German-English

 

This list of words most commonly found on German maps should help decipher most titles and legends. Plurals of nouns usually form by adding -en, -e, -er, or -eln, and practically never by adding -s. Nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and articles have four cases, these also being indi­cated by endings. It is usually not necessary to know these endings to get the meaning of a short title or phrase. Vowels with umlauts are sometimes written without umlauts followed by an e. Thus ä becomes ae, ö becomes oe, ü becomes ue. Sometimes ss is writtin as ß. German spelling has mutated over the centuries. Sometimes interchanged are: (c-z), (ch-k), (dt-t), (f-v), and (i-y).

 

Abbildung n illustration

Abriß n summary, plan, outline

acht card num eight

achte ord num eighth

all adj all

allgemeine adj general

alt adj old

am at the (an dem)

Amt n office

an prep at, on, by

ander adj other

angrenzend adj bordering

ans to the (an das)

Armee n army

auch conj also

auf prep on, at, by

aus prep from, out of, by

ausführlich adj detailed, complete

außer adj exterior, outer

Aussicht n view, prospect

Bach n brook, stream

Bad n bath

Bahn n road, path

Bai, Bay n bay

Bayern n Bavari

begreifend pres part comprising, containing

Begriff n concept, idea

bei, bey prep at, with, by

Belagerung n siege

Belgien n Belgium

benachbart adj adjoining, neighboring

Berg n mountain, hill

berühmt adj famous

Beschreibung n description

bis prep as far as (spatial), till (temporal)

Bisthum, Bistum n bishopric, diocese

Blatt n sheet

Böhmen n Bohemia

Brasilien n Brazil

Bruch n swamp

Bucht n bay, inlet, creek

Charte n chart

Churfürstenthum n electorate

das art the

den art the

der art the

des art the

deutsch adj German

Deutschland n Germany

die art the

Dorf n village

drei card num three

dritte ord num third

durch prep through, by means of

eigentlich adj true, proper

ein card num one

ein, eine art a, an

Eismeer n Polar Sea

elf card num eleven

elfte ord num eleventh

Elsaß n Alsace

Entdeckung n discovery

enthaltend pres part containing

Entwurf n sketch, draft, plan

Erbe n heir

Erde n earth, world

Eroberung n conquest, acquisition

erst ord num first

Erzbisthum n archbishopric, archdiocese

Erzherzogthum n archduchy

Erzstift n archbishopric, archdiocese

Etlich adj some, several

Eyland, Eiland n island

Fluß n river, flow

Fortsetzung n continuation

Frankreich n France

französisch adj French

frey, frei adj free

fünf card num five

fünfte ord num fifth

Fürstenthum n principality

gantz, ganz adj entire

Gasse n street, alley

Gebiet n district, region

Gebirge n mountain range

gegen prep towards, opposite to

Gegend n region, district

gehörig prep belonging to

Gelobte Land n Promised Land

gennant adj called, named

Geschichte n history

Gestalt n shape, form, figure

gezeichnet past part signed, drawn, designed

Grafschaft n count's domain, county

Griechenland n Greece

Grönland n Greenland

groß adj large

Grundriß n ground plan, sketch

Guten Hoffnung, das Kap der n Cape of Good Hope

Hafen n harbor

Haff n lagoon

Halbkugel n hemisphere

Halbinsel n peninsula

Haupt n principal; Haupt- main

Hauptmannschaft n captaincy

Hauptstatt, Hauptstadt n capital

heilig adj holy

Herrschaft n manor, estate, dominion

Herzogthum, Herzogtum n dukedom, duchy

heutig adv nowadays

Hinterindien n Indochina

Hochstift n bishopric

hundert card num hundred

ihr pron its, their

im in the (in dem)

in prep in

Indien n India

ins in the (in das)

Insel n island

Island n Iceland

Jahr n year

jenseits prep beyond

Kap n cape

Karte n map, chart

Kaspische Meer n Caspian Sea

Keyser n emperor

klein adj small

Kloster n monastery, nunnery

Köln n Cologne

König n king

Königriech n kingdom

Kreis n circle, district

Kriegsshauplatz n theater of war

Kriegstheater n theater of war

Krim, der n the Crimea

Kurfürstentum n electorate

Küste n coast

Lager n camp

Land n land, country

Landgrafschaft n landgraviate

Landkreis n district, hinterland

Landschaft n landscape, estate, district

Lauf n course, route

Litauen n Lithuania

Livland n Livonia

Lothringen n Lorraine

Magalhãesstraße n Straits of Magellan

Mähren n Moravia

Markgrafschaft n margraviate

Markt n market, market-town

Maßstab n scale

Meer n sea, ocean

Meerbusen n bay, gulf

Meerenge n strait, channel

Meile n mile, league

mit prep with

Mittag n south, noon

Mittelländische Meer n Mediterranean Sea

Mitternacht n north, midnight

Moldau n Moldavia

München n Munich

nach prep after, according to

Neapel n Naples

nebst prep besides

neu adj new

neuest adj newest

neun card num nine

neunte ord num ninth

nieder adj low

die Niederlande n the Netherlands

Nörd n north

nördlich adj northern

Nördlicher Polarkreis n Arctic Circle

Norwegen n Norway

ober adj upper, higher

oder conj or

Ort, Ohrt n place, region

Ost n east

Österreich n Austria

Ostindien n East Indies

östlich adj eastern

Ostsee n Baltic Sea

die Pfalz n the Palatinate

Plan n plan, map, chart

Platz n place

Preußen n Prussia

Provinz n province

Quell n source

Reich n empire, kingdom

Reichsstadt n imperial city

Reise n voyage

richtig adj correct

Russland n Russia

sampt, samt prep together with

Schlesien n Silesia

Schloß n castle

die Schweiz n Switzerland

sechs card num six

sechste ord num sixth

See n lake, sea, ocean

sehr adv very

sein its its

sieben card num seven

siebente ord num seventh

so adv so, thus

solch adj such

sowohl conj as well as

Staat n state, country

Stadt, Statt n city

Stift n bishopric

Stille Meer n Pacific Ocean

Straße n street, strait

Stück n part

Süd n south

südlich adj southern

Südlicher Polarkreis n Antarctic Circle

Südsee n South Sea

Sund n sound, strait

Tafel n table, chart

Tag n day

tausend card num thousand

Theil, Teil n part

Tote Meer n Dead Sea

Treffen n encounter, battle

über prep over, above

übrig adj remaining

um prep about, around

und conj and

Ungarn n Hungary

Venedig n Venice

verbessert adj improved

vereinigt adj united

Vereinigten Staaten n United States

Vestung n fortress

vier card num four

vierte ord num fourth

vom from the, of the (von dem)

von prep from, of

vor prep before, in front of

Vorgebirge n promontory, cape, headland, foothills

Vorstellung n conception, representation

wahr adj true, correct

wahrhaftig adj true, genuine

Wald n forest

Wasser n water

welch rel pron which, what, who

Welt n world

weltberühmt adj world-famous

Welttheil, Weltteil n part of the world

Wendekreis des Krebses n Tropic of Cancer

Wendekreis des Steinbocks n Tropic of Capricorn

Westindien n West Indies

wie adv how

Wiek n bay, cove

Wien n Vienna

zehn card num ten

zehnte ord num tenth

zu prep to

zum to the (zu dem)

zur to the (zu der)

zwei card num two

zweite ord num second

zwischen prep between, among

zwölf card num twelve

zwölfte ord num twelfth

Zypern n Cyprus