Abitur

school-leaving exam

noun a-bi-TOOR Less Common

Origin: from Latin abire, 'to depart'

Usage Note

Abitur is the qualification that crowns the Gymnasium and grants university entry, casually shortened to das Abi. The verb phrase is das Abitur machen ('to take the Abitur'). It has no real English equivalent, so it is usually left untranslated.

Examples

"Sie macht dieses Jahr Abitur."

Natural Translation

She is taking her Abitur this year.

Literal Translation

She makes this year Abitur.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German False Friends: 25 Words That Trick You

German false friends like Gift (poison) and bekommen (to receive) trick English speakers daily. Here are 25 words that mean the opposite of what you'd guess.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

How to Memorize German Vocabulary Fast

Memorize German vocabulary fast with a five-step workflow: drill the top 100 words, learn nouns with their article, color-code gender, and use spaced repetition

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Wo, Wohin, Woher: Three Ways to Say Where

German splits where into three: wo (location), wohin (destination), and woher (origin). Learn the wo vs wohin rule, the hin/her logic, and common mistakes.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Modal Verbs: Können, Müssen, Wollen and More

German modal verbs put the modal in position 2 and the real verb at the end. Master können, müssen, wollen and the rest with charts and clear examples.

June 5, 2026 5 min read