German · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Sky" in German: Himmel

der Himmel

Say it: HIM-melmasculine · der Himmelnoun/ˈhɪml̩/

Sky in German is der Himmel, masculine. Say ein blauer Himmel. Note that Himmel also means heaven in religious talk.

Clear day

Schau, der Himmel ist heute wolkenlos.
Look, the sky is cloudless today.
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How to pronounce Himmel

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HIM-mel

/ˈhɪml̩/

HIM-mel. Short i. Double m. Soft final el. Stress the first syllable.

"Sky" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
der Himmelthe sky / heaven

Masculine noun; context decides.

blauer Himmelblue sky

Weather praise.

Himmel und Erdeheaven and earth

Also a potato-and-apple dish name.

Sternenhimmelstarry sky

Night compound.

How to use Himmel in real life

  1. 1Clear day

    Schau, der Himmel ist heute wolkenlos.

    Look, the sky is cloudless today.

    Der Himmel as subject.

  2. 2Photo tip

    Der Himmel wirkt auf dem Foto so dramatisch.

    The sky looks so dramatic in the photo.

    Wirk on the sky's appearance.

  3. 3Evening walk

    Am Himmel siehst du schon die ersten Sterne.

    In the sky you can already see the first stars.

    Am Himmel for in the sky.

Mistakes English speakers make with Himmel

Incorrect: Die Himmel ist blau.

Correct: Der Himmel ist blau.

Himmel is masculine: der Himmel.

Incorrect: Im Sky ist ein Flugzeug.

Correct: Am Himmel ist ein Flugzeug.

Use Himmel, not English sky.

Good to know

Ach du lieber Himmel! is a mild Oh my goodness. Weather apps talk about bedeckter Himmel. In church contexts Himmel clearly means heaven—tone and place make the meaning obvious.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Watching the sunset from a balcony

  1. ChatPal

    Der Himmel färbt sich schon orange.

    The sky is already turning orange.

  2. You

    Wahnsinn. So einen Himmel sieht man selten.

    Wow. You rarely see a sky like that.

  3. ChatPal

    Mach schnell ein Foto vom Himmel.

    Quick, take a photo of the sky.

  4. You

    Fertig. Der Himmel bleibt nicht lange so.

    Done. The sky won't stay like this long.

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"Sky" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Sky" in German

What gender is Himmel?

Masculine: der Himmel.

Does Himmel mean heaven too?

Yes. Context decides sky vs. heaven.

How do you say in the sky?

Am Himmel or am Firmament (poetic).

What about cloudy sky?

Bewölkter Himmel or bedeckter Himmel.

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