How do you say Blood in German?

It runs through your veins, carries your DNA, and shows up in horror movies, family metaphors, and dramatic expressions - Germans call it Blut. It’s a word with scientific, symbolic, and emotional weight.

The noun Blut means blood, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll encounter it in biology, medicine, law, literature, and expressions of identity or emotion.

It’s a neuter noun, so we say das Blut.

Pronunciation

Blut is pronounced [bloot], rhyming with “root.”

• The “u” is long and rounded,
• The “t” is firm and final.

It’s a short, strong word - just like the substance it names.

Example sentences:

• Bei dem Unfall verlor er viel Blut.He lost a lot of blood in the accident.
• Blut ist dicker als Wasser.Blood is thicker than water.

Nuance and usage tips

Blut is used in a wide range of contexts:

1. Literal, biological
   • Blutspende - blood donation
   • Blutdruck - blood pressure
   • Blutprobe - blood sample
     Blut abnehmen - to draw blood (at the doctor’s)
2. Lineage / family / ancestry
   • blutsverwandt - related by blood
   • königliches Blut - royal blood
   • im Blut haben - to have in one’s blood (as in talent or instinct)
3. Violence / crime / drama
   • Blutbad - bloodbath
   • blutige Auseinandersetzung - bloody confrontation

Blut has no literal antonym. Wasser contrasts with it in Blut ist dicker als Wasser.
Ruhig Blut! - Keep calm! (literally: calm blood)