Learn the body parts in German

Know yourself: being able to talk about your own body in German allows you to communicate how you feel. Body parts in German are useful to add to your vocabulary and repertoire. Talking to a doctor, finding the right clothes and care products, and telling someone what you find attractive about them all comes easier when you can name the parts of the body in German. We’ll also give you a compilation of useful phrases to round out our overview of the human body parts in the German language.

• German body parts with articles
• Useful phrases involving body part names in German
• Knowing the human body parts in the German language is useful

German body parts with articles

Let’s dive right in: For quick and easy reference, our following overview of German body parts largely follows human anatomy and groups together related vocabulary. We also tell you the article and plural form of each word so you can learn the gender at the same time.

Speaking of body and health issues, learn the history of Gesundheit to find out why English uses a German expression for “bless you”!

The major parts of the body in German

Talking about head and face in German

Naming parts of the torso in German

The German names for parts of the arms and legs

Human organs and inner body parts in German

Phrases involving body part names in German

Same as in English, German idioms often involve body parts or talk about the body. Here are a few choice examples which highlight how the two languages can use both similar and different expressions:

• Hals über Kopf: The German equivalent to “head over heels” literally means “neck over head”.
• Hand und Fuß: If something has both hand and foot in German, it’s solid and makes sense or is sensible.
• Ins Auge fallen: The English equivalent would be “to catch someone’s eye”.
• Die Finger von etwas lassen: In English, we keep our hands off something, whereas the Germans only refer to the fingers; the meaning stays the same!
• Ganz Ohr sein: This one is parallel to English, as “Ganz ohr sein” means “to be all ears”.
• Den Nacken / Die Ohren steif halten: To not lose hope, we keep our chin up in English and power through. Germans are all about keeping a stiff neck or stiff ears!
• Kalte Füße bekommen: When you’re having second thoughts and want to back out off something, you’re getting cold feet. The German expression is the same.
• Die Nase voll haben: When you’ve had enough of something, you can say that you have a full nose in German.
• Sich ins Knie schießen: If you fire a shot against yourself by accident, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. The Germans aim a little higher and shoot themselves in the knee!

There are more similarities and differences between German and English: have a look at the differences in grammar!

Knowing the human body parts in the German language is helpful

Knowing body parts in German equips you with useful vocabulary you can employ not only when going to the doctor but also in everyday conversations when you talk about how you’re feeling, about skills, movements, and looks.

When you study our overview of German body parts, you’ll learn articles and plural forms at the same time. Talking about the human body can help you with the German possessive pronouns and reflexive verbs.

Do you want to deepen your knowledge of conversational German? Continue learning with our overview of the most common German phrases!

Jakob is a freelance writer in Barcelona, Spain, and his favorite books have pages all empty. As an expert storyteller, he publishes creative fiction in English and German and helps other authors shape their manuscripts into compelling stories. Thanks to an expertise in a wide range of topics such as writing, literature and productivity to marketing, travel, and technology, he produces engaging content for his clients. Apart from the escape that books offer, Jakob enjoys traveling digital nomad style and stays active with climbing and hiking. Find out more about him on his website, Twitter or on Goodreads.