The German word for beauty is die Schönheit.
Schönheit in German refers to physical beauty, but also inner qualities, art, nature, and abstract ideals. From fairy tales to fashion, this word pops up all over the place—in both poetic and everyday language.

It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (get the free illustrated PDF here).

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a feminine noun: die Schönheit.
Need help remembering genders more easily? This video lesson teaches patterns that actually work.

Pronunciation:
Schönheit is pronounced [SHURN-hite]

• “SHURN” like “burn” with sh
• “hite” rhymes with “kite”
  Two syllables: SHURN-hite

Example sentences

Ihre Schönheit ist atemberaubend.

Her beauty is breathtaking.

In der Natur liegt viel Schönheit.

There’s a lot of beauty in nature.

Wahre Schönheit kommt von innen.

True beauty comes from within.

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Ich bewundere die Schönheit dieses Ortes."

I admire the beauty of this place.

"Schönheit vergeht, aber Charakter bleibt."

Beauty fades, but character remains.

"Was für eine Schönheit!"

What a beauty!

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Anna: Schau dir diesen Sonnenuntergang an!
Ben: Wahnsinn… so viel Schönheit auf einmal.
Anna: Ich liebe solche Momente.
Ben: Ich auch. Sie geben einem Ruhe.

Translation:
Anna: Look at this sunset!
Ben: Wow… so much beauty all at once.
Anna: I love moments like this.
Ben: Me too. They give you peace.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Die Schönheit ist schwer zu beschreiben.

The beauty is hard to describe.

Accusative:
Ich sehe die Schönheit in einfachen Dingen.

I see the beauty in simple things.

Dative:
Mit der Schönheit der Musik kann man viel ausdrücken.

You can express a lot with the beauty of music.

Genitive:
Die Kraft der Schönheit ist nicht zu unterschätzen.

The power of beauty shouldn’t be underestimated.

Other ways to say beauty in German

While Schönheit is the standard for beauty in German, other words like Anmut (grace), Attraktivität (attractiveness), and Ästhetik (aesthetic) may be used depending on context. Still, Schönheit is the most versatile and emotionally resonant.

Word variations and tidbits

You’ll encounter Naturschönheit (natural beauty), Schönheitswettbewerb (beauty contest), Schönheitsfehler (minor flaw), and Schönheitschirurgie (cosmetic surgery). Die schöne Helena and die schlafende Schönheit (Sleeping Beauty) show how deeply rooted this word is in Western storytelling.

📘 Duden entry for Schönheit
🎥 Want to see the Schönheit of the German language? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 German nouns—with visual clarity and a printable PDF.

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