giftig
/ˈɡɪftɪç/
The German word for toxic is giftig.
giftig is used to describe something that is physically poisonous or harmful, such as plants, chemicals or substances that can cause bodily harm.
Meaning: severely negative or harmful (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is derived from Gift, which means 'poison' and the suffix -ig, which is equivalent to the English '-y' or '-ic'.
Which one should you use?
While giftig refers to physical toxicity, modern German often uses the loanword toxisch when speaking metaphorically, such as when describing 'toxic relationships' or 'toxic masculinity'.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, giftig takes standard inflectional endings depending on the gender, number and case of the noun it modifies, such as ein giftiges Tier for 'a toxic animal'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡɪftɪç/
Did you know?
- In German, the noun Gift means 'poison', which is the opposite of its English cognate 'gift', meaning a 'present'.
- German speakers use the phrase Gift und Galle spucken to describe someone speaking in a state of extreme rage.
- If you describe a person as giftig in a casual setting, you might actually mean they are being 'grumpy' or 'irritable' rather than literally poisonous.
Examples in context
- Diese Pflanze ist giftig für Katzen.This plant is toxic to cats.This sentence is useful for describing how a plant affects cats using giftig.Tatoeba #2460878 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2458813 by Hybrid
- Das Material selbst ist nicht giftig.The material is not toxic in itself.This sentence is useful for stating that a material itself is not giftig.Tatoeba #13518615 by Vortarulo, translation #1361512 by Eldad
- Ist Hexan giftig?Is hexane toxic?This sentence is useful for asking whether a specific chemical is giftig.Tatoeba #13077814 by Vortarulo, translation #4458100 by mervert1
- Die Chemikalien in diesem Produkt sind giftig für die Umwelt.The chemicals in this product are toxic to the environment.
- Der Pilz enthält toxische Substanzen.The mushroom contains toxic substances.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are wearing protective gear in a laboratory.
- HannahMaximilian, ist dieses Gas giftig?Maximilian, is this gas toxic?
- MaximilianJa, es ist sehr giftig.Yes, it is very toxic.
- HannahDann müssen wir die Masken tragen.Then we must wear the masks.
- MaximilianNatürlich, Sicherheit geht vor.Of course, safety comes first.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry giftig, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries giftig, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
