German Furniture Vocabulary
This set covers furniture and the room around it, from basics like der Tisch, der Stuhl and das Sofa up to the finer vocabulary of interior décor: der Rahmen, das Ornament, der Zimmerbrunnen. One trap here is Sessel vs Fauteuil: both mean armchair, and while Sessel is standard across German-speaking countries, Fauteuil shows up mainly in Austrian and Swiss usage, so don't be surprised to see two "correct" words for the same object. Another is die Couch, which despite the English spelling is grammatically feminine, not neuter like das Sofa.
Learn these 28 words
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All 28 words
plural: die Schränke
cupboard, wardrobe
Die Gläser stehen im Schrank. — The glasses are in the cupboard.
plural: die Sofas
sofa, couch
Das Sofa ist neu. — The sofa is new.
plural: die Tische
table
Die Fotos liegen auf dem Tisch. — The photos are lying on the table.
plural: die Stühle
chair
Ist der Stuhl frei? — Is the chair free?
plural: die Couches
couch; sofa
Wir haben uns eine Couch und neue Sessel gekauft. — We bought ourselves a couch and new armchairs.
plural: die Einrichtungen
facility, furnishings
Deine Wohnung ist sehr gemütlich, die Einrichtung gefällt mir sehr gut. — Your apartment is very cozy; I really like the furnishings.
plural: die Fauteuils
armchair
Ich hätte gern einen bequemen Fauteuil. — I would like a comfortable armchair.
- hängenB1
to hang
Das Bild hängt schief. — The picture hangs crooked.
furniture
Wir haben uns neue Möbel gekauft. — We bought new furniture.
plural: die Regale
shelf
Das Buch steht im Regal oben rechts. — The book is on the shelf at the top right.
plural: die Sessel
armchair
Ich hätte gern einen bequemen Sessel. — I would like a comfortable armchair.
plural: die Teppiche
carpet
Ich habe mir einen neuen Teppich gekauft. — I bought myself a new carpet.
plural: die Kaminsimse
mantel(piece)
Die Vase steht auf dem Kaminsims. — The vase stands on the mantelpiece.
long lasting / durable
Diese Lampe ist sehr langlebig. — This lamp is very durable.
plural: die Nippsachen
knick-knacks
Auf dem Regal stehen verschiedene Nippsachen. — Various knick-knacks stand on the shelf.
plural: die Ornamente
ornament / decorative pattern
Das Ornament verziert die Wand. — The ornament decorates the wall.
plural: die Perser
a Persian
Der Perser ist ein wertvoller Teppich. — The Persian is a valuable carpet.
plaster/render
Der Putz an der Wand bröckelt ab. — The plaster on the wall is crumbling.
plural: die Rahmen
frame
Der Rahmen hält das Bild fest. — The frame holds the picture in place.
wrought iron
Das Schmiedeeisen ist handwerklich bearbeitet. — The wrought iron is crafted by hand.
plural: die Schränke
cupboard
Der Schrank ist voll mit Büchern. — The cupboard is full of books.
plural: die Stangen
rod / bar / pole
Die Stang trägt die schwere Last. — The rod supports the heavy load.
plural: die Überzüge
a coating / cover
Der Überzug schützt das Sofa. — The cover protects the sofa.
plural: die Zimmerbrunnen
an indoor fountain
Der Zimmerbrunnen plätschert im Wohnzimmer. — The indoor fountain babbles in the living room.
plural: die Baldachine
canopy / baldachin = canopy typically placed over an altar or throne
Der Baldachin schmückt das Bett. — The canopy adorns the bed.
plural: die Gobelins
a goblin / tapestry
Der Gobelin zeigt ein historisches Bild. — The tapestry depicts a historical image.
plural: die Schemel
stool / footstool
Der Schemel unter der Küchentheke ist sehr bequem. — The footstool under the kitchen counter is very comfortable.
plural: die Speiseaufzüge
a dumbwaiter
Der Speiseaufzug befördert das Essen zwischen den Etagen. — The dumbwaiter carries food between the floors.
How to learn this set
Notice that der Schrank keeps popping up in compounds and variants (der Schrank, -ä, e signals the plural is Schränke, with an umlaut), so learn the plural form now rather than guessing later. Group the three synonyms for seating and covering furniture, der Sessel, der Fauteuil and die Couch, together and drill them as a cluster instead of as isolated flashcards, since mixing them up is the realistic error. For material words like das Schmiedeeisen (wrought iron) and der Putz (plaster), picture them as answers to "what is this shelf or wall made of" rather than memorizing them alone, since they only stick when attached to a concrete object like das Regal or der Rahmen.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Couch or Sofa more common in German?
Both are used interchangeably in everyday speech, but das Sofa is more standard in writing while die Couch feels slightly more casual. Learn both since you'll hear each regularly.
What's the difference between Schrank and Regal?
Der Schrank is a closed cupboard or wardrobe with doors, while das Regal is an open shelf or shelving unit. If you can see the contents without opening anything, it's a Regal.
Why does Möbel not have a normal plural like other nouns?
Das Möbel technically means a single piece of furniture, but Germans almost always use it in the plural, die Möbel, to mean furniture in general, similar to how English treats 'furniture' as uncountable but German treats it as countable plural.
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