Wortschatz
/ˈvɔʁtˌʃat͡s/masculine
The English phrase vocabulary is translated into German as Wortschatz, Vokabular or Vokabularium.
Meaning: set of words a person knows (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Wortschatz | /ˈvɔʁtˌʃat͡s/ | masculine |
| Vokabular | /vokabuˈlaːr/ /voˌkaːbuˈlaːr/ (also) |
neuter |
| Vokabularium | neuter |
These terms are used to describe a set of words. Wortschatz is the most common term used to describe the set of words a person knows, such as a person's personal knowledge of a language.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Wortschatz is a compound of Wort (word) and Schatz (treasure).
Which one should you use?
While Wortschatz refers to the general set of words a person knows, Vokabular is often used to refer to a specific set of terms used in a particular field or technical context.
How does it change in a sentence?
Wortschatz is a masculine noun. Vokabular and Vokabularium are neuter nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈvɔʁtˌʃats/
Did you know?
- The word Schatz in Wortschatz is the same word Germans use as a romantic pet name like 'honey' or 'sweetheart'.
- The term Wortschatz is believed to be a calque of the Dutch word 'woordenschat', meaning it is a word created by translating the structure of another language directly into German.
- German has a specific term for a 'passive vocabulary', passiver Wortschatz, referring to words a person understands when reading but cannot use when speaking.
Examples in context
- Ihr Wortschatz ist zu klein.Your vocabulary is too small.This sentence shows how to describe a vocabulary that is too small using Wortschatz.Tatoeba #12519225 by Naina, translation #9950138 by ddnktr
- Tom hat einen geringen Wortschatz.Tom has a small vocabulary.This sentence illustrates the use of Wortschatz when describing someone's vocabulary size.Tatoeba #8144918 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8133594 by Hybrid
- Ich möchte mein Vokabular erweitern.I want to increase my vocabulary.This sentence demonstrates how to use Vokabular in the context of increasing one's knowledge.Tatoeba #836195 by Esperantostern, translation #681201 by Source_VOA
- Um Ihren Wortschatz zu erweitern, empfehle ich das Lesen von Büchern.To expand your vocabulary, I recommend reading books.
- Kannst du mir ein paar englische Wörter beibringen?Can you teach me some English words?
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are talking about learning a new language.
- LukasWie kann ich meinen Wortschatz verbessern?How can I improve my vocabulary?
- SarahDu solltest viele Bücher lesen, Lukas.You should read many books, Lukas.
- LukasHilft das wirklich beim Wortschatz?Does that really help with vocabulary?
- SarahJa, Sarah kann das bestätigen.Yes, Sarah can confirm that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vocabulary” translations and entries Wortschatz, Vokabular, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Vokabular, Wortschatz, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
