Body Parts in German

Familiarize yourself with German body parts vocabulary, for health and fitness discussions.

basics

Let's learn the vocabulary for body parts in German. Learning the words for various body parts can be very useful when you're at the doctor or even just want to describe your friend's face.

Body Parts & Limbs

Knowing the most important body parts in German can be very useful in many situations. These words can help you explain health issues to a doctor, or give someone more detailed instructions when you are injured.

Let's have a look at words for the upper body first:

upper body
arm
upperarm
lower arm
chest
back

And now at some vocab for the lower body:

leg
legs
toe
toes

But even if it's less serious than that, those words can come in pretty handy. For example, in situations where you just want to describe a person's physical features or tell a friend your honest opinion while you're clothes shopping.

Face & Head Vocabulary

Now let's have a look at German vocabulary for facial features: eye(s), mouth, nose and ear(s).

eye
eyes
nose
ear
hair
mouth

Examples of useful German vocabulary for facial features include die Nase (nose), die Stirn (forehead), die Augenbrauen (eyebrows), die Augen (eyes), die Wangen (cheeks), der Mund (mouth), and die Lippen (lips).

head
cheekbone
eyelash
eyelashes
earlobe
dark circles (under the eyes)

Additionally, knowing the German verbs tightly related to facial expressions, such as lächeln (smile), lachen (laugh), schauen (look), and weinen (cry), can be helpful in communicating with German speakers.

Hands & Fingers

der Finger
finger
die Finger (pl.)
fingers
die Fingerkuppe
fingertip
der Fingernagel
finger nail
der Handrücken
back of the hand
die Handinnenseite
palm

Well, apart from medical contexts & palm reading, knowing German vocabulary for words like "hand" or "finger" can also be useful in many other contexts, such as in the arts, when discussing crafts, when talking about sports, or when describing everyday objects and activities.

thumb
index finger (pointer)
middle finger
ring finger
little finger

Knowing the German words for these items can help to add nuance and detail to conversations and descriptions.

99 German Idioms

Download our free PDF: 99 German words & idioms. Each expression comes with a German example sentence, a translation & useful vocabulary.

Surviving German Winter

In this podcast episode, we'll share our tips on how to endure the bitter German winter. Topics include taking part in traditions like Christmas markets and Krampus walks, winter food and cozy indoor activities.