The German word for snout or mouth is die Schnauze.
Schnauze in German refers literally to the snout of an animal—especially dogs and pigs—but it's also one of the most common slang words for “mouth” in everyday speech. Used bluntly, it can mean “shut up,” so handle with care!

It’s also one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (available in our free illustrated PDF).

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a feminine noun: die Schnauze.
Need a shortcut to remember gender? This video lesson has all the tricks.

Pronunciation:
Schnauze is pronounced [SHNOW-tsuh]

• “SHNOW” rhymes with “now”

• Ends in “tsuh” like “pizza” without the “pi”
  Two syllables: SHNOW-tsuh

Example sentences

Der Hund hat eine schwarze Schnauze.

The dog has a black snout.

Halt die Schnauze!

Shut your mouth! (very rude)

Ich hab die Schnauze voll.

I’m fed up.

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Was für eine süße Schnauze!"

What a cute snout!

"Ey, halt mal kurz die Schnauze!"

Hey, shut up for a second! (impolite!)

"Ich kann das nicht mehr hören – Schnauze voll!"

I can’t hear this anymore – I’m done!

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Max: Dein Hund hat eine witzige Schnauze.
Lara: Ja, besonders wenn er gähnt.
Max: Sieht fast aus wie ein Grinsen.
Lara: Genau! Er ist ein echter Clown.

Translation:
Max: Your dog has a funny snout.
Lara: Yeah, especially when he yawns.
Max: Looks almost like a smile.
Lara: Exactly! He’s a real clown.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Die Schnauze ist dreckig.

The snout is dirty.

Accusative:
Ich hab die Schnauze gestrichen voll.

I am totally fed up.

Dative:
Mit der Schnauze stupst der Hund mich an.

The dog nudges me with his snout.

Genitive:
Die Farbe der Schnauze ist verblasst.

The color of the snout has faded.

Other ways to say snout or mouth in German

For snout or mouth in German, Schnauze is the most colloquial and emotionally charged. For formal use, Maul is the anatomical term for an animal's mouth, and Mund is the standard word for a human mouth. But Schnauze remains the most colorful.

Word variations and tidbits

Common expressions include Halt die Schnauze! (shut up!), Schnauze voll haben (to be fed up), and große Schnauze haben (to have a big mouth / talk a lot). Also heard: Fressschnauze (feeding snout), Hundeschnauze (dog snout), or Schnauzbart (mustache).

📘 Duden entry for Schnauze
🎥 Want to open your Schnauze in better German? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 nouns—with examples and a printable PDF.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Schnee means? You might find some stuck to your Schnauze.
And what about Schrank? That’s where the winter gear goes—unless your dog eats it first.