Erde

earth

noun AYR-de Less Common

Also means

soil

Usage Note

Erde means both the planet (die Erde, capitalized as Earth) and ordinary soil or ground you dig in. The phrase auf der Erde can mean 'on the ground' or 'on Earth' depending on context, and electrical 'earth' (ground) is also Erde.

Examples

"Die Erde dreht sich um die Sonne."

Natural Translation

The Earth revolves around the sun.

Literal Translation

The Earth turns itself around the sun.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Order Food in German: Restaurant Phrases

Order food in German with confidence: use ich hätte gern, read the Speisekarte, ask die Rechnung bitte, and handle zusammen oder getrennt like a local.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

Weil vs Denn vs Da: "Because" in German

Weil and da send the verb to the end; denn keeps it in second position. Here's how to pick the right German "because" and place the verb correctly.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Cases Explained Simply (4 Cases)

German has four cases, and each answers one question: wer, wen, wem, wessen. Learn nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive without drowning in charts.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read