Whether it’s barreling down the tracks, advancing across a chessboard, or just taking a deep breath—Germans call it a Zug. It’s a strong, punchy word that’s all about movement and direction.
The noun Zug most commonly means train, but also pull, move, draft, or stroke, depending on context. It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and it shows up in travel, games, physiology, and mechanics.
It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Zug.
Pronunciation
Zug is pronounced [tsoog].
- The “Z” is pronounced like “ts”,
- The “u” is long like “oo” in moon,
- The “g” is hard, like “go.”
- One syllable, solid and punchy: tsook
It sounds like what it is—powerful, direct, and always moving.
Example sentences:
- Der Zug hatte zehn Minuten Verspätung.
The train was ten minutes late. - Das war ein kluger Zug im Schachspiel.
That was a smart move in the chess game.
Nuance and usage tips
Zug comes from the verb ziehen (to pull), and it can mean many things depending on the context:
- Transportation
- ICE-Zug – high-speed train
- Zugverbindung – train connection
- Zugticket – train ticket
- Games / strategy
- ein Zug im Schach – a chess move
- nächster Zug – next move (in games or metaphorically in life)
- Movement or force
- Luftzug – draft / breeze
- Zugluft – unpleasant draft (can give you a stiff neck!)
- ein kräftiger Zug – a strong pull or drag (e.g. on a rope or a cigarette)
- Physiological / rhythmic actions
- ein Zug an der Zigarette – a drag on the cigarette
- ein Zug Wasser – a gulp of water
- Atemzug – a breath / inhalation
Its antonym depends on usage:
- For trains: Stillstand (standstill)
- For moves: Pause, Abwarten, or Fehlzug (a bad move)
Grammatical case examples:
- Nominative:
Der Zug kam pünktlich an.
The train arrived on time. - Accusative:
Ich nehme den Zug nach München.
I’m taking the train to Munich. - Dative:
Mit dem Zug fährt man entspannt.
Traveling by train is relaxing. - Genitive:
Wegen des Zugs verpassten wir den Anschluss.
Because of the train, we missed the connection.
Masculine case pattern: der, den, dem, des
Word variations and language tidbits
Variation Station:
- Zugticket – train ticket
- Zugführer – train conductor
- Atemzug – breath
- Zugluft – draft (breeze in a room)
- Zugabe – encore (literally: "extra pull" – at a concert!)
- Zugvogel – migratory bird
- Zugkraft – pulling power
Fun idiomatic note:
There’s a very German saying:
„Das ist kein Zugpferd.“
“That’s not a draft horse.”
Used to mean something (or someone) lacks the strength to lead or carry the weight.
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Zug
🎥 Learn Zug and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Alternate translations note:
For train as in a series of connected things (like thoughts or events), Germans might say Reihe or Abfolge. But for rail transport, board games, a pull on a rope, or a lungful of air—Zug is the versatile, powerful word you need.
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Zunge means? How about Zukunft? Find out!