Today’s word takes you places — literally. The German noun Reise means trip, journey, or travel. You’ll hear it in everyday speech when planning vacations, talking about business trips, or even metaphorically, like in “a journey through life.”
Reise is a feminine noun, so the correct article is die — die Reise. Not sure how to get gender right in German? Our quick and incredibly helpful 5-minute video explains exactly how der, die, and das work — no fluff, just what matters.
Real conversations where Reise might come up
From small weekend getaways to epic backpacking adventures, Reise is the word that gets used. It’s also part of standard greetings and well-wishing phrases.
– Gute Reise!
– Danke, bis bald!
(“Have a good trip!” – “Thanks, see you soon!”)
Beginner sample dialogue
Juli: Wohin geht deine Reise?
Noah: Nach Italien. Eine Woche am Meer.
Juli: Klingt super! Viel Spaß!
(Juli: Where’s your trip going?
Noah: To Italy. A week by the sea.
Juli: Sounds great! Have fun!)
Grammar in action: How to use Reise
Here’s how Reise works in the four German cases:
Nominative: Die Reise war lang.
(The trip was long.)Accusative: Ich plane eine Reise nach Spanien.
(I’m planning a trip to Spain.)Dative: Während der Reise habe ich viel gelesen.
(During the trip, I read a lot.)Genitive: Das Ende der Reise war traurig.
(The end of the trip was sad.)
Confused by case endings? Our German grammar course breaks it all down in plain, friendly English — perfect for anyone who thinks they “don’t like grammar.”
Other ways to say trip in German
While Reise is the general word, you’ll hear others depending on tone and type of trip:
Ausflug – short trip or excursion
Fahrt – ride or drive (used with transport: Zugfahrt, Autofahrt)
Tour – tour, often guided or structured
Urlaub – vacation (refers more to time off than the journey itself)
Word variations and tidbits
Reise shows up in many common phrases and compound words:
Dienstreise – business trip
Fernreise – long-distance journey
Reiseleiter – tour guide
Reiseziel – travel destination
Reisefieber – travel jitters or excitement
Reisebüro – travel agency
Reiseapotheke – travel medicine kit
Classic expression:
„Jede Reise beginnt mit dem ersten Schritt.“
(“Every journey begins with the first step.”)
And don’t forget the simple wish:
„Gute Reise!“ — (“Safe travels!”)
Duden entry:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Reise
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