German · Greetings & Essentials

"Without" in German: ohne

ohne

Say it: OH-nuhpreposition/ˈoːnə/

Without in German is ohne. Say Ohne Zucker, bitte in a café. Ohne takes the accusative: ohne den Schlüssel, ohne mich.

Coffee order

Einen Cappuccino ohne Milchschaum, bitte.
A cappuccino without milk foam, please.
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How to pronounce ohne

Say it

OH-nuh

/ˈoːnə/

OH-nuh. Long o. Soft final -e.

"Without" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
ohnewithout

Preposition + accusative.

ohne Milchwithout milk

Coffee order.

ohne michwithout me

Declining to join.

ohne zu …without …-ing

Ohne zu fragen = without asking.

How to use ohne in real life

  1. 1Coffee order

    Einen Cappuccino ohne Milchschaum, bitte.

    A cappuccino without milk foam, please.

    Ohne + noun.

  2. 2Plans

    Geht ihr ohne mich ins Kino?

    Are you going to the cinema without me?

    Ohne mich.

  3. 3Habit

    Er geht nie ohne Jacke raus.

    He never goes out without a jacket.

    Ohne Jacke.

Mistakes English speakers make with ohne

Incorrect: ohne dem Zucker

Correct: ohne den Zucker / ohne Zucker

Ohne takes accusative, not dative.

Incorrect: without Milch

Correct: ohne Milch

Use ohne, not English without.

Good to know

Café staff hear ohne Milch, ohne Zucker, ohne alles all day. Saying ohne alles means nothing extra—useful when you want coffee plain.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Ordering coffee together

  1. ChatPal

    Nimmst du Milch oder ohne?

    Do you take milk or without?

  2. You

    Ohne Milch, bitte. Nur schwarz.

    Without milk, please. Just black.

  3. ChatPal

    Okay. Ich bestelle deinen ohne Zucker.

    Okay. I'll order yours without sugar.

  4. You

    Perfekt. Danke.

    Perfect. Thanks.

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"Without" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Without" in German

How do you say without?

Ohne.

Without milk?

Ohne Milch.

Case after ohne?

Accusative: ohne den Hut.

Without asking?

Ohne zu fragen.

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