The German word for victory is der Sieg.
You’ll hear it in sports, politics, debates, and historical contexts. Whether it’s a football match or a courtroom win, Sieg in German captures the triumphant moment when someone comes out on top.
It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (you can download the full list as a free illustrated PDF), and it’s especially common in sports, news, and celebrations.
Gender and Pronunciation
It’s a masculine noun: der Sieg.
Need help mastering gender without guesswork? This video lesson shows how to use patterns to your advantage.
Pronunciation:
Sieg is pronounced [zeek]
Rhymes with “peek”
Starts with a soft “z” like “zebra”
One syllable: ZEEK
Example sentences
Der Sieg war verdient.
The victory was well-earned.
Nach dem Spiel feierten sie ihren ersten Sieg.
After the match, they celebrated their first victory.
Das war ein wichtiger Sieg für das Team.
That was an important victory for the team.
Nuance and usage tips
🏆 Sieg refers to victory in competitions, sports, and conflict—literal or figurative. It’s often paired with the verb gewinnen (to win), or erringen (to achieve).
⚔️ In historical or military contexts, Sieg appears in phrases like ein glorreicher Sieg (a glorious victory) or Sieg über den Feind (victory over the enemy).
🎤 In politics, Wahlsieg means election victory. In sports, Auswärtssieg is an away-game win, and Heimsieg a home-game win.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
"Das war ein knapper Sieg, aber wir haben’s geschafft."
That was a close victory, but we did it.
"Sie brauchen nur noch einen Sieg zum Titel."
They need just one more win for the title.
"Der Sieg fühlt sich nach all der Arbeit großartig an."
The victory feels amazing after all that work.
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Ben: Und – habt ihr das Spiel gewonnen?
Jana: Ja! Ein klarer Sieg: 4 zu 1!
Ben: Glückwunsch! Wer hat die Tore geschossen?
Jana: Zwei von mir – ich bin stolz!
Translation:
Ben: So—did you win the game?
Jana: Yes! A clear victory: 4 to 1!
Ben: Congrats! Who scored the goals?
Jana: Two from me—I’m proud!
Grammatical case examples
Nominative:
Der Sieg war überraschend.
The victory was unexpected.
Accusative:
Wir feiern den Sieg gemeinsam.
We celebrate the victory together.
Dative:
Mit dem Sieg steigen sie in die erste Liga auf.
With the victory, they move up to the top league.
Genitive:
Die Bedeutung des Sieges war enorm.
The significance of the victory was enormous.
Other ways to say victory in German
While Sieg is the go-to word for victory in German, some contexts offer alternatives. Triumph is a more dramatic or literary version, while Erfolg means “success” and is broader in meaning. In battle or competitive settings, Sieg is best. In everyday settings—like achieving a goal at work—Erfolg might sound more natural. And to describe someone who wins, you’ll hear Sieger (male winner) or Siegerin (female winner).
Word variations and tidbits
Siegen is the verb form, though gewinnen (to win) is more common. You'll see Sieg in compound nouns like Wahlsieg (election win), Prestigesieg (prestige victory), Siegeszug (triumphal march), and Siegesfeier (victory celebration). In sports, Siegesserie means winning streak. Culturally, Sieg has strong emotional power, but be careful—historical contexts can carry heavy overtones (Sieg Heil is banned in Germany for obvious reasons).
🧠 Fun fact: The town of Siegen in Germany shares the root with Sieg. Also, Sieg is sometimes used metaphorically—like ein Sieg über sich selbst (a victory over oneself), meaning a personal triumph.
📘 Duden entry for Sieg
🎥 Want to conquer German vocabulary? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 nouns—with memory tips, examples, and a printable PDF that’s a win for every learner.
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