From listening to music to catching what someone just whispered, your ears are involved in everyday life — and so is the word ear in German. It’s one of those basic body part nouns you’ll hear early and often, especially in health, habits, or casual phrases.
The word for ear in German is das Ohr. It’s neuter, and the plural is die Ohren. You’ll use it to talk about health, body parts, sensations, or even idioms about listening. If gender and articles still feel tricky, my gender video lesson helps make sense of the system fast.
Ohr is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and mastering it will help you describe people, symptoms, reactions — or just how loud the music is.
Here’s how Ohr appears across the four German cases:
Nominative:
Das Ohr tut weh.
The ear hurts.
Accusative:
Ich habe mein Ohr verbrannt.
I burned my ear.
Dative:
Sie flüstert dem Kind ins Ohr.
She whispers in the child’s ear.
Genitive:
Die Form des Ohrs ist ganz besonders.
The shape of the ear is quite unique.
In daily German, you’ll hear verbs like hören (to hear), zuhören (to listen), flüstern in (to whisper into), reinigen (to clean), or entzünden (to inflame) used with Ohr. Medical visits, parenting, and even dating conversations might involve this word.
Adjectives include laut (loud), offen (open), empfindlich (sensitive), verstopft (clogged), or gesund (healthy). The plural Ohren is especially useful when talking about appearance (große Ohren – big ears), discomfort (Schmerzen in den Ohren – ear pain), or attention (mit beiden Ohren zuhören – to listen with both ears).
Here’s a short, beginner-friendly conversation:
A: Hast du das Lied gehört?
B: Ja – es geht mir nicht mehr aus dem Ohr!
A: Did you hear that song?
B: Yeah – I can’t get it out of my head!
(That’s a common phrase: Es geht mir nicht mehr aus dem Ohr — literally, “It won’t leave my ear.”)
Now it’s your turn. Think of your answer and say it out loud in German. No need to write it — just speak. Use Ohr or Ohren in your response.
“Was findest du schöner: große Ohren, kleine Ohren oder ungewöhnliche Ohren?”
What do you find more beautiful: big ears, small ears, or unusual ears?
This kind of fun, specific question helps you activate the word and practice fluency in a relaxed way.
German Word of the Day
You’ve just learned how to say ear in German, and how to use das Ohr in conversation, health, and even in metaphors. Everyday body vocabulary like this helps bring your German to life — one part at a time.
Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German to keep expanding your practical vocab.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Learn about Onkel — and how to talk about family in German.
Or revisit Osten — and explore the language of place, identity, and direction.