English speakers say "my head hurts". Germans say Mir tut der Kopf weh, which works out as "to me the head does woe". The body part gets der, die, das where English uses "my".
That small difference runs through everything on this page. The words are simple. What's worth practising is how German talks about your own body: with articles, with the word Schmerzen, and with a surprising number of thumbs and noses in its idioms.
Head and Face
head
der Kopf
face
das Gesicht
hair
die Haare
eye
das Auge
ear
das Ohr
nose
die Nase
mouth
der Mund
lip
die Lippe
tooth
der Zahn
tongue
die Zunge
forehead
die Stirn
cheek
die Wange
chin
das Kinn
neck
der Hals
Practice these words
der Kopf
Quick notes:
- Der Hals is both the neck and the throat. A sore throat is Halsschmerzen, a necklace is a Halskette.
- Hair is plural in everyday German: Ich muss mir die Haare waschen. Das Haar is one single hair, or the word in shampoo adverts.
Body
body
der Körper
shoulder
die Schulter
chest
die Brust
back
der Rücken
belly
der Bauch
hip
die Hüfte
bottom
der Po
skin
die Haut
bone
der Knochen
muscle
der Muskel
heart
das Herz
lungs
die Lunge
stomach
der Magen
liver
die Leber
kidney
die Niere
blood
das Blut
Practice these words
der Körper
Quick notes:
- Die Lunge is singular in German and means both lungs together.
- Der Bauch is the belly as you see it from outside. Der Magen is the organ. If you ate something bad, your Magen is upset. If a child has tummy ache, it's Bauchweh.
Arms and Legs
arm
der Arm
elbow
der Ellbogen
hand
die Hand
wrist
das Handgelenk
finger
der Finger
thumb
der Daumen
fingernail
der Fingernagel
leg
das Bein
knee
das Knie
foot
der Fuß
ankle
der Knöchel
heel
die Ferse
toe
der Zeh
Practice these words
der Arm
Quick note: in Bavaria and Austria, der Fuß often means the whole leg. If someone in Munich says Mir tut der Fuß weh and points at their knee, nothing is wrong with their German.
One and Many
Most things on the body come in pairs or sets, so the plurals are worth learning with the word.
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
das Auge | die Augen |
das Ohr | die Ohren |
der Zahn | die Zähne |
der Arm | die Arme |
die Hand | die Hände |
der Finger | die Finger |
das Bein | die Beine |
das Knie | die Knie |
der Fuß | die Füße |
der Zeh | die Zehen |
Quick note: Finger and Knie don't change in the plural. Only the article tells you: der Finger, die Finger.
Saying What Hurts
Where does it hurt?
Wo tut es weh?
It hurts here.
Hier tut es weh.
My head hurts.
Mir tut der Kopf weh.
My back hurts.
Mir tut der Rücken weh.
My feet hurt.
Mir tun die Füße weh.
I have a headache.
Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.
I have a stomach ache.
Ich habe Bauchschmerzen.
I have a sore throat.
Ich habe Halsschmerzen.
I have toothache.
Ich habe Zahnschmerzen.
I have backache.
Ich habe Rückenschmerzen.
I've broken my arm.
Ich habe mir den Arm gebrochen.
I've sprained my ankle.
Ich habe mir den Knöchel verstaucht.
I've cut my finger.
Ich habe mich in den Finger geschnitten.
Practice these words
Wo tut es weh?
Quick notes:
- There are two patterns, and both are everyday German. Mir tut … weh names the body part. Ich habe …schmerzen glues the body part to Schmerzen, "pains", which is always plural here.
- Mein Kopf tut weh is just as normal as Mir tut der Kopf weh. You'll hear both.
- With one body part it's tut, with several it's tun: Mir tut der Fuß weh, Mir tun die Füße weh.
- With washing, brushing and the like, German uses mir plus the article where English uses "my": Ich wasche mir die Hände, Ich putze mir die Zähne. Saying meine Hände there isn't wrong, but it sounds like you're stressing whose hands they are.
- At the doctor — booking an appointment, describing symptoms, and what "Was fehlt Ihnen?" really asks.
Idioms With Body Parts
| German | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
Ich drücke dir die Daumen. | I'm pressing the thumbs for you. | Fingers crossed for you. |
Hals- und Beinbruch! | Neck and leg break! | Good luck! |
Ich habe die Nase voll. | I have the nose full. | I'm fed up. |
jemanden auf den Arm nehmen | to take someone on your arm | to pull someone's leg |
ein Auge zudrücken | to press one eye shut | to turn a blind eye |
zwei linke Hände haben | to have two left hands | to be clumsy with practical things |
Hand und Fuß haben | to have hand and foot | to be well thought through |
kalte Füße bekommen | to get cold feet | to lose your nerve |
Quick note: Germans really do it. Before your exam or interview, a friend will hold up two fists with the thumbs tucked inside and say Ich drücke dir die Daumen. Crossed fingers aren't the German gesture for luck.
Gesundheit!
When someone sneezes, you say Gesundheit!, "health". It's said to colleagues, to strangers on a train, to anyone within reach, and the answer is Danke.
When someone is ill, the phrase is Gute Besserung! You say it when a colleague calls in sick, at the end of a visit, and at the pharmacy counter. A doctor says it to you as you leave. If you learn only one sentence from this page for other people's bodies, that's the one.