How do you say Butt in German?

Whether you’re falling on it, sitting on it, or being told to move it - German has a solid, slightly cheeky (hah!) word for your rear end: Hintern. It’s casual, commonly used, and pops up in everything from playground chatter to sitcoms to stern parental warnings.

The noun Hintern means butt, bottom, or rear, (literally the behind) and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. It’s not vulgar, but it’s definitely informal - like saying “butt” instead of “gluteus maximus.”

It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Hintern.

Pronunciation

Hintern is pronounced [HIN-tun].

• The first syllable “Hin” is like the English word “hint” without the “t.”
• The ending -tern is reduced, roughly [tɐn] in common standard pronunciation; it does not rhyme exactly with American “bun” or “burn.”

Example sentences:

• Er fiel direkt auf den Hintern.He fell right on his butt.
• Beweg deinen Hintern!Move your butt!

Nuance and usage tips

Hintern is casual and harmless - suitable for jokes, instructions, or light scolding. Not crude, but not exactly polite either.

There are other ways to say “butt” in German, depending on tone:

• Po - short, child-friendly, very common
• Gesäß - formal/anatomical (used in medicine or clothing)
• Arsch - vulgar, stronger than “butt,” more like “ass”

But Hintern sits (ahem) comfortably in the middle: suitable for kids and adults, used in idioms, not rude, not clinical.