Sündenbekenntnis

confession of sins

noun ZUEN-den-be-kent-nis Rare

Also means

acknowledgement of guilt

Usage Note

Sündenbekenntnis is the formal admission of sins before God or a priest; in Protestant liturgy it is a regular part of the service. It differs from Beichte in that it need not involve a priest as mediator.

Examples

"Das Sündenbekenntnis ist fester Bestandteil des evangelischen Gottesdienstes."

Natural Translation

The confession of sins is a fixed part of the Protestant church service.

Literal Translation

The sin-confession is fixed component of-the Protestant church-service.

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 Numbers 1–100: Why 21 Is Said Backwards

German numbers 1 to 100 reverse the digits: 21 is einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty). Learn the und rule, the irregulars, and how to hear prices fast.

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

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

GermanNow

German Separable Verbs: When the Prefix Splits

German separable verbs split in two: the verb stays near the front and the prefix flies to the end. Learn the stress test and where every piece goes.

June 5, 2026 5 min read