Unterwäsche

underwear, undergarments

noun OON-ter-veh-sheh Rare

Usage Note

Unterwäsche is the collective term for underwear. It is an uncountable noun used without an article in general statements: Unterwäsche kaufen. Specific items are named separately (Unterhose, BH).

Examples

"Er kauft seine Unterwäsche lieber im Fachgeschäft."

Natural Translation

He prefers to buy his underwear in a specialist shop.

Literal Translation

He buys his underwear rather in-the-specialist-shop.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Colors: Names, Shades, and Idioms

German colors are adjectives that take endings — say das rote Auto, not das rot Auto. Get the names, shades, the das-Rot rule, and 14 color idioms.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Greetings by Region: Grüß Gott to Grüezi

German greetings change by region: say Moin in Hamburg, Grüß Gott in Bavaria, Grüezi in Switzerland. A map of every hello and goodbye, plus du vs. Sie.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Numbers 1–100: Why 21 Is Said Backwards

German numbers 1 to 100 reverse the digits: 21 is einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty). Learn the und rule, the irregulars, and how to hear prices fast.

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