German Head & Face Vocabulary
This set covers the head from the outside in: der Kopf, das Gesicht, and the features on it like die Nase, der Mund, and das Ohr. One thing that trips up English speakers right away is das Auge \u2013 it looks like it should be feminine (most -e nouns are), but eye is neuter in German, and so is das Ohr for ear.
Learn these 24 words
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All 24 words
plural: die Köpfe
head
Mein Kopf tut weh! — My head hurts!
plural: die Münder
mouth
Öffnen Sie den Mund. — Open your mouth.
plural: die Augen
eye
Mein rechtes Auge tut seit Sonntag weh. — My right eye has been hurting since Sunday.
plural: die Gesichter
face
Sie hat ein freundliches Gesicht. — She has a friendly face.
plural: die Hälse
neck, throat
Mir tut der Hals weh. — My throat hurts.
plural: die Ohren
ear
Ich habe Ohrenschmerzen. — I have an earache.
plural: die Haare
hair
Meine Freundin hat langes schwarzes Haar. — My friend has long black hair.
plural: die Lippen
lip
Es ist sehr kalt. Meine Lippen sind ganz trocken. — It is very cold. My lips are completely dry.
plural: die Nasen
nose
Haben Sie Nasentropfen? Ich bin stark erkältet. — Do you have nasal drops? I have a bad cold.
plural: die Tränen
tear
Sie trocknet dem Kind die Tränen. — She dries the child's tears.
plural: die Augäpfel
an eyeball
Der Augapfel ist sehr empfindlich. — The eyeball is very sensitive.
plural: die Augen
eye
Das Auge ist das Fenster zur Seele. — The eye is the window to the soul.
plural: die Augenbrauen
eyebrow
Die Augenbraue ist Teil des Gesichts. — The eyebrow is part of the face.
plural: die Gaumen
palate / gums
Der Gaumen befindet sich im Dach deines Mundes. — The palate is located in the roof of your mouth.
plural: die Genicks
neck / nape
Ein Schlag ins Genick kann sehr gefährlich sein. — A blow to the nape can be very dangerous.
plural: die Haare
hair
Ihr Haar ist lang und dunkelbraun. — Her hair is long and dark brown.
plural: die Hornhäute
cornea
Die Hornhaut des Auges muss geschützt werden. — The cornea of the eye must be protected.
plural: die Ohrläppchen
earlobe
Das Ohrläppchen ist sehr empfindlich. — The earlobe is very sensitive.
plural: die Stirnen
forehead
Er runzelte die Stirn, als ich das sagte. — He furrowed his forehead when I said that.
plural: die Trommelfelle
eardrum
Das Trommelfell überträgt Schallwellen zum Ohr. — The eardrum transmits sound waves to the ear.
plural: die Antlitze
face / visage / countenance
Ein freundliches Antlitz beruhigt viele Menschen. — A friendly face calms many people.
plural: die Backenbärte
sideburns / whiskers
Er trug stolz seinen Backenbart. — He proudly wore his sideburns.
plural: die Lefzen
lip / chap (of an dog / animal)
Die Lefze des Hundes hing locker herunter. — The dog's lip hung down loosely.
plural: die Netzhäute
retina
Die Netzhaut ermöglicht das Sehen des Auges. — The retina enables the eye to see.
How to learn this set
Several of the harder words here are compounds built on Haut (skin): die Hornhaut (cornea) and die Netzhaut (retina) both inherit die from Haut, so once you know that root, the gender is free. The same trick works for das Ohrl\u00e4ppchen (earlobe), a diminutive of das Ohr that keeps the neuter gender and picks up -chen. When you drill der Kopf, das Gesicht, die Nase, and der Mund, say them with a body part gesture \u2013 pointing while speaking cements the gender faster than flashcards alone for this particular set, since these are words you can physically touch.
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Frequently asked questions
Is das Auge or der Auge correct?
Das Auge is correct. It's one of the few German nouns ending in -e that isn't feminine – it takes das, and the plural is die Augen.
What is the difference between der Hals and das Genick?
Der Hals is the general word for neck or throat, used constantly in everyday speech. Das Genick specifically means the nape or back of the neck, and shows up in set phrases like sich das Genick brechen (to break one's neck).
Why does German have separate words like Hornhaut and Netzhaut for parts of the eye?
German builds precise anatomical terms from compounds: Hornhaut (cornea) literally means "horn skin," and Netzhaut (retina) means "net skin." English borrowed Latin terms instead, so the German versions look unfamiliar even though the logic is transparent once you see the pattern.
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