German is spoken in the countries of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Records written in German may be found in these countries as well as in parts of Poland, Denmark, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Hungary, and wherever German people settled. This includes some early records of the United States, such as in Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, and other states where Germans lived.
There are several different dialects in the German language.
German words for persons, places, and things (nouns) are always capitalized.
All nouns are classified as masculine, feminine, or neuter. This classification is called gender. The gender of a noun is indicated by der (masculine), die (feminine), and das (neuter), which translates as "the."
Word endings may vary, depending on the way the words are used in the sentence.
In German, as in English, the forms of some words will vary according to how they are used in the sentence.
Adjectives describe nouns and must have the proper masculine, feminine, or neuter endings.
Plural words are usually formed by adding -er, -en, or -e. For example, the word Kind becomes Kinder, the word Frau becomes Frauen, and the word Aufgebot becomes Aufgebote.
Plurality may also change the vowel slightly. As an example, Mann becomes Männer.
Many words in German are formed by joining two or more words and you may need to look up each part of the word separately. An example is, Geburtstag -- a combination of two words, Geburt (birth) and Tag (day).
Written German uses several letters in addition to the 26 letters used in the English alphabet. These are Ä (ä), Ö (ö), Ü (ü), and ß. Historically, German also included Ÿ (ÿ) which today have been primarily replaced phonetically with the letters I (i) and Ü (ü).
Because spelling rules were not standardized in earlier centuries, spelling variations are common. Local dialect often affects the spelling in genealogical records. In German records, the following letters are sometimes used interchangeably:
· p used for b
· a used for e
· t used for d or dt
· s used for z
· ck used for k
· y used for i or j
· v used for w or f
· k used for g
· tz used for z
· ig used for isch or ich
· t used for th
· u used for i
Here are some words you may encounter in searching German records:
Alter (in Jahren)
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age (in years)
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Abkömmling,
|
|
descendant
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Ahnen
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|
ancestor
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Ahnenforschung
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|
genealogy
|
Ahnentafel
|
|
pedigree
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April
|
|
April
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Archiv
|
|
archive
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Armee
|
|
army records
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Aufgebote
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|
marriage banns
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August
|
|
August
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Auswanderer
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|
emigrant
|
Auswanderung
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|
emigration
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Base (female)
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|
cousin
|
Beerdigt
|
|
buried
|
Beerdigung
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|
burial
|
Begraben
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|
buried
|
Begräbnis
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|
burial
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Belgien
|
|
Belgium
|
Beruf
|
|
occupation
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Bestattet
|
|
buried
|
Bisheriger Wohnort
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|
previous residence
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Bruder
|
|
brother
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Brüder
|
|
brothers
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Bulgarien
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|
Bulgaria
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Cousin
|
|
cousin
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Cousins
|
|
cousins
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Datum
|
|
date
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Deutschland
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|
Germany
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Dezember (10ber, 10bris, Xber, Xbris)
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|
December
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Ehe
|
|
marriage
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Ehefrau
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wife
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Ehegattin
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|
wife
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Ehemann
|
|
husband
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Ehescheidung
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|
divorce
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Eheschließung
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marriage
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Einwanderer
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immigrant
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Einwanderung
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|
immigration
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Eltern
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|
parents
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Enkel
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grandson
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Enkelin
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|
granddaughter
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Evangelisch
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Protestant
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Familienstand
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|
family status
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Feber
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February
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Februar
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February
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Firmungen
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|
confirmation
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Frau
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|
wife
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Gatte
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|
husband
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Gattin
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|
wife
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Geboren
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|
born
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Geborene
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birth
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Geburten
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|
birth
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Geburtsregister
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|
birth
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Geburtsschein
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|
birth certificate
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Geburtsurkunde
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|
birth certificate
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Genealogie
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|
genealogy
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Geschieden
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divorced
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Geschlecht
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sex or generation
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Gestorben
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died
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Getaufte
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baptism/christening
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Großmutter
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|
grandmother
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Großvater
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|
grandfather
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Hausfrau
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|
wife
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Hebamme |
|
midwife |
Heiraten
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|
to marry
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Heiratsurkunde
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|
marriage certificate
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Hochzeit
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|
marriage ceremony, wedding
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Italien
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|
Italy
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Jahr
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|
year
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Jänner
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|
January
|
Januar
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|
January
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Jude
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|
Jewish
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Jüdisch
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|
Jewish
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Juli
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July
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Juni
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|
June
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Katholisch
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|
Catholic
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Kind
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child
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Kinder
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|
child
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Kirchenbuch
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|
church register
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Kirchenregister
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|
church register
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Kirchenrodel
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|
hurch/parish list
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Kirchensprengel
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|
church diocese
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Kirchspiel
|
|
parish
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Konfirmation
|
|
confirmation
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Kopulation
|
|
marriage
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Kroatien
|
|
Croatia
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Kusine (female)
|
|
cousin
|
Kusinen
|
|
cousins
|
Ledig
|
|
single
|
Lutherisch
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|
Protestant
|
Mädchenname
|
|
maiden name
|
Mai
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|
May
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Mann
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husband
|
Männlich
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|
male
|
März
|
|
March
|
Militär
|
|
military
|
Monat
|
|
month
|
Morgen
|
|
morning
|
Mutter
|
|
mother
|
Nachkomme
|
|
descendant
|
Nachkommenschaft
|
|
descendants
|
Nacht
|
|
night
|
November (9ber, 9bris)
|
|
November
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Oheim
|
|
uncle
|
Oktober (8ber, 8bris)
|
|
October
|
Onkel
|
|
uncle
|
Ort und Staat
|
|
place and state
|
Österreich
|
|
Austria
|
Pfarrbuch
|
|
church register
|
Pfarrei
|
|
parish
|
Polen
|
|
Poland
|
Proklamationen
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|
marriage banns
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Protestant
|
|
Protestant
|
Protestantisch
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|
Protestant
|
Register
|
|
index
|
Rumanien
|
|
Romania
|
Russland
|
|
Russia
|
Saftladen
|
|
A derogatory term used to describe a shop or any service business that offers junk.
|
Scheidung
|
|
divorce
|
Schwager
|
|
brother-in-law
|
Schwäger
|
|
brothers-in-law
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Schweiz
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|
Switzerland
|
Schwester
|
|
sister
|
Schwiegertochter
|
|
daughter-in-law
|
Schwiegertöchter
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|
daughters-in-law
|
September (7ber, 7bris)
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|
September
|
Serbien
|
|
Serbia
|
Sohn
|
|
son
|
Söhne
|
|
sons
|
Soldaten
|
|
soldiers
|
Spainien
|
|
Spain
|
Staatsangehörigkeit
|
|
citizenship, nationality
|
Stammbaum
|
|
family tree
|
Standesamt
|
|
civil registry
|
Starb
|
|
died
|
Stellung |
|
position |
Sterbefälle
|
|
death
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Sterben
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|
to die
|
Sterbeurkunde
|
|
death certificate
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Steuerexecutor
|
|
tax collector
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Tag
|
|
day
|
Tante
|
|
aunt
|
Taufe
|
|
baptism/christening
|
Taufen
|
|
to baptize
|
Tochter
|
|
daughter
|
Töchter
|
|
daughters
|
Tod
|
|
death
|
Tot
|
|
ddead
|
Totenschein
|
|
death certificate
|
Trauungen
|
|
marriage ceremonies, weddings
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Ungarn
|
|
Hungary
|
Urgroßmutter
|
|
great-grandmother
|
Urgroßvater
|
|
great-grandfather
|
Vater
|
|
father
|
Väter
|
|
fathers
|
Verheiratet
|
|
married
|
Verkündigungen
|
|
marriage banns
|
Verstorben
|
|
dead
|
Verwitwet
|
|
widowed
|
Verzeichnis
|
|
index
|
Vetter (male)
|
|
cousin
|
Volkszählung,
|
|
census
|
Volkszählungsliste
|
|
sensus list
|
Vollwaise
|
|
orphan
|
Vorfahre
|
|
ancestor
|
Vorfahrin (female)
|
|
ancestor
|
Vormittags
|
|
morning
|
Vornamen
|
|
given name
|
Waise
|
|
orphan
|
Weib
|
|
wife
|
Weiblich
|
|
female
|
Woche
|
|
week
|
Ziel der undwanderung
|
|
destination
|
Zuname
|
|
surname
|
Have some other German words to add? Please send them to
Ken Weaver