21 December 2025
How do you talk about Viruses in German?
It’s the tiny thing that caused a global crisis - but also something you might catch in your email inbox. In German, it’s das Virus. This is your German word of the day, and it’s just as essential for everyday health conversations as it is for tech support calls.
The noun Virus means virus - a biological or digital agent - and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in news headlines, science class, and even casual chats about feeling sick.
It’s a neuter noun, so we say das Virus (still guessing gender? Our no-nonsense video guide makes it clear fast: Watch the 5-minute video lesson on German noun genders).
Pronunciation
Virus is pronounced approximately [VEE-rus], with a long i and short u.
- The V is pronounced like an English V
- The i is long, like “see”
- The u is short, like in “put”
- Stress is on the first syllable: VEE-rus
It looks like the English word, but the i is “ee,” not “eye”-and the final s is a crisp “s.”
Example sentences:
Das Virus verbreitet sich schnell.The virus is spreading quickly.
Ich habe mich wahrscheinlich mit einem Virus angesteckt.I probably caught a virus.
Nuance and usage tips
Virus can refer to:
- Biological viruses - like cold, flu, or coronavirus
- Computer viruses - harmful software
You’ll also see common variations:
- Grippevirus - flu virus
- Coronavirus - coronavirus (also written Corona-Virus)
- Computervirus - computer virus
- Virusinfektion - viral infection
- Virusvariante - virus variant
Both das Virus and der Virus are accepted; das Virus is usual in technical biological usage, while der Virus also occurs in everyday and computer contexts. The plural is die Viren. The German noun was borrowed from Latin virus, a neuter noun.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
Since 2020, das Virus has been unavoidable in daily conversation. Even for beginners, phrases like:
“Hast du das Virus gehabt?” - Have you had the virus?or“Ich glaube, ich habe ein Virus.” - I think I have a virus
are both common and useful - especially when talking about health or needing a sick day.
It’s also good to recognize when people are using it metaphorically or in computer-related talk:“Mein Laptop hat ein Virus.” - My laptop has a virus.
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Lisa: Warum bist du nicht in der Schule?Tim: Ich glaube, ich hab ein Virus.Lisa: Oh nein! Gute Besserung!Tim: Danke. Ich bleib heute lieber im Bett.
Lisa: Why aren’t you at school?Tim: I think I’ve got a virus.Lisa: Oh no! Get well soon!Tim: Thanks. I’d rather stay in bed today.
Grammatical case examples:
Nominative:Das Virus ist hochansteckend.The virus is highly contagious.
Accusative:Ich habe das Virus noch nicht gehabt.I haven’t had the virus yet.
Dative:Mit dem Virus muss man vorsichtig sein.You have to be careful with the virus.
Genitive:Die Ausbreitung des Virus ist beunruhigend.The spread of the virus is alarming.
Neuter case pattern: das, das, dem, des
Word variations and language tidbits
Common related words include:
- Infektion - infection
- anstecken - to infect
- symptomfrei - symptom-free
- Viruslast - viral load
- Impfung - vaccination
Tech tip: Just like in English, Virus is also used in the digital world, and you’ll see phrases like “ein Virus auf dem Computer” or “Antivirusprogramm.”
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Virus🎥 Learn Virus and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course: Watch the 1000 German Nouns video course
Ready for more German words of the day? Do you know what Verzeihung means? How about Urteil? Find out!
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