German words starting with Z

358 words. Each one has its meanings, a checked example sentence with a word-by-word translation, and audio.

zack Onomatopoeia expressing that something happens quickly or suddenly
zaghaft timid, cautious
zäh tough, tenacious, dogged
die Zahl number, numeral, figure
zahlen to pay
zählen to count (to determine the number of objects in a group)
Zahlen Sie bar oder mit Karte? Are you paying cash or by card?
Zahlen, bitte! The bill, please!
der Zähler counter, meter
der Zählerstand meter reading (level indicated by a meter at a particular time)
zahlreich numerous
die Zahlung payment
das Zahlungsmittel means of payment, payment method
der Zahlungsverkehr payment transactions, payment traffic (the totality of all transfer processes for money, whether cash or cashless)
der Zahn tooth
der Zahnarzt dentist
die Zahnbürste toothbrush
das Zahnfleisch gums (flesh around the bases of the teeth)
die Zahnpasta toothpaste
das Zahnrad gear wheel
der Zahnschmerz toothache
die Zange a pair of pincers, pliers, tongs, forceps
zapfen to pull, to tap (beer)
der Zapfhahn beer tap
der Zar tsar, czar (Russian monarch)
zart tender
die Zäsur turning point, watershed (in history, or in a person's life)
der Zauber charm, spell, an instance of magic action
die Zauberei magic, sorcery
zaubern to conjure, to perform magic
der Zaum bridle (headgear to steer a horse)
der Zaun fence
das Zebra zebra
der Zebrastreifen zebra crossing
die Zeche bill, tab (esp. in a pub or restaurant)
der Zeh toe
die Zehe toe
zehnmal ten times
das Zehntel tenth
das Zeichen sign, token (object representing something)
die Zeichenkette string
der Zeichentrickfilm animated cartoon, animated film, cartoon film
zeichnen to draw, to sketch
die Zeichnung drawing
der Zeigefinger pointer finger, index finger, forefinger
zeigen to show, make see
der Zeiger hand (of a clock or watch)
die Zeile line, row
die Zeit time (as a concept)
das Zeitalter age; era (historic period of time)
der Zeitdruck time pressure
der Zeitgeist spirit of the age; zeitgeist
der Zeitgenosse contemporary
zeitgenössisch contemporary (of the same age as something)
die Zeitgeschichte contemporary history
zeitgleich at the same time
zeitig early
die Zeitlang while
zeitlich temporal (defined by time)
die Zeitmaschine time machine
zeitnah soon, timely
der Zeitplan timetable, schedule
der Zeitpunkt moment (instant of time), point in time, a timepoint
der Zeitraum period (of time)
die Zeitreise time travel
die Zeitschrift magazine (published in regular intervals)
die Zeitspanne interval, span (of time), a while
die Zeitung newspaper
der Zeitungsartikel newspaper article
die Zeitverschwendung waste of time (meaningless or fruitless activity)
der Zeitvertreib pastime
zeitweilig temporary
zeitweise at times
die Zeitzone time zone
die Zelle cell
das Zelt tent, marquee
zelten to camp, tent (to stay in the outdoors in a tent)
der Zement cement
das Zen zen (denomination of Buddhism)
der Zenit zenith
die Zensur censorship
zentral central
die Zentralbank central bank
die Zentrale central office, headquarters
das Zentrum center, centre
zerbrechen to break into pieces, to shatter, to snap (to cause an object to come apart into discrete pieces)
die Zeremonie ceremony
der Zerfall disintegration, collapse, breakup, dissolution
zergehen to melt, to dissolve
zerlegen to take apart, to disassemble
zerreißen to rip, to tear
zerschlagen to smash (into pieces)
zerstören to destroy, demolish, devastate, eliminate
die Zerstörung destruction, demolition
das Zertifikat certificate
der Zettel a small or loose piece of paper, slip
zetteln to warp a loom
das Zeug stuff, gear, equipment
der Zeuge witness, wit (slang), deponent, attestor (attester), voucher (male or of unspecified gender)
die Zeugenaussage testimony
die Zeugin witness (female)
das Zeugnis testimony, witness declaration
die Ziege goat
der Ziegel brick
ziehen to pull; to drag
das Ziel target
zielen to aim at a physical target
die Zielgruppe target group, target audience
die Ziellinie finish line
die Zielsetzung aim, goal, objective, purpose
ziemlich pretty, quite, rather, fairly, kind of
die Ziffer digit, numeral
die Zigarette cigarette
die Zigarre cigar
das Zimmer room (separate part of a building, enclosed by walls, a floor and a ceiling)
der Zimmermann carpenter (worker skilled at handling timber for the construction of houses)
die Zimmerpflanze houseplant
der Zimt cinnamon
das / der Zink zinc
das Zinn tin
der Zins interest
der Zinssatz interest rate
zirka circa
der Zirkel pair of compasses, compass (device to draw circles)
der Zirkus circus (kind of entertainment show)
das Zitat quotation
zitieren to cite, to quote
die Zitrone lemon (fruit)
zittern to shiver, to tremble, to vibrate
die Zivilbevölkerung civilian population
die Zivilcourage moral courage
die Zivilisation civilisation
der Zivilist civilian
zocken to play video games (sometimes extended to card games)
der Zocker gamer (colloquial)
zögern to hesitate, to pause before doing something
der Zoll customs duty, duty (levied at the border)
zollen to pay (e.g. tribute, respect, etc.)
der Zollstock folding rule (carpenter's ruler)
der Zombie zombie
die Zone zone
die Zonenverteidigung zone defense
der Zoo zoo
die Zoologie zoology
der Zoom zoom
zoomen to zoom
das Zoomobjektiv zoom lens
der Zorn anger; wrath
zu shut, closed (made inaccessible or impassable; not open)
zu Ende lesen to finish reading
zu Fuß on foot
zu Hause home, at home (stationary)
zu Recht rightly, justly
zu viel too much
zuallererst first of all
zubereiten to prepare
die Zubereitung preparation
die Zucchini courgette, zucchini
die Zucht breeding (act of growing plants or animals)
der Züchter breeder
der Zucker sugar
zudem moreover, furthermore
zueinander to each other, to one another
zuerst first, firstly
der Zufall chance, coincidence, randomness
zufällig random, by chance or stochastic
zufälligerweise accidentally, coincidentally
die Zuflucht refuge, protection, escape
zufolge according to
zufrieden satisfied, content, happy (with something)
die Zufriedenheit contentment, satisfaction
zufügen to cause (grief, pain); to inflict (damage)
der Zug train (multiple vehicles one behind the other, particularly travelling on rails)
die Zugabe encore (extra performance after the main programme)
der Zugang access
zugänglich accessible, open, able to be factually or legally reached or accessed
zugeben to admit, confess (to own up to something)
zugegeben admittedly, granted
zugehen to shut, to close
zugehörig related, associated, concomitant, attendant
die Zugehörigkeit belonging, affiliation, membership
zügig quick, swift
zugleich at the same time, simultaneously
zugreifen to grab, to seize, to snap
der Zugriff access
zugrunde to ruin, to destruction (zugrunde gehen = to be ruined, to perish)
zugunsten in support of, in favor of
zugute to the benefit of (someone), for the good of (chiefly in 'jemandem zugutekommen' = to benefit someone)
das Zuhause one’s living premises, home
zuhören to listen
der Zuhörer listener; member of an audience
zukommen to come towards, come up to; to approach
die Zukunft future
zukünftig future
zulassen to allow
zulässig admissible, permissible
die Zulassung admission
die Zulassungsstelle vehicle registration office
der Zulauf popularity, strong attendance, influx of visitors
zulegen to increase, gain; to put on
zuletzt finally; lastly; in the end
zuliebe for the sake of
zumachen to close; to shut
zumal especially since; particularly because
zumeist mostly
zumindest at least
die Zumutung imposition, impertinence
zunächst first, first of all, in the first place, to begin with, initially
die Zunahme increase
zunehmen to increase
die Zuneigung affection, attachment
die Zunft guild
die Zunge tongue (organ in the mouth)
zunichte brought to nought, ruined
zuordnen to categorize, to classify
die Zuordnung assignment, classification
zupfen to pluck (a string)
zur Seite aside; to the side
zurechnen to apportion, to impute, to assign, to ascribe
zurecht rightly, properly — in zurechtkommen (to cope, to get along)
zurück back, backward, backwards, to the rear
zurückfallen to fall back; to fall backwards
zurückführen to return (to lead/direct someone back to where they came from)
zurückgeben to give back, return
zurückgehen to go back, return (to a place)
zurückgreifen to fall back (on)
zurückhalten to hold back
die Zurückhaltung restraint; reservation, reservedness
zurückkehren to return
zurückkommen to return (to come back)
zurücklegen to put back on the shelf
zurücknehmen to take back
zurückrufen to call back
zurückschicken to send back, to return
zurückschlagen to hit back, to return the ball
zurückschneiden to cut back, prune
zurücksetzen to reverse, to back up
zurücktreten to step back
zurückweisen to (strongly) reject (an accusation, a statement, etc.)
die Zurückweisung rejection, repudiation, rebuttal
zurückzahlen to pay back, to repay, to refund
zurückziehen to pull back, to withdraw
zurzeit currently
die Zusage commitment, pledge, undertaking
zusagen to accept, confirm attendance
zusammen together, in the same place
die Zusammenarbeit collaboration, cooperation, teamwork
zusammenarbeiten to work together, to cooperate
zusammenbrechen to break down, collapse
der Zusammenbruch collapse
zusammenfassen to summarize, to sum up
die Zusammenfassung summary, compilation, summing up, recapitulation
der Zusammenhalt cohesion; solidarity
zusammenhalten to hold together, to keep together
der Zusammenhang interrelation, correlation, connection, connectivity, relation, nexus, link
zusammenhängen to interrelate, connect
zusammenkommen to come/get together
die Zusammenkunft meeting (gathering for a purpose)
zusammenleben to live together
zusammenlegen to all pitch in (in order to pay for something)
zusammenreißen to pull oneself together
zusammenschlagen to beat up, to rough up
zusammenschließen to join forces, unite, merge
der Zusammenschluss union, federation, merger, amalgamation, alliance
zusammensetzen to assemble, compose (put together)
die Zusammensetzung composition
das Zusammenspiel interaction, interplay, cooperation, teamwork
die Zusammenstellung composition, collocation
zusammenstoßen to collide
der Zusatz addition, additive
zusätzlich additional, extra, supplementary
zuschauen to watch
der Zuschauer spectator
der Zuschlag surcharge, additional charge, extra fee
zuschlagen to strike, to hit
zuschneiden to crop (an image)
zuschreiben to attribute, to ascribe
der Zuschuss allowance, benefit, subsidy, grant
zusehen to watch
zusehends noticeably, visibly
zusetzen to add
zuspielen to pass to someone
zusprechen to grant
der Zuspruch support, approval; encouragement
der Zustand condition; state
zustande into being — in zustande kommen (to come about), zustande bringen (to accomplish)
zuständig responsible, in charge (having the responsibility of leading or overseeing)
die Zuständigkeit responsibility
zustehen to be entitled to something, to be due to someone
die Zustellung delivery
zustimmen to agree
die Zustimmung agreement (expression or indication that an agreement has been reached)
die Zutat ingredient (one of the parts of a whole)
zuteilen to assign, to allocate
zutiefst deeply
zutrauen to think [with dative ‘someone’] capable
Zutreffendes bitte ankreuzen please tick as applicable (on forms)
der Zutritt access, admittance
das Zutun involvement, doing (chiefly in 'ohne jemandes Zutun' — without someone's involvement)
zuverlässig reliable, dependable, trustworthy
die Zuverlässigkeit reliability, steadiness, trustworthiness
die Zuversicht confidence
zuversichtlich confident
zuvor before, previously
der Zuwachs growth, increase, increment
der Zuwanderer immigrant (male or of unspecified gender)
die Zuwanderung immigration
zuweilen sometimes, occasionally, from time to time
zuweisen to assign
die Zuwendung friendly and kind attention; loving care; love and care
die Zuzahlung co-payment (patient's share of the cost)
zuziehen to move here; to come to a place (from the perspective of those already living there)
der Zuzug influx
zuzüglich plus
der Zwang compulsion, obligation, duress
die Zwangsarbeit forced labor
zwangsläufig inevitable, unavoidable
zwangsweise compulsorily
der Zwanziger a twenty (twenty-euro note)
zwar namely
der Zweck purpose
die Zwecke purposes, aims (plural of Zweck)
zwecklos useless, futile
zwecks for the purpose of
zweierlei two different kinds of, two sorts of
der Zweifel doubt
zweifelhaft doubtful, not certain
zweifellos doubtless
zweifeln to doubt, to be doubtful
zweifelsfrei unequivocal, doubtless
zweifelsohne undoubtedly
der Zweig branch, twig
der Zweikampf one-on-one contest, duel
zweimal twice
zweit in zu zweit (as a pair, the two of us)
der Zweitaufschlag second serve
zweite second
zweiteilen to split in two, to bisect, to halve
zweitens secondly
die Zweitsprache A learned second language
die Zweitstimme second vote, party vote (in the German electoral system, the vote cast for a party list, which determines the proportional representation of parties in parliament)
der Zwerg dwarf (mythical creature, e.g. in fairy tales)
die Zwiebel onion (typically Allium cepa, the plant or its bulb)
der Zwilling twin (male or female; the feminine form Zwillingin is rare)
der Zwillingsbruder twin brother
zwingen to force; to compel; to make (someone do something)
zwischen between
die Zwischenablage clipboard
zwischendurch between times, in between (during some period of time, dividing it into intervals)
der Zwischenfall incident
zwischenlagern to temporarily store
die Zwischensequenz cutscene
zwischenspeichern to cache
die Zwischenzeit meantime, interim (period), intervening period, (First, Second, and Third) Intermediate Period (of Ancient Egypt), interval
zwischenzeitlich interim
der Zyklus cycle
der Zylinder cylinder
zynisch cynical