noun

das Englisch, null

English

Die Sprache, die in Großbritannien, den USA und vielen anderen Ländern gesprochen wird.

Definition & meaning

Englisch is the German name for the English language. It can also refer to the school subject in which the language is studied.

The related adjective, englisch, means “English” or “relating to England or the English language.” It is normally written lowercase.

Grammar & word origin

Englisch is a neuter noun: das Englisch. When it means the language, it is generally uncountable and has no plural. German capitalizes the noun, while the adjective englisch is lowercase.

The word is formed from England and the suffix -isch, which forms adjectives meaning “relating to.” The adjective was then used as a noun to name the language.

Synonyms & antonyms

die englische Sprache — “the English language”; a descriptive alternative, rather than a different language name.
Deutsch — “German.” It is not a strict antonym, but can contrast with Englisch when distinguishing languages.

There is no direct antonym for the name of a language.