Osten

east

noun OS-ten Common

Usage Note

Osten is masculine, der Osten, and you say im Osten ('in the east') for location. In German history der Osten often refers specifically to the former East Germany. The adjective is östlich ('eastern').

Examples

"Die Sonne geht im Osten auf."

Natural Translation

The sun rises in the east.

Literal Translation

The sun goes in-the east up.

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

German Compound Words: How to Read Any Long Word

Read any long German word by working right-to-left: the last noun sets the meaning and gender, and the small linking letters are just glue. Here's the drill.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Greetings by Region: Grüß Gott to Grüezi

German greetings change by region: say Moin in Hamburg, Grüß Gott in Bavaria, Grüezi in Switzerland. A map of every hello and goodbye, plus du vs. Sie.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read