How do you say Tire in German?

Today’s word rolls in with more than one meaning. As a noun, Reifen means tire - like the ones on your car or bicycle. But as a verb, reifen also means to ripen or to mature. That makes it one of those handy German words with a literal and a metaphorical side. It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, too!

Let’s focus first on the noun: Reifen is a masculine noun, so the correct article is der - der Reifen. Still not sure about gender? Our super useful 5-minute video lesson will give you the shortcuts to figure out der / die / das confidently.

Real conversations where Reifen might come up

You’ll hear the noun Reifen in mechanical, transport, or safety contexts - garages, auto shops, bike repair, even toy cars. The verb reifen shows up in gardening, wine-making, and personal growth discussions.

- Dein Reifen ist platt.- Echt? Dann muss ich zur Werkstatt.(“Your tire is flat.” - “Really? Then I need to go to the shop.”)

Beginner sample dialogue

Jonas: Mein Fahrrad ist kaputt.Mila: Was ist los?Jonas: Der Reifen hat ein Loch.Mila: Oh nein! Hast du Flickzeug?

(Jonas: My bike is broken.Mila: What’s wrong?Jonas: The tire has a hole.Mila: Oh no! Do you have a repair kit?)

Grammar in action: How to use Reifen

As a noun:

• Nominative: Der Reifen ist neu.(The tire is new.)

• Accusative: Ich brauche einen neuen Reifen.(I need a new tire.)

• Dative: Mit dem Reifen stimmt etwas nicht.(Something’s wrong with the tire.)

• Genitive: Die Farbe des Reifens ist schwarz.(The color of the tire is black.)

As a verb (reifen - to mature/ripen):