German · Home, Clothes & Daily Life

"Underwear" in German: Unterwäsche

die Unterwäsche

Say it: OON-ter-vesh-uhfeminine · die Unterwäschenoun/ˈʊntɐˌvɛʃə/

Underwear in German is die Unterwäsche. Say Ich brauche neue Unterwäsche in a shop. It is usually treated as a collective feminine noun.

Packing

Leg genug Unterwäsche für fünf Tage ein.
Pack enough underwear for five days.
Practice German out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce Unterwäsche

Say it

OON-ter-vesh-uh

/ˈʊntɐˌvɛʃə/

OON-ter-vesh-uh. Soft w like English v. Soft ä. Soft final -e.

"Underwear" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
die Unterwäscheunderwear

Main collective noun.

neue Unterwäschenew underwear

Shopping.

Unterwäsche waschento wash underwear

Laundry.

ohne Unterwäschewithout underwear

Rare; usually joking or medical.

How to use Unterwäsche in real life

  1. 1Packing

    Leg genug Unterwäsche für fünf Tage ein.

    Pack enough underwear for five days.

    Unterwäsche collective.

  2. 2Laundry day

    Die Unterwäsche hängt noch auf der Leine.

    The underwear is still hanging on the line.

    Die Unterwäsche.

  3. 3Store

    Wo finde ich die Unterwäsche hier?

    Where do I find the underwear here?

    Shop question.

Mistakes English speakers make with Unterwäsche

Incorrect: das Unterwäsche

Correct: die Unterwäsche

Unterwäsche is feminine: die Unterwäsche.

Incorrect: die Underwear

Correct: die Unterwäsche

Use Unterwäsche, not English underwear.

Good to know

Shops label sections Unterwäsche or Wäsche. People keep the topic short and practical—size and material matter more than jokes.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Quick shop before a trip

  1. ChatPal

    Brauchst du noch Unterwäsche fürs Wochenende?

    Do you still need underwear for the weekend?

  2. You

    Ja. Meine Unterwäsche ist fast alle im Koffer.

    Yes. Almost all my underwear is already in the suitcase.

  3. ChatPal

    Dann holen wir schnell Unterwäsche im Erdgeschoss.

    Then we'll quickly get underwear on the ground floor.

  4. You

    Okay. Baumwoll-Unterwäsche reicht mir völlig.

    Okay. Cotton underwear is plenty for me.

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

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Underwear" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Underwear" in German

How do you say underwear?

Die Unterwäsche.

Gender?

Feminine: die Unterwäsche.

New underwear?

Neue Unterwäsche.

Wash underwear?

Unterwäsche waschen.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in German. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.