Today’s word is all about esteem and boundaries. The German noun Respekt means respect — for people, authority, skills, or even danger. It’s used in schools, families, workplaces, and everyday speech, both as praise (“Respekt!”) and as a reminder (“Du hast keinen Respekt.”).

Respekt is a masculine noun, so the correct article is der — der Respekt. If you’re still mixing up der, die, and das, our quick and super-useful 5-minute video lesson shows you exactly how to get them right fast.

Real conversations where Respekt might come up

This word is as emotional as it is formal. You’ll hear it when someone is impressed, when parents scold a child, or when coworkers admire someone’s work ethic.

– Wie hast du das alles alleine geschafft?
– Keine Ahnung… einfach gemacht.
– Echt, Respekt!
(“How did you manage all that by yourself?” – “No idea… just did it.” – “Honestly, respect!”)

Beginner sample dialogue

Tina: Dein Bruder hilft immer im Haushalt.
Leo: Ja, er hat viel Respekt vor unserer Mutter.
Tina: Schön! Das ist wichtig.

(Tina: Your brother always helps with the chores.
Leo: Yeah, he has a lot of respect for our mother.
Tina: That’s great! That matters.)

Grammar in action: How to use Respekt

Here’s how Respekt works across the four cases:

• Nominative: Der Respekt fehlt.
  (Respect is missing.)

• Accusative: Ich habe Respekt vor ihm.
  (I respect him.)

• Dative: Mit Respekt kann man viel erreichen.
  (With respect, you can achieve a lot.)

• Genitive: Wegen des Respekts sagte er nichts.
  (Out of respect, he said nothing.)

Need a better way to learn the cases? Our clear and practical German grammar course makes the whole case system click — especially for people who hate grammar jargon.

Other ways to express respect in German

The verb you’ll hear most often is respektieren — “to respect.” Another common phrase is:

• Respekt haben vor ... – to have respect for someone or something

• jemanden respektlos behandeln – to treat someone disrespectfully

• voller Respekt – full of respect

Note: Respektieren is used mostly in formal or polite contexts. In casual speech, Respekt! on its own is a common expression of admiration.

Word variations and tidbits

Respekt comes from Latin respectus, meaning "regard" or "consideration." In German, it applies to many contexts:

• Respekt vor dem Lehrer – respect for the teacher

• Respekt gegenüber älteren Menschen – respect toward older people

• Respekt einflößen – to command respect

• keinen Respekt zeigen – to show no respect

You’ll also see it in sports commentary or when acknowledging someone’s performance:

„Respekt für diese Leistung!“
(“Respect for that achievement!”)

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

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