It’s one of the first words we reach for when talking about life: What people think, how people act, what people say. If you want to speak naturally, you'll need to know how to say people in German — and when to use it.
The word is die Leute, and here’s the twist: it’s only plural. There is no singular form (eine Leite is not a word). You’ll always use die Leute and treat it grammatically as plural — just like people in English.
If you’d like more clarity on article usage, my gender video lesson walks you through it in a quick and helpful way.
Leute is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and it appears constantly — in conversation, on signs, in jokes, and even in political speeches.
Examples in all four cases:
Nominative:
Die Leute sind schon da.
The people are already here.
Accusative:
Ich sehe die Leute von hier.
I can see the people from here.
Dative:
Ich gebe den Leuten Bescheid.
I’ll let the people know.
Genitive:
Die Meinung der Leute ist klar.
The opinion of the people is clear.
Real-World Tips for Learners
You’ll hear Leute in hundreds of situations:
nette Leute – nice people
viele Leute – many people
arme Leute – poor people
ältere Leute – older people
die jungen Leute – the young people
komische Leute – strange people
Common expressions:
Was denken die Leute? – What will people think?
Die Leute reden viel. – People talk a lot.
Leute, hört mal zu! – Guys, listen up! (informal group call)
One of the most important distinctions: Leute refers to people in general, not to a specific group or ethnicity. If you're talking about “a people” in the cultural or national sense (like “the German people”), that would be das Volk.
Also: Don’t use Menschen and Leute interchangeably. While Menschen is often more formal or abstract (“human beings”), Leute is casual, concrete, and used in daily speech.
Grammatically, remember: it’s always plural. You say die Leute sind freundlich — not die Leute ist freundlich.
Beginner dialogue using Leute:
A: Kennst du die Leute da drüben?
B: Nein, aber sie sehen nett aus.
A: Do you know those people over there?
B: No, but they look nice.
Now it’s your turn. Think of your answer and say it aloud using Leute.
“Welche Art von Leuten magst du — und warum?”
What kind of people do you like — and why?
Answer out loud in German and include Leute in your sentence.
German Word of the Day
Now you know how to say people in German — and how die Leute helps you express opinions, stories, and social observations with ease.
Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German to keep building vocabulary you’ll actually use.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Check out Lieferung — and talk about timing, logistics, and packages.
Or revisit Lied — and explore emotion and memory through music.