The German word for stress is… Stress.
Same spelling, nearly the same sound—but its usage is sometimes more casual, sometimes more serious.
Stress in German is a loanword from English, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (includes free PDF!). You'll hear it at the office, in school, or when someone’s day just isn’t going their way.
Gender and Pronunciation
It’s a masculine noun: der Stress.
Need help cracking gender patterns? This video lesson gives you practical shortcuts.
Pronunciation:
Stress is pronounced [sh-tress]
Just like the English “stress,” but with a slightly sharper sh at the beginning
One syllable: SHTRESS
Example sentences
Ich habe diese Woche viel Stress.
I have a lot of stress this week.
Er leidet unter Stress im Job.
He suffers from stress at work.
Zu viel Stress ist ungesund.
Too much stress is unhealthy.
Nuance and usage tips
🧠 Mental and emotional pressure
unter Stress stehen – to be under stress
Stress abbauen – to reduce stress
Stress haben – to be stressed out
gestresst sein – to be stressed
🏃 Daily life and pressure
Berufsstress – job stress
Prüfungsstress – exam stress
Familienstress – family tension
Zeitdruck und Stress – time pressure and stress
😬 Figurative uses
Mach keinen Stress! – Don’t stress out! / Chill!
Ich will keinen Stress mit dir. – I don’t want trouble with you.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
"Ich hab so viel Stress mit der Arbeit."
I'm so stressed out from work.
"Sie macht sich immer Stress wegen Kleinigkeiten."
She always stresses out over little things.
"Ein bisschen Stress gehört dazu."
A little stress is part of life.
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Sara: Du siehst müde aus. Alles okay?
Noah: Ich hab einfach zu viel Stress im Moment.
Sara: Womit denn?
Noah: Job, Familie, alles auf einmal. Ich brauche Urlaub!
Translation:
Sara: You look tired. Everything okay?
Noah: I just have too much stress right now.
Sara: From what?
Noah: Work, family—everything at once. I need a vacation!
Grammatical case examples
Nominative:
Der Stress wird zu viel.
The stress is becoming too much.
Accusative:
Ich spüre den Stress im ganzen Körper.
I feel the stress throughout my body.
Dative:
Mit dem Stress komme ich nicht klar.
I can't handle the stress.
Genitive:
Die Folgen des Stresses sind deutlich.
The effects of the stress are clear.
Other ways to say stress in German
While Stress is by far the most common word for stress in German, especially in casual contexts, there are a few alternatives worth knowing:
Belastung – “burden” or “strain,” often used in medical or technical contexts (psychische Belastung = psychological strain)
Anspannung – “tension,” especially physical or emotional (körperliche Anspannung)
Druck – “pressure,” often used in high-stakes or time-sensitive contexts (Leistungsdruck = performance pressure)
Still, in most everyday situations, Stress is the go-to word.
Word variations and tidbits
stressig – stressful
stressfrei – stress-free
gestresst – stressed
Stressbewältigung – stress management
Stressor – stressor (yes, Germans use this word too!)
Stressreaktion – stress response
🧠 Fun fact: Even though Stress is a borrowed word from English, Germans sometimes use it more broadly than English speakers. It can mean being busy, under pressure, annoyed, or just generally overwhelmed.
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Stress
🎥 Want to eliminate the Stress of learning German? Our free video course helps you master the 1000 most common nouns—without pressure.
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