wunderschön
[ˌvʊndɐˈʃøːn]
The German phrase for "very beautiful" is wunderschön.
wunderschön is used to describe someone or something that is extremely attractive or pleasing to look at. It conveys a sense of awe and amazement.
Which one should you use?
While sehr schön also means "very beautiful", wunderschön is a stronger, more superlative-like term that implies something is "wonderful" or "exquisitely beautiful".
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, wunderschön changes its ending based on the noun it describes. It takes the ending -e before a feminine noun (e.g., eine wunderschöne Frau), the ending -es before a neuter noun with an indefinite article (e.g., ein wunderschönes Haus), and the ending -en in the accusative case for masculine nouns (e.g., einen wunderschönen Garten).
Did you know?
- The word schön can also be used as a filler word in phrases like schön langsam, which actually means 'very slowly' or 'patiently'.
- While English speakers use 'wonderful' to mean 'great' or 'excellent', in German, the root Wunder specifically refers to a miracle or a marvel. This gives wunderschön a more profound, almost magical weight than just 'very beautiful'.
- In certain German dialects, schön is used ironically in phrases like schön wär's, which translates to 'that would be nice' but actually expresses doubt that something will happen.
Examples in context
- Der Fuji ist wunderschön.Mt. Fuji is very beautiful.This sentence illustrates the use of wunderschön to describe a mountain.Tatoeba #2617254 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2617277 by CK
- Diese Frau ist wunderschön.That woman's very beautiful.This sentence shows how to describe a woman as wunderschön.Tatoeba #1590707 by Sudajaengi, translation #4665743 by CK
- Sie ist eine wunderschöne Frau.She is a very beautiful woman.This sentence demonstrates the feminine adjective ending wunderschöne before a noun.Tatoeba #2980504 by pne, translation #2980503 by pne
- Die Gemälde in der Galerie sind sehr schön.The paintings in the gallery are very beautiful.
- Der Sonnenuntergang war wunderschön.The sunset was very beautiful.
- Das Feuerwerk war herrlich!The fireworks were very beautiful!
- Dein neues Auto ist total schön!Your new car is very beautiful!
- Das Konzert gestern war mega schön!The concert yesterday was very beautiful!
- Die Blumen im Garten sind wahnsinnig schön!The flowers in the garden are very beautiful!
- Dein Outfit heute ist hammer schön!Your outfit today is very beautiful!
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are looking at a sunset over the ocean.
- HannahDer Sonnenuntergang heute ist wunderschön.The sunset today is very beautiful.
- MaximilianJa, das stimmt, er ist wirklich beeindruckend.Yes, that's true, it is really impressive.
- HannahDu hast recht, Maximilian, es ist perfekt.You are right, Maximilian, it is perfect.
- MaximilianIch bin froh, dass wir hier sind.I am glad that we are here.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry wunderschön, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
