German · Body & Health

"Body" in German: Körper

der Körper

Say it: KUR-permasculine · der Körpernoun/ˈkœʁpɐ/

Body in German is der Körper, a masculine noun. Body parts are Körperteile. In fitness and health talk you will also hear am Körper for on the body.

At the doctor

Mein ganzer Körper tut weh.
My whole body hurts.
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How to pronounce Körper

Say it

KUR-per

/ˈkœʁpɐ/

KUR-per. The ö is ee with rounded lips. The final -er is a soft uh. Stress the first syllable.

"Body" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
der Körperbody

The physical body.

die Körperteilebody parts

Arms, legs, head, and so on.

am Körperon the body

Location phrase in health and clothing talk.

der Leibbody (formal/old)

Appears in compounds like Leibarzt; less everyday than Körper.

How to use Körper in real life

  1. 1At the doctor

    Mein ganzer Körper tut weh.

    My whole body hurts.

    Tut weh is the everyday pain phrase.

  2. 2After sport

    Mein Körper braucht heute Pause.

    My body needs a break today.

    Common recovery talk.

  3. 3In a yoga class

    Spür deinen Körper und atme ruhig.

    Feel your body and breathe calmly.

    Teachers use Körper a lot in mindful movement.

Mistakes English speakers make with Körper

Incorrect: die Körper (singular)

Correct: der Körper

Singular is masculine der Körper. Plural is die Körper.

Incorrect: mein Body

Correct: mein Körper

Body appears in gym slang, but Körper is the standard learner word.

Good to know

In German health talk, Körper is neutral and common. Advertising also uses Körperpflege for personal care. For "body language", the set term is Körpersprache.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Stretching after a long train ride

  1. ChatPal

    Wie fühlt sich dein Körper an?

    How does your body feel?

  2. You

    Mein Körper ist steif vom Sitzen.

    My body is stiff from sitting.

  3. ChatPal

    Komm, wir bewegen den Körper ein bisschen.

    Come on, let's move the body a bit.

  4. You

    Gute Idee. Der Körper sagt danke.

    Good idea. The body says thanks.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Body" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Body" in German

Is Körper masculine?

Yes: der Körper. Accusative den Körper, dative dem Körper.

How do you say body parts?

Körperteile. Example: Welche Körperteile tun weh?

What is Körpersprache?

Body language. It is a fixed compound: die Körpersprache.

Is Leib the same as Körper?

Similar meaning, but Leib is more formal or old-fashioned in everyday speech.

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