Beauty can be found in nearly everything, including people, places, and inanimate objects. There is so much beauty that in Germany, there are over a dozen different ways to say beautiful in German. The German translation for beautiful will allow you to express what type and level of beauty you are describing, from cute, to pretty, to magnificent and even handsome. German has many synonyms and translations for expressions of beauty.
But of course, you might want to introduce yourself before telling someone they’re beautiful! Let’s get to it. What are the different ways to describe something beautiful in German?
How To Say Beautiful In German?
Beautiful – schön
I want to learn even more languages with Ling!
Download now!
The important thing to know about using schön to describe beauty is that the same word can be used as a synonym and to imply many of beautiful’s synonyms. Let’s take a look.
| English | German | Sound |
| Thank you for the nice gift | Vielen Dank für das schöne Geschenk | |
| We stayed at a hotel with lovely views | Wir übernachteten in einem Hotel mit schöner Aussicht | |
| What a fine day! | Was für ein schöner Tag | |
| We wish you a pleasant stay in Germany | Wir wünschen Ihnen einen schönen Aufenthalt in Deutschland |
Other German Words And Phrases To Describe Beauty
Let’s look at German’s most common words and synonyms for beautiful. Keep in mind that these are direct translations of the words as they stand alone. When used in sentences, these adjectives may change completely or take on different suffixes, as we’ll see later in the article in sentences and examples.
| English | German | Sound |
| Pretty | Hübsch | |
| Cute | Niedlich | |
| Sweet | Süß | |
| Attractive | Attraktiv | |
| Lovely | Schön | |
| Charming | Charmant | |
| Pleasant | Angenehm/schönen | |
| Stunning | Atemberaubend | |
| Magnificent | Herrlich | |
| Handsome | Gutaussehend | |
| Elegant | Elegant | |
| Gorgeous | Prächtig | |
| Dazzling | Blendend | |
| Exquisite | Exquisit | |
| Incredible | Unglaublich | |
| Breathtaking | Atemberaubend | |
| Nice | Hübsch | |
| Picture-perfect | Bildschön | |
| Good looking | Gutaussehend |
How To Say “You Are Beautiful” In German
There may be times when you want to compliment a person for being beautiful or make a comment about something that’s beautiful. Here are some ways to do just that!
| English | German | Sound |
| You are beautiful | Du bist schön | |
| You look beautiful | Du siehst wunderschön aus | |
| You are a beautiful woman | Sie sind eine schöne Frau | |
| You are a beautiful person | Du bist eine wunderschöne Person | |
| What a beautiful girl | Was für ein schönes Mädchen |
How To Describe Things As Beautiful In German
Obviously, objects and inanimate objects can be beautiful too! Here are a few examples of how to use beautiful in German to describe things.
| English | German | Sound |
| That song is beautiful | Das Lied ist wunderschön | |
| The sunset last night was beautiful | Der Sonnenuntergang gestern Abend war wunderschön | |
| Did you see that beautiful bird? | Hast du diesen schönen Vogel gesehen? | |
| I had a beautiful dream last night | Ich hatte letzte Nacht einen wunderschönen Traum |
You must also know about the German adjective herrlich . Herrlich, and its various grammatical forms, is used to describe beautiful in its forms of gorgeous, splendid, or lovely. However, you only use herrlich when describing most inanimate objects, the weather, or the times you’ve had.
Here are some examples and translations:
| English | German | Sound |
| We have had a lovely time together | Wir haben eine herrliche Zeit zusammen verbracht | |
| It was a gorgeous weekend | Es war ein herrlicher Wochenende | |
| The views of the mountains are splendid | Die Aussicht auf die Berge ist herrlich |
How To Describe Someone Or Something As Pretty In German
Now you may not want to use beautiful all of the time. So how do you say someone or something is pretty in German?
| English | German | Sound |
| You are pretty | Du bist hübsch | |
| She’s such a pretty girl | Sie ist so ein hübsches Mädchen | |
| That dress is really pretty | Das Kleid ist wirklich hübsch | |
| Your hair looks pretty | Dein Haar sieht hübsch aus |
How To Say Someone Or Something Is Cute In German
Or maybe you’ve met a woman or a girl whom you think is just really cute. In these sentences, you’ll notice sweet (süß) is used instead of cute, but the meaning is the same. You might say:
| English | German | Pronunciation |
| You are really cute | Du bist wirklich süß | |
| That shirt is cute | Das Shirt ist süß | |
| Your puppy is so cute! | Dein Welpe ist so süß |
How To Say “You Are Handsome” In German
When you directly translate handsome you get gutaussehend although hübsch is more commonly used. Hübsch can mean handsome, cute, or pretty and can be used interchangeably for males and females.
You may also want to comment on a handsome man which directly translated is schöner Mann to tell a man they are handsome in Germany you would say:
| English | German | Pronunciation |
| You are handsome | Du bist schön | |
| You are a handsome man | Du bist ein gutaussehender Mann |
Other Ways To Say Beautiful In German
| English | German | Pronunciation |
| Very beautiful | Wunderschön | |
| You look gorgeous in that dress! | Du siehst wunderschön in dem Kleid! | |
| Beautiful as always | Wunderschön wie immer | |
| You have a gorgeous home | Du hast ein traumhaftes Zuhause | |
| Beautiful backyard | Schöner Garten | |
| That’s an incredible dress | Dein Kleid ist der Wahnsinn | |
| Fabulous earrings | Wunderschöne Ohrringe | |
| Gorgeous necklace Traumhaft schöne Kette | Traumhaft schöne Kette | |
| Beautiful hairstyle Schöne Frisur | Schöne Frisur |
So, There You Have It!
There are many ways to express beauty in German, and we also have a lesson on how to express love to your special someone in German. After reading this, you may be confused by all the grammatical changes to the suffixes (ends) of the words. It is also likely confusing why Germans switch out one synonym of beautiful for another.
In order to really learn the ins and outs of describing beauty in German, you’ll need to dedicate some time and begin learning and practicing German from the comfort of your own home.
That’s where Ling comes in. Ling is an all-encompassing language app (available on the Play Store and App Store) that has recorded real German speakers and adapted their voices into our AI system. With Ling, you’ll be able to listen to real Germans having real-life context conversations.
You’ll also learn to speak, read and write in German with our one-of-a-kind writing system that you complete using your finger directly on your phone. How cool is that?! The Ling app has over 10 million downloads, and we also offer over 60 languages. So, what are you waiting for? Download Ling and start learning German today!
