Haus und Hof - House and Home Glossary
Rooms and Furniture Found in a House or Apartment
An annotated English-German Glossary
Part of Lektion 18 - Haus und Hof (German for Beginners)
HOUSE • WOHNUNG • APARTMENT • FLAT
FLOOR PLAN • GRUNDRISS • ROOMS • ZIMMER • HAUS
Also see: Real Estate and Househunting Glossary
German Glossaries > House A-L > M-Z > Abbreviations
A
Abbreviations (Abkürzungen)
A German-English list of common abbreviations found in German real estate ads.
apartment, flat die Wohnung (-en)
apartment share/roommates die Wohngemeinschaft (WG)
communal apartment die Wohngemeinschaft (WG)
condo, condominium die Eigentumswohnung
3-room apartment das 3-Zimmerwohnung
studio apartment/flat, bedsit das Atelier, das Apartment/Appartement, das Wohnschlafzimmer, die Einzimmerwohnung
attic der Dachboden, der Speicher
attic apartment, mansard flat die Mansarde
attic floor, level das Dachgeschoss (DG)
B
balcony der Balkon (-s or -e)
basement, cellar der Keller (-)
bath, bathroom das Bad, das Badezimmer (-)
Also see toilet (Toilette/WC)
Kultur: A Bad or Badezimmer is strictly that, a BATH room (for bathing, washing up). If you actually want the toilet, ask for die Toilette, not das Badezimmer. Germans may wonder why you want to take a bath if you ask for the "bath" room.
bath towel das Badetuch
bed das Bett (-en)
bedroom das Schlafzimmer (-)
bedsit (BE), studio apartment/flat das Apartment/Appartement, das Atelier, das Wohnschlafzimmer, die Einzimmerwohnung
built-in cabinets die Einbauschränke
built-in closets die Einbaugarderoben
built-in kitchen die Einbauküche
C
carpet, carpeting der Teppich (-e)
carpeted floors der Teppichboden
fitted carpet/wall-to-wall carpeting der Teppichboden
cellar, basement der Keller (-)
chair der Stuhl (Stühle)
chaise lounge/longue, lounge chair der Liegestuhl (-stühle)
(clothes) closet, wardrobe der Kleiderschrank (-schränke), die Garderobe (-n)
Kultur: German houses and apartments rarely have built-in closets (Einbaugarderobe). They are usually free-standing pieces of furniture that must be bought, just as a bed or any other furniture.
clothes washer, washing machine die Waschmaschine
couch die Couch (-en or -s) - in Swiss German Couch is masc.
curtain der Vorhang (-hänge), die Gardine (-n)
lace/net curtains die Gardinen
curtain rod/rail die Vorhangstange (-n), die Gardinenstange (-n)
D
deck chair, chaise lounge/longue der Liegestuhl (-stühle)
desk der Schreibtisch (-e)
deposit die Kaution (KT)
dishwasher die Spülmaschine, der Geschirrspüler
down payment die Anzahlung
Learn more about house and home
vocabulary in Lektion 18 of our free
German for Beginners course.
E
elevator der Aufzug, der Fahrstuhl, der Lift
Kultur: Don't be surprised if your German apartment house has no Aufzug, even if your apartment is on the 5th or 6th floor! Older German apartment complexes of six floors or less may have no elevator.
Der Eingang des Hauses
Foto © H. Flippo
entrance, entry der Eingang
separate entrance eigener Eingang
entry hall die Diele (-n), der Flur
F
first floor (Brit./Europe) der erste Stock (1st above the ground)
first floor (US) das Erdgeschoss (ground floor)
flat, apartment die Wohnung (-en)
floor (surface) der Fußboden
wood floors, parquet der Parkettfußboden
floor (story) die Etage, der Stock
the 1st floor (Brit.) der erste Stock
the 1st floor (US) das Erdgeschoss (ground floor)
on the 4th floor im vierten Stock
on the 4th floor im 4. OG (Obergeschoss)
on the 4th floor in der vierten Etage (eh-TAHJ-ah)
Kultur: Everyone but Americans numbers building floors by calling the first floor above the ground the "first floor" (der erste Stock). If you're American, when dealing with German or European floors, remember that an American second floor is the first - and so on. Same thing applies to elevator buttons! ("E" is the ground floor - das Erdgeschoss, or sometimes "P" for French Parterre, or "0" null.)
German Real Estate
Ad Abbreviations
floor plan der Grundriss (eines Stockwerks)
floor tile die Fliese (-n)
flooring, floor covering der Fußbodenbelag
freezer der Tiefkühlschrank
freezer chest die Tiefkühltruhe
furnished möbliert
Note: Furnished apartments are rare in Germany.
G
garage die Garage (of a house)
garret, mansard flat die Mansarde
gas heat die Gasheizung
ground floor das Erdgeschoss, die Parterre
Learn more about floors and levels
in Lektion 17 of our free
German for Beginners course.
H
half-basement, basement flat das Souterrain (-s)
hall, hallway der Flur
heat, heating die Heizung
house das Haus (Häuser)
at my/our house bei mir/uns
to my/our house zu mir/uns
house and home Haus und Hof (also the name of Lektion 18 of German for Beginners)
housing die Wohnungnen (pl.), (shelter) die Unterkunft
I
insulation die Isolierung, die Dämmung
sound insulation, soundproofing die Schalldämpfung
poorly insulated (for sound), lacking soundproofing hellhörig
K
kitchen die Küche (-n)
kitchen sink das Spülbecken (-)
kitchen stove, range der Herd
kitchenette die Kochnische (-n)
Kultur: Be aware that some German apartments are sold "bare" - with no light fixtures or even the proverbial kitchen sink! Read your Kaufvertrag (sales contract) carefully to avoid having to wash the dishes in the bathroom by candlelight after you move in to your new apartment.
L
lamp die Lampe (-n), die Leuchte (floor lamp)
land, property das Grundstück
landlord der Vermieter, die Vermieterin
laundry room die Waschküche (-n)
light das Licht (-er), die Leuchte (-n) (lamp)
lighting die Beleuchtung
living room das Wohnzimmer (-)
lounge chair, chaise lounge/longue der Liegestuhl (-stühle)
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