Vereinigtes Königreich
/fɛɐ̯ˈʔaɪ̯nɪçtəs ˈkøːnɪçˌʁaɪ̯ç/neuter
The English phrase "United Kingdom" is translated into German as Vereinigtes Königreich.
The phrase refers to the sovereign state in Europe.
Meaning: sovereign state in Europe (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of vereint (united) and Königreich (kingdom).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is neuter. When used with a definite article, such as in das Vereinigte Königreich, the adjective takes the weak declension ending -e. In the genitive case, as in des Vereinigten Königreichs, the adjective takes the -en ending and the noun takes an -s ending.
How do you pronounce it?
/fɛɐ̯ˈʔaɪ̯nɪçtəs ˈkøːnɪçˌʁaɪ̯ç/
Did you know?
- While 'United Kingdom' is used in English, you may often see the shorter Großbritannien used in German media, even though it technically only refers to Great Britain and not the whole UK.
- The term Vereinigtes Königreich is a 'calque', meaning German linguists literally translated the English concept word-for-word to create the German version.
- The word König is related to the Proto-Germanic root for 'child' or 'kin', implying that a king was originally a leader of a specific family or clan.
Examples in context
- Die politischen Beziehungen zwischen Deutschland und dem Vereinigten Königreich sind von großer Bedeutung.The political relations between Germany and the United Kingdom are of great importance.
- Die Handelsabkommen zwischen der Europäischen Union und dem Vereinigten Königreich Großbritannien und Nordirland sind von großer Bedeutung für beide Seiten.The trade agreements between the European Union and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are of great importance to both sides.
- Ich habe vor, im kommenden Sommer nach Großbritannien zu reisen, um mein Englisch zu verbessern.I plan to travel to the United Kingdom next summer to improve my English.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “united kingdom” translations and entries Vereinigtes Königreich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Königreich, Vereinigtes Königreich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
