Today’s word brings a sense of order — whether you’re talking about people standing in line, items on a shelf, or episodes in a Netflix show. The German noun Reihe means row, line, or series. It’s used in everyday life, in school, at the theater, and in pop culture.
Reihe is a feminine noun, so the correct article is die — die Reihe. If you want a fast way to get German gender right without memorizing endless lists, check out our quick 5-minute video lesson — it’s clear, visual, and actually helpful.
Real conversations where Reihe might come up
You’ll hear Reihe in situations involving seating, queues, or things that follow one after another — especially in phrases like an der Reihe sein (to be one’s turn) or eine Reihe von ... (a series of...).
– Wer ist dran?
– Ich glaube, du bist an der Reihe.
(“Who’s next?” – “I think it’s your turn.”)
Beginner sample dialogue
Emil: Ich sitze in der dritten Reihe.
Lea: Cool, ich auch! Wo genau?
Emil: Links am Gang.
(Emil: I’m sitting in the third row.
Lea: Cool, me too! Where exactly?
Emil: On the left by the aisle.)
Grammar in action: How to use Reihe
Nominative: Die Reihe ist lang.
(The line is long.)Accusative: Ich nehme die vordere Reihe.
(I’ll take the front row.)Dative: In der Reihe sitzen zehn Leute.
(There are ten people sitting in the row.)Genitive: Die Nummer der Reihe ist schwer zu lesen.
(The number of the row is hard to read.)
Not sure when to use der or den or der Reihe? Our friendly grammar course explains the German case system in plain English — perfect for people who prefer real talk over grammar talk.
Other ways to say line or series in German
Schlange – line of people (emphasizes waiting; see our post on Schlange)
Serie – TV or book series
Zahlreihe – number sequence
Warteschlange – waiting line (e.g. for a website or phone call)
But Reihe is a great catch-all word when things are in a row, or happening one after another.
Word variations and tidbits
Reihe shows up in lots of everyday expressions:
an der Reihe sein – to be one’s turn
in einer Reihe stehen – to stand in a row
eine Reihe von Fragen – a series of questions
aus der Reihe tanzen – “to dance out of line” (to be unconventional)
Reihenhaus – row house or townhouse
Sitzreihe – row of seats
Buchreihe – book series
Fun idiom:
„Jetzt bist du an der Reihe.“
(“Now it’s your turn.”) – Used everywhere from board games to chores.
Duden entry:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Reihe
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Reis means?
What about Reifen? One fills your plate… the other keeps you moving.