umsonst

B1

free, for nothing

English meaning
free, for nothing
Vocabulary package
Prices & Paying

More: B1 Money & Shopping words. Hear “umsonst” in B1 German videos, or save “umsonst” while watching YouTube with the free Chrome extension.

umsonst in a sentence

Ich musste nichts bezahlen. Die Reparatur war umsonst.

I didn't have to pay anything. The repair was free.

Word family

umsonst is built from umso (all the more). German builds meaning by welding words together, so knowing the parts usually gives you the whole.

Where umsonst comes from

mittelhochdeutsch umbesunst, umbesus(t), zusammengesetzt aus mittelhochdeutsch umbe (um) und substantiviert gedachten mittelhochdeutsch sus(t) (sonst), bedeutete ‚um, für ein So (ein Nichts)‘.

Learn umsonst with 37 related words

umsonst is part of the Prices & Paying package. Drill the whole set as spaced-repetition flashcards in your browser — no sign-up.

Words that go with umsonst

Questions about umsonst

What does umsonst mean in English?

umsonst means "free, for nothing". For example: "Ich musste nichts bezahlen. Die Reparatur war umsonst." — "I didn't have to pay anything. The repair was free."

What level is umsonst in German?

umsonst is a B1 word — b1 — intermediate. It belongs to the prices & paying vocabulary.

Free to start · no credit card

Words fade fast — spaced reviews make them stick.

Based on Dr. Hermann Ebbinghaus · memory science, proven since 1885

Free Chrome extension

Learn German with any YouTube video — the 3minGerman plugin

The 3minGerman Chrome extension adds German and English subtitles to every YouTube video. Click any word to see its translation and etymology; it is saved to your 3minGerman account, and the daily quiz repeats it with spaced repetition until you remember it.

  1. STEP 1
    Install the plugin
    Add it to desktop Chrome — free.
  2. STEP 2
    Watch any video
    German + English subtitles appear automatically.
  3. STEP 3
    Click any word
    Translation, etymology, audio — saved to your words.
  4. STEP 4
    Take the daily quiz
    Spaced repetition beats the forgetting curve.