Whether you’re crossing an ocean or just spotting one in the harbor, today’s word floats right into view. The German word for ship is Schiff, a core vocabulary item that’s easy to recognize and even easier to use — especially in compound words.
Schiff is a neuter noun, so the correct article is das — das Schiff. If you’re still unsure when to use der, die, or das, you’ll love our quick 5-minute video — it gives you everything you need to understand German genders in one short sitting.
Real conversations where Schiff might come up
You’ll encounter Schiff in travel talk, vacation plans, news reports, and even metaphors. Germans use it literally (ein Schiff auf dem Meer) or figuratively (jemanden ins Boot holen – to get someone on board with an idea).
– Guck mal, da ist ein großes Schiff!
– Wow. Vielleicht fährt es nach Norwegen.
(“Look, there’s a big ship!” – “Wow. Maybe it’s going to Norway.”)
Beginner sample dialogue
Tom: Wart ihr schon mal auf einem Schiff?
Nina: Ja! Letztes Jahr sind wir mit einem Schiff nach Schweden gefahren.
Tom: Cool! Ich will auch mal eine Kreuzfahrt machen.
(Tom: Have you ever been on a ship?
Nina: Yes! Last year we took a ship to Sweden.
Tom: Cool! I want to go on a cruise someday too.)
Grammar in action: How to use Schiff
Let’s see Schiff in action across the four German cases:
Nominative: Das Schiff legt bald ab.
(The ship is about to depart.)Accusative: Ich sehe das Schiff am Horizont.
(I see the ship on the horizon.)Dative: Wir fahren mit dem Schiff nach Helgoland.
(We’re taking the ship to Helgoland.)Genitive: Die Route des Schiffs wurde geändert.
(The ship’s route was changed.)
Still not sure what all these cases mean or how to use them confidently? Our friendly German grammar course walks you through it in clear English — no dry lectures, just real understanding.
Other ways to say ship in German
The most direct synonym for Schiff is Boot (boat), though it usually refers to smaller watercraft. You might also hear Kreuzfahrtschiff (cruise ship), Segelschiff (sailing ship), or Frachtschiff (freight ship). Germans love compound words, and Schiff is part of dozens.
Word variations and tidbits
The word Schiff appears in countless compound nouns:
Raumschiff – spaceship
U-Boot – submarine (short for Unterseeboot, “undersea boat”)
Flussschiff – river ship
Schiffahrt – shipping or navigation (note: in older spelling, this had three "f"s: Schiffahrt)
It also appears in idioms and expressions. For example, „alle sitzen im selben Boot“ means “we’re all in the same boat,” just like in English. The word comes from the same Germanic roots as English ship, so it’s one of those vocabulary connections you can remember without much effort.
Duden entry:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Schiff
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