How do you say “education” in German?

The two main German words for “education” are Bildung and Ausbildung. Although there is significant overlap, Bildung is used more commonly in the sense of personal development and becoming a well-rounded and intellectually mature person (eine gebildete Person, not to be confused with eine eingebildete Person, which means “a conceited person”).

The word is related to bilden, meaning “to form”.

Ausbildung (f.)

Ausbildung means training or education for a particular purpose. It often refers to vocational training, including Germany’s dual system, where trainees (Auszubildende, or Azubis) learn at a company and a vocational school. Studium means university studies; a university degree is a Hochschulabschluss.