Vernunft

reason

noun fer-NOONFT Less Common

Also means

rationality, sense

Usage Note

Vernunft is reason as a faculty and as good sense; it has no plural. Note jemanden zur Vernunft bringen (to bring someone to their senses) and Kant's die reine Vernunft. Distinguish from Verstand (intellect, understanding).

Examples

"Endlich ließ er Vernunft walten und gab nach."

Natural Translation

Finally he let reason prevail and gave in.

Literal Translation

Finally let he reason prevail and gave in.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Body Parts: Vocabulary + How to Say It Hurts

Learn German body parts with der/die/das and plurals, plus the two ways to say something hurts: Mir tut der Kopf weh and Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.

June 9, 2026 5 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

GermanNow

German Compound Words: How to Read Any Long Word

Read any long German word by working right-to-left: the last noun sets the meaning and gender, and the small linking letters are just glue. Here's the drill.

June 9, 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