Sudden fear, racing thoughts, no clear way out—panic is a universal experience, and knowing how to say Panic in German is surprisingly useful in real-life situations, whether you're talking about a stressful commute, a medical emergency, or just reacting to a scary email. The German word is die Panik, and yes—it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it not only in news stories and health contexts, but also in casual conversation and pop culture.
Panik is a feminine noun—die Panik—and it’s pronounced almost identically to the English: PAH-nik, with a clean, sharp k at the end. If you're still a bit unsure about noun gender in German, take a moment to watch our video lesson on der, die, das—it’s fast, practical, and designed for people who want clarity without the grammar lecture.
Germans use Panik in much the same way English speakers do. It refers to sudden, often overwhelming fear: Plötzliche Panik brach aus (sudden panic broke out), or Ich geriet in Panik (I panicked). The verb in Panik geraten (to go into a panic) is commonly used, and you’ll also hear expressions like Panik machen (to cause panic) or keine Panik! (don’t panic!).
There’s no true “opposite” to Panik, but Ruhe (calm), Gelassenheit (composure), or Kontrolle (control) are often what people are hoping to restore in the aftermath. You might also encounter compound terms like Panikattacke (panic attack), Panikreaktion (panic response), or even Panikmodus (panic mode).
Fun fact: Germans of all ages know the band Panik-Orchester, made famous by Udo Lindenberg—so the word even carries a bit of rock ‘n’ roll legacy.
Example Sentences
In der Menge brach Panik aus, als der Alarm losging.
Panic broke out in the crowd when the alarm went off.
Ich hatte eine Panikattacke vor der Prüfung.
I had a panic attack before the exam.
Sie versuchte, ihre Panik nicht zu zeigen.
She tried not to show her panic.
Beginner Dialogue
Jasmin: Was war los im Einkaufszentrum?
Tarek: Feueralarm – alle sind in Panik geraten.
Translation
Jasmin: What happened at the mall?
Tarek: Fire alarm—everyone panicked.
Duden entry:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Panik
Need more high-impact words for real-life situations?
Revisit Platz to describe where panic might occur.
Or check out Papier to deal with the forms and documents that sometimes cause it.
Viel Erfolg beim Deutschlernen – and don’t stress, just keep learning words like Panic in German.