86 Common German Abbreviations
Abbreviations are key to being fluent in any language, and German is no exception.
However, as you can imagine, German speakers and English speakers don’t always shorten the same words. In fact, German abbreviations are as specific as slang.
Here is a list of some of the most common German abbreviations you will likely come across.
Contents
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Cases
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Nom. | Nominativ | nominative |
| Akk. | Akkusativ | accusative |
| Dat. | Dativ | dative |
| Gen. | Genitiv | genitive |
Example Sentence:
Der Akk., Dat., und Gen. sind nur drei von den vier deutschen Fällen.
The accusative, dative, and genitive are only three of the four German cases.
Titles
Abbreviations for titles are only used occasionally in documents where space on the page becomes a precious commodity. Using them in formal correspondence can even be considered rude; addressing a fussy recipient like this might lead them to think they are not worth the effort of the additional two letters!
You do encounter them in more informal contexts, however, such as texting or online comments, where they might save a tireless Tweeter from wasting precious characters.
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Fr. | Frau | Mrs. (Missus) |
| Hr. | Herr | Mr. (Mister) |
| Dr. | Doktor | Dr. (Doctor) |
Genealogy
These shortenings are often used in written articles about people or in family histories:
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| geb. | geboren | born/née (after a woman’s married name and before her maiden name) |
| verh. | verheiratet | married |
| Wwe | Witwe | widow |
| Wwer | Witwer | widower |
Example Sentence:
Angela Merkel (geb. Kasner; 17. Juli 1954 in Hamburg) ist eine deutsche Politikerin.
Angela Merkel (born Kasner, in 1954 in Hamburg) is a German politician.
Germany
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| BRD | Bundesrepublik Deutschland | Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) — former state of West Germany |
| DDR | Deutsche Demokratische Republik | German Democratic Republic (DDR) — former state of East Germany |
Example Sentence:
Deutschland war zwischen 1949 und 1990 in die DDR im Osten und die BRD im Westen aufgeteilt.
Between 1949 and 1990, Germany was split between the GDR in the East and the BRG in the West.
Measurements
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| cal | Kalorie | calorie |
| cbm | Kubikmeter | cubic meter |
| ccm | Kubikzentimeter | cubic centimeter |
| kg | Kilogramm | kilogram |
| km | Kilometer | kilometer |
| kW | Kilowatt | kilowatt |
| m | Meter | meter |
| mm | Millimeter | millimeter |
Example Sentence:
Die Strecke umfasst einhundert km.
The route is one hundred kilometers.
Time
If you’re running low on it, you might find these abbreviations for time useful for informal messaging, making concise work notes or when writing a pithy small ad.
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| abds | abends | in the evening |
| d.M. | dieses Monats | of this month |
| inzw | inzwischen | in the meantime |
| Jh. | Jahrhundert | century |
| sek. | Sekunde | second |
| Std. | Stunde | hour |
| tägl. | täglich | daily |
Example Sentences:
Das Treffen heute dauert eine Std.
The meeting today is for an hour.
Der Planer sagt, “Trainieren Sie tägl.”
The planner says, “train daily.”
Transportation
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Bhf. | Bahnhof | station |
| LKW | Lastkraftwagen | SUV |
| PKW | Personenkraftwagen | car |
| S-Bahn | Schnellbahn / Stadtbahn | urban railway |
Example Sentences:
Die nächste S-Bahn Station ist fünf Minuten zu Fuß.
The next metro station is a five minute walk.
Fahren Sie einen LKW oder einen PKW?
Do you drive an SUV or a car?
Accommodations
You’ll almost certainly come across these abbreviations advertisements for properties or flats.
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| EFH | Einfamilienhaus | single-family home |
| KDB | Küche Dusche Bad | kitchen, shower, bathroom |
| NK | Nebenkosten | utilities |
| SZ | Schlafzimmer | bedrooms |
| EG | Erdgeschoss | ground floor |
| DG | Dachgeschoss | top floor |
Example Sentences:
Die Wohnung hat 2 SZ.
The apartment has two bedrooms.
Sie erben das elterliche EFH.
They’re inheriting their parents’ detached house.
Legal
Legal jargon is notoriously verbose, especially in German. So you’re likely to encounter these abbreviations to at least somewhat reduce the character count on lengthy contracts and dealings.
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| GG | Grundgesetz | basic law |
| BG | Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch | civil code |
| BGH | Bundesgerichtshof | Federal High Court |
| KfzPflVV | Kraftfahrzeug-Pflichtversicherungsverordnung | insurance regulations for a car |
Example Sentences:
Man muss das GG respektieren.
One must respect the constitution.
Wissen Sie etwas über das BG?
Do you know anything about the civil code?
Associations, Groups and Events
These shortenings are very commonly used in both formal and informal writing to shave off the length of these long titles. You’ll often see the last one, “GmbH”, used at the end of company names such as “Müller GmbH”.
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| DFB | Deutsche Fuβballbund | German Football Association |
| WM | Weltmeisterschaft | World Cup (football) |
| GmbH | Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung | limited liability company; LLC |
Example Sentence:
Der DFB ist sehr stark im Deutschland.
The German Football Association is very strong in Germany.
Miscellaneous
Below are some very common abbreviations you’ll find in written German, both formal and informal, that save you some time on more verbose phrases.
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Abk. | Abkürzung | abbreviation |
| desgl. | desgleichen | ditto/likewise |
| d.h. | das heiβt | that is/i.e. |
| do. | dito | ditto |
| etw. | etwas | something |
| m.a.W. | mit anderen Worten | in other words |
| b.w. | bitte wenden | please turn over |
| bzw. | beziehungsweise | and/or/respectively |
| dazw. | dazwischen | between |
| f. / ff. | folgende Seite / folgende Seiten | following page(s) |
| i.D. | im Durchschnitt | on average |
| kompl. | komplett | complete |
| m.E. | meines Erachtens | in my view |
| MFG | mit freundlichen Grüβen | yours sincerely |
| m.M. / m.M.n. | meiner Meinung / meiner Meinung nach | in my opinion |
| m. W. | meines Wissens | as far as I know |
| Pkt. | Punkt | point |
| St. | Stück | piece |
| Tel. | Telefon | telephone |
| u. | und | and |
| übl. / üblw. | üblich / üblicherweise | usual |
| usw. | und so weiter | and so on |
| w.o. | wie oben | as above |
| z.B. | zum Beispiel | for example |
| z.T. | zum Teil | in part |
Example Sentences:
Ein St. kostest vier Euro.
One piece costs four Euros.
Meine Schwester hat mir eine SMS geschrieben: “Ich hab etw. für dich!”
My sister texted me: “I’ve got something for you!”
Es gibt viele Abk. im Deutschen.
There are lots of abbreviations in German.
Shortening Names and Places
The next few abbreviations are useful shortenings for people and places for informal writings and speech.
One common shortening involves adding an ‘i’ to the end of a word or name:
Timmi — Timmy
This follows the same thought process as nicknames and/or pet names, like Billy for William or Ricky for Richard.
Here are some other common shortenings used in both spoken and informal written German for places and people:
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Prof | Professor | professor |
| Uni | Universität | university |
Example Sentence:
Nächsten Monat gehe ich auf die Uni.
Next month, I’m going to college.
Verb Contractions
German-speakers will often drop off the ‘e’ endings of first-person verb forms. So ich habe will often get pronounced as “ich hab.” These sort of contractions are hugely common in spoken German or informal contexts like text messaging, but should not be used in formal written German.
The German dictionary Duden recommends not using apostrophes to indicate the missing ‘e’ endings like this, but you may encounter them in some texts or transcriptions of spoken language.
| Contraction | Full Uncontracted Form | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Ich hab | Ich habe | I have |
| Ich sag | Ich sage | I say |
| Ich mach | Ich mache | I do |
| Ich seh | Ich sehe | I see |
Internet and Text Slang
As the title gives away, these abbreviations aren’t used in spoken language, but rather exclusively in the virtual world.
| Abbreviation | German Definition | English Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Denglisch | combination of Deutsch (German) and Englisch (English) | This refers to the propensity of English words being incorporated into everyday German. (eg; das Homeoffice) |
| FG | freches Grinsen / fettes Grinsen | wide grin (used to indicate you're smiling after reading or saying something cheeky) |
| HDF | halt die Fresse / halt deine Fresse | shut up |
| hdl | hab dich lieb | love ya / lots of love (in a friendly/non-romantic way) |
| RL | stands for the English term "real life" | real life |
| LG | Liebe Grüβe | best wishes / lots of love |
| Vokuhila | vorne kurz, hinten lang | short in the front and long in the back; mullet |
Example Sentence:
Tschüssi hbl!
Byee, love you!
Why Learn German Abbreviations?
German abbreviations are a crucial part of the written language. When reading or writing, you will want to know what a particular abbreviation stands for so that you can comprehend and/or convey the proper meaning.
Abbreviations are also used in everyday speech, simply because saying less is easier. Consider how you talk when around your friends, compared to how you might speak while interviewing for a job. Though of course your tone is much different, even the words you use will vary.
German abbreviations are, just like slang, an important part of German culture. For example, if you don’t know very much about German history and the formerly divided Germany, you may not know that BRD and DDR refer to the former West Germany and Easy Germany respectively (more on this below).
Learning German abbreviations is also another way of adding to your vocabulary. To get one step closer to fluency, check out the abbreviations below. Memorize these and you will be that much closer to speaking like a true native German!
To see how abbreviations, along with colloquial shortenings, slang and expressions, factor into everyday German life and culture, look for German videos which showcase these words in action.
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Resources for Learning More
- The next time you are reading in German and come across an abbreviation you don’t know, open Abkuerzungen.de, a great resource that will allow you to search for abbreviations and meanings. Simply enter the abbreviation you are searching for, and click “search.”
Possible definitions of the abbreviation will then be listed. For example, if you search for “z.B.” then the last entry will be zum Beispiel, or “for example.” (Conversely, if you are wondering if a certain word has an abbreviation, just type that word into the search box and any possible abbreviations will appear.)
- If you are looking for a one-stop abbreviation resource, German Translation Tips & Resources has the list for you. Categorized alphabetically, these abbreviations are listed in one column, with their corresponding German and English translations.
To supplement your vocabulary training, pitch a few German abbreviations onto your plate each week. You will be that much closer to native fluency!
Practice these abbreviations as you do your regular vocabulary, and try to use them as much as you can in your everyday language.
Teach your friends, and you can start chatting and texting using German slang!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
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