German word

Meter

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈmeːtɐ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmeter

Example

Das Zimmer ist zwei Meter lang.

The room is two meters long.

Illustration for Meter (meter)

More examples

Der Baum ist über fünf Meter hoch.

The tree is over five meters tall.

Core concept

A precisely marked length used as a standard ruler distance.

Common phrases

  • ein Meter

    one meter

  • zwei Meter

    two meters

  • ein Meter lang

    one meter long

Similar words

Kilometer: A long-distance unit equal to 1,000 meters, often used on roads and maps.
Zentimeter: A small length unit equal to one hundredth of a meter.
Millimeter: A very small length unit equal to one thousandth of a meter.

Definition in German

Meter ist die im Internationalen Einheitensystem (SI) definierte Einheit der Länge; ein Meter entspricht hundert Zentimetern.

Word origin

German Meter came through French mètre from Greek métron, meaning measure, as the metric system spread in the late eighteenth century.

Usage tips

  • German Meter is masculine, with der Meter and the plural Meter; after numbers, zwei Meter therefore looks identical to the singular.

Related words

Word lists with this word