It’s what you have with friends, what you watch to relax, and what makes life a little more enjoyable. In German, it’s die Unterhaltung. This is your German word of the day, and it’s a flexible word you’ll hear in casual chats, movie trailers, and even on your phone bill.
The noun Unterhaltung means conversation or entertainment, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. Depending on the context, it can describe a lively chat or something you enjoy watching or listening to.
It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Unterhaltung (need help with gender? Our video lesson will finally make it simple and memorable).
Pronunciation
Unterhaltung is pronounced [OON-ter-hahl-toong].
Un like “oon,”
ter like “ter” in teacher,
haltung ends with “hah-loong,” with a soft nasal -ung
Stress is on the third syllable: unter-HALT-ung
It’s friendly and upbeat—just like its meaning.
Example sentences:
Die Unterhaltung war sehr angenehm.
The conversation was very pleasant.
Wir suchen gute Unterhaltung für den Abend.
We’re looking for good entertainment for the evening.
Nuance and usage tips
Unterhaltung can mean two very different (but related) things:
Conversation / dialogue
eine interessante Unterhaltung führen – to have an interesting conversation
in einer Unterhaltung sein – to be in a conversation
Entertainment / amusement
leichte Unterhaltung – light entertainment
Unterhaltungsprogramm – entertainment show
zur Unterhaltung – for fun
You’ll often see verbs like:
sich unterhalten – to chat / converse OR to be entertained
Wir haben uns gut unterhalten. – We had a good time (talking or being entertained)
Ich habe mich köstlich unterhalten. – I was thoroughly entertained
The double meaning is a great example of how German bundles ideas into one word.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
All the time—at cafés, parties, or when watching Netflix.
“Ich hatte eine tolle Unterhaltung mit ihr.” – I had a great conversation with her.
“Das war keine tiefgründige Doku, eher leichte Unterhaltung.” – That wasn’t a deep documentary, more light entertainment.
You’ll also find Unterhaltung in business contexts, like phone or streaming bills (“Unterhaltungskosten” = entertainment costs).
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Jan: Wie war dein Abend?
Timo: Schön. Gute Musik, gute Unterhaltung.
Jan: Mit wem hast du geredet?
Timo: Mit Lea – sie ist super witzig!
Jan: How was your evening?
Timo: Nice. Good music, good conversation.
Jan: Who did you talk to?
Timo: With Lea—she’s super funny!
Grammatical case examples:
Nominative:
Die Unterhaltung war spannend.
The conversation was engaging.
Accusative:
Ich habe die Unterhaltung genossen.
I enjoyed the conversation.
Dative:
Mit der Unterhaltung war ich sehr zufrieden.
I was very pleased with the conversation.
Genitive:
Der Inhalt der Unterhaltung war vertraulich.
The content of the conversation was confidential.
Feminine case pattern: die, die, der, der
Word variations and language tidbits
Related words and phrases:
sich unterhalten – to talk, to chat, to be entertained
Unterhaltungsfilm / Unterhaltungsshow – entertainment movie/show
Unterhaltungswert – entertainment value
leichte / gehobene Unterhaltung – light / sophisticated entertainment
Unterhaltung auf hohem Niveau – high-quality conversation or content
Cultural note: In Germany, Unterhaltung can be intellectual or silly—there’s room for both Tatort and Dschungelcamp under the same umbrella.
📘 Duden entry
🎥 Want to learn German words that are actually useful? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 nouns with context, visuals, and grammar tips that make them stick.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Unterricht means? That one might have homework attached…
And what about Unterlagen? You’ll definitely need them when things get official.