It’s where police wait, soldiers stand, and firefighters stay alert. In German, this concept is die Wache. It’s your German word of the day, and it plays a quiet but important role in daily public life and safety.
The noun Wache means guard, watch, or station—depending on context—and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in news reports, action films, or just while walking past the nearest Polizeiwache.
It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Wache (want to master gender in German once and for all? Check out our super-clear video lesson: https://deutschable.com/course/lesson-3-3/).
Pronunciation
Wache is pronounced [VAH-khuh].
- The W is like a V,
- The a is short, like in father,
- The ch is a throaty German sound like in Bach,
- The final e is softly pronounced: -uh
It sounds brisk and functional—just like the duty it represents.
Example sentences:
Er arbeitet auf der Wache.
He works at the station.
Die Wache wurde rund um die Uhr gehalten.
The guard was maintained around the clock.
Nuance and usage tips
Wache has two main meanings:
- A guard or watch duty – military or security
Example: die Nachtwache (night watch) - A station or post – police, fire, or emergency
Example: die Polizeiwache (police station), die Feuerwache (fire station)
It also appears in expressions like:
- Wache halten – to stand guard
- auf der Wache sein – to be on duty
- jemanden zur Wache bringen – to take someone to the station
How does this word come up in real conversations?
For beginners, you’ll most often hear Wache when talking about police or fire services. If you’re watching a news story or TV show, someone might say:
“Er wurde zur Wache gebracht.” – He was taken to the station.
or
“Die Wache war die ganze Nacht besetzt.” – The post was staffed all night.
It’s also good to know when asking for help:
“Wo ist die nächste Wache?” – Where is the nearest station?
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Anna: Wo ist die nächste Polizeiwache?
Ben: Zwei Straßen weiter, neben der Apotheke.
Anna: Danke! Ich muss etwas melden.
Ben: Viel Glück!
Anna: Where’s the nearest police station?
Ben: Two blocks away, next to the pharmacy.
Anna: Thanks! I need to report something.
Ben: Good luck!
Grammatical case examples:
Nominative:
Die Wache ist rund um die Uhr besetzt.
The station is staffed 24/7.
Accusative:
Ich habe die Wache angerufen.
I called the station.
Dative:
Wir gehen zur Wache.
We’re going to the station.
Genitive:
Die Fenster der Wache sind beleuchtet.
The windows of the station are lit.
Feminine case pattern: die, die, der, der
Word variations and language tidbits
You’ll often see Wache in compound words:
- Polizeiwache – police station
- Feuerwache – fire station
- Nachtwache – night shift / night watch
- Wachposten – guard post
- Wachmann / Wachfrau – security guard
Note: While Wache refers to the location or role, the person on duty is often called der Wachmann or simply die Polizei depending on context.
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Wache
🎥 Learn Wache and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course: https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Virus means? How about Verzeihung? Find out!