German · Greetings & Essentials
"Or" in German: oder
oder
Or in German is oder. Offer choices with Tee oder Kaffee?. At the end of a sentence, oder? softens a check: Du kommst mit, oder?
Café
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How to pronounce oder
Say it
OH-der
/ˈoːdɐ/
OH-der. Long o; soft final -er.
"Or" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| oder | or Choices and alternatives. | Choices and alternatives. |
| …, oder? | …, right? Spoken tag question. | Spoken tag question. |
| entweder … oder | either … or Exclusive choice. | Exclusive choice. |
| beziehungsweise (bzw.) | or rather / respectively More formal writing. | More formal writing. |
How to use oder in real life
- 1Café
Möchtest du Tee oder Kaffee?
Would you like tea or coffee?
Classic choice.
- 2Route
Bahn oder Bus heute?
Train or bus today?
Short choice.
- 3Check-in
Du bist fertig, oder?
You're done, right?
Tag oder?.
Mistakes English speakers make with oder
Incorrect: Tee und Kaffee? (when offering one)
Correct: Tee oder Kaffee?
Use oder for an alternative, und for both.
Incorrect: oder Tee Kaffee
Correct: Tee oder Kaffee
Oder sits between the options.
Good to know
Trailing oder? is extremely common in spoken German — softer than a hard question and a bit like English 'right?'.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Picking lunch
ChatPal
Pizza oder Salat?
Pizza or salad?
You
Pizza, oder wir teilen beides.
Pizza, or we share both.
ChatPal
Teilen klingt gut, oder?
Sharing sounds good, right?
You
Ja. Dann bestelle ich.
Yes. Then I'll order.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Or" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Or" in German
How do you say or?
Oder.
What does trailing oder? mean?
A soft 'right?' check.
Either…or?
Entweder … oder.
Pronunciation?
OH-der with a long o.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
