Clothes Vocabulary in German

If you can name the clothes, you can do a lot more than shop. You can ask for the right size, understand washing labels, describe what someone is wearing, and avoid the classic “I wanted socks, not stockings” level of chaos. Very important distinction. Tiny, but important.

This guide gives you practical German clothes vocabulary for everyday use in Germany-based standard German. You’ll get common words, useful phrases, pronunciation help, example sentences, and a few grammar notes that actually help instead of making the whole thing feel like a tax form.

For extra practice later, you can also review related German lessons on the main Learn German page and a useful follow-up article at this related Yak Yacker lesson.

Table of Contents

Clothes Vocabulary You Will Actually Use

Here are the basics first. These are the clothes words you’ll hear all the time in shops, at home, and in everyday conversations. German nouns are capitalized, which is annoyingly sensible once you get used to it.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
die Kleidung	KLY-DOONG	clothes, clothing	Ich brauche neue Kleidung.	I need new clothes.	General word for clothing; usually singular in German.
das Kleid	KLYT	dress	Das Kleid ist sehr schön.	The dress is very pretty.	Not for “clothes” in general; just a dress.
das Hemd	hemt	shirt, dress shirt	Er trägt ein weißes Hemd.	He is wearing a white shirt.	Often a more formal shirt than das T-Shirt.
das T-Shirt	TEE-shurt	T-shirt	Mein T-Shirt ist nass.	My T-shirt is wet.	English loanword; very common.
die Bluse	BLOO-zeh	blouse	Sie trägt eine blaue Bluse.	She is wearing a blue blouse.	Usually for women’s tops; noun is feminine.
die Hose	HOH-zeh	trousers, pants	Die Hose sitzt gut.	The pants fit well.	In German, Hose is singular. One pair = one noun.
der Rock	rok	skirt	Der Rock ist zu kurz.	The skirt is too short.	Watch the article: der.
die Jacke	YAH-keh	jacket	Ich nehme meine Jacke mit.	I’m taking my jacket with me.	Common everyday word, very useful in Germany weather.
der Mantel	MAHN-tel	coat	Der Mantel hängt an der Tür.	The coat is hanging on the door.	Usually a heavier outer coat.
die Schuhe	SHOO-uh	shoes	Neue Schuhe sind teuer.	New shoes are expensive.	Plural only in this sense.

Clothes Vocabulary For Everyday Situations

These are the words that show up when you get dressed, go shopping, or talk about what someone is wearing. Not glamorous. Extremely useful.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
die Socken	ZOK-en	socks	Ich brauche warme Socken.	I need warm socks.	Plural noun.
die Strümpfe	SHTRUMP-feh	stockings, socks (formal/older usage)	Sie trägt Strümpfe zum Kleid.	She is wearing stockings with the dress.	Can sound more formal or old-fashioned depending on context.
die Unterwäsche	OON-ter-vah-sheh	underwear	Ich packe Unterwäsche ein.	I’m packing underwear.	Useful for packing and laundry.
der Pullover	poo-LOH-ver	sweater, jumper	Es ist kalt, also ziehe ich einen Pullover an.	It’s cold, so I’m putting on a sweater.	Very common in Germany.
das Sweatshirt	SVET-shurt	sweatshirt	Ich trage heute ein Sweatshirt.	I’m wearing a sweatshirt today.	Loanword; pronunciation is Germanized.
der Anzug	AHN-tsook	suit	Er trägt einen dunklen Anzug.	He is wearing a dark suit.	Useful for work and formal events.
der Schal	shahl	scarf	Im Winter brauche ich einen Schal.	In winter I need a scarf.	Short a, clear final l.
die Mütze	MYUT-zeh	hat, beanie	Ich habe meine Mütze vergessen.	I forgot my hat.	Good for winter hats.
der Hut	hoot	hat	Der Hut schützt vor der Sonne.	The hat protects against the sun.	More like a classic hat, not a knitted beanie.
der Handschuh	HAHNT-shoo	glove	Ein Handschuh fehlt mir.	One glove is missing.	Compound noun: hand + shoe, but don’t panic; German likes weird furniture for words.

Shopping Phrases For Clothes

Shopping is where clothes vocabulary becomes real life. Suddenly grammar has a purpose, which is refreshing.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
Haben Sie das in Größe M?	HAH-ben zee dahs in GROO-seh em?	Do you have this in size M?	Haben Sie das in Größe M?	Do you have this in size M?	Polite Sie form for shops.
Ich suche eine Jacke.	ikh ZOO-kheh EYE-neh YAH-keh	I’m looking for a jacket.	Ich suche eine Jacke für den Winter.	I’m looking for a jacket for winter.	Very common and polite.
Wie viel kostet das?	vee feel KOS-tet dahs?	How much does that cost?	Wie viel kostet das T-Shirt?	How much does the T-shirt cost?	Standard shopping question.
Kann ich das anprobieren?	kann ikh dahs AHN-pro-bee-ren?	Can I try this on?	Kann ich die Hose anprobieren?	Can I try on the pants?	anprobieren is separable: probiere … an.
Es passt nicht.	ess pahst nicht	It doesn’t fit.	Die Jacke passt nicht.	The jacket doesn’t fit.	Useful when the size is wrong.
Es ist zu klein.	ess ist tsoo kline	It is too small.	Das Hemd ist zu klein.	The shirt is too small.	Can also say zu groß for too big.
Wo ist die Umkleidekabine?	voh ist dee oom-KLY-deh-kah-BEE-neh?	Where is the fitting room?	Wo ist die Umkleidekabine?	Where is the fitting room?	In casual speech, people also just say die Umkleide.
Ich nehme das.	ikh NAY-meh dahs	I’ll take this.	Ich nehme das Hemd.	I’ll take the shirt.	Handy phrase at the checkout.
Ich brauche noch eine Nummer größer.	ikh BROW-kheh nokh EYE-neh NOO-mer GROO-ser	I need one size bigger.	Ich brauche noch eine Nummer größer.	I need one size bigger.	Very natural in shops.
Haben Sie das auch in Schwarz?	HAH-ben zee dahs oukh in shvarts?	Do you also have this in black?	Haben Sie den Mantel auch in Schwarz?	Do you also have the coat in black?	Color words are very useful when shopping.

Useful Colors For Clothes

Colors matter a lot with clothes, obviously. A shirt exists in theory, but a blue shirt is what you actually buy.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
schwarz	shvarts	black	Ich suche eine schwarze Jacke.	I’m looking for a black jacket.	Adjective ending changes after eine.
weiß	vys	white	Das Hemd ist weiß.	The shirt is white.	Final ß often sounds like s.
blau	blow	blue	Ich habe eine blaue Hose.	I have blue pants.	Common and easy.
rot	roht	red	Der Rock ist rot.	The skirt is red.	Short, clean vowel.
grau	grow	grey	Der Pullover ist grau.	The sweater is grey.	Very common for coats and sweaters.
braun	brown	brown	Sie trägt braune Schuhe.	She is wearing brown shoes.	Ends with n, pronounced clearly.
grün	groong	green	Die Mütze ist grün.	The hat is green.	Umlaut ü is important here.
gelb	gelp	yellow	Das T-Shirt ist gelb.	The T-shirt is yellow.	Final devoicing: b sounds more like p.

How To Say You Are Wearing Something

German uses tragen for “to wear,” but in everyday speech people also use anhaben. That one is separable and a little more casual.

Pattern	Meaning	German Example	English Translation	Learner Note
Ich trage …	I am wearing …	Ich trage ein weißes Hemd.	I am wearing a white shirt.	Neutral and widely usable.
Er/Sie trägt …	He/She is wearing …	Sie trägt einen roten Rock.	She is wearing a red skirt.	Remember the -t ending for er/sie.
Ich habe … an	I am wearing …	Ich habe meine Jacke an.	I have my jacket on.	Very common in conversation.
Du hast … an	You are wearing …	Du hast heute eine coole Mütze an.	You are wearing a cool hat today.	Casual and everyday.

Small but useful warning: anhaben is not the same as the English “to have” in a possession sense. It means something like “to have on.” German enjoys making this just different enough to keep learners humble.

Trying Clothes On And Talking About Fit

Fit vocabulary shows up constantly in real life. If you shop in German-speaking places, this section will save you time, confusion, and one awkward shuffle outside the changing room.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
passen	PAHS-sen	to fit	Die Schuhe passen mir.	The shoes fit me.	Often used with dative: mir, dir, ihm.
zu eng	tsoo eng	too tight	Die Jeans sind zu eng.	The jeans are too tight.	Plural noun here because Jeans is usually plural in German.
zu weit	tsoo vyte	too loose	Die Hose ist zu weit.	The pants are too loose.	Useful when something hangs awkwardly.
bequem	beh-KVAME	comfortable	Die Schuhe sind sehr bequem.	The shoes are very comfortable.	Great shopping adjective.
eng anliegend	eng AHN-lee-gent	tight-fitting	Das Kleid ist eng anliegend.	The dress is tight-fitting.	More descriptive, a bit more formal.
locker	LOK-er	loose, relaxed	Ich mag lockere Kleidung.	I like loose clothing.	Good for style and comfort.
die Größe	GROO-seh	size	Welche Größe haben Sie?	What size do you have?	Feminine noun: die Größe.
die Kleidergröße	KLY-der-groo-seh	clothing size	Ich trage Größe 38.	I wear size 38.	Very common in shops for women’s clothing.
die Schuhgröße	SHOO-groo-seh	shoe size	Meine Schuhgröße ist 42.	My shoe size is 42.	Usually important in shoe shops, unsurprisingly.

Getting Dressed And Undressed

These verbs are useful for daily routines, travel, and talking about children, weather, or mornings when the bed is clearly winning.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
sich anziehen	zikh AHN-tsee-en	to get dressed	Ich ziehe mich an.	I am getting dressed.	Reflexive verb: mich.
sich ausziehen	zikh OWS-tsee-en	to get undressed	Bitte zieh dich aus.	Please get undressed.	Also reflexive; context matters a lot here.
sich umziehen	zikh OOM-tsee-en	to change clothes	Ich muss mich umziehen.	I have to change clothes.	Very useful for sports or after work.
anziehen	AHN-tsee-en	to put on	Zieh bitte die Jacke an.	Please put on the jacket.	Separable verb: zieh … an.
ausziehen	OWS-tsee-en	to take off	Zieh deine Schuhe aus.	Take off your shoes.	Also separable.
umziehen	OOM-tsee-en	to change	Wir ziehen uns für das Fest um.	We are changing for the party.	Can also mean moving house in another context, so watch the situation.

Clothes And Weather

German weather loves to make jackets relevant all year. A sunny morning can become a cold afternoon with almost insulting speed. So these words matter.

German	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
warm	vahrm	warm	Ich brauche eine warme Jacke.	I need a warm jacket.	Adjective ending changes: warme.
kalt	kahlt	cold	Heute ist es kalt.	Today it is cold.	Simple but essential.
regenfest	RAY-gen-fest	rainproof	Meine Jacke ist regenfest.	My jacket is rainproof.	Very practical for outdoor gear.
wasserdicht	VAH-ser-deekt	waterproof	Die Schuhe sind wasserdicht.	The shoes are waterproof.	Useful for coats, boots, and umbrellas too.
leicht	lykht	light, thin	Ich suche einen leichten Pullover.	I’m looking for a light sweater.	Good for spring and layered outfits.
dick	dik	thick	Der Mantel ist sehr dick.	The coat is very thick.	Can mean physically thick, not “fat” in this context.

Pronunciation Tips For Common Clothes Words

A few sounds matter a lot in clothes vocabulary. Get these right and people will understand you much faster. Romance, but for your mouth.

German Sound	Example Word	Simple Help	Why It Matters
ch	ich, weiche	Like a soft hiss in the throat, not a hard k.	Very common in clothing words with endings like -lich or in everyday phrases.
ü	Mütze, grün	Say “ee” with rounded lips.	This sound can change meaning fast, so it is worth practicing.
ei	leicht, weiß	Sounds like English “eye.”	Easy to mix up with ie.
ie	T-Shirt doesn’t use it, but ziehen does	Sounds like long “ee.”	Common in verbs related to getting dressed.
sp at the beginning of a word	Schuhe isn’t it; think sprechen style	Sounds like “shp.”	Good general German pronunciation habit.
st at the beginning of a word	Stock style, not here as much	Sounds like “sht.”	Useful when you hear clothing-adjacent words like Stiefel (boots).
final devoicing	gelb, Rock	Final b/d/g often sound like p/t/k.	Helps your German sound more natural.

Regional Differences Worth Knowing

Most clothes vocabulary is the same across German-speaking countries, but a few words differ. Nothing dramatic. German speakers do enjoy naming the same object three slightly different ways, because apparently one word would be too calm.

English	Germany	Austria	Switzerland	Learner Note
sweater	der Pullover	der Pullover	der Pullover	This one is mostly shared.
pants	die Hose	die Hose	die Hose	Standard word across all three.
cap / beanie	die Mütze	die Haube in some regions	die Mütze or regional variants	Region can matter with winter hats.
swimsuit	der Badeanzug / die Badehose	same	same	Use depending on gender and style.

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

These are the mistakes English-speaking learners make all the time. The good news is that they are easy to fix once you spot them.

“die Hose” is plural in German. Not exactly. It is usually a singular feminine noun that refers to pants/trousers as one item. Example: Die Hose ist neu. = The pants are new.
Don’t say “Ich habe an Jacke.” Use Ich habe eine Jacke an. or Ich trage eine Jacke.
Use the correct size word. Größe means size. Groß means big/tall. Related, yes. Same thing, no.
Watch adjective endings. eine schwarze Jacke, not eine schwarz Jacke.
Remember separable verbs. anprobieren becomes probiere an in the present tense. The prefix likes to wander off to the end of the sentence.
Don’t confuse tragen and tragen isn’t “to carry” only. It can mean “to wear” when talking about clothes.
Jeans is usually plural in German, so you say die Jeans sind or simply treat them as a plural form in many contexts.

Mini Practice

Try these quick drills. Tiny effort, useful payoff. A rare modern miracle.

Task	Prompt	Answer	Translation
Fill the blank	Ich brauche eine ___ Jacke.	warme	I need a warm jacket.
Choose the correct verb	Ich ___ meine Schuhe an.	ziehe	I put on my shoes.
Correct the sentence	Er trägt ein schwarzer Mantel.	Er trägt einen schwarzen Mantel.	He is wearing a black coat.
Translate	Do you have this in size L?	Haben Sie das in Größe L?	Do you have this in size L?
Translate	The shoes are too small.	Die Schuhe sind zu klein.	The shoes are too small.

Quick Reference Summary

die Kleidung = clothes, clothing
das Hemd = shirt
die Hose = pants/trousers
die Jacke = jacket
der Mantel = coat
die Schuhe = shoes
ich trage … = I am wearing …
sich anziehen = to get dressed
anprobieren = to try on
passen = to fit
Größe = size
zu klein / zu groß = too small / too big

If you can use these words in a shop, you are already doing real German, not just textbook German. And that, frankly, is the good stuff.

Yak takeaway: Learn the clothing nouns, then add passen, anprobieren, and Größe. That combo will carry you through shopping, travel, and most everyday outfit talk without any dramatic linguistic wardrobe malfunction.