German · Time, Numbers & Colors

"Black" in German: schwarz

schwarz

Say it: shvartsadjective/ʃvaʁts/

Black in German is schwarz. Say Das Auto ist schwarz. Before nouns: eine schwarze Jacke, ein schwarzes Hemd.

Clothes

Ich ziehe die schwarze Jacke an.
I'm putting on the black jacket.
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How to pronounce schwarz

Say it

shvarts

/ʃvaʁts/

shvarts. Soft sch. Final z like ts.

"Black" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
schwarzblack

Base adjective.

schwarze Jackeblack jacket

Feminine -e.

ein schwarzes Hemda black shirt

Neuter -es.

schwarz tragento wear black

Clothes / mourning.

How to use schwarz in real life

  1. 1Clothes

    Ich ziehe die schwarze Jacke an.

    I'm putting on the black jacket.

    Schwarze.

  2. 2Car

    Sein neues Auto ist komplett schwarz.

    His new car is completely black.

    Ist schwarz.

  3. 3Coffee

    Kaffee schwarz, ohne Milch bitte.

    Coffee black, without milk please.

    Schwarz for coffee.

Mistakes English speakers make with schwarz

Incorrect: ein schwarz Auto

Correct: ein schwarzes Auto

Neuter needs -es: schwarzes.

Incorrect: Die Hose ist black.

Correct: Die Hose ist schwarz.

Use schwarz, not English black.

Good to know

Schwarzfahren means riding without a ticket—not about color. For clothes, schwarz remains a safe dress-code default.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing an outfit for a concert

  1. ChatPal

    Gehst du in schwarz oder lieber bunt?

    Are you going in black or rather colorful?

  2. You

    Schwarz. Das Shirt ist neu.

    Black. The shirt is new.

  3. ChatPal

    Die schwarze Jeans passt dazu.

    The black jeans go with it.

  4. You

    Genau. Dann bin ich fertig.

    Exactly. Then I'm ready.

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"Black" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Black" in German

How do you say black?

Schwarz.

Black jacket?

Schwarze Jacke.

Coffee black?

Kaffee schwarz.

Neuter form?

Schwarzes, as in ein schwarzes Auto.

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