From office supplies to schoolwork to wrapping gifts, paper is one of the most useful words you’ll ever learn—and knowing how to say Paper in German will come in handy sooner than you think. Whether you're asking for a receipt, talking about a document, or describing what something’s printed on, Papier is part of daily life. It's no surprise that it’s also one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German.

The German word for paper is das Papier—a neuter noun pronounced pah-PEER. If you're still figuring out when to use der, die, or das, check out our quick and clear video lesson on gender in German—especially if grammar isn't your thing.

Papier refers to both material and documents. It can mean a physical sheet of paper (Hast du ein Blatt Papier?) or official documents (Papiere bitte!). One of the most common misunderstandings learners face is the plural: in English, papers can mean documents, essays, or news—but in German, the plural is usually die Papiere, and it only refers to formal papers like IDs or legal forms, not pieces of writing.

There’s no true opposite of Papier, but in context, you might contrast it with digital or elektronisch, as in Papierloses Büro (paperless office). The word shows up in everyday compound terms like Druckerpapier (printer paper), Klopapier (toilet paper), Geschenkpapier (wrapping paper), and Recyclingpapier (recycled paper).

Idiomatic uses are fairly rare, but you will hear Das ist nur auf dem Papier schön—“That only looks good on paper”—meaning something sounds better in theory than it works in practice.

Example Sentences

Kannst du mir bitte ein Stück Papier geben?
Can you please give me a piece of paper?

Der Vertrag ist auf offiziellem Papier gedruckt.
The contract is printed on official paper.

Ich habe meine Papiere zu Hause vergessen.
I forgot my documents at home.

Beginner Dialogue

Emil: Hast du Papier für den Drucker?
Nina: Ja, im Regal unter dem Schreibtisch.

Translation
Emil: Do you have paper for the printer?
Nina: Yes, on the shelf under the desk.

Duden entry:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Papier

Want more words that show up in everyday tasks?
Check out Person to talk about people in a neutral, all-purpose way.
Or revisit Pfarrer for a word full of tradition and community ties.

Viel Erfolg beim Deutschlernen – and keep filling the pages of your vocabulary journal with essentials like Paper in German.