German Shapes & Forms Vocabulary
This set covers the words you need to describe what something looks like from the outside: das Dreieck, der Winkel, and rechteckig alongside the more basic rund and eckig. One trap here is der Winkel, which doesn't just mean the angle in a triangle but also a corner or nook in a room, and Winkel can sound almost secretive (in einem Winkel verstecken, to hide in a corner) in a way English "angle" never does.
Learn these 19 words
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All 19 words
plural: die Dreiecke
triangle
Male ein Dreieck auf das Papier. — Draw a triangle on the paper.
plural: die Quadrate
square
Das Quadrat hat vier gleiche Seiten. — The square has four equal sides.
plural: die Rechtecke
rectangle
Der Tisch hat die Form eines Rechtecks. — The table has the shape of a rectangle.
- ovalA2
oval
Der Spiegel im Bad ist oval. — The mirror in the bathroom is oval.
square-shaped
Das Zimmer ist ziemlich quadratisch. — The room is quite square-shaped.
rectangular
Der Tisch ist rechteckig. — The table is rectangular.
- rundA2
round, circular
Unser Wohnzimmertisch ist rund. — Our living room table is round.
- eckigB1
angular
Ich möchte einen eckigen Tisch, keinen runden. — I want an angular table, not a round one.
- flachB1
flat
Für die Arbeit brauche ich flache Schuhe. — For work I need flat shoes.
plural: die Formen
form, shape
Diese Schuhe haben eine schöne Form. — These shoes have a nice shape.
plural: die Kreise
circle
Die Kinder sitzen im Kindergarten im Kreis. — The children sit in a circle at kindergarten.
- krummB1
crooked
Der Ast ist ganz krumm. — The branch is quite crooked.
- steilB1
steep
Die Straße zu unserem Haus ist sehr steil. — The road to our house is very steep.
horizontal
Ziehen Sie bitte einen waagerechten Strich. — Please draw a horizontal line.
plural: die Gestalten
form / shape / figure
Die menschliche Gestalt ist in der Kunstwelt sehr beliebt. — The human form is very popular in the art world.
- gewölbtB2
arched / curved / domed
Das Dach ist gewölbt und sieht elegant aus. — The roof is arched and looks elegant.
plural: die Konturen
contour / outline
Die Kontur der Berge zeichnet sich gegen den Himmel ab. — The contour of the mountains stands out against the sky.
plural: die Muster
pattern / sample / design
Das geometrische Muster sieht sehr schön aus. — The geometric pattern looks very beautiful.
plural: die Winkel
angle / corner / recess
Der Winkel zwischen den beiden Linien ist neunzig Grad. — The angle between the two lines is ninety degrees.
How to learn this set
Notice that quadratisch, rechteckig, and eckig all end in -ig, the standard adjective suffix that turns a noun into "having the shape of X": Quadrat becomes quadratisch, Ecke becomes eckig. Once you see that pattern, guessing new shape adjectives gets much easier. For the nouns, drill der Kreis and das Quadrat together since their genders are easy to swap by mistake, and pair rund with eckig as opposites so the adjectives stick in contrast rather than in isolation.
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Frequently asked questions
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Form und Gestalt?
Form is the neutral, general word for shape and works in almost any context, from geometric shapes to the form of an argument. Gestalt leans toward the overall figure or silhouette of something, especially a person or body, and carries a slightly more literary or formal tone.
Ist rund dasselbe wie kreisförmig?
Not quite. Rund just means round or curved, so a ball, a table edge, or a hill can all be rund. Kreisförmig (circle-shaped) is more precise and technical, used when something specifically forms a circle, like a kreisförmige Anordnung of chairs.
Was bedeutet krumm im Gegensatz zu gewölbt?
Krumm describes something bent or crooked in an irregular, often unwanted way, like a krumme Nase or a krumme Straße. Gewölbt describes a deliberate, even curve, like a gewölbte Decke (vaulted ceiling), and often sounds architectural.
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