adjectiveadverb

englisch

English

Eine Sprache, die in vielen Ländern gesprochen wird, zum Beispiel in Großbritannien, den USA und Australien.

Definition & meaning

englisch means English or of England.

It describes something related to England, its people, culture, or language:
- englische Literatur — English literature
- ein englischer Akzent — an English accent
It can also refer more generally to the English language or English-speaking contexts:
- ein englischer Text — an English text
- englisch sprechen — to speak English

When referring to the language as a noun, it is capitalized: Englisch.

Grammar & Word origin

englisch is an adjective. It is derived from England + the suffix -isch, which forms adjectives meaning “related to” or “characteristic of.”

Examples of inflection:

ein englischer Film — an English film
eine englische Stadt — an English city
ein englisches Wort — an English word
englische Bücher — English books

As a nominalized adjective, das Englische means “the English language” or “that which is English.” The language itself is usually simply called Englisch.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms and related words

britisch — British; refers to the United Kingdom as a whole, including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It is therefore broader than englisch.
anglistisch — relating to English studies as an academic discipline, especially linguistics, literature, and culture. It is more specialized than englisch.
aus England stammend — originating from England; this is a descriptive phrase rather than a direct synonym.

Antonyms and contrasts

There is no strict universal antonym for englisch. Depending on the context, it may be contrasted with:

deutsch — German, especially when comparing languages or national cultures.
nichtenglisch — non-English; a generally understandable but less common contrast.

britisch is not an antonym: something can be both English and British.