How do you say Direction in German?

Today’s word points the way - literally. The German noun Richtung means direction, both in the sense of movement (which way you’re going) and in a broader, more abstract sense (career direction, thinking style, ideology, etc.). It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, too!

Richtung is a feminine noun, so the correct article is die - die Richtung. Want to stop guessing German gender? Our fast and incredibly helpful 5-minute video gives you the confidence to get der / die / das right without memorizing endless rules.

Real conversations where Richtung might come up

You’ll hear Richtung anytime someone is giving directions, asking about a route, or describing changes in thought, behavior, or opinion. It’s used both concretely and metaphorically.

- Gehst du in Richtung Bahnhof?- Ja, willst du mitkommen?(“Are you heading toward the train station?” - “Yes, want to come along?”)

Beginner sample dialogue

Lia: Wohin fährt dieser Bus?Ben: In Richtung Zentrum.Lia: Perfekt, da muss ich auch hin!

(Lia: Where does this bus go?Ben: Toward the center.Lia: Perfect, that’s where I need to go too!)

Grammar in action: How to use Richtung

Let’s look at Richtung across the four German cases:

• Nominative: Die Richtung stimmt nicht.(The direction is wrong.)

• Accusative: Ich gehe in die Richtung des Parks.(I’m going in the direction of the park.)

• Dative: In der Richtung gibt es nichts Neues.(There’s nothing new in that direction.)

• Genitive: Die Änderung der Richtung war notwendig.(The change of direction was necessary.)

Confused about case changes? Our practical German grammar course breaks the case system down in simple English - so you can use it without overthinking.