es gibt
The English phrase "there are" is translated into German as es gibt.
Es gibt is used to say that something exists or is available.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase es gibt translates to "it gives".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern Germany, particularly in Hamburg, you might hear Dat gifft instead of Es gibt.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase es gibt always requires the accusative case for the object that follows it.
Did you know?
- While es gibt means 'there is' or 'there are', it cannot be used to describe the location of a specific person or object. To say 'there is a book on the table', Germans use es steht or es liegt instead of es gibt.
- The English word 'it' and the German word es are siblings in the Germanic language family, but they are not identical twins. They descended from two different Proto-Germanic forms, *it and *hit.
- While English distinguishes between 'there is' and 'there are', German uses the singular es gibt for both. Whether you are talking about one apple or one hundred apples, the verb remains singular.
Examples in context
- Es gibt mehr davon.There are more.This sentence shows how to use es gibt to express that more of something exists.Tatoeba #8243214 by MisterTrouser, translation #6732721 by Eccles17
- Es gibt viel zu tun.There are a lot of things we need to do.This sentence demonstrates the use of es gibt to indicate there is much work to be done.Tatoeba #708635 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #9689418 by CK
- Es gibt eine Treppe.There are stairs.This sentence uses es gibt to state the existence of stairs.Tatoeba #8088666 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8084573 by geekly
- Es gibt viele Bücher im Regal.There are many books on the shelf.
- Da sind so viele Leute hier!There are so many people here!
- Es sind noch ein paar Plätze frei.There are a few seats available.
- Es gibt einen Park in der Nähe.There is a park nearby.
- Es gibt viele Möglichkeiten für uns.There are many possibilities for us.
- Es sind noch einige Äpfel übrig.There are still some apples left.
- 677 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are planning their lunch.
- LauraMaximilian, gibt es hier ein Café?Maximilian, is there a café here?
- MaximilianJa, es gibt ein Café direkt um die Ecke.Yes, there is a café right around the corner.
- LauraGibt es dort auch Kuchen?Is there also cake there?
- MaximilianJa, es gibt dort sehr guten Kuchen.Yes, there is very good cake there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry es gibt, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
