Parking can be tricky in any country — especially if you can’t talk about it. Learning how to say parking space in German is one of those practical steps that helps you navigate cities, understand street signs, and get through everyday conversations while traveling or living abroad.

The German word for parking space is der Parkplatz. The plural form is die Parkplätze. It’s masculine, and if you're still working on mastering article usage, my gender video lesson can help explain the rules in a clear, simple way.

Parkplatz is part of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and you’ll see it constantly — in traffic, at supermarkets, in apartment listings, and on road signs.

Let’s take a quick look at Parkplatz in all four cases:

Nominative:
Der Parkplatz ist besetzt.
The parking space is occupied.

Accusative:
Ich suche einen Parkplatz.
I’m looking for a parking space.

Dative:
Wir stehen schon auf dem Parkplatz.
We’re already parked in the parking lot.

Genitive:
Das Tor des Parkplatzes ist geschlossen.
The gate of the parking area is closed.

You’ll hear this word often with verbs like suchen (to search), finden (to find), parken (to park), reservieren (to reserve), and freimachen (to clear). A common phrase in everyday life: Gibt es hier irgendwo einen Parkplatz? — “Is there a parking spot around here?”

Adjectives like frei (free/available), besetzt (occupied), kostenlos (free of charge), teuer (expensive), or eng (tight) are used to describe the conditions of a Parkplatz. The plural Parkplätze might come up when you're reading signs or asking about available space — Hier gibt es nur wenige Parkplätze.

Here’s a quick beginner dialogue you might hear in town:

A: Ich finde keinen Parkplatz!
B: Da vorne ist vielleicht noch einer frei.
A: I can’t find a parking space!
B: There might be one up ahead.

Now it’s your turn to speak. Take a moment, think of your answer, and say it out loud — no writing necessary. Be sure to use the word Parkplatz or Parkplätze in your sentence.

“Wo hast du zuletzt einen wirklich guten Parkplatz gefunden?”
Where did you last find a really good parking space?

Speaking your answer aloud helps reinforce the word and builds your active vocabulary with every repetition.

Duden entry for “Parkplatz”

German Word of the Day
You’ve now learned how to say parking space in German — and how to actually use der Parkplatz and die Parkplätze when driving, talking, or planning. These high-frequency, real-world nouns are the backbone of everyday fluency.

Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and keep building your confidence with every word.

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