Whether someone’s staying for dinner, checking into a hotel, or appearing on a talk show—Germans call that person a Gast. It’s a simple, friendly word that reflects centuries of hospitality and human interaction.

The noun Gast means guest, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in homes, restaurants, churches, hotels, and media.

It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Gast—even when referring to women or children (though see below for the plural nuance).

Pronunciation

Gast is pronounced [gahst], rhyming with “fast.”

• The “a” is short and open, like in “father,”
• The “st” is crisp and final.

It’s a solid, down-to-earth word that feels welcoming without being overly formal.

Example sentences:

• Wir haben heute Abend Gäste zum Essen eingeladen.
  We’ve invited guests for dinner this evening.
• Der Gast beschwerte sich über das kalte Essen.
  The guest complained about the cold food.

Nuance and usage tips

Gast can describe all kinds of guests:

• At home:
  Willkommen, lieber Gast! – Welcome, dear guest!
• At events or shows:
  ein prominenter Gast – a celebrity guest
• In institutions:
  Gastdozent / Gastprofessor – guest lecturer / professor
• In sports or competition:
  Gastmannschaft – visiting team

The plural is Gäste, and it’s very common.

Its antonym in a social context is Gastgeber (masculine, der Gastgeber) – the host.

Grammatical case examples:

• Nominative: Der Gast war sehr höflich.
  The guest was very polite.
• Accusative: Wir begrüßen den Gast mit einem Glas Sekt.
  We welcome the guest with a glass of sparkling wine.
• Dative: Mit dem Gast haben wir über Politik gesprochen.
  We talked about politics with the guest.
• Genitive: Wegen des Gastes mussten wir das Zimmer umbauen.
  Because of the guest, we had to rearrange the room.

Masculine case pattern: der, den, dem, des

Word variations and language tidbits

Variation Station:

• Gastgeber(in) – host
• Gastfreundschaft – hospitality
• Gästeliste – guest list
• Stammgast – regular guest
• Ehrengast – guest of honor
• Gaststätte – restaurant (more traditional term)

Fun linguistic note:
The word Gast shares a root with the English guest—both come from the Proto-Germanic gastiz. That root also gave rise to host, hospitality, and even hospice through the Latin hospes (which oddly meant both “guest” and “host”).

So in a way, host and guest are linguistic siblings—deeply connected in history, just like the people they describe.

📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Gast

🎥 Learn Gast and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/

Alternate translations note:
In more formal contexts, Besucher (visitor) or Teilnehmer (participant) might be more specific. But for social, domestic, or ceremonial situations, Gast is the gold standard. Whether you’re hosting a dinner or a diplomatic delegation—Gast is the word.

Ready for two more German words of the day? How about Gegenwart or Gefängnis?