The German word for sip, swallow, or mouthful is der Schluck.
It refers to a small amount of liquid taken into the mouth and swallowed—whether it’s water, wine, or even a gulp of air.

It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and shows up in everyday speech, especially around food, drink, and medicine.

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a masculine noun: der Schluck.
Still working on gender? Our video lesson teaches patterns that make it easier.

Pronunciation:
Schluck is pronounced [shlook]

• Rhymes with book

• One syllable: SHLOOK

Example sentences

Ich nehme noch einen Schluck Kaffee.
I’ll have another sip of coffee.

Gib ihm einen Schluck Wasser!
Give him a sip of water!

Sie trank alles in einem Schluck.
She drank it all in one gulp.

Nuance and usage tips

🥤 Schluck usually refers to a small amount of liquid. You can use it when offering someone a sip, or when describing how someone drinks.

💊 It’s often used in medical or caregiving contexts: einen Schluck nehmen, mit einem Schluck Wasser.

😮‍💨 Sometimes it's used metaphorically, e.g. einen Schluck frische Luft nehmen (take a breath of fresh air).

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Willst du einen Schluck probieren?"
Want to try a sip?

"Ich brauche einen Schluck Wasser."
I need a sip of water.

"Er hat den ganzen Tee in einem Schluck runtergeschluckt."
He swallowed the whole tea in one gulp.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Tim: Ist das Tee?
Lena: Ja. Willst du einen Schluck?
Tim: Gern – ich hab Durst.
Lena: Vorsicht, er ist noch heiß!

Translation:
Tim: Is that tea?
Lena: Yes. Want a sip?
Tim: Sure – I’m thirsty.
Lena: Careful, it’s still hot!

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Ein Schluck genügt.
One sip is enough.

Accusative:
Ich nehme einen Schluck Wasser.
I’m taking a sip of water.

Dative:
Mit dem Schluck ging es ihm besser.
The sip made him feel better.

Genitive:
Die Wirkung eines einzigen Schlucks war erstaunlich.
The effect of a single sip was astonishing.

Other ways to say sip in German

Schlückchen is a cute or polite diminutive for a little sip. Zug (pull) is used for a longer draw from a bottle or cigarette. For gulp or swig, you might hear Schluck in more robust contexts too.

Word variations and tidbits

You’ll often see Schluck in:

• Schluck Wasser – sip of water

• in einem Schluck – in one gulp

• einen Schluck nehmen – to take a sip

• Schluckauf – hiccups (literally “swallow-up”)

🧠 Fun fact: The verb schlucken means “to swallow”—closely tied to der Schluck. It’s used literally and metaphorically (like einen Preis schlucken = “swallow a price” = accept something unpleasant).

📘 Duden entry for Schluck:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Schluck
🎥 Want a refreshing sip of real German? Our video course teaches the top 1000 German nouns—served in easy, memorable portions.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
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