You’re in the middle of something. You ask someone to wait a second. Or you want to remember a meaningful second in time. For all of this, the word moment comes in handy. And luckily, the word for moment in German is easy to learn — and full of expression.

The German word is der Moment. It’s masculine, and the plural is die Momente. If you're still unsure about articles like der, die, or das, my gender video lesson is a great place to start.

Moment is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, thanks to its usefulness in everything from small talk to dramatic storytelling.

Here’s how Moment appears in all four grammatical cases:

Nominative:
Der Moment war magisch.
The moment was magical.

Accusative:
Ich vergesse diesen Moment nie.
I’ll never forget this moment.

Dative:
In diesem Moment klingelte das Telefon.
At that moment, the phone rang.

Genitive:
Die Bedeutung des Moments war ihm klar.
The meaning of the moment was clear to him.

Moment is everywhere in everyday German. You’ll often hear:

• Einen Moment, bitte! – Just a moment, please!

• Im Moment – at the moment / currently

• Der richtige Moment – the right time

• Ein schöner Moment – a beautiful moment

• Der Moment der Wahrheit – the moment of truth

Verbs that often go with it: warten (to wait), genießen (to enjoy), verpassen (to miss), nutzen (to seize), merken (to notice).
Adjectives: kurz (short), besonders (special), entscheidend (decisive), emotional, unangenehm (unpleasant).

You’ll also hear Moment mal! (Hold on a sec!) in conversation — a polite way to ask someone to pause, or a slightly firmer way to express surprise or pushback.

Beginner dialogue with the word in natural use:

A: Hast du einen Moment?
B: Klar, was gibt’s?
A: Do you have a moment?
B: Sure, what’s up?

Now it’s your turn. Think of your answer and say it aloud using Moment or Momente in your sentence.

“Welcher Moment war für dich besonders wichtig — und warum?”
Which moment was especially important to you — and why?

Speak the answer naturally — one full sentence is enough to make it stick.

Duden entry for “Moment”

German Word of the Day
Now you’ve learned how to say moment in German — and how der Moment helps you express time, emotion, timing, and memory with clarity.

Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and grow your vocabulary with meaning and voice.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Check out Musik — and talk about sound, rhythm, and mood.
Or revisit Nachbar — to explore daily life and community connections.