German · Nature, Animals & Weather

"River" in German: Fluss

der Fluss

Say it: floossmasculine · der Flussnoun/flʊs/

River in German is der Fluss, masculine. Plurals are die Flüsse. Say am Fluss spazieren. Big named rivers keep der: der Rhein, die Elbe (gender varies by name).

City walk

Lass uns am Fluss entlanggehen.
Let's walk along the river.
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How to pronounce Fluss

Say it

flooss

/flʊs/

flooss. Long u spelled with ss after short vowel historically—here short u before ss. Clear final s.

"River" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
der Flussthe river

Masculine noun.

die Flüssethe rivers

Plural with umlaut.

am Flussby the river

Location phrase.

Flussuferriverbank

Walks and picnics.

How to use Fluss in real life

  1. 1City walk

    Lass uns am Fluss entlanggehen.

    Let's walk along the river.

    Am Fluss.

  2. 2Geography

    Welcher Fluss fließt durch Köln?

    Which river flows through Cologne?

    Welcher Fluss.

  3. 3Summer

    Der Fluss ist zum Baden heute verlockend.

    The river is tempting for swimming today.

    Der Fluss.

Mistakes English speakers make with Fluss

Incorrect: Die Fluss ist breit.

Correct: Der Fluss ist breit.

Fluss is masculine: der Fluss.

Incorrect: Viele Flusse in Deutschland.

Correct: Viele Flüsse in Deutschland.

Plural Flüsse with ü.

Good to know

City life often orients itself am Fluss—promenades, festivals, and flood news. Named rivers have fixed articles you simply memorise: der Rhein, die Donau, die Mosel.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing a picnic spot

  1. ChatPal

    Picknick im Park oder am Fluss?

    Picnic in the park or by the river?

  2. You

    Am Fluss. Der Fluss ist heute ruhig.

    By the river. The river is calm today.

  3. ChatPal

    Bring eine Decke mit ans Flussufer.

    Bring a blanket to the riverbank.

  4. You

    Klar. Am Fluss gibt's auch Schatten.

    Sure. By the river there's also shade.

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"River" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "River" in German

What gender is Fluss?

Masculine: der Fluss. Plural die Flüsse.

How do you say by the river?

Am Fluss.

Is See a river?

No. Der See is a lake; die See is the sea.

Why die Donau but der Rhein?

Proper river names keep their own gender—learn them case by case.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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