English in German

The German word for “English” is Englisch. Use it when talking about the English language, as in Ich lerne Englisch (“I’m learning English”). To say “the English language” explicitly, German uses die englische Sprache. The form changes depending on whether you mean the language, an English person, or something described as English.

English in German

When Englisch means the language, German treats it as a noun and capitalizes it. For example, Sprichst du Englisch? means “Do you speak English?” and Englisch ist eine Weltsprache means “English is a world language.” German capitalizes all nouns, so the language name begins with a capital letter even in the middle of a sentence.

In everyday speech, the simple noun Englisch is usually enough. You do not need to add a German word for “language” unless you want to emphasize that you mean the language itself rather than an English person or an English-style object. The surrounding words make the meaning clear.

Pronunciation and spelling

Englisch is pronounced approximately ENG-lish, with the stress on the first syllable. The German ng sounds like the end of English “sing.” The final sch is pronounced like English “sh.” Keep the ending short: the word has two syllables, Eng-lisch.

Listen to the audio and repeat the word, then try it in a short sentence such as Ich spreche Englisch (“I speak English”). For the corresponding phrase with Deutsch, see speak German in German. German spelling is consistent enough that the letters provide a useful pronunciation guide, but the German vowel and consonant sounds may differ slightly from English.

How to say “the English language”

For the full phrase “the English language,” say die englische Sprache. Here, Sprache means “language,” and englische is the adjective form of “English.” The adjective takes a lowercase letter because German adjectives are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence or are part of a proper name.

Compare these two sentences:

• Ich lerne Englisch. — I’m learning English.
• Ich lerne die englische Sprache. — I’m learning the English language.

The first is shorter and more common in ordinary conversation. The second sounds more explicit or formal, for example when discussing language learning or comparing languages.

Using englisch as an adjective

Use lowercase englisch to describe a noun. German adjective endings change according to the noun’s gender, number, case, and the article before it. Common forms include englische Musik (“English music”), ein englisches Buch (“an English book”), and der englische Text (“the English text”). The base adjective remains recognizable, though the ending changes.

If you mean a person from England, German commonly uses ein Engländer for a man and eine Engländerin for a woman. For someone from the United Kingdom, use ein Brite for a man or eine Britin for a woman. The language name Englisch is not the same as the noun for a person.

Example sentences

These examples show the language noun, adjective, and a few everyday contexts:

• Ich spreche Englisch. — I speak English.
• Sie lernt Englisch in der Schule. — She is learning English at school.
• Sprichst du Englisch? — Do you speak English?
• Wir lesen ein englisches Buch. — We are reading an English book.
• Die englische Sprache hat viele Wörter aus anderen Sprachen übernommen. — The English language has adopted many words from other languages.
• Kannst du das bitte auf Englisch sagen? — Can you say that in English, please?
• Er versteht den englischen Text gut. — He understands the English text well.

Notice that auf Englisch is a common way to say “in English” when referring to the language used to speak or write. The adjective ending in den englischen Text changes because the noun phrase is accusative masculine.

Common phrases and questions

Use these short expressions when talking about language ability or asking someone to switch languages:

• auf Englisch — in English
• Englisch sprechen — to speak English
• Englisch lernen — to learn English
• Kannst du Englisch? — Do you know/speak English? (informal)
• Können Sie Englisch? — Do you speak English? (formal)
• Bitte auf Englisch. — In English, please.

German distinguishes informal du from formal Sie. Ask Sprichst du Englisch? with a friend or someone you address informally. Use Sprechen Sie Englisch? in a more formal situation.

Summary

“English” as a language is Englisch in German. Say die englische Sprache for “the English language,” and use lowercase englisch as an adjective, with the ending adjusted to fit the noun. For “in English,” the usual phrase is auf Englisch.

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