It ends sentences, wins games, proves arguments, and appears on clocks—Punkt is everywhere in German. It may look tiny, but it’s one of the most flexible and frequently used words in the language.

The noun Punkt means point, dot, spot, or period, depending on context. It’s incredibly versatile and one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. Whether you're making a point, scoring one, or just trying to be punctual, Punkt has your back.

It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Punkt.

Pronunciation

Punkt is pronounced [poonkt], with a short, rounded “u” like in “put,” and a clean, clipped “kt” at the end. 

Example sentences:

• Du hast einen guten Punkt angesprochen.
  You mentioned a good point.
• Der Punkt am Ende des Satzes fehlt.
  The period at the end of the sentence is missing.

Nuance and usage tips

Punkt is one of those words whose meaning shifts easily depending on the setting:

• Grammar:
  einen Punkt setzen – to end a sentence with a period
• Debate or discussion:
  einen Punkt machen – to make a point
  guter Punkt! – good point!
• Sports or games:
  drei Punkte gewinnen – to earn three points
  Endstand: drei Punkte für Bayern. – Final score: three points for Bayern.
• Time:
  um Punkt acht Uhr – at exactly 8:00
  Punkt Mitternacht – at the stroke of midnight
• Navigation or location:
  Treffpunkt – meeting point
  Wendepunkt – turning point

It’s one of those everyday words that constantly adapts to the situation.

There’s no direct antonym, but in debates or written arguments, Gegenargument (“counterargument”) might play that role when Punkt refers to a statement or claim.

Grammatical case examples:

• Nominative: Der Punkt ist klar und deutlich.
  The point is clear and obvious.
• Accusative: Ich habe den Punkt aufgeschrieben.
  I wrote down the point.
• Dative: Mit dem Punkt begann seine Präsentation.
  With that point, he began his presentation.
• Genitive: Wegen des Punkts änderten wir unsere Meinung.
  Because of the point, we changed our opinion.

Masculine article pattern: der, den, dem, des

Word variations and language tidbits

Variation Station:

• Stichpunkt – bullet point
• Standpunkt – standpoint / point of view
• Höhepunkt – climax / high point
• Ausgangspunkt – starting point
• Schlusspunkt – final point

Also, in computer usage and URLs, Punkt means “dot”:

• deutschable Punkt com → deutschable.com

In sports standings, Punkte (points) determine everything—from league position to glory.

👉 Duden – Punkt

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

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