Wirbelsäule

spine

noun VEER-bel-zoy-le Less Common

Origin: from Wirbel (vertebra) + Säule (column)

Also means

spinal column

Usage Note

Wirbelsäule is the anatomical spine, built from individual Wirbel (vertebrae). The everyday word for the visible backbone is Rücken, but doctors and texts on posture use Wirbelsäule.

Examples

"Eine gesunde Haltung schont die Wirbelsäule."

Natural Translation

Good posture protects the spine.

Literal Translation

A healthy posture spares the spine.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Umlauts & ß: Sounds and Typing

Pronounce ä, ö, ü with the front-tongue, rounded-lips rule, master the ß vs ss spelling, and type every German umlaut on Mac, Windows, and phone.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Modal Verbs: Können, Müssen, Wollen and More

German modal verbs put the modal in position 2 and the real verb at the end. Master können, müssen, wollen and the rest with charts and clear examples.

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

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read