Learning how to say tank in German may seem like military vocabulary, but the word has broader uses and shows up surprisingly often — from history books and museums to news articles and even metaphors. Whether you're describing a battlefield or just a very heavy vehicle, this word is short, strong, and worth knowing.
The German word is der Panzer, and the plural form is die Panzer. It’s masculine, and if you're working on mastering German noun gender and articles, my gender video lesson will give you the clarity you need.
Panzer is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and it comes up not only in historical or military settings, but also in everyday comparisons, idioms, and news coverage.
Here’s how Panzer appears in each case:
Nominative:
Der Panzer fährt durch die Stadt.
The tank is driving through the city.
Accusative:
Sie haben den Panzer gesehen.
They saw the tank.
Dative:
Kinder stehen neben dem Panzer im Museum.
Children stand next to the tank in the museum.
Genitive:
Die Geschichte des Panzers ist interessant.
The history of the tank is interesting.
The word Panzer is closely tied to military topics, especially World War II. But it also appears in compound words like Panzerfaust (anti-tank weapon), Panzerdivision (tank division), and metaphorically in phrases like emotionaler Panzer — an “emotional tank” or shield someone uses to protect themselves.
You might hear verbs like fahren (to drive), sehen (to see), angreifen (to attack), zerstören (to destroy), or bauen (to build) used with this noun. Adjectives like schwer (heavy), modern (modern), alt (old), deutsch (German), and gepanzerte (armored) often appear in connection with it.
Here's a beginner dialogue to see how Panzer might come up naturally:
A: Warst du schon mal im Militärmuseum?
B: Ja, dort stand ein echter Panzer!
A: Have you ever been to the military museum?
B: Yes, there was a real tank there!
Now it’s your turn to speak. Think about your answer and say it aloud in German — no writing needed. Just be sure to use the word Panzer in your sentence.
“In welchem Film spielt ein Panzer eine wichtige Rolle?”
In which movie does a tank play an important role?
Using your voice helps lock the word into memory and prepares you for real-life conversations.
German Word of the Day
You’ve just learned how to say tank in German — and how to use der Panzer with meaning and context. Words like this build your vocabulary beyond the basics and help you engage with history, media, and emotion in German.
Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and keep leveling up your skills.
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