German · Emotions & Descriptions

"Rich" in German: reich

reich

Say it: RYKHadjective/raɪç/

Rich in German is reich. Say Er ist reich or eine reiche Familie. For getting rich, people say reich werden. Soften with ziemlich reich if you need tact.

Neighborhood gossip

Die neue Nachbarin wirkt ziemlich reich.
The new neighbor seems fairly rich.
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How to pronounce reich

Say it

RYKH

/raɪç/

RYKH. The ei is like English "eye"; final ch is the soft ich-sound after ei for many speakers, or a clear kh.

"Rich" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
reichrich

Core adjective.

reiche / reicher / reichesrich (inflected)

Gender and case forms.

reich werdento get rich

Change of state.

steinreichfilthy rich

Strong colloquial.

How to use reich in real life

  1. 1Neighborhood gossip

    Die neue Nachbarin wirkt ziemlich reich.

    The new neighbor seems fairly rich.

    Pretty + reich.

  2. 2Career joke

    Mit dem Job werde ich bestimmt nicht reich.

    With this job I definitely won't get rich.

    Reich werden.

  3. 3Family story

    Seine Großeltern waren nie reich.

    His grandparents were never rich.

    Simple past feel with waren.

Mistakes English speakers make with reich

Incorrect: Er ist rich.

Correct: Er ist reich.

Use German reich, not English rich.

Incorrect: eine reich Frau

Correct: eine reiche Frau

Inflect: reiche before feminine noun.

Good to know

Calling someone reich can feel blunt. Germans often hint with gut verdienen or wohlhabend. Among friends, steinreich is playful exaggeration.

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Window-shopping on a fancy street

  1. ChatPal

    Glaubst du, die Leute hier sind alle reich?

    Do you think everyone here is rich?

  2. You

    Nein. Reich wirken und reich sein ist nicht dasselbe.

    No. Looking rich and being rich aren't the same.

  3. ChatPal

    Stimmt. Die Schaufenster machen jeden reich im Kopf.

    True. The shop windows make everyone rich in their head.

  4. You

    Komm, wir holen uns lieber einen Kaffee.

    Come on, let's grab a coffee instead.

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"Rich" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Rich" in German

How do you say rich in German?

Reich.

How does reich change with gender?

Reicher Mann, reiche Frau, reiches Kind.

How do you say to get rich?

Reich werden.

Is steinreich common?

Yes, as joking exaggeration for very rich.

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