German Public Speaking Vocabulary
This set covers the language of formal speaking situations in German, from a station Durchsage announcing a delayed train to a politician's Ansprache on television. It also includes the vocabulary for talking about speech itself at a higher level: der Diskurs, der Rhetoriker, and the verb skandieren for what a crowd does when it chants in unison. One trap for English speakers: bekannt geben looks like it should mean "to make known" in a passive, gentle sense, but in German it's the standard verb for an official body announcing something, like a company bekannt geben-ing quarterly results.
Learn these 20 words
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All 20 words
plural: die Durchsagen
announcement
Ich habe die Durchsage nicht verstanden. — I did not understand the announcement.
plural: die Mikrofone
microphone
Sprich bitte lauter ins Mikrofon. — Please speak louder into the microphone.
applause
Nach dem Vortrag gab es großen Applaus. — After the lecture there was great applause.
plural: die Ansagen
announcement, message
Achten Sie auf die Ansage am Bahnsteig. — Pay attention to the announcement on the platform.
plural: die Ansprachen
address, speech
Der Bürgermeister hält eine kurze Ansprache. — The mayor gives a short address.
appear, occur
Nächste Woche tritt in der Stadthalle eine berühmte Musikgruppe auf. — Next week a famous music group is performing at the town hall.
announce, make known
Den Prüfungsort geben wir Ihnen noch rechtzeitig bekannt. — We will announce the exam location in good time.
to present
Präsentieren Sie Ihre Ergebnisse bitte im Kurs. — Please present your results in the course.
plural: die Reden
speech
Der Präsident hat eine Rede gehalten. — The president gave a speech.
plural: die Vorträge
lecture, talk
Ihr Vortrag war sehr interessant. — Your lecture was very interesting.
plural: die Ansagen
an announcement
Die Ansage im Bahnhof war laut. — The announcement in the station was loud.
plural: die Durchsagen
announcement
Die Durchsage informiert die Fahrgäste. — The announcement informs the passengers.
to disguise / veil
Die Politikerin versuchte, die Wahrheit zu verschleiern. — The politician tried to disguise the truth.
to demonize
Die Medien verteufeln den Politiker zu Unrecht. — The media unfairly demonizes the politician.
to retract
Die Zeitung musste ihre falsche Behauptung widerrufen. — The newspaper had to retract its false claim.
to accentuate (stress)
Der Redner akzentuiert wichtige Wörter durch Betonung. — The speaker accentuates important words through emphasis.
plural: die Anspielungen
an innuendo / allusion
Die Anspielung auf frühere Ereignisse war subtil und witzig. — The allusion to earlier events was subtle and clever.
plural: die Diskurse
discourse
Der Diskurs über Politik wird immer hitziger. — The discourse about politics becomes increasingly heated.
plural: die Rhetoriker
rhetorician
Der Rhetoriker beeindruckte das Publikum mit seiner Rede. — The rhetorician impressed the audience with his speech.
to chant
Die Menge skandierte den Namen des Kandidaten. — The crowd chanted the candidate's name.
How to learn this set
Three of the nouns here split cleanly on gender by pattern: die Rede, die Ansage, and die Durchsage are all feminine, while der Vortrag and der Applaus are masculine, so if you're guessing at speed, -sage and -rede compounds skew feminine. Separately, watch the verb pair verschleiern and verteufeln: both are built on nouns (Schleier, "veil," and Teufel, "devil") that give away the literal image behind the abstract meaning, which makes them easier to hold onto than a flat translation. For widerrufen, isolate the prefix wider- (against) plus rufen (to call) and you'll recognize the same prefix in other reversal verbs later on.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Ansage and Durchsage in German?
Both mean announcement, but a Durchsage is specifically broadcast through a speaker system, like a train station or airport update. An Ansage is broader and can be any spoken announcement, including one person telling a group something directly, with no PA system involved.
What is the difference between Rede and Vortrag?
A Rede is a speech, often persuasive or ceremonial, like a wedding toast or political address. A Vortrag is a lecture or talk given to inform, typically with prepared content and structure, like a conference presentation.
Is Applaus masculine or feminine in German?
Applaus is masculine: der Applaus. It has no plural in everyday use since applause is treated as a mass concept, similar to how English doesn't pluralize it either.
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