heute
/ˈhɔʏ̯tə/
The English phrase "today" is translated into German as heute. Wiktionary also lists haid and haint.
Meaning: on the current day (adv)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| heute | /ˈhɔʏ̯tə/ | |
| haid | ||
| haint | ||
| heit | Alemannic German | |
| hit | Alemannic German | |
| hüt | Alemannic German |
The adverb heute refers to the current day. A related adverb, heutzutage, means "nowadays" or "in this day and age".
Which one should you use?
The lowercase form heute is an adverb used to describe when an action occurs, whereas the capitalized Heute functions as a noun. Other noun forms for "today" include heit and hit.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms heit, hit and hüt are used in Alemannic-German.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhɔʏ̯tə/
Did you know?
- While heute refers to the specific day, the related German word heuer refers to the current year. This word is still commonly used in southern Germany and Austria when discussing budgets or expenses.
- The word heute is a linguistic fossil of a phrase meaning 'on this day'. It was originally formed by combining a demonstrative pronoun with the word for 'days'.
- The German language uses the word heute in the phrase heute Abend to mean 'this evening'. It does not use a separate word for 'this' as English does.
Examples in context
- Wo ist Tom heute?Where's Tom today?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's location using heute.Tatoeba #3758734 by Jens_Odo, translation #3738869 by CK
- Es ist heute warm.It's hot today.This sentence is useful for describing the weather using heute.Tatoeba #773617 by Esperantostern, translation #242881 by CK
- Heute ist es mild.It's balmy today.Tatoeba #1870835 by Tamy, translation #33598 by CM
- Heute ist ein wichtiger Tag für die Firma.Today is an important day for the company.
- Am heutigen Tag möchte ich Ihnen unsere neueste Entwicklung vorstellen.On this day, I would like to present our latest development to you.
- In der Geschäftswelt sind effiziente Kommunikationstechnologien heutzutage unerlässlich.Efficient communication technologies are indispensable nowadays in the business world.
- Heute gehen wir ins Kino. Hast du Lust?Today we're going to the movies. Are you up for it?
- 4573 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Felix and Julia are talking about their plans over the phone.
- FelixHast du heute Zeit?Do you have time today?
- JuliaNein, ich muss heute arbeiten.No, I have to work today.
- FelixSchade, Julia.That's a pity, Julia.
- JuliaVielleicht klappt es morgen.Maybe it will work out tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “today” translations and entries heute, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heute, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
