The German word for prince is der Prinz.
It’s used for royal sons in monarchies, fairy tale heroes, and symbolic characters in stories. The female form is die Prinzessin.

It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and comes up often in books, media, and modern conversation.

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a masculine noun: der Prinz.
Still struggling with gender? Our video lesson gives you the tools to learn it quickly and accurately.

Pronunciation:
Prinz is pronounced [prints]

• Rhymes with wince

• One syllable: PRINTS

Example sentences

Der Prinz hat die Prinzessin gerettet.
The prince rescued the princess.

Viele Kinderträume drehen sich um einen mutigen Prinzen.
Many childhood dreams revolve around a brave prince.

Der britische Prinz besuchte Berlin.
The British prince visited Berlin.

Nuance and usage tips

👑 Prinz refers to sons of royalty or noble houses. It’s the German equivalent of prince, though some older aristocratic titles like Fürst (a ruling prince) are used in historical or legal contexts.

📖 In fairy tales, Prinz is everywhere: Der Froschkönig, Dornröschen, Schneewittchen. It often represents bravery, romance, or nobility.

🎤 In pop culture, Prinz is also used symbolically (as in Prinz der Herzen = “prince of hearts”).

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Er benimmt sich wie ein Prinz."
He acts like a prince.

"War der Prinz im Märchen nicht verflucht?"
Wasn’t the prince in the story cursed?

"Prinz Harry war wieder in den Schlagzeilen."
Prince Harry was in the headlines again.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Emma: Welches Märchen liest du da?
Luca: Dornröschen – der Prinz kommt gleich!
Emma: Ich mochte den Prinzen in Schneewittchen lieber.
Luca: Ich mag den Drachen mehr als die Prinzen.

Translation:
Emma: Which fairy tale are you reading?
Luca: Sleeping Beauty—the prince is about to show up!
Emma: I liked the prince in Snow White better.
Luca: I like the dragon more than the princes.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Der Prinz ist sehr tapfer.
The prince is very brave.

Accusative:
Ich habe den Prinzen im Film gesehen.
I saw the prince in the movie.

Dative:
Mit dem Prinzen sprach niemand.
Nobody spoke with the prince.

Genitive:
Das Pferd des Prinzen war schneeweiß.
The prince’s horse was snow white.

Other ways to say prince in German

While Prinz refers to a son of a king or queen, Fürst is a historical title for a sovereign ruler of a small principality. Thronfolger means heir to the throne. In fantasy or medieval settings, you might also hear Erbprinz (hereditary prince) or Kronprinz (crown prince).

Word variations and tidbits

You’ll find Prinz in titles like Märchenprinz (fairy-tale prince), Kronprinz (crown prince), Prinzengarde (a ceremonial guard), and Prinzessin (princess). There’s even the verb sich wie ein Prinz aufführen – to behave like a spoiled royal.

🧠 Fun fact: Prinz comes from Latin princeps—just like in English—but German also inherited the term Fürst through old Germanic noble hierarchies.

📘 Duden entry for Prinz:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Prinz
🎥 Want a royal roadmap to German fluency? Our video course teaches the 1000 most essential German nouns—clearly, visually, and story-rich.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Priester means? He might be the one blessing the Prinz.
And what about Preis? Even royal things come with one.