21 December 2025
How do you talk about Promises in German?
It’s what you make to a friend, break in a drama, or keep if you’re honest. In German, it’s das Versprechen. This is your German word of the day, and it’s all about commitment - whether emotional, personal, or even political.
The noun Versprechen means promise (or pledge), and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in speeches, apologies, relationships, and contracts - anywhere someone’s word matters.
It’s a neuter noun, so we say das Versprechen (want to crack gender in German once and for all? Our super-practical video guide makes it easy: Watch the 5-minute video lesson on German noun genders).
Pronunciation
Versprechen is pronounced [fer-SHPRECH-en].
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Ver- is unstressed, approximately [fɛɐ̯] (a short e followed by a reduced r sound),
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sprech starts with “shpr”; after e, ch is the ich sound, a light fricative made near the hard palate,
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en is a soft “uhn”
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Stress is on the second syllable: ver-SPRECH-en
It’s bold and assertive - just like a real promise should be.
Example sentences:
Ich gebe dir mein Versprechen.I give you my promise.
Sie hat ihr Versprechen gehalten.She kept her promise.
Nuance and usage tips
Versprechen comes from the verb versprechen, meaning “to promise” (or, confusingly, also “to misspeak” - but more on that in a moment).
Typical phrases include:
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ein Versprechen geben - to make a promise
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ein Versprechen halten / brechen - to keep / break a promise
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ein leeres Versprechen - an empty promise
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ein politisches Versprechen - a political promise
You can also say:
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“Er hat ein Versprechen abgegeben.” - He made a promise.
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“Das war ein großes Versprechen.” - That was a big promise.
⚠️ Fun side note: the verb sich versprechen means “to misspeak” - totally different meaning but same word!
How does this word come up in real conversations?
You’ll often hear Versprechen in personal and emotional contexts:
“Ich habe dir ein Versprechen gegeben.” - I made you a promise.“Ein gebrochenes Versprechen zerstört Vertrauen.” - A broken promise destroys trust.
You’ll also hear it in political speeches or advertising campaigns, where Versprechen are made left and right - though not always kept!
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Max: Kommst du wirklich morgen?Lena: Ja, ich geb dir mein Versprechen.Max: Du hast es beim letzten Mal vergessen…Lena: Dieses Mal nicht. Versprochen!
Max: Are you really coming tomorrow?Lena: Yes, I give you my promise.Max: You forgot last time…Lena: Not this time. Promise!
Grammatical case examples:
Nominative:Das Versprechen war ehrlich gemeint.The promise was made sincerely.
Accusative:Ich erinnere mich an das Versprechen.I remember the promise.
Dative:Mit dem Versprechen begann alles.It all started with the promise.
Genitive:Die Bedeutung des Versprechens war groß.The meaning of the promise was significant.
Neuter case pattern: das, das, dem, des
Word variations and language tidbits
Related expressions and nouns:
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Versprecher - slip of the tongue
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leeres Versprechen - empty promise
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Liebesversprechen - promise of love
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Wahlversprechen - election promise
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Ehrenwort - word of honor (a more emotional or old-fashioned alternative)
You can also reinforce it with verbs like:
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ein Versprechen einhalten - to keep a promise
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ein Versprechen einlösen - fulfill a promise
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sich an ein Versprechen erinnern - remember a promise
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Versprechen🎥 Learn Versprechen and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course: Watch the 1000 German Nouns video course
Ready for more German Words of the Day? Maybe you’ve got Verständnis for tricky concepts - but what if someone brings Verstärkung?
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