachricht is also common. You may also encounter the verb simsen, which is a colloquial way to say "to text" or "to send an SMS".
What does it mean word for word?
The word Textnachricht is a compound noun made of Text (text) and Nachricht (message).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While SMS and Textnachricht are standard, the term Kurznachricht is a common and standard way to say text message in formal contexts. For informal or colloquial speech, you might use the verb simsen to describe the act of texting.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word SMS is typically used with the feminine article die (die SMS), although it is occasionally treated as a neuter noun. The word Textnachricht is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌɛsʔɛmˈʔɛs/
Did you know?
- The verb simsen became so culturally prominent in the early 2000s that it was officially added to the Duden dictionary, the primary authority on the German language.
- While SMS refers to the technical Short Message Service, many Germans still use the term even when sending messages via WhatsApp or Signal.
- The colloquial verb simsen comes from the acronym SMS and treats the acronym as if it were a German word.
Examples in context
- Tom schickte mir eine Textnachricht.Tom sent me a text message.This sentence shows how to use Textnachricht to say someone sent a text message.Tatoeba #12729914 by Waldelfe, translation #11124932 by CK
- Ihr Freund hat ihr per SMS den Laufpass gegeben.She was dumped by her boyfriend via a text message.This sentence uses SMS to describe being dumped via a text message.Tatoeba #5622265 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2735102 by Hybrid
- Geben Sie den Code aus der SMS an niemanden weiter!Do not share the code from the text message with anyone.This sentence provides a warning about sharing a code received in an SMS.Tatoeba #13612075 by mhr, translation #13624641 by rul
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Laura are sitting in a café.
- LukasHast du meine SMS bekommen?Did you get my SMS?
- LauraNein, ich habe keine SMS erhalten.No, I didn't receive any SMS.
- LukasVielleicht war das Netz schlecht.Maybe the network was bad.
- LauraIch schaue gleich mal nach.I will check right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “text message” translations and entries SMS, Textnachricht, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
